NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell has joined more than 170 of the nation’s mayors in Reno, Nev. for the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) 90th Annual Meeting. Mayor Cantrell is scheduled to participate in sessions focused on priorities that contribute to the strength of America’s cities including prioritizing public safety, infrastructure, mental health, climate change, affordable housing and economic mobility.
Mayor Cantrell participated in the Climate Mayors Leadership Forum, hosted in partnership with C40, that features mayor-to-mayor dialogue and strategy development on climate change challenges and solutions. She also attended the Climate Mayors Summit and provided remarks on resilience projects underway in New Orleans.
“Adaptation is the number one priority,” said Mayor Cantrell. “The City utilized a $141 million HUD grant to create resilience districts, and we are now cutting ribbons on at least nine of them in neighborhoods that were underwater during Hurricane Katrina. We are looking through the lens of equity and are focused on communities identified as having the greatest needs. The City is also focused on ensuring that our people buy into these practices as well by including them in the planning processes as we pivot to developing more green infrastructure.”
Today, Mayor Cantrell will attend the Mayors Water Council session, led by Co-Chairs Mayor Daniel Horrigan of Akron, Ohio and Mayor Deborah Robertson of Rialto, Calif. Remarks will be provided by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman on equity policies and regional practices, along with discussions on the emerging contaminants and Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) Regulations and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Mayor Cantrell will speak to conference attendees during the How Your City’s Stadium or Arena Can Be Your Biggest Asset During a Time of Crisis session, to offer insight on how the City of New Orleans has designated the Smoothie King Center as the parish pickup point for pre-storm city-assisted evacuations during hurricane season. She will also share the City’s successful utilization of other venues throughout New Orleans that were designated as critical resource and distribution centers during Hurricane Ida and were instrumental in providing COVID-19 tests and vaccinations to residents during the ongoing pandemic. Mayor Cantrell also spoke on the need to improve infrastructure to withstand stronger storms that New Orleans and other cities are experiencing.
The City of New Orleans will be recognized as an award recipient of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 2022 Police Reform and Racial Justice Grant Award, honoring the accomplishments of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program.
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