OK, nap time is over.
It's time for Rip Van Winkle — that being the Shreveport City Council — to wake up from its COVID-19 snooze and get back to work.
The regularly scheduled work session and meeting for the week of March 23 were canceled because of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Since that time, the Bossier City Council has met in person and conducted business . The Caddo Commission met via video conference.
Despite the pandemic, the work of city government does go on, admittedly at a much slower pace. Nonetheless, many city workers are performing their duties from home, and others are out on the streets, like sanitation and public works employees.
In the business world, countless businesses have qualified as "essential" and have maintained regular business hours or modified hours. Most have instituted measures to reduce the chance of COVID-19 spread.
And, of course, the health-care section has been, for the most part, working overtime in extremely stressful environments.
The agenda, which had not been published by the press deadline, should list the approval of Henry Whitehorn as the chief administrative officer. This resolution was introduced at the last meeting on March 10, and it can be confirmed at this meeting.
An important amendment to the city's property standards codes is on the agenda for the first reading. This amendment provides for the appointment of two administrative hearing officers for the city's environmental court. One is to be appointed by the mayor and the other by the council.
This ordinance is a "two-reader," which means it cannot be adopted until a second meeting of the council. Unfortunately, the environmental court and citations that would become before that court are on hold until the administrative hearing officers are appointed.
Other matters that should be on the agenda were set for a vote on March 24. These include resolutions approving Frymaster for participation in the Industrial Tax Exemption Program and approval of contracts with the Downtown Development Authority for parking system management and for recycling services with BFI Waste Services.
The March 24 agenda also included budget ordinances amending the 2020 Airport Enterprise Fund, the 2020 Capital Projects Fund Budget and the 2020 General Fund Budget. Execution of a lease of city-owned property at Slack Industrial Park with Sealy Slack Subsidiary, LLC should also be on the agenda.
No doubt, the agenda for the next council meeting will have many resolutions and ordinances for first reading. Reports from the mayor and various department heads on the operations of city government since the governor's stay-at-home order are expected.
By email on April 7, council clerk Art Thompson advised that a combined work session (administrative conference) and regular meeting of the Shreveport City Council will be held April 14, via Zoom, at 3 p.m.
Thompson advised that public comments will be submitted electronically before the meeting and will be read during the meeting. Comments will be limited to a three-minute reading.
Agenda items will be read, as they have been at prior council meetings. Each council member will vote by voice as her/his name is called, and the agenda item will be adopted or rejected.
Adopted items will be effective in accordance with the Rules of the Council and any provision in the adopted item.
Thompson cautioned that the current plans are subject to change because of the pandemic.
Hopefully, the meeting will be held as scheduled.
THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN THE April 10 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.