Transparency and Equity in Disposition of New Orleans Redevelopment Authority Properties
From New Orleans Wiki
What follows are notes taken by participant Lauren Lastrapes. Marty Rowland will be sending a long a more complete accounting of the discussion shortly.
[edit] Transparency Table
Discussion summary, less than detailed
In this group were Bill Borah (attorney, preservationist), Michael Sartisky (LEH), Alice Chamberlain (UC Berkeley undergrad researcher), Steve Miles (interested citizen), Diana Lewis (see above) and Nathan Rothstein (YURP) and Lauren Lastrapes (CHART). The main goal of our group was to develop some specific questions we would like to address to NORA about how they’re doing what they’re doing. Also, building on the idea that UNOP produced more informed citizenry, NORA should find ways to communicate and share information with residents as equals. Michael says that the media can be used to enforce transparency as it would keep the public informed of what the agency is doing. To this end, he feels that a campaign to provoke the local media into asking NORA questions and finding answers to them would be useful. The conversation turns to listing.
[edit] Steps for transparency
- Televise NORA meetings
- Task NORA with explaining itself in public forums in regular human language
- Announce meetings in advance [NOTE: I feel like they already do]
- Post overviews of the meetings on line
[edit] Questions for NORA
- What does NORA think its mandate is?
- What is the role of the NORA board?
- How does one get on the NORA board?
- How can NORA be more innovative in the use of their required public participation?
- How is property really being disposed now?
- To whom is NORA accountable?
- How does NORA fit into the land use models and planning principles that have been developed already through UNOP and that will be further developed as the city creates a master plan?
