NEW ORLEANS — It has been a challenging 2019 for New Orleans with disasters you can't plan for.
That was Mayor LaToya Cantrell's assessment at her end of the year news conference at City Hall on Thursday.
"We're closing out a decade and I told my team, pile on all you need in 2019 before we shift," Cantrell said. "It sounds like that's exactly what's happening around here."
Cantrell referenced last week's cyberattack on the city's computer network.
The city is now in the process of restoring 4,000 computers impacted by the attack. The mayor admits the cost to city government is mounting.
"The cyber insurance that we did receive or purchase was in upward of $3 million," Cantrell said. "We believe that we may run over that $3 million threshold."
Cantrell is expected to increase the cyber insurance policy limit to more than $10 million in 2020.
The Hard Rock Hotel construction site collapse is also top of mind for the mayor at year's end.
She said so far, the city has spent $6 million responding to the collapse and securing the site.
"We have taken every step necessary in terms of risk management to ensure that we recoup the dollars that we put out," Cantrell said.
The mayor expects the developer to bear the cost of the demolition.
It is now expected to take two months to stabilize the site before crews can start taking down what's left of the Hard Rock.
The demolition is expected to alter the city's Mardi Gras parade route next year.
"We have made the decision, I made the call already as it relates to Mardi Gras, we will be avoiding the area altogether," Cantrell said.
It was also the year of the flood in Downtown New Orleans. Heavy rains turned streets in the CBD that rarely flooded before into rivers.
Cantrell said the city will continue to invest in drainage improvements and maintenance next year.
"Unfortunately...previous administrations did not own up to existing conditions within our built environment, throughout the city of New Orleans, did not deal with the Sewerage and Water Board accurately or appropriately, did not deal with even maintenance," Cantrell said.
The mayor also said on a positive note, this year nearly 700 new jobs came to the city, a brand new airport terminal building opened and there were fewer murders in the city this year than last.
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