Jacquelyn Brechtel “Jackie” Clarkson

Arnold “Arnie” Fielkow

Nolan Marshall

Cynthia Willard-Lewis

Q. What are your five initial priorities as a Councilmember At-Large?

Q. What are your five initial priorities as a Councilmember At-Large?

Q. What are your five initial priorities as a Councilmember At-Large?

Q. What are your five initial priorities as a Councilmember At-Large?

A. Crime

B. Master Plan

C. More jobs

D. Charter changes to improve government functioning

E. Performance-based budgeting

A. Mayor and Council to work in tandem and in partnership

B. Public safety — new police chief

C. Economic development

D. City contracting

E. New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD)

A. Address violent crime

B. Push educational reform

C. Economic development

D. Budgeting reform

E. Fully fund the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD)

A. Public safety

B. Economic development/quality of life

C. Budget reform

 
Public Safety/Crime

 
Public Safety/Crime

 
Public Safety/Crime

 
Public Safety/Crime

Her major priority is to fully fund the criminal justice system, using performance-based budgeting. She aims to improve tax collections and add any additional revenue to District Attorney (DA) budget. Use Council’s control over the purse strings, benchmark performing programs, and direct the DA to bring in the other programs for review. 

The DA should coordinate the entire criminal justice system. Supports retaining programs such as diversionary, witness protection, and cold case.

NOPD reform must start with the new chief, who has to know community policing, deployment, technology, crime reporting statistics, etc. A major goal is to restore confidence in the police chief. He would urge the mayor to reach out to the criminal justice coalition, citizens, the Council, and neighborhood groups to help in the search and selection of a new police chief, and in the vetting process. The police chief should be evaluated on the reduction of violent crime number, not number of arrests. 

The Council has a direct impact on budgeting to improve the criminal justice system. Senses a better working relationship among the NOPD, DA, judges, public defenders office, and other elements, resulting in mid-level improvements.  

The DA’s office has seen major improvements, and should be judged on prosecuting of violent crimes. The Council has helped by de-emphasizing minor crimes. Approves diversionary programs. 

We have a new breed of judges who are tougher, and understand the need to accelerate the case handling.            

The public defender’s office is not well-funded and needs to have a state funding source.

He would seek to chair the Council’s Criminal Justice Committee, and would use it to focus on violent crime. Proposes to develop an anti-violent crime comprehensive plan involving all city-funded agencies. He would use the budget process to implement that comprehensive plan, rather that piecemeal funding for individual agencies, and to hold agencies accountable.          

Her public safety program includes making sure each district has manpower and funding to do its job effectively. Emphasizes the need for the Councilperson to be in the district, attending NONPAC meetings, and following up with the district commander. 

To improve greater cooperation, she would convene regular           criminal justice seminars involving all players, including community-based groups, review initiatives, identify problems, and focus on addressing recommendations.  

Her program on crime prevention focuses on eliminating the 10 percent that constitute hard-core, violent offenders. Nuisance crime, gang crime, and domestic violence should be addressed primarily through spiritual therapy and family healing. Young people need early mentoring, and job training and work force programs.

 
Economic Development

 
Economic Development

 
Economic Development

 
Economic Development

More jobs will result from her focus on retaining a military presence, which means $4.5 billion and 10,000 high-paying jobs in 10 years, and on the Algiers Federal City development, which will become the largest private/public project in the state. She supports expanding the Federal Cities concept to the port, Michaud, and other employment centers. 

The economic engines that will drive the city are (1) the military and its related components and services; (2) port expansion; and (3) tourism, but not through quantity, but quality because a more sophisticated tourist spends more money. Existing marketing and tourism groups do a good job now but could bring about change by marketing the city in a different way. 

Economic development and historic preservation. Emphasizes her record of voting for preservation, and notes efforts to bring people to the table. She recommends including the At-Large as well as District Council member on development discussions and issues. 

Bio-medical Corridor. She recalled that she wrote Louisiana’s first genetic testing bill. She fully supports a bio-medical focus.  

Entertainment. She supported renovation of the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Movie companies shooting films here should respect the community.

The first priority is to get public-private partnerships established, reinforce local industries, and add new ones: maritime, medical, aerospace, construction, digital industry, and creative arts. Approving the Master Plan and a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance will give confidence to investors that there are rules in place that will be enforced.            

Economic engines that will drive the city include (1) the hospitality industry, which we need to reinforce, support, and let grow; (2) bio-medical; and (3) maritime services. 

Bio-medical. If we do this right, we’ll have three brand new hospitals in New Orleans East, Veterans Administration, and LSU; a true medical district with well-paying jobs.  

Maritime.           Panama Canal expansion is an incredible opportunity for us as a region but we’ll lose it if the state legislature doesn’t come up with a port plan. 

Economic development and preservation. There have been tensions, but they are not mutually exclusive.           He emphasizes working together and mutual respect to preserve historic neighborhoods.           In the French Quarter, residents and the hospitality industry share common interests in cleanliness, condition of our streets, and crime.

Economic development will be driven by biosciences, tourism, and an administration friendly to small businesses. He fully supports public-private partnerships, and advocates using technology to make the city more business friendly.            

Bio-sciences and Charity Hospital. A bio-sciences community could attract drug and medical equipment manufacturers and be the gateway for medical services to South and Central America. He supports an independent study to give input to the Council regarding Charity and other components. He criticizes the Baton Rouge plan as a suburban model, requiring too much land. Stresses that New Orleans must determine what is best for the city. It’s important: 10,000 jobs can come from the biomedical district and make Tulane Avenue a high-quality retail corridor if it incorporates          high-quality urban design. He would hold public hearings on proposals and ask that the results be included in the Master Plan. 

Port and maritime. He believes it essential to be prepared for the widening of the Panama Canal. 

Tourism. City needs to continue to invest in its tourism assets, and to clean up and improve the French Quarter. Reinventing the Crescent/waterfront parks will be huge for tourism, but must address neighborhood concerns. Getting Canal Street right will provide shopping for locals and tourists. 

Economic development has business leadership, tourism industry, and educational components, including work force development agencies. The Council must support a continuing dialogue with the people affected to bridge gaps and assure them of government support. The city must support businesses by addressing even small things, such as fixing broken street lights and repairing streets. Within 100 days, she would have a dialogue with the giants of our business community to enhance respect between government and business.  

Her approach to economic development is built around long- and short-term measures. The bio-medical corridor, for instance, is long-term — over five years. In the short-term, the city must strengthen economic capabilities of our recovery by using disaster recovery funds; the city has spent only $9 million of $411 million in community development block grant funds. She points to Council inter-action with the Recovery School District to build five new schools.  

Bio-sciences and Charity Hospital. She is committed to construction of the Veterans Administration-LSU/Tulane teaching hospitals and ancillary services including research and university teaching. She is unsure if Charity should be rebuilt as a hospital, but as a Charity baby, she wants to see the building re-used. 

Port and maritime. We must connect our port to Panama Canal expansion, and otherwise exploit the Mississippi River, our greatest asset.            

Tourism. Our jewel and treasure of how we’re defined to the world is our tourist industry. We have to make sure it is sustained; a clean and vibrant French Quarter is what the people come to see. She points to the (recently announced) Comprehensive Tourism Plan as providing a blueprint for moving tourism forward and pledged work in a collaborative fashion.  

Infrastructure. Would help ensure that architects and construction are local to provide strong, high paying local jobs.  

“Green” development. Rebuilding provides an opportunity to create a unique “green” industry. Energy efficiency investments are just starting to roll out. We have to make sure the younger people are developing a culture of jobs.

 
Relations between the Council and the Mayor … and with constituents

 
Relations between the Council and the Mayor … and with constituents

 
Relations between the Council and the Mayor … and with the Community

 
Relations between the Council and the Mayor … and with the Community

She would promote cooperation with executive branch by working directly with the Mayor, as she did when she first was elected and resulted in positive achievements.

Believes that the Mayor and Council should work in tandem and in partnership; one of his first priorities would be to meet with the new mayor to see how to create that relationship.  

Favors making sure the Council members work together and treat each other with civility and respect.  

The Council needs a renewed effort to get community group input. He would be very supportive of a Neighborhood Partnership Network but would make an independent decision on how he votes.          

He notes he’s used his campaign begin building a relationship with the next mayor. He emphasizes building on mutual agreements, and using that to move beyond racial politics, corruption, and patronage. He supports public dialogue using social media, web chats, TV, and radio, and having the council president and mayor engage in a quarterly public dialogue with the citizens. 

He underlines the need to build intra-council relationships, and relationships among Council members, the mayor, and the city’s legislative delegation.

Building a more cooperative relationship with the mayor depends on agreement on district and city-wide priorities. She supports a continuous dialogue with the mayor, at least with Council leadership.  

She thinks it important to have regular interaction and engagement with citizens through community meetings involving the district Council person, an at-large Council person, and the mayor.

 
Budget and Government Service Delivery

 
Budget and Government Service Delivery

 
Budget and Government Service Delivery

 
Budget and Government Service Delivery

One of her first acts would be to introduce city Charter changes leading to real performance-based budgeting and to target professional personal services contracts. Her budget process changes include giving the Council control over budget line items. The goal is to have a budget ready for review and re-analysis in June. The budget would fund the criminal justice system first.  

She supports changes in the city Charter to ensure professional service contracts come before the City Council to better ensure transparency and public scrutiny. 

She proposes organizing some agencies, such as the Sanitation Department and Emergency Medical Services, as profit centers. 

Inspector General. She points to her role in putting the position in the City Charter so that the position cannot be done away with except by a vote of the people. 

New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD). She supports finding a dedicated source of funding after governance and spending priorities are in place.  

Master Plan. Recalls she campaigned for a Master Plan with the force of law, and emphasizes her determination to see it passed by the present Council. The Plan and the new Comprehensive Zoning Code will balance residential/preservation interests with those of investors. 
 

The city needs a new way of looking at the contracting in the city; it should remain the mayor’s decision, but the public needs to have confidence. 

He supports a new budget process to begin by June 1, when the Council, mayor and chief administrative officer meet to work on the budget. Weekly meetings start in August.           Every expense and revenue budget line item should be explained. He would support a Charter change to institute budgeting for outcomes, and to make the process collaborative.  

The Council needs to review both revenue and expenses. Property and sales taxes need review. Stimulating retail businesses will increase sales tax collections. On property taxes, the right person in the consolidated Tax Assessor position can eliminate current inequities and re-evaluate all tax-exempt properties to reduce abuse. On the expense side, professional services contracts have been for a long time a slush fund for political donations. He advocates a more open, transparent process based on community priorities.            

Inspector General. Establishing the Inspector General (IG) is a very positive Council accomplishment in promoting efficient government. The Council needs to continue provide resources and allow the IG to perform. The mayor and Council must view the IG as a partner, not an adversary.  

New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD). Sports program inadequacies foster crime and impede economic development. He supports proposals to change the Charter to make NORD independent and supported by dedicated millage.  

Master Plan. He looks forward to the City Planning Commission to present a Master Plan that can be approved before this Council leaves office.            

Quality of life law enforcement. Rules should be honored, but enforcement is done by the executive branch. Council can question officials when enforcement is lacking and exercise some control through the budget.  

Public Transportation and Streetcar Line Expansion. Acknowledges problems in re-establishing the RTA post-Katrina. Street car expansion would open up neighborhoods; he pushed very hard for the Marigny-St. Claude connection. Light rail should be looking at connections between the North Shore and Orleans Parish; we should explore rail connections to the airport and Baton Rouge, and ultimately to the Gulf South. He would support more regional cooperation with Jefferson and other parishes, in transportation as well as in sanitation and flood protection.

Addressing budget reform is going to be key in the next Council. Problems can’t be resolved only by cutting; ways must be found to increase funding. He would fully fund NORD and invest in New Orleans’s youth. 

Enforcement of laws/ordinances. Pointing out it doesn’t make sense to have ordinances that aren’t enforced, he would draw on his community-building skills to establish a broad enforcement plan and ensure enough votes. City officials would be held publicly accountable. 

Professional services contracts. Improving transparency has to involve both the Council and the mayor. Recalls that the Council passed an ordinance; the issue became racially divisive and the Mayor changed the process and Council couldn’t override the Mayor’s veto. This episode shows that some people use our diversity as a political tool and a wedge, particularly as it pertains to transparency and professional/services contracts. This, in his opinion, stemmed in part from the failure of local African-American leadership to recognize that lack of transparency and disclosure benefits a few wealthy individuals but hurts the poor and non-connected. 

Inspector General. Supports the office, but the Inspector General should refrain from commenting until he can make his case. He observes the U.S. Attorney is responsible for fraud, but the Inspector General is key to targeting waste.            

Balancing historic preservation and economic development. He underlines the need to preserve properties and that neighborhoods are important to the city’s cultural and economic future. But historic preservation should not stand in the way of vital progress. Charity Hospital, he says, is an example. He supports retaining the building, but the surrounding neighborhood is troubled and he supports re-zoning to provide a mixed-use environment (but not strip malls or condos). Leadership may involve sacrificing one neighborhood to save another … it’s a matter of balance.            

Master Plan. Noting poor leadership and communication have caused racial divisiveness, he stresses that he has worked to get the Master Plan accepted by the citizenry. He hopes the Master Plan could be approved by the next Council. 

Educational Reform. Council has to provide leadership to transform the existing three education systems to one in the next three to five years. He would seek to chair the Council’s Education Committee to reform education, looking forward (and not backward) and involving the community. 

Her second highest priority (after public safety) is to reform budget practices. She urges that the Chief Administrative Officer discuss budget priorities simultaneously with department heads and the Council beginning early and on a schedule that includes time for citizen input. She notes, however, the Council’s role may limit what can be legally done.            

Enforcing quality of life ordinances. She proposes giving department heads an overview of past major problems so they understand the quality of life issues affecting communities. She emphasizes dialogue between Council members and department heads. Enforcement, she adds, also has a positive impact on economic development. 

Professional services contracts. She would support changing ordinances to require full disclosure of both prime- and sub-contractors.  

Inspector General. She believes it critically important that there has to be respect among the Council, mayor and Inspector General. The office can to help us understand and apply the best practices of other communities. 

Master Plan. The Master Plan will help solve the problem of spot zoning, and provide some consistency and order to the families, investors, and developers. She voted for the Master Plan with the force of law, but was concerned about the rush. She emphasizes the Master Plan must be done comprehensively, with citizen participation and the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. She doesn’t support bringing the Master Plan before the Council before it’s done. She would advocate relying on the community-approved rules in the Master Plan to guide capital projects instead of spot zoning based the wishes of a local councilmember. 

Public transportation and street car expansion. Public transportation is important to getting people to and from jobs and stimulating economic development. Public transportation has to be flexible in routes, boundaries, and equipment. The historic streetcars are a tourist marketing tool. She advocates eventual streetcar expansion to farther reaches of the parish after lines currently proposed are completed.

 
French Quarter Challenges

 
French Quarter Challenges

 
French Quarter Challenges

 
French Quarter Challenges

Vieux Carré  Commission (VCC). Agrees that the VCC isn’t as effective as it could be because it’s not getting support from the city; however, this is strictly under the Mayor.  

French Quarter-Marigny Historic Area Management District. Applauds solidarity, sensible leadership, and building a consensus on a program; promises to favor whatever the District votes for.  

Re-Inventing the Crescent/Riverfront Park. Stresses importance of returning the waterfront to the people. She remains concerned that the Marigny community is not adequately protected, but believes a new mayor can help. The New Orleans Building Corporation (NOBC) should not be in control.

Re-Inventing the Crescent/Riverfront Park. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to open the riverfront to the city and its citizens. The City Council is trying to be sure that parking, noise, and quality of life issues are being addressed; he’s encouraged an agreement satisfying both sides. He promises to do what he can to help broker that agreement.  

Organized community groups, such as those in the Quarter, do the hard work of identifying problems and priorities, and building consensus and The Council’s role is to get the mayor and departments to get things done and follow through.  

If indeed we believe the French Quarter is so important to the city, then, we need to find the resources even if we have to tap the Economic Development Fund. On trash and sanitation issues, for instance, the Council’s role is to ensure the money is there and the services are in place. Owners who benefit have to do a lot more.