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Check it off the list.

Shreveport mayor Adrian Perkins has fulfilled one his campaign promises. And in less than thirty days.

Shreveport now has a Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Keith Hanson was confirmed by the Shreveport city council on Jan. 22.

Hanson is the former president of a local tech company that specialized in custom software and mobile app development. He is considered to be a virtual genius by the local tech-head crowd.

He was quite successful as a small business entrepreneur. His company did work for Cisco, Symantec, Open Table, Red Ball Oxygen, Metro Aviation, and many other mid to large sized national and local businesses.

It’s a feel-good story. Local boy who goes to big city to find a job. He comes back home to marry.

He wants to stay here. He can’t find a decent job in the tech field. So, starts his own business, and makes it big time.

Then viola! He merges his business and sells his interest. Then takes his business savvy to city hall.

So, what will Hanson be doing in his new digs as a city employee?

For starters, he will be managing the city’s information technology (IT) department. The IT budget is $3.7 million. Of this, $2.2 million is for staff and $1.5 million for operating expenses. The department has 30 authorized positions. Seven of these are currently vacant.

Hanson has three core goals for his first year.

The first is to effectuate cost cutting IT projects citywide. He will collaborate with department heads across the city and ensure operational efficiencies are combined with technology. This includes merging technology programs, negotiation of lower use rates, utilization of less expensive software, and modernizing operations by using cloud software.

A second goal is to set in motion major technology programs. These high impact programs include universal broadband, modernizing IT to create a responsive and engaged city government, and coordinating smart city public/private partnerships.

Lastly, Hanson will implement “citizen facing” projects. He defines these as websites that Shreveport citizens can visit to submit ideas, and view transparent budgets and information. Additionally, websites can provide chat for customer support for all departments, and assist citizens who want or need to track public works projects.

Hanson also plans on modernizing the city’s multiple software systems. This effort will not only effectuate cost savings but also increase IT capabilities. For example, there are many currently outdated systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars a year in IT budgets.

As a part of this process “big data” databases, otherwise known as data warehouses, will be created. This will provide data needed for planning and more information to elected officials. The IT department can then provide visualizations for the administration and the council to empower their decision-making in data-driven ways.

Hanson will coordinate implementation of universal broadband. This was another major initiative of the Perkins mayoral campaign.

This effort will require collaboration with internet service providers to lay more fiber to more locations across the city. This will be critical for many planned smart city initiatives.

Hanson plans to create a modern digital marketing division within the IT department. This is a much-needed economic development tool. Additionally, this will help create more engagement between city government and citizens through digital service.

Hanson wants to make Shreveport more attractive for job providers and job seekers, especially in the “knowledge sector”. Often all these workers need is office space and an internet connection.

To do this, he wants to help facilitate a workforce pipeline across the region to attract more tech companies to Shreveport. This effort will include education of city hall and economic development agencies to better understand the IT sector and its potential. It will also entail working with educators across our region to bring more K-12 initiatives for young and promising technologists.

“I believe technology should empower people. As the CTO of Shreveport, that will always be my first priority,” Hanson said.

(This article was published in The Forum on Wednesday, January 30, 2019)

The negative reactions to the proposed Clean City User Fee by Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins have been overwhelming. And equally ignorant of practical realities.

The notion of having ‘free” garbage pickup is as antiquated as door step milk deliveries. Actually the services are NOT free. The city budget subsidizes the operations of the solid waste division by over $8 million per year.

Thankfully, the notion of having adequate reserves in the city’s bank account has not been questioned. Especially since the 2019 city budget will spend $5 million “left over” 2018 funds.

More pragmatic minds are wrestling with how to get more money for solid waste collection and the city’s rainy day funds. In reality there are really only two options. Cut expenses and/or raise more money.

Lets start with expenses first. Here are some brainstorming ideas, listed in no particular order of priority.

1. Stop recycling and apply the $2.50 per month fee to garbage collection. Less than 20% of Shreveport households participate in this program. And no matter what is thrown into the blue bin, Pratt Industries only recycles paper. The blue bins could be used for garbage.

2. Consider garbage pickup every other week like recycling. The additional garbage would necessitate an additional bin for some households. The impact on labor and other fixed expenses for less pickups may not justify this change.

3. Increase fees for commercial users, especially those that generate substantial garbage. If a business has more than one bin, then it should pay more for the service.

4. Charge apartment buildings and other residential facilities that have only one water meter by the number of living units.

And then there are some “budget scrubbing” ideas to consider.

5. Stop providing services at no charge for all the Mardi Gras parades. These include police, EMS, traffic barricades, clean-up crews, and portalets. The cost to the city for the recent MLK African American parade was over $29 grand.

6. Stop similar in-kind no charge services for the many festivals including the Revel at Festival Plaza.

7. Stop contributions for civic events like the Miss USA pageants, the Independence Bowl, the fireworks at Christmas and July 4 on the riverfront, and other similar events.

8. Charge competitive fees for the use of city facilities like the Skybox at Independence Stadium, Festival Plaza, the convention center, River View theatre, Municipal Auditorium, etc.

Hopefully all the “naysayers” that proclaim Perkins has lost his mind will start using their noodles in a constructive fashion. Most households must deal with budgets and, at times, decide “needs” versus “wants” Seemingly those that are trashing the mayor, literally, will think constructively .

Its not hard to send ideas to council members who must decide this issue. And certainly positive remarks would be appreciated by these elected officials. They should be respected and not thrown under the garbage truck with Perkins.

The last council meeting was well attended by many citizens.

The hot topic was funding for sanitation worker pay raises and the city reserves. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins had proposed an $18-per-month “Clean City User fee” to address both financial needs.

The only agreement reached by the seven council members was the need for more money. But whose pocket to raid and for how much was not decided.

To many in the audience, the very thought of a garbage pick-up fee evoked of horror. And that’s putting it nicely. Sorta like requiring the sacrifice of a first-born child.

The sanitation director’s report was dismal.

He needs 64 garbage trucker drivers. He has 38. The city pay scale is at least $3 per hour below market.

He also needs a minimum of 45 laborers. Rarely can he fill these $10.60-per-hour slots. His crews are forced to work many hours of overtime and use expensive temp workers.

To make matters worse, the council was advised that the 2019 general fund subsidizes garbage pickup to the tune of $8.4 million per year. This sum includes direct and indirect costs.

The report on the city reserves was just as bleak.

In the perfect world this sum would be $18 million. This amount would ensure that the city’s bond rating will not be lowered.

Currently, the reserve fund is $3.1 million. The 2019 budget uses almost $5 million of the 2018 year-end reserves.

Council members discussed many ideas.

These included different charges for households, commercial users and apartment buildings. Additional charges for bulk street pickup of trash/garbage were also suggested.

Discontinuance of recycling and application of the $2.50-per-household fee for garbage pickup was another suggestion.

There was universal agreement that any user fee ordinance should provide relief for the very needy. This could include expansion of the water bill assistance program to include any pickup fee. Currently this program costs approximately $200,000 annually.

Other ideas included charging different fees for different neighborhoods or setting fees on the basis of assessed property values.

The council agreed to keep the ordinance on track for a Feb. 12 vote, subject to amendments by the council. Mayor Perkins advised the council members he was willing to work with them on the proposed fee.

The good news is that the council members, for the most part, swallowed the big bullet that garbage pick-up fees are necessary. Shreveport is one of the last mid-size cities without such a fee.

The council also acknowledged that the city’s reserves must be increased for financial stability and its bond ratings. The concern over the small reserve fund was shared by all.

The open dialogue between council members , Mayor Perkins and his staff was constructive. It was remarkedly refreshing.

Perkins gave many answers. He promised to quickly provide additional information requested. He confirmed his “home work” list before the meeting ended.

Perkins was clear and consistent in his message.

Sanitation workers needed a pay raise and soon. The city reserves represent a crisis that must also be promptly addressed. And he was willing to negotiate on the fee and funding options.

Perkins said his duties to Shreveport citizens, and the city itself, made both of these high priorities. The council also acknowledged these.

All in all, it was a good day for government in Shreveport. Not a happy, everybody satisfied day. In fact, no one left the council chambers floating on a cloud.

But the democratic process worked. And it worked well.

The honeymoon may be over for Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins. And, for that matter, the Shreveport City Council as well.

The new leadership at city hall has only been in office since Dec. 29. Hope it was fun while it lasted.

Perkins’ proposed $18 monthly “Clean City User Fee” is as popular as stacked-up garbage. Actually, much less popular.

The new mayor’s inauguration gift from former Mayor Ollie Tyler’s administration was a bloated budget. And major problems in the sanitation department.

The mayor has said the $14 million generated annually from the fee would fund raises for sanitation workers to keep them from moving to private operators, and would replenish the city’s financial reserve.

The 2019 city budget anticipates spending $5 million of the 2018 city financial reserve of $8 million. The mayor says credit rating agencies, which determine the city’s cost of borrowing, require a reserve of at least 8 percent of the general operating budget, or $18 million minimum.

The amount of reserves is a major component of the city’s credit rating.

The sanitation department struggled in 2018 with having sufficient drivers and workers. Often, expensive temp agency labor was necessary.

Perkins is to be commended for tackling both of these problems early on. But politically he may be walking into a mine field.

The garbage situation could continue, with expensive overtime and temporary workers. But this is a poor solution.

The diminished city reserve is a big wolf at the door.

Spending reserves for operating costs is like raiding the family piggy bank to pay the electric bill.

Any major drop in city revenues and/or major unbudgeted city revenue needs could put Shreveport in a bankruptcy spiral.

Perkins can not be faulted for recognizing the need for substantial reserves. And his concern over a lowered municipal credit rating are justified.

As with any city, municipal bond funding is a necessary evil to pay for major capital improvements.

The cost of needed street repairs, drainage remediation and capitol improvements such as a new police station are staggering. Additional borrowing for these basic services is a given.

Perkins took office with an overwhelming mandate for change.

Whether or not that campaign love will survive his “Clean City User Fee” is an open question. And it could be a litmus test for the remainder of his term.

Two of the three incumbents openly endorsed Perkins (Jerry Bowman, Jr. and Willie Bradford). So did newcomers Levette Fuller and John Nicholson.

Euphoria and excitement about the new administration and council marked the first meetings of the council.

The mood of the council will most likely be quite different at the Tues. meeting when the user fee is to be introduced. And probably at the Friday work session as well.

Out of political courtesy, the council should vote to allow the introduction of the fee ordinance. But after that, one can expect much debate and probably discontent.

Needless to say, there will be much public discussion on this issue in the upcoming days.

(This article was published in The Shreveport Times on Sunday, January 20, 2019)

For starters, the reference to a ‘smart city’ has nothing to do with IQ.

And a CTO is not to be confused with the iconic muscle car…the GTO.

A smart city is one that uses data collection sensors to supply information to manage assets and resources efficiently.

A CTO is a chief technology officer. Although specific job duties may vary, the primary task of a CTO is to use technology to improve the quality of life.

Newly inaugurated Shreveport mayor Adrian Perkins wants the city to have its first CTO. He has asked the city council to approve Keith Hanson for this position on Tues. Jan. 22.

Assuming the council accommodates the mayor, what can be expected from Hanson as CTO?

Without infringing on Perkin’s priorities for this position, there are several smart city practices that can be considered. These are not detailed in any particular order, nor is this an all-inclusive list. And some are not rocket science.

Synchronization of traffic lights on major city arteries would be welcome. Line Avenue beginning at Jordan and going south would be a great start.

No one knows how many people use each of the 62 city parks.. Obviously some are visited much more frequently than others. But how many have so few visitors that closing the park should be seriously considered?

The city must pay for the water it uses on public properties because DOWUS is an enterprise fund. Could city sprinkler systems be better managed? Last year SPAR spent over $154 thousand on water for Independence Stadium alone.

And how about Shreveport’s electricity bills at Independence Stadium (last year almost $244,000), Municipal Auditorium, Festival Plaza, Riverview Park and the 52 city owned facilities. Can smart practices reduce usage?

Shreveport recently received a $600 thousand grant from the Louisiana Public Service Commission to install LED bulbs in many city facilities. This will reduce labor and electricity charges for years to come.(A big thanks to Commissioner Foster Campbell is certainly merited for this help.)

And then there is economic development, which is sorely needed by Shreveport. Having a key contact person to assist businesses that want to expand, start up or relocate to Shreveport that need technological assistance will be a big plus.

Bossier City has certainly leveraged the Cyber Innovation Center to obtain new businesses and good jobs. Shreveport is definitely behind in this arena .

The old Selber’s building in downtown Shreveport is home to Venyu Cloud, the state’s only three-tier data center. This highly secure information technology center is a good example of high tech businesses that Perkins hopes to attract to Shreveport.

Like all cities, Shreveport can benefit from better analysis of how its citizens interact and engage in city services. And this is especially true as the demographics and residential areas of the city change.

Real-world knowledge applications can provide insights into why people are where they are. And predict much faster and accurately where they will be in future months and years. Everything from crime patterns, street traffic, and business expansion can not only be tracked but predicted with these applications.

And then there is the all important upcoming 2020 census which will have substantial impact on re-districting of the Shreveport city council, the Caddo Parish school board and the Caddo Commission…as well as state and federal funding for governmental entities. Preparations to insure the most accurate count for the city of Shreveport could be a task for the CTO.

Yes, Virigina…there is a big need for a Chief Technology Officer for the city of Shreveport. Hopefully this will be a done deal at the next council meeting!

(This article was published in The Inquisitor on Friday, January 18, 2019.)

“We can’t compete with other cities if we do not compare to other cities. And in the digital age, cities that showcase technology win jobs.”

And in two short sentences, newly inaugurated Shreveport mayor Adrian Perkins followed up on a campaign pledge. Throughout his mayoral campaign, Perkins had emphasized that he would bring smart city technology to Shreveport.

In his Dec. 29 inaugural address he announced that he would appoint Shreveport’s first chief technology officer (CTO). On Jan. 4 Perkins nominated Keith Hanson for this new post.

Hanson is the former president of a local tech company that specializes in custom software and app developments. His appointment must be confirmed by the Shreveport city council.

Hanson is considered to be a virtual genius by the local tech-head crowd. His success as a small business entrepreneur is also a big positive.

Hanson will head up the city’s Information Technology Department. The 2019 budget for this department is $3.7 million dollars.

Nationwide, many cities have CTOs. In Louisiana, these include Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Monroe.

Some have combined these responsibilities into chief innovation officers positions. No matter the nomenclature the goal is the same: to use technology to improve the quality of life for citizens.

Hanson will have many job duties.

He will be charged with pursuing grants for smart-city initiatives, advising Perkins and department heads on the implementation of technology and providing support for Shreveport’s local tech sector.

The smart city concept has gained substantial momentum in the 21st century. Generally, the term is applied to urban areas that use different types of electronic data collection sensors to supply information which is used to manage assets and resources efficiently.

Smart city technology allows city officials to interact directly with both community and city infrastructure. This facilitates monitoring what is happening in a city on a real-time basis. This technology can be utilized to monitor and manage traffic systems, the city water, and sewage systems, and assist law enforcement.

Another major responsibility of the new CTO will be to pursue a city-wide broadband through public/private partnerships. This network would make the city more attractive to tech-based companies. It would also bring affordable, high-speed internet access to all Shreveporters.

Fiber-optic broadband is the fastest internet connection available. Perkins plans on forming public/ private partnerships to expand the fiber-optic coverage area until Shreveport achieves universal broadband coverage.

Universal broadband is also an attractive selling point when luring industries that require high-tech infrastructure to conduct business in real-time. The more neighborhoods with fiber-optics, the more competitive are broadband prices.

New York City recently issued a request for proposal (RFP) to expand high-speed broadband access. The RFP invited input on technology and private partnership approaches to expand internet access to every city resident and business by 2025. A privately funded consortium is planning on installing kiosks with free high-speed Wi-Fi at no cost to the city.

Hanson will also review the city’s website. By many standards, outdated and not user-friendly, especially to Shreveport’s seniors.

Perkins promised that hiring a CTO would send a strong signal to tech companies that Shreveport was open for their business. As predicted, out of town inquiries were received by his office after the CTO announcement.

Perkins believes that an upgraded tech infrastructure will attract higher paying jobs, improve educational opportunities and reduce crime. He also sees technology as a tool that can assist in solving the city’s most persistent problems and save taxpayer dollars.

Much like the Big Apple, Shreveport will need to solicit creative solutions to maximize public benefit with private investment to achieve his goal of providing reliable, high-quality services to meet community needs.

The appointment of a CTO is the first step. Shreveport citizens can expect Perkins to make a major push to implement many smart city initiatives.

(This article was published in The Forum on Tuesday, January 15, 2019)

There is always unfinished business when a new mayoral administration takes office.

Such is the case with the Shreveport’s garbage collection.

Throughout her four year term, former Mayor Ollie Tyler complained of the problems she inherited when taking office.

New mayor Adrian Perkins has promised to not whine about any hangover issues , but to resolve them.

Ready or not, Perkins now has garbage on his plate, so to speak.

The garbage collection problems became a “hot potato” issue in the last days of the December mayoral run-off campaign. For several days, a large number of sanitation workers called in sick or left work for personnel emergencies.

A private contractor started helping the city during the week of Dec. 3.

The city normally has 32 trucks picking up trash.

The city has had both problems for the past few months with keeping fully staffed with drivers who hold commercial drivers licenses and with regular sanitation workers. The result has been that not all trucks operate.

Needless to say, the working conditions are not ideal even under the best of circumstances.

Although sanitation worker pay was increased by the Tyler administration, the wage scale is problematic both for the city and the employees. Increased competition for drivers and workers from Bossier City’s new private contract garbage collection service has exacerbated the problem.

The city has two options.

The first is to privatize garbage/trash pickup services. The other is to increase pay for all the sanitation works.

Shreveport has a substantial investment in equipment, having purchased a new fleet of garbage truck/packers in 2016. This capital equipment inventory could limit privatization options.

Yet increasing wages for sanitation workers puts more pressure on a maxed-out city budget. Additionally, any bump in wages in this department could have a deleterious ripple effect on other city departments with large numbers of hourly employees.

In 2016, Mayor Tyler considered a $12 per household garbage collection fee. After major pushback from citizens already complaining of increased water bills to pay for the EPA mandated water/sewer reports, this proposal was pulled.

Even entertaining the thought of additional municipal fees, much less secretly whispering about them, could put on the new administration on a suicide watch. The city council, too.

Another option is for the city to increase its sales tax by a penny. This would distribute the tax burden to all who spend money in Shreveport, not just Shreveport residents. The additional revenue could also be used for police pay raises.

Like it or not, Perkins has a major mayoral challenge right out of the box.

It certainly is not the most sexy issue to deal with. How it is resolved will set the curve for future actions by the Perkins administration.

(This article was published in The Shreveport Times on Sunday, January 13, 2019)

The trivia question for the day is how many parks does Shreveport have?

How bout 63?

Yes, sixty-three.

And 16 of these have fully operational recreation centers.

Add to this 2 golf courses, 5 swimming pools, 7 spray grounds, 46 playgrounds, and Riverview Park.

But this not all that the Shreveport Parks and Recreation Department (SPAR) maintains.

Think grounds maintenance for 4 cemeteries, 300 rose/flower beds, 4 boat launches, Clyde Fant Parkway, and the adjacent bike/jogging trail.

Whew!!!

But as Bugs Bunny would say, “that’s not all folks!”

SPAR also maintains Independence Stadium, the Municipal Auditorium, 126 city-owned properties, and 52 city-owned facilities. Additionally SPAR is responsible for housekeeping functions of 34 city-owned facilities.

So much for just thinking that SPAR runs athletic programs.

SPAR’s workload could decrease, if only slightly, in the near future. Since late 2015, the city has been inactive negotiating to have the C. Bickham Dickson Park become part of the federal park system much like the Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Bossier City.

But back to the threshold question: does Shreveport has too many public parks?

Tree huggers will always say that there are never too many green spaces and recreational venues.

But what about the ever increasing costs for maintenance?

And what about population shifts that render the location of the parks to now be in low population areas?

Currently, SPAR does not have the capability to determine the utilization of each park. Add this needed info to the growing list of metrics that Shreveport’s Chief Technology Officer, once confirmed by the Shreveport city council, should tackle.

SPAR’s 2019 budget is $17.4 million dollars.

The city’s 2019 budget anticipates spending $6 million dollars of the estimated 2018 end of year reserves of $8 million.

Shreveport mayor Adrian Perkins and the new council need to make many budget amendments in the first quarter of this year to put the city on a more conservative budget.

Living within its means, as a city, may be a painful process.

But it is urgently needed.

Looking at options for the city parks is one starting point.

Maybe some parks should be closed.

Perhaps civic groups can assume park maintenance.

And perhaps corporate sponsorships can help underwrite these green spaces.

Parks are important for a city. However underused parks can be more of a drain on a city than a positive attribute.

(This article was published in The Inquisitor on Friday, January 11, 2019)