By JOHN E. SETTLE JR.
Editor/Publisher
Her Linked In profile states that "I extinguish legal fires for my municipality using law, policy and my witty disposition."
Unfortunately, it does not state "I advise the Shreveport City Council correctly on facts."
Danielle Nicole Brown is an assistant Shreveport city attorney. Her salary exceeds $100,000.
She is the chief deputy director of litigation for the city of Shreveport. In this position she "manages" all the litigation involving the city.
Last year under her "management," the city spent in excess of $1 million in fees for outside attorneys to handle the city's legal work including litigation.
On two occasions this year, Brown has been asked by her boss, City Attorney Ron Lattier, to explain ordinances that were before the Shreveport City Council for consideration.
In both instances, Brown's explanations were totally wrong, as in false, as in not factual.
On Feb. 8, the council discussed and then adopted an ordinance establishing a Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission.
Brown responded to several questions from council members concerning the ordinance, the current law and other concerns. She basically advised the council that it was mandatory to adopt the new ordinance.
Brown obviously had not read or did not understand the plain language of HB 697 that removed the parish of Caddo from the jurisdiction of the Shreveport-Bossier Metropolitan Planning Commission. This bill states that "the city council MAY (emphasis added) create a commission, to be known the Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission."
Even more egregious were her comments to the Shreveport City Council this past Tuesday, April 26, regarding a proposed ordinance modifying the city's Architectural and Engineering Selection Process.
This author had spoken earlier advising the council that the published agenda for that meeting did not have the correct version of the proposed ordinance amendment, which was in violation of the Open Meetings Law.
This author also noted to the council that the correct version (Amendment 3 to Ordinance No. 72-2021) listed as member of the committee "Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), or his designee." (Sec. 26-243 para.5).
Shreveport does not have a DBE office or director. It does have a Fair Share Office. This author suggested that the
Amendment 3 should be amended to reflect the same.
Lattier asked Brown to respond to these comments. She emphatically stated that the Definitions section of the proposed ordinance defined DBE as Fair Share.
Sec. 26-242 is titled "Definitions." There are 16 defined terms in that section, but no definition of DBE.
These comments by Brown would be subject to judicial sanctions and a complaint to the Louisiana Bar Association if they had been made in open court. What actions, if any, will be taken by Lattier and/or Chief Administrative Officer Henry Whitehorn to correct this course of conduct by Brown are unknown.
The fact that the chief deputy director of litigation has twice made misleading and totally false comments to the council in an open meeting is a source of concern — of major concern.
One can only wonder what other incorrect comments have been made to the council in executive session discussing litigation and/or in conversations or emails to council members.
Many citizens, including this author, have questioned the quality of legal work by the city attorney staff and outside attorneys during the Perkins administration. Brown's comments are further evidence of a need for a review of this office and the city's expense on outside attorneys.
