KEY TAKEAWAYS: Mayor Helena Moreno created the Public Utility Modernization Process Subgroup to guide SWBNO reforms. The advisory group follows passage of HB 1243, which expands City Council oversight of the utility. PUMPS will study governance, operations, finances and long-term modernization strategies for SWBNO. City leaders say the effort aims to improve accountability, reliability, transparency and ratepayer protections.   New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno has created a new advisory group to help oversee proposed reforms to the Sewerage Water Board of New Orleans as the city prepares for a larger role in managing the utility following recent legislative changes. Moreno signed an executive order in June establishing the Public Utility Modernization Process Subgroup, known as PUMPS, as a standing working group under the city’s Infrastructure Coordinating Council. The group will advise city leaders on governance, operations, finances and long-term modernization efforts involving the Sewerage Water Board. The move follows approval by the Louisiana Legislature of House Bill 1243, legislation that expands the New Orleans City Council‘s authority over the utility. The bill is part of a broader effort to increase local oversight of an agency that has faced years of criticism over infrastructure failures, drainage issues, billing problems and service reliability. According to the city, the new subgroup will assist the mayor, City Council and Infrastructure Coordinating Council in evaluating policy changes and developing recommendations for implementing the new law. The panel also will study longer-term governance options, including models that could bring more utility functions under city control while preserving financial obligations, infrastructure investments and employee protections. Membership will include City Council representatives, including the council president and the chair of the Public Works Committee or their designees, along with experts in municipal finance, engineering, utility regulation, labor relations, law and infrastructure management. Among the group’s stated priorities are improving accountability, strengthening operational performance, protecting ratepayers, maintaining financial and bond stability, clarifying oversight responsibilities and increasing public transparency. “We need to ensure that as we move forward with SWBNO reforms we are careful and methodical, which means we must have expert voices in the room who can help advise my team and the Council on beneficial, responsible, and appropriate policies and ordinances to move forward with,” Moreno said in a statement. “This will be a heavy lift but I am excited for the long overdue hard work ahead.” City Council President J.P. Morrell said the creation of the group marks the beginning of a more comprehensive approach to utility reform. “Now that the City has secured the passage of HB 1243, we have the duty to ensure that all future reforms and policies are deliberate and systematic to achieve better outcomes for residents,” Morrell said. “Finally, after years of piecemeal tweaks to the Sewerage and Water Board, it’s time for experts to come together and create meaningful reforms that not only address the failures of our current water system but also build a system that will benefit future generations of New Orleanians.” District E Councilmember Jason Hughes said improving water infrastructure remains critical to the city’s future and that the new advisory body will help identify solutions for returning the utility to stable operations. The subgroup will provide updates during public meetings of the Infrastructure Coordinating Council and report to the City Council as requested. The executive order took effect immediately and will operate alongside the executive order that established the Infrastructure Coordinating Council earlier this year. ...read more read less