Mitzi Gibson vying for District 2 Council seat

Mitzi Gibson announces she will run for the Alexandria City Council District 2 seat.

Editor’s Note:

Mitzi Gibson on Wednesday, June 30, formally announced that she will run for the District 2 seat on the Alexandria City Council.

Everett Hobbs currently holds the seat.

She made the announcement at the Alexander Fulton Hotel.

Below is the text of her announcement:

I am Mitzi Gibson and I want the opportunity to serve as your District 2 Alexandria City Councilwoman.

As I stand before you this evening, my announcement is not about me wanting to be on the city council, it’s about me wanting to serve you as your District 2 city councilwoman.

Let me take a moment to thank my family. My husband Jerry and our four wonderful children for their prayers and support………I also would like to thank the many supporters who have already called asking for yard signs, offering campaign contributions as well as their time. I can’t tell you how humbled and excited all of the outreach has made me feel.

………….It is our intent to make this election unlike any race in Alexandria’s history. We are scrapping the way campaigns and our city governments tone has operated over the past several years and branching off toward a more sound and efficient race and government that are based on the issues that many of our citizens too often face. Our vision and desire is to see a city where parents don’t have to decide between buying school supplies or paying utility bills nor our elderly having to choose between utility bills or medicine. There is a desire that local families and small businesses should not have to wake up to hundreds of thousands of dollars of water damage due to drainage complications. Every citizen should have safe streets free of crime, debris, and flood waters.

We should be aggressive at strengthening the businesses that are currently in our area and working to attract new ones. For the next several weeks, we will be walking the district not only talking about Drainage, Crime, Blighted neighborhoods, Trash pickup, and Economic Development but just listening to what you have to say. I’ve already been listening by attending our neighborhood meetings within District 2. I would like the opportunity to represent us and let our voice be heard.

I am focused and committed to telling our city administration as well as other council members how we feel and what we want in our community. I stand optimistic about the future of this progressive city I truly believe that everything we find wrong here in Alexandria can be fixed by those things that are found to be right about Alexandria.

With me as you’re Councilwoman I will listen to your comments and suggestions and act upon them to find a solution, but we must remember that in order for us to move forward in District 2, I need your willingness, ideas, time, support and your vote on October 2^nd.  Please go out and express the change you want to see in our city by electing me as your next Alexandria District 2 City Councilwoman.

By expressing Your Voice, Your Vision and Your Vote you can be assured that our community will be a better place. Thank you all so much for coming out, I look forward to us working together, good evening and GOD bless!

Mitzi Gibson to seek the District 2 seat on the Alexandria City Council

Mitzi Gibson will formally announce her intentions to seek the District 2 seat on the Alexandria City Council at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Alexander Fulton Hotel.

In a press release, Gibson said her goal is to continue to invest her talents and efforts to help her district as well as the city as a whole towards continued growth.

Councilman Everett Hobbs currently represents District 2.

Gibson is a graduate of Grambling State University receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing with a minor in both Broadcasting and Journalism.

Mitzi and her husband Jerry have been married 13 years and have four children. They are members of The Word Christian Center.

Mitzi is currently employed at Home Health Care 2000 as an Account Executive.

Roosevelt Johnson to announce intentions for mayor’s seat

Alexandria City Council President Roosevelt Johnson is expected to announce his candidacy for mayor during a news conference set for 5 p.m. Thursday, June 24, on the steps of Alexandria City Hall.

The mayor’s race is slated for the Oct. 2 primary with a Nov. 2 runoff if needed.

Qualifying for the mayor’s race is set for July 7-9

Lawson: Marketing plan needed to ‘pull folk off the interstate’

By Bill Sumrall
The Light

Better marketing of Alexandria to visitors as a way to increase sales tax revenues dominated Tuesday’s City Council committee sessions.

Council member Myron Lawson asked this item be on the agendas of the Community Development Committee chaired by Council member Ed Larvadain and of the Public Works/Zoning Committee that Lawson chairs, which met May 4.

Lawson said he’d like to see collaboration between the city and the Greater Alexandria Economic Development District (GAEDA) to attract visitors from the thousands of cars that pass through the city on Interstate 49.

While the city cannot market a specific business, it can market the area itself using billboards and the governmental public access TV channel “to help curve this challenging budget” through enhanced sale tax revenues, Lawson said.

“Pull folks off the interstate,” Lawson said.

City Council President Roosevelt Johnson said he’d like to see the city define itself as other cities in an effort to better market what it has to offer, citing as an example the way the city of New Orleans identifies itself using its Jazz Festival.
Johnson also cited as assets to tout the city’s zoo and museum of art.

Lawson said Quein’ on the Red was pushed as an identifier for Alexandria similar to the city of Natchitoches as the City of Lights.

“A good marketing plan will not cost you anything,” Lawson said, noting the efforts of Lisa Harris as the city’s Director of Community Services.

Larvadain agreed, saying Harris has succeeded in getting word out and attracting visitors from Mississippi and other areas for the Quein’ on the Red barbecue festival.

Larvadain added that visitors also need to be attracted to the MacArthur Drive area to shop at the Mall and stay at hotels while here. “We all have to get on the same accord and market our city aggressively,” Larvadain said.

Council member Everett Hobbs asked that a report be presented at the May 18 meeting to update the Council about a study under way on city directional signs, which Mayor Jacques Roy said would be arranged.

In addition to GAEDA, both Lawson and Larvadain said they’d also like to hear about marketing efforts under way by the Chamber of Commerce and Business League.

In further marketing-related discussion, the mayor also outlined efforts in the marketing of the Alexandria Riverfront Center.
The city administration’s published response to the Council states in part that the city will assist the Hospitality Initiative Partnership (HIP) in executing a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Alexandria-Pineville Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and GAEDA to provide that all of the hotel occupancy tax received from the downtown hotels shall be used in marketing and promotion as follows:

— Just over 50 percent of such hotel occupancy tax shall be used to promote, market and advertise the downtown hotels, Convention Center and Riverfront Center; and
— Just under 50 percent of such hotel occupancy tax shall be used to promote, market and advertise all other Alexandria hotels and motels.

“We think it’s good best-practice thinking, it was creative and it was part of what allowed us to bring all the other players to the table and have them share in this process and I think it will be of benefit to the city,” Mayor Roy said.

Roy said that in the near future a program called “Smart Alex” will be launched that is about “making smart decisions in our city, building local capacity with local businesses.”

Also answering questions, Alexandria Riverfront Center manager Mark Jones touted upcoming Riverfront Center events such as the Louisiana Rural Water Association meeting in July and the Baptist Convention in November.

“Those are the two big conventions we have right now on the horizon,” Jones said. “We want to do what we can to keep the facility filled.”

Lawson expressed concern about the center being rented mainly by local entities.

Jones cited the various fees for rental of the Riverfront Center in response to questioning by Council member Jonathan Goins.

In other business, Utilities Director Michael Marcotte answered questions by Hobbs about final adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a gas supply, transportation, storage and load management agreement with Louisiana Municipal Gas Authority (LMGA).
Marcotte said LMGA was the best alternative for the city to select. “The fees associated with this contract are about 50 percent lower than they were in the prior contract,” Marcotte said.

Larvadain asked if citizens would see their gas rates also reduced.

“Mr. Larvadain, this contract allows us to buy a market-based product. Right now, the market is one-third what it was 18 months ago,” Marcotte said.
“The fees associated with the contract are 50 percent less than they used to be,” Marcotte repeated but added that “none of us can predict what the market’s going to be.” Marcotte later added that “the market’s in our favor.”

Lawson said he’s concerned with the trend more than the cost of LMGA and sought to ensure it was the best choice.

Marcotte said that “LMGA offered us the opportunity to buy just a portion of our gas at about 10 cents below market. Everyone else was market (or) market-plus.”
“We didn’t look at trends, we looked at deliverable services,” Marcotte said, also noting LMGA is based in-state rather than somewhere like Wisconsin and in the end it was the best way to go, at a three-year contract with two one-year options.

The ordinance was adopted on motion by Council member Chuck Fowler, seconded by Council member Harry Silver.

At the next Council meeting set for May 18, the Council intends to hear a report from their newly created Budget Review Committee concerning sales tax revenues with an eye toward later restoring, if possible, cuts made in the budget.

Also, Johnson asked for a report on attorney fees as well as the city’s wellness program for its employees.

Lawson asked for an update on the International Association of Chiefs of Police report about improving police functions as well as a report on the status of selecting a new Alexandria police chief to replace Daren Coutee, who retired.

Alexandria City Council OKs budget with review committee to oversee restoring cuts

By Bill Sumrall
The Light

After an hour and 40 minute session Tuesday, Alexandria City Council members unanimously passed an amended 2010-2011 fiscal year budget.

The amended budget was approved April 27 on motion by Council member Jonathan Goins, seconded by Council member Chuck Fowler in a 7-0 vote.

The city’s proposed budget for 2010-11 is about $182 million, down from $189 million in the current fiscal year ending this month, according to published reports.

The proposed General Fund budget, which is the city’s operating funds, is $49.9 million, down about $8 million from $57.8 million, due to decreased sales tax revenues and increased spending for health insurance premiums and police and fire pension plans, published reports state.

During discussions, the Council’s Finance Committee chair, Everett Hobbs, offered an amendment, which city attorney Trey Gist read aloud to the audience crowding the chamber.

More than 30 people were in attendance, including representatives of several non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, as well as city firefighters.

The City Council commended its employees and their unions for their hard work in keeping their department budgets to scale and saving money through sound budgetary practices, according to the amendment read by Gist.

Gist stated that the amendment forms a special oversight working group tasked with making recommendations to the Council on a quarterly basis on sales tax recovery and budgetary spending.

Later, Council President Roosevelt Johnson said this group is to be called the “Budget Review Committee of the City Council.”

Members are to include Council members Goins, Hobbs and Harry Silver, along with City Finance Director David Crutchfield and City Director of Community Services Lisa Harris.

Gist stated that by May 18 this group will compile and publish a revenue forecasting report, so that when city makes its mid-year budget adjustment, revenues that were cut could be added back into the budget.

This addition to the budget is triggered if there is “significant economic recovery” in the form of increased sales tax revenue in excess of $1.5 million over that projected by the May 18th report, the amendment read by Gist stated.

Once the $1.5 million threshold is reached, funds would be restored by priority under three categories.

Under Category One:
— $200,000 in overtime in contract labor for public works would be restored;
— monies transferred to the city’s Utility Fund to subsidize operations of the Alexandria Zoo and city golf course would be reimbursed to the city’s General Fund;
— monies would be restored to fund police and fire department overtime and positions cut by attrition and removed from the budget; and finally
— public works overtime and contract labor would be restored to appropriate levels, particularly in the streets and sanitation department for grass-cutting and trash collection.

Category Two involves the pay matrix for fire employees; an appropriate merit raise for general and utility fund employees; purchase of operating general items required to perform union services; and increasing funds for special or operational NGOs, Gist stated.

Gist stated that this priority list will be recommended to the City Council by the special working group’s biannual report and should at a minimum include the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association, the Arna Bontemps African American Museum, the Arts Council, children’s sports and other recreational/educational programs.

Category Three involves all remaining partnership’s requests for funding or other NGOs and subject to funding only after funding for the other two categories is achieved, Gist stated.

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy assured Council members on various points, including the funding of school crossing guards.

Roy said negotiations with the all stakeholders, such as the school district, over the summer months will seek to ensure that not just the city is fiscally responsible and that pay for school crossing guards stays through the end of school in May.

“There will not be a lapse in service at all,” the mayor said.

Council member Harry Silver said, “Our job, whether up for election or not, is to look after the welfare of 50,000 citizens.”

Council member Ed Larvadain questioned the need for several offices, including publicist, which the mayor defended as saving money by doing such things as producing SPARC materials in-house.

SPARC stands for Special Planned Activity Redevelopment Corridors and is the city of Alexandria’s largest redevelopment project in its history, a $96 million infrastructure investment project in three separate Cultural Restorative Areas.

Those three CRAs are: (1) Downtown, Riverfront, and Lower Third; (2) North MacArthur Drive and Bolton Avenue; and (3) Masonic Drive and Lee Street.

“Do you think a city our size needs a publicist?” Larvadain asked.

Roy responded, “Yes, I do.”

Council member Myron Lawson repeated his concerns expressed during last week’s regular City Council session about funding the city’s golf course through the Utility Fund.

“I’d like to see a way for us to subsidize grasscutting,” Lawson said.

City Finance Director David Crutchfield defended the golf course subsidy, saying in effect that the golf course brings in more money than the zoo, which is also being subsidized by the Utility Fund in the new budget.

Lawson expressed concern about funding such organizations as the Boys and Girls Club. “I’m concerned about our investment in young people,” Lawson said.

Three people spoke during the public comment period:
— Gayle Underwood, who urged adequate funding for public safety;
— Patrick Searcy, representing the city firefighters union, who expressed support for the budget; and
— Daisy Dempsey, executive director for Seniors Aging with Grace and Energy program, or SAGE, who said it is a rainy day in funding programs for the elderly.

“SAGE was cut the same as all the other NGOs — there was a uniform cut,” Mayor Roy said.

“If the Council wants to engage in targeted cuts, we will certainly look at that. I might add that it is under this administration specifically that SAGE’s funds have increased considerably,” Roy said.

The mayor added that the city’s $100,000 one-time effort using surplus funds helped keep the Boys and Girls Club open. “They have specific needs too,” Roy said but noted “the record of what we’ve committed to speaks for itself.”

“It is a rainy day now but we are standing behind the employees in saying that the first-end money should go back to a bare bones employee complement that exists right now to provide for basic services, so that any new money that’s used, particularly if we’re talking about surplus, we think should go there first,” Roy said.

While complementing Dempsey for running a great program, “we just don’t have the revenue right now to support every request that everyone makes,” Roy said.

Discussion ensued, during which at one point Lawson and Larvadain pushed for a additional cutbacks in Council and city Administration budgets, with Roy asking for specifics on where the cuts should fall that could involve layoffs.

“I’m not going to be the scalpel (for layoffs) … you have to be,” Roy said.

City attorney Chuck Johnson said he oversaw $124,000 in cuts for legal division expenses, including a $4,800 pay cut for himself. “We’re running a bare bones operation,” Johnson assured Council members.

In response to a question from resident Von Jennings, who has already announced her intention to run for mayor, Hobbs repeated his amendment for restoring budget funds, to be triggered by a $1.5 million rise in sales taxes.

Jennings noted her point is whether or not such a trigger is achieved.

However, Roy said that indications are that sales taxes would improve in 2011.

“Right now, we have to prepare for the worse,” the mayor said.

Alexandria City Council delays passing budget until next Tuesday to allow more public input

By Bill Sumrall
The Light

Alexandria City Council members Tuesday delayed passage of the city’s new fiscal year budget until a public hearing next week.

Council President Roosevelt Johnson announced the hearing for 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, in the downtown City Hall Council chambers.

The city’s proposed budget for 2010-11 is about $182 million, down from $189 million in the current fiscal year ending this month, according to published reports.

The proposed General Fund budget, which is the city’s operating funds, is $49.9 million, down about $8 million from $57.8 million, due to decreased sales tax revenues and increased spending for health insurance premiums and police and fire pension plans, published reports state.

Johnson said that Council members are “very concerned about how serious this is and how serious this will impact our city for the next year.”

“What’s taking place with this budget will impact us in a massive way that we’ve never been affected before going into the next couple of years,” Johnson said.

The city’s administration sent “this recommended budget” to the City Council for final adoption, Johnson said.

Johnson reminded the audience that many projects citizens see taking place over the next few months will be generated through SPARC.

SPARC stands for Special Planned Activity Redevelopment Corridors and is the city of Alexandria’s largest redevelopment project in its history, a $96 million infrastructure investment project in three separate Cultural Restorative Areas.

Those three CRAs are: (1) Downtown, Riverfront, and Lower Third; (2) North MacArthur Drive and Bolton Avenue; and (3) Masonic Drive and Lee Street.

“The city’s operational budget takes care of the day-to-day operations of the city of Alexandria,” Johnson told the audience.

Council member Myron Lawson chaired the Finance Committee meeting for Everette Hobbs, who was out of town.

Lawson said that he expected each Council member would be “combing the budget” between now and next week for ways to restore proposed funding cuts.
“I intend to go back and work a little bit more closely with the finance director to come up with some solutions,” Lawson said.

Lawson said he hoped to restore cuts proposed for Non-Governmental Organizations or NGOs, such as the Boys and Girls Club of Central Louisiana, and for funding school crossing guards.

Earlier, during the public comment period at Tuesday’s regular Council session April 20, representatives from several NGOs addressed the Council on behalf of their respective organizations.

Mark Watson, past president for the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association, said the city budget’s proposed “substantial” cuts means his group would only be able to put on the Sunday krewes parade next year due to insurance and other costs.

“It’s absolutely impossible for us to put on all three parades,” Watson said.

“As funds become available, and it’s our intention, if possible, to do the children’s parade on Saturday morning and, if enough funding become available, either through grants or funding through the city or other sources, then to add the Friday afternoon/evening parade, as the last parade to come back,” Watson said.

Rosa Fields, speaking on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Louisiana, described 2009 as “a very challenging year” for the organization, adding that “2010 is going to be, what we hope to be, a year of sustainability.”

“I recognize the position that the city and our community as a whole finds itself in with the budget issues and so forth, but I want to just remind everyone about the investment in our children that we all are making,” Fields said.

“I just want to ask you all to consider the amount of funds that we are asking for. I will tell you we plan, as we did last year, to raise a minimum of a third of our budget in fundraisers and asking the community for support,” Fields said.

Fields said the club will also apply for grant funding.

School crossing guards Abraham Celestine and Edward Williams Sr., who wore their reflective uniforms, addressed proposed cuts in funding for their jobs.

“A lot of people when they coming to work … when they hit them four-lanes, they think they’re on I-49,” Celestine said.

“You’d be surprised at the people that I have flagged down and told them to stop or slow down or what not, and I have seen kids run across the road and almost get hit,” Celestine said.

“Sometimes my heart just jumps up in my throat almost because it’d be tragic to see an 18-wheeler run over a 2-year-old, or 4-or 5-  or 6-year-old-kid,” Celestine said.

Williams told the Council he handles some west and north intersection crossings.

“The children, when they’re walking, they don’t pay as much attention to the red light, so I have to be there to guide them … because they’re talking and things, they don’t pay no attention to the light,” Williams said.

“Ever since I can remember, we have always had school guard crossings … we just do the best we can,” Williams said.

Maggie Jarrett, executive director of the Arts Council of Central Louisiana, cited her organization’s accomplishments and programs for the Council.

“Our program this year included bringing two internationally acclaimed performing arts groups to our city, one of them being the Ailey II and the other one being the Harlem Gospel Choir,” Jarrett said.

“We’ve had outstanding attendance at these two events — it was very heart-warming to bring groups of this caliber here to the city of Alexandria,” Jarrett said.

Nearly 900 people attended the Kaminari Taiko drum performance in November at Alexandria Convention Hall, Jarrett added.

“Every dollar that the city invests in the Arts Council we return four dollars in tax revenue. I can assure you this year with our attendance figures that that’s going to be an even greater number,” Jarrett said.

Gwendolyn Y. Elmore, president and executive director of the Arna Bontemps African American Museum and Cultural Arts Center.

“Arna Bontemps, Alexandria’s native son, has been recognized as one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century as well as an authority on the Harlem Renaissance,” Elmore said.

Elmore also cited center activities such as the upcoming Arna Bontemps African American Quiz Bowl taking place in May for students in third to 12th grade; the junior writers guild; and an adult writers workshop and recent Jazz on the River.

One resident, Gayle Underwood, complained about what she viewed as proposed cuts involving police and fire public safety services when she alleged $600,000 goes to “a private country club where someone’s membership would be $1,300” plus fees.

“I find this very, very upsetting — we’re cutting all these organizations, we’re cutting our crossing guards,” Underwood said.

Underwood added she didn’t think 1 p.m. next Tuesday is a convenient time for people with day jobs to come to a public hearing on the budget.

Another resident, Houston Rax Jr., requested that an itemized list be mailed to District 3 residents of everything spent there by the city “because we need to educate our people and let them know what’s going on.”

Houston wanted this list to include Special Planned Activity Redevelopment Corridors or SPARC funds spent there as well as proposed budget cuts “so that we can know exactly what’s going on with our money,” he said.

“I would also like to see how many dollars are generated, tax dollars, in District 3,” Houston said, adding he’d also like included Council members’ salaries.
“I mean, we can’t take everything personally,” Houston said, when talking about funding cuts.

Each Council member present gave his response to the proposed budget reductions and to what NGO representatives and others said during the public comment period.

“I thank all of you for what you’ve done for our community and will continue to do. But I guarantee you, as we make the tough decisions, each councilman here is going to go to bat for their districts, go to bat for the city, go to bat for you,” Johnson said.

“Just because you were cut or you will be cut or any service will be cut, that doesn’t mean we’re going to give up on bouncing back and coming back to make our city and the quality of life better,” Johnson said.

Council member Ed Larvadain praised the efforts of the Boys and Girls Club and school crossing guards.

“I’m going to vote for the crossing guards,” Larvadain said, which he estimated was about $90,000 of the budget. “It’s a safety issue,” Larvadain added, noting that “$90,000 is not worth going to a child’s funeral.”

As for the proposed Arts Council cuts, Larvadain said that “art’s life.”

“People can’t just work every day and not have a release mechanism,” Larvadain said. “Folks have to get out and have fun.”

“A city can’t function without arts — look at Austin, look at Chicago. Arts are prevalent in those cities. People want to do something on the weekends,” Larvadain said.

“If you cut those activities, then how can you attract people to come to your city when there’s nothing to do but to work?” Larvadain asked.

Council member Chuck Fowler said it’s not easy to “pass judgment on a budget that’s prepared to be in balance.”

“It’s demanded by the state law and the city charter that we have a balanced budget. I wish that the federal government had to do the same thing,” Fowler said, adding cuts can be restored as sales tax revenues rise.

“Every single organization has great value,” Fowler said, listing those the city has helped in the past.

Fowler responded to Underwood’s questions about the golf course funding.

“It’s the least negatively funded organization in the city,” Fowler said, noting the golf course’s budget is about $800,000 and the course generates around $680,000 while the city subsidizes them some $200,000.

“In comparison with other organizations that are city-owned and city-operated, it’s minuscule in the amount that we fund it,” Fowler said.

Council member Harry Silver clarified that there have been no cuts in city police, fire or sanitation funding. “The only thing we’re eliminating is over-time,” Silver said.

Silver added the city must have a 15 percent reserve for its bonding capacity to avoid impacting future rates, “which could jeopardize the integrity of the entire city.”

Also, Silver warned the city lacks unanticipated contingency funds in case of flooding, hurricane or tornado.

“We dodged a bullet for two years — we didn’t three years ago. We don’t have a dime set aside for that and this is important that we protect all 50,000 people here, so bear that in mind,” Silver said.

However, on a positive note, SPARC money being spent “will translate into improvement of the city, which should generate more people, more jobs, more taxes,” Silver said.

In his remarks, Lawson referred to Underwood’s comment about golf course funding and to cuts proposed for grass-cutting by the city as well as to school crossing guards.

“I pray to God I never live in a city where we adequately fund a golf course but not a Boys and Girls Club. I pray I never live in a city where we manicure the greens for a golf course and let grass grow in other neighborhoods,” Lawson said.

Lawson suggested saving money through such methods as raising the city’s deductible for a reinsurance fund, which lowered its premiums.

Council member Jonathan Goins said, “Right now, I can’t in good conscience vote to approve a budget that neglects so much that’s very dear to my heart.”

Goins said the elderly and children should be taken care of first, referring to cuts made to the Seniors Aging with Grace and Energy program and to the Boys and Girls Club.

Goins urged the city’s administration to “take a look back at the budget” to see whether there are more funds and whether all sources have been exhausted.

Hundreds of children participate in District 1’s community Easter Egg hunt

Alexandria City District 1 Councilman Edward Larvadain III and Comforter Baptist Church held a community  Ester Egg Hunt Saturday, April 3, at  Harmon Park, located on Monroe and Essie streets.

Hundreds of children participated in the day’s events that included games, music and prizes.

“This is a great event that gives the children something to do,” Larvadain said. “We’ve got to do something to keep them.

“This is my second year having the Easter Egg hunt, but this time I’ve joined with Comforter Baptist Church. They’ve been wonderful in bringing this together,” he said.

Revitalizing downtown hotels complex dominates Tuesday’s Council meeting

By Bill Sumrall
The Light

Alexandria officials approved ordinances Tuesday designed to revitalize the Hotel Bentley, Alexander Fulton and Riverfront Convention Center.

After the meeting, Mayor Jacques Roy expressed his pleasure with how matters turned out as well as “how much private contribution there has to be to trigger a minimal public contribution, and the effects will be tremendous to the area.”

Three ordinances considered for final adoption by the Alexandria City Council:
(1) authorize the mayor to enter into a contract on behalf of the city for the interim management of the Alexander Fulton Hotel and Convention Center and related properties with Hospitality Initiative Partnership Management LLC (HIP) or a related company;
(2) authorize a contract with 3north for professional architectural and engineering services related to the Downtown Hotels Initiative and related public works and improvements; and
(3) authorize an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) related to the Downtown Hotels Initiative, to contract with the Bureau concerning reimbursements for City incurred expenses related to hotels and convention matters; studies; proposed improvements to public assets and infrastructure, including the Riverfront Center, the Alexander Fulton Hotel and Convention Center; and various proposals for a public plaza and Gateway District related to tourism and convention business and other proposals.

“This is a request to partner for financial aid, not to give it,” states a supplemental Administration response to this item in the agenda concerning the CVB.
“The contract with 3north will be to implement its plans for the overall initiative, as was agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of November 23, 2009,” the supplemental response states.

The MOU’s “term sheet” document defines 3north as “a cross-disciplinary design collaborative composed of architects, planners, landscape architects, environmental designers, preservationists, historians, interior designers and graphic designers whose office is located in Richmond, Virginia.”

“I think we’re also a little happy, and I would echo Mr. Lawson on this, that we’ve now built a process that we call ‘shop-able,’ ” the mayor said, referring to Council member Myron Lawson.

“In other words, if one group doesn’t go forward, we have it down so much that we can take this and put it all in one package and put it out again nationally, and I think we’ll get it picked up no matter what,” Roy said.

“So I think that provides the drive for this current group to finish the deal, and I expect that we’re going to hear something in the next couple of days,” Roy said.

During the legal committee session, Roy explained that “what we’ve put together, and again Mr. Lawson and I had extensive discussions, really allows folks to decide one way or another, and you now … have a ‘shop-able’ deal … that could go out to anyone at this point.”

“So, you’re in a better position as a City Council today on March 23, 2010, than you were when it was being operated by the group that was operating it, really not to the benefit of the city, in the fall for some degree of time,” Roy said.

“It’s a great opportunity for the city, both in existing and potential opportunities — it will allow us to achieve a vibrant hotel and convention complex area, it will create quality jobs, and build capacity for new ancillary and principal industry with private sector employees,” Roy said.

“That’s precisely what we need right now with the private sector being so sluggish in terms of sales tax revenues,” Roy said.

The mayor assured the Council that the money involved is capital funds, not operating funds.

Lawson sought to ensure in an amendment that nothing is triggered until the term sheet is signed by the proper partner with HIP.

The mayor assured the Council that the term sheet is among several triggers designed protect the city’s interests before any steps are taken.

“I think the protections are very strong in how this agreement has been formulated,” Roy said.

During public comment, Alexandria resident Gayle Underwood, who identified herself as living in Council member Chuck Fowler’s district, posed several questions.

“My main concern is, are the architects requesting exclusive rights to serve as developers and architects not only on these properties but on all properties associated with the downtown venture, and why wasn’t this included in the original bid, and is the fee 25 percent of $60 million?” Underwood asked.

The mayor responded that the answers to her questions are no. “They are not the exclusive architectural firm,” Roy said, nor do they get that percentage of $60 million. “We don’t do any projects at 25 percent that I know of,” Roy said.

Lawson said that he feels good about the term sheet trigger requirement as well as the mayor’s assurance that this not be an exclusive agreement.

“We have a lot of folks that have vested interests that live here” who should have an opportunity to participate, Lawson said.

Council member Harry Silver said that “if this thing becomes a reality, you have no idea what a tremendous change it’ll affect for the whole area … it’ll be a showplace for the entire South.”

Public silent at hearing to voice concerns over Cleco settlement money

By Bill Sumrall
The Light

Zero.

Nada.

No one.

Meaning, at the Alexandria City Council’s public hearing regarding the city’s settlement with Cleco not one person signed up to voice concerns on how settlement money should be spent.

“Of course a few weeks ago, we concluded our case in the Cleco settlement. Our objective as we review this matter over the next few months is to know what your concerns are,” said Council President Roosevelt Johnson in opening the hearing.

Johnson had hoped to hear from citizens in how to deal with the $50.7 million city officials estimate the settlement would bring to the city.

According to The Town Talk, the city settled the matter by “agreeing to a new wholesale electric energy agreement. The agreement is for five years, with two one-year options for Cleco to make it a six- or seven-year-deal.”

While Johnson set the public hearing, Councilmen Harry Silver and Chuck Fowler believed such a hearing was premature.

In Tuesday’s meeting, there were about 14 people in the audience during the hearing and Johnson called for anyone present to come forward to offer comment.

After no one did, the hearing was concluded after about two minutes.

Afterward, despite no one coming forward, Johnson said the hearing was publicized through public notices but noted the first such hearing had been canceled due to conflict with another meeting.

Johnson said he felt this won’t mark the last time such a hearing takes place.

“I think one of the things the Administration will continue to do is work in the community with the Council to help us all collaborate to make the best choice, the best decisions, for the public, the citizens of this city,” Johnson said.

In other matters, the Council approved authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with First Federal Bank of Louisiana for fiscal agency and banking services, on motion by Chuck Fowler, seconded by Jonathan Goins, with Myron Lawson abstaining and Ed Larvadain III voting no.

City of Alexandria vs. Cleco officially closed, public hearing to discuss rebates set for March 23

By Bill Sumrall
The Light

Without comment, Alexandria City Council members Tuesday, March 9,  ended a long-standing lawsuit against Cleco Corporation.

An ordinance concerning the matter of the city versus Cleco reaffirming authority for settlement of litigation was passed in a 6-1 vote at the March 9 regular City Council session. Councilman Ed Larvadain III voted no.

Two related ordinances were also approved, one aimed at resolving third party claims and the other authorizing city officials to prepared a report on establishing a protocol and protective fund concerning funds related to resolution of the case.

City Council President Roosevelt Johnson then announced a public hearing would be held following the next Council session on March 23 at City Hall to hear public comment regarding disposition of any rebates from the settlement.