City of Monroe, LA

ORDINANCE

STATE OF LOUISIANA

CITY OF MONROE                                                                                    NO.  12,192               

The following Ordinance was introduced by  Harvey____________, who moved for its adoption and was seconded by  Dawson                          :

            WHEREAS, Mayor Friday Ellis has submitted “Proposed Administrative Reorganization” to the City Council under Section 4-11 of the City of Monroe Charter;

            WHEREAS, Mayor Ellis proposes to reallocate the Planning and Urban Development Director’s functions, powers, and duties specified in Sections 4-08(B)(5) and (6) to the City Engineer in an effort to streamline and centralize the planning and review process for businesses and developers, eliminate the inherent delays in cross-department reviews, and to make the City more responsive to the needs of citizens, contractors, developers, and businesses who are investing in our community;

              WHEREAS, as part of this reorganization, the Planning and Zoning Division and Inspection Division, including all their employees and equipment, will be reassigned to the Engineering Department and report to the City Engineer.

            NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Monroe, Louisiana, in legal session convened, that the “Proposed Administrative Reorganization” submitted by Mayor Ellis is hereby approved;

            BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that, pursuant to the Proposed Administrative Reorganization, the powers, functions, and duties contained in City of Monroe Charter Sections 4-07(B) and 4-08(B) are hereby amended, reallocated, restated, and re-enacted as follows:

Section 4-07. - Engineering Services Department.

A.    The head of the Engineering Services Department shall be the city engineer. The city engineer, at the time of appointment, shall be a graduate registered professional engineer with at least three (3) years’ related experience in a responsible engineering position.

B.    The city engineer shall direct and be responsible for the following activities:

(1)   Engineering services, including traffic engineering, for all City departments, offices and agencies.

(2)   Mapping and surveying.

(3)   Custody and maintenance of all maps, plats, surveys and as built drawings of public facilities.

(4)   Inspections, licensing and permit issuance in conjunction with the enforcement of zoning ordinances and building and other technical codes.

(5)   Maintenance of the City map and zoning district map.

(6)   Other such activities as may be directed by the mayor.

Section 4-08. - Planning and Urban Development.

A.    The head of the Planning and Urban Development Department shall be the planning and urban development director. The planning and urban development director, at the time of appointment, shall have at least a bachelor's degree in planning, architecture or public administration with a planning major and at least five (5) years’ experience in a responsible planning position.

B.    The planning and urban development director shall direct and be responsible for the following activities:

(1)   Conduct of basic surveys and studies concerning the development of coordinated City resources and facilities plans.

(2)   Preparation, updating and continuous revision of all community development plans and proposals.

(3)   Planning, coordination and administration of all activities of the City related to the work of various public and private agencies concerned with housing programs.

(4)   Preparation of all intergovernmental grant applications on behalf of the City and informing City departments, offices and agencies of all relevant local, state and federal assistance programs.

(5)   Administration and operation of all urban renewal programs of the City including supervision of all contract construction work related to federally funded urban renewal projects.

(6)   Other such activities as may be directed by the mayor.

            This Ordinance was introduced on the  22nd    day of  August             , 2023.

            Notice published on the  25th     day of  August            , 2023.

This Ordinance having been submitted in writing, introduced and published, was then submitted to a vote as a whole, the vote thereon being as follows:

AYES:             Harvey, Ezernack, Marshall & Dawson

NAYS:             Woods

ABSENT:        None.

And the Ordinance was declared ADOPTED on  12th      day of  September          , 2023.

Gretchen Ezernack                   

CHAIRMAN

Carolus S. Riley                       

CITY CLERK

Oliver Friday Ellis                    

MAYOR’S APPROVAL

__________________________

MAYOR’S VETO