Bridgette Clark

This 2025 Annual Action Plan outlines the strategic direction for strengthening communities by advancing affordable housing, workforce development, and inclusive economic growth in Shreveport. It commits to building equitable neighborhoods with access to quality housing, meaningful employment, and opportunities to thrive. Key goals include increasing affordable housing units, assisting with owner-occupied rehabilitation and reconstruction, enhancing rental rehabilitation, expanding public facilities, addressing economic and vocational needs of low-to-moderate income and special needs citizens through training and job creation, and serving the homeless population through rapid rehousing, prevention, and shelters.

The City of Shreveport's 2025 Annual Action Plan, guided by its 2024-2028 Consolidated Plan, outlines the use of CDBG, HOME, and ESG funding to strengthen communities and foster equitable neighborhoods. Key priorities include addressing the needs of the homeless population, increasing the number of affordable housing units, supporting public facility projects in targeted areas, expanding job creation opportunities for low to moderate income families, and improving housing conditions. The plan is committed to building equitable neighborhoods where residents have access to quality housing, meaningful employment, and opportunities to thrive through initiatives focused on affordable housing, workforce development, and inclusive economic growth.

The meeting agenda includes several significant operational and administrative items. Key new business discussions involve requests related to personnel matters across various departments. Specific topics include requests to reinstate annual leave time for Rosie Anderson (Water & Sewerage), reclassification of positions within Finance (Revenue Operations Manager and Cashier Specialist, and Revenue Auditor II), creation of new positions within the Shreveport Police Department (Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief, Police Video Evidence Technician, and Supervisor), entry-level adjustments and creation of lead technician roles within the Airport department, an amendment to the Extended Medical Leave Policy in Human Resources, and an employee suspension appeal for Dradalaus (DJ) L. Smith within Information Technology.

Discussions during the administrative meeting involved follow-up assistance for business owners regarding applications, public comments concerning long-standing property concerns such as debris removal and a persistently parked truck, and communication regarding a fiber optic cable failure impacting water and sewer services. Key legislative items introduced included approvals for a CA with the DDA (Resolution 160) and a lease agreement with the crime lab (Resolution 4), which was postponed to ensure full council attendance. Other resolutions addressed the assignment of an oil and gas lease, participation in an urban search and rescue task force, a city-state agreement with DOTD for lighting reimbursement, and honoring individuals. Resolutions introduced for later adoption covered granting variances for construction in a flood hazard area, approving a certificate of indebtedness for vehicle and equipment purchases, a change order for design work on a grant project, amendments to public safety and general fund budgets to fund a domestic violence position, and various zoning matters including conditional use for a food truck, re-zoning for a contractor's office, and changes to minimum lot sizes in a subdivision. Further ordinances introduced included amendments to the capital budget for fire station repairs, zoning changes for commercial designations, and denying a zoning case related to a former seafood site. Ordinances on second reading included amending the public safety fund allocation, updating fair share program thresholds for inflation, and amending the community development budget to incorporate grant funding.

The proceedings addressed several docket items related to property maintenance and compliance. Key discussions included an update on a complex at 734 West 68 Street, involving the demolition of three buildings damaged by falling trees, with a projected completion timeline extending into 2027. For a property at 1835 Texas Avenue needing demolition, a 60-day extension was granted to secure demolition contractors. Another case involving properties at 555 Plaza and 57155 Thomas Street received a 30-day extension to address internal and external issues, noting previous difficulties with occupants. For case 257574AA 3775 K Street, an extension was granted due to the owner's need to care for an ailing wife, and associated fines were waived based on recent progress and commitment to complete necessary clean-up and vine removal. Two other properties, 258329 Street and 258629 Street, required attention due to deteriorating porch structures and a secondary structure, necessitating a decision on rehabilitation or demolition.