At a regularly scheduled meeting on May 23, 2019, the New Orleans City Council passed two ordinances directly affecting local musicians. The two distinct ordinances will, if enforced, give musicians the right to unload musical equipment for scheduled performances within the city limits.

Ordinance 32,562, according to the City Council website, “amends the City Code to permit vehicles loading or unloading musical equipment for scheduled performances to utilize loading zones for up to fifteen minutes. Such vehicles must display a musician loading/unloading pass, which will be issued to businesses with live music on site.” Click here to see the ordinance in full.

Ordinance 32,669 “allows vehicles bearing a musician loading/unloading permit to park in metered spaces for up to fifteen minutes without payment in a metered space.” Click here to see the ordinance in full.

“These efforts are intended to serve as a small benefit to musicians who are not always well compensated,” says the City Council website. “Councilmember [Kristin Gisleson] Palmer stated that she plans to revisit this policy in the coming months to see how the Council can build on it. In the interim, she encourages businesses and musicians who utilize the program to provide the District “C” office with feedback on its effectiveness.”