Last evening, members of OJCA attended the rescheduled Town Hall Meeting at the Yenni Building. The sponsor was State Senator District 9 Cameron Henry and Louisiana State Representative Laurie Schlegel. Special guest was Louisiana Insurance Commissioner, Tim Temple. Also featured was District 02 Engineer Scott Boyle of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
After an introduction from State Senator Cameron Henry, Scott Boyle opened the evening with the exciting news that project EARHART AT DAKIN / RAMP CONNECTOR EAST-BOUND TO DAKIN will be up for bid July 9, 2025! The 2.5-to-5-million-dollar project is the long awaited off ramp connecting Earhart to Jefferson Highway and the answer to a many year long request by our neighborhood! When questioned, Scott remarked that a separate dialogue needs to be begun with our state representatives requesting the construction of a corresponding north to south ramp leading from Jefferson Highway to Earhart via Dakin. Go to https://latransportationplan.la.gov/engage/ to leave a comment in support of this much needed connection or go to wwwapps.dotd.la.gov/engineering/lettings/lets8230.aspx to view other LA-DOTD projects that impact the OJCA area.
OJCA 1st Vice President Robert Brayden had a side conversation with Neil Schneider, Director of Jefferson Parish Capital Projects and discovered that a project is in the design phase for a NEW CAUSEWAY BLVD. OVERPASS, with a north bound on-ramp from River Road to Causeway along with a south bound off-ramp from Causeway Blvd to east bound Jefferson Highway. The project will still keep the north bound on-ramp from east Jefferson highway to Causeway Blvd.
Next up was Tim Temple, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner to talk about the rising costs of home and auto insurance in our state. He stated that 3 reforms passed during this year’s legislative sessions were designed to bring new insurance companies to our state. Three companies are currently in the vetting process. Commissioner Temple assured everyone that his office is doing all they can to ensure that companies allowed to write policies in our state are prepared to stay around for the long haul and not just collect premiums and leave after a weather event. One reform that will bring other insurance companies to our state is the repeal of the 3 Year Rule, which forced insurance companies to continue writing policies to any policyholder who had been with that insurance company for the prior 3 consecutive years. Louisiana was the sole remaining state to have this legislation on its books and the commissioner felt this is a major reason why insurance companies are reluctant to do business in our state. New policies in 2025 are no longer subject to this rule. Commissioner Temple encouraged everyone to educate themselves and shop around for the best policy to fit their needs and their budget, instead of remaining with the same company year after year if that company no longer met their needs. Go to the Louisiana Department of Insurance at https://www.ldi.la.gov/ for more information.
The talk then turned to the Louisiana Fortified Roof Program. This one-year-old program is a lottery for homeowners to enter an on-line lottery for a grant to have a fortified roof installed. So far, 1500 fortified roof grants have been awarded. For those who make the decision to have a fortified roof installed without receiving the grant, Commissioner Temple is working to have a tax credit of 5 thousand dollars established, with an increase to 10 thousand the following year. He is also working to have the grants expanded by asking for legislature to establish a funding source to continue the program. This will come from a combination of taxes already being assessed and paid. His long-term goal is to include fortified windows and doors in the program. He cautioned everyone not to think that evacuation will no longer be necessary when advised by thinking a fortified roof will “fortify the whole fort.” Everyone still needs to exercise caution.
State Senator District 9 Cameron Henry closed out the evening with a question-and-answer session. One interesting comment of note was his assuring the attendees that the conversation regarding the regulation of non-profits who own/operate profit generating businesses (such as Ochsner Clinic Foundation’s history of operating a real estate company that has purchased residential property in the OJCA neighborhood) will not be discussed at the special legislative session, but will take place during the next regular session.
To view OJCA 1st VP's comments as well as those of Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple on Fox8 News, go to https://www.fox8live.com/2024/10/31/louisiana-insurance-commissioner-will-seek-expand-fortified-roof-program/.
Thanks for reading. Stay dry this rainy Halloween night!
Renee Wright Brayden
OJCA President