Candidate questions

Candidate questions: Councilman Jay H. Banks, District B

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The upcoming election, which includes an open primary for all City Council seats, will be Nov. 13. To give voters a chance to learn the policies, platforms and personal attributes their City Council candidates plan to bring to the office, Uptown Messenger has sent questionnaires to all of the District A and District B candidates. District B Councilman Jay H. Banks, who is running for re-election, reveals his answers below. City Council District B
Jay H. Banks, Democrat
Place of birth: New Orleans
Education: McMain Magnet Secondary School; Dillard University, bachelor’s degree in business administration; Springfield College, master’s degree in organizational management
Current neighborhood: My wife and I live the Milan neighborhood after relocating in 2006 from Broadmoor due to Katrina.

city government

Candidate questions: Amy Misko, City Council District A

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The upcoming election, which includes an open primary for all City Council seats, has been rescheduled for Nov. 13 due to Hurricane Ida. To give voters a chance to learn the policies, platforms and personal attributes their City Council candidates plan to bring to the office, Uptown Messenger has sent questionnaires to all of the District A and District B candidates. District A candidate Amy Misko reveals her answers below. City Council District A
Amy Misko, Libertarian

Place of birth: Buffalo, New York
Schools attended: State University of New York College at Geneseo, New York Institute of Technology.

music

Tipitina’s expansion moves forward with City Council approval

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It’s been a tough slog for the city’s live-music industry since the pandemic hit, but one classic Uptown venue is looking to the future with plans to expand. Tipitina’s music club received approval from the City Council on Thursday to open a new club next door. The new venue will be a café and restaurant by day and a bar with live music at night. “With Covid and all that has been shut down, this is an exciting thing to watch, that Tipitina’s is actually expanding,” said District B Councilman Jay H. Banks. “Anything we can do to let our culture bearers, the backbone of our economy, to have more opportunities to work, is a good thing.”

city government

When will your trash get picked up? Here’s what the city says

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While officials are working to straighten out the city’s trash troubles, garbage will be collected only once a week, the Mayor’s Office announced Saturday (Oct. 9)

The temporary change, which took effect immediately, was implemented “to bring a level of consistency to residents,” a press release stated. “This approach will effectively enable twice the number of trucks to operate in the designated area on each service day.” The service day for the Lower Garden District, Garden District, Irish Channel, Central City, B.W. Cooper and part of Gert Town (from the Pontchartrain Expressway to Palmetto Street) will be Thursday. This is the purple area on the map above.

Advertiser specials

JP Morrell releases infrastructure plan for a resilient, prosperous and equitable future (sponsored)

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JP Morrell Releases Infrastructure Plan for a Resilient, Prosperous & Equitable Future
In New Orleans, infrastructure has been neglected for generations, with elected leaders kicking the can down the proverbial road. And that road is a very bad one. To change that, City Council At-Large, Division 2 candidate JP Morrell released an infrastructure plan Friday (Oct. 8) to finally address the city’s long-neglected infrastructure and provide a blueprint for a more resilient and prosperous future. “The goal is not only a New Orleans that will lead the South in creating new jobs, investment, and sustainable growth, but a New Orleans that works for its citizens – one built on the foundation of smart infrastructure and forward thinking,” said Morrell.

land use & development

City Council approves University Area Off-Street Parking Overlay

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The City Council passed a motion Thursday establishing the University Area Off-Street Parking Overlay, making permanent the Interim Zoning District aimed at curbing the spread of investor-owned “doubles-to-dorms.”

Since the restrictions were temporarily established in March 2020, the overlay has expanded geographically while becoming more limited in scope and application. The overlay still requires one off-street parking space for each newly created bedroom in the area, but now it applies only to new homes or renovations with more than four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms per unit. It also features carve-outs for homes with a homestead exemption and for affordable housing projects. In addition, it only applies to residential districts. And to reduce stormwater runoff, each new parking space must be permeable.

Advertiser specials

Join us for Archives Month hosted by Chelsey Richard Napoleon, Clerk of Civil District Court (sponsored)

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JOIN US VIRTUALLY FOR EXHIBITS FROM THE NOTARIAL ARCHIVES RESEARCH CENTER! THESE VIRTUAL SHOWCASES/BLOGS CAN BE VIEWED BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE THROUGH NOVEMBER 2021. ABOUT THE CLERK OF CIVIL DISTRICT COURT’S OFFICE FOR THE PARISH OF ORLEANS:

The Clerk’s Office consists of two divisions – Land Records and Civil. Our Civil Division is where civil cases — such as personal injury, accidents, successions and foreclosures — are filed. Domestic matters, such as divorce and child support, are also handled in the Civil Division. The Land Records Division is where documents regarding property are recorded.

land use & development

Film studio gets a thumbs up from City Planning Commission for new building in Lower Garden District

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New Orleans’ expansion as a center for TV and film production moved a step forward Tuesday as Second Line Stages got City Planning Commission approval to build a new office building in the Lower Garden District. The Planning Commission voted in favor of changing the zoning of a lot at 836 Market St. to allow construction of the two-story commercial building, although its own staff recommended denying the studio’s request. Lower Garden District neighbors have also objected to the request, saying the studio’s activities have been intrusive. 

The TV and film studio’s three stages have served as a backdrop for numerous productions, including American Horror Story: Coven, Treme, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Lee Daniels’ The Butler. 

The new office building, located behind the studio, will be about 32,000 square feet with a landscaped parking area. About 30 to 45 people will be able to work there. 

The property is zoned for residential use.

historic preservation

Zion Williamson’s mom receives City Council approval for addition to Garden District mansion

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The City Council on Thursday (Sept. 23) approved a third-floor addition to a Garden District mansion owned by Sharonda Anderson, the mother of Pelicans star Zion Williamson. Anderson and architect John Williams had appealed the Historic District Landmarks Commission’s denial of their request to demolish 62% of the roof to add a screening room, workout room and guest bedroom to the 7,457-square-foot historic residence on First and Coliseum streets. The architects have since revised the design so that it’s less visible from the street, but the HDLC’s Eleanor Burke said the commission staff believes the addition would still undermine the architectural integrity of the building and the neighborhood and would set a precedent that could affect all of the city’s historic districts. The HDLC has partial control in the Garden District, giving it jurisdiction over demolitions and new construction only.

elections

Candidate questions: Rella Zapletal, City Council District B

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The election originally scheduled for Oct. 9, which includes an open primary for all City Council seats, has been rescheduled for Nov. 13 due to Hurricane Ida. To give voters a chance to learn the policies, platforms and personal attributes their City Council candidates plan to bring to the office, Uptown Messenger has sent questionnaires to all of the District A and District B candidates. District B candidate Rella Zapletal reveals her answers below.