Shreveport City Council members are working to understand which departments are responsible for addressing resident concerns and the limits of their authority to resolve these issues. At a recent administrative meeting, council members discussed public works, property standards, and zoning, with a focus on substandard housing, overflowing apartment dumpsters, drainage, potholes, overgrown grass, and Section 8 housing inspections.
Department Responsibilities
Councilman James Green asked about the city’s ability to address white-collar crimes, such as landlords not providing adequate services. Assistant city attorney Zelda Tucker explained that tenants can report such issues to the district attorney’s office for investigation and can also take landlords to civil court. Stephen Jean, executive director of the Shreveport-Caddo Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission, confirmed that apartment owners can be cited for trash violations.
Alan Jackson, representing District E, sought clarification on Property Standards Department protocols for properties with high grass or other issues. Director Terrence Green explained that a paperwork mix-up had delayed the city’s grass-cutting schedule, but they are now working to catch up.
Enforcing Laws and Regulations
Chairwoman Tabatha Taylor expressed concern about the lack of air conditioning in rental houses and suggested that landlords who do not provide adequate living conditions should be held accountable. However, she was informed that city code does not require landlords to provide air conditioning. Council members discussed the need for clearer guidelines and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that landlords are meeting their obligations to tenants.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux noted that the Housing Authority of the city of Shreveport is not a city department and has control over Section 8 housing. He also explained that the property standards code does not permit interior inspections of properties without a tenant affidavit.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
