[9:08] The meeting will now be in order.
I'd like to welcome everyone to the
[9:13] regular and legal session of the Monroe
City Council
[9:18] meeting. Uh today is September 8th, 6
p.m.
[9:22] At this time, we will have
a roll call and to [clears throat] the
[9:27] cleric quorum.
Mrs. Ezernette,
[9:32] » present. MS
>> present. Mr. Muhammed,
[9:36] » present.
>> Mr. McFarland,
[9:38] » present.
>> Mr. Harvey,
[9:40] » present.
>> There is a quorum. Present. At this
[9:44] time, we'll move to item two, education
and pledge. Pastor uh Dr. AB Davis
[9:50] Johnson's Davis Johnson of senior pastor
Rosa Sharon Baptist Church
[9:56] uh will offer the pledge and the prayer
tonight.
[10:00] If everyone please stand.
[10:15] May we pray.
Oh God, our father,
[10:20] we thank you for this day and the
blessings you've given us this day.
[10:26] New mercy,
daily bread. Thank you for the favor
[10:32] that you've shown us in our lives.
Lord God, Jehovah,
[10:38] Jehovah Gyra, who is our provider,
who sustains us with all things. We come
[10:46] to you tonight to present this city,
these elected officials and this body
[10:54] before you. Where is now, oh God, that
you look and have mercy on us?
[11:01] You said, "If my people which are called
by my name would humble themselves and
[11:04] pray and seek my face, turn from their
wicked ways, then you would hear from
[11:08] heaven, forgive our sins, and heal the
land." Lord, our land needs healing.
[11:17] » We're calling on you tonight. Violence
is rampant. War is raging. Murders are
[11:24] happening. Yay, even in our city. We ask
now that you forgive our sins. Come and
[11:33] heal the land. Bless this council. Bless
this city. Bless this state. Bless this
[11:39] entire world. We thank you for the
victory in advance. Jehovah Gyra. Thank
[11:46] you for the for supplying our need. In
the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
[11:52] » Amen.
>> [snorts]
[11:58] » To the flag
of America and to the republic for which
[12:04] it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice
[12:09] for all.
[12:14] » Thank you, Pastor Davis Johnson Davis,
[12:19] um, for that prayer. Okay, we'll move
down to our announcements.
[12:24] Um, ask everyone would please make sure
you silence your cell phones tonight.
[12:30] Um, Mr. Harvey,
>> no announcements. Thank you,
[12:33] » Mr.
>> Just welcome everyone here this evening.
[12:37] Thank you for coming.
>> Miss Woods,
[12:39] » I'd like to say good evening. It's good
to see so many of our great friends here
[12:43] with us this evening. Good to see you. I
see you. And so, thank you so much for
[12:49] being here. looking forward to um having
a very good meeting tonight. You know, I
[12:55] got a lot of things that I want to talk
about, but for the sake of time, I'll
[12:58] talk about it at another time. So, thank
you all so very much for being here.
[13:02] » Thank you, Miss Woods, Mr. Bishop
McFaren.
[13:05] » Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
Uh again, we welcome everybody here on
[13:10] tonight. Thank you so much for taking
time out of your busy schedule.
[13:17] Since this is the allotted time for us
to speak,
[13:21] I do have some issues concerning
uh the sick cell anemia foundation
[13:28] banquet
and how they was pretty much forced out
[13:33] of the civic center
and placed gave options to be placed
[13:40] somewhere else or c cancel their
contract.
[13:47] Now, I'm going tell you this.
I'm going to speak more on this matter,
[13:52] and I really need some answers for
someone.
[13:57] Why in the world
we going to make them get out
[14:03] of the BD Robertson building for their
banquet
[14:08] when BD Robertson was one of the driving
forces
[14:12] behind the sick cell anemia foundation.
Now, I don't know who got these answers
[14:19] from me, but I done heard horror stories
for the last week
[14:25] of how they have been treated
and talked down
[14:31] and pretty much take it
or else your contract is null and bored.
[14:40] That's problem with me. I'm putting it
on record tonight that tonight is just
[14:47] day one
that I'm going to be speaking about
[14:50] this.
Everybody know me. I'm going to say what
[14:56] I want to say and I'm going to do what I
want to do. But I don't tolerate
[15:02] foolishness
and putting a organization out or
[15:09] forcing them.
you go here because we got folks coming
[15:15] all over the world going to be at this
other event
[15:21] that is ludicrous.
A lot of people hadn't heard about it,
[15:28] but I hope that I can get some answers
by tomorrow morning about this issue.
[15:36] I don't know, Mr. Jones is you or the
civic center director.
[15:44] The mayor is not here tonight
to address these concerns,
[15:50] but for someone to say, I'm going to
call the mayor
[15:55] if you don't
take this offer.
[16:01] That to me is a threat. What the mayor
is supposed to do? Whoop somebody for
[16:06] not taking the offer to vacate the civic
center when they are the one that has
[16:12] rented the civic center, plan their
event, put all this information out to
[16:17] the community and they have supporters
coming from all over the United States
[16:22] too.
But to be talked down to
[16:26] is unacceptable.
Unacceptable.
[16:32] And I'm not going to let nobody get away
with that
[16:38] and talking down to my people as if they
have no voice,
[16:45] no say so, and being forced to do
something.
[16:52] If the public hadn't heard about it,
they're going to hear more about it
[16:55] because I will go live. I am gonna go
live and talk more on this issue, but
[17:03] I'm going give you opportunity. Somebody
give me I'm going give somebody
[17:06] opportunity to get that information to
me before tomorrow morning.
[17:14] That's the problem.
Mr. Chairman, I know that you know about
[17:18] it. Miss Woods, I know that you know
about it. Mr. chair, I know you ain't
[17:23] had an opportunity to speak on speak
tonight,
[17:26] but but uh madame vice chair, you had
your opportunity to talk on it, and this
[17:32] is something that is very hurting. It's
hurting to our people for our people to
[17:38] be treated in this manner,
especially
[17:44] the legacy of BD Robertson.
And if you don't know him, you need to
[17:50] read about him.
And that has really teed me off. And I'm
[17:56] saying teed off cuz I'm a pastor. Yes,
sir. But that is wrong.
[18:03] And everybody that's behind this the
curtain on this map, [clears throat]
[18:10] all that's going to be brought to light.
Foolishness.
[18:16] Yes. I'm starting this meeting all
fussing because it's wrong.
[18:22] And probably many of you all out there
tonight hadn't even heard anything about
[18:26] it. But again, I'm telling you, I'm
giving you to tomorrow morning to get me
[18:31] some answers on this matter.
And I'm going to talk what I have heard
[18:37] from the Six Cell Anemia Foundation and
what they have told me and who have said
[18:44] what to them.
These matters will be addressed
[18:51] and we as city council members got to
stand up
[18:55] for our people and not let our people be
dogged out
[19:01] just because
[19:04] who you rented the civic center the
whole complex whole complex out
[19:12] and saying now sick of sale got to
So the other group can come in and have
[19:18] the whole complex
[19:22] need some answers.
Yeah, you can sit there and and look all
[19:29] side faced with me all you want.
I'm not going to go to sleep on this
[19:35] matter.
[19:40] We We got a hot agenda tonight. There
are some things that we going to have to
[19:44] air out and put on record. So, it's
going to it's it's going to happen
[19:49] tonight.
We're going to have these discussions
[19:52] tonight.
Lastly,
[19:59] majority of this council has spoken.
There was a motion
[20:07] on the floor
that we table a matter a passover.
[20:16] Only one council member voted nay.
[20:22] shameful
that somebody that voted for it is going
[20:28] to gaslight the community
as if he wasn't in support of it. Well,
[20:35] why in the Dickens did you vote for it
if you wasn't for it? But you want to
[20:42] talk about Miss Woods and her issues.
Why don't you tell the the public that
[20:49] you voted for the motion that was on the
floor?
[20:54] See that type of foolishness? I call it
out and I call it out here at this board
[21:00] table because you know that's
foolishness
[21:06] when you supported it. If you wasn't
going to support it, just vote nay. Do
[21:12] the same as Miss Ezan. Vote nay.
[21:18] This is what we dealing with. I'm going
to say it again to everybody.
[21:23] [clears throat] Ain't nobody going to
shut me up.
[21:26] I was voted
into this office
[21:31] to be a voice for the people.
I'm not going to be bought out.
[21:39] Nobody going to push me in a corner.
Nobody going to make me hold my head
[21:44] down.
When I came into this seat, I came in
[21:48] here with my head up. And when I leave
this seat, I'm going to leave here with
[21:54] my head up.
I'm not going to be ashamed of how I
[21:59] vote, what I vote for, and who I
support.
[22:06] But all of this backdoor stuff is going
to be exposed.
[22:11] We got a hot agenda, Mr. chairman
and there's a lot of lot of questions
[22:17] I'll be asking on tonight. Thank you so
kindly.
[22:20] » Thank you, Bishop.
Uh I do echo the same sentiments about
[22:24] the sickle cell uh situation. Uh they
did have to for those who don't know
[22:30] they had to relocate to the hub which is
on Washington Street on Thursday night.
[22:36] Uh so it's my understanding that uh you
know civic center did help with the move
[22:43] and they uh did they're doing all they
can to make it a [clears throat]
[22:47] comfortable transition [cough] but I am
very concerned about the mixup and uh we
[22:54] we really need to uh get those answers
to uh to us on what really actually
[23:00] happened u because I know they booked
they were booked well in advance
[23:05] uh for that for this event. It is an
annual event. This is their signature
[23:09] event and um um just unfortunate they
had to be the ones to actually uh
[23:16] relocate.
Okay.
[23:19] [clears throat]
>> And I try not to come back, but let me
[23:22] speak
>> um regarding the cle cell uh banquet.
[23:27] » Uh and I'm sharing the sentiments of my
colleagues. However, I've spoken with
[23:33] Mr. Jones and Mr. Jones gave an
explanation as to what happened. No, not
[23:40] really what happened, but but kind of
what happened, but what they were doing
[23:44] to correct it. And I'm certain that he's
going to be in touch with you, Bishop,
[23:48] to share that uh information with you.
So, now we had a long lengthy
[23:53] conversation, but that was prior to a
conversation. Okay. I had
[23:58] » Okay. Uh I just want to mention that we
have Chief Zordan here tonight, and he
[24:01] he's going to present. Uh, as you know,
I I tend to track and keep up with our
[24:07] homicides and violent crimes in the
city. And uh, you know, we highlight
[24:12] highlight when there are a lot of
negatives. But I do want to highlight in
[24:17] 2026
uh, we are really trending. We are in
[24:20] September and we are at four homicides.
So that's uh, that's excellent. Uh, of
[24:27] course zero would be the best, but uh we
are at four if you can see from 2020 uh
[24:34] 22 homicides,
2021, 20 16 and 22 and then you know
[24:41] eight and 24 uh 2025 there were 12 and
right now we're holding at
[24:48] [clears throat and cough] four homicides
uh for 2026.
[24:52] So, uh, not only that's a commitment to
the PD, but it's a commitment to the
[24:57] community as well, the community, those
who have been participating in those
[25:02] peace walks and those uh, you see some,
say some, and actually uh, help to deter
[25:09] uh, these violent crimes, particularly
the homicides. All right, thank you. So,
[25:14] with that being said, um, we'll move
down to item four. Can I have a motion
[25:17] to approve the minutes?
>> So, move. Second.
[25:21] » Been moved and second that we approve
the minutes from August 25th. Uh, any
[25:27] comments from the audience? Public
>> council. Any comments? Madame clerk?
[25:34] » Mr. Harvey.
>> I,
[25:35] » Miss Woods.
>> I,
[25:36] » Mr. Muhammed.
>> I,
[25:38] » Mrs. Desette.
>> I,
[25:40] » Mr. McFarland.
>> I.
[25:42] » Okay, that motion carries. Right now,
we're down to presentations. Uh, we have
[25:46] tonight a presentation from Gro Neil.
Mr. Rob Cleveland is here to give us an
[25:51] update. Uh while he's coming, Mr.
Wilson, you want to talk about your all
[25:55] the meeting with the pastors? Um
>> Okay.
[25:59] » Last week.
>> Okay. So, yes. Thank you so very much. U
[26:02] Mr. Chairman, and as Mr. Cleveland is
coming, I would like to thank uh Mr.
[26:07] Cleveland with Grila and thank um Nathan
Hall with Delta Community College. We
[26:12] had aformational
setting uh informational meeting for uh
[26:17] ministers here in Parish and very very
informative about you know gave gave the
[26:25] ministers an opportunity to ask
questions to get more understanding
[26:30] about what it is that grow is doing what
their intents are you know what classes
[26:35] what opportunities and all of the above
and it was um they were delighted and uh
[26:42] they're looking forward to, you know,
doing that um job fair on the south side
[26:48] of Monroe and getting the congregants of
their churches, you know, into Delta
[26:54] Community College, getting them the
skill sets that they need and getting
[26:57] them a job at META. Everybody talks
about META. That's right.
[27:03] » So, thank you. Thank you so much.
>> Okay, Miss Cleveland, you've got the
[27:07] floor.
>> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Woods. Um I
[27:10] and listen I would just reiterate I I
appreciate you making that happen. Again
[27:15] I know you've all have heard us say this
but we want the opportunity to spread
[27:19] the good word and and what we're doing
and we'll go to any audience that'll
[27:23] listen. So um you know I I I think we
all have a love and hate relationship
[27:28] with social social media. Um it is a
great way to get uh messages out, but uh
[27:33] we still like going in person and so to
go in front of the pastors and and share
[27:37] some of the good things that were happen
to get in front of a different audience.
[27:41] So um we're happy to do it and and
appreciate that opportunity.
[27:46] Listen, I just wanted to stop in give
you a regular update. I know I see each
[27:50] of you individually and and certainly I
hear from you occasionally if you've got
[27:54] any questions but wanted to come and
address the the full body and just give
[27:57] you a quick update. Um
so to date we're uh what eight months
[28:03] into the year. Um and so we have been
working on we have over 50 active
[28:11] projects that we have worked throughout
the year. over 50 projects. Those
[28:16] projects, again, sometimes they'll come
through the state, sometimes they'll
[28:20] come directly to us, sometimes we won't
know anything about those projects. Um,
[28:24] but on the 50 projects, they represent
over $25 billion in new investment, and
[28:30] over 10,000 new jobs among those
projects. So, um, some some big
[28:35] projects, some smaller projects, and,
uh, really projects of all various uh,
[28:40] industries. So, we're going to continue
to work on them. Some of those are
[28:44] active, some of those are stronger than
uh than others, but the majority of the
[28:49] projects we're working right now are in
Richland Parish and Parish. Um most of
[28:54] the companies obviously right now
everything is being driven by workforce
[28:58] and and those are our uh two most
populated uh areas of the the the
[29:03] region. So looking a lot in in
Washington and Richland Parish. the
[29:07] majority of the projects that we're
working on that are looking in this
[29:11] area. They look at just a, as you would
imagine, a small number of very specific
[29:16] sites. Usually, they all want to see the
Mil Haven area. There's a lot of
[29:20] property out there. Um, so they we take
them to Mil Haven. They request the
[29:24] Charleston Industrial Park a lot in
Richwood. Again, that's a it's a flat
[29:29] site. It's it's it's a big a very large
site and um owners who are very
[29:34] cooperative when companies come. So, you
never know when sites will be taken. You
[29:38] never know when companies will find the
right site, but we are showing u many
[29:43] companies uh they're in this community
regularly. You probably don't know it um
[29:49] but they're coming and they're visiting
and they're seeing a lot of great sites.
[29:52] So, we're going to continue to push
that. Just want to remind you of a
[29:55] couple of announcements we've had in the
last year. So, certainly you are all
[29:58] aware of the candy company uh project.
Uh that was a project that started with
[30:02] Grow Nila. We were working with those
developers on another project and and
[30:07] they really liked the opportunities in
the downtown Monroe area. We're still
[30:10] actively working with them. They're
still going through their due diligence
[30:13] uh process and and we're certainly
working with Morgan and his team on
[30:17] that. But that that project is still
ongoing, but they're in the due
[30:20] diligence phase. Um you probably heard
of the Faith Technologies project that's
[30:25] been announced six, eight weeks ago at
this point uh out in the Mil Haven area
[30:29] just south of High School. 80 million in
new investment, 200 new jobs for our
[30:34] residents and and as Councilwoman Woods
said, um we've talked to them. We had a
[30:40] call with them last week with our HR
people and we made the request that we
[30:44] want to we would ask them to consider
going directly into High School and
[30:49] directly on the southside to host some
job fairs. So, those are those are
[30:53] requests we're making directly when we
have new companies come and um we'll
[30:56] continue to push that message. Uh two
last things I want to talk about real
[31:01] quick. Hopefully you had a chance to see
the Nila growth website. This is the
[31:04] sales tax website that um we were
excited to push out. Uh the bottom line
[31:09] is there's a lot more money in our
region because of the meta project and
[31:13] all of the subcontractors and all of the
great things that come along with that.
[31:17] The bottom line is I'm happy to report
to you the second quarter numbers are
[31:22] starting to filter in. We're going to
have an update to that website probably
[31:25] next week. Um, but I can tell you all 10
parishes in this region have higher
[31:32] sales tax right now in the first half of
this year than they had in the first
[31:36] half of 2024. Every one of our 10
parishes is up significantly over sales
[31:41] tax. Um, and again, this is just
starting to get out. We just we
[31:46] literally had a uh a meeting today about
some of this data. I can tell you that
[31:49] in the first half of 2026, so in the
first two quarters of this year, the
[31:54] city of Monroe saw $1.1 million and more
in sales tax than in the first half of
[32:00] 2025. So again, significant dollars are
coming in um and and not just the city
[32:06] of Monroe, but the police and fire and
the libraries and all of our entities
[32:10] are are seeing more money come in. So
we're all really excited about that.
[32:13] Last thing here, and I left this with
you, is a document for the LCRED
[32:17] dollars. Now, this is a a program that I
think it was 2023, the state of
[32:22] Louisiana gave each region $1 million
and then we had to u put it into
[32:27] economic development activities. There
was a match component. Um, and every
[32:31] region did theirs differently. Some
regions spent the full million dollars
[32:34] on one project. We chose to disperse
that money uh throughout the region.
[32:40] There are a few projects in here. I
certainly want to highlight. We spent
[32:43] some money at the Charleston Industrial
Park, South Monroe Industrial Park,
[32:47] Panland, the Milhaven area. Um, we had
reached worked with Morgan and the mayor
[32:52] on uh that Pan land uh and in the Mil
Haven area on an early rendering of what
[32:59] a an o over um interchange would look
like there. And so we were able we never
[33:07] came and asked you guys for any of the
match. Again, that's that we're grateful
[33:10] for the support you provide us. we use
those dollars to to do these kinds of
[33:14] projects and and so we spread that money
out, but certainly uh a lot of that
[33:18] money came right here in the city of
Monroe. So that's all I have for you. Um
[33:22] happy to take any questions and just
appreciate you being given the
[33:25] opportunity to address you guys.
>> Thank you u Mr. Cleveland for coming and
[33:31] sharing with us about what you all are
doing out there in the 10 parishes,
[33:36] particularly in northeast Louisiana. any
council members comments, concerns,
[33:40] questions.
>> I just want to say thank you for all
[33:43] your efforts. It's uh things like this
that keep keep us going knowing what's
[33:49] going on. The communication is terrific.
So, thank you. Keep that up.
[33:53] » Yes. Yes, ma'am. And I'll I'll make sure
I share that with team. I got a great
[33:56] group of people. Brandon Welsh, Brookley
Barnes, Benjamin Stokes, and Meline. Uh
[34:01] I know you guys all know them, but
they're working they're working their
[34:04] tails off. So, uh we're having a lot of
fun. We're making uh You got to make hay
[34:07] while the sun shines. And the sun's
shining right now.
[34:11] » You want to
>> And of course, I'd just like to say
[34:14] thank you. I
>> I know how you work hard. The only thing
[34:17] I need is for you to come back to I20.
>> Okay.
[34:21] » Yeah. We need you back out there looking
at some things and and bringing some
[34:26] renderings for us out there.
>> Okay. Yes, ma'am.
[34:30] » You know, my concern, Charleston, South
Richwood. I'd like to see something come
[34:34] to Richwood. Uh, I know you you working
on it.
[34:39] » We had a project out there last week.
Talked to the property owners last week.
[34:42] So, it's an active site.
>> Okay.
[34:47] » Thank you so much.
>> Thank you all. Appreciate the
[34:50] opportunity.
>> You had his heart.
[34:52] » I I call Rob all the time. He gets money
from me.
[34:54] » All right. Okay. At this time, we'll
move to uh I've asked Chief of Police to
[34:59] come tonight. Uh he's going to present
on some numbers. Uh, Chief Zoit, how you
[35:05] doing tonight?
>> Doing well, council. Thank you, Mr.
[35:08] Muhammed, for the opportunity.
[clears throat and cough]
[35:13] » Thank you for the opportunity to speak
with you today about something that
[35:16] matters to every person who calls Monroe
home, the safety and quality of life in
[35:20] our community. Over the past several
years, the Monroe Police Department,
[35:24] working alongside our community
partners, has made significant progress
[35:28] in reducing violent crime and
particularly homicides.
[35:32] Let me put that progress into
perspective. Uh in 2020, Monro recorded
[35:37] 22 homicides.
In 21, we had 20. In 22, the number
[35:42] dropped to 16. Uh in 23, we saw 18. Then
in 24, we experienced a significant
[35:49] reduction with just eight homicides.
In 25, we recorded 12. If y'all
[35:54] remember, that was the year we had that
tragic triple homicide with a child lost
[35:58] lost a life as well. As far as 26 is
going, we're holding currently at four.
[36:03] U those numbers represent more than
statistics. They represent lives saved,
[36:08] families spared from tragedy, and
neighborhoods that are safer because of
[36:12] the work being done every day by
officers in our community. From 22
[36:16] homicides in 2020 to just four so far in
26 represents a substantial reduction.
[36:22] But I want to be very clear, we're not
declaring victory in any sort of sense
[36:26] of the word. Every homicide is one too
many. Behind every number is a victim, a
[36:31] family, friends, an entire community
affected by that loss. Our goal is not
[36:36] simply to reduce a statistic. Our goal
is to prevent violence before it happens
[36:40] and to make Monroe a place where people
feel safe raising their families,
[36:44] operating their business, businesses,
and living with their families. This
[36:48] progress has not been by accident. It is
a result of a dedicated police officers
[36:52] working around the clock, investigators
holding violent offenders accountable,
[36:57] proactive policing, intelligenceled
strategies, partnership with other law
[37:01] enforcement agencies, and perhaps most
importantly, cooperations with the
[37:05] citizens we serve. When our community
gives us information, when witnesses
[37:10] come forward, when residents work with
us instead of against us, we are able to
[37:14] take dangerous individuals off the
streets and prevent additional violence.
[37:18] I also want to recognize the men and
women of the Monroe Police Department.
[37:21] They come to work every day knowing that
the job can be difficult, dangerous, yet
[37:25] they continue to serve the community
with professionalism and dedication. To
[37:29] the mayor and council, thank you for
supporting our department, investing in
[37:33] public safety. We should be proud of the
progress we've made, but we should also
[37:37] remain focused on the work ahead. Four
homicides in 2026 is progress, but our
[37:42] ultimate goal is zero. We will continue
to work with council, our law
[37:46] enforcement partners, our schools,
neighborhoods, and businesses, and our
[37:49] citizens to make the goal a reality. The
citizens of Monroe deserve to feel safe,
[37:54] and the Monro Police Department will
continue doing everything within our
[37:57] ability to deliver on that promise.
Thank you.
[38:01] » Thank you, Chief. Um,
any council members have concerns,
[38:07] comments?
[38:10] The only thing I would like to say is um
well congratulations first and thank
[38:15] you. Um I did appreciate getting getting
the updates on things that are not
[38:21] always readily available. Did not know
that we had a situation today. So thank
[38:27] you for sharing.
>> Yes ma'am.
[38:28] » And I'm very happy that everything
turned out good.
[38:31] » Yes ma'am.
So, a violent crime
[38:36] that includes rape.
Uh what else? Aggravated?
[38:42] » Uh armed robbery, rape, murder. Um
>> yeah. So, I'd like to see some of those.
[38:47] And I'm Is that trending, too?
>> I don't I didn't have them in front of
[38:51] me. We're overall from when I paid
attention to it from getting here in
[38:55] November of 2020, we've had some ups and
downs, but most all of it has been
[39:00] trending down the last three years.
>> I read about a lot of lot of rape, a lot
[39:04] of domestic
>> that is one that'll be up one year and
[39:07] down the next year.
>> Yeah.
[39:10] » No, no, no, no, ma'am. No. Now, one of
the things that one of the things that I
[39:16] get a lot in my district, uh, Kingsway
is in my district, and there are
[39:22] constant fights in Kingsway, you know. I
I send you textes all the time. as they
[39:27] send them to me, [clears throat] I send
them to you, you know, and there's, you
[39:31] know, it's almost like it's a game, you
know, they they treat it like it's
[39:35] almost a um a boxing match and, you
know, and everybody is looking,
[39:42] everybody's out there with their
cameras. How do we stop that? Because
[39:46] those are things that really, you know,
could lead to increased homicides.
[39:52] » Well, the instant somebody sees that, we
need to know about it. the sooner we can
[39:56] get a police officer there, uh, the
quicker we can keep that situation under
[40:01] control. Uh, we have
we have regular, uh, routine patrols.
[40:07] Kingsway is one of them that uh, we we
make a priority. Uh, so if if the
[40:12] citizens that live there, they're the
ones that see that.
[40:15] » And maybe not sit there and look at it
and film it and put it on Facebook or
[40:19] Instagram or something like that and
actually call 911 or us, our response
[40:23] time is pretty quick. Okay, that's good.
That's good to know because um you know
[40:28] anytime that I've ever sent it sent you
anything, you know, y'all have responded
[40:32] to it.
>> So that's good and I thank you very much
[40:35] for that. But you know if we could just
kind of put a stop to it and I know it's
[40:39] hard because you know they do it and
then people will disperse
[40:43] [clears throat]
and then you know you don't know where
[40:46] they came from and nobody is telling on
anybody.
[40:50] » It's a form of entertainment.
>> Yeah. All
[40:54] right. Thank you to you. Thank you.
>> All right. We'll move now to item six,
[40:58] uh, public hearings, none. Post
condemnations, none tonight. Item seven,
[41:05] accept the rejection of bids, none.
Resolution amended entries.
[41:10] Uh,
Department of Administration A, consider
[41:13] an application.
>> So move.
[41:15] » Second. Been moved and properly seconded
that we consider this application by
[41:19] Miss Whitfield at 215 PAL Avenue. Uh any
comments from the audience?
[41:27] » Please come to the microphone. State
your name and address.
[41:40] » I just want to speak on
>> No, no, no, no. We can only speak on
[41:45] this agenda item.
>> Okay.
[41:48] » Okay. So, you can sign up to speak on
whatever you like at the end, but right
[41:53] now we're speaking on agenda items.
>> Okay.
[41:55] » Okay. Thank you.
Council, you have any comments?
[41:59] » Uh, yes. Is Miss Whitfield here tonight?
>> I would just like to say um thank you
[42:09] for opening up a business in the
community. I do know this place and
[42:14] hopefully you'll have much success with
it.
[42:18] » All right,
>> madame clerk,
[42:22] » Mrs. Ezernac,
>> I.
[42:24] » Miss Woods,
>> I.
[42:25] » Mr. Muhammed,
>> I.
[42:27] » Mr. Harvey,
>> I.
[42:29] » Mr. McFarland,
>> I.
[42:31] » Motion carries. B, consider
[clears throat] an application by 2K
[42:35] Family Operating. Been moved and
properly second that we consider this
[42:39] application by 2K family operating.
Anyone in audience to speak for or
[42:43] against this item?
>> Seeing none council you have any
[42:47] comments?
>> Madame clerk.
[42:49] » Miss Woods
>> I.
[42:51] » Mr. Harvey
>> I.
[42:53] » Mr. McFarland
>> I.
[42:55] » Mrs.
>> I.
[42:56] » Mr. Muhammed
>> I. That motion carries. C. He adopt a
[43:00] resolution authorizing the city of
Monroe, state of Louisiana to incur debt
[43:04] and to issue sale and deliver not to
exceed 110 million aggregated principal
[43:11] amount of sales tax revenue bonds in one
or more series making application to the
[43:17] Louisiana State Bond Commission
employing bond council and other
[43:21] professionals and otherwise providing
with restraint there too. There's been a
[43:25] motion there. Second
>> second. been moved and properly second
[43:28] that we consider this resolution. Um
I would ask u I think Mr. Mallister you
[43:36] want to talk so we'll get comments from
um from the administration and uh we can
[43:42] go from there.
[43:49] » Yes, council chair. Thank you uh council
members. Very good to see you uh this
[43:53] evening. So, this proposed bond package,
as you stated, is presented at $110
[43:59] million. Uh, we know that the city of
Monroe has a capacity that is over that.
[44:05] However, um, the mayor, administration,
council, uh, having a number of
[44:10] conversations and preliminary meetings
leading into today. So, I could speak
[44:15] uh, from the engineering standpoint of
this. Um, I've been with the city of
[44:18] Monroe approximately five years. came
in. There were a number of emergency
[44:24] projects that were taking place. Um I
undertook the management of those and we
[44:29] ultimately saw those projects completed
successfully. Uh we've had the
[44:33] opportunity to move on a number of other
projects u since my time here under
[44:37] Mayor Ellis. Uh projects that were
desperately needed uh other projects
[44:42] that are u are a benefit and to the
quality of life of the citizens of
[44:46] Monroe. And so this particular package
as presented uh what we started out with
[44:52] was roughly over $200 million outlined
within specific categories. And what we
[44:57] have proposed is different trunches um
financial term a draw if you will from
[45:03] the overall approved bond package amount
by the bond commission. And so the
[45:08] information that was shared with you uh
a number of days ago u I believe you've
[45:13] seen different versions of that. And
what we did was is break out those
[45:17] classifications. Uh you've got streets,
uh you've got quality of life projects
[45:22] associated with community uh or
recreation centers, community centers.
[45:27] Uh we've got infrastructure in there as
well, that being water and sewer. Um and
[45:32] also within your own districts. So, this
first trunch that we've proposed
[45:37] allocates u you know uh roughly $4
million to each council district at your
[45:44] discretion and your use. Obviously, that
is something that that you bring before
[45:48] the public and we publicly bid those
projects. Uh but the hope is is that
[45:52] those allocations associated with each
district, each district um are tied to
[45:58] projects based on u uh public
interaction uh that that which mayor
[46:03] Ellis has had and also that which you
have had with your constituents. Uh just
[46:07] hearing the needs and the wants within
your districts. And so this first
[46:12] trunch, if you will, of this ultimate
$110 million bond package, uh we would
[46:17] hope to move on that as early as
November. Um and then following next
[46:21] year with a $50 million uh the second
trunch of that. Now this is tied
[46:27] directly to the 1% sales tax that was
approved uh by the voters of Monroe in
[46:33] late 2024.
And so we know that every sales tax uh
[46:39] or every dollar that is spent, 1% of
that dollar is allocated to a fund
[46:44] that's been around uh to the benefit of
the city of Monroe for a number of
[46:47] years. And so what this would do is is
allow us to move um in a more rapid
[46:53] fashion on those projects um moving
things together or projects uh forward
[46:59] in a group if you will rather than one
at a time. Uh I will say that the
[47:03] engineering department along with those
that we work with third party are more
[47:07] than capable and willing to move on a
group of projects simultaneously. And so
[47:12] um from the engineering standpoint um I
could share that from the administrative
[47:17] standpoint I could share or or answer
any questions that you may have but that
[47:21] is it uh in its basic form. We do have
our bond attorneys that are here that
[47:27] are willing to uh and capable of
providing any specific details at how
[47:32] this bond is laid out and and how we
will see that play out over time.
[47:39] » Thank you Master.
Um,
[47:43] do we want to hear from um
anyone from the audience? Any other
[47:48] comments?
[47:52] Council,
[47:55] » are you coming, sir?
>> Yeah. Okay.
[48:01] Tony Little 131547.
Um, I have not seen any of the
[48:09] the the
packet that Mr. Mallister is talking
[48:14] about on the bond layout in the packet.
Is that open to the public?
[48:22] » What's the question, sir?
>> I haven't seen the project list or or
[48:26] anything like that that's laid out for
the public.
[48:28] » We have a proposed project. Yes.
>> Okay. I haven't seen that. Okay.
[48:33] So, is it open to the public?
>> To the public?
[48:37] » Yes, it will be. Yes.
>> Okay. It will be. So, my only thing is
[48:41] what I'm saying is on tonight and you
and I had a Thank you for calling me
[48:46] back and we had a a nice conversation,
but what I'm saying is um on tonight
[48:56] when you and I talked, Mr. Chairman, I
brought to your attention that and you
[49:02] are correct
that under Louisiana revised statute
[49:10] that the city cannot
incur debt
[49:15] without bond commission consent. And I
think I've had many conversations with
[49:22] most of the council about the need to
bond. So, I don't want to be
[49:28] hypocritical,
but
[49:31] my point has been is on the document in
your packet that on tonight
[49:41] from the title on down,
this is a resolution authorizing the
[49:47] city of Monroe
to incur debt
[49:52] and to issue bonds
to sell to deliver
[49:58] not to exceed $100 million $110 million.
The document calls itself an
[50:07] authorization to incur debt. So, it's
not a preliminary step step.
[50:14] This is what you're doing. On page two
of the document,
[50:19] um it says
uh including but not limited to street
[50:24] sewer and any other capital project not
I mean authorized by the voters.
[50:33] Um in section one
it approves an issuance up to 6%.
[50:41] Um, and it matures December 31st, 2050.
Okay, that's about $8.8 million a year,
[50:52] roughly $100 million in interest,
and this is what I'm saying.
[50:58] If you guys agree
that we need to do this and we don't
[51:05] need to put it um in a formal document
that needs to be passed,
[51:14] that's
I don't agree with that. I believe that
[51:18] people do contracts for a living,
but you're the council and you represent
[51:27] a a a a each one of you represent a
district.
[51:32] This
has been a controversial issue. It has
[51:37] been something that was passed. We had
an election on it. We had a recall
[51:44] election on it. And I think the public
needs to see it in a transparent way
[51:53] before it's done. So you won't have the
issue of this person got this and this
[51:59] person got this and we know it from a
holistic point of view because this
[52:07] authorization on tonight in section
three it says an application is formally
[52:13] made. Section four, it says the city
binds itself to its successors and
[52:21] assigns.
That's in the package. Uh in section
[52:26] five, it says the mayor and any other
officer authorized and powers
[52:34] and directs to to execute all documents
before a single project is named. But
[52:42] you said you have the projects. I don't
have that. And so my my perspective on
[52:50] this because it's been so many back and
forths is that very few people know
[52:57] about this. And at 6%
once you do it, you're talking about
[53:05] $110 million
and $95 million in interest. That's $200
[53:11] million.
And
[53:16] I personally think that we just need to
get clarity on this. Make sure each
[53:22] person knows exactly what they're doing,
what's going on in every district.
[53:28] Uh so there will be 100% transparency.
Again, I don't want to be hypocritical.
[53:35] I have probably spoken to Mr. Harvey um
and even uh Councilman Muhammad a
[53:43] thousand times about the need to borrow,
the need to do projects, but at the same
[53:49] time we do this, we need to make sure
that the public knows
[53:56] because of the history of this
that that they know what we're doing,
[54:03] why we're doing it, so we won't have the
backlash.
[54:08] Think about the calls you get. They're
mowing on this side. They're not mowing
[54:13] here.
>> Mr. Little.
[54:14] » Yeah. And
>> go ahead and land your plane now.
[54:17] » No, you are you hear me? Thank you again
so much.
[54:20] » All right.
>> Thank you, sir.
[54:23] » Okay. Um,
[54:28] Mr. Bose, you want to speak to some of
this
[54:32] before we hear from council?
[54:39] Let me just say this uh that uh this is
uh you know I've I've we sat down I sat
[54:45] down with council
>> uh
[54:49] Bishop McFarland and we are very
concerned that we do this right. We're
[54:55] not rushing into anything. Um there is a
need to fix our streets in the city of
[55:01] Monroe. These streets need fixing.
So uh everything will come back. This is
[55:09] just to give uh the bond council
authorization to go to Baton Rouge
[55:15] to request that we borrow the money.
Once they say yay or nay, they could say
[55:20] nay, right? So then we come back and
then we bond and create ordinances on
[55:27] specific
let me say it again specific projects
[55:33] it'll be in the ordinance ordinance mean
it'll be law so no one can do anything
[55:38] other than what's in the ordinance
law
[55:43] Mr. BS.
>> Thank you. Bill BS B Chatau, 1818
[55:48] Avenue, America, Monro, Louisiana.
I appreciate what Mr. Little said and
[55:52] that's exactly what you're doing here.
You're just going to the bond
[55:55] commission. You're not obligated. You're
not issuing debt. You'll be coming back
[55:59] to pass an ordinance if you choose. Uh
the only thing we're doing here is going
[56:04] to the bond commission and getting
approval. um when you come back to pass
[56:08] your ordinance, there will be very
specific projects in that ordinance to
[56:12] where it's totally transparent. The
people can see what's you're approving,
[56:18] what's going to be worked on. And so, uh
again, there's no debt. There's no
[56:23] obligation to issue debt. Nobody can
make any money. None of the
[56:27] professionals until debt is actually
issued after an ordinance. And the
[56:32] ordinance will contain projects involved
with projects that will be uh set out
[56:38] specifically so that the public can see.
>> Thank you sir.
[56:42] » I have a question. Okay.
>> Okay. So now
[56:48] thank you so much for that Mr. BS. Now
when we talk about it [clears throat]
[56:53] you know because the language says one
thing and then we say something else.
[56:58] Right here in the title, it says, "A
resolution authorizing the city of
[57:03] Monroe, state of Louisiana to incur debt
and to issue, sale, and deliver." Now,
[57:14] now that doesn't mean because
I was under the impression that we were
[57:21] going to the bun commission to
get on the agenda. That's correct.
[57:28] » Now that's
>> the header doesn't have anything to do
[57:30] with the substance. The substance is in
here and it's preliminary approvals.
[57:34] What it could we change the header if
you want, but the header is nothing more
[57:38] than general summary description, but
the the there's nothing in here that
[57:43] says you're issuing debt from number one
to the end. And so there is no debt
[57:50] authorized to be issued until you go to
the bond commission and then after that
[57:55] you've got to issue by the city's
charter and most other even in Laurens
[57:59] act or non-charter cities you have to
have an ordinance to issue debt. So
[58:03] you're not issuing debt. The only thing
you're doing by this resolution is going
[58:07] to the bond commission.
>> Okay. So, I'mma ask you this because and
[58:13] I have to ask you when I have
conflicting information, then I go to
[58:16] the experts. All right? Now, I have a
group of folks saying that something of
[58:21] this magnitude, $110 million
and calling it a resolution
[58:28] versus calling it an ordinance.
>> This is a resolution.
[58:34] » It's a resolution.
>> This is a resolution. Anytime you go to
[58:37] the bun commission, it's always done by
resolution.
[58:41] » Always.
>> Never.
[58:42] » This is the same way we've done it for
since I've been doing it for 30 years.
[58:46] » All right. And then cuz see what this
is, this once this is done, what it does
[58:51] is it obligates the city for the next 25
years once you sell the bonds. Right.
[58:58] Once you come back and you all decide to
to pass an ordinance with all the
[59:03] specifics in it, this doesn't obligate
you to do anything. Just authorizes us
[59:08] to go to the bond commission and get
approval. So there's no debt being
[59:13] issued by this or could you issue debt
by this resolution
[59:17] » and so so it's just out there. It's just
out there until you until we actually
[59:22] y'all will actually go out and sell
bonds. We're not incurring any kind of
[59:25] debt.
>> None at all. and you don't you this
[59:28] doesn't obligate you to go forward do
anything. We'll just go to the bond
[59:31] commission
>> get approval and get uh that's a very
[59:36] cumbersome process. Uh Mr. uh Thompson
and I spend a lot of time as I said it's
[59:43] a probably about 40% of what we do is
getting it through the bond commission.
[59:47] » But we have to come back and before we
sell any bonds, you'll introduce an
[59:51] ordinance if you choose. You'll have a
public hearing on it where people can
[59:56] speak to it and then you'll decide
whether or not you want to pass it. But
[59:59] no debt can be off can be issued without
an ordinance from the city.
[1:00:03] » Okay. Now, let me ask you this part
because I now I don't know the fancy
[1:00:08] word that you call that's equal to a
draw a draw down. You know, he calls it
[1:00:16] something. It's a it's a financial term
that's equal to a draw.
[1:00:20] » He was talking about TR. It just means a
a a
[1:00:25] what's the best way to describe it? It's
just the first first group of first
[1:00:31] amount of debt.
>> Yeah. So you Yes. The first amount of
[1:00:34] debt, the first draw down. It's called
the F.
[1:00:38] » It's not a draw. It's we'll issue the
debt [clears throat] in whatever amount
[1:00:42] you all choose, but it'll be issued all
at once. It won't be drawn down. It'll
[1:00:47] be requisitioned out of that amount that
we borrow from uh the trustee or paying
[1:00:52] agent to make sure it's all being spent
where you want to be spent. But it'll be
[1:00:56] issued in one group of debt. What's the
word for
[1:01:00] » series or or loan?
>> It's like getting a line of credit and
[1:01:05] you go and get part of it and you come
back and get the rest of it later.
[1:01:09] » Okay. So, on this $110 million, we're
going to we're going to bund it all.
[1:01:14] » No ma'am. No ma'am. No, 60 million we
are proposing in the first year.
[1:01:20] » That's going to be in November according
to Mr. Mcc.
[1:01:22] » Right.
>> Where is it written?
[1:01:25] » H
>> where is it? Where is that written?
[1:01:27] » It'll come back in ordinance.
>> Okay. But where is it written tonight?
[1:01:31] » So it's it we won't have we won't we
will not have the timing written inside
[1:01:36] the resolution. That is legit. That is
truly up to this council.
[1:01:40] » That is truly up to this council. So the
council will make the decision
[1:01:44] » how much as well as when you guys want
to issue
[1:01:47] » 60 million 70 million 50 million
>> as or nothing
[1:01:51] » or or nothing as Bill said the I'm going
to do a really quick timeline if that's
[1:01:57] okay so we can kind of run through the
steps
[1:02:00] » one these are sales tax bonds
>> tell us who you are please
[1:02:02] » I'm sorry I apologize Namy Thompson with
government consultants serving as
[1:02:06] municipal adviser for the city of Monroe
on their bond issues so all we do is
[1:02:10] bond issues issues and in Louisiana how
um you would issue a bond issues just
[1:02:15] how Bill and Mr. Mallister stated
earlier, all municipalities will issue,
[1:02:19] excuse me, will u pass a resolution. The
resolution is strictly permission. It's
[1:02:25] no different than our kids coming to us
and say, "Mother, may I?" We're passing
[1:02:28] a resolution. Hopefully, you'll be
passing a resolution that will say,
[1:02:32] "Hey, bond commission, can't we borrow
up to 110?" If you guys change the
[1:02:37] number, you're asking, can you borrow
bond commission up to whatever number
[1:02:41] you decide? That is strictly up to this
council. Once the council passes this
[1:02:46] resolution with that number in there,
then bond commission will fill out an
[1:02:50] application. Bond commission will review
it and they'll say yes or they'll say
[1:02:54] no. But we're going under the assumption
bond commission is going to say yes, you
[1:02:58] can. You have permission
to issue up to the number you put inside
[1:03:03] this resolution. Right now it says 110.
After they pass that, then we'll come
[1:03:08] back to you and we'll ask the question,
not in the city council meeting. will
[1:03:12] ask you over emails, over calls or
whatever and say how much do you want to
[1:03:16] issue on your first the name that we say
on on our side is tunch or we'll say
[1:03:21] series but it's just how much how much
money do you want first you guys have
[1:03:25] all decided your projects city has
decided their projects and you've added
[1:03:28] it up and you say hey what we need in
order to do our first set of projects is
[1:03:33] 50 million 60 million 70 million you
guys make that determination you'll also
[1:03:37] make the determination of when you want
to borrow it assuming that you guys want
[1:03:41] to borrow it in November. If you say we
don't we want to borrow it in December,
[1:03:45] that's when we'll do it. You may say you
want to borrow it in February. It's
[1:03:49] strictly your decision
>> and you'll do that decision by
[1:03:53] ordinance. So when you say we want to go
forward, we want to borrow the 50, the
[1:03:57] 60, the 70 million. We'll draft or
excuse me, I should say Mr. BS will
[1:04:01] draft that that ordinance. Put it in
front of you guys with those list of
[1:04:05] projects that
>> projects in the ordinance
[1:04:08] » and you'll have the projects inside the
ordinance. you're [clears throat] making
[1:04:11] that determination. I It's going to
sound like I'm demeaning Mr. BS, but
[1:04:15] he's filling in blanks at that point or
whatever. He's putting in your projects.
[1:04:19] He's putting in how much you guys decide
that you want to do. After that, that
[1:04:24] gives us permission to now go out and go
sell. It's when I really kick in the
[1:04:29] gear, Mr. Antie behind me really kicks
in the gear, the other underwriters kick
[1:04:33] in the gear to go sell that number that
that this council decided on. We'll go
[1:04:38] out and go sell it. We'll come back to
you and say council this is the interest
[1:04:42] rates this is how much you got will you
approve the will you finalize adopt the
[1:04:47] ordinance so we have to come back to you
twice but all decisions are made by this
[1:04:51] council this truly this resolution is
strictly the way Louisiana issues debt
[1:04:56] and it has to go to the state bond
commission to literally ask for
[1:05:00] permission that's all this resolution
does and it says on there occur debt in
[1:05:04] the header and it's do that because
state bond commission likes to see that
[1:05:08] that that you understand
if you come back with an ordinance, you
[1:05:11] will be incurring debt. And so the
header just says that in there, but as
[1:05:15] Mr. Bull said earlier inside of there,
you're not incurring debt. You're asking
[1:05:19] for permission. That's all this
resolution does.
[1:05:24] » Okay. So,
>> can I ask some questions?
[1:05:26] » Oh, yeah. I'm sorry.
>> All right.
[1:05:30] » Go right ahead.
>> And and it's it's not really directed
[1:05:34] towards you all,
>> but it is a trust factor.
[1:05:39] It's a trust factor in this city.
Now,
[1:05:43] Mr. Mac, he he made some reference to uh
the mayor and has has talked to the
[1:05:50] council members
numerous times. He only talked with me
[1:05:55] one time. Let's let's make that clear.
And I was expecting tonight that the
[1:06:02] mayor would be here.
So the tough questions tonight would be
[1:06:07] asked of him so it to be on record that
this is exactly what we're doing
[1:06:14] because
really Mr. Moore is the one supposed to
[1:06:19] be answering tonight for the mayor.
I was unaware that he wasn't going to be
[1:06:26] here until at the last minute cuz I read
one email but then apparently there was
[1:06:32] a second email that he going to miss
this meeting. Now I do have some
[1:06:37] reservations
because the mayor is not here to put
[1:06:42] certain things on record. Mr. Mallister,
he made reference that um these projects
[1:06:50] will be going at the same time.
[1:06:56] I don't believe that. Why is that?
Thank you for asking the question.
[1:07:02] because there's projects on the book
right now
[1:07:07] that we have passed here
and nothing has been done.
[1:07:15] And the same engineer has said to me and
Mrs. Woods that certain things is not
[1:07:20] priority anymore
and by ways in action
[1:07:26] nothing has been done.
So, how do I know if I vote for this on
[1:07:31] tonight
that that same attitude
[1:07:35] won't be displayed?
That's not priority anymore.
[1:07:41] That's a problem
especially to make a statement like that
[1:07:45] to me. And that's why I don't have
certain I don't have meetings by myself.
[1:07:50] I always have a witness with me when
when I meet with certain people because
[1:07:55] they change their stories.
But here it is.
[1:08:02] We want a resolution tonight
for $110 million.
[1:08:09] But somebody need to answer these
questions for me.
[1:08:14] The last tax
it expired when?
[1:08:21] Can somebody answer that?
>> 850.
[1:08:24] » Huh?
>> 50.
[1:08:25] » No. What are you talking about? This one
tax this this 1%
[1:08:30] expires in 2050. When when did the last
one expire?
[1:08:37] » 25 years. 26.
>> Yeah. No, he's
[1:08:40] » getting ready to wait. No, Mr. Mr.
Muhammed.
[1:08:44] We going
>> see this this is the stuff here.
[1:08:47] » Expire.
>> See, I'm not going to be hoodwinkedked
[1:08:49] now.
>> So, let's let's
[1:08:52] » I I think I might be able to answer
that. So before the renewal that passed
[1:08:56] before the renewal that extended it out
to 2050 and I I'm I'm going from memory
[1:09:02] here so I might
>> Was it a renewal?
[1:09:05] » Was it identical?
>> So on legally I will say I'm not sure if
[1:09:11] you call it a renewal or not and so I'm
>> you cannot answer the question for me.
[1:09:16] » I can tell you I I believe the date
though for that previous tax it would
[1:09:20] have expired in 20
[1:09:25] I believe
>> 2030. I believe it would have expired in
[1:09:28] 2030. I think that's correct.
>> So it it it ends in four more years.
[1:09:34] » It would have.
>> It would have.
[1:09:36] » Yes, sir.
>> And so now we overlapping another tax.
[1:09:41] Are we what we do with the the
remainder? It just go away.
[1:09:46] » Yes.
>> Okay. So, with that being said, now
[1:09:49] that's that's your that's your
statement,
[1:09:52] » your answer on that, right?
>> Yes.
[1:09:53] » Okay. All right. So, uh we have a lot of
bonds out there, correct?
[1:09:58] » We have a lot of bonds for the city of
Monroe.
[1:10:01] » That's correct.
>> That's That's still that we still paying
[1:10:04] on.
>> That's correct.
[1:10:05] » Okay. See, I I really didn't want you
all to answer this. I wanted the mayor
[1:10:10] to answer this. So, I don't know if I
need to direct these questions to Mr.
[1:10:14] more because you're the finance man and
you should have all of these answers for
[1:10:18] me. So, I'm going to ask that you answer
these questions on the record for us
[1:10:25] tonight.
How many bonds do we have actively out
[1:10:29] there
as of today?
[1:10:34] » Mr. Mr. McFarland to tell you accurately
I would need to double check. Sir,
[1:10:39] » do you have an approximate number?
>> I am reluctant to give a number. with
[1:10:44] not knowing exactly what it is.
>> Do you want to pass that question to
[1:10:47] somebody else that may know?
[1:10:53] » I can answer
>> Nandy, you have been getting some
[1:10:58] information from us. Do you know the
exact number?
[1:11:01] » So bonds,
>> sales tax bonds, the number of sales tax
[1:11:04] bonds that the city has currently are
six. You issued one in 2009. And all
[1:11:10] these bonds I'm about to mention were
all secured by the 1% sales tax. Okay?
[1:11:15] So you issue bonds in 20 excuse me 2009
in 2011 and 2012 in 2013 2017 as well as
[1:11:24] 2021. And all of those bonds all six of
them are secured by that 1% sales tax.
[1:11:30] » And what is what is the total amount of
those bonds
[1:11:33] » when they were issued? I'm going to
borrow someone's glasses. I'm getting
[1:11:36] old.
>> [cough]
[1:11:42] » Let's see.
[1:11:46] I'll do quick math and
>> yep. So, let me tell if somebody can
[1:11:52] keep up with this. In 2014, and it's in
the resolution in and the third whereas
[1:11:58] or the second whereas the 2009's were 14
million. That's how much you issued in
[1:12:03] 2009. In 2011, you issued another 14
million. In 2013, you issued 11,700,000.
[1:12:13] In 2017, you issued 18,435,000.
And in 2021, you issued 11,910,000.
[1:12:23] » So, what is the total amount debt so
far?
[1:12:27] » Uh, I was reading them all, so I didn't
add them up, but I'm going real quick.
[1:12:33] That's going to be somewhere around 60
to 70 million.
[1:12:39] » That was the initial amount.
>> So, so the downtown
[1:12:46] bond that falls under
>> that one I believe was the ED.
[1:12:52] » Oh, so it wouldn't fall under the city
of Monroe.
[1:12:54] » No, it falls underneath the city of
Monroe. It does not fall underneath the
[1:12:57] security. So, if I can do just quick,
um, when you issue bonds, you tie to it
[1:13:03] a security. You tie to it a revenue
stream. The revenue stream for all the
[1:13:07] ones I just listed are the 1% sales tax.
>> The the one that you mentioned, I
[1:13:13] believe, was is backed by sales tax
directly inside that district. So, it's
[1:13:17] still a city of Monroe deal, but it's
not secured by this sales tax.
[1:13:20] » I'm going somewhere with it in just a
second.
[1:13:22] » Yes, sir.
>> I'm just getting you on record on what
[1:13:24] you're saying.
>> Yes, sir.
[1:13:26] » All right. So what about the tower drive
bond?
[1:13:31] » Correct. That is secured by sales tax,
but that is secured not by this 1% sales
[1:13:36] tax.
>> Well, who's responsible at the end of
[1:13:39] the day or something fall? Well,
>> still is still the city of Monroe.
[1:13:42] However, though, the bond holders that
buy it, they know which sales tax they
[1:13:47] are um they have rights to.
>> And how much is that bond?
[1:13:51] » Oh, there's a couple. I don't have that
one off the top of my head. However,
[1:13:54] though those
>> I have an estimate that we have out
[1:13:56] there about $176 billion worth of bonds.
>> I think you probably issued that much. I
[1:14:02] don't believe that that's the amount
current right now.
[1:14:04] » Only a few that from my understanding is
getting ready to mature. The rest of
[1:14:10] them will be from 2030, 31, 39, 43.
>> And we are we talking about the ones
[1:14:18] that are we talking about the ones that
are out there at the Pan
[1:14:21] » at the end of the day? Mhm.
>> Everybody need to understand that the
[1:14:26] city of of Monroe is going to be
responsible for all of it.
[1:14:31] » Now, I want you to understand something.
I'm not saying that I'm against this
[1:14:38] » resolution on tonight.
I would rather the mayor to be here
[1:14:44] tonight to answer questions, to put it
on record because there's a trust
[1:14:50] factor.
When somebody makes statements to me
[1:14:56] after something has been passed by this
council
[1:15:00] that that project is no longer priority
that's problematic.
[1:15:07] How do I know
that won't happen after tonight? Why you
[1:15:12] saying that? Thank you for asking the
question. Is because this is a
[1:15:17] resolution.
>> Mhm. is not an ordinance at all. Or
[1:15:21] ordinance is law.
>> Correct.
[1:15:23] » Now, Mr. Bows, I I trust you and I
believe what you said,
[1:15:31] but why this couldn't have been an
ordinance on tonight and not a
[1:15:35] resolution?
[1:15:39] » So, in Louisiana, when you issue debt,
any political subdivision, when you
[1:15:44] issue debt, you have to go to the bond
commission. the bond commission to apply
[1:15:48] to the bond commission. It has to be a
resolution. You're not incurring debt
[1:15:51] here. All you're doing is asking for
permission. When it's time to issue
[1:15:55] debt, we will come back with the
ordinance and that ordinance will be
[1:15:58] filled out. I'm sorry.
>> You it'll have the projects in there
[1:16:02] that the council wishes desires to have
in there. And again, we're getting that
[1:16:06] project list from the council. So that
count that will be inside that ordinance
[1:16:12] as well as you'll have um information on
you know where the money is going but
[1:16:17] that's inside there that's inside the
ordinance after we get bond commission
[1:16:22] approval. So to go to bond commission
it's a it's a resolution it is not an
[1:16:26] ordinance. You're asking for permission.
You can't go issue bonds. You can't have
[1:16:30] an ordinance until you get permission
from from them.
[1:16:33] » So So we just
This is the standard. This is correct
[1:16:40] protocol.
>> Absolutely.
[1:16:42] » Resolution.
>> Absolutely.
[1:16:43] » Let's go back.
>> Yes, sir.
[1:16:45] » Mr. Mallister, I'm not ready to hear
from you at this point.
[1:16:49] » Let's go back.
>> What is the interest rates on on on
[1:16:54] these bonds?
>> We don't know. So in the resolution,
[1:16:57] » I'm talking about the ones that we got
actively right now.
[1:17:00] » I off the top of my head, I don't have
it, but I can tell you that they are all
[1:17:03] sub 6%. Because they were they are all
sub 6%.
[1:17:07] » All underneath 6%. Each one had when
they were sold, they had different
[1:17:11] interest rates.
>> So So even if they were 5%, you know, 5%
[1:17:16] is still high.
>> Not Not in the MUN market. No, sir.
[1:17:21] Not in the MUN market. Not at all. So
how much we are actually paying back on
[1:17:26] $110 million in interest?
>> We we won't know until we go lock in the
[1:17:31] interest rates with
>> So what's the estimate?
[1:17:33] » Estimate. So we have not to exceed 6%.
We don't know because again
[1:17:37] » and that will equal up to
>> so it first to lock in the interest
[1:17:43] rates. We can't do that until after one
we get bond commission approval. Two we
[1:17:47] come back and get an introduction of the
ordinance that we spoke of. And when
[1:17:52] that happens, then we'll look at the
bond market and I'll be able to come up
[1:17:55] here and say,
>> "Before a man build his house, he must
[1:17:59] count the cost."
>> So, you can't give me no roundabout
[1:18:05] figure.
>> I I can say that the interest rate will
[1:18:08] be no more than 6%. You're locking it in
and saying you will not accept an
[1:18:13] interest rate higher than 6%. It's a not
to exceed. So if it come back at 8% we
[1:18:18] can return.
>> We can't you can't even take it because
[1:18:20] you've locked yourself in to say that
you will not accept a
[1:18:22] » are you able to refinance at a lower
rate if it's as six.
[1:18:27] » So at some Yes.
>> You can refinance get it down to three
[1:18:31] maybe.
>> If in in the future that it's a lower
[1:18:33] interest rate you can. But let me go
ahead and tell you 5% right now 6% is
[1:18:38] still relatively low. Right now rates
are trending upwards. We're talking
[1:18:42] about a rate [clears throat] increase
when the Fed meets next time. So we're
[1:18:45] still talking about a really low
interest rate. Historically, municipal
[1:18:49] bonds used to be a leave a lot higher.
They used to be 6 7 8 9.
[1:18:52] » So So the the resource of repayment, the
proposed repayment of these bonds is
[1:18:58] coming strictly from the 1%
sale tax.
[1:19:04] » Matter of fact, you can't even pay it
with anything else. You can only
[1:19:08] » The way to get this done, you got to
have an estimate. So in the resolution
[1:19:13] it says not to exceed 6%. That is going
to be the highest interest rate. So max
[1:19:18] 6%. It may be a four. It may be a four.
>> I I I would have feel better tonight
[1:19:24] about this if the mayor would have been
here because I had one discussion with
[1:19:29] him with Mr. Muhammad.
And I wanted things to be said tonight
[1:19:37] on record
to asssure
[1:19:41] that I won't get this backlash
of it's not priority anymore.
[1:19:49] That's my issue right now because the
mayor is not here
[1:19:54] and it don't seem like Mr. Moore or
anybody else can speak for him.
[1:20:00] How do I know
that things that I want done in my
[1:20:06] district,
we won't receive the same
[1:20:12] statement
[snorts]
[1:20:14] » is not priority anymore.
>> It'll be in the ordinance spelled out
[1:20:18] » and and in the ordinance it's going to
say that all of these projects will be
[1:20:22] going on at the same time. in there.
What what it will say inside the
[1:20:27] ordinance is two million is for this
project, one million is for this
[1:20:30] project,
>> but it won't say the start date.
[1:20:32] » It it won't say the start date.
>> It won't say what project going out the
[1:20:35] gate first.
>> Let it won't say that. But let me tell
[1:20:37] you for municipal bonds and Bill, please
back me up because I'm going to say it a
[1:20:41] little bit off. I'm going say it from a
journeyman's standpoint. When you issue
[1:20:45] municipal bonds, one of the things
because we get a tax exemption, we tell
[1:20:49] the IRS that they have an understanding
that they're going to spend the money
[1:20:53] within three years. Now, we can get an
extension and go out to 5 years.
[1:20:57] However, though, when you borrow money,
I don't care what city you are in
[1:21:00] America. I don't care what school
district you are in the mayor America or
[1:21:02] county or parish. When you borrow money
through a municipal bond issue, you are
[1:21:07] also telling within three years, I
expect
[1:21:11] to have all these projects done. you can
get extension and go out to five years
[1:21:16] if I'm not mistaken. And so those
projects, which is why you're going to
[1:21:19] keep hearing uh me and Mr. BS keep
saying it's going to be in the ordinance
[1:21:24] because when those bond holders buy it,
one of the reasons they're buying is
[1:21:27] they looked at your sales tax
collection. They understand you're
[1:21:30] killing it right now and so they feel
really good. So they feel comfortable.
[1:21:33] They're going to offer lower rates. The
other thing is it's no different than
[1:21:36] when we do sales memos and we see
something in circulars that come in our
[1:21:39] uh that come in our mailbox. when we
they look in there and they see in the
[1:21:43] ordinance because it will be part of
their documents they get before they buy
[1:21:46] it. They'll see in the ordinance, oh, I
see that they're fixing Third Street.
[1:21:50] Oh, I figured I see that they're fixing
South Six. It will be in there. And so,
[1:21:56] there are a couple of things that
hopefully will give you some comfort in
[1:22:00] that the list of projects will be in
there and we have to tell the IRS we
[1:22:04] expect to get those projects done within
three years.
[1:22:07] » I I I hear what you're saying. and the
list of projects would be in there, but
[1:22:11] it's not guaranteeing that these
projects would be done in a timely
[1:22:16] fashion and equally across the districts
from past experience.
[1:22:23] And what I'm saying tonight, I would
have felt better if the mayor would have
[1:22:28] came through the door and sat here
tonight and gave thumbs up saying, "Yes,
[1:22:34] these are the agreements and concessions
that I made that everything is going to
[1:22:39] run smoothly across all of the
districts. Everybody will have something
[1:22:44] going on in each and every district at
the same time." Mhm.
[1:22:48] » But I can't trust that tonight
because statements that has already been
[1:22:54] said to me by certain individuals.
[1:22:59] If the mayor was here,
I would have been good.
[1:23:04] But I got some reservations now about
who going to tell me that this is all
[1:23:10] factual.
Who can I hold accountable?
[1:23:16] Whose feet can I hold to the fire? I
can't hold you all
[1:23:23] can't hold them.
The man
[1:23:29] is the
chief he he's chief executive of of this
[1:23:34] city and he should have been here
tonight.
[1:23:38] Yes, it's my fault. I missed that second
email,
[1:23:42] but I was reading the email that said he
was going to be here.
[1:23:50] This is a problem.
And this problem with statements
[1:23:56] that throw up a red flag,
but Mr. Mallister when he got up there
[1:24:02] and spoke beforehand, if he
[clears throat] would have just hadn't
[1:24:07] said what he said, the red flag wouldn't
went up to the top of the pole.
[1:24:13] But now the the flag is up there and I
got a problem.
[1:24:21] We got to talk this out because again,
there's still a lot of debt. I'm
[1:24:27] understanding from you all tonight
that all of these other bonds
[1:24:33] is going to go inside the new
uh tax and be paid by the by the new
[1:24:40] tax.
>> But I'm not understanding how much money
[1:24:46] is going over into the new. Do you have
those figures? So, those six bond issues
[1:24:52] that I mentioned earlier, what you're
[clears throat] paying on them right now
[1:24:55] is approximately $8 million a year
[1:25:00] » in interest
>> in principal and interest. No difference
[1:25:03] no different than our our house note. We
know that we pay $1,000 a month on our
[1:25:07] house.
>> So, you we're paying $8 million
[1:25:11] » on the current six sales tax issues that
you have currently. You're paying
[1:25:16] approximately.
>> Okay. But that's not counting
[1:25:21] Tower Drive and downtown.
>> Not counting that.
[1:25:26] » Because
you know just as well as I know
[1:25:31] if the bottom falls out who is
responsible.
[1:25:34] » Mhm.
>> The city of Monroe.
[1:25:37] » The city of Monroe and the city of
Monroe sales tax collections that secure
[1:25:41] this. I I just want to be make sure and
be clear because
[1:25:45] the bond holders, the people who buy it,
they don't have rights to all of
[1:25:48] Monroe's [snorts] money. They don't have
rights to all of Monroe's fund balances.
[1:25:52] Okay?
>> They only have rights to this 1% sales
[1:25:56] tax. The bonds that are out on I20 at
Panley Mall, they only have rights to
[1:26:02] that one to the money that they collect
out there. That's it.
[1:26:07] So th that's why you'll always hear me
talk about whatever the security is and
[1:26:12] look at those bonds in itself by
themselves because if something happens
[1:26:16] out of Mland Mall or that whole district
that Conland uh tiff district it have it
[1:26:21] doesn't have a bearing here with these
bonds
[1:26:23] » and it's not like when you're on the
school board we issue those bonds
[1:26:26] general obligation bonds and that means
they're totally you know everything the
[1:26:31] full faith and credit schools was behind
that. This is only that one revenue
[1:26:36] stream.
>> That's it.
[1:26:36] » Uh that one tax. This will be the 1 cent
u infrastructure tax that was was
[1:26:42] passed, renewed, extended
>> uh in the last election over here.
[1:26:46] » What is the estimate collection of these
bonds are the let's go back the the
[1:26:54] estimate collection of taxes.
>> So this one
[1:26:57] » for this for this 1% over how many
years? O over it goes out to 2050.
[1:27:04] » So,
>> so what is that number
[1:27:06] » right now? I think in fiscal year 2025,
you collected somewhere north of $19
[1:27:10] million
[1:27:13] » from that 1% sales tax
>> for this B for the bonds that and that's
[1:27:21] going to take care of the new new bond
and all.
[1:27:25] » Yes, sir.
And the old bonds completely are gone in
[1:27:31] the next three to four years.
>> They gone and paid off.
[1:27:37] » They're paid off in paid off by 2030.
>> Okay. And then we will have
[1:27:44] extra revenue
>> to start pay. Yes, sir.
[1:27:50] » So now let me ask you, I'm going to jump
in, bishop. Now, what you say the um
[1:27:54] estimated value for this one penny sales
tax for the next 25 years?
[1:28:00] » Well, how much?
>> So, right now annually, you've been
[1:28:04] collecting somewhere around $19 million.
I think as we heard uh Mr. Cleveland
[1:28:08] talk earlier, salesside collection is
up. So, probably next year, this is me
[1:28:12] guesstimating. If it's up, if you're
collecting around 19 million right now,
[1:28:15] you're probably going to be collecting
somewhere around 20 next year. And we
[1:28:19] can't ever I can forecast but I don't
know what you're going to collect in
[1:28:22] 2015. See 2015 2020 [clears throat] 2035
2045. I have no idea. But right now
[1:28:29] you're collecting somewhere north of of
$19 million with just that 1% sales tax.
[1:28:37] So over the
[1:28:41] 25 years,
>> we're looking to bring in water.
[1:28:48] » Oh, so I'm going to do back of the
envelope math.
[1:28:50] » I'm going to round up and say 20. You're
collecting $20 million a year for 25
[1:28:54] years. That's going to be 200. Excuse
me. It's going to be 500. Thank you.
[1:28:57] » $500 million.
>> You got it.
[1:28:59] » $500 million.
And with this resolution on tonight,
[1:29:05] we're going to zap
>> 110
[1:29:08] » one of it.
>> You're going to issue about 110. Now
[1:29:14] » 110 is one.
>> The 500 million is how much money you
[1:29:19] come in. what you pay out on that 110.
Uh this year with all of the sales tax,
[1:29:27] it'll be about uh 12 million until 20 29
and then it drop to 9 million 8 million
[1:29:36] and it'll drop from there.
>> So you can't you got the revenue coming
[1:29:40] in and then the debt service going out.
The revenue over that period of time
[1:29:46] would be the 500 million and then on an
annual basis it pays down just like when
[1:29:51] you pay any other debt down.
And in 2030 the existing debt's gone. So
[1:29:58] that's going to knock about half of that
debt service payment off at that time.
[1:30:05] » Okay. Miss Washington. Um,
[clears throat]
[1:30:09] oh yeah, we have uh we we still we still
try to close 2526 out, right?
[1:30:17] » That's correct. Yes, sir.
>> Uh, could you come up cuz I don't want
[1:30:21] you all to go down to Baton Rouge and we
got a problem with 2526 budget. Uh, and
[1:30:27] we got a
Can you talk on that?
[1:30:33] » Closing out the fiscal year for 2526.
Well, we did the um uh budget amendment
[1:30:39] didn't pass and so right now our fiscal
year 2526 is not closed technically. Um
[1:30:46] we've missed that deadline and it's
going to be an audit finding.
[1:30:50] » Will that be a problem?
>> We'll be able to talk through that.
[1:30:54] » Huh?
>> We we'll be able to talk through that.
[1:30:57] when you say talk through it.
>> One one of the great things about you
[1:31:01] guys issuing sales tax bonds, and I know
I sound like I'm beating a dead horse,
[1:31:05] but because those bond holders only have
access to that 1% tax,
[1:31:12] » we can show, and one of the great things
about sales tax, you collect them
[1:31:15] monthly. So, you're able to show we are
generating the city, regardless if our
[1:31:20] budget amendment hasn't gone through, we
are generating $19 million, $20 million
[1:31:25] a year. That's number one. Number two,
state law states, now that sounded uh
[1:31:30] redundant real quick, the state law says
that
[1:31:34] whatever you bring in in a year, the
most you can ever spend on debt service
[1:31:40] is 75% of it. The state won't even allow
it. So again, back of the envelope math,
[1:31:45] you're bringing in 20 million. the
largest the highest debt service annual
[1:31:50] debt service that the city any city in
Louisiana can issue can issue debt is
[1:31:54] you can't get up to 15 million. So you
can issue as much debt as you want but
[1:31:58] if you get up to where your annual
payments are 15 million state bond
[1:32:01] commission will not allow you to do it.
You couldn't even pass the ordinance if
[1:32:04] you wanted to. Right now, we're looking
at somewhere around with with you doing
[1:32:08] 110, you're looking somewhere around
nine $10 million a year because we know
[1:32:13] that the current debt, those six issues
that I spoke spoke on earlier, they're
[1:32:17] coming off your books in 2030. When we
issue this debt, we're going to wrap it
[1:32:21] around there so that you don't get
anywhere near that [snorts] 14 million
[1:32:24] that we just that I just spoke of.
Actually, you're going to be staying
[1:32:27] somewhere around 10 million and coming
in and then after those 30, 20, 30 hits,
[1:32:31] we're going to drop it down even more.
So you're bringing in about 20 million.
[1:32:36] The most by state law you can ever have
is 15 million. We won't get anywhere
[1:32:40] near there. That 110 [clears throat]
million, just the the the amount itself,
[1:32:45] the 110 million just will limit you. You
won't get anywhere close to that.
[1:32:49] » Okay. All right. U good discussion.
>> I got another question.
[1:32:53] » Okay.
>> Okay. So this one is going to just Okay.
[1:32:57] So this one is for Mr. Creek Bomb.
>> Okay.
[1:33:05] I'll stand.
>> Maybe not. Let him let him hang out for
[1:33:07] a few minutes. Okay.
>> Okay. So, when we look at this
[1:33:10] ordinance, I mean, look at this um
resolution.
[1:33:14] Then it talks about the council acting
as the governing authority. We are
[1:33:20] referred to in here as the governing
authority.
[1:33:24] Yes,
>> that is the defined term as it's used in
[1:33:28] this document. Yes,
>> as it's used in this document. Is that
[1:33:33] this document or is that everything that
we do when it comes to dealing with the
[1:33:38] finances of the city or the obligations
financial obligations of the city? Are
[1:33:43] we the governing authority?
>> So are you so that's an abstract
[1:33:48] question and unrelated at all to this?
>> Yes.
[1:33:51] » Okay. Unrelated at all to this. Yes. for
for purposes of the expenditure of funds
[1:33:56] in this this is the body that
appropriates funds for use for the city
[1:34:01] of Monroe. So that is done annually
through the budget process. You control
[1:34:06] the allocation of funds throughout the
city of Monroe. So I don't know that the
[1:34:13] term governing authority is right.
That's a specific legal term that has
[1:34:18] you know that's not in our charter which
is what governs how
[1:34:22] this is
done but you do appropriate the funds.
[1:34:27] So I think general answer to your
question is yes. Council controls the
[1:34:31] purse strings.
>> Yes.
[1:34:32] » As a general matter
>> for for financial obligations for the
[1:34:38] city.
>> Yes.
[1:34:39] » Governing authority.
>> Again, you're using a very specific term
[1:34:42] that I don't think is used in our
charter. Like I'm not disputing the
[1:34:46] premise, but when you start using a term
and importing it into something that's
[1:34:50] not in our charter, I'm not disappre
and and I'm I'm not going to we're not
[1:34:55] going to bel label this one. Yeah.
>> But the thing of it is is that in most
[1:34:59] instances where the council is
overseeing um the dispersement of
[1:35:04] funding and that kind of thing, they're
referred to as the governing authority.
[1:35:08] » So state law state law generally defines
governing authorities. refer to it here,
[1:35:13] » you know, and then I tell people all the
time, you know, we we talk about the
[1:35:18] different entities that we participate
with within the city. We're the same
[1:35:23] people. So, it's the same the same the
same people are doing the same thing in
[1:35:29] different other entities. I chair I20.
>> All right. I20 calls this council the
[1:35:38] governing authority.
I think that's also in their specific
[1:35:44] agreement with the city of Monroe fire
>> governing authority. All right. So, let
[1:35:48] me go with my point. Let me go with my
point.
[1:35:51] » So, here we've got the right
>> to sign off and say
[1:35:58] um
that we can approve this this and this
[1:36:02] will move forward as a governing
authority.
[1:36:06] When it comes to I20, when we talk about
being the governing authority and we
[1:36:10] want to approve something, um, council,
not I20, um, board, but council send
[1:36:18] governing authority because this this
council said to pay an entity as the
[1:36:25] governing authority. We approved them to
be paid and they still haven't been
[1:36:29] paid. So my point is when is it [snorts]
when are we the governing authority?
[1:36:35] Okay.
>> Can we make this decision? Are we really
[1:36:38] the governing authority? Can we really
approve them to go to to the bond
[1:36:44] commission and ask or uh ask permission
to bond $110 million.
[1:36:51] » Okay. So, there is a whole lot baked
into that question. So, let me try to
[1:36:56] break it down into every piece that I
can. As a general matter, state law
[1:37:01] defines governing bodies of
municipalities. legislative bodies. It's
[1:37:05] not governing. I shouldn't use the word
governing. Legislative bodies of
[1:37:08] municipalities as governing authorities.
That does not that's the general default
[1:37:13] rule. And so when we use broad terms
like general rules, that means there can
[1:37:17] be exceptions. That's why context
matters. So for purposes of this
[1:37:22] document in our charter, there is no
dispute that our charter says that
[1:37:26] authorization to borrow money or incur
debt must be done by an ordinance passed
[1:37:30] by council. So, for that purpose, under
our charter, y'all are the determiners
[1:37:35] of whether or not an ordinance gets
passed. And there's a legislative
[1:37:38] process that goes with that. The mayor
has veto rights, but it starts with this
[1:37:42] body, which is why this document says
clearly and whatever defined term it
[1:37:48] used, it used the term governing
authority. Y'all will be responsible for
[1:37:52] issuing an ordinance.
Agreements though like contractual
[1:37:59] documents can have defined terms on
their own which establish different
[1:38:02] bodies. I don't want to get too much
into the I20 stuff because there is
[1:38:06] pending litigation,
>> right? And so I don't want to get into
[1:38:09] that into a public war again.
>> We're not we're not
[1:38:12] » but there is an agreement between the
I20 board and the city of Monroe. That
[1:38:17] agreement controls. Okay. So that's
what's going to that's what's going to
[1:38:22] govern the legal relationship of the
parties because there is an ordinance
[1:38:26] that authorizes an agreement. I don't
want to get much further down that
[1:38:29] route, but you can as a matter of
contract law, unless it violates some
[1:38:33] other law, define terms. And if you
define the governing authority for
[1:38:38] purposes of an agreement as the council
and the mayor, you can include the mayor
[1:38:42] in there because you've entered into a
contractual agreement that does those
[1:38:46] things. So as a general matter, state
law is going to say legislative bodies
[1:38:51] are governing authorities, but the
context of every situation is going to
[1:38:56] matter.
>> Yeah.
[1:38:58] » What was the last word?
>> The context of every situation is going
[1:39:01] to matter.
>> Okay.
[1:39:02] » So as a general matter, again, there's
always exceptions to rules. There may be
[1:39:06] state law somewhere that says, well, for
this purpose, it's the CEO who makes the
[1:39:11] decision. So state law can establish a
general rule that hey the council is the
[1:39:16] governing authority but they may have an
exception for some other very particular
[1:39:20] purpose. That's why when you say hey are
we the governing authority for this
[1:39:24] purpose all I can do is tell you our
charter says you all decide whether or
[1:39:29] not to authorize an ordinance incurring
debt. That is this council's function
[1:39:33] under our charter. So there's no dispute
that if we're going to incur debt in the
[1:39:37] city of Monroe, this body has to pass an
ordinance to do that. No one else can do
[1:39:42] that.
>> So this resolution on tonight,
[1:39:46] if passed,
[1:39:51] Mr. BS will go down on our behalf
and then you will come back and then we
[1:39:59] will put an ordinance in place.
>> Absolutely.
[1:40:02] » Right.
>> There's no money will be bonded, not one
[1:40:05] cent without an ordinance by this
council.
[1:40:08] » Who going to write that?
Well, that's what you're hiring them to
[1:40:12] do.
>> Who going to write that ordinance? We
[1:40:14] will.
>> It's a trust factor.
[1:40:20] I have no problem with you.
[1:40:25] But I got a problem.
When we pass things across this table
[1:40:33] and nothing happened
and statements be made
[1:40:38] is not priority anymore.
Mr. B, how can you assure me
[1:40:46] that that will not happen
after we pass this tonight?
[1:40:54] We'll put the projects in the ordinance
and they'll be as specific as we can get
[1:40:58] them uh to your satisfaction. If they're
not, then and we'll talk and we can like
[1:41:03] this conversation we're having tonight,
we can sit down and talk about that to
[1:41:07] make sure that you get comfortable and
secure and that your projects will get
[1:41:11] done.
I want to see projects done across the
[1:41:15] city.
But this
[1:41:19] spirit of
uh this vendettic spirit of of don't
[1:41:25] want to do certain things because
certain council members has asked for it
[1:41:31] to be taken care of and after it has
been passed by this council.
[1:41:38] That's a problem.
[1:41:42] I got receipts
of everything I'm saying.
[1:41:51] I just would have felt better tonight
if Mary Ellis would have been here
[1:41:57] because he is the one that had the
conversation with me and Mr. Muhammad
[1:42:07] and got my thumbs up.
[1:42:11] And when this important vote comes down
tonight,
[1:42:15] he's ghost.
That's a problem.
[1:42:23] Who can stand for it?
No one.
[1:42:32] This is a problem.
[1:42:36] I want to see it pass.
But it's a trust factor
[1:42:44] because I know what Mr. Mallister has
said to me
[1:42:49] about other projects.
I know we got projects on the books that
[1:42:54] we had voted on months ago and nothing
has happened.
[1:43:01] I don't have that assurance tonight.
even if you go down there and come back
[1:43:09] things going to be in order. You got an
individual that's holding down two jobs
[1:43:15] that shouldn't be holding down two.
Should just have one.
[1:43:21] » Let me um let me let me get in here.
>> Wait a minute, Mr. H.
[1:43:25] And let's say this too. Now, this is an
important issue. I know it is
[1:43:28] » because when we long gone off this
council,
[1:43:33] » go ahead and make your point.
>> We going to be we going we are the ones
[1:43:36] that's going to be responsible.
>> Go ahead and make your point.
[1:43:38] » And if it's $500 million, that's the
estimate amount of tax being collected.
[1:43:44] When I look at 1.10, and I do understand
that at one time it was 179 million and
[1:43:52] we got it reduced down to 110.
I still would have felt comfortable
[1:43:58] tonight if the mayor would have been
here to support this with us.
[1:44:04] He was in the room with the you and I
and he's not in here today to vouch for
[1:44:10] what he said and agreed to.
Now, you can go along with certain
[1:44:15] things like that, but it it bothers me
when the person that was in the room
[1:44:20] with us and said, "This is how things is
going to go is not here to vouch for it
[1:44:26] himself."
That's the issue.
[1:44:31] I heard what Mr. McCallister said
tonight,
[1:44:35] but it's a trust factor,
[1:44:39] and I understand you want things done
just like I want things done. But let's
[1:44:43] do a decent and in order,
not on the backs of our people,
[1:44:48] [clears throat]
that they are not taken care of. And
[1:44:51] when we long gone off this off this
council, we got to make sure that
[1:44:56] there's monies available for this city
to continue to go on without any
[1:45:00] hiccups.
That's my issue.
[1:45:05] I want to see things done.
[1:45:12] All right, just for clarification real
quickly, and I'm not going to beat my
[1:45:15] horse, Mr. M Mr. Creek Bomb. Now, did
you Now, did you say that the charter
[1:45:20] does not address the council as the
governing authority?
[1:45:23] » It may. I don't have it right in front
of me. I don't think it's a defined term
[1:45:26] in there, but I I have access to the
charter on my phone. I can search the
[1:45:30] word and it may have it in there as a
defined term. I know state law defines
[1:45:34] it um generally as legislative bodies.
So, I do know that ex is in state law.
[1:45:39] Didn't bring a copy of the charter down
here with me.
[1:45:41] » Okay. So in article two section 2-7
>> sure
[1:45:46] » I think that it's there.
>> Yeah. Let's see. It may be a defined
[1:45:49] term in here. [snorts]
[1:45:59] [clears throat]
>> It just concerns me. The trust factor
[1:46:01] comes in with me too because you know
you trust all right and when it's when
[1:46:06] it's convenient or when you need it the
governing authority works but when you
[1:46:12] don't want to do a certain thing then
the governing authority does
[1:46:15] [clears throat] not apply. So I'm just
trying to understand when does it apply
[1:46:19] and when it doesn't. So it's applying
tonight but then you know other times it
[1:46:25] doesn't.
>> I I don't understand the question. So,
[1:46:28] can you can you
>> I think it was clear.
[1:46:31] » Okay. I don't think it was clear because
I think
[1:46:34] » I think we you're using the term
governing authority as some
[1:46:38] all-encompassing grant of power. The law
gives rights to governing authorities
[1:46:43] just as it gives to executive officials
or administrative employees. Those are
[1:46:49] things that are spelled out in the
charter. And again, state law provides a
[1:46:52] backdrop. Our charter
>> So, it's in the charter.
[1:46:54] » I haven't gotten there yet. You said
section two. What was that? Section two.
[1:46:58] What?
[1:47:02] » Give it to me again.
>> Huh?
[1:47:04] » Section 230. Is that what you said?
>> 217.
[1:47:07] » 217.
[1:47:15] Yeah. So, this isn't a defined term. It
it it it doesn't establish the council
[1:47:20] as a governing authority. This is what
it says. says, "The council shall have
[1:47:24] and is hereby granted all of the
authority to levy and collect taxes, to
[1:47:28] incur debt and issue bonds and other
evidences of indebtedness as is now or
[1:47:33] hereafter conferred on governing
authorities of municipalities by the
[1:47:37] constitution." Okay. So, it is saying
this council has the power to issue debt
[1:47:40] the same as other governing authorities.
Again, governing authority is a specific
[1:47:44] term and you didn't hear me dispute that
state law does define governing
[1:47:48] authorities generally as legislative
bodies. I'm not disputing that. What I'm
[1:47:52] saying is the context of each individual
power. You have to look at each
[1:47:59] individual power. Some powers may be
granted to this council. Some powers may
[1:48:04] be granted to the mayor. The term
governing authority isn't some magic
[1:48:09] talismanic term. You take the power and
you see who it is ascribed to. So state
[1:48:15] law might define governing authority as
legislative bodies and then have a whole
[1:48:19] bunch of laws that say governing
authorities can do this, this, and this.
[1:48:22] So that's how they make it apply to
every legislative body across the state.
[1:48:28] There may be exceptions to that where
the state has passed a law that says,
[1:48:33] "Hey, mayors have this power or certain
other officials, boards and commissions
[1:48:38] have this power." You look at the
individual grants of power and see who
[1:48:44] they're obscribed to. In this case, said
from the beginning, y'all have the power
[1:48:49] over incurring debt. Nobody's arguing
that here. I think you're taking this
[1:48:54] particular item that's on the agenda and
trying to
[1:48:58] » graft it onto some big broader
discussion that we're not having here
[1:49:01] tonight.
>> One side, one size fit all. But no.
[1:49:04] Yeah. But it's but at the end of the
day, you know, I still say
[1:49:10] when it's convenient
when it's convenient.
[1:49:15] And I'm going to leave that and we're
going to go on. Bishop, you
[1:49:19] » I got one other thing.
And I know Mr. Chairman, you you anxious
[1:49:23] to to get this passed.
>> No, I want to say something when Mr.
[1:49:27] » BS,
as [clears throat] I said to you
[1:49:30] earlier, I trust you.
Are you saying in the ordinance that we
[1:49:38] could put the language in there to make
it law
[1:49:44] to make
those others that's in charge
[1:49:50] to make sure that all of these projects
are moving at the same time? Can that
[1:49:55] type of language be in there and be
lawful?
[1:49:58] » I believe it can.
>> No, Mr. Mr. M I I want to know Mr.
[1:50:05] is it a yes or no we can make what you
do and you pass will become law. It will
[1:50:10] be there. The language in there is
there. Now if if it's no discretion
[1:50:15] which it won't be you can bring a
mandamus to enforce it. If it's not
[1:50:18] there's no discretion. It's only
ministerial. But we put in there
[1:50:22] language that these projects have to
proceed with all due speed each and all
[1:50:28] of them to the extent that you know
there's weather and you know building
[1:50:33] things that come in is that would affect
everything I would think not that but we
[1:50:38] we can put that language in there and we
know what you're saying and you all have
[1:50:42] to approve it. It's got to be or we
don't
[1:50:44] » and all projects will happen at the same
time. It'll be in the ordinance. they
[1:50:49] shall break ground at the same time
that will be in there,
[1:50:54] » right? And the ones that's on the books
need
[1:50:56] » we can put all of that. I just don't
know if I don't know if
[1:51:01] » we'll have to work with the with the
>> Well, well, the thing about it, this
[1:51:05] » we can put it in there.
>> This is your catch 22.
[1:51:09] I can support this tonight,
>> but nothing.
[1:51:13] » But wait a minute now. I can
[clears throat] support this tonight and
[1:51:18] then when you come back from Baton Rouge
if it's not written correct the
[1:51:24] ordinance
>> then I can vote it down
[1:51:27] » right
>> my thing is
[1:51:30] it's trust factor things that should
have already happened has not happened
[1:51:37] » so maybe
[1:51:40] these other projects
that should have been completed. Maybe
[1:51:46] they get completed now before you get
back before this council cuz I'm going
[1:51:53] to have a no vote. I'm going to vote for
this tonight. Well, I'm going to have a
[1:51:58] no vote for it
when you come back
[1:52:03] and I hear the same and see the same
attitude.
[1:52:09] what they're telling the mayor this that
and the other that is not priority
[1:52:14] anymore.
[1:52:17] That's that's a promise.
[1:52:22] I'm I'm supporting it. I'm going to
support it tonight on your strength on
[1:52:28] what you have said.
[1:52:32] Yes, I said that
and I say what I want to say and I do
[1:52:37] what I want to do.
because you have never
[1:52:43] lied to me
and that stands for something. Thank
[1:52:47] you.
>> Okay. Um
[1:52:52] I'm we're going to call for the question
and uh
[1:52:56] I'll just say this. Uh yes, Mayor Ellis
is not here. Uh
[1:53:02] he see
your word is your bond. Now you so if
[1:53:10] you break that word then that's you know
we heard what he said and we we going to
[1:53:16] we going to follow what he said we come
back in the orders put everything in
[1:53:20] there how this council wanted projects
to look this is just I think we getting
[1:53:26] it we just want them to have go down to
Baton Rouge and get the permission and
[1:53:31] then we come back this 110 million
is divided over a two-year period. The
[1:53:38] first round of projects, we saw a
preliminary project list that's not in
[1:53:44] stone. So once we come back in, we can
get together and figure out what
[1:53:50] projects will roll out first, how much
projects will roll out, what type of
[1:53:56] projects shall go out, uh what streets,
what particular streets in our district
[1:54:01] will that's the after we come back. So,
uh, you know,
[1:54:09] as far as Mr. Ellis, I mean, he don't
have to be here. In my opinion, he
[1:54:13] » That's your opinion.
>> Yeah. Right. Well, in my opinion, he
[1:54:15] don't.
>> But, but it was the three of us in the
[1:54:18] same room together.
>> He gave us He gave I know what he said.
[1:54:21] » Okay. But it's better that Mr. Mr. Ellis
would have been here tonight to amen
[1:54:28] everything that we're saying to give his
support publicly, not behind closed
[1:54:35] doors. That's what I'm saying.
>> Okay,
[1:54:41] Mr. Mr. McAllister, the project down at
uh Madison Foster, is that moving?
[1:54:49] That's the project that Mr. Mr. McFaren
is concerned about. that project can
[1:54:55] move now through the CIC. And let me
explain, Mr. McFarland, if you recall,
[1:55:01] we did submit a capital outlay
application for that particular project.
[1:55:06] Whenever you submit a capital outlay
project, then you are issued P1, P2, or
[1:55:11] P5. If you move on that project without
getting a cash line of credit through
[1:55:16] the state bond commission and getting
approval to bid the project and then
[1:55:22] getting approval of whatever um bid you
receive and accept that bid, there are
[1:55:27] steps that you have to take with the
with FPNC before you move forward. That
[1:55:32] project was wrapped up in capital outlay
until July of this year. state bond
[1:55:38] commission pulled um our FPNC pulled
four of our nine projects and that was
[1:55:44] one of them. And so if they had not
pulled that and had issued a line of
[1:55:50] credit and we had already started that
project, we would not have received any
[1:55:55] funds from state capital outlay. We
would have been on the hook for
[1:55:58] everything that we spent. That is with
every project. We have to advertise it
[1:56:03] after their approval. we could only sign
that contract after their approval. So
[1:56:08] since it is now one of the projects that
they have not allocated funds to, they
[1:56:12] have removed it from the capital outlay
act 4 as of July of this year. That is a
[1:56:17] project that we can move on and pay cash
for out of this 1% sales tax that we
[1:56:22] currently have not as a part of this
bond package but as a part of the money
[1:56:26] that we currently have in the account.
So that is the update on that particular
[1:56:32] project. Um, that's why we've not moved
that project.
[1:56:35] » Mr. McCelie, you know just as well as
Miss Woods know that what you're saying
[1:56:39] is not true. You look me square in my
eyes in the council conference room and
[1:56:46] told me that's not priority anymore.
>> Now I have a witness. No sir. No sir.
[1:56:53] Now you you trying you trying to smooth
it over. Don't mess up this vote
[1:56:56] tonight.
>> No. No. Don't mess it up. Absolutely.
[1:56:59] Because you about to mess it up.
>> It appears that I'm not um Because you
[1:57:02] know that is not true. You know that's
not true. You told me in front of Miss
[1:57:09] Woods
>> that it was not priority anymore.
[1:57:14] You did not say any of what you're
saying tonight.
[1:57:19] » And yes, you're right. You know I'm
correct.
[1:57:23] » Yes, sir.
>> So So don't mess up this vote tonight on
[1:57:26] on trying to polish this.
All I'm saying if things
[1:57:34] doesn't happen between now and when they
come back,
[1:57:39] as grandma say, it's going to be trouble
at the river for me because I'm not
[1:57:44] going to support it.
I'm going to support this tonight on the
[1:57:50] strength
of Mr. B
[1:57:54] of what he said and how we can craft
this.
[1:57:58] And I'm praying that you will do the
right thing and get those other projects
[1:58:04] that we have already voted for
completed cuz it shouldn't come out of
[1:58:10] any of this money that we going to be
bonding out in the future. That's what
[1:58:16] I'm saying.
>> Yes, sir.
[1:58:18] » Thank you.
>> I'm going jump in on my project, too.
[1:58:20] What about the ditch in Booati?
>> We've been talking I was in Baton Rouge.
[1:58:25] I was in Baton Rouge a couple of weeks
ago advocating for that 1 million
[1:58:29] surplus to be put back in the project.
Um I believe we're going to be able to
[1:58:34] get that. Um
I'm not sure,
[1:58:38] » but as I stated in our meeting that Mr.
McFarland is is referring to, I did say
[1:58:44] priority. I did. But out of those fives
that are out of those five projects that
[1:58:49] are on there, Georgia Street pump
station was the priority. And that's
[1:58:53] what I shared and it still is. It's a
project that is under construction right
[1:58:57] now that we anticipate being done in
May. Your project is a great project.
[1:59:02] It's a roadway project, but Georgia
Street Pump Station is a project we have
[1:59:07] been fighting for for years. We are
finally under construction. I myself,
[1:59:11] council members, you were there during
the last major rain event a year ago,
[1:59:16] April. I [clears throat] was standing
waist deep in water. That project is
[1:59:20] priority and it is still priority. We
will finish that project in May. We're
[1:59:25] very thankful for that. But [snorts] to
your point, sir, I did make that
[1:59:29] statement. Priority. That's the the what
I just stated is um the the premise for
[1:59:37] making that that comment. Georgia Street
Pump Station is priority.
[1:59:41] » Nothing about that. You you you're
getting yourself in in in in deep water
[1:59:46] and you're going to cause me to just
vote no on this.
[1:59:51] » Forgive me, sir. Forgive me. Thank you.
>> All right. Listen, we going to call for
[1:59:54] the question. Thank you, Mr. Bones, Mr.
Lamb, and Mr. Anti for your input. Um,
[2:00:01] Madame Clerk,
>> Mr. McFarland,
[2:00:09] » I,
>> Mr. Harvey,
[2:00:11] » I,
>> Mr. Muhammed,
[2:00:13] » I,
>> Mrs. Ezren,
[2:00:15] » I,
>> Miss Woods,
[2:00:16] » I.
>> Motion carries. Adopt a resolution
[2:00:20] authorizing agreement with travels and
move. Second
[2:00:23] » been moved and properly several that we
consider this resolution. Any comments
[2:00:27] from the audience?
Any from council?
[2:00:32] » I did notice u you did send us the
email, Mr. Thank you, sir. Y'all have a
[2:00:36] good evening. Uh Mr. um more about the
uh the increase here with the travelers.
[2:00:43] » Yes sir, I did. Correct. what you
>> in the packet it was just uh included
[2:00:48] the premium summary and then the markets
that they had went to uh but on the
[2:00:53] premium summary it um give some um some
of the reasons for the um increase
[2:01:00] » okay all right thank you sir any comment
from council madam clerk
[2:01:06] » Mr. Muhammed
>> I
[2:01:07] » Mrs. Ezernette
>> I
[2:01:08] » miss woods
>> I
[2:01:10] » Mr. McFarland
>> I
[2:01:12] » Mr. Harvey
>> I that motion [snorts] carries
[2:01:14] department of plann and urban
development none legal department none
[2:01:18] mayor's office a adopt a resolution
authorizing
[2:01:22] » be moved and properly second that we
consider this resolution
[2:01:26] any comments from the audience
any from council
[2:01:31] Mr. uh m uh Mr. uh creek bomb. This um
is is it designated for a lawnmower or
[2:01:40] is it
>> Yeah, that's the designated and the all
[2:01:42] of this is straight from the
appropriation language that was used.
[2:01:46] » Okay. All right. Okay. All right. Madam
clerk,
[2:01:50] » Mr. Harvey,
>> I
[2:01:51] » Mr. McFarland
>> I
[2:01:53] » Mrs. Zernac,
>> Miss Woods,
[2:01:56] » I
>> Mr. Muhammad,
[2:01:57] » I motion carries B. adopt the resolution
authorizing cooperative endeavor
[2:02:02] agreement. Been moved and properly
second that we consider this resolution.
[2:02:08] This is for United Way. Any comments
from the audience?
[2:02:12] Any from council?
>> Yes. For the purpose of those that are
[2:02:17] in the audience and for the purpose of
those that are at home.
[2:02:23] Mr. Creek Bomb, will you tell them where
this money is coming from? And it is not
[2:02:28] the city doing this. This we are just a
pass through. Correct.
[2:02:32] » That is correct. We are a pass through
for um [snorts] the line item
[2:02:36] appropriations to non-governmental
organizations
[2:02:40] uh that were allocated money by the
state legislature in the last
[2:02:43] legislative session.
>> So why did they do this? Because
[2:02:47] typically I've not seen this before. So
t help me understand why are we a pass
[2:02:52] through for this money? it. So, the
legislature can actually do it both
[2:02:56] ways. They can do direct appropriations.
They can do pass through appropriations.
[2:03:01] They have used both um really no rhyme
or reason historically. I think there's
[2:03:07] uh we have four this year that I think
there were 17 pass through allocations
[2:03:12] statewide this year. If I remember right
when I was talking to the treasury about
[2:03:16] how many there were. Um, in the past it
seems like the local legislators
[2:03:21] typically used the pass through
allocations through the city of Monroe.
[2:03:24] We went back in 2023, there was pass
through allocations that were done
[2:03:29] through the city of Monroe to other
entities. It's up to the individual
[2:03:32] legislature when they're getting these
funds appropriated, how whether they
[2:03:36] want to do it direct or whether they
want to do it um as a pass through. So,
[2:03:40] you'd have to ask the legislature, the
legislator that
[2:03:44] » I guess was behind the appropriation,
why they chose which method. But, but
[2:03:48] both have happened both ways um in the
past.
[2:03:52] » Okay.
>> Now, has this money um I think we've
[2:03:56] talked about it uh this resolution, this
corporate agreement,
[2:04:01] this money is not sitting in our
treasury yet, is it?
[2:04:04] » No, it is not. So what what will what
will happen is we'll sign the
[2:04:09] cooperative endeavor agreement with the
state and the money will go to the
[2:04:13] entity. So we won't get the money until
we get the agreement with the state and
[2:04:17] the money comes and then it goes to the
nonprofit.
[2:04:20] » So the money actually comes to us
and and then we write the check for
[2:04:27] » to the nonprofit. So what we did in 2023
was when the last time that I saw that
[2:04:32] we had these direct appropriations, the
forms that we filled out basically said,
[2:04:36] "Hey, as soon as it gets the money, the
city gets the money, we'll send it on to
[2:04:40] the next person." Um,
>> so that's a line item
[2:04:43] » that these are Yeah, these are line
items that were done at the state level
[2:04:47] that that
>> I'm talking about for us.
[2:04:49] » Yeah. So it's actually part of So you
fill out a whole lot of paperwork for
[2:04:52] these agreements and it's part you
explained you know I looked back at the
[2:04:56] ones we did from 2023 and we would
literally put in there you know the
[2:04:59] intended use of the money the city will
receive and disperse to x entity and
[2:05:03] then that's how we did it just straight.
>> So so it it seems that u
[2:05:09] we won't even get the money if we vote
no tonight
[2:05:15] is it's not coming to us anyway. Right.
>> That is correct. And it's and this is
[2:05:20] the first process of just saying, "Hey,
we're gonna allow it to pass through us
[2:05:26] and and pass it on to them."
>> Yeah. And and and they have to do that
[2:05:29] because that's the way the
appropriations were written. If we
[2:05:32] didn't accept this and enter into these
agreements, then the money would never
[2:05:35] reach its entire
>> and there's no such thing as collecting
[2:05:38] the money and then holding the money
that Right.
[2:05:42] » So the only the only the only caveat to
that again, yes. So what when I looked
[2:05:47] back in 2023, we we got the money and we
sent it straight out the door. To the
[2:05:52] extent that there are any operational
requirements, and I'm verifying this
[2:05:57] with the state, that we can do it the
exact same way that we did it in 2023 in
[2:06:01] straight out. Um I don't think that
there should be any oversight
[2:06:05] obligations with respect to the
expenditures because we are the pass
[2:06:08] through entity. But in the event that
there's paperwork that needs to be
[2:06:12] filled out and we've got to rely on
these organizations to fill out the
[2:06:15] paperwork, I do need the flexibility to
impose those obligations on them. And so
[2:06:19] that's what this resolution does. All
right. So, and then my question now
[2:06:23] because I kind of remember maybe some
money coming and we it was a pass
[2:06:28] through for us and I think with that
oversight if there was some scrutiny and
[2:06:35] I think it was SEDD and we held on to
their money and they had to do do you
[2:06:41] recall that was
>> I don't recall that.
[2:06:42] » Okay. I think I recall
>> that was if I remember correctly that
[2:06:46] was passed through money from Senator
Jackson either in 2020.
[2:06:49] » Well, isn't that the same thing? You
know, it it just she chose to pass it
[2:06:54] through right
>> her versus the treasurer department, you
[2:06:59] know.
>> Yeah, the treasury department.
[2:07:01] » So, I'm not familiar with So, that's not
one of the ones that I looked at. I
[2:07:04] looked at the 2023 ones and I don't know
if SCDV was in the 2023 trunch or it may
[2:07:09] have been before that.
>> Do you remember?
[2:07:11] » I remember a couple passing through. I
don't remember SEDD. I remember one was
[2:07:14] like
>> there was like some BMX stuff that was
[2:07:16] in one thing. There was another charity
that went to another and they were
[2:07:19] passing through here and there were
people asking why we were awarding that
[2:07:23] money when it was really just a pass
through at the legislator level.
[2:07:26] » Yeah. And legislators certainly have
that option
[2:07:28] » which each specific spend was. I
remember us getting challenged on it.
[2:07:32] » Yeah. And so to the extent that there
are any closeout obligations I and what
[2:07:36] these resolutions do and I'm not getting
ahead of myself but they're all largely
[2:07:40] identical B and D. Uh we'll focus on B
for this purpose. It says hey to the
[2:07:47] extent that we can we're going to just
straight pass it through accept it and
[2:07:50] pass it through.
But if the state is going to require any
[2:07:53] closeout paperwork or anything like
that, I have the authority to enter an
[2:07:57] agreement with the nonprofit that will
also impose those obligations on them to
[2:08:01] make sure the eyes are dotted and the
tees are crossed because we really just
[2:08:05] want to be the intermediary here that
just passes everything through. And if
[2:08:08] there's obligations with respect to the
funds, we need to make sure that those
[2:08:12] obligations are imposed on the ultimate
recipient as well.
[2:08:16] » All right. Thank you, sir. Madame clerk,
[2:08:21] » Mrs. Ezernette,
>> I
[2:08:24] » Mr. McFarland,
>> I
[2:08:25] » Mr. Harvey,
>> I,
[2:08:27] » Miss Woods,
>> I,
[2:08:28] » Mr. Muhammed,
>> I c adopt a resolution.
[2:08:33] » Second
>> this corporate in grief with the state
[2:08:35] of Louisiana is moved and properly
second. This is for Strauss youth
[2:08:39] academy and for arts. Anyone in the
audience to speak for against this item?
[2:08:44] Seeing none cler councel
madame clerk
[2:08:48] » miss woods
>> I
[2:08:50] » Mr. Muhammed
>> I
[2:08:51] » Mrs. Ezernac
>> I
[2:08:53] » Mr. Harvey
>> I
[2:08:54] » Mr. McFarland
>> I
[2:08:56] » motion carries adopt the resolution
>> so move
[2:08:59] » second
>> who move you you
[2:09:03] » y got at the gate together
>> got together
[2:09:06] » who you got miss Mrs. Who? Who?
>> McFarland.
[2:09:10] » Okay. What? I heard one Woods leave it
to me. So, put
[2:09:14] » I I'll give it to you. [laughter]
>> You guys can have it.
[2:09:17] » You You can take the motion. She wants
the motion.
[2:09:22] » I'm not attached to anything.
>> I'll let I'll let I'll let you have
[2:09:24] that.
>> Miss Woods made the motion. Okay. Miss
[2:09:26] Woods and Mr. Harvey. Anyone in ought to
speak for against this particular
[2:09:30] resolution?
>> Seeing none, council, you have any
[2:09:33] discussion on it?
>> Madame clerk,
[2:09:36] » Mr. Mr. McFarland
>> I
[2:09:38] » Mrs. Ezernac
>> I
[2:09:40] » Mr. Muhammed
>> I
[2:09:41] » Miss Woods
>> I
[2:09:44] » Mr. Harvey
>> I
[2:09:46] » motion carries department of public
works none department community affairs
[2:09:50] none police department none fire
department a adopt the resolution
[2:09:54] authorized forever agreement
>> right been moved and second that we
[2:09:58] enter into into this agreement with the
state of Louisiana um we've got Chief
[2:10:04] Maxi you want to talk a little bit about
this chief
[2:10:10] Before we do that, is anyone else in the
audience to speak for against this item?
[2:10:15] » Okay, chief.
>> Uh, good evening, council. This is the
[2:10:18] same thing we did last year. The state
of Louisiana appropriated funds for USAR
[2:10:22] teams. There's four in the state. The
idea of this is for them to furnish
[2:10:27] funds so that all the four USR teams are
equipped alike. So, when we deploy,
[2:10:33] we'll all have the equipment that we
need. And this year we're focusing on
[2:10:37] some vehicles to pull trailers and some
uh additional trailers to house the
[2:10:41] equipment.
>> Okay. All right. U any questions for Mr.
[2:10:47] Maxi?
>> I don't have any questions for you,
[2:10:50] Chief, but I do want to say thank you.
Um you always keep me informed on
[2:10:55] everything that's going on in my
district and I really do appreciate it.
[2:10:58] It gives me the opportunity to go follow
up with families that have been impacted
[2:11:03] by fire or whatever it is.
>> So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[2:11:06] » Yes, ma'am.
>> Well, let me say he don't only keep you
[2:11:10] informed. [laughter]
>> He keeps everybody informed.
[2:11:13] [clears throat]
>> So,
[2:11:16] » no special.
>> Thank you. [laughter]
[2:11:18] » All right. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
[2:11:19] » Thank you. Appreciate it. Madame Clerk,
>> Mr. Muhammed.
[2:11:23] » Hi,
>> Mr. Harvey.
[2:11:25] » Hi,
>> Mr. McFarland.
[2:11:26] » I
>> Mrs. Ezra
[2:11:28] » I.
>> Miss Woods
[2:11:30] » I.
>> That motion carries engineering
[2:11:31] services. None. Y'all need a break?
>> No.
[2:11:34] » No. No. No.
>> Okay. Introduce introduction resolution
[2:11:39] and ordinance. A introducing ordinance
approving collective bargaining
[2:11:43] agreement.
>> Second.
[2:11:44] » Been moved and second that we approve
this agreement uh for collective
[2:11:49] bargaining with transit. Any comment
from the audience?
[2:11:54] » Yes. State your name and address,
please.
[2:12:01] My name is James Tatum. Uh, address 69,
>> Highway 139 here, Chris Apartment,
[2:12:09] » 904.
Uh, I have a
[2:12:15] bunch of paperwork dating back uh with
the communication between uh the union
[2:12:21] and uh PE bomb. So, I know I don't have
we don't have time, you know, to go
[2:12:26] through all of this. So, what I've done
was that I just uh
[2:12:35] picked out a certain things that need to
be talked about based on the contract in
[2:12:41] our races and that the contract that uh
CBA and uh and uh Cream Bomb had with uh
[2:12:50] our IVP. Uh I I noticed upon the raises
and stuff that cream bomb he wants to do
[2:12:57] the raise it for five years.
We want to do the raise.
[2:13:06] » We are asking
for
[2:13:10] 8%
for each year
[2:13:17] for three years.
Greenbomb wants to do it I think for
[2:13:24] » 6% over five years
but four years but not even counting
[2:13:30] 2026.
>> Did y'all get in and hammer this out?
[2:13:33] » So I guess we need to withdraw this
tonight and again
[2:13:36] » see cuz see see I'm ready to vote on it
because
[2:13:38] » me I am the conduit for negotiations.
I'm not
[2:13:41] » you know cuz see when it gets here to
this point we ready to vote. Now if
[2:13:45] y'all ain't ready I mean you on that.
>> I mean if Huh. I I different with you
[2:13:50] all.
>> Hold on a minute.
[2:13:51] » Hold on.
>> So if you all are not ready, uh I mean
[2:13:57] go ahead. Go ahead and say what you got
to say, Mr. Anthony. Because
[2:13:59] » I'm Horses Anthony, president of local
1160, 1401 Alabama Street. What he's
[2:14:04] offering us is a five-year contract.
It's over five years at 6% a year for
[2:14:09] four years. That's what we get paid for.
26 is not considered in it. The last
[2:14:13] raise we received was in 2025.
Okay. I've been trying to get with them
[2:14:18] to negotiate a contract since July June
of 25 and we just coming to the point to
[2:14:24] we getting
>> to this point.
[2:14:26] » Yes. Okay.
>> So the whole deal of 26 is gone. They
[2:14:29] don't they don't they don't retro. So
>> we done lost a year. So instead of
[2:14:34] asking for four years which he
considered but put 26 in there is five.
[2:14:38] We asking for a three-year raise
>> because you lost a year.
[2:14:41] » Yes. Instead of instead of a four year
>> which I say it's five because of 26.
[2:14:46] [clears throat] We asking for a three a
threeyear 8% raise which still would be
[2:14:49] 24%.
>> Okay,
[2:14:51] » the same thing that's all we asking.
>> So a couple of things just for
[2:14:55] clarification purposes. Number one, I am
the conduit by which through which
[2:15:01] proposals are made. I don't drive
proposals or make them. I am not the
[2:15:06] source of any of these obligations.
>> So who are you talking with? So I deal
[2:15:11] these negotiations were conducted with
Horus at the table and with
[2:15:15] international vice president Anthony
Garland. Mr. Garland has conducted the
[2:15:20] majority of these negotiations and is my
understanding by virtue of the union
[2:15:25] that they are part of. The national
organization can drive these
[2:15:29] negotiations and make determinations
that they believe are in the best
[2:15:32] interest of the employees that they
represent ultimately. Mr. Garland has
[2:15:37] been in communication with me on a lot
of these issues. These proposals were
[2:15:41] approved by the international vice
president for this local union. And so
[2:15:46] this is the first that I am hearing that
this proposal is not acceptable by the
[2:15:51] local union because Mr. Garland as far
as I understood and the international
[2:15:55] union has approved it. If this is not
the case, it can be withdrawn.
[2:15:58] » Right. Right. Have you all been talking
with Mr. Garland? Your international
[2:16:02] » Okay. So this is what this is what we
going to do. I'm going to amend the
[2:16:06] motion that we withdraw cuz we going to
move on. So we can go y'all go back to
[2:16:10] the table.
>> He he he still got so deliberate on the
[2:16:14] matter because it's a open motion.
>> Okay, we're going to come back. But
[2:16:17] that's that's going to be what I'm going
to suggest that we do cuz I you know
[2:16:22] y'all not ready.
>> I withdraw my motion for introduction.
[2:16:29] » I move to table it.
Okay, that's a motion to table.
[2:16:35] » Is there a second?
>> I second.
[2:16:39] » Okay,
>> got second. I got it. Any discussion
[2:16:44] from the audience on that motion?
>> Seeing none council.
[2:16:49] » Thank you so much. Now, one thing we got
to get straight. We got to understand
[2:16:55] that we won't know that there's an issue
if you don't hear it from them.
[2:17:01] Now, under my tenure, I have tried and
you all have worked around me on a on
[2:17:08] contracts
with employees with union contracts to
[2:17:12] do it your way.
And I keep saying the same thing. These
[2:17:18] contracts come out better if you had a
council member to sit there while all of
[2:17:23] this going on to try to work through it.
But y'all just want to keep doing things
[2:17:30] your way. You always run into this brick
wall.
[2:17:34] Now, let's understand something. I heard
one gentleman say retroactive that you
[2:17:43] can't get it retroactive.
Hogwash. And y'all know it's hogwash
[2:17:50] because I know that there was another
contract
[2:17:55] that never came across this board table
that the raises was given to them
[2:18:02] anyway.
Hogwash.
[2:18:07] Don't make me pull it out
cuz I know.
[2:18:14] But we take certain unions,
certain groups,
[2:18:20] and certain people,
and we decide if we're going to do this
[2:18:25] for them,
no, we're going to do this for these
[2:18:29] folks over here.
I'm going to call a ace of ace and a
[2:18:34] spade of spade.
You all can do better with these
[2:18:39] contracts.
You can work through this just like
[2:18:45] y'all did before
when you tried to bring a contract
[2:18:49] through me and I wouldn't allow it to
come through.
[2:18:54] You worked around me and you did your
thing and you thought I'd never find out
[2:19:00] about it.
I call you out tonight. Hogwash.
[2:19:08] We hear what they're saying. We have a
motion now to withdraw this that they go
[2:19:14] back to the drawing board and work this
out.
[2:19:20] Still say the same. It'd be better
that somebody from this council
[2:19:28] sit there with them, too. But y'all
don't want to do that because of that P
[2:19:33] R I D.
You got so much pride that you don't
[2:19:37] want to just say, "Hey, maybe we all
need to work together and get this thing
[2:19:41] done."
You got too much pick [clears throat]
[2:19:44] and chooses.
The ones that you want to do for and the
[2:19:48] ones you don't want to do for.
I'm going to end with this statement
[2:19:53] again. I want to say what I want to say
and I want to do what I want to do.
[2:19:58] Thank you so kindly.
>> Uh, what's the motion, Madame Clerk?
[2:20:04] » Harvey Woods.
>> Wait, wait.
[2:20:08] » No, no. Wait, wait. I'm asking the
clerk.
[2:20:11] » What's the motion?
>> Harvey Woods to um table or withdraw?
[2:20:17] » Which one is it? Table or withdraw?
>> I got table.
[2:20:20] » What is your motion, Mr. Har?
>> I withdrew my original motion and I made
[2:20:23] a motion to table it.
>> Okay, there's a
[2:20:25] » That's what I had.
>> Point order, M. Mr.
[2:20:27] » You got Mr. there.
>> Just a minute. You got two instructions
[2:20:31] in there. Mr. Creek Bond,
>> he withdrew his motion
[2:20:38] » and he he voluntarily withdrew his
motion and then he made a separate
[2:20:41] motion to table.
>> That is and that was second. That is the
[2:20:45] motion that is on
for you all to vote on.
[2:20:48] » He withdrew it and tabled it.
>> He he withdrew it first. He voluntarily
[2:20:53] withdrew his bill.
>> Okay. Then he made a motion to table.
[2:20:56] » Then he made a motion to table. All
right.
[2:20:58] » And that's it.
>> All right.
[2:20:59] » Can't do it.
>> And that's it.
[2:21:01] » Can't do it. Then you know you can't do
that.
[2:21:04] » Due due to the fact if you table this
matter according to Robert rules of
[2:21:10] order, you have to pick it up before the
close of this meeting.
[2:21:13] » I didn't make the motion.
>> You should Mr. Creep, you should be
[2:21:18] telling them that that's wrong.
>> You know, you know Robert rules of
[2:21:23] order.
>> Just a minute. Just a minute. No. No. No
[2:21:26] sir. You sat right there and we're going
to let that go through. And that's why
[2:21:31] that's why I ask for clarity.
>> That's not problem procedure.
[2:21:34] » If if he say table,
we have to take this up before the end
[2:21:40] of this meeting. We would have to pass
over or just withdraw the motion and it
[2:21:49] dies until it comes back again.
>> That's correct.
[2:21:53] » I don't know Mr. Harvey's intent and I
can't assume his intent. If Mr. Harvey,
[2:21:57] if that is what you intended, then just
withdraw it.
[2:21:59] » I'm going to withdraw my motion to table
and I'll let Mr. McFarland decide how he
[2:22:03] wants to run with this going forward.
>> No, no, no. That just a minute. Just a
[2:22:07] minute. Cuz we not going to get in the
weeds. There's a motion to do what? M
[2:22:11] » I've withdrew my motion. I've withdrawn
both of them.
[2:22:13] » You withdrew it. So we through with it.
>> Withdrawn both.
[2:22:15] » Okay. So you all go back. We if it's
withdrawn, it's been second.
[2:22:20] » Did you withdraw it?
>> A volunteer.
[2:22:22] » Just withdrew it. So it's there's no
motion. So it was nothing. Now there's
[2:22:27] » we don't want it to die and it be lost.
Now
[2:22:30] » the floor's open.
>> You can make a motion yourself.
[2:22:33] » I know what I can do, Bishop. But I'm
trying to see. I'm trying to make sure
[2:22:36] that y'all know what's going on here.
>> If you're asking if you're asking
[2:22:42] » cuz if you with God and don't make a
motion, it's going to die.
[2:22:45] » Unless somebody does something.
>> If you're asking, this is this is for
[2:22:48] introduction.
>> Well, it's going to be lost, brother.
[2:22:50] » No, this is for introduction. Okay.
>> If we're going back to the table, then
[2:22:56] just remove it from the agenda for
tonight.
[2:22:58] » Okay.
>> We proceed and come back because it's
[2:23:00] not even been introduced yet. There's no
pending legal consequences.
[2:23:03] » Mr. Chairman, I move that we remove this
item from the agenda.
[2:23:07] » Okay.
>> Second motion.
[2:23:08] » Moved and promptly second. Any
discussion on that from the audience?
[2:23:12] » Seeing none, any from councel? Madame
clerk?
[2:23:16] » Mr. Harvey.
>> I.
[2:23:17] » Mr. Muhammad.
>> I.
[2:23:19] » Mrs. I.
>> Miss. Woods.
[2:23:22] » Hi,
>> Mr. McFarland.
[2:23:23] » I
motion carries. Okay.
[2:23:30] » So, so what it means uh gentlemen that
that you all going to go back to the to
[2:23:35] the table and negotiate.
All right. Okay. Thank you.
[2:23:44] » That's right. That's right. So, we took
it all. All right. So uh B introduce an
[2:23:49] ordinance authorizing the city of Monroe
to
[2:23:51] » move
>> second
[2:23:52] » to okay been moved and properly second
on this introduction of ordinance. Any
[2:23:57] comment from the audience?
Any from council?
[2:24:02] » Madame clerk.
>> Mrs. Ezernette
[2:24:05] » I.
>> Mr. McFarland
[2:24:07] » I.
>> Miss Woods
[2:24:09] » I.
>> Mr. Muhammed
[2:24:11] » I.
>> Mr. Harvey
[2:24:12] » I. Motion carries. C. He introduced an
ordinance authorizing city of Monroe to
[2:24:17] take corporate possession of and sell to
San Diego Group. Been moved and properly
[2:24:21] second that we introduce this ordinance.
>> Any comment from the audience? Any from
[2:24:26] councel? Madame clerk.
>> Miss Woods.
[2:24:30] » I.
>> Mr. Muhammed.
[2:24:33] » I
>> Mr. Harvey.
[2:24:34] » I
>> Mr. McFarland.
[2:24:36] » I
>> Mrs. Internet.
[2:24:38] » I.
>> That motion carries D. Induce an
[2:24:40] ordinance authorizing the city of Monroe
to take corporation.
[2:24:42] » Second motion. Been moved and properly
second that we introduce this ordinance.
[2:24:47] Any comment from the audience? Any from
councel?
[2:24:51] Madame clerk.
>> Mr. McFarland.
[2:24:54] » I.
>> Mrs. Zernette.
[2:24:56] » I.
>> Mr. Muhammad.
[2:24:58] » I.
>> Miss. Woods.
[2:24:59] » Hi.
>> Mr. Harvey.
[2:25:01] » I.
>> That motion carries. E. Introduce an
[2:25:05] ordinance amending the city of Monroe
operating budget for fiscal year 2627.
[2:25:10] Second. to been moved and properly
second that we introduce this ordinance
[2:25:13] to amend the budget. Any comments from
the audience?
[2:25:19] Any from council?
>> Yes.
[2:25:22] Who going to speak on this matter?
[2:25:28] » I'll speak on it. Mr. McFarland,
>> put it on the record for us, please. Why
[2:25:34] are you asking for this amendment?
The reason for the amendment, sir, let
[2:25:39] me get back to it in in here. Um, first
off,
[2:25:48] the uh amendment was based on there
there's two different
[2:25:54] things that we requesting a um
budget amendment on. Uh, one had to do
[2:26:00] with the um salary and wages for
transit. Uh, based on the calculation
[2:26:08] and it was based on the assumption that
the it was going to get introduced um
[2:26:14] with the contract, but it had to do with
um the calculation for this fiscal year
[2:26:21] for the salary and wages, payroll taxes,
pensions
[2:26:25] um and then set on down the line. Uh and
then the other was to increase the line
[2:26:31] item for the transit um insurance which
was budgeted at 668,980
[2:26:38] and it was to increase it for the cost
of the insurance.
[2:26:44] » So what was the increase?
>> The increase was $170,78
[2:26:50] » more.
>> More. That's correct.
[2:26:53] » You're making a total what? a total of
eight um $839,688
[2:26:59] on on the insurance.
And overall this particular budget of
[2:27:04] amendment,
you know, looking at the um the salaries
[2:27:10] and and um
benefits on that. Uh and then on the
[2:27:16] insurance the total net change that we
were proposing was 22 2,972,788.
[2:27:26] So portions of this budget amendment
were based on the union contract that
[2:27:31] was just removed to fund the raises that
were contained within that union
[2:27:36] contract. So a portion of this budget
amendment um may may no longer be
[2:27:40] necessary.
Well, let me say this because again,
[2:27:48] y'all got double standards.
And I say what I say about that because
[2:27:53] there was another union.
You went right around me and this
[2:27:59] council and they got their raises
anyway.
[2:28:04] And when it came down to this one, you
don't want to do it.
[2:28:10] And you knew I'm telling the truth.
>> The the the raises were funded by this
[2:28:15] amendment.
>> Oh, yes. But you didn't want to
[2:28:19] retroactive
these raises.
[2:28:23] » The union I don't know where that came
from. I But I don't normally discuss
[2:28:27] union negotiations in public because
union negotiations are just that
[2:28:31] confidential negotiations.
>> You don't want to discuss a lot of
[2:28:34] things. That's what it is.
>> Hold on. I would appreciate not being
[2:28:38] interrupted, sir.
So this agreement does not get on this
[2:28:44] agenda without the approval of the
international vice president of that
[2:28:49] union.
>> So the document that was presented here
[2:28:54] matters that you are addressing right
now were discussed and the agreement
[2:28:59] that was reached is in front of y'all.
So, two union members coming tonight and
[2:29:05] discussing that and saying something
different is not anything that was
[2:29:09] discussed at the table. It was not
anything that was brought up with the
[2:29:13] international vice president. And the
international vice president
[2:29:16] specifically agreed to the term of the
raises, the amounts of the raises, and
[2:29:22] the length of the contract before it
went on this agenda.
[2:29:26] So, what I heard tonight was the first
that I have heard of that particular
[2:29:30] complaint. And I've already reached out
to the international vice president
[2:29:34] about what I heard tonight. So that is a
matter that I will discuss with him
[2:29:37] because there's clearly a disconnect
between what the international is
[2:29:41] approving and what the local is
expecting. How that gets resolved
[2:29:45] internally with their union is an
internal matter for their union. But I
[2:29:50] need clarity on that before I can move
forward.
[2:29:54] That's what you going to say on record
and you know that's not factual cuz you
[2:30:00] and I Wait a minute now. Don't you don't
now you don't interrupt me
[2:30:04] » because we had a discussion about this a
couple weeks back
[2:30:11] » and you said everything wasn't clear yet
and you're the one who brought it to me
[2:30:18] about the retroactive
>> raising. Now you act like it's all a
[2:30:24] surprise to you. It's not. It's not a
surprise to you, Mr. Creek Bum. You are
[2:30:30] the one of the main negotiators in those
contracts and you knew exactly what they
[2:30:35] were seeking and you all desired not to
do it for them, but you did it for
[2:30:41] another union.
>> Okay.
[2:30:42] » Hogwash.
>> Hold on. No, cuz I do want to explain
[2:30:45] this.
>> Okay. Just a minute.
[2:30:46] » So, the surprise
over
[2:30:49] » just just a minute.
What are we talking about? No,
[2:30:53] » I want I want to clarify here because
now because now there is a public issue
[2:30:57] with this. The surprise tonight was
asking for 8% over three years. The
[2:31:00] surprise was not the request for
retroactive pay. So I want to be very
[2:31:04] clear about what the surprise was
tonight. The change in the material
[2:31:08] terms of the compensation. What I shared
with you privately a couple of weeks ago
[2:31:13] is at the last minute there was an issue
about retroactive pay. Immediately
[2:31:18] before the meeting, and I can give you a
time and date, happy to do it. The
[2:31:22] international vice president called me
and said, "I spoke with another
[2:31:26] international vice president about how
raises had typically been structured at
[2:31:30] the city of Monroe. You were correct,
Mr. Creekbomb. We have not historically
[2:31:34] done retroactive pay in our unions.
Therefore, I withdraw that request for
[2:31:39] retroactive pay." So that was a
voluntary concession by the
[2:31:44] international vice president with with
regards to retroactive pay. Now again,
[2:31:50] these are not things that we typically
discuss publicly. There is a process for
[2:31:54] negotiating raises. But now I've been
accused of doing certain things and
[2:31:58] favoring certain things when number one,
all I am is a conduit for negotiations.
[2:32:03] And number two, I am privy to
information concerning those
[2:32:07] negotiations. So I will happily discuss
whatever issue it is with the union just
[2:32:13] like I was willing to discuss it last
time with the union.
[2:32:15] » I mean what you do not present
>> we just passed over that item.
[2:32:19] » No. No it's not. It's in this item. It's
it's in this
[2:32:23] » with the the transit.
>> Okay.
[2:32:26] » So again I do not present an agreement
to you without the blessing of the
[2:32:30] international vice president. The
surprise tonight was that the union is
[2:32:35] asking for a different raise structure
than that than what was agreed to. That
[2:32:40] was the surprising element. So, I'll get
clarity on that matter just like I
[2:32:44] always do, just like I did last time.
And when I got clarity on the issue, the
[2:32:49] revised agreement was presented to you.
If there are other issues that need to
[2:32:53] be ironed out, that's what we're going
to do. My point with respect to this was
[2:32:57] that there are portions of this budget
amendment that may no longer be
[2:33:01] necessary either because we're going to
renegotiate something or
[2:33:07] some other outcome might occur. But the
raises that are in this budget amendment
[2:33:12] for that particular item were based on
the union agreement as presented.
[2:33:18] » Okay.
What y'all want to do with this item?
[2:33:22] » What are you saying?
What do you all want to do with this
[2:33:25] agenda item?
>> We still need to make sure that
[2:33:30] transparency
is priority, Mr. Muhammad.
[2:33:35] Transparency.
>> What do you all want to do with this
[2:33:38] agenda item tonight?
>> We're going to have to
[2:33:43] vote on this item because there's a
motion and a second on it.
[2:33:48] So, it's going to have to be disposed of
some kind of way. Either we're going to
[2:33:54] vote it up or vote it down.
>> There's a motion in a second. Who made
[2:33:59] the motion? You second it.
>> I like it.
[2:34:02] » Isn't it?
>> Did you second it?
[2:34:04] » Well, I was just going to
>> So, let me ask this. With them passing
[2:34:07] with with us passing over the transit
contract, we need to just probably do
[2:34:11] the same here because it may affect
affect the numbers.
[2:34:14] » So, the budget amendment portion related
to the insurance. Yes,
[2:34:17] » y'all did approve already the
expenditure for the insurance which is
[2:34:21] almost $180,000
>> mail cost.
[2:34:24] » So I think if you are inclined to do
anything with this budget amendment, it
[2:34:31] would be it would be only to address the
portion related to the transit insurance
[2:34:36] expenditures which y'all have already
authorized tonight. I'd like to amend my
[2:34:40] motion to just include only the transit
portion for the insurance the insurance
[2:34:45] portion of the
>> second the motion
[2:34:49] » been moved and properly second that this
motion be amended uh with only the
[2:34:55] vehicle insurance premiums
>> correct
[2:34:58] » is there anyone any order to speak for
against this amended motion hearing none
[2:35:03] councel
creek bomb so what will have so you will
[2:35:07] bring back the transit personnel cost
once you hammer out and we they work out
[2:35:12] the details
>> and then because this is an introduction
[2:35:15] for a budget amendment we'll revise the
the ordinance so it's only addressing
[2:35:19] the transit insurance portion of this
amendment
[2:35:23] » okay madam madam clerk
>> Mr. Muhammed
[2:35:27] » I
>> miss woods
[2:35:30] » I
>> Mrs. Desernac
[2:35:31] » I
>> Mr. Harvey
[2:35:33] » I
>> Mr. I Forland
[2:35:34] » I
>> motion carries.
[2:35:37] We are now in the public hearing.
[2:35:41] Finally adopt the ordinance approving
the annexation of.3 acres extending
[2:35:46] enlarging the boundaries of city of
Monroe, Louisiana providing for re
[2:35:51] recordation recordation of the revised
boundary establish an effective date
[2:35:56] otherwise providing for related matters.
Anyone in the audience speak for against
[2:36:02] this particular item?
This final adoption of this ordinance
[2:36:10] public hearing is now closed. A finally
adopt an ordinance approving an exation
[2:36:15] of 38 acres extending and enlarging the
boundaries of the city of Monroe,
[2:36:19] Louisiana providing for coordation
recordation of the revised boundary
[2:36:25] establishing effective date and
otherwise and providing for related
[2:36:29] matters. Is there a motion?
>> So move for final adoption.
[2:36:32] » Is there a second?
>> Second.
[2:36:35] » Moved and properly second that this
ordinance be finally adopted. Anyone in
[2:36:40] order to speak for or against it? Seeing
none, any from councel? Madame clerk.
[2:36:45] » Mr. Harvey.
>> Hi.
[2:36:47] » Miss Woods.
>> Hi.
[2:36:48] » Mr. Muhammed.
>> I.
[2:36:50] » Mrs. Zernette.
>> I.
[2:36:51] » Mr. McFarland.
>> I.
[2:36:55] » We are now in the public hearing B.
Finally, adopting orders amending
[2:36:59] section 924 permit fees. City of Monroe
code to provide relative to permits
[2:37:07] uh for the placement and transportation
of mobile homes, manufactured homes,
[2:37:11] buildings, and other structures to
require applicable state license to
[2:37:16] require transport moving permit for the
movement of certain structures over
[2:37:21] public streets, alleys, and rightaways.
and further providing with respect there
[2:37:26] too. Is there anyone in order to speak
for against this final adoption of this
[2:37:30] ordinance?
Seeing none, any from council,
[2:37:35] » Mr. Mohammed,
>> did did he close it? You didn't close.
[2:37:40] Okay.
>> Public hear is now closed. Finally,
[2:37:44] adopt an ordinance amending section 924
permit fees of the city of Monroe code
[2:37:49] to provide relative to permits for
placement and transportation of mobile
[2:37:54] homes, manufactured home, buildings, and
other structures to require state
[2:37:59] license to require transport moving
permit for the movement of certain
[2:38:03] structures over public streets, alleys,
and right of way uh and providing with
[2:38:09] respect there too. There a motion to
finally adopt this ordinance.
[2:38:13] » So move to finally adopt this.
>> Second motion
[2:38:16] » moved and fought the second to finally
adopt this ordinance. Any comment from
[2:38:20] the audience? Seeing none, any from
councel? Madame clerk.
[2:38:25] » Mrs. Ezernette [clears throat]
>> I.
[2:38:29] » Mr. McFarland
>> I.
[2:38:30] » Mr. Harvey
>> I.
[2:38:32] » Mr. Muhammed
>> I.
[2:38:34] » Miss Woods
>> I.
[2:38:35] » I've been asked to pass over item C.
>> So move to pass over.
[2:38:39] » Second. It moved and properly second
that we pass over this item.
[2:38:44] Any comment from the audience? Any from
councel? Madame clerk,
[2:38:51] » do we have a when we going to put this
back on? This is on for final adoption.
[2:38:57] » When we going to put it back on for
final adoption to the next meeting?
[2:39:02] Okay. Pass over to the next meeting.
We'll bring it back. Madame clerk.
[2:39:10] Miss Woods.
>> Hi,
[2:39:12] » Mr. Harvey.
>> Hi,
[2:39:13] » Mr. Muhammed.
>> Hi,
[2:39:15] » Mr. McFarland.
>> Hi,
[2:39:17] » Mrs. Ezernac.
>> I
[2:39:21] We are now in the public hearing D.
Finally, Finally, Dr. [clears throat]
[2:39:24] Norton is approving a collective bargain
agreement
[2:39:28] by the by and between the city of Monroe
and the International Union of Operating
[2:39:32] Engineers, AFL CIO Local 407.
send one in order to speak for against
[2:39:38] this
final adoption. Any from C? Oh, good.
[2:39:43] Get out of it. We're now out of a public
hearing. D finally adopt an order
[2:39:49] approving a collective bargain agreement
by this in between the city of Monroe
[2:39:54] and the International Union of Operating
Engineers, AFL CIO Local 407.
[2:40:01] Is there a motion to finally adopt it?
>> Some move for final adoption. Second.
[2:40:07] » Been moved and properly second that we
finally adopt this ordinance. Any
[2:40:11] comments from the audience? Audience?
None from the audit council?
[2:40:16] » Yes, I have a question.
>> Okay.
[2:40:19] » So, Mr. Creek,
help me understand.
[2:40:24] When when we get to these when we have
these um collective bargaining
[2:40:30] agreements,
[2:40:33] the members of the local
uh union,
[2:40:39] do they have any input? Are they in the
negotiations? Are they in the talks? Or
[2:40:44] is it someone from another location that
comes in and does all the talking for
[2:40:50] them? And then does this person
talk to the members that are part of our
[2:40:56] local unions.
>> So I I can't
[2:41:01] speak precisely about the internal
governing structures of each union. So I
[2:41:05] can speak from my experience.
>> Okay.
[2:41:08] » Um we have in my eight years here I've
had the opportunity to negotiate I think
[2:41:14] at least two contracts or be part of the
negotiations. I didn't personally
[2:41:18] negotiate some of the older ones um with
I think at least two from each union.
[2:41:24] Some of the
unions handle everything locally. Um we
[2:41:29] don't see any state or international
representatives in those negotiations at
[2:41:35] all. Some of the unions have had
exclusively
[2:41:41] international or state level
negotiators. They send up negotiating
[2:41:45] teams who have general authority over,
you know, the outcome of the agreement
[2:41:51] subject to local ratification by the
local union. Um I think each union's
[2:42:00] structure is different about who has
what authority and we are typically told
[2:42:06] at the outset of negotiations who is
going to be speaking with authority over
[2:42:11] those particular negotiations.
So, you know, I've walked into
[2:42:15] negotiations where a person from
international um has been present and
[2:42:21] has said, "Hey, all final approvals will
come directly from me." Now, what
[2:42:26] they're doing on their back end before
they get those final approvals, I do not
[2:42:29] know. All I know is I am told at the
outset, this is the person who's going
[2:42:34] to be telling me yes or no on these
proposals, and that's where I'm going to
[2:42:38] take my direction from. I do not know
what level of involvement. Now, I've sat
[2:42:42] at at negotiating tables where, you
know, a state level official was there
[2:42:47] along with all the people from the local
um I've sat in negotiations where we've
[2:42:52] had local involvement and then later on
it's hey, we're close enough that I'm
[2:42:56] going to handle the rest of this
contract on behalf of the international
[2:43:00] given what provisions are left because
the international or state level unions
[2:43:05] have interest in uniformity across
contracts in making sure that certain
[2:43:11] things are not disperate across those
things. And so that's a long way of
[2:43:14] saying each union does their own thing
and I just listen to who they tell me at
[2:43:18] the beginning who I'm talking to.
>> I got you.
[2:43:21] » Cuz you know sometimes look like you
know it looks like it's been consistent
[2:43:26] coming before council. You the local
unions are sometimes not in agreement
[2:43:32] with what is being said and what's being
communicated to council. So, I was
[2:43:38] really just wondering what type of input
uh was being offered by our local union
[2:43:45] representatives.
[2:43:49] » Yeah, that's just a matter of internal
governance. I can't
[2:43:52] » I [clears throat] can't speak to their
internal governance.
[2:43:54] » Gotcha. Not a problem.
>> All right, Madam Clerk.
[2:44:00] » Mr. McFarland.
[2:44:10] I
>> Mr. Harvey
[2:44:14] » I
>> Mr. Muhammed
[2:44:15] » I
>> Miss Woods
[2:44:16] » I
>> Mrs. Ezette
[2:44:18] » I
>> that motion carries. [clears throat]
[2:44:23] Uh we're down to the end of our meeting
tonight. We're into uh citizens
[2:44:29] participation. the most important part
of the meeting
[2:44:33] I would say and the first one on our
list tonight Mr. Robert Johnson.
[2:44:44] » Do you want me to
[2:44:52] » You ain't started yet. And I just got
sir. Set it up.
[2:44:56] » I need all my minutes.
>> Please. I need my minutes.
[2:45:00] Robert Johnson, 2608 Street,
Monroe, Louisiana,
[2:45:05] city employee, president of Local 2388.
Before I get started, I need to make an
[2:45:11] apology to you, Mr. Harvey. [snorts]
I'm that type of man. I made a mistake
[2:45:17] saying that he sent out I sent a message
to him. He never got it. I sent it to
[2:45:21] Doug Lambert, but also sent one to you,
miss just to talk. I got it on my
[2:45:26] folder. But let's get down to
our contract.
[2:45:33] We've been out of a contract ever since
2022.
[2:45:40] That's when it end. It's going to be 27.
And I do know that Brandon is the voice
[2:45:49] of all contracts. That's who do the
negotiation cuz Angie done it. But
[2:45:55] however, Mr. Mallows came in. He assured
me that we going to make it priority.
[2:46:01] Then I got
Mr. Jones just came on board.
[2:46:07] We didn't miss no one to come in for the
community fast director. He just came
[2:46:13] in. So it's no blister on him.
[2:46:18] Doug Harvey, not Doug Harvey, Doug
Seagars was dismissed.
[2:46:24] No one came and talked for giving us
raises and then they hired Mr. Gerard in
[2:46:29] October coming up to negotiation for
money. We never was put in the package.
[2:46:36] But what I'm saying is
Brandon Creek,
[2:46:42] he knew that in 2025
that they came over to negotiate a
[2:46:50] contract with Brian Drayton. was the
president at that particular time. They
[2:46:57] negotiate an agreement with Jimmy Bryan
and Brandon. They got the paperwork
[2:47:02] right now today as we speak. We're
talking about 4 and a half years us
[2:47:07] without a contract.
That's a problem.
[2:47:12] Now,
we work those peoples that up under me.
[2:47:18] You come and tell them they're doing a
good job. We can't even get a decent
[2:47:23] contract. We can't even get a pay scale
in our contract. We deal with Gallagher.
[2:47:29] So, you know, it's not to say that um
we're not doing our work,
[2:47:35] but it's to say that we is in
negotiation for a contract and we do not
[2:47:41] even have one.
And that's saying
[2:47:46] what is the terms
of where we need to be at for is us
[2:47:52] getting a contract
a waste living contract.
[2:47:58] I look at Mr. Toiver. He was in the
back. Oh my god. This will be continued.
[2:48:05] Um
>> finish your point. Finish your point.
[2:48:08] » Mr. Toiver in the back. He gave all his
guys
[2:48:14] raises, substantial raises over than
what we got.
[2:48:18] » They got new equipment. It's in the
record. Look at it. It's in they got
[2:48:22] equipment. And yet we still trying to
get where we need to be at.
[2:48:27] » So far as Mr. Taliviver taking care of
his fleet, I'm praying that Mr. Gerard
[2:48:31] Jones would do the same thing with us as
we go.
[2:48:35] » All right. Now, when you pray and you
come in and that's where you do local
[2:48:41] 2388,
mind you, local 2388 supported the tax
[2:48:45] for the fire and the police right out
there with them. But yet, we can't even
[2:48:50] get a good contract.
>> Well, we'll see to it that that happen.
[2:48:54] » I pray so. And I listen at Mr. Creek
Bond say that he tired of people
[2:48:59] carrying him the wrong way. But then
what about me? I was told I was the
[2:49:04] baddest person to watch him. I do
recordings. Uh oh, not to be trusted,
[2:49:09] but All right. I rest for the extra
minute. Thank you. I rest. Mr. Har, did
[2:49:13] you accept my apologies?
>> Apologies like I did last time.
[2:49:16] » Okay. You did.
>> I just wanted to put it on records.
[2:49:19] » Mr. Johnson, before you leave, when does
your contract come up again for
[2:49:23] negotiations?
>> It's been up ever since 2022.
[2:49:26] » They have a contract.
>> Oh, so y'all don't y'all are not even
[2:49:28] working under a contract? No, we we
under we're operating on the old
[2:49:32] contract.
>> Okay.
[2:49:34] » But we don't have a contract that need
to be where it need to be here.
[2:49:37] » Okay. Thank you, Mr. Johnson.
>> All right.
[2:49:38] » Okay. Let's see. A lot of people have
left. U Quinton McFarland.
[2:49:52] » Give us your name and address.
[2:49:56] Quinn McFarland, 1204 Stone Avenue. Good
evening, council, staff, administration.
[2:50:05] » Good evening.
>> I call the permitting office, the
[2:50:09] engineering, water, sewer department so
much that they know my voice and
[2:50:14] concerns. It has [snorts] been
frustrating process trying to do the
[2:50:18] right thing by following the proper
procedure for new construction in the
[2:50:23] city of Monroe. I purchased land. I made
the decision to put my future double
[2:50:27] wide home on this property, which is
1204 Stone Avenue.
[2:50:34] I made calls, walk-in visits to learn
what needed to be done and how.
[2:50:39] I arranged a sit down meeting with Mr.
Morgan to get the understanding to make
[2:50:44] sure I was taking the right path and
expressed my concerns about the property
[2:50:50] and its needs. The previous owner of the
property already had approved survey
[2:50:56] plans and also um it included the
extension of Stone Avenue. I requested
[2:51:03] insight on how this process worked.
Still no true answer on this matter, but
[2:51:10] I received a little answer to get me to
stop investigating.
[2:51:14] I knew that this process would be a
learning experience and there would be a
[2:51:20] lot to do.
But I'm not discouraged when I set my
[2:51:25] mind to it. God will surely guide me to
the right answers and I will find my
[2:51:30] answer.
>> My frustration is with communication of
[2:51:35] information. The same thing that you see
here tonight at every meeting when
[2:51:41] council members do not answer or ask
questions, we don't get the true details
[2:51:47] of the information. Just like at a
previous meeting, you know, y'all asked
[2:51:52] the question where the money come from,
but you know, you were voting on it, but
[2:51:57] nobody had the insight of it of where is
the money coming from.
[2:52:02] That's a problem that's going on in this
city. When people ask questions, it
[2:52:08] seemed like it's really hard to get
those true answers, the information.
[2:52:14] That is a concerning factor.
I started this process March 2026.
[2:52:21] I applied for every permit
[2:52:25] as instructed June 1st and I uploaded
all the documents that are needed and I
[2:52:31] paid all necessary fees. I will continue
to learn and I will continue to press
[2:52:36] and I'm speaking today just to put it on
record. 1204 Stone Avenue. Thank you.
[2:52:43] » Thank you, Mr. McFarland.
Um, I do pray that uh we can work out
[2:52:49] whatever communication or concerns that
Mr. McFarland has with uh getting this
[2:52:56] property situated. So, we'll keep
monitoring it and we'll we'll keep our
[2:53:01] eyes close on it. All right. Uh Herbert
Gillery.
[2:53:14] » [clears throat]
>> Good evening y'all. Herb Gillery, 1801
[2:53:17] Wood Haven Drive, Monroe, Louisiana.
Excuse my dress, but uh I usually a
[2:53:22] little fly in this, but not tonight. So,
sorry. I [clears throat] come um tonight
[2:53:27] on behalf of uh the Northeast Louisiana
Cathemia Foundation. I am the vice
[2:53:32] president and I just want everybody to
know that we have our banquet coming up
[2:53:38] this Thursday and we encourage everyone
to be able to attend and get a chance to
[2:53:42] see what sickel does and what they have
been doing throughout the years when it
[2:53:48] comes to um supporting and helping a
population that has been suffering for a
[2:53:53] long time when it comes to sickale. Now,
at one point, it it came to a point
[2:53:59] where we almost didn't have the the
banquet this year because it was a
[2:54:02] conflict. Okay? A conflict which
happened with with human error. You
[2:54:07] know, you have rumblings in the air or
people saying different things. But, you
[2:54:12] know, the best thing is to always when
you want some answers is to make sure it
[2:54:16] comes out the horse's mouth. Well, I'm
one of the horses. Okay. We had some
[2:54:21] discussion. We had professional
discussion. We had nonprofessional
[2:54:26] discussion when it came to it. Okay?
Back and forth, back and forth, uh,
[2:54:30] opinions, different thoughts and
everything, but we came to a solution
[2:54:35] that will be able to help everybody. And
because of it, we're going to have the
[2:54:40] the U banquet at the hub this year. And
I just wanted to come and personally
[2:54:45] thank Mr. Gerard Jones for emptying the
kitchen cabinets, the sink. Uh what
[2:54:53] else? What else in the cabinet? The
cupboards, everything for for for
[2:54:58] looking out and making sure that we're
going to have a great and positive
[2:55:02] event. That's one thing about the SECell
Banker. We always want to make sure that
[2:55:06] we are having a a a good exciting and
positive time. And you know, we just
[2:55:12] don't want any type of like negative
publicity or anything when it comes to
[2:55:16] what was going on. Hey, like I said,
it's human error, but we made it work.
[2:55:21] And I promise you, if you attend, you're
going to enjoy yourself. And a lot of
[2:55:25] that is going to be on behalf of because
of what Mr. Gerard or Mr. Jones has done
[2:55:30] to assist us, accommodate us and all
parties in that's in play, especially
[2:55:35] with us are happy and we are going to
have a good time and we want everybody
[2:55:40] else to come in and smile and see what
we have been doing to help those that
[2:55:45] has been in sick cell disease and has
been in need and what we're going to
[2:55:49] continue to do throughout the years. So,
thank you.
[2:55:52] » Thank you, Mr. Gillery.
>> We stand adjourned.