OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Criminal Justice Committee Meeting on Summer Youth Programs - May 11, 2026

City Council — Monday, May 11, 2026
BodyNew Orleans, Louisiana
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, May 11, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:03:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

About to get started with our one o'clock schedule meeting, criminal justice committee meeting.

0:09

If you are here for the criminal justice committee meeting, you are in the correct place.

0:14

If you are not here for the meeting, you're not in the correct place.

1:00

Roll call.

1:03

Councilmember King.

1:04

Here.

1:05

Councilmember Morell is in chambers.

1:08

Councilmember Harris.

1:12

Here.

1:13

Councilmember Green.

1:15

Councilmember Hughes.

1:19

We have four members.

1:20

We have a quorum.

1:22

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

1:24

Everyone, can you can you please?

1:28

We ask that everyone clear the chamber who is not here for the criminal justice committee meeting.

1:35

That includes Fox 8.

1:37

We ask that you clear the chambers so we can conduct our criminal justice committee meeting.

1:52

Y'all can stay.

1:52

This is important stuff too if y'all want to.

1:56

We're talking about our the summertime uh opportunities for our youth.

2:01

So this is equally important, Fox A, you want to stay to catch this, you can definitely stay.

2:06

All right.

2:11

All right.

2:13

And make a motion to approve the April 27th meeting, 27 minutes, second by Councilmember Green.

2:23

I don't care.

2:24

Councilmember Green.

2:26

All right.

2:28

Motion's approved.

2:31

Next, we're gonna hear from Mr.

2:34

Larry Barabino, the Chief Executive Director of Nard.

2:42

Councilmember King, I just wanted to be on the record because this is such an important issue to me.

2:47

But I do want to be on the record that because of a medical issue, I have to leave at 1 30, and that's the only reason.

2:53

But I appreciate your agenda and strongly support this information being released.

2:57

Thank you.

2:58

So with hold on, hold on, hold on.

3:05

All right, we want to have everyone keep it quiet, show our presenters some respect.

3:12

Everyone can be heard.

3:14

This is a very important topic, which summer right around the corner.

3:18

Schools are graduating.

3:20

Children are being out of being allowed out of school.

3:23

We are here to discuss these cities, summertime plans for our youth, as well as some nonprofit mentor groups to hear their plan for the youth.

3:34

So we ask that you're not here for this meeting.

3:36

Please continue the conversation in the hallways.

3:39

Thank you.

3:40

Uh Mr.

3:40

Barabino, the floor is yours.

3:43

Uh good afternoon, Council members.

3:46

I'm I'm excited to um to be able to present to you all today to let you all know where we stand today for summer 2026.

3:53

With me, I have Natasha Robinson, who is the chief programming officer for Nord.

4:00

So our goal this summer is to hire 100 lifeguards and 31 camp staff persons.

4:09

As of today, and this slide was was submitted last week, so I'm going to give you guys the updated numbers.

4:16

As of today, we have 82 lifeguard applications in hand.

4:23

Um 82 lifeguards that's working through the system towards our 100 lifeguard goal.

4:30

We have 49 that have one that have completed their package and ready to start on Monday if we call them.

4:37

Um we have two that failed the drug tests.

4:39

We have 17 that is pending background checks and screen tests on background checks and on drug screens, and we have 14 that's in the pending application stage.

4:50

Some of them are teens between the age of 15 and 17, the work permits and and things of that nature there.

4:56

IDs, but again, we have 82 in the pipe right now, with knowing that only two has failed the drug test.

4:59

We're poised to have these 80 ready to go.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Youth Programs████████████████████████████████████36%
Workforce Development███████████████████████████████████35%
Public Safety██████████████14%
Parks and Recreation████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Summary of Proceedings

Criminal Justice Committee Meeting on Summer Youth Programs

The Criminal Justice Committee met on May 11, 2026, to hear reports and presentations from the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD), Heroes of New Orleans, and the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development regarding summer 2026 programming, employment, and violence prevention for youth. Councilmembers King, Morell, Harris, Green, and Hughes were present (quorum of four members). Councilmember King noted she had to leave at 1:30 PM due to a medical issue but expressed strong support for the agenda.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from the April 27th meeting were approved by motion with a second from Councilmember Green.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Shantae Scott (mother of Jace Lee Scott, who was killed by gun violence) spoke after each presentation. She expressed that recreation is "intervention, mentorship, mental health support," and urged the city to build trust, transparency, and accountability in violence prevention. She stated that "public safety is not just about creating programs, it is about creating trust."
  • Alicia Plummer advocated for expanding boxing programs in the city, specifically a boxing gym in the Cutoff area. She noted the historic Milne Boys Home boxing gym and said boxing teaches discipline and sportsmanship.

Discussion Items

  • NORD Summer 2026 Programs (Larry Barabino, Chief Executive Director)

    • Goal to hire 100 lifeguards and 31 camp staff. As of the meeting, 82 lifeguard applications were in process: 49 ready to start, 2 failed drug tests, 17 pending background checks, 14 pending applications. 36 applicants for summer camp hires, 23 ready to go.
    • Lifeguard pay is $17.58/hour, described as one of the highest public pool lifeguard rates in the country. Junior lifeguard program (ages 13-15) offers a $450 stipend for six weeks. Summer camps are at capacity (1,560 youth enrolled; goal was 1,380). Teen camps have 628 spots with 582 filled, mostly junior lifeguard slots.
    • Summer Sports Challenge (evening program for ages 13-17) runs June 1 – July 10, 4–7 PM, offering stipends up to $450. Two new splash pads are planned: at Cutoff Rec Center and Velazquez Playground.
    • Councilmember Harris asked about A.L. Davis Park pool repairs; Barabino said the contract is awaiting the mayor's signature, with a goal to open the pool this summer unless long lead times on parts.
    • Councilmember Green highlighted recent developments at Perry Roehm Stadium and asked for attention to Samson Park, noting that bond-funded renovations (restrooms, locker rooms, office) have already begun.
    • Barabino clarified that NORD's junior lifeguard and teen camps provide stipends, not wages, and that NORD believes it is the only parks agency in the country to provide a stipend for teen camp attendance.

  • Heroes of New Orleans (Greg Ravey, Founder/CEO)

    • Launched "Heroes 360" program, partnering with the Mayor's Office and Housing Authority to provide 15 young people (ages 14-21) with workforce development, career exploration, and peer-to-peer mentorship. 57 students are on the waiting list for the program.
    • Topics include employment payroll, financial literacy, resume building, on-job training, and making proud choices (HIV/STI knowledge, healthy relationships).
    • Councilmember King noted the facility on Breen Balbach on Herschel is near a dumping site and visible drug activity; Ravey confirmed that youth sometimes have to be met at the bus stop to avoid the area.
    • Councilmember Green praised the program's impact.

  • Mayor's Office of Workforce Development – Marisummer Youth Employment Program (Carmen McKinley, Director of Youth Initiatives)

    • Program serves youth aged 16-24 with paid work experience and career exploration. 951 applicants have been processed toward a budget of 1,000 participants; program lasts 6-8 weeks.
    • Track 1: Traditional (high schoolers) focuses on workplace norms. Track 2: Work & Learn (ages 16-24) combines employment with academic readiness via Southern University at New Orleans and the University of New Orleans. Track 3: Internola (college students) matches career industry interests.
    • 2025 outcomes: $1.67 million in wages distributed; 91% of youth saved at least $100; STEM NOLA employed 50 youth, building STEM kits worth $2 million.
    • Councilmember Hughes questioned collaboration with other workforce programs; McKinley cited partnerships with Delgado and Greater New Orleans Inc. for regional grants. Hughes expressed concern about high school graduates being ill-prepared for high-demand jobs like welding.
    • Councilmember Harris asked about payroll timeliness; McKinley confirmed there were no payment issues in 2024 or 2025, resolving the 2023 payroll crisis. Harris also asked about programming in the Job One building's mezzanine space; McKinley said it houses the youth career center with 12 career coaches and is used daily for counseling and testing. She committed to providing exact usage numbers.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken on the presentations. The committee received the reports and heard public comments.
  • The meeting was adjourned by motion after the final public comment.

Meeting Transcript

About to get started with our one o'clock schedule meeting, criminal justice committee meeting. If you are here for the criminal justice committee meeting, you are in the correct place. If you are not here for the meeting, you're not in the correct place. Roll call. Councilmember King. Here. Councilmember Morell is in chambers. Councilmember Harris. Here. Councilmember Green. Councilmember Hughes. We have four members. We have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Everyone, can you can you please? We ask that everyone clear the chamber who is not here for the criminal justice committee meeting. That includes Fox 8. We ask that you clear the chambers so we can conduct our criminal justice committee meeting. Y'all can stay. This is important stuff too if y'all want to. We're talking about our the summertime uh opportunities for our youth. So this is equally important, Fox A, you want to stay to catch this, you can definitely stay. All right. All right. And make a motion to approve the April 27th meeting, 27 minutes, second by Councilmember Green. I don't care. Councilmember Green. All right. Motion's approved. Next, we're gonna hear from Mr. Larry Barabino, the Chief Executive Director of Nard. Councilmember King, I just wanted to be on the record because this is such an important issue to me. But I do want to be on the record that because of a medical issue, I have to leave at 1 30, and that's the only reason. But I appreciate your agenda and strongly support this information being released. Thank you. So with hold on, hold on, hold on. All right, we want to have everyone keep it quiet, show our presenters some respect. Everyone can be heard. This is a very important topic, which summer right around the corner. Schools are graduating. Children are being out of being allowed out of school. We are here to discuss these cities, summertime plans for our youth, as well as some nonprofit mentor groups to hear their plan for the youth. So we ask that you're not here for this meeting. Please continue the conversation in the hallways. Thank you. Uh Mr. Barabino, the floor is yours. Uh good afternoon, Council members. I'm I'm excited to um to be able to present to you all today to let you all know where we stand today for summer 2026. With me, I have Natasha Robinson, who is the chief programming officer for Nord.

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