NEW ORLEANS — The Department of Public Works and the Department of Property Management shared the hot seat at the City Council’s budget meeting today.
As council members map out next year’s budget, glitching traffic lights, missing street signs, and AC are once again hot topics at City Hall.
“What are we going to do about the deteriorating street signs? I could take pictures but it would fill up my entire camera roll,” Council Member Lesli Harris asked.
After a summer of AC issues at city facilities, council members took turns asking the Department of Property Management how next year will be different.
“There are plans to fix a lot of areas,” Department of Property Management Director Howard Nobles said.
Property management proposed a $17,566,997 budget, including HVAC system improvements and city facility upgrades. Department of Property Management Director Howard Nobles says this summer they had trouble getting parts for HVAC units but hopes 2025 will be different.
“There is a part shortage but we’re learning how to manufacture or getting the parts manufactured and are working at stocking up on common items that have failed,” Director of Property Management Howard Nobles said.
The Department of Public Works was up next, less than a week after the city launched an investigation into employee mistreatment allegations.
“It was incredibly jarring to see the work conditions our workers were dealing with,” Council Member JP Morrell said last week.
Public Works’ $70,546,609 game plan proposes new training, hiring more employees, and better management of street light and street sign maintenance.
“Top priority is to begin the hiring process,” Department of Public Works Director Rick Hathaway said. “If we get what we ask for, there will be quite a few positions we need to get filled.”
In 2025, the New Orleans City Council wants to hear less talking and more action.
“If we can get basic things right like traffic lights working, like our streets fixed, the temperature in this city will go from here to here,” Harris said.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
