Stewart Juneau, owner of the Baton Rouge-based development company LeTriomphe Property Group, was selected last November by Mayor Ray Nagin’s administration to redevelop the Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium in Armstrong Park. At the time, the proposed professional services agreement drew controversy, due to Juneau’s relationship with Nagin (he had hosted the mayor’s much-mocked “Excellence in Recovery Award” gala back in August 2008), as well as for the fact that LeTriomphe was the sole bidder on the project. In December, New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux slammed the deal, urging the New Orleans City Council not to approve it. In January, city attorney Penya Moses-Fields slammed right back, saying the IG’s recommendation was premature and that there was “no existing contract.”

This morning, Juneau announced that LeTriomphe was requesting a “temporary suspension of negotiations” on the Municipal Auditorium deal:

LeTriomphe Property Group, LLC (LTPG) announced today that it has requested a temporary suspension of negotiations on a professional services agreement for the redevelopment of the Morris X. F. [sic] Jeff, Sr. Municipal Auditorium.

LTPG remains confident that providing a landmark home for the cultural arts and creative industry in New Orleans in the damaged and unused auditorium is one of the most important projects that will be undertaken in the city in the near future.

The letter gave no reason for requesting a suspension of negotiations, but concluded on an optimistic note:

We look forward to working closely with all segments of our great community on making the mission of providing a landmark home for the cultural arts in New Orleans a reality.

In the end, the runoff for the District A council seat came down to three women behind a podium: District A councilwoman-elect Susan Guidry, state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson and retiring District A councilwoman Shelley Midura. Guidry’s opponent, former District A councilman Jay Batt, had the money and the mojo behind him (both his war chest and his list of endorsements dwarfed Guidry’s), but both Peterson and Midura had thrown their support to Guidry early and enthusiastically, and both of them were more visibly ebullient than the candidate herself. (Midura, famous for wearing her emotions on her sleeve, was alternately beaming and choked up.)

GUIDRY, PETERSON AND MIDURA.

Guidry supporters had gathered at the Olive Branch Cafe in Mid-City to watch the results come in, but the winner’s address was anything but an olive branch; while she thanked her supporters and the voters, she also took the unusual step of swiping at Batt in her victory speech. “My opponent tried so hard to polarize us,” she said, her anger still palpable from a bruiser of a runoff campaign, later adding in acid tones, “Little people. Little power.” For his part, Batt sent out a concession press release to the media while she was speaking, but by the time Guidry finished (according to her campaign officials), he still hadn’t called to congratulate her.

The numbers were dramatic. In the Feb. 6 primary, Batt had 39.32% of the vote to Guidry’s 44.22%; the remainder was split among candidates Virginia Blanque and Fred Robertson. Blanque endorsed Batt, a fellow Republican, but the final total in the runoff was Batt at 37.66% and Guidry at 62.34%; Batt had actually lost support in the final month of the campaign, while Guidry gained 18 points — and this despite Batt’s endorsements from across the political spectrum, from Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson to DA Leon Cannizzaro; from The Times-Picayune to The Louisiana Weekly; from Democratic state Sen. J.P. Morrell to Republican congressman Steve Scalise.

In the end, perhaps it wasn’t the fact that Guidry triumphed in the runoff; it was that she had done so so decisively, and with so little backing from the local political establishment … and that was, perhaps, why Midura and Peterson, the only two politicos behind her on the podium, had their eyes gleaming so brightly. As the whole city learned on Feb. 7 at the Sun Life stadium in Florida, victory is never so sweet as it is when the pros count you out of the game.

Jay Batt and Susan Guidry, the remaining candidates for the City Council District A race, met tonight for a final forum at St. Dominic in Lakeview. About 100 residents turned out to hear Guidry and Batt, who have run a particularly contentious race since the Feb. 6 primary, a race marked by racially inflammatory flyers, a fair amount of behind-the-scenes whispering, and names from Vincent Marcello to Bruno’s to Scotto’s Café. Neither candidate bothered with pleasantries like saying hello or shaking hands when they took the stage, and neither candidate barely looked at the other during the whole 90-minute debate.

BATT AND GUIDRY: NOT THRILLED WITH EACH OTHER.

And while neither Batt nor Guidry deviated from their well-worn positions on the campaign trail, one topic was much discussed by both candidates: ACORN, the advocacy organization for low-income families that’s been so much in the news lately. Given the voting habits in Lakeview and the makeup of the crowd (solidly Caucasian), it was safe to assume both Batt and Guidry wanted an ACORN endorsement about as much as they wanted one from Ray Nagin. And yet both candidates claimed the other had ACORN’s seal of approval.

During one of her trips to the podium, Guidry waved a flyer not produced by her camp, which claimed she had the endorsement of both ACORN and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which would like to unionize New Orleans restaurant workers. Guidry said that, as the Democrat in the race, she was the de facto choice for unions (and, indeed, SEIU Local 21 has endorsed her), but she denied ever getting or seeking support from ACORN. Instead, she said, it was Batt who had been endorsed by ACORN during the 2006 District A council race, a charge which Batt denied:

“I’ve never had the endorsement of ACORN. I’ve never paid them; I’ve never been part of them. It’s not even in my vernacular. So … it’s untrue.”

There’s no record of Guidry being endorsed by ACORN, but not so for Batt. In the 2006 race, he was endorsed by the New Orleans chapter of ACORN. An April 7, 2006 edition of New Orleans CityBusiness mentioned it:

City Councilmember Jay Batt today was endorsed by the Police Association of New Orleans and Athe Association of Community Organizations for Action Now. The organizations cited Batt’s dedication and leadership.”Your commitments to the needs of law enforcement have proven that you are dedicated to improving the New Orleans Police Department. Your years serving the city will only enhance what is already in place,” said David Benelli, president of the Police Association of New Orleans. “ACORN members in the Carrollton-Hollygrove communities have been working with Councilmember Batt on establishing a police substation for the area and a variety of other neighborhood concerns,” said Joe Sherman, Carrollton-Hollygrove ACORN chairperson.

Batt may not remember ACORN’s endorsement now, but he knew about it at the time, according to an entry on his 2006 campaign blog, which is still online:

So … what to make of a four-year-old endorsement in a race that’s four days away? Probably not much — the fact that it was even brought up is a sign that most minds seem made up one way or another in District A — but it’s another cudgel that will no doubt be wielded in a contest that’s been marked by a good deal of nastiness so far.

The runoff is March 6.

The New Orleans criminal justice system has cut down from 64 days to 10.5 days the time it takes to process simple drug possession cases in the Orleans criminal court through an initiative by the Criminal Justice Leadership Alliance (CJLA).

“This is a result of much better cooperation particularly between the police department and the district attorney’s office to get these things moving through the system,” says New Orleans Councilman James Carter, who started CJLA in the fall of 2007 along with Luceia LeDoux, a public safety and program director for Baptist Community Ministries.

By expediting the process, Carter says it allows the New Orleans Police Department and the DA to concentrate its resources on building strong cases against repeat felony suspects, and, at the same time, release those indigent defendants that spend time in Orleans Parish Prison waiting for a determination on misdemeanor charges.

Often referred to as “victimless” crimes, simple drug possession can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the amount, the type of drug and whether there was an intent to distribute. Possession charges account for roughly one-third of the state arrests in Orleans Parish.

The “Expedited Screening and Disposition” initiative was started in March of 2009, and combines efforts by CJLA members, which include representatives from the NOPD, the district attorney’s office and other parts of the criminal justice system. By the terms of the initiative, NOPD agreed to email police reports and field test reports to the DA’s office within 48 hours of an arrest (except on weekends). In turn, the DA’s office assented to make a screening decision within 24 hours of receiving the reports, the defendant’s criminal record and after interviewing the arresting officers.

Previously, the New Orleans Police Department and the Orleans District Attorney’s Office would wait until near the end of the time provided — 45 days for a misdemeanor and 60 days for a felony — to complete the police paperwork and to decide whether or not to prosecute a case.

For January, the initiative reports a decrease from 61 days to seven days the time required to arrest a suspect and to decide whether or not they will be charged with a crime. What has changed little is the time it takes from the filing of the DA’s screening decision to a defendant’s arraignment in court, which stands at 4.5 days.

Carter has made criminal justice reform one of his main concerns during his time with the council.

“I’m leaving the Council soon, and, hopefully, this work can continue on into the next administration,” says Carter, whose term ends this May.

The Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit concerned with improving justice systems, advises CJLA. Jon Wool, the institute’s New Orleans director, will present the imitative’s report today at the general meeting of the New Orleans City Council.

Not 24 hours after Mardi Gras ended, the City Council District A race got heaty when the Jay Batt camp sent out an announcement saying third-place finisher Virginia Blanque had endorsed Batt for the runoff. Now Batt’s opponent, Susan Guidry, is firing back with a little vinegar of her own. In a statement provided by her spokesman, Matt Larson, Guidry says of the endorsement:

“I am shocked given that Virginia Blanque’s campaign message — like mine — was that Jay Batt represents the politics of the past and that we can’t effect change by recycling a politician we previously voted out of office.

“I agree with what Ms. Blanque said during the campaign that we need ‘a new direction in District A’ and ‘a break from politics as usual’ (Virginia Blanque campaign material). Jay Batt doesn’t represent a new direction. This endorsement reeks of political deal making.

“This is eerily similar to what happened 4 years ago, when Sal Palmisano said before the primary election that he would not support Batt and then changed his tune after Batt hired him as a ‘paid consultant’ in the runoff. It didn’t fool the public then, and I don’t think it will now.”

There’s no District A forum scheduled yet, but there’s sure to be one or two between now and the runoff Mar. 6. We’ll keep you posted.

Virginia Blanque, the Mid-City businesswoman and activist who ran third in the City Council District A primary Feb. 6, has today endorsed the second-place finisher in the race, businessman and developer Jay Batt, according to a press release from the Batt campaign:

“Jay doesn’t just share my values as a fellow Republican,” Blanque said. “He shares a common vision for the people of District A and for the future of our city - a vision for safer neighborhoods, paved streets, job creation, and an end to blight. I didn’t leap to make this decision immediately after the primary. I gave it considerable thought and reexamined both of the candidates and their positions on the issues that matter most. Jay Batt is clearly the best choice.”

Blanque finished with 15% of the vote, while Batt carried 39%. The frontrunner, attorney Susan Guidry, a Democrat who is new to politics, received 44%.

The runoff will be held Mar. 6.

New Orleans District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro says he will continue his involvement in the District A City Council race, which is headed for a runoff on March 6. Cannizzaro endorsed former councilman Jay Batt, a Republican, in the Feb. 6 primary for the council’s District A seat, which includes parts of Lakeview, Uptown, Mid-City and Carrollton. Batt faces Susan Guidry, a Democrat, in the runoff. In the primary, Guidry garnered 44 percent of the vote to Batt’s 39 percent.

Cannizzaro says he decided to publicly endorse Batt when the Guidry campaign began putting out materials saying Batt was lenient towards blight. Batt countered the accusation, holding out his volunteer work with the nonprofit organization Beacon of Hope and his legislative record with the council as examples of his anti-blight efforts.

Cannizzaro, who supported the failed mayoral campaign of businessman John Georges as well as Batt’s, says he will offer endorsements in future elections.

“Not all of them, but I will when I see it as important,” Cannizzaro says.

The City of New Orleans has withdrawn its request to FEMA for funds to move City Hall to the Chevron Building, according to a source in the New Orleans City Council. FEMA officials were scheduled to hold a meeting this Monday to begin reviewing the city’s plan, but it has been cancelled.

In a letter sent to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in Nov., Martin Altman, an administration official, requested the state approve the purchase as an “improved project” because the amount of work deemed eligible by FEMA for storm-damage repairs was not enough “to restore City Hall to its former functional status.” The state office has been serving as an intermediary between FEMA and local municipalities for disaster funds.

The city council had voted against Mayor Nagin’s proposed City Hall relocation in July of last year, and the FEMA request was seen by some council members as a way to make the move without council approval. As reported in a Gambit Scuttlebutt last month (“Ray Nagin’s Chevron Building Dream”), an ordinance had been introduced that would have required council consent on the $8.2 million purchase even if FEMA had approved the project.

City Attorney Penya Moses-Fields told the New Orleans City Council today that the city’s inspector general was premature in condemning a proposed agreement on the Municipal Auditorium. In question was a letter sent by the Office of Inspector General to the council, urging them to oppose a contract between the city and developer Stewart Juneau for consulting work on the renovation and redevelopment of the auditorium.

Moses-Fields said her office has yet to approve any contract with Juneau, and that negotiations were ongoing.

“At this point today, there is no executed contract,” Moses-Fields said.

Controversy has surrounded what should be done with the auditorium since Mayor Nagin announced in early November that Juneau’s firm, Le Triomphe Property Group, in collaboration with trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, had been selected to turn the shuttered building into a musical performance and entertainment production complex at an estimated cost of $80 million. Almost immediately, inspector general Ed Quatrevaux questioned the mayor’s process for awarding the contract, and said the contract showed signs of favoritism on Nagin’s part. Later, all construction components and the leasing of the auditorium were removed from the proposal, and it is now mostly a project management contract, according to assistant city attorney Fred Wild.

Councilwoman Stacy Head made the comment during the hearing that the lease section of the proposal was removed so that the mayor wouldn’t need council approval on the deal. Up until February 2009 when Nagin suspended them, the city used selection review panels to evaluate professional services contracts. Moses-Fields said the proposal is now a professional services contract.

Bill Chrisman, director of capital projects, said the contract that Quatrevaux was responding to was only a draft that Chrisman had put on the city’s electronic contract routing system (ECRS).

“It was never meant for public view,” Chrisman told the council. “It was a working document.” Chrisman admitted Juneau’s signature was on that contract, but he said that was only to show Juneau’s approval on the outline of the proposal. Moses-Fields said when Chrisman first put the proposal into the ECRS, her office had yet to review it.

Following the meeting, Quatrevaux said he thought there had been a healthy discussion, but that it also showed the need for reinstituting the selection panels for professional service contracts.

As for Chrisman saying the proposal was a working document when he inputted it into ECRS and not meant for public view, Janet Werkman, head of the OIG’s inspection and evaluation department, disagreed with the director’s comment.

“It was in the system to begin the process of approval, and, obviously, that’s a public record,” Werkman said.

The Alliance for Good Government, one of the most hotly sought endorsers in the New Orleans mayoral race, held their forum tonight at Loyola University with nine candidates present: Jonah Bascle, Manny ‘Chevrolet’ Bruno, Rob Couhig, John Georges, Troy Henry, Jerry Jacobs, Mitch Landrieu, James Perry and Nadine Ramsey.

The Alliance’s mayoral endorsement went to Mitch Landrieu.

Previous endorsements by the Alliance’s in the Feb. 6 race include several City Council races, including District B (Stacy Head), District C (Kristin Gisleson Palmer), District D (Cynthia Hedge-Morrell) and District E (Austin Badon).