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For Immediate Release
April 7, 2025
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Council Vice President Legislation to Reduce Barriers in Permitting and Licensing Approval Processes
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NEW ORLEANS- Councilmember Helena Moreno filed legislation Monday directing the City Planning Commission (CPC) to identify unnecessary hurdles in the City’s land use process that complicate and prolong permitting and licensing for residents and businesses.
The motion further directs CPC to engage the Department of Safety and Permits and other City departments, governmental agencies, residents, neighborhood associations, developers, and private-sector experts to identify impediments and to provide recommendations to remove these barriers.
This review parallels recent initiatives led by Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng in Jefferson Parish. Vice President Moreno has been in communication with President Lee Sheng on how both parishes can learn and collaborate on improving processes. New Orleans has significantly greater issues than Jefferson Parish for permitting processes, therefore, the collaboration is both welcome and necessary.
“We must take a hard look at all the causes of lengthy permitting delays negatively impacting our residents’ quality of life and what it means to do business in New Orleans,” said Council Vice President Helena Moreno. “In drafting this motion, I looked to a similar effort underway in Jefferson Parish led by Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng that aims to mitigate long approval timelines and confusion when filing permit applications. We need a process that is both consistent and streamlined to ensure City government responds to the needs of our community, accelerates meaningful projects, and fosters economic growth by reducing delays and minimizing costs.”
The legislation will be considered at the April 10, 2025 regular City Council meeting. The meeting is open to the public and can be watched online at council.nola.gov/live.
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Contact:
Sayde Faraday Finkel, JD
Chief of Staff
Office of City Council Vice President Helena Moreno
504.658.1063
sayde.finkel@nola.gov
 New Orleans City Council
The New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of the New Orleans city government. The Council considers and enacts all local laws that govern the City of New Orleans. The Council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City, as recommended by the mayor, and continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The City Council is also the regulatory body for public utilities. It also reviews and has the final say on many land use and zoning matters, as well as considers major economic development projects for the City. As a Board of Review for Orleans Parish, the Council examines appeals of property tax assessments for real estate taxes and certifies tax rolls to the Louisiana Tax Commission. Other responsibilities of the Council include overseeing the operation of the public access television in Orleans Parish. Streaming video and video archives of the City Council's Regular and Committee meetings can be found on the City Council website.
The City Council is comprised of five districts and Councilmembers-at-large: Council President and Councilmember-at-Large JP Morrell; Council Vice President and Councilmember-At-Large Helena Moreno; District "A" Councilmember Joseph I. Giarrusso, III; District "B" Councilmember Lesli D. Harris; District "C" Councilmember Freddie King III; District "D" Councilmember Eugene J. Green, Jr.; and District "E" Councilmember Oliver M. Thomas, Jr.
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