Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to create task force to review ‘failures’ of Sewerage & Water Board
By Ben Myers
Source: The Times-Picayune | Nola.com
February 27, 2024
In his latest move to reshape New Orleans, Gov. Jeff Landry is launching a task force to investigate what he called “the frequent failures” of the Sewerage & Water Board and propose broad changes to the long-derided utility that could be made by state lawmakers as soon as next month.
Landry announced Tuesday he had signed an executive order creating the Governor’s Task Force for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. The 14-member body, consisting of appointees by the governor, state agencies, city economic development leaders and others, will have wide latitude to make recommendations on any aspect of the agency’s operations.
It also has a specific mandate to look at the S&WB’s billing practices, its governing structure and whether its management should be reorganized to “achieve more direct lines of authority” over key operations.
The task force is to provide recommendations within 30 days, in time for the upcoming legislative session.
Notably, the group does not include any dedicated appointments by New Orleans elected officials — including Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who serves as president of the state-authorized agency — or any leaders of the S&WB, though a Landry spokesperson suggested some local officials could be named.
In a prepared statement, Landry said “the current operating status of the Sewerage and Water Board is not acceptable.”
“Those who live in New Orleans are far too familiar with the frequent failures of the Sewerage and Water Board,” said Landry, citing recent incidents of widespread street flooding and long-standing billing problems. “Through this executive order, we will determine ways to make the board run more efficiently and guarantee tax dollars are being put to proper use.”
The order is the latest evidence that Landry, a conservative Republican, plans to follow through on a campaign promise to make big changes in New Orleans, where local politics are dominated by Democratic officials. The city, a key economic hub of the state that has long battled problems with violent crime and crumbling infrastructure, is a frequent political foil for the new governor, who said last year shortly after creating a transition team dedicated to New Orleans that he wants the city “to operate like the city of Charleston and the city of Nashville.”
Since taking office, Landry has announced the return of a Louisiana State Police troop to the city and an agreement with District Attorney Jason Williams that will allow the state Attorney General’s Office to prosecute cases.
Local response
The additional law-enforcement assistance was applauded by Cantrell and other city leaders. But it’s not clear how local officials will respond to any proposed organizational changes at the S&WB, which is technically a state agency has long been controlled locally.
Cantrell did not respond to a request for comment. Nor did City Council member Oliver Thomas, who chairs the council’s public works committee.
A prepared statement from S&WB spokesperson Grace Birch said the agency “welcome(s) the attention to our utility and our city’s critical needs,” noting that it shared some of the priorities outlined in a Landry transition task force report released soon after he took office in January.
In addition to the issues outlined in the executive order, the transition report called for creating a New Orleans stormwater management plan and securing state funding for a critical S&WB power complex, along with other funding. The executive order does not mention a storm water management plan or additional funding.
“We appreciate the opportunity to delve into our major initiatives, discuss challenges, and identify areas for collaboration with our local, state, and federal partners,” the S&WB said.
Appointment power
The task force will be composed of four appointees made by Landry, and appointees from the Department of Transportation and Development, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the Department of Environmental Quality.
The Jefferson Parish Public Works Department, New Orleans & Co., Greater New Orleans, Inc. and the Business Council of New Orleans will also be allowed to make one appointment each.
Also making one appointment each is The American Council of Engineering Companies of Louisiana, the Louisiana Engineering Society and the Louisiana Association of General Contractors.
The Landry transition task force focused on New Orleans similarly did not include anyone from city government or law enforcement, but did include Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto.
A spokesperson for Landry noted that the governor’s four appointments could include city leaders. It is not clear when Landry will announce those appointments.
One task force member, Paul Flower, chair of the New Orleans Business Council, said he expects the S&WB to be represented.
“I think that will probably become evident in the next day or two,” Flower said.
Complaints and fixes
Residents have long complained about S&WB billing inaccuracies, a problem the agency is now seeking to fix by installing automated meters. But completion of that project is still years away.
The utility is also constructing a new power complex that is designed to provide reliable electricity to the city’s outdated drainage pumps. The complex, which is centered on a new substation the S&WB is aiming to have up and running by the 2025 hurricane season, is to replace faulty turbines and other equipment that frequently break down during heavy rains and worsen street flooding.
Flower said he hopes the task force will focus on securing $29 million in state construction money needed to bring that substation online.
“It’s not like we’re asking the state for an inordinate amount, and it’s a very, very critical thing to have,” Flower said.
The S&WB governing board is controlled by the mayor, while its funding is controlled by the City Council. Many of its regulations are laid out in state laws. BGR has opined in multiple reports that the diffuse governance causes confusion and a lack of coordination.
“The structure of the Sewerage and Water Board is really the root cause of a lot of the water-related problems that New Orleanians experience,” BGR CEO Rebecca Mowbray said last year, after the group’s latest report.
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