BATON ROUGE, LA — February 15, 2018 — Today, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced the creation of a Blight Strike Team tasked with reviewing the blight elimination process and recommending administrative changes to improve blight remediation efforts in East Baton Rouge Parish.

“The Blight Strike Team brings together several community partners with an interest in swiftly and efficiently addressing blighted properties throughout East Baton Rouge Parish,” said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. “I look forward to working with them toward solutions. Blight elimination is of vital importance to improving public safety and advancing economic development efforts in our communities.”

The Blight Strike Team will include community partners, City-Parish department leaders, redevelopment officials, and Metro Council members, and will work side-by-side with the Metro Council’s Blight Study Committee which will focus on code issues.

The team will also include two Mayoral appointments and two Metro Council appointments, and will be chaired by Bettsie Baker Miller. Ms. Miller has an extensive background in administrative management, finance, accounting, and public affairs issues. Ms. Miller holds a BS and MBA from LSU with an emphasis in economics, management, and accounting.

One member from each of the following organizations will join the Blight Strike Team:

Federation of Civic Association

Baton Rouge North Economic Development District

Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance

Downtown Development District

Citizens Against Drugs and Violence

Together Baton Rouge

East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority

Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation

Scotlandville Community Development Corporation

North Baton Rouge Blue Ribbon Committee

Parish Attorney’s Office

City-Parish Department of Development

Center City Development District

Blight Court

311 Call Center

Baton Rouge Police Department

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Department

District Attorney’s Office

Center for Planning Excellence

City-Parish Planning Commission

Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors

Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce

The Blight Strike Team will meet for the first time on March 1, 2018 at 2pm.