Baton Rouge News from Around the Parish

Ulysses Addison Jr., Elected to 2010 National League of Cities� Board of Directors

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Metropolitan Councilmember Ulysses Addison Jr., was elected to the 2010 Board of Directors of the National League of Cities (NLC) during its Congress of Cities and Exposition in San Antonio, Texas, November 10-14.

Addison was one of 23 new Board members elected at the meeting. The Board meets throughout the year and leads the organization by shaping priorities and directing the advocacy, research and membership activities of NLC.

The election concluded NLC�s 2009 Congress of Cities, attended by nearly 3,000 delegates. The delegates also elected new officers for the coming year, including Riverside, Calif., Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge as President; Charlotte, NC, Council Member James Mitchell Jr. as 1st Vice President; and Willmar, Minn., Mayor Lester J. (�Les�) Heitke as 2nd Vice President.

The Congress of Cities is NLC�s annual conference for city leaders. It encourages city leaders to exchange best practices and new program ideas that provide economic opportunities and allow more effective interaction with state and federal agencies.

The National League of Cities is the nation�s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

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5th Annual Seminar on Education Policy and Parental Choice

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Councilwomen Tara Wicker, Ronnie Edwards, Donna Collins-Lewis and State Representative Michael Jackson recently traveled to Atlanta to attend the Fifth Annual Seminar on Education Policy and Parental Choice which was hosted by Black Alliance for Educational Option (BAEO).

Local and state level elected officials as well as key education principles in the education reform were invited by special invitation to engage in conversations and information gathering sessions regarding education policies and parental choice movement. This seminar provided them with an opportunity to network with a group of elected officials who support or are open to consideration of parental choice programs for low-income and working- class families. The goals of the seminar were to:

� Provide time for participants to network with other elected officials, policymakers and allies who strive to empower parents to choose the best educational options for their children;

� Examine real-world experiences of elected officials who have decided to become advocates for our children using parent choice programs as a lever of power in the effort to reform education in America;

� Offer elected officials techniques and resources for expanding quality education options back home; and

� Disseminate information from various studies and reports about the impact of the parental choice movement in the continuing struggle to close the achievement gap between the children in our nations.

Councilwomen Tara Wicker stated �What an eye-opening experience this conference was for me! I went to educate myself on issues related to charter schools and parental choice educational option. I learned so much about the value and importance of educational reform and the significant impact it has on the children and families in our communities. It was a wonderful and productive trip!�

Michael Jackson stated �The annual meeting of the Black Alliance for Educational Options gave us all the opportunity to become acquainted with national leaders in creating educational environments of excellence for our children. It also gave us a unique prospective of what can be accomplished in our city and state to change the educational culture to the extent that every child has the chance to succeed.�

Councilwomen Ronnie Edwards stated �The BAEO meeting reconfirmed my belief and experience that all available educational delivery options should be afforded to all parents.�

Councilwomen Donna Collins-Lewis stated �The BAEO Conference was an educational experience for me. It has greatly expanded my knowledge and understanding around the importance of parental choice and education options. Parents should have the right to make choices that they believe will provide the greatest opportunity for their children to obtain a quality education. My thanks to the entire BAEO staff for an excellent conference and their passion to make sure that every child receives an education that will provide them a chance for success in life.�

EBR FIGHTING LITTER WITH NEW TRASH CANS

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Mayor Melvin �Kip� Holden�s war on liter is going green with 70 new Lincoln-green trash cans that are being distributed across East Baton Rouge Parish.

To date, 25 of the new cans have been installed at locations around the parish (see locations in attachment), and Assistant Public Works Director of Maintenance David Guillory said the remaining 45 should be in place by the end of the year.

In all, the City Parish spent $20,000 on the new receptacles, or about $286 apiece, Guillory said.

Guillory said the new trash cans replace receptacles that date back to the early 1980s, and are showing their age.

�We were going to try and fix some of the old cans and repaint them, but at this point, it looks like that could cost almost as much as buying new ones. So we�re looking at purchasing another 70 new cans to replace them,� Guillory said.

The Mayor decided to launch a major initiative against little after numerous residents complained about litter during his 12-stop listening tour across the parish earlier this year.

As a result of the those complaints, the Mayor and the Metro Council created a new litter court to help expedite the processing of code enforcement violations involving trashy and unmaintained property, trash cans that are left curbside for extended periods of time, abandoned buildings and other problems..

Photos below show the difference between the new trash cans (left) and the old ones that date back to the 1980s (right).

Homeless men, single moms to graduate from painting class

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Two homeless men and six single mothers are among the 20 people slated to graduate from the Sherwin-Williams Home Work Program at 9:30 a.m. Friday in Meeting Room 8 of the New River Center Exhibition Hall.

Mayor Melvin �Kip� Holden said the program is a partnership between the City Parish and Sherwin-Williams that provides opportunities to people by teaching them commercial painting skills. �The program gives single mothers an opportunity for advancement and also a way to pay their bills so they can get out of the cycle that many of them have found themselves in over the course of several years,� Holden said. "The program also provides an opportunity for homeless people to get back on their feet", the Mayor said.

�Anytime you can mainstream them (the homeless) back into the setting that many of them were used to before they fell on hard times, it�s quite significant in terms of building up their confidence level. Many of them have just given up hope,� Holden said.

The diverse class also includes youngsters looking for a skill so they can earn a paycheck, according to Tom Norman of Sherwin-Williams, coordinator of the program. This class even includes a husband and wife, he said. Norman said students who complete the program receive certification as painters, and equipment to start their own painting business. .

There is no cost to the participants, who also receive a free breakfast and lunch each day as part of the program.

Public Works Director Pete Newkirk said much of the class is devoted to hands-on painting projects that help the students develop painting skills. This particular class spent much of their time painting the DPW Central Garage, while the two previous East Baton Rouge classes honed their skills by painting the stairwells in the Governmental Building, Newkirk said. �The first day, most of them do a pretty good job. But by the last day, they do a phenomenal job,� Newkirk said.

Mayor Holden said the East Baton Rouge program was established through discussions between himself and Sherwin-Williams executives at meetings of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Norman said Baton Rouge is the only city in Louisiana to participate in the program. In all, Sherwin-Williams held 52 classes in 29 cities this year.

This is the third Home Work Program in East Baton Rouge Parish this years, and plans call for additional classes to be held here next year, Norman said..

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2010 Budget Message from the Mayor-President

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

2010 Budget Message from the Mayor-President

http://brgov.com/dept/finance/pdf/2010 Budget/budget message 2010-color.pdf

City-Parish Planning Commission Honored by LA APA

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST

The City-Parish Planning Commission will receive two prestigious awards from the Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association at the Metro Council meeting today.

The Planning Commission will receive the organization�s 2009 Outstanding Planning Award for a Project/Program Tool for the Infill/Mixed Use Small Planned Unit Development Zoning District (ISPUD). The award recognizes a planning tool that has significantly advanced the cause of planning, and that emphasizes implementation and results.

In addition, the Planning Commission will receive the Association�s 2009 Public Education Award for the Land Development Application Search Tool (LDAST). The award recognizes education efforts that increase public understanding and awareness of planning principles and practices, and encourage public participation in the planning process.

The ISPUD gives developers of small sites (less than 2.5 acres) within the urban core the flexibility to mix uses within very small spaces which have traditionally been inaccessible to development. Additionally, the ISPUD provides nearby property owners and neighborhood stakeholders with greater certainty of the development by requiring a detailed Site Plan.

The ISPUD tool directly supports the stated growth scenario of the locally adopted comprehensive master plan for the City-Parish, the Horizon Plan. Adopted in 1992, the Horizon Plan focuses development patterns on infill and sustainability.

The Infill/Mixed Use Small Planned Unit Development guidelines provide neighborhoods with security and knowledge of future development, while maintaining flexibility for the developer in their use of the property. This innovative tool provides planners, developers and the public with the ability to implement effective and efficient infill development in Baton Rouge.

The LDAST uses an innovative interactive map to display monthly planning and zoning case information within an easily recognizable �Google Maps� Interface. Using data contained in submitted development applications, the LDAST provides the geographic location of each case, the case number, staff recommendation, Planning Commission agenda, vicinity maps, site plans, and site photographs. This information can be easily accessed through a link on the Planning Commission website.

The LDAST addresses directives in the Horizon Plan, the Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan for Baton Rouge, that call for the City-Parish to establish a Planning Management Information System for automated mapping and interrelational database management.

The Land Development Application Search Tool has increased access to, and awareness of, development activities throughout the City-Parish. Through technology, it encourages the public to participate in, and thereby influence, land development decisions and the planning process in Baton Rouge.

For more information, contact the City-Parish Planning Commission at 225-389-3144 or visit the LDAST website at http://brgov.com/dept/planning/meetingsagendas.htm.

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Mayor Holden receives small business award

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST

Mayor Melvin �Kip� Holden this week received the Partner America Small Business Advocate Crystal Award for his support of the Baton Rouge area�s small business community.

The award was presented by Partner America, a public-private partnership that was created by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Management Services Inc. to assist mayors in providing the resources and information that small businesses need to thrive within their local communities and the global economy.

The award was presented Tuesday night by George Cloutier, founder and CEO of American Management Services and co-chair of Partner America, during a program dedicated to the plight of small businesses. The program focused on practical ways for small businesses to improve sales and their bottom line.

Cloutier is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College and has a master�s business administration from Harvard Business School. He is one of the nation�s leading experts on small business, and is the author of the national best-seller, �Profits Aren�t Everything, They�re the Only Thing.�

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League of American Bicyclists Honors Baton Rouge

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST

Baton Rouge is the first Louisiana city ever to be recognized as Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. The national organization announced last week that Baton Rouge won a bronze award for its commitment to bicycling.

Bill Nesper, director of the League�s Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) Program, said the bronze-level designation was awarded to Baton Rouge after a careful review of the city-parish�s application and consulting with local cyclists.

League President Andy Clarke said the BFC judges were particularly impressed with the bicycle facilities initiated by Mayor-President Melvin L. �Kip� Holden as part of Baton Rouge�s �Healthy Baton Rouge Initiative.�

Clarke said the judges were also favorably impressed with the city�s requirements for bicycle parking; improvements at LSU Lakes including multi-use paths; improvements at Baton Rouge Beach including a new bridge exclusively for bicycle and pedestrian use; and improvements at City Park, including the new multi-use paths and bicycle lanes along Dalrymple Drive.

The application process to become a BFC is rigorous. To date, 318 cities have submitted applications, but only 124 have a received a BFC four-year designation. The renewal process and four levels of the award � platinum, gold, silver and bronze � provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve, Clarke said.

Other cities receiving the program�s bronze award include Auburn, Ala., Oxford, Miss., Tallahassee, Fla., Salem, Ore, and Sacramento, Ca. For a complete list of BFC cities, go to: http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/index.php and click on �Current Bicycle Friendly Community Master List.�

Baton Rouge�s bronze-level designation will be up for renewal in October of 2013.

Mayor Holden is slated to accept the BFC award at the Oct. 28 Metro Council meeting.

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Metropolitan Council's ''Baton Rouge Fairshare Taskforce''

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST

Metropolitan Council's ''Baton Rouge Fairshare Taskforce''

http://www.ephodnet.com/FairShare/

EBR Litter Court to tackle 19 cases Thursday

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 CST

City-Parish Litter Court is slated to hold its first full docket Thursday, Oct. 1, at 1:30 p.m. in the Metro Council Chambers.

The Court considered an abbreviated agenda of four cases last week, but the Mayor�s assistant chief administrative officer, Irma Plummer, said this will be the first time that Administrative Hearing Officer Doug Olson presides over a full agenda of cases aimed at cleaning up the City-Parish. A total of 19 cases are scheduled to be heard Thursday.

Under the new program that kicked off on August 1st, City-Parish workers take photos of violations and feed them into a computerized system that generates warning letters and hearing notices. Property owners who fail to correct the problems in a timely fashion then go before an administrative hearing officer, who can assess a $117.00 fine for each violation.

The program targets trash and debris, overgrown weeds and grass more than 12 inches in height, swimming pools that are neglected or lack proper security, illegal signs, and garbage bins that are left on the curb for extended periods of time.

Mayor, Baton Rouge host Chinese Business Leaders

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 CST

Mayor Melvin �Kip� Holden�s recent trip to China is already paying dividends.

Officials from China�s largest air-conditioning manufacturer are visiting Baton Rouge today and Thursday to meet with local university and corporate officials about several possible cutting-edge �green� energy projects.

Broad Air Conditioning has emerged as a world leader in developing technology that uses waste to power central air-conditioning instead of electricity. The company has tapped sources like waste steam, waste hot water, landfill gas, waste oil and waste cooking oil to cool buildings. Broad has more than 40,000 projects worldwide, and was involved in more than 300 projects in the U.S. last year.

The group from Broad arrived in Baton Rouge Wednesday from New York, where they participated in the United Nations Global Warming Summit.

During their two-day visit here, the officials from Broad Air Conditioning will meet with the Mayor and representatives from Exxon-Mobil and Entergy to discuss ways to harness Exxon�s waste steam and waste hot water and Entergy�s waste heat to cool the city-parish�s offices and buildings on the Southern University campus.

The Chinese businessmen will also visit LSU and Southern University, and meet with officials from The Shaw Group and Albemarle.

The visit is the result of the 10-day trip to China that Holden took in April, when he visited with the chief executive officer of Broad Air Conditioning in Changsha. Holden used campaign funds to make the trip instead of spending public funds.

Baton Rouge businessman Eugene Ji accompanied Holden on the trip to China, and served as his interpreter.

Ji also helped to arrange trips to China for banker and former Gov. Buddy Roemer and for lobbyist and former U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston.

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3-1-1 Hotline Hits Milestone of 170,000 Resolved Complaints

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 CST

Since the 3-1-1 hotline was established in January of 2006, the city-parish has resolved 170,759 of the 184,794 complaints received through the new system. That translates into a clearance rate of 92.4 percent.

�It�s an amazing statistic, when you consider the volume of calls that we�ve received,� said city-parish Public Works Director Pete Newkirk.

The most common complaint received over the past three and a half years has been toilet overflows or stoppages, which usually occur when excessive rainfall inundates the aging sewer system. A total of 26,401 complaints about sewage overflows have been received since January of 2006, and all but 10 have been resolved, a clearance rate of 99.9 percent. The city-parish is currently involved in a $2-billion revamp of the sewer system aimed at eliminating those types of overflows and other sewer-related problems.

The 3-1-1 system was created to provide a central clearing house for complaints that range from downed trees on roadside right of way to missed garbage pickup, Newkirk said. Medical and emergency-related calls are referred to the 9-1-1 call center.

The hotline system was initially implemented in 2006 to help track garbage pickup problems when Allied Waste began a new contract with East Baton Rouge Parish. The 3-1-1 system was later expanded to include all types of city-parish complaints, including sewer problems, impassable streets, potholes and burned-out streetlights.

Under the system, complaints are usually documented with photographs and then turned over to the appropriate city-parish department or contractor for resolution. Newkirk said that some complaints, such as downed trees on private property, cannot be resolved by the city-parish due to legal restrictions.

Common 3-1-1 complaints include missed garbage/trash pickup service (13,452), requests for garbage carts by new residents (12,336), overgrown weeds ((7,503), tree problems (6,664), and malfunctioning traffic signals (5,108).

Newkirk said city-parish complaint resolution employees are working to take care of the remaining unresolved cases in addition to the approximately 500 new cases that are received each week.

�While 92-percent clearance rate may be great, our goal is to go even higher,� Newkirk said.

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See attachment for breakdown of complaints by category.

Mayor Holden Implements Administrative Regulations on Pandemic Influenza Outbreak

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 CST

Mayor Holden Implements Administrative Regulations on Pandemic Influenza Outbreak

http://www.brgov.com/dept/HR/pdf/FluAdmin.pdf

Live after Five Fall Concert Series

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 CST

Live after Five Fall Concert Series

http://www.downtownbatonrouge.org/playLiveFive.asp

Baton Rouge wins award for telemedicine initiative

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 CST

Baton Rouge was honored by the Louisiana Municipal Association Saturday for becoming the second U.S. city to implement a telemedicine program that allows doctors to treat patients en route to the emergency room.

The telemedicine program, called Baton Rouge Med-Connect, earned the LMA�s 2009 �basic services� award for cities with populations over 25,000.

In a press release issued late Saturday, the LMA noted that the program delivers pre-hospital care for heart-attack victims while they are transported to the hospital.

Mayor Melvin �Kip� Holden said the new system can also help to save accident victims and other trauma cases, especially in cases involving long transports.

The only other American city with a similar ambulance program is Tucson, Ariz., Holden said. But he noted that the technology is widely used overseas in countries with a shortage of physicians and hospitals.

Holden said he first saw a telemedicine ambulance during a 2007 conference in Jerusalem. He was so impressed with the system in Jerusalem that he started work on a Baton Rouge version as soon as he returned home.

The new telemedicine program allows physicians to begin treatment as soon as a patient is loaded into an ambulance, Holden said..

Mississippi Business Journal lauds Baton Rouge

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 CST

Publication: Red Stick is �what Jackson wants to be�

The recent visit to Baton Rouge by 60 leaders from Jackson, Miss. is creating some head-turning headlines in the Mississippi business community. After the two-day visit last month, the Mississippi Business Journal published a special report entitled, �A Tale of Two Cities� that held up Baton Rouge as a model for Jackson.

�Baton Rouge success is a call to action for Jackson,� one headline read. Another headline said: �Jackson leaders learn what Baton Rouge has done right.�

In his story, staff writer Ed Darling - who was imbedded in the Jackson contingent during the trip - described Baton Rouge as �an urban highlight reel. �It is a city on the move, one that sensed trouble and reversed its course, one that saw potential and attacked, one that recognized obstacles and overcame, one that identified fragments and unified, one that totally proudly shares its story of success and hard work,� Darling wrote of Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge Mayor Melvin �Kip� Holden pointed out the positive press at Tuesday�s meeting of the Downtown Development District. .Holden noted that for the last several years, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber has sponsored similar canvas trips to other cities to learn lessons from their successes. �Isn�t it great that people are now coming to Baton Rouge to see what we are doing as well?� Holden said, triggering a round of applause.

The Mississippi Business Journal special report also noted that Holden�s proposed $867-million bond proposal is �critical to continued Baton Rouge progress.� At Tuesday�s DDD meeting, Holden agreed with that assessment, noting that one of the keys to Baton Rouge�s success stories is that �none of us are satisfied with the status quo.� Baton Rouge�s first major bond issue in 50 years would tackle neglected problems of the past, like drainage and overcrowded parish prison, while promoting economic development by expanding the River Center and building a new world-class riverfront attraction.

�The bond issue sets us a part from any city in the nation,� the Mayor said. Most American cities are busy just trying to keep their heads above water due to the national recession, Holden said.

Most American cities are busy just trying to keep their heads above water due to the national recession, Holden said.

By contrast, Baton Rouge still has a surplus this year, Holden said.

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New Litter Court To Streamline Clean-up Process

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CST

Training began this week for the City-Parish workers who will enforce Mayor-President Melvin �Kip� Holden�s new program to crack down on litter and blight.

The 15 workers are learning how to handle new special cameras to document blighted property, and how to input the images into a new computer system that will generate warning letters and hearing notices for the responsible property owners.

As part of the training process, City-Parish officials plan to hold a mock litter court on Tuesday, July 22 beginning at 1 p.m. in the Metro Council Chambers on the third floor of the Governmental Building. Inspectors will present photos of alleged litter- and blight-related violations to a hearing officer as sort of a dry run. The new enforcement program officially kicks off on August 1, and the first "real" Litter Court session is slated for September 17th.

Litter and blight were some of the biggest concerns that East Baton Rouge residents registered during the Mayor's listening tour earlier this year. As a result, the Mayor's office has put together a new enforcement program with a tough new ordinance and the high-tech services of American Traffic Solutions, the company under contract to operate the City-Parish�s red-light monitoring system.

ATS already uses video from cameras posted at key intersections to generate violation notices for the owners of vehicles that illegally run red lights. Under the new program, ATS will use photos taken by City-Parish workers to create violation letters and administrative hearing notices. The photos will be taken by special cameras that will display the GPS coordinates to verify the location of the violation and a time-stamp to show when the photo was taken.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program Regarding Grant Application

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CST

Neighborhood Stabilization Program Regarding Grant Application

http://brgov.com/dept/mayor/default.asp

Greenwell Springs Repetitive Flood Loss Area Analysis Neighborhood Meeting

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CST

Neighborhood Meeting

11300 Greenwell Springs

July 9, 2009, 6:30 p.m.

To review and discuss your neighborhood area analysis and its findings, completed by UNO-CHART, including flood protection alternatives for your neighborhood.

The meeting will be held at Greenwell Springs Road Branch Regional Library (11300 Greenwell Springs, Baton Rouge LA 70814) on July 9, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. till 8:30 p.m.

Mayor Holden Signs Sister City Pact with Turkish City

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CST

During a weeklong trip to Turkey to promote economic development, Mayor Melvin �Kip� Holden signed a sister city agreement Monday with he Deputy Mayor of Malatya, a city of about 400,000. �A lot of people passed up on this area, but we�ve already established a great number of contacts � we had businessmen lining up yesterday to give us their cards,� Mayor Holden said in a telephone interview from Turkey Tuesday morning.

The intent of the sister city agreement is to promote bilateral development by Baton Rouge and Malatya by holding investment conferences, technical exchanges, trade fairs and ongoing business talks and negotiations. The pact also calls for the two cities to exchange information in the fields of local government, culture, tourism, perseveration of cultural heritage, urban planning, transportation, education, sports and environmental protection. The two cities will also swap experts and staff to promote each other�s development, and to support each other in international forums and scientific conference, seminars and research opportunities.

Malatya produces about 65 percent of the world�s dried apricots, and has a thriving textile industry. Mayor Holden said Tuesday that Turkish officials had asked for his help in establishing a new apricot distributorship in the U.S.

Mayor Holden said a number of businessmen in Malatya asked him why he was interested in developing a partnership with their region. �I told them that when we go out to recruit industry, we don�t just go to the huge cities, but to smaller cities that may offer opportunity as well,� Mayor Holden said.

Mayor Holden said he was impressed with the range of areas that Malatya officials wanted to include in the agreement. Among other things, the �sister city� agreement calls for Baton Rouge and Malatya to use fairs, festivals and exhibitions to promote each other in the fields of trade, investment, literature, music and films to city residents.

Mayor Holden and Malatya Deputy Mayor Ertan Mumcu signed the pact in front of about 100 business leaders at the Malatya Chamber of Commerce.

The event not only made the front page of the Malatya daily newspaper Tuesday, but was also featured prominently on the city�s television news.

The sister city agreement, signed in both English and Turkish, takes effect immediately.

In a later meeting, the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources expressed a strong interest to visit Baton Rouge to see local gas and oil operations, Mayor Holden said. he noted that Exxon-Mobil has a major operation in the Black Sea area of Turkey.

Traveling with Mayor Holden in Turkey is Assistant Chief Administrative Officer James Llorens, LSU Manship Chair and Professor of Mass Communications Robert Mann and Bilal Halciogullari, doctoral student at Southern University at Baton Rouge, who is serving as interpreter.

Today, Mayor Holden is slated to travel to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, to meet with members of the Turkish Parliament and the Prime Minister. The Mayor also plans to meet with officials from the lucrative Turkish film industry this week to discuss possible film-related opportunities in the Baton Rouge area.