NEW ORLEANS —Today, Tuesday, August 30, 2016, the City’s Fix My Streets Financing Working Group held its 5th public meeting at City Hall, 8th Floor, Room 8E10, 1300 Perdido St., at 10:00 a.m., to address New Orleans’ long-term infrastructure needs.
Established by Executive Order by Mayor Landrieu, the Fix My Streets Financing Working Group has been charged with developing recommendations about how the City can pay for interior street repairs based on information presented during the public meetings. Members of the Fix My Streets Financing Working Group have expertise in civil engineering, business, construction, finance, banking, transportation and community engagement, City reps said.
Agenda items for today’s meeting included the Citywide Pavement Assessment report presentation.
Topics previously discussed include municipal bonds and infrastructure development, innovative methods practiced in local governments, alternative financing options and infrastructure investments.
The Executive Order charges the Working Group with the following:
• To review all estimates for replacements and repair of all streets and subsurface utilities in New Orleans;
• To review all current funding sources for street and subsurface utility repairs in New Orleans;
• To review the pavement condition survey completed by the City of New Orleans that will be used for street prioritization;
• To review strategies that parties are currently using to inform the public about construction progress and timelines, as well as future construction;
• To review information about national best practices for financing infrastructure repair and recommendations that other organizations may submit to the Working Group;
• To review the planning processes, policies and implementation strategies undertaken by the various agencies fixing streets and subsurface utilities;
• To assess the affordability of the various options for financing infrastructure repairs; and
• To make final recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council regarding a long-term strategic financing plan for infrastructure repairs—particularly streets and subsurface utilities- in Orleans Parish.
• The Fix My Streets Financing Working Group is comprised of members with expertise in finance, business, construction, engineering, transportation and civic engagement. Written public comments will be accepted by notecard submissions. Only comments pertaining to the working group will be discussed during the meeting.
Public comments were also submitted via email at DPW@nola.gov.
