Also, seeking to resolve problems with squatters

Seven Shreveport leaders are at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., this week, studying ways to address blight and redevelopment across the city.

“They are the people I have asked to really look at what we can do about blight remediation and about the redevelopment of neighborhoods,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said of the team he selected for this project.

The team includes Shreveport City Attorney Marcus Edwards. Other members are:

• Terrance Green, director of Property Standards

• Christy Gustafson, CEO of Community Foundation

• Theron Jackson, pastor of Morningstar Baptist Church

• Verni Howard, who was director of Providence House and has been named director of community development, pending City Council approval

• Thea Scott, interim director of community development

• Bill Sabo, director of economic development

“They have been working for several months on this issue, attending classes and meeting together to begin developing a long-term plan for blight and redevelopment in the city,” Arceneaux said. “They have been very busy on that front, and we will be unveiling some programs later in the year to bolster our efforts in that regard.”

The initiative grew out of Arceneaux’s participation in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Program. The program is covering the cost of the team’s trip.

Squatters squabble

The Arceneaux administration is moving forward with a plan to revise city ordinances to better equip Shreveport Police to deal with squatters in abandoned houses.

Proposed changes to the Property Standards code are pending approval by the city council. Those changes would, among other things, define conditions under which it would be unlawful to occupy a building.

Caddo Commissioner John-Paul Young is a resident of the Highland neighborhood, where several properties have been reportedly damaged in fires started by squatters. He has filed a lawsuit against Arceneaux and the city over the interpretation of the existing ordinances.

“It is unfortunate that the commissioner has taken the tact he has, suing the city. and really digging in his heels on what I think really is a city issue,” Arceneaux said. “We’re dealing with it. We have legislation pending before the council that we believe resolves what we perceive, and the police department perceives, to be issues with the trespassing laws. We are supporting the police department in finding a solution instead of raising a political ruckus.”

Morgan tapped to lead Public Works

Arceneaux has appointed Jarvis Morgan, director of the Public Works Department for the city of Shreveport, subject to confirmation by the Shreveport City Council.

Morgan has been the assistant director of public works since 2022 and has worked for the city since 2019. He has extensive experience in infrastructure management, operations and public service.

“Jarivs has a good bit of experience in construction and related activities,” Arceneaux said. “He’s been with the Department of Public Works for nine years. The last several have been as assistant director, so he is fully familiar with the department and what it needs to do.”

As assistant director, Morgan has played a key role in overseeing essential services, including street maintenance, solid waste collection and drainage improvements. He will continue working to enhance operations, improve service delivery and support initiatives that keep Shreveport clean and well-maintained.

Morgan earned his degree in project management from the University of Phoenix.

Before working for the city, he worked for several years in construction in Houston and Shreveport.

“In his time as interim director, he has proven himself to be very responsive, both to constituents, to council members and, of course, to the administration,” the mayor said. “We think it’s a good choice. He’s young (and) we expect him to be successful, so we hope he will serve for a long time. We think it’s a good choice.”

Mayor honors Larry Ferdinand

Arceneaux paid tribute recently to Larry Ferdinand, a dedicated Shreveport public servant who died in late February.

“Larry Ferdinand and I served on the council for six and half years,” Arceneaux said.

“He was elected to serve the unexpired term of Gregory Tarver, who got elected to the state Senate. In between those two, Maxine Sarpy served. Maxine was the first woman to serve on the Shreveport City Council. She was also an African American woman and the first African American woman to serve on the Shreveport City Council. But (Larry) served the remainder of that term. Then he was elected for another term.”

Arceneaux described Ferdinand as “a real trailblazer.”

“He was quiet and reserved but very effective as a council member,” Arceneaux said. “The group of us on the council during both of those terms really decided that we wanted to develop personal relationships with each other. So Larry became my friend. I think I became his friend. I learned a great deal from Larry. I was a little younger than he, but not a lot. He had a wealth of experience in the business world. ... All the tributes to him were well deserved.”