top of page

Broadmoor Neighborhood Meeting Minutes - 2/17

Thanks to all the residents who were able to attend our February meeting discussing blight and trash in Broadmoor. If you couldn't make it to the meeting, please see the meeting minutes below.

Meeting Minutes


6:30-6:40: Welcome and dinner served - residents get to know one another at tables


6:40-6:55: Presentation by Courtney Jackson with Ride New Orleans

Presenting New Links, a program to redesign New Orleans’ transit system network

The current bus system is at 40% of its capacity pre-Katrina due to a lack of resources concerning the number or busses and monetary funds available.

3 Foundational Concepts for transit revision:

  • Plan A. Consistency and Coverage: Bus comes every hour but more reliable

  • Plan B. Increase Ridership and Frequency: More red lines (10-15 routes); more buses; in order to accomplish this, bus routes would change and less popular routes would combine

  • Plan C. Mega Concept: Prioritizes coverage and frequency; more regional red lines; more express lines- meant to speed up trips; less bus stops, would increase length of walking but only by 3-4 blocks; would include local bus lines designed to meet gaps in stops made by express buses

  • Open meeting to discuss transit policy with the Coalition for Quality Transit. Meeting is held every 3rd Saturday of the month at 10am at the Broad Community Connection Offices - 300 N. Broad Coalition for Quality

These plans are just suggestions, not concrete. New Links is currently gathering survey transit data assessing needs, concerns, and wants of the community.

  • For more information and to submit your input please go to surveymonkey.com/r/NewLinksNOLA

  • Visit the website at www.rideneworleans.org or their office at 2100 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70113

  • Contact Courtney Jackson directly at (504) 509-4953, courtney@rideneworleans.org


7:00-7:10: Organizing Neighborhood Cleanups - Presented by Talva Burnette from the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office- Neighborhood Liaison for District B

  • “Volunteer at a Local Cleanup Days” - Please put the address of the start location for cleanup so they can properly organize your cleans and put it on the calendar

  • Closet of cleanup supplies readily available: Brooms, Dust bins, Shovels, Towels, Rakes, Buckets, Trash Bags, Gloves, Wheelbarrow, Litter grabbers, Safety Vest, Ponchos, Sharp containers, and Trash Pickups

  • Form to organize pick up date and supplies needed. Option to bring supplies to start location if needed. https://cleanup.nola.gov/home/#volunteer

New Orleans Youth Alliance has published a book of resources organizing available city-wide programing for children and adolescents, available to download online at http://www.nolayouthprograms.org/

  • These resources for youth programming will also be made available through ViaLink’s new online guide or by calling 3-1-1: https://vialink.org/youth-nola/

Police Community Advisory Boards have positions available

Coffee on Your Corner (District B)- March 12th save the date!

  • Sit and talk with non-profit, city partners, govt officials

Focus this month is Transportation

  • RTA, Bike Easy, Ride New Orleans (New Links program)

  • Specifically collaboration between bikes and cars

  • Time & location tbd. Check for updates here

  • Neighborhood Leaders Round Table

Upcoming meeting on Public Safety at Cafe Reconcile

  • Fire chief, police chief, NOLA Health Department, & Cure Violence will present

  • March 28, 9am-11am with breakfast

  • Registration required but not open yet. Check back for updates here


7:10-7:20: The process for submitting blighted housing complaints - Presented by Tammie Jackson from the Department of Code Enforcement (DCE)

The process:

  • Start by filing a 311 concern

  • DCE inspects within 30-60 days

  • Research Process: DCE conducts an abstract to find truthful information about the cases (ex. accurate addresses, names, property owners, heirs, etc.)

  • DCE then conducts a Notice of Hearing to give the property owner the opportunity to explain why the damaged current condition and how they suggests to remedy violation

  • Daily fines can be accumulated up to one year; it is possible for fines to be paid without remedying the blight.

  • Remediating blight is a long process that has been extended due to cyber attack and 3-1-1 cases are currently on hold.

  • DCE aims to cut off accumulation fines at 30 days so that the cost remains practical

  • Sometime DCE will assist in trying to resell properties to owners that intend to fix the property. DCE can not help with demolition costs, but might be able to adjust blight fines, even for original property owner, if they present clear intent to fix property.

  • Code Enforcement cannot assist in cases of a tax sale auction.

The DCE currently has 6,000 active cases

  • DCE prioritizes health and safety concerns (ex. roof leaks, falling hazards)

  • The office tries to balance large cases that consist of multiple concerns with easy fixes


7:20-7:30: Understanding blighted property auctions and the Lot Next Door program - Presented by the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA)- Seth Knudsen

NORA assisted with Road-Home buyout properties in Broadmoor:

  • Folks that experienced flooding and damage after the storm had the opportunity to sell back their properties to the state. Louisiana bought about 6,000 properties, they resold the majority, and currently have possession of about 1,600.

  • There is only 1 NORA-owned property left in Broadmoor.

Auctions:

  • Online only, auctions start in the spring.

  • Looking to begin in March

  • Auction about 100-125 properties across the city

  • New owners need to redevelop within one year or show substantial progress, NORA is willing to give extensions if the owner is showing progress on home repairs.

  • Occurs when there is a vacant adjacent lot. The neighbor has the availability to buy the lot at fair market value in hope of landscaping improvements.

  • Available at mixed or market rate and affordable housing through market rates and proposals

  • Assisted with development of Propellor, Community Health Clinic, and other commercial Broadmoor enterprises around the neighborhood

  • Green infrastructure initiatives to collect water rather than pump it out have been utilized in Gentilly but offer an opportunity to replicate across the city.

  • Offering leases for community garden projects.

7:30 - 8:00: Community discussion about how to better address trash and blight in Broadmoor - Facilitated by Bethanie Mangigian, Wellness Director

Housekeeping:

  • Sarah Pritchard, (Executive Director) had a healthy baby boy and is out on maternity leave until end of March

  • Welcome to our two new board members to BIA board: Cortez Washington and Tim Traycoff

  • More announcements to be made at March neighborhood meeting about board arrivals

  • Thank you to our partners, Crazy Waffle Bar for dinner and Crescent City Child Care Collective for their assistance with childcare

  • Revisiting neighborhood meeting structure for 2020 and upcoming meeting on affordable housing

  • Carpool volunteer opportunity - if you would like to help an elder neighbor get to the monthly meetings, please contact communications@broadmoorimprovement.com to volunteer

  • The BIA has procured a Cleanup NOLA grant and will facilitate a neighborhood-wide clean up day in Spring with a focus on the following activities:

  • planting trees, installing rain barrels, and cleaning catch basins

  • Volunteers are requested and invited for the clean up day, and for participating on the committee for the annual fundraiser

Questions/topics from residents addressed in the community discussion:

  • To get large bulky objects picked up: Put out in cans on the second trash day of week, make sure it fits in the cans

  • If a catch basin is completely broken, this may take priority with code enforcement, residents were directed to Talva Burnette/BIA for assistance in expediting some of these types of quality of life concerns

  • March 4th last day to register to vote

  • Residents informed about upcoming census and opportunity to make Broadmoor’s voice heard


Upcoming Meeting Topics


March 16, 2020: Affordable Housing

April 20, 2020: Broadmoor Business Development

May 18, 2020: Flood Defense Infrastructure

June 15, 2020: Workforce Development

July 20, 2020: Senior Resource Fair

August 17, 2020: Green Spaces

September 21, 2020: Youth Programs & Education

October 19, 2020: Public Safety

November 16, 2020: Food Access

December 21, 2020: Holiday Party / 2020 Wrap Up

83 views0 comments
bottom of page