City staff introduced two related agenda items that prompted public questions about funding sources and how prior grant designations were being used.

The city introduced Resolution 89, described as an agreement to donate $100,000 to Grambling State University toward a football event, and Ordinance 68, which amends the riverfront budget to appropriate approximately $735,000 in additional dollars to the riverfront fund balance. Both items were presented for introduction and were not adopted at the meeting.

John Glover, a resident, told the council he had reviewed materials and wanted clearer explanations of the funding language for those items. Glover said the December 2024 amendment (ordinance 121 of 2024) referenced sport tourism but did not name a recipient and asked why the designation changed. He also asked who provided architectural services tied to the riverfront appropriation and for how much. "I wanted to know with this particular legislation, at the onset, it was supposed to be funded by HUD funding, but now it has changed. And it brings in G-S-U as a part of the language. I wanna know what's going on," Glover said.

City staff explained that the amendment to the riverfront fund follows updated audit numbers and that about $735,000 can be appropriated, most proposed to go to reserves. The staff presentation said $97,000 would be used to pay a bill the city cannot charge to the original HUD grant because HUD could later disallow it. Staff named a local architect, Misha Farrell, as the contracted designer whose invoice the city proposes to pay from the riverfront fund rather than HUD. City staff also said the EPIC Center design work is being reconsidered because the G-Unit (service organization identified in the staff presentation) intends to use the building for warehouse services, prompting a revised lease and funding approach.

Regarding the Grambling allocation, staff said the city will likely recover a portion of the $100,000 because Grambling is expected to pay for many services the city normally provides to a hosted game. "We're probably gonna need a good bit of that back because they are, in fact, going to pay for all the services that we provide, relative to making the stadium ready to play," the presenting staff member said.

Council members asked for follow-up information and updates to be provided to those who made allocations and the public. Councilwoman Bowman asked for an update on marketing and publicity steps and for staff to brief council members who allocated the funds. Staff said they would provide additional information about promotion plans and details on the architect invoice and HUD eligibility.

Both items were introduced for later consideration; no votes were taken at the meeting.