Improvement of Hurricane Evacuation Policy Brief 1011-05

Prepared by:

• Ranmali DeSilva

This report was written by undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans under the direction of Professor Peter F. Burns

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the 2005 tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, 1,500 New Orleans residents died as a result of confinement within the city during the Category 3 hurricane. This death toll stems from poor planning and implementation of hurricane evacuation protocols. During Hurricane Katrina, 40% of New Orleans residents did not leave the city. The factors that contributed to the city’s failure to evacuate all of its residents include residents’ lack of information regarding emergency evacuation procedures, the untimely mandate of an emergency evacuation, the absence of public transportation options for residents with special needs, poorly prepared evacuation routes, and the city’s overall lack of planning and preparation for emergency response.

Based upon the remedial tactics utilized in Florida and Alabama to ameliorate similar preparedness issues, the recommendations for improvement of evacuation practices in New Orleans include the provision of monthly information regarding emergency evacuation procedures to residents, an increase in modes of public transportation, a transportation registry for those in need in the event of an emergency evacuation, correspondence between RTA and emergency response planners, the creation of an entity that is solely responsible for the research and development of an effective evacuation plan, and the re-implementation of the Hurricane Pam exercise.

Improvement of Hurricane Evacuation

Homelessness Policy Brief 1011-04

Prepared by:

• Kelsey McGill
• Jonathan Cepalak
• Caleb Gallops
• Alexa Moulakis

This report was written by undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans under the direction of Professor Peter F. Burns

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

New Orleans has a 4% homeless rate, the highest in the nation. A severe lack of affordable housing, particularly post hurricane Katrina, has perpetuated this staggering percentage. Other cities similar to New Orleans have implemented various policies to alleviate their challenges with homelessness.

Birmingham, Alabama established a method of counseling for those without shelter. Jackson, Mississippi implemented a 10 year plan which plans to combine increased housing, counseling for the homeless, as well as surveying areas for homeless people.  Atlanta implemented the HUD’s recommended Continuum of Care program and has seen an exponential decrease in homelessness. Because of these programs, levels of homelessness have decreased in all three cities, and more affordable housing has emerged.

Because of similar demographics in Atlanta, the best plan to implement in New Orleans would be the Continuum of Care program. So far, the plan has been a success in Atlanta with an increase in affordable housing, better access to public services specifically intended to assist the homeless, and a better awareness around the city of the causes and effects of homelessness.

Homelessness Policy Brief

March 28, 2011

Sustainability Policies Policy Brief 1011-01

Prepared by:

• Marylee Clayton
• Olivia Fales
• Michael Ikossi
• Kamaria Monmouth

This report was written by undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans under the direction of Professor Peter F. Burns.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

New Orleans must improve the programs and laws that encourage sustainability. While the development of the New Orleans Master Plan has outlined long-term actions and goals, the city must take action immediately to improve its greenhouse gas emittance. Greenhouse gases are produced in nearly every sector of daily life. Energy efficient buildings, solid waste diversion, and the cultivation of local agriculture will decrease the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the city. Using the methods of cities like Atlanta, Georgia, Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C. will allow New Orleans to drastically advance its sustainable practices.

Sustainability Policy Brief 10-11-01

Saving Money for the Recovery School District Policy Brief 0910-02

18 August 10

Prepared by:

• Megan Cindrich
• Molly Katz
• Josh Mitchell

This report was written by undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans under the direction of Professor Peter F. Burns

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Recovery School District (RSD) is faced with an immense challenge of rebuilding and restructuring schools placed in its control. Monetarily, the RSD cannot handle this responsibility, but the RSD can explore several of the following paths to increase its resources. In addition, this policy brief explores how other states offer tax credits and benefits that can increase school district resources.

The RSD needs to look into obtaining Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits to aid rebuilding projects throughout the city. Because of their age, multiple school buildings located in the RSD would qualify for the 20% tax credit if the FHRTC accepted schools into the list of eligible properties. If the 20% tax credit is not an option, then the RSD can apply for a 10% tax credit for reconstruction.

New Market Tax Credits are aimed directly at projects that create jobs and new economic opportunities for residents. The competition for these credits is intense. Following the guidelines of energy reduction set by the federal government, the RSD can easily receive Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deductions and save money within the rebuilding process.

Download the full policy brief recovery-school-district-saving-money

Request for Proposal Process Policy Brief 0809-05

31 August 09

Prepared by:

• Erika Burton
• Sean Hood
• Jimmy Elcock
• Elliot Waters

This report was written by undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans under the direction of Professor Peter F. Burns.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

New Orleans’ request for proposal (RFP) process experiences copious interruptions that affect its efficiency. It needs accountability but greater efficiency as well. This report compares cities of similar structures to establish a process best fit to fulfill the needs of New Orleans. The time it takes New Orleans to process one RFP, Louisville, KY could complete four. In New Orleans, for instance, once a city department issues an RFP and contractors submit proposals, the city’s review process involves excessive oversight compared to processes in similar cities. The unnecessary oversight elongates the process and reduces efficiency.

A comparison of New Orleans’ RFP process with those of other commensurable cities, requested by Dr. Blakely, indicates different policy options that would expedite the process in New Orleans and reevaluate the different checks currently involved. The cities in the comparative case studies use different procedures that fulfill their needs. Based on case studies, we recommend that New Orleans implement an expedited procedure in times of emergency, a threshold of $50,000 that determines the review process for the proposal, improved communication between the mayor and the review board, and a permanent review board that includes the use of a paralegal.

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Ad Valorem Tax Policy Brief 0809-03

24 August 09

Prepared by:

• Jamie Boudreaux
• Maria Patselikos
• Kevin Welsh

This report was written by undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans under the direction of Professor Peter F. Burns.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Like most municipalities in the United States, New Orleans depends on ad valorem taxation for a vast amount of city revenue. Ad valorem policy is formed by a complex web of state and local law, and different localities often adopt different strategies to fund city services, facilitate outside investment, and promote tourism. Different areas, even those that are geographically and demographically similar, have opted to use radically different strategies.

New Orleans is unique in taxation strategy because of the presence of public-private partnerships that have the ability to levy ad valorem taxes, often within a specific city district, for the provision of extra city services or to facilitate outside investment and tourism. Consistently, we found that these public-private partnerships share two properties: (1) the ability of the city’s elected officials, especially the mayor, to staff the leadership of the taxing body with political allies (patronage) and (2) the creation of new policy options and the acquisition of resources that would be otherwise nonexistent.

While we found that transparency in tax expenditure and patronage in leadership appointments were potential issues in these public-private partnerships, we found no evidence that these partnerships are detrimental to the city. To the contrary, both the Audubon Commission and the Downtown Development District have served the city well during their respective histories; both entities have executed their respective functions efficiently and consistently. We do note, though, that these partnerships are seemingly created only when they will advance substantive business interests, outside of the highly localized and rather small “security districts” in uptown New Orleans.

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Taxicab Policy Brief 0809-02

20 August 09

Prepared by:

• Cameron Sasnett
• Cade Cypriano

This report was written by undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans under the direction of Professor Peter F. Burns.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Throughout the United States, and even the world, regulation of safe and reliable ground transportation within urban areas helps maintain a stable traffic flow and address the satisfaction of the citizens who rely upon the transportation system. Traditionally, an operator’s entry into the taxicab portion of this system has been regulated and restricted by municipal governments to provide a fair and balanced arrangement that is both capable of handling cities’ needs as well as being profitable for the operators.

Recently, citizens in New Orleans asked whether the city’s taxicab regulation system provides safe and reliable service. New Orleans regulates issuance of operational permits for taxicabs. The city provides operators with a license known as Certificates of Public Necessity and Convenience (CPNC). Most cities similar to New Orleans utilize a formula, based on a number of factors such as population, vehicle ownership, and other transportation variables to derive a specific number of taxicabs. Similar cities also regularly evaluate these numbers to ensure that a sufficient number of taxis are available throughout the city. Currently, New Orleans does not have such a system in place and as a result, it maintains an overabundance of nearly 1,100 taxicab permits, or 67% of its current licenses. This over-saturation of taxicabs created a system that forces taxi operators to battle for the most convenient fares instead of focusing on providing services throughout the city.

Specific considerations should be accounted for New Orleans’ allotment of CPNCs: since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans’ population and tourism levels have deflated and increased without a reexamination of the appropriate number of operational permits issued each year. Prior to Katrina, New Orleans sustained a tremendous reduction in its residential population. In addition to New Orleans’ population changes, the city faces CPNC reduction strategy challenges. Currently, city legislation allows permit holders to leverage their cityowned licenses for monetary loans. New Orleans should prohibit the monetary leveraging of CPNCs. Prohibition of the allowance of the value-based transfers will help the city to regain control of the CPNCs present in the city. In addition to an overhaul of the CPNC process, New Orleans should continue to enforce legislation present in the ground transportation section of its code of ordinances, and seek to be a leader in the field of urban, for-hire, ground-transportation management.

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