Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews package of ordinances including $900,000 property‑standards amendment, procurement code repeal and alcohol permit changes
Summary
Council members heard presentations on a package of ordinances introduced May 23: an amendment to the general fund adding $900,000 for property‑standards work, a proposed repeal of the city's adoption of the state procurement manual, and amendments to alcohol‑use rules that would add a public hearing process for convenience‑store alcohol permits.
The Shreveport City Council on May 23 received presentations on a slate of ordinances the administration introduced for later action, including an emergency‑period capital amendment, code cleanups and regulatory changes affecting purchasing and alcohol permits.
Ordinance No. 50 would amend the general fund budget to provide additional money for the city’s property‑standards program to fund demolitions, grass cutting and securing abandoned structures. The administration said the $900,000 amendment would temporarily replenish demo and abatement funds so property‑standards staff can continue operations through the summer while the city monitors sales‑tax revenues.
Procurement code: Ordinance No. 37 would repeal the city’s prior adoption of the state procurement manual. City attorneys and procurement staff told the council the state procurement code is lengthy, frequently amended and contains provisions that can conflict with the city’s purchasing rules and ordinary practices. Staff described the state manual as “a series of audit findings waiting to happen” and said the city would instead rely on state bid law supplemented by its locally adopted purchasing rules and regulations.
Alcohol and zoning amendments: A set of ordinances (Nos. 35, 36 and 46) would revise alcohol licensing and the Unified Development Code to require a public process for certain convenience‑store alcohol permits and to treat some alcohol sales as special uses subject to compatibility criteria. The changes would, for example, create a public hearing and an MPC review for some retail alcohol sales so that neighborhoods can comment and the MPC can attach conditions related to proximity to residences and other liquor sellers.
Why it matters: The property‑standards amendment is an operational funding change intended to avoid mid‑season service interruptions. The procurement change would reshape how the city governs purchasing rules and could affect how contracts and professional services are handled. The alcohol changes respond to neighborhood concerns about the location and operation of convenience‑store retail alcohol sales.
Staff asked council members to review the proposed amendments and said detailed materials and analyses would be provided; no final votes on the ordinances were taken at the May 23 meeting. Council members asked staff to re‑send a comparative analysis showing differences between the state procurement manual and the city’s rules so members could review specific conflicts before taking action.
