New Orleans City Council Regular Meeting - June 4, 2026

The New Orleans City Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, June 4, 2026, in City Hall Council Chamber. Council President JP Morrell presided. The meeting was called to order at 10:11 AM and adjourned at 12:26 PM. All seven councilmembers were present for the final roll call: McCarron, Harris, King, Green, Hughes, Morrell, and Willard. The minutes from the May 7, May 11 (Special), and May 21, 2026 meetings were approved (5-0-2, with Green and Hughes absent initially). The council held an executive session from 12:08 PM to discuss four pending lawsuits. A total of 19 ordinances on first reading (Calendar Numbers 35,453 through 35,471) were introduced and laid over.

Consent Calendar

• Utilities Communications: Received reports from Entergy New Orleans (Energy Smart BESS Pilot Phase 3, Environmental Adjustments, Purchased Power Cost Recovery, Fuel Adjustments for June 2026) and Delta New Orleans Gas (Purchased Gas Adjustments). Also received petitions for intervention from Alliance for Affordable Energy and Together New Orleans (UD-26-01).
• Classified Pay Plan (Fire): Received and referred to the Budget Committee.
• Housing Trust Fund Report: Received the 2025 Annual Report Amendment.
• HDLC Withdrawal: Received the withdrawal of the appeal for 3100 Calhoun Street.
• Quarterly Reports: Received budget reports from the Orleans Public Defender Office (Jan-April 2026), Ethics Review Board (2025 Annual Report), Municipal and Traffic Court (April 2026), City Planning Commission (transmittal of zoning dockets, hearing date 6/18/26), and District Attorney’s Office (April 2026).
• PILOT Application: Received OED recommendation for approval of the River District – Rivana Apartments Development Project (220 affordable/workforce units, 18,000 sq ft commercial space).
• Hotel Conditional Use Ordinances: Adopted Cal. No. 35,428 (1039 Constance Street, ZD 27/26), Cal. No. 35,429 (521 Saint Joseph Street, ZD 28/26), and Cal. No. 35,430 (527 St. Joseph Street, ZD 29/26).
• Stadium Zoning Change: Adopted Cal. No. 35,431 (4290 Almonaster Avenue/3059 Carver Rams Way, ZD 32/26) to change zoning to OS-R and permit a stadium.
• Single-Family Residence Conditional Use: Adopted Cal. No. 35,446 (3803-3909 Van Buren Street, ZD 33/26).
• Budget Transfer: Cal. No. 35,441 was removed from the consent agenda for separate discussion and amendment (see Discussion Items).

Discussion Items

• Budget Transfer (Cal. No. 35,441): Councilmember Harris moved to receive an amendment to correct the funding source. The amendment and the ordinance as amended were adopted (5-0-2, Green and Hughes absent). This transfers funds from the Department of Public Works to the Police Department for Ground Transportation.
• HDLC Appeals:
  • 1413 Columbus Street (Jill Sussman): Appeal of HDLC denial for inappropriate windows. Council granted approval for windows labeled 7 and 8 with full screens (M-26-183 adopted 5-0-2).
  • 6309-6311 S. Claiborne Avenue (Ron Loesel): Appeal of HDLC deferral. Council granted the applicant’s request (M-26-231 adopted 5-0-2).
  • 6307-6309 S. Miro Street (Ron Loesel): Same matter. Council granted approval (M-26-230 adopted 5-0-2, with Hughes and Morrell present, Green and Willard absent).
  • 1537-1539 Euterpe Street (Ron Loesel): Appeal of de facto denial. Council overruled the HDLC decision and granted the request (M-26-233 adopted 6-0-1).
• Zoning Dockets:
  • ZD 21/26 (926 Brooklyn Ave, commercial STR): Past deadline; died.
  • ZD 22/26 (Boathouse #84, 8112 Breakwater Drive, commercial STR): Approved subject to two CPC provisos (M-26-226 adopted 5-1, Morrell nay).
  • ZD 23/26 (Boathouse #85, 8114 Breakwater Drive, commercial STR): Approved subject to two CPC provisos (M-26-227 adopted 4-1, Morrell nay; King absent).
  • ZD 31/26 (424-428 Third Street, commercial STR): CPC recommended denial. Council denied the request (M-26-234 adopted 5-0-2).
  • ZD 39/26 (636-650 North Broad Street, amusement facility expansion): Approved subject to CPC recommendations with modifications (M-26-232 adopted 6-0-1).
  • ZD 43/26 (2923 Milan Street, zoning change to C-2): CPC recommended denial. Council denied (M-26-235 adopted 6-0-1).
  • ZD 44/26 (2819-2821 Jackson Avenue, zoning change to HU-MU): CPC recommended approval. Council approved (M-26-236 adopted 6-0-1).
  • ZD 45/26 (4235-4237 Touro Street/2110-2116 Mandolin Street, zoning change to OS-N): CPC recommended approval. Council approved (M-26-228 adopted 6-0-1).
• Cooperative Endeavor Agreements:
  • Ubuntu Village NOLA (Cal. No. 35,434): Authorizing Amendment No. 1 to extend the INSTEAD Program for one year. Adopted unanimously (7-0).
  • UMC Data Sharing (Cal. No. 35,452): Authorizing Amendment No. 1 to extend the agreement for five years. Adopted (5-1, Hughes nay; Harris absent).
• Airport Lease Amendment (Cal. No. 35,433): Authorizing amendment with New Orleans Fuel Facilities, LLC. Adopted (6-0-1, Harris absent).
• Taxable Limited Tax Bonds (R-26-240): Resolution authorizing issuance and sale, adopted unanimously (7-0).
• Community Blood Donation Recognition (R-26-238): Resolution recognizing efforts during the Semiquincentennial, adopted unanimously (7-0).
• Granicus Contract Amendment (M-26-237): Adding the Council President as signatory to Amendment No. 4, adopted unanimously (7-0).
• Official Journal Selection (M-26-225): Selecting The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate for June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, adopted unanimously (7-0).
• Fiscal Officer Job Description (M-26-239): Amending to include legal counsel duties for Ashley M. Spears, adopted unanimously (7-0).

Key Outcomes

• Approvals: 15+ legislative items adopted, including three hotel conditional uses, a stadium zoning change, two boathouse commercial STRs, a single-family residence conditional use, four HDLC appeals, several zoning changes, a budget transfer, cooperative endeavor agreements, a bond resolution, and operational motions.
• Denials: Zoning Docket 31/26 (commercial STR) and ZD 43/26 (zoning change to C-2) were denied per CPC recommendations. ZD 21/26 died past deadline.
• Deferrals: Numerous items were continued to future meetings (July 9, June 18, etc.) including: two Restoration Tax Abatement applications (4417 Dryades St, 1401 Delachaise St), Convention Center Hotel Overlay District (ZD 24/26), Data Center Interim Zoning District (ZD 37/26), commercial STR at Chef Menteur Highway (ZD 38/26), Algiers zoning change (ZD 41/26), short-term rental regulation ordinances (Cal. No. 34,385 and related motions), Sanitation fee ordinance (Cal. No. 35,384), NOPD Drone Program (Cal. Nos. 35,450 & 35,451), and numerous Classified Pay Plan amendments (M-25-182 through M-26-198).
• Executive Session: Held to discuss four pending litigations:
  • Bret Bodin et al. v. City of New Orleans (Airbnb-related, EDLA Case 25-cv-00329)
  • Stanton Square, LLC v. City of New Orleans and Freddie King (EDLA Case 23-5733)
  • Chelsey Richard Napoleon v. City of New Orleans and JP Morrell (19th JDC Case C-7782244)
  • John Johnson et al. v. City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish School Board (EDLA Case 2:26-cv-01025)
• Ordinances on First Reading: 19 ordinances (Cal. Nos. 35,453-35,471) introduced and laid over as required by law.