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City officials want control of S&WB Legislation giving N.O. authority is first step, council president says BY BEN MYERS Staff writer
In a first on Thursday, the chief proponents of a bill to give the New Orleans City Council sweeping authority over the Sewerage & Water Board said their ultimate goal is to fold the agency completely into city government. State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-New Orleans, and council Presi-
dent JP Morrell stated goals beyond what House Bill 1243 calls for at the state Senate committee hearing on Thursday, where the bill was passed unanimously. “What we are looking to do here is get ourselves one step closer to that system, and eventually get us more toward that system. This is the first of probably two steps,” said Hilferty, who added that many other parishes fold water, drainage
and sewer operations into a city Public Works Department. Morrell added that the S&WB and its 1,400 employees should “be inside Public Works.” “It would be a much more seamless, locally managed thing,” Morrell said. “This bill is the framework to get there.” The bill has been touted by Mayor Helena Moreno and City Council members as a way to assure lo-
drainage operations would be complex and time consuming. A Moreno administration official, Andrew cal control over the agency, which Tuozzolo, said the administration is state authorized and has come isn’t taking a position on the idea under fire recently after numerous for now. Instead, Tuozzolo said Moreno water main breaks. It has already passed the House will set up a working group to recand next heads to the full Senate. ommend changes for the council If the Senate approves, the two to consider if the bill becomes legislative bodies will reconcile law. The bill itself doesn’t force amendments, vote on a final bill any changes, but it gives the and, if successful, send it to Gov. council “regulatory authority and Jeff Landry. ä See S&WB, page 4A Transferring water, sewer and
Court clerk assures ‘continuity’
Panel seeks big changes at FEMA Moves include privatizing flood insurance
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
benches. The criminal clerk served as Orleans Parish’s elections chief, managing and maintaining voting machines and leading a team of at least 1,500 poll workers that monitor voting precincts on election day. Napoleon said she’ll split her time for now between the civil and criminal courthouses, which are separated by about a mile. Napoleon appointed Edwin Lombard as a senior deputy over daily operations
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s task force to recommend changes to FEMA approved a report Thursday that would not dismantle the disaster response agency — as some in the administration wanted — but would transfer many current federal tasks to the states, privatize flood insurance and release federal money to the states in the form of grants rather than reimbursements. “Federal assistance should only be reserved for truly significant events that exceed state, local, tribal, territorial capacity and capability,” said Michael Whatley, a member of the President’s Council to Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency and former chair of the Republican National Committee. The council was charged to look deeply into how FEMA operates and make recommendations to Trump for improvements. In its draft report, forwarded to
ä See CLERK, page 6A
ä See FEMA, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Clerk of Civil District Court Chelsey Richard Napoleon, center, speaks during a news conference at the Orleans Criminal District Court building on Thursday.
Deputy named for operations at criminal court while fight over law continues BY MATT BRUCE
Staff writer
Chelsey Richard Napoleon assumed office this week as the new parishwide clerk of court in Orleans Parish, despite a federal judge briefly striking down a recent state law that merged her office as civil clerk with that of the criminal court clerk. For the first time, Napoleon on Thursday discussed how she plans to handle her freshly inherited responsibilities under the new law, Act 15, addressing reporters from the criminal courthouse at Tulane
Avenue and South Broad Street. “This transition is happening without a planning period, with increases in responsibilities of this office and a reduction in funding,” Napoleon said. “Even with those challenges, the work still continues.” Napoleon, who just completed her second term as civil court clerk, vowed “a continuity of services” as she assumes oversight of criminal records and also elections in the parish. Election day arrives next weekend with a barrage of municipal primaries. Among them are three races for seats on civil and criminal court
Aerospace firm eyeing Vermilion Parish location Massive land deal fuels rumors
of coastal land in southwest Louisiana, a state lawmaker confirmed Thursday. State Sen. Bob Hensgens, R-AbBY ADAM DAIGLE beville, said he knows of two compaand STEPHANIE RIEGEL nies — he did not reveal if it is Elon Musk-owned SpaceX or Jeff Bezos’ Staff writers Blue Origin — that have reached out A space exploration company is to landowners in coastal Vermilion negotiating to buy a large amount and Cameron parishes about a pos-
WEATHER HIGH 79 LOW 73 PAGE 8B
sible acquisition. “I know both companies are trying to find property in southwest Louisiana,” Hensgens said. “I know from people in the parishes that the companies have made outreach in the area.” The confirmation comes ahead of a hearing next week on the final piece of legislation in an incentive pack-
age designed to attract aerospace companies to Louisiana. The bills would offer tax incentives while limiting certain lawsuits and exempting some records from public disclosure. A legislative committee on Monday will take up the final piece of the
ä See AEROSPACE, page 6A
Business ...................12A Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................1E Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
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