LaMATS Services and DEQ Brownfields Program

Above: DEQ Brownfields Program Coordinator Rebecca Otte and LaMATS Executive Director Cliff Palmer.

Louisiana Municipal Advisory and Technical Services Executive Director Cliff Palmer and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Brownfields Program Coordinator Rebecca Otte presented on available services as part of Wednesday’s Mid-Winter lineup.

Palmer introduced LaMATS’s 25-year mission to streamline and improve municipal operations, noting the bureau is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the LMA and dedicated to providing free and low-cost assistance to local governments statewide. After introducing LaMATS Board, comprised of experienced mayors, councilpersons and clerks, Palmer highlighted some of the dozen programs utilized by Louisiana municipalities, including its long-running Insurance Premium Tax collection service, returning $25 million in annual revenues to its 216 participating communities.

Other LaMATS services include Occupational License Collection; Franchise Fee Audits, procurement services like reverse auctions and surplus property sales; drone imaging in partnership with University of Louisiana Monroe; and Fleet Management with Enterprise Rent-a-Car.

Rebecca Otte explained her office assists municipalities in returning vacant or underutilized properties to commerce through environmental assessments, planning help, and funding through grants and loans designed to address local environmental challenges such as asbestos, lead, and chemical contamination. Municipalities of all sizes can benefit, and many properties are eligible for assistance provided the remediation supports a qualified public use.

For more information about LaMATS services, visit our website here, or call (225) 316-7157. To contact Rebecca Otte and her team at LDEQ, email: brownfields@la.gov