New Orleans, La. (April 7, 2010) – Councilmember Head plans to call for a vote to override the administration’s veto of the ordinance prohibiting the City from contracting with certain felons.  Specifically, this ordinance prohibits City contracting with “any person, corporation, or entity, whose principal(s), member(s) and/or officer(s) have within the preceding five years been convicted of, or pled guilty to, a felony under state or federal statutes for embezzlement, theft of public funds, bribery, falsification or destruction of public records.”  Cal. No. 27-892 as amended.  Councilmember Head stated, “good judgment requires that the Council act to prohibit the Administration from entering into certain contracts where it has been shown that the principals of the contracting entity have engaged in public corruption.  The citizens of our City should not see their tax dollars spent in such irresponsible ways.”

 Louisiana Public Bid Law (R.S. 38:2211-2296), applies to all public subdivisions, such as the City of New Orleans and allows for the subdivision to contract with “responsible bidders.”  “Responsible bidder,” defined in R.S. 38:2216 (2)(a), “means a contractor or subcontractor who has an established business and who has demonstrated the capability to provide goods and services in accordance with the terms of the contract, plan, and specifications without excessive delays, extensions, cost overruns . . ..”  It is elementary that a contractor with a felony conviction related to stealing public funds or bribery is not a “responsible bidder.” 

The Louisiana Attorney General and the Louisiana Supreme Court have further illustrated what “responsible bidder” means.  The Attorney General states that “responsibility refers to the character or quality of the bidder – whether it is an entity with which you are safe doing business.” See, “Understanding the Public Bid Law” presented by Michael J. Vallan, Assistant Attorney General, February 20, 2008.  The Supreme Court has consistently provided that the term “lowest responsible bidder” does not require the public authority to merely accept the lowest monetary bid.  Instead, the public entity has “wide discretion to determine bidder responsibility.”  Louisiana Associated General Contractors v. Calcasieu Parish School Board, 586 So. 2d 1354, 1362-63 (La. 1991), citing Haughton Elevator Div. v. State Division of Administration, 367 So.2d 1161 (La. 1979). In determining bidder responsibility, the public entity may look to “financial ability, skill, integrity, business judgment, experience, reputation, quality of previous work on contracts, and other similar factors bearing on the bidder’s ability to successfully perform the contract.” Id.

In sum, the well settled interpretation of “responsible bidder” coupled with the fact that the City regularly places restrictions or requirements on public-bid contracts, such as DBE or tax payment requirements, proves that Councilmember Head’s legislation is both legal and good for our City.

New Orleans, La. (January 21, 2010) – Councilmember Stacy Head and Safe Streets will host a community outreach hearing for the Independent Police Monitor.  The event will take place at the Dryades YMCA, located at 2220 O. C. Haley Boulevard on January 21, 2010 from 6-8 p.m.

Holly Wiseman, Deputy Independent Police Monitor (IPM), will discuss the purpose and structure of the IPM Office and will report on the Office’s activities during its first quarter of operations.  The Deputy IPM will solicit information and feedback from the public regarding police operations in their district and their concerns with the IPM. “The purpose is more for the IPM to listen than to inform,” said Ms. Wiseman.

Residents are encouraged to attend to hear about how the new Independent Police Monitor will work to ensure public safety and police integrity.

The Independent Police Monitor, part of the Office of the Inspector General:

• Monitors the process by which the NOPD investigates allegations of misconduct by its staff.  It does not itself investigate individual allegations of misconduct by NOPD but reviews completed NOPD investigations in order to report publicly on their fairness, thoroughness and timeliness.
• It collects and analyzes data about complaints and police operations in order to identify problem areas and their root causes.  It provides these reports to the NOPD and to the pubic.

New Orleans (November 23, 2009) — New Orleans City Council Member, Stacy Head, today announced her campaign for re-election to District B.

“New Orleans has the greatest people in the country who do great things to make a great city,” Head said. “Our city needs leadership that works hard to bring integrity and trust to City Hall. We need to make our neighborhoods strong and healthy so that our families are safe. We need to support a charter school system that has become a national model for success and that is key to creating hope and opportunity for our children.”

Head stated, “I’ve worked hard to focus attention on every neighborhood in District B, and I’ve forged bonds of trust across all groups. Our neighborhoods are a unique treasure. They form the backbone of our city’s culture. On the City Council, I’ll keep working to fix the potholes, reduce blight, and take police away from behind their desks and put them on the streets to improve safety. Above all, I will make sure that the taxpayers of our city get a dollar of value for every dollar spent. Citizens are entitled to responsible and accountable government. That’s what I stand for.”

Head was elected to her first term in 2006, and prides herself on being a hard worker and “grassroots” leader who stays in touch with her constituents. According to Head, “I believe that our greatest successes come from visiting with individual citizens and neighborhood groups so that their ideas are heard and acted upon.

“The best days of New Orleans lie ahead of us. With the right leadership, we’ll greet those days with new hope and opportunity.”

For more information about Council Member Stacy Head, or to become involved in her campaign, visit her website, www.stacyhead.com.