WELCOME TO THE WDSU NEWS HOT SEAT. WE ARE ON LOCATION WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE STEPHANIE HILFERTY FROM NEW ORLEANS. WE’RE IN LAKE VISTA. IT’S ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU REPRESENT, AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD BILLING. YOU BACKED A BILL. IT SAILED THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE. IT’S GOING TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK. HE’S GOING TO SIGN IT. WHY DOES THAT HELP PEOPLE’S BILLING? FIRST OFF, EXPLAIN TO US WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT’S GOING TO HELP PEOPLE’S BILLING. IN YOUR OPINION. SO LOOK, SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD, UM, RIGHTFULLY SO. THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS HAVE VERY LITTLE FAITH IN THE UTILITY. UM, AND ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES OF THAT, AND WHAT I JOKE IS THE MONTHLY REMINDER OF THAT IS THE BILLING. UM, SO IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL IF IF THEY ARE LOOKING TO REBUILD TRUST IN THE UTILITY THAT THE BILLING BE RESOLVED. AND SO THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR THIS BILL IS THAT WE RESOLVED THE BILLING ISSUES THAT REALLY STARTED HAPPENING. UH, 2016, 2017. SO THE BILL HAS TWO PARTS, UH, PART ONE CREATES AN ARBITRATION SYSTEM. SO SOMEBODY THAT HAS A CONTESTED BILL, WHAT THEY’LL DO IS THEY’LL BE ABLE TO SIGN UP AND GO TO A COUNT, UM, A LOCATION WITHIN THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICT, SOMETHING LIKE A LIBRARY MEET WITH AN ARBITRATOR WHO WILL THEN GO AHEAD AND SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD WILL BE AT THE TABLE. THE RATEPAYER WILL BE AT THE TABLE. THEY WILL RESOLVE THAT BILL AT THE TABLE. IF THAT RESIDENT IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE ARBITRATION, WE ARE STILL MAINTAINING THE COUNCIL LEVEL APPEALS PROCESS. SO THAT’S NOT THE END OF THE LINE FOR THE HOMEOWNER. NOW THAT IS THE END OF THE LINE FOR SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD. SO IF THE RATEPAYER ACCEPTS THAT THAT RATE AT THE TABLE, THEN THAT IS SET. UM, AND WE’LL HAVE THAT AT EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT. OKAY. AND RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO SIGN UP. SO ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN? THEY CAN JUST STAY IN THEIR DESK AND THAT AND YOU KNOW, FOR SOMEBODY TO GO DOWN TO, UH, SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD HEADQUARTERS, THAT COULD TAKE THEM ALL DAY. PARKING IS DIFFICULT. UM, ACCESSIBILITY IS IS DIFFICULT FOR THE ELDERLY. UM, SO WE’RE LOOKING TO BRING THIS TO THE PEOPLE, MAKE IT MUCH EASIER FOR THEM. WE’LL ALSO HAVE THIS SET UP. WE’VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, UM, CONTESTS, MULTIFAMILY ACCOUNTS, AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE’VE GOT AN ARBITRATION SYSTEM FOR THAT, THAT BOUTTE GROUP AS WELL. SO EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT AS WELL AS MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS. SO THAT’S THAT’S PART ONE OF THIS BILL. UM, THE SECOND PART IS THE SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD WILL ESTABLISH AN AVERAGE RATE FOR EACH RESIDENTIAL RATEPAYER BASED ON THE PAST THREE UNCONTESTED READS OF THEIR METER. UM, THEY WILL AVERAGE THAT NUMBER AND SEND THE RATEPAYER A NOTICE TO SAY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO OPT IN TO FIX BILLING, THIS IS THE AMOUNT WE WOULD CHARGE. AND THEN THE RATEPAYER HAS THE OPTION TO OPT IN OR THEY CAN JUST IGNORE IT AND STAY ON THE CURRENT SYSTEM. SO BASICALLY IN A NUTSHELL, IN LAYMAN’S TERMS, IF MY BILL IS ONE 5150 AND 150, I CAN SAY, HEY, I WANT TO PAY 150 EVERY MONTH UNTIL I GET A SMART METER AT MY HOUSE AND MAKE IT THAT SIMPLE. YEAH. AND I THINK FOR THE THE RESIDENTS AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY WHAT CATCHES PEOPLE OFF GUARD, THEY’LL IN YOUR EXAMPLE MY BILLS ARE, YOU KNOW, ONE 4150 MAYBE 175 KIND OF ALL IN THAT RANGE. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY GET A $500 BILL, RIGHT? WHERE THE HECK DID THAT COME FROM? AND SO WE ARE LOOKING TO ELIMINATE THAT POSSIBILITY OF THESE ERRANT BILLS, THESE EXTREMELY HIGH BILLS THAT SEEM TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE AND ALLOW THE RESIDENTIAL RATEPAYER TO OPT INTO THAT. AND SO IF THEY DID OPT IN, THEY WOULD GET OFF A FIXED BILLING ONCE THEY GOT THE NEW SMART METER INSTALLED, WHICH IS GOING TO REAL TIME MONITOR THEIR USAGE. LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION, BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR IS ON BOARD WITH THIS. HE CREATED A TASK FORCE. YOU ALL WANT TO REFORM THE SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD. CAN THEY DO WHAT YOU’RE ASKING? THE GOVERNOR’S GOING TO SIGN THIS INTO LAW. SURE. BUT WHAT IS YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THE SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD CARRYING THROUGH WITH THIS FOR CUSTOMERS? LOOK, THIS IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE MAKE THIS WORK. UM, AND I DO HAVE CONCERNS THAT WE GET THIS IMPLEMENTED, UM, EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY FOR THE RESIDENTS. RIGHT NOW. UM, AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD ANY NUMBER OF TIMES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SO MUCH UNITY BETWEEN THE COUNCIL, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE ON GETTING THIS FIXED AND RESOLVED. AND WE HAVE THE ATTENTION, UM, AND THE LEADERSHIP FOCUSED ON THIS. SO I’M MORE HOPEFUL THAN I’VE BEEN IN THE PAST. RIGHT. BUT THERE’S STILL A LOT OF HURDLES. THERE’S A LOT TO GET THROUGH TO IMPLEMENT THIS BECAUSE IT LOOKS BAD ON THE SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD. AND LOOK, THEY ISSUED A STATEMENT WHEN THIS BILL PASSED THE FULL HOUSE AND SENATE, THEY SAID, LOOK, WE’RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE HERE, BUT IT LOOKS BAD IF YOU ALL SAY, DO SOMETHING THAT SEEMS SIMPLE AND THEY CAN’T GET IT DONE. I, I CAN’T DISAGREE WITH THAT. AND LOOK, I, I’M HOPEFUL THAT AND WE WORKED WITH THEM. THIS WAS NOT THEY WERE MEETINGS WITH THEM ABOUT HOW THEY POP UP OUT OF LEFT FIELD. NO, NO. UM BUT BUT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO SO WE HAVE A SYSTEM. THE SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD SYSTEM HAS SO MUCH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. UM, MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. RIGHT. BUT THE RESIDENTS OF NEW ORLEANS AND RIGHTFULLY SO, DON’T HAVE FAITH IN THE UTILITY. RIGHT. SO IT’S TIME. AND I’VE MENTIONED THIS MANY TIMES TO THEM TO START REBUILDING, ADDING, UM, PEOPLE’S FAITH IN THE UTILITY. AND, AND UNTIL YOU GET THE BILLING RESOLVED, THE FAITH CAN’T BE RESTORED. IT’S GOTTA IT’S GOTTA COME FIRST. THAT IS THAT IS THE ONE PIECE OF THEIR SYSTEM THAT IS NOT, UH, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR INFRASTRUCTURE, POWER LINES UNDERGROUND. THIS IS THIS IS SOFTWARE AND PEOPLE. AND LOOK, THESE BILLS, CLEARLY LAWMAKERS WANT IT. THIS IS ABOVE POLITICS. YOU’RE A REPUBLICAN. YOU’RE THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE NEW ORLEANS DELEGATION THAT’S A REPUBLICAN. BUT THIS WAS BIPARTISAN. YOU HAD DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES WHO SAID, YES, I’M ON BOARD WITH THIS. AND IT WENT THROUGH THE HOUSE, 99 ZERO. I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS UNANIMOUS IN THE SENATE, TOO, AM I RIGHT? OH, YEAH. LOOK, THIS IS QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS AFFECTS SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD AFFECTS RICH, POOR, YOU KNOW, UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN, LAKEFRONT. I MEAN, IT CUTS ACROSS ALL LINES. WE ALL WANT TO GET THIS RIGHT FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND SO THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF UNITY WITHIN THE DELEGATION, THE ORLEANS DELEGATION AND THE LEGISLATURE. THE COUNCIL ASSISTED US, UM, IN MOVING THIS THROUGH. AND REALLY, THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE COMING IN AND SAYING, THIS IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY FOR ME, AND WE’RE GOING TO GET THIS STRAIGHT. LET’S REALLY TALK REALLY QUICKLY HERE. SENATOR JIMMY HARRIS HAS A BILL. SO DOES YOUR COLLEAGUE, STATE REP. UH, MATT WILLARD. THOSE BILLS ARE ESSENTIALLY SET TO BECOME LAW VERY SHORTLY HERE AS WELL TOO. OKAY. SO, UH, JIMMY HARRIS, SENATOR JIMMY HARRIS BILL IS A REALLY GOOD BILL AND RECTIFYING SOMETHING THAT WE’VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE. SO YOU’VE GOT A SPLIT, BIFURCATED DRAINAGE SYSTEM, SMALL LINES UNDER DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, LARGE LINES UNDER SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD. UM, WE’VE SEEN THIS LEAD TO ISSUES. I’VE SEEN YOUR REPORTING WITH, UM, WITH CASSIE SCHERM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, DPW IS OUT THERE PUMPING. THEY DON’T KNOW THAT THERE’S A SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD DRAIN RIGHT, RIGHT UNDER CLAIBORNE. THERE. SO THIS DISCLOSURE, YOU SENT ME A TEXT MESSAGE AND OUR LIVE COVERAGE DURING A RAIN EVENT SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE’RE THIS IS WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? I SAW IT REAL TIME. I WAS WATCHING THAT NEWS BROADCAST AND SO WHAT WHAT THIS WILL DO IS UNIFY DRAINAGE UNDER SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD, UM, SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD HAS THE ENGINEERS. THEY HAVE THE MAJOR PUMPING EQUIPMENT. BUT RIGHT NOW THEY DON’T CONTROL WHEN THE WATER ENTERS THEIR SYSTEM. SO, YOU KNOW, WE’RE WE’RE ABOUT TO GET RAIN TONIGHT WHEN THE WATER HITS THE SYSTEM. THE FIRST PART OF THAT SYSTEM IS UNDER DPW PURVIEW. AND AND I’VE SEEN IT IN, IN EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE TWO DEPARTMENTS WHERE THEY’RE ARGUING WHOSE ISSUE IT IS AT A, YOU KNOW, A CLOGGED CATCH BASIN OR SOMETHING. UM, THAT’S RIDICULOUS. IT’S THAT IT HAS GOT TO BE UNDER ONE ENTITY. UM, SO THAT ALL DRAINAGE RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, FROM THE STREET TO WHEN IT GETS PUMPED INTO THE LAKE, WHICH IS RIGHT TO OUR RIGHT, ARE NOW GOING TO BE UNDER, UM, SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD AND THE COUNCIL, UM, COUNCILMAN, UM, JP MORRELL AND COUNCILMAN GIARRUSSO WERE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL IN SAYING WE’RE GOING TO MOVE THIS FUNDING. WE’RE GOING TO ALLOCATE WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED TO DPW FOR THIS. THAT WILL GO TO SEWAGE AND WATER BOARD. WE’RE WORKING ON SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING AS WELL. UM, THAT WILL BE SENT THERE. AND THEN QUICKLY, BEFORE WE WRAP UP HERE, MATT WILLARD’S BILL, ALSO ANOTHER ONE THAT’S BIG. LOOK, MATT WILLARD’S BILL, I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY, UH, THE MOST COMMON SENSE. BILL AND I LOOK, I APPLAUD HIM FOR FOR DRAFTING IT. WHAT IT SAYS IS YOU CAN’T ESTIMATE METER READS, RIGHT? I MEAN, HOW FRUSTRATING IS THAT FOR ALL OF US, RIGHT? WHEN SOMEBODY COMES OUT BASICALLY AND SAYS, OH, YOUR BILL IS $800 AND YOU GO, WAIT A MINUTE, I’M A SINGLE PERSON WHO TAKES ONE SHOWER. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? AND SO, UH, WHAT HIS BILL SAYS IS YOU GOT TO READ THE METER. YEAH. UH, THAT’S WHAT YOU EXPECT TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU USE. SAD. YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT INTO WRITING AND MAKE IT LAW. BUT IT’S IT’S THE REALITY THAT WE LIVE IN. BUT THAT IS, UM, SO THAT BILL’S GONE THROUGH, UM, AND ALL THESE BILLS ARE EXPECTED TO PASS, BUT, UM, MOST OF THOSE NOW ARE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR SIGNATURE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. STATE REPRESENTATIVE STEPHANIE HILFERTY, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT IT FOR THE LAST TWO, AND A HALF TERMS THAT YOU’VE BEEN IN OFFICE. I KNOW SINCE 2015. IT GOES BACK A LONG TIME, BUT HOPEFULLY CHANGES ON THE WAY FOR EVERYBODY HERE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THAT’S ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE FOR THE HOT SEAT. ONCE AGAIN WE’RE ON LOCATION HERE IN LAKE VISTA TRYING TO BRING YOU HERE WHERE THE LAWMAKERS ARE AND LET THEM, YOU KNOW, GO IN DEPTH ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTING THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. NO, THANK YOU. YOU CAN SEE THIS ENTIRE SEGMENT ON WCVB KSOO.COM STARTING ON MONDAY.