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MESSAGE FROM COUNCILMEMBER PALMER

In just a few short weeks, the City Council will have been sworn into office exactly a year ago. I have enjoyed serving District C residents and advocating for issues that are important to the people I serve. I believe it’s vital that voters hold their elected officials accountable. This is why, next month, I will provide a detailed summary of my accomplishments so far and plans for the second year of my term. 

One issue I will continue to push throughout my term is affordable housing. Housing is a fundamental human need. Whether you’re single or married, accessible and affordable housing is the foundation for a healthy life and should be a safe haven for everyone. New Orleans is special because its people are special - the music, the food and the architecture that defines us flows from our residents who are oftentimes barely making ends meet. The least we, as elected leaders, can do is explore and implement solutions to remove housing from their list of concerns. I want to continue this conversation of providing more affordable housing options for our residents. This month, I have partnered with the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance to host a housing summit in Algiers. Housing experts will discuss specific challenges facing homeowners and renters on the Westbank and provide some ideas on how we can address them. 

Finally, I’m joining Girl Trek for Super Hero Saturdays to raise awareness for Minority Health month. Oftentimes, women are so busy taking care of others that we neglect our own health and happiness. Mothers, daughters and young girls, please consider joining me at Behrman Stadium to walk and talk together. I’ll see you there!

Kristin Gisleson Palmer

RTA STREETCAR PILOT PROGRAM

At the Transportation Committee meeting in March, Councilmembers learned about the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) proposal to update operations of the streetcar system to conform to best practices for high-speed public transit.

The RTA is exploring a six-month pilot program on the Canal Streetcar that would test a number of different techniques to decrease travel times on the line. Several ideas are under consideration, including signal prioritization at intersections, employing pre-boarding ticket takers at major stops, reducing the number of stops along the line, and closing off certain neutral ground crossovers to vehicular traffic. Because so many high capacity bus lines connect with the Canal Streetcar Line, the RTA believes this program can demonstrate how we can cut down on travel time for regular riders accessing jobs in the downtown area.

The RTA will host community meetings and forums and the Department of Public Works will conduct a traffic study before moving forward with any formal plans. The Canal Streetcar line pilot program emerged from results of an internal analysis of RTA’s transit system. The study found the Canal Streetcar Line takes an average of 34 minutes to ride the 2.7 miles from Carrollton to Harrah’s Casino. Initial proposals have found that implementing a combination of the ideas above could save riders up to 12 minutes.

FREE SMOKE ALARMS FOR ALGIERS RESIDENTS

The Red Cross is installing free alarms in Algiers on Tuesday, April 23rd from 4pm until 7pm. It is part of the Red Cross home fire campaign, Sound the Alarm. Red Cross volunteers provide year-round home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in at-risk communities across the country. Volunteers and firefighters will canvass neighborhoods installing free smoke alarms, replacing batteries and helping families create a fire escape plan. Red Cross stresses that working smoke alarms in a home cut the risk of death by half, and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival during a fire.

Sign up here for a free smoke alarm installation or click here to volunteer.

MUSICIANS' PARKING PASS

Councilmember Palmer is considering new legislation that will allow musicians to utilize loading zones for temporary parking. The proposed ordinance would give musicians a permit to park their vehicles in a loading zone, allowing them to unload musical equipment for scheduled performances. The free parking pass would be issued through the Department of Safety and Permits to the business authorized to have live music on-site.

Performers are not always well compensated, and paying to park can take a significant amount of a night’s earning. The purpose of the legislation would give them the opportunity to park close to the venue to load and unload their equipment within an hour’s time. The idea was discussed during the Transportation Committee meeting where Councilmember Palmer heard from members of the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans. In the coming months, she will continue gathering input from stakeholders and finalize a draft ordinance to present to the Council.

BILLBOARD STUDY

The City Planning Commission (CPC) needs your help. In 2018, the City Council requested the CPC pinpoint the number of billboards across the city and identify problematic locations. For several years now, there have been restrictions on billboards in the city. However, the Council wants to ensure those restrictions are not outdated.

As part of the study, the CPC will update the existing city-wide inventory, determine which billboards are located in zoning and historic districts and research appropriate design standards. The CPC is scheduled to release its recommendations on Tuesday, April 9th and will discuss at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, April 13th at 1:30PM in the Council Chamber. Once you review the potential changes of billboards in your neighborhood, you are encouraged to attend the CPC’s public hearing on the issue to voice your concerns and give feedback.

For more information on the billboard study and upcoming public hearing, click here.

BIKE NETWORK MEETINGS

As an advocate for safer, more accessible and equitable mobility options, Councilmember Palmer is encouraging you to attend one of the upcoming bike network planning workshops hosted by the City’s Department of Transportation. The workshops will engage communities throughout New Orleans about plans to expand the City’s bike network. The series of meetings will also include presentations providing new data on the current state of bicycle infrastructure. For details on when a meeting will take place near your neighborhood, find the list here.  

DISTRICT C ROADWORK UPDATES

For more information on the status of current and future roadwork projects in District C, click here.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: COMPOST NOW

With the help of local residents, Compost NOW is reducing food waste in New Orleans. Lynne Serpe founded Compost NOW (New Orleans Waste) in 2017 and, since then, the program has diverted more than 150,000 pounds of food waste from area landfills. The organization partners with the New Orleans Public Library System, Friends of the New Orleans Public Library and Tulane Law School to provide ten drop-off locations, six days a week. Compost NOW tries to make it easy and convenient for participants by offering more than 40 drop-offs each month across the city. The frozen food waste is transported to local farms where it is turned into nutrient-rich compost or used as food for chickens and hogs. 

The free residential food waste collection project’s mission is to reduce food waste and build healthy soil in the community. Their annual goal is to divert over 100,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill to local farms and compost centers.

Join their efforts by bringing frozen fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, nut shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, filters, plain pasta, plain grains, and plain bread to a participating library near you. Compost NOW does not accept meat, bones, or dairy. However, don’t forget to bring your frozen food scraps in reusable containers, paper, or compostable bags to prevent leaks and rodents at the pickup sites. 

For the schedule of drop off locations, or to volunteer, check out their website, www.compost-now.org.

District "C" Housing Summit

Saturday, April 6th

9:30AM - 2:30PM

Algiers Regional Library

3014 Holiday Drive

Coffee with Kristin

Friday, April 12th

8:30AM - 10AM

Fatma's Cozy Corner

1532 Ursuline Ave.

Girl Trek with Councilwoman Palmer

Saturday, April 13th

8:30AM - 10AM

Behrman Park

2529 General Meyer Ave.

Meet in front of the gymnasium

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New Orleans City Council

District “C” Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer