The platforms where New Orleans City Council members and the public normally debate the issues of the day were covered in flora Tuesday night, giving way to a single podium, flanked by two flags. For one night, Councilmembers Jackie Clarkson and Stacy Head were seated among the roughly 200 members of the public in the audience, giving one of their colleagues sole possession of the floor. Taking an unusual step for a District councilmember, LaToya Cantrell took the floor to sum up the State of District B, calling for unity across a district that in the past has often been characterized as divided along St. Charles Ave.

During the April 18 regular City Council meeting, Vice-President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson fought a bitter battle to add her amendments and get her say into Council President Stacy Head's revised Food Truck legislation—or to at least get her opposition stance on the record.

The proposed changes to the city regulations governing food trucks were on the griddle again today at City Hall as the effort to change the City's laws the govern food trucks and other mobile food vendors went back before a City Council committee. The kitchen got a little hotter for the coalition of food trucks, supporters, and Councilmember Stacy Head, as two of the Council President's fellow members put forward questions about the regulations during a two-hour Q&A session.

by William Dilella

With the Dec. 8 runoff approaching, politicians started picking sides once again. Over the last week, a number of new endorsements were made for District B's runoff candidates. The biggest new nod came from former candidate Eric Strachan, who was once a staffer for City Councilwomen Stacy Head and Jackie Clarkson. Strachan came out for Latoya Cantrell.

Those who lament the byzantine and wasteful state of our municipal government will be happy to learn that Mayor Mitch heard your concerns. Da’ Mayor announced plans today to “streamline government and eliminate redundancies,” through cutting inactive and inefficient municipal boards and commissions, transferring some responsibilities to larger entities and eliminating others completely. The most celebrated elimination goes to NOAH, the controversial program best known for post-Katrina corruption.

With a Hurricane Warning declared for most of Southeast Louisiana late this afternoon, New Orleans moved into "High Alert" mode Sunday afternoon as Cone of Uncertainty re-entered our vocabulary and Rouses started piling up gallons of water. Before the day was out, Bobby Jindal was spotted inside the state. To officially welcome the anxiety, Mayor Mitch called a press conference where he declared a state of emergency, and ran down precautions the City is taking. Here's a play-by-play:

Jackie Clarkson has no need for vetting. Eric Strachan hasn't even qualified yet , but the City Council president already handed the City Council District B candidate and her former employee her endorsement. Clarkson. “He’s walked the walk,” Clarkson said at a campaign launch event for Strachan.

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Turns out Costco doesn't only want to open up shop here so they can lavish us with free samples. After the Big Box giant opens on S. Carrollton, they'll get about $5.8 million in infrastructure covered by the City. The satisfaction of getting to vote to give away this money was enough to cajole City Council President Jackie Clarkson to call the retail giant a "role model" on Thursday. Equally, Councilwoman Susan Guidry's love for Costco lead her to declare that the store had the best hot dogs in the city. But this time Councilwoman Diana Bajoie was quick to reel things back in, reminding Guidry about the existence of a little Freret spot called Dat Dog.

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CBD -- The New Orleans City Council is back up to seven people. By a vote of 4-2, the Council chose Freddie Charbonnet to temporarily fill the seat vacated upon felony conviction last week by Jon Johnson. Charbonnet is a lawyer from eastern New Orleans who formerly worked with the City. Charbonnet will sit on the Council until a permanent replacement is elected this fall. He beat out Michael Darnell, a former state Senate candidate who served as interim councilmember after Oliver Thomas resigned amid bribery charges.

by Shay Sokol

CBD - Economic development in New Orleans East, and the city as a whole was a topic of a City Council hearing, as State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon made an appearance in the chambers. District "E" Councilmember Jon Johnson was on hand to talk up the growing number of businesses willing to invest in his District, as was New Orleans Business Alliance CEO Roderick Miller, who provided an update about 15 months after the City Council created the economic development agency. Councilman Johnson had one question for Donelon: “Why are insurance rates so high in New Orleans?”