Also, a new economic development resource

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux is moving forward with the City Council on plans to attack blight across the city.

After some council members criticized the mayor for not including them in his announcement of the Block by Block initiative, Arceneaux acknowledged the council members’ complaints.

“We didn’t do a good job of communicating that to the council members,” Arceneaux said of the announcement. “We’re going to do a better job of communicating that and look for more formal ways to involve the council and the people they may direct us to.”

Arceneaux said it was important to bring a broad cross-section of Shreveport’s population together to launch the Block by Block initiative.

“We have always intended to get (the council’s) full input on all of this,” he said. “But in planning the initial stages of it, we were trying to get in other sectors of the community, in terms of people who would be able to participate not just in the reduction of blight itself but in the redevelopment of neighborhoods. We have people from the housing sector. We have people from the philanthropic sector. They were not chosen from a geographic area. They were chosen for subject matter areas.”

The Block by Block campaign targets resources in high-need areas one block at a time rather than spreading efforts thinly across the city. Plans will be tailored to each neighborhood, featuring a comprehensive lifecycle tracking system that monitors violations, abatements, legal actions, demolitions and redevelopment status, according to a news release.

Arceneaux recently participated in a cleanup effort in the Highland neighborhood. The next cleanup is scheduled for July 12 at Bilberry Park in Queensboro.

“Highland was terrific,” he said. “We had lots of neighborhood volunteers. We hope to have the same for Queensboro. We will be out in the community observing and receiving input. We will be handing out surveys. Police will be out with packets of information, knocking on doors.”

Arceneaux said the campaign against blight will continue, and the council will play a significant role in that effort.

“The whole point of this project is that it is a collaborative process,” Arceneaux said. “We will be collaborating with the council. We will collaborate with neighborhood leaders. But that time is now, not before.”

Economic development website

Arceneaux said the city will launch several economic development initiatives this week that follow up on the work of the Small Business Task Force.

The city recently launched an economic development website to make doing business in Shreveport easier for small businesses. The website is available at https://www.shreveportla.gov/3511/Economic-Development.

“This is the most user-friendly resource the city has ever offered to help business startups, current business owners or businesses thinking of moving to the city,” Economic Development Director Bill Sabo said. “This site also touts all Shreveport has to offer great schools, health care, museums, its symphony and many other amenities that make this a great city to live in.”

This week, the website will launch a section that streamlines the process for businesses to become vendors for the city.

“We’re modernizing the vendor registration system by cutting unnecessary red tape and again, modernizing the application process to make it more accessible for small local businesses to become suppliers for the city,” Sabo said. “This new site should be live any day.”

Arceneaux stressed the value of becoming a vendor for the city.

“Doing business with the city is important,” Arceneaux said. “Because when you become a vendor, you get on bid lists, and that can really help businesses grow.”

Rockin’ the Robbys

Arceneaux made a splash at the Robbys, the Robinson Film Center’s annual gala. The mayor was captured on social media performing karaoke at the event.

“I had a good time,” Arceneaux said. “A little Garth Brooks. A little Temptations. I did two songs. It was fun!”

Wendell Riley, executive director of the Robinson Film Center, celebrated the moment.

“Mayor Arceneaux has always been a huge supporter of RFC, and nothing highlights that more than him serenading a room full of folks at the Robbys,” Riley said. “It shows his love for the town and the people that he serves. We adore it.”