District A News 2014 February

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District A News

February  2014
 
 PJ’s Coffee Grand Opening /Canal Blvd.

New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

 

I am honored to have been invited to participate in the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Denver this February.  I will be a panelist for the “Livable Communities Council: Engaging Volunteers to Empower Communities” session, where we will look at how governments and neighborhoods can work together to improve the quality of life for the residents of their communities.  

 

My panel will specifically focus on the incredible work that is being done in the Hollygrove neighborhood here in New Orleans.  I will be joined by Earl Williams, Chief Financial Officer for Trinity Christian Community and a Hollygrove resident, and Lynn Maloney-Mujica, Senior Planner for ARCADIS.  The panel will be moderated by Jason Tudor, Director of Outreach for AARP Louisiana.

 

Hollygrove is actually the first community that AARP ever chose to work in at the community level.  This initiative has been so successful that AARP has now adopted this as their national model.

 

 As a Councilmember, I have partnered with AARP and the Hollygrove community to assist that neighborhood with their recovery.  I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share this experience with other civic leaders from around the country.

 

For more information please visit their website at

newpartners.org.

Find Me On Facebook

                          

Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Grant Program
Wells Fargo will be providing $4 million in down payment assistance grants to eligible New Orleans homebuyers as part of its nationwide NeighborhoodLIFT program. The New Orleans NeighborhoodLIFT initiative, being launched in partnership with NeighborWorks America, the Hope Enterprise Corporation, and the City’s soft-second mortgage assistance program, will provide $15,000 grants for up to 200 New Orleans homebuyers.The program is open to homebuyers whose annual income does not exceed 120% of the area median income ($70,550 for a family of four). Grant recipients must also qualify for a first mortgage or HUD-insured purchase renovation loan from a qualified lender, and commit to live in the home for at least 5 years. They must also attend an 8-hr homebuyer seminar hosted by Hope Enterprise Corporation or another HUD-approved organization.
For more information on the program, please visit www.neighborhoodlift.com or call (866) 858-2151.

Thanks For the Support

I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the last four years.  Serving as your Council representative has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life and I am honored to have the opportunity to do so again.  I will continue working hard in my second term to help make District A and our entire city a better place to live, work, and raise a family. 
                                   

Dear Residents and Friends of District A,
 

2013 was a big year for new businesses big and small in District A. I’m so proud of all the extensive retail growth on Magazine Street, Oak Street, Harrison Ave. and all along Carrollton.  I look forward to attending many more groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings in 2014.

 

Here’s a list of other new businesses that I’m proud to welcome to District A:

 

Mid-City Market* Costco* Mellow Mushroom* Brisbi’s on the Lakefront* The Pearl on Harrison Ave.* C&S Dental on Canal Blvd.* The Blue Crab and Oyster Bar* Mizado Cocina* Cindy’s Nail Salon* Catholic Center at Tulane* Pearl Wine Bar* ArtSpace Nola* Walgreens on Magazine St* New Basin Canal Light House

 

I’m also thrilled to announce that the long-awaited Carrollton Hollygrove Senior Center has finally been submitted to FEMA as an At-Cost Replacement Project, with improvements.  The center will be a beautiful two-story, 12,532-square-foot building with a covered patio.  Warton-Smith Construction was the low-bidder and the contract is awaiting the Mayor’s signature.  Construction is expected to take 10-12 months.

 

Although the Broad Street Whole Foods is not in District A, I am still very excited about them joining the Mid-City neighborhood. They opened February 4 with a “bread breaking” event at before officially opening their doors to the public.

 

Whole Foods will anchor the ReFresh Project, a 60,000-square-foot development that aims to stimulate growth on the Broad Street commercial corridor and to improve access to fresh, high-quality food and health-related programs in the community.

 

Other tenants/partners include Liberty’s Kitchen, Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, Broad Community Connections and Firstline Schools.

Help For Local Businesses
Our local Mid-City businesses need your love and attention! Banks Street is being repaved from Carrollton Avenue to S. Anthony. The paving began on November 2nd and is scheduled to be finished in March. The nearby businesses at Banks St. and S. Alexander have endured a 40% drop in sales as a result of the street obstructions.Please make a special effort to visit and support these businesses and encourage friends and neighbors to stop by to help keep these Banks Street merchants open for business!Banks St. Bar and Grill: (4401 Banks St.; 504.486.0258) Open from 4pm -’til. Visit their website at http://www.banksstreetbarandgrill.com/.Banks Street Service Station: (4338 Banks St.; 504.484.7484) For all your basic auto repair needs.

Biscuit and Buns:(4337 Banks St.; 504.273.4600 ) Open Tuesday-Sunday and serves breakfast and brunch. Visit them at facebook.com/biscuitsandbunsonbanks.

Crescent City Sausage and Pie Co.: (4400 Banks St.; 504. 486. 2426) Open daily for lunch and dinner and Sunday for brunch. Visit their website at http://crescentpieandsausage.com/. Call now to reserve for the 4 course New Year’s Eve Beer Dinner with LA 31! Check out the menu at https://www.facebook.com/CrescentPieandSausageCo.

Loose Endz: (4339 Banks St.; 504.376.3417) A neighborhood barber and beauty shop opened in March 2011 at the corner of Banks and S. Alexander streets.

Mid-City Pizza: (4413 Banks St.; 504.483.8609) Open daily from 4:30 to midnight, they offer homemade sauces and dough, and they’re directly adjacent to Banks St Bar and Grill. Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mid-City-Pizza.

Wakin’ Bakin’: (4408 Banks St.; 504.252.0343) Open for breakfast and brunch daily except on Tuesday. And they deliver! Visit https://www.facebook.com/WakinBakinNOLA for more info.

Zito’s Plating and Polishing: (4421 Banks St.; 504.482.5771) Specializes in all metal finishes, rewiring and polishing. All work is done in house. Visit their Facebook page for business hours.

 
 
Riverbend, Maple and Oak Merchants

We also can’t forget about our businesses along the St. Charles Ave. streetcar line. Maintenance work has impacted Riverbend, Maple Street and Oak Street merchants. Please show your support for these businesses and tell everyone you know “to continue along the line to the Riverbend area!”
https://www.facebook.com/RiverbendNewOrleans.

 

Thursday, February 6, 2014 – New Orleans, LA – At today’s regular City Council Meeting, the Council reviewed progress relative to legislation to delay federal flood insurance premium increases. The Council also adopted ordinances which appropriate funds to support the New Orleans Police Department community policing and youth programs.


In other business, the Council celebrated the 30th birthday of the Windsor Court Hotel and passed a resolution proclaiming February 12, 2014 “Windsor Court Day.” The Council also received a presentation from the New Orleans Health Department on the importance of breast feeding.   

GNOfloodDiscussed GNO, Inc. Progress on Improvements
to Flood Insurance Options
Greater New Orleans, Inc. President
and CEO Michael Hecht
Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.), appeared before the Council to give a presentation on the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance’s (CSFI) progress relative to legislation to delay dramatic federal flood insurance premium increases.Specifically, Hecht commended the United States Senate for the bi-partisan supermajority passage of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act last week. This Act would delay premium increases for approximately four years, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), to complete an affordability study.

The premium increases were created under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 in an effort to improve the NFIP’s financial solvency. In addition to the Biggert-Waters Act, incomplete FEMA flood maps and inaccurate actuarial calculations have led to the drastic premium increases, according to CSFI.

Formed in May 2013 by GNO, Inc., CSFI is committed to the development of a sustainable, fiscally responsible NFIP that protects businesses and homeowners. CSFI represents 200 business and civic associations and local governments in 27 states across the country. GNO, Inc. is an economic development alliance dedicated to serving the 10-parish region of Southeast Louisiana.

District “C” Councilmember Gisleson Palmer said, “It is our responsibility as a city, as a region, and as a state to be a leader on this issue. We need to develop a program that is fiscally responsible, sustainable, and equitable – one that will garner local, regional and national buy-in and support. I have been impressed by the quality of leadership and teamwork thus far and I look forward to Louisiana continuing to be a thought leader on this national issue.”
Council President Clarkson said, “We appreciate GNO Inc. and Michael Hecht taking the lead on this. This is very critical to the retention of our citizens who suffered so much after Katrina and is critical to the future of homeownership in New Orleans.”

NOPDfundAppropriated Funds to Support NOPD Community
Policing and Youth Programs
 

The Council passed Ordinance Calendar No. 29,915, Ordinance Calendar No. 29,916, Ordinance Calendar No. 29,917, and Ordinance Calendar No. 29,918, to amend the City’s Operating Budget of Revenues (Ordinance No. 25,580 M.C.S.) and Operating Budget of Expenditures (Ordinance No. 25,581 M.C.S.) to appropriate Federal Grant funds from Intergovernmental Transfers to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD).

Specifically, Ordinance Calendar No. 29,915 and Ordinance Calendar No. 29,916 appropriate funds for the extension of the “COPS Hiring Program” grant. The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is an office of the U.S. Department of Justice dedicated to advancing the practice of community policing in America’s law enforcement agencies through information sharing and the awarding of grants to police departments across the country. The COPS Hiring Program grant funds will be used to hire new officers, and rehire officers laid off or scheduled to be laid off as a result of budget reductions.

Ordinance Calendar No. 29,917, and Ordinance Calendar No. 29,918

appropriate funds for the NOPD D.A.R.E. Program. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program focuses on teaching children how to make responsible decisions about drugs, violence, bullying, and peer pressure.
Council President Clarkson said, “We appreciate the help these grants provide so that we may continue to put more police on our streets and provide better education on the dangers of drug abuse.”

WindsorHotelCelebrated Windsor Court Hotel’s 30th Birthday 

Windsor Court Hotel Director of Sales & Marketing Megan Uram
and Windsor Court Hotel General Manager David Teich
with Councilmembers Cantrell and Gray

Windsor Court Hotel General Manager David Teich and Director of Sales and Marketing Megan Uram appeared before the Council to celebrate the 30th birthday of the Windsor Court Hotel. The Council also passed Resolution R-14-29, authored by Councilmember Cantrell, officially proclaiming February 12, 2014 “Windsor Court Day” in New Orleans.

The Windsor Court Hotel was opened by local businessman James J. Coleman, Jr. on February 12, 1984, a date specifically selected to coincide with the upcoming World’s Fair. Playing host to Presidents, Dignitaries, and celebrities, the hotel was voted #1 hotel in the world in 1998. The hotel recently underwent a $22 million restoration in 2012.

District “B” Councilmember Cantrell said, “One of the first hotels to reopen following Hurricane Katrina, the Windsor Court has always represented the epitome of New Orleans hospitality. We look forward to the Windsor Court continuing its historic tradition as a luxury hotel for locals and tourists alike for many years to come.”

BreastFeedingReceived Presentation on Improving Breast
Feeding Rate in Louisiana 

Director of the New Orleans
Health Department
Charlotte Parent

Charlotte Parent, Director of the New Orleans Health Department, appeared before the Council to discuss the department’s efforts to improve the breast feeding rate in Louisiana.

Parent emphasized the importance of informing new mothers of the many short- and long-term health benefits of breast feeding. Specifically, the New Orleans Health Department is working to socialize breast feeding in its clinics. Approximately 53% of Louisiana infants are ever breastfed, compared with 77% nationally, leading to Louisiana ranking 44th in the nation for the percentage of infants who are ever breastfed.
Council President Clarkson said, “It is phenomenal that our Health Department is not only taking the lead on encouraging mothers to breast feed their babies, but also educating women on the benefits and how-to of breast feeding. Breast feeding is critical for mothers to bond with their infants and medically essential to build immunities. This Council stands prepared to help make this work!”