On joint motion of all Councilmembers present, the following resolution was
offered:
RESOLUTION NO.
A resolution authorizing the Jefferson Parish President to sign and
execute the attached Cooperative Endeavor Agreement to form the New
Orleans Urban Area Security Initiative Region with Orleans Parish,
Plaquemines Parish, and St. Bernard Parish to improve the protection of
citizens and infrastructure throughout the Southeast Louisiana Region at
no cost to the Parish. (Parishwide)
WHEREAS, Art. VII, Sec. 14(C) of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 provides
that for a public purpose, the State and its political subdivisions may engage in
cooperative endeavors with each other, with the United States or its agencies, or with
any public or private association, corporation or individuals; and
WHEREAS, Parish desires, as authorized in the Code of Ordinances, Jefferson
Parish, Louisiana § 1-01.5 and § 1-01.6, to cooperate with Orleans Parish,
Plaquemines Parish, and St. Bernard Parish in the implementation of the Project as
hereinafter provided; and
WHEREAS, the public purpose of the Project is described as: to form the New
Orleans Urban Area Security Initiative Region to increase regional emergency
preparedness in the Southeast Louisiana Region in order to protect all citizens and
infrastructure in the metropolitan area; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Homeland Security identified the City
of New Orleans and its surrounding metropolitan area as highly vulnerable to a terrorist
attack with great potential for causing major damage to the regional infrastructure and
the economic security of the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Homeland Security designated the New Orleans
metropolitan area as an Urban Area Security Initiative Region under the Homeland
Security Grant Program; and
WHEREAS, the New Orleans Urban Area Security Initiative Region will be directed
by an Executive Board comprised of members defined in the Articles of the New
Orleans Urban Area Security Initiative Region Working Group Charter, including David
B. Dysart, Director of Emergency Management in Jefferson Parish; and
WHEREAS, the Executive Board of the New Orleans Urban Area Security
Initiative Region shall work to accomplish increased safety and security through the
collaborative management and administration of Homeland Security Grant funding
received by virtue of participation in the Urban Area Security Initiative program; and
WHEREAS, the Parish President and Homeland Security Directors of Orleans
Parish, Jefferson Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and St. Bernard Parish shall work
collaboratively to improve and enhance the ability of emergency responders to
effectively respond to and recover from a man-made or natural disaster in the
Southeast Louisiana Region; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of Jefferson Parish and the residents of the other
Southeast Louisiana parishes will benefit from the efforts of these parishes working
together.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Parish Council of Jefferson Parish,
Louisiana, acting as governing authority of said Parish:
SECTION 1. That Jefferson Parish President is hereby authorized to sign and
execute the attached Cooperative Endeavor Agreement to form the New Orleans Urban
Area Security Initiative Region with Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and St.
Bernard Parish to improve the protection of citizens and infrastructure throughout the
Southeast Louisiana Region.
SECTION 2. That there is no cost to Jefferson Parish under this Cooperative
Endeavor Agreement.
The foregoing resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was
as follows:
YEAS:
NAYS:
ABSENT:
This resolution was declared to be adopted on this the 18th day of April, 2012.