Applicants seeking to be the second short-term rental operator on their blocks came in front of the City Council Thursday (July 11) for the first time after a judge struck down challenges to how the city regulates short-term rentals.

Under the current rules, only one non-commercial short-term rental is allowed per square block. If multiple households apply for a non-commercial short-term rental, then a lottery is held to randomly select which application receives an operating license. Interested applicants not selected by lottery can submit an application to the City Planning Commission and the City Council, the latter of which makes the final call on whether to grant an exception to the rule.

On Thursday, the council approved three such applications, all of which had already been reviewed and evaluated by the CPC.

Short-term rentals have been a hot-button issue since AirBnB came onto the scene in 2009. Critics of short-term rentals argue that they drive gentrification and take away necessary rental stock in a city with an affordable housing crisis. But some proponents argue that short-term rentals can be a key source of revenue for homeowners struggling with the climbing costs of property taxes and home insurance.

As part of the process of granting an exception, the CPC reviews applications based on six criteria that mostly evaluate the potential impacts on the surrounding neighborhood. Applicants must meet four of the six criteria to get a recommendation for approval from the CPC.

Councilmember Joe Giarrusso said he created his own additional criteria to evaluate applications. The CPC had recommended the council deny two of the three applications reviewed Thursday, but Giarrusso said that, in some cases, the CPC had inaccurate information leading them to note that a property did not meet certain criteria when, in fact, it did.

The rubric created by Giarrusso’s office includes questions such as “Are your immediate neighbors in favor?” and “Can this property be rented out full-time/to long-term tenants?”

“My obligation is to go beyond the four corners of these pages and actually see what is the truth and what the residents want as well,” Giarrusso said at the meeting.  

Citing this rubric, Giarrusso introduced a motion to approve an STR license for a resident in his district, against the CPC’s recommendation for denial.

Bob Murrell, a one-time challenger for Giarrusso’s District A seat, spoke against Giarrusso’s motion.  

“When we were on the campaign trail, you were adamant that you did not want an exemption for [short-term] rentals,” Murrell said. “Seeing you move against the recommendation of the CPC for an apartment that is clearly delineated as an apartment – Apartment B – why is this being moved off of the long-term rental market?” 

Giarrusso said the owner was planning to rent out a small mother-in-law cottage behind her home, and that she had the stated support of her neighbors.

Ultimately, Giarrusso and the four other councilmembers present all voted to approve the STR license, along with another one in his district and one in Councilmember Eugene Green’s district.

Though Thursday’s packed agenda noted 16 applications for short-term rental exceptions, the meeting was cut short because the City Council struggled to maintain a quorum of five councilmembers to vote on regular agenda items. 

Still, the council made strides on a few key measures. Councilmembers pushed trash pick-up to an hour earlier in the morning in an effort to help sanitation workers avoid the worst of the heat. They also entered into a $2 million agreement with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority in an effort to spur development along the St. Claude corridor, which NORA will use to conduct an opportunity study on the area, as well as to develop commercial and retail properties along St. Claude Avenue in the Lower Ninth Ward, including a potential full-service grocery store.  

DJs get honored

In addition to the regular agenda, the Council also took time to spotlight the new local DJ Hall of Fame, a new initiative highlighting the contributions of local culture bearers to music and the city.

The DJ Hall of Fame is the brainchild of Kimberly Dilosa, a local entrepreneur who came up with the idea as part of a series of community events and projects that benefit New Orleans to celebrate her 50th birthday.

On Thursday, the first class DJs were officially inducted, among them Leo Coakley (DJ Slick Leo), Justin Smith (known as DJ Polo 504) and Jerome Temple (DJ Jubilee).

Dilosa has also partnered with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation on the Hall of Fame, which includes a campaign centered around the mental health and humanity of culture bearers.

“I appealed to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation to check on the mental health of culture bearers,” Dilosa said. 

Dilosa decided to begin with a largely underappreciated group — the city’s disc jockeys. Dilosa said that people typically call DJs to book a party: “But do we ever call them and ask them, ‘Are you having a good day?’…’Is everything alright?’”

A formal induction ceremony will take place this fall, Dilosa said. She said that the DJ Hall of Fame will also set up exhibits around the city featuring posters of New Orleans DJs and their mental health tips.

Smith, who has been DJing since he was 12 years old, said the Hall of Fame initiative will help culture bearers know that they are valued.

“You’ve seen several culture bearers that have been singers and rappers and DJs and then the next thing you know, they turned to drugs and alcohol,” Smith said. “We’ve watched several different singers of our time go that way. We just want to make sure that we highlight people to show them that they’re appreciated.”

Jazz musician Jason Marsalis, who happened to be attending the council meeting Thursday, said it was great to see the DJs recognized and that they are integral to helping preserve music.

“While they present music for people, and they present music, say, at clubs for people to dance to or to party to, at the end of the day, they are preserving music, especially ones who use vinyl,” Marsalis said.

Temple said that it was beautiful that New Orleans is honoring DJs while many are still alive.

“[New Orleans DJs] have been putting emcees and clubs and club owners on the map for years and we’d like to say we’re finally getting our just due,” Temple said. “We’re the heart of the city, we’re the beat of the city, we’re the music of the city, we play your music to get you known.”

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Katie Jane Fernelius reports on the local government for Verite. Prior to joining Verite, she was an independent journalist and producer. Over the course of her career, she’s reported for and worked...