Recommended Strategy for rebuilding

New Orleans

Ideas for Today and TomorrowSubmitted by Bill Randall (former Lower 9th Ward resident)

Presented to the NOLA City Council on November 17, 2005

Mayor C. Ray Nagin

2005 New Orleans City Council

Eddie L. Sapir

President Oliver Thomas

John A. Batt

Vice President Cynthia Hedge- Morrell

Renee’ Gill-Pratt

Jacqueline Brechtel-Clarkson

Cynthia Willard-Lewis

Purpose

This presentation covers proposals that may have been beneficial to the rebuilding process in New Orleans.

These recommendations were initially presented to the New Orleans City Council on Nov 17, 2005.

Many of the following recommendations were likely to have already been submitted via various forums and media. Therefore, redundancies were inevitable.

Goals and Objectives

Congressional approval of appropriations is contingent upon the breadth and depth of Louisiana leadership. Coherent plans would undoubtedly help secure timely release of funds.

The recommendations in this presentation are intended to provide a workable, feasible approach to help accelerate and expedite the recovery process.

Some of the ideas involve unprecedented innovation, and may have necessitated a shift in traditional thinking.

Topic: “Gridded Metro Renewal”

This approach would help restorekey sections of the Metro area in a phased process. This plan facilitates rapid restoration by first developing major avenues and intersections across themetropolitan area in a systematicprocess that gradually fills-in lower priority areas after building (reconstructing/renovating) majormetropolitan areas.

Topic: “Flood-resistant barriers”The flood barriers would be set up prior to periods of potential flooding.

Activation could also protect homes during heavy downpours (with severe thunderstorms) as well as threatening periods associated with tropical storms and hurricanes.

Various commercial versions are already available on the market.

Topic: “Micro Investment Partnerships”

This innovative, cooperative venture

relies on partnership with investment

companies to make stock trading more

accessible to individuals with very little

capital. This would provide a viable

alternative to gambling, and be a win-

win situation for all parties concerned.

It would require legal and legislative

assistance to overcome bureaucratic

obstacles.

Topic: “Interstate 510 (I-510) Extension”

Continue the I-510 bypass through Chalmette (St. Bernard Parish), into

Orleans Parish (Lower 9th Ward) via Judge Perez/ Claiborne Ave.

Establish Lower 9th Ward exits at Delery St., Caffin Ave, & Forstall Ave.

Build a “high rise” across the Industrial Canal; concurrently demolish the Judge William Seeber (Claiborne Ave.) bridge.

Rename Flood St. “Vigilance Drive.”

Topic: “USA Partnership Ventures”Establish an ad campaign to encourageother cities across the USA to form a partnership with New Orleans:Cities whose names have the following words in their name are especially encouraged to participate by adopting asmall section of The Big Easy that needs to be rebuilt:

a. “crescent” b. “city”c. “new” d. “Orleanse. “big” f. “easy”g. “Cajun” h. “French”

Topic: “Collective Brainstorming Website”

Domain: “HELPBIGEASY.COM”

Website would have several

portals, and secure chat areas to

facilitate a SUBSTANTIVE

discussion of ideas.

This would provide a tremendous

pool of innovative ideas, some of

which may show great promise.

Topic: “Louisiana Tax Code”

Revise the state & local tax code to:

a. eliminate extraneous deductions

b. reduce the tax burden for individuals and investors

This would enable Louisiana to

attract businesses to develop/

establish their manufacturing plants,

corporate headquarters, etc. in the

city/state. Other states that have

shown success in this realm could

be consulted (e.g.: OH, FL, NC).

Topic: “Family-strengthening initiatives”The two-parent family is one institutionthat (statistically) has proven to be a tremendous deterrent to crime anddelinquency.

While not as statistically solvent, single parent families also need support in themyriad of challenges they face in thearea of child-rearing.

Organizations that help strengthen families (particularly those helping to maintain the integrity of two-parent families) should be supported and promoted.

Topic: “Community Liaison Representative”

Divide metro area into subregions,

and organize “Neighborhood

Action Committees” (NACs) that

monitor and work cooperatively

with city agencies and officials.

NACs would summarize their

findings and recommendations,

and forward them to City Council

members for further review. All

noteworthy ideas given due credit.

Topic: “Krewe of Remembrance”New Orleans’ storied past (good as well as tragic) is interesting and unique. A parade that commemorates this would be most fitting.Parade to start (6 AM) at Poland Ave. &N. Claiborne, and proceed to Canal St. Float themes should cover a myriad ofNew Orleans cultural subjects, as well as various floats (featured at beginning, middle and end) that highlight the historical (PAST), current (PRESENT) and (FUTURE) legacy of New Orleans.

Topic: “Krewe of Remembrance” (cont’d.)

Themes to be decided by a steering committee comprised of: 1 retired school teacher, 1 high school teacher, 1 class president from major univ.,1 class president from a local H.S.,1 local businessman, 1 local businesswoman, and1 news reporter (any media) Names from each category chosenvia random drawing.

Topic: “Plan of Actions & Milestones”

A detailed outline of the recovery

plan should be documented in a

format that is easy to track.

This POA&M would be reviewed

periodically (weekly: Fridays) to

ensure that timelines are being

met. Results to be published in

Times Picayune Sunday edition.

Topic: “Minimizing Storm Surge”

Construct SE Louisiana “breakwaters”

with access Point lighthouses. Deep

water ocean waves approaching the

coast create sizeable storm surge.

Carefully engineered barriers

(“breakwaters”) within 10 miles of the

SE Louisiana coast with narrow (5 mile

wide) seaward/inland passes would

significantly abate storm-generated

waves. (cont’d)

This would minimize storm from the southeast. Another idea that has already been discussed (in other circles) is an ADVANCE opening of the spillway to relieve pressure on the northern levees (along Lake Ponchatrain).

Topic: “Minimizing Storm Surge” (cont’d.)

Topic: “Refinery Residential Protection”

The tragic saga of residential areas that

were devastated by the environmental

disaster (refinery sludge) in St. Bernard

Parish should never be repeated. An

initiative that could help in the future

would be:

a) earmark 0.5% of taxes from oil

refinery production in St. Bernard Parish

in a parish trust fund to be used for

parish citizens/homeowners & business

owners; (cont’d)

Topic:“Refinery Residential Protection” (cont’d)

b) form “Citizens Awareness Advisory Group;”

c) create an “eco-barrier” around the refinery perimeter that would effectively contain any environmental waste and/or spills.

Topic: “Community Work Projects”

Require that ten percent (10%) ofneighborhood work projects that require unskilled, skilled and technical labor be opened to area residents, enabling them to earn extra money with part timeemployment.

An eight-hour basic manual labor techniques, administrative procedures,and general safety requirements course (offered free) would be required prior to citizen employment in the projects.

Topic: “Monorail”

Construct a monorail route from

New Orleans International

(Louis Armstrong) airport to the

Central Business District (CBD).

Topic: “Tourist Cultural Attraction Expansion”

Use Vieux Carre’ as the central

Tourism hub, and design four other

areas with cultural attractions

(centered approx. 10 miles NE, SE,

SW, NW of the French Quarter),

tourist shops, open air markets,

lodging and easy access off major

highways and/or interstate.

Topic: “Small Business Symposium”

If New Orleans (and vicinity) is to comeback in a robust fashion, it must ride a surging tide of small businesses. Onemajor complaint of low-income residents that are now displaced is that New Orleans was a city of the “haves” and “have-nots.”

If small businesses thrive, then the local economy would become vibrant, and commensurate wages would increase. (cont’d)

Topic: “Small Business Symposium” (cont’d)

The Small Business Administration (SBA) initiative that will process SBA loans through private banks is a huge (recent) development.

If all parties involved in the recovery effort had one collective voice in the process of “leveling the playing field,” New Orleans would transform the portions of the city with a blighted economic past into a model that other cities in the USA would do well to emulate.

Topic: “Quality of Life”

Wages of teachers and law

enforcement officers must come up

to the national average.

The alternative is unacceptable,

which is:

a lower standard of education, an unqualified cadre’ of teachers, and a demoralized police force.

Topic: “Superdome or Alternative”

We should not forget that it was Louisiana legislature,

Congressman Hale Boggs and Gov. John McKeithen who set the

standard for modern-day sports arenas when it opened the

Louisiana Superdome™. The bar was set so high that the

Superdome’s usefulness (and technical potential) has endured

for over three decades. (cont’d)

Topic: “Superdome or Alternative” (cont’d)

Now is the time to solicit solid corporate sponsors, and have Louisiana raise the bar to an unprecedented level. With careful consultation (marketing, technology, engineering, etc.), the Bayou State can once again be the host of the Super Bowl, Final Four tournaments, and a myriad of other events on a regular basis (without being second-guessed or placed under undue scrutiny bywould-be approving authorities).

Topic: “Superdome or Alternative” (cont’d)

Implementation of the aforementioned recommendations is a

daunting (but NOT impossible) proposition. By taking a visionary

approach to this recovery, we will ensure the health and prosperity

for our children and grandchildren. And by so doing, the first

response when national entities plan events, they would be willing

to wait in line for 5 years. Then, the standard national query

would be: “Is there any chance New Orleans is available?”

Supplemental Recommendation

Topic: “Business Tri-Share”

Allow firms and businesses to access commercial real estate (offices, buildings,etc.) on a time-shared basis.

Overall lease expense is determined up front. Amount paid is pro-rated based on which 8-hour slot is leased (The following example is based on $2,000/month lease amount):

A: 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM 45% ($900.00)B: 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM 35% ($700.00)C: 10:00 PM – 6:00 AM 20% ($400.00)

Our neighborhood (before & after Katrina)

<<<<Before Katrina (1976): View from our side yard looking across the street.

After Katrina (2006): >>>> View from our side yard looking across the street.

Total citizen involvement will inspire a full NOLA recovery!

Thank you for your time and attention!