The mayor’s office is seeking to hire a new consultant who would serve as an assistant director for the Baton Rouge Film Commission after one of the commission’s staffers submitted her resignation last week.
William Daniel, the city-parish’s chief administrative officer, says it will take a unanimous vote by the Metro Council to add an item to its agenda for today’s meeting permitting Mayor Kip Holden to execute a contract with Emily Morrow Chenevert for professional consulting services.
According to the mayor’s office, Chenevert has 13 years of experience in film and television production. Daniel says she would replace Ali Wisecarver, who assists the commission’s executive director Amy Mitchell-Smith. Mitchell-Smith replaced former executive director Liza Kelso after she resigned in May 2015 to take a private sector job.
“Due to a recent resignation and the current workload it is necessary to execute a contract with Emily Morrow Chenevert for professional consulting services related to the Baton Rouge Film Commission,” reads supporting documentation for the proposed agenda item.
If approved, Chenevert would be paid $37,500 between April 1 through the end of the year. “Since the resignation occurred after the agenda deadline it is necessary to put this item on as an administrative matter in order to obtain approval so that there will be no disruption in service,” the supporting documentation says. The deadline for items to be submitted for today’s meeting agenda was last Thursday, Daniel says.
Funding to pay for the costs of the contract is already available within the existing appropriation for the Baton Rouge Film Commission 2016 budget, the mayor’s office says. The Metro Council meets at 4 p.m. on the ninth floor of City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. See the full agenda.
—Alexandria Burris
