NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Gov. Jeff Landry signed two new bills into law Tuesday, May 28, that could shift how the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans deals with new hires and payment disputes.
Under House Bill 965, every residential customer can have the option of paying a fixed monthly rate or month-to-month. The new law also includes an arbitration program consisting of two arbiters, one residential and one commercial will be added to determine your appropriate bill amount if there’s a dispute.
House Bill 593, also signed by Landry on May 28, allows the board to hire any employee for water, public sewerage and drainage systems as long as they pass the civil service exam. Other than management positions, employees must live in New Orleans. If the job posting isn’t filled within 90 days, the board can hire an employee outside the city.
A third bill, House Bill 305, has not yet been signed into law but would make the SWBNO responsible for all drainage operations in the city. The bill is currently in the Senate for concurrence and is expected to end up on the governor’s desk.
WGNO spoke with Steve Nelson, the SWBNO’s general superintendent, to ask how they are responding to the changes.
“We’ve got a leadership team and a group that’s ready. We’ve been working on a preparation and a plan for this since we’ve heard about the legislation. The key, of course, will be funding, and I’m encouraged by the conversations that are taking place. We’re very grateful to our partners within the state legislature, council and the mayor’s office, very thankful for the for the consideration of funding, because that’s crucial for us if we have that funding in place,” said Nelson.
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