State Senator Karen Carter Peterson has crafted legislation to radically change the way the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board delivers reports about the department's progress on issues, achievements, budget, and general criticism.
Under the plan, yearly reports from S&WB Superintendent Ghasan Khorban will be done away with.
In its place will be quarterly reports focused on a specific topic related to the way S&WB is operating and making progress on that particular topic.
The idea is to provide more transparency to the process.
But not everybody at City Hall is on board.
Especially not Public Works Committee Chair Joe Giarrusso, "My concern is
"What happens if in the middle of the month something goes wrong?" Giarrusso asks. "You're procluded then, under the statute, from trying to raise that issue publically."
And, according to WWL-TV the way the legislation is written, any topic or issue to be raised must be added to the agenda at least 30-days in advance.
Giarrusso says constituents need to have their issues addressed in a timely factor... ...at the next possible meeting.
"These are people who are inquiring about their bills, asking when an administrative hearing is going to be. Looking for inquiries into what's happening," he says.
"What I'm concerned about is the public deserves accountability and transparency," Giarrusso maintains.
"My concern is, issues that are always going to be paramount should be discussed every single meeting,"
State Senator Peterson's office says they filed the legislation at the request of City Hall.