Tuesday, February 11, 2014 – A Joint Statement was issued to FQMD by both FQC and VCPORA “suspending our participation in FQMD” stating that FQMD has diverged from their initial purpose and that under the current leadership the group has become divisive and contentious. Until they return to the principles and common goals which united us we felt it necessary to suspend participation. (Statement attached) Initially, Al Groos, GM of the Royal Sonesta, and Helena Moreno, State Representative were the first to respond. Sometime later, Kim Rosenberg contacted Carol Allen and CoCo Garrett to set up a meeting with our Boards. A meeting for March 6th at 3:00pm was scheduled, but at 8:00pm the evening before, Kim sent a text stating that Robert Watters had a meeting at City Hall at 2:00pm and would not be able to keep our meeting. No alternate date has been set as of this writing.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014 – Meeting hosted by Dr. Travis Kenny and Matilda Stream at his home at 524 Esplanade Avenue to raise matching funds to support a video relating to the Sound Ordinance. A total of $6,600 was donated, including donations from FQC & VCPORA and Stuart Smith and Barry Cooper have matched this amount. Donors were very generous and the video is in the works. . Carol Allen wrote Thank You letters to all who contributed including:
- Jamie and Monique Coleman
- Diane Lease and Dan Harris
- Catherine Hill
- Chad Pellerin
- Travis Kenney
- Lori and Matt Mitchell (Jax Brewery residents)
- Albe McMeen
- Ann and Dick Strub
- Kyle Schonekas
- John Reed and Jon Kemp
Other donations were given from:
- VCPORA – $1000
- FQC – $1500
Monday, February 17th, 2014 – Both FQC and VCPORA called independent Special Board Meetings was to discuss our strategy in dealing with the issues relative to FQMD. Brian Furness was asked
to attend as well since he is the FQC Appointee to FQMD and serves on the Government Committee. Everyone signed a Confidentiality Agreement and is bound by it to keep the discussions at this meeting strictly within those who were in attendance. (Confidentiality Agreements attached)
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 – Carol Allen, President VCPORA and Meg Lousteau, Executive Director and CoCo Garrett, President FQC, met with Helen Moreno, State Representative, who contacted us relative to our notice of suspension from FQMD. We met at her headquarters and explained our grievances and why we felt we needed to take the action we did. One of our main concerns is the enabling legislation of FQMD and how it has expanded its Mission over the years. Also of concern is the lack of structure, i.e. no Bylaws or published Guidelines from which to work. At this time, it is strictly at the will of the chair or vice-chair when something is done. It is very difficult for structured organizations such as ours to work productively with such lax standards. We also discussed the lack of professionalism displayed by the chair relative to personal attacks and comments about members of both FQC & VCPORA. Helena is going to discuss this with Ed Murray who was the author of the enabling legislation for FQMD.
Other issues discussed were:
- Raising the fine from a maximum of $500 to one of $5000 after numerous offences. She is going to discuss this with JP Morrell
- The issue of “standing” for both FQC & VCPORA. She is going to look into it.
- Crime in the FQ – She wanted to know why it is being downplayed.
- Article in Advocate – 2/18/14 indicates that Walt Leger is introducing a bill putting capital outlay money into building a hotel. (I could not locate the article.)
Wednesday, February 19, 2014 – Appreciation Dinner for Yearend Donors who contributed $1,000 or more to this campaign. CoCo Garrett hosted the dinner at her home on Toulouse. A good time was had by all! In attendance were:
- Alvin Albe
- Yvette and Rufus Cressend
- Barry Cooper
- Carol and Doug Greve
- Ginger Gould and David Speights
- Debi and David Spencer (The Brown Foundation)
Monday, February 24, 2014 – Joint Legal Meeting with VCPORA @ VCPORA Headquarters
Susan Guillot, Chair of the Legal Committee and CoCo Garrett attended the meeting to discuss the pending cases that are currently in litigation with Smith-Stagg. (Susan will have a more detailed report.) Brian Wiggins, Jim Babst, Tony Marino, Jeff Morgan – all attorneys, were in attendance as well.
Topics included:
- Hermes Bar – currently a BZA violation
- Pat O’Brien’s – Jim Babst, attorney
- Funky 544 – Question is our standing
- Balcony Club
- Golden Lantern
- Hotel St. Helen – Lost their non-conforming use
- Crawdaddy’s – 915 Decatur – Seems to be making an effort to comply with inventory %’s
- 711 Bourbon – Seems to be in abeyance
Also of grave concern was the “threat” that Stuart Smith made to Robert Watters. Rich Webster contacted both Meg and CoCo for statements on how we felt about him making these comments. We jointly stated that “while Stuart represents us on land use issues, we knew nothing about his comments or actions relative to Robert Watters until we read them in the paper.”
Of discussion was dealing with Stuart.
- If Smith Stag no longer was able to work with us, what would be an option. Filing fewer lawsuits would have to be considered. (Though we do not consider ourselves an overly litigious organization, we do so as a last resort after trying all other remedies.) Because of the City’s “laissez-fair” attitude, we are often compelled to use the law to initiate a solution.
- Stuart Smith has been an advocate for both FQC and VCPORA for many, many years. We are immensely grateful for all that he has done for us and for the French Quarter.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 – Meeting with Nathan Chapman at his office to discuss communications with our respective memberships relative to our suspension from FQMD as well as our relationship with Stuart Smith.
Nathan Chapman, Carol Allen, Meg Lousteau, Dennis Alonzo, Wilma Heaton and CoCo Garrett were in attendance. Chris Costello was to come, but was delayed and didn’t make it. Everyone felt it was important for us to inform our memberships because of the publicity emanating from Stuart’s actions and on February 28, 2014 both FQC & VCPORA sent a notice to our memberships referencing our concern as well as restating the works that we have done over many years and what we will continue to do in the future. (Attached)
Other topics discussed included:
- The Sound video and what should be included in it
- We need musicians to participate in the video
- Others need to reach out to the councilmembers – Carol A. will contact LaToya Cantrell.
- CM Stacy Head attended the Government Committee meeting and said that she wanted the residents to be involved in the Management District. She also stated that she wanted Arno Bommer to be included in the sound evaluation. She also mentioned the Health Dept. being a part of that scenario.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014 – Joint meeting at the home of Carol Allen to prepare for the meeting with Robert Watters and Kim Rosenberg set for Thursday, March 6th at 3:00pm to discuss grievances with FQMD and our current suspension from participation.
In attendance were the Board of FQC and the Executive Committee of VCPORA and Meg Lousteau, Executive Director, Carol Greve and Nathan Chapman who were both founding members of FQMD.
The main issues of concern were:
- The fact that the appointees of both FQC & VCPORA do not represent us. They vote independent of our Board and our organization. The same holds true for each commissioner on the Board. While they are appointed by their Boards, they do not represent them.
- Conclusion: This entity cannot be considered the “voice of the FQ”.
- There is an imbalance of residents vs commercial members.
- Conclusion: The legislation would have to be changed to amend the numbers.
- There are very loose guidelines to FQMD with no Bylaws or formalized structure and we find it continually difficult to deal with this erratic format.
- Conclusion: They should draft and publish formal bylaws, including an attendance policy; should require written Minutes for each committee; establish term limits for committee chairs and committee members. NOTE: Committees were not a part of FQMD until 2011.
- There is no formal Executive Committee.
- Conclusion: Formalize an Executive Committee and use this entity to design the Agenda’s AND distribute at least 72 business hours prior to the meeting. This should also be followed for materials distributed from committees prior to a meeting.
- There is no parliamentarian and therefore unacceptable behavior has been displayed at open meetings. The behavior of the commissioners should reflect the highest ideals of the organization and personal comments or attacks on others should not be tolerated.
- Conclusion: Institute strict rules of professional courtesy during all meetings.
- The geographical boundaries of FQMD are limited to the Vieux Carré. It has been stated that that does not hold true for the committees. Since committees were not formed when the legislation was enacted, this should not hold true.
Conclusion: FQMD must adhere to their enabling legislation and limit membership participation to those in the geographical boundaries currently established. They should be required to either work or live full time in the French Quarter.
At 8:00pm, Kim notified us that Robert had a meeting at City Hall and we would have to reschedule our meeting. A new time has not yet been set.
Personal Comment: Having just reread all of the meetings information just distributed by Kim, I am strongly leaning towards recommending that the residential organizations drop out of FQMD. They are expanding the scope of their work on the backs of our members who staff their committees and spend countless hours working for them. This same work could be done through either of our organizations and would be done from a perspective that more genuinely reflects the residential concerns and issues which is what we are all about.
Thursday, March 6, 2014 – Call from CM Kristin Gisleson Palmer
CM Palmer called to inform me of a “brain child” of Mary Cunningham who recommended that she orchestrate a President’s Council similar to one currently on the West Bank. She is trying to set something up this coming week at Café Istanbul for the Presidents of organizations within District C to meet and discuss the formation of such a group. Before I could get my thought together about it, Carol Allen wrote this to KGP and I find that I am of the same mindset.
“While I support the idea of coalitions, networking, helping each other out, speaking with one strong voice, etc., but I wonder how this would be formed on our side of the river. VCPORA and FQC are advocacy organizations. We are not “neighborhood organizations” that simply bring residents together to talk about what’s happening in the neighborhood. Advocacy is in our mission statements. I’m not sure about Treme, Marigny, St. Roch, or Bywater (now split into two groups, and I hear Marigny may be going down that same path), but the mission statements of organizations would seem to me to be a vital part of forming any productive coalition.
If the goal is to form an East Bank coalition of neighborhood organizations, I suggest there be a very clearly defined objective that we agree to collectively work on. Increased numbers of tourists without mitigating management, and noise, are huge for some of us on this side, but perhaps not for everybody. Nobody wants high rises, but is that an issue in St Roch and Treme? In other words, I don’t know what “glue” holds the Presidents’ Coalition in Algiers together.”
Comment: I am overly concerned about the time commitment it would take to be on the ground floor of initiating another organization. I would be willing to participate in preliminary talks, but the jury is still out on this one.
Submitted by: CoCo Garrett, President 2014