Mayor Moreno kicks off citywide streetlight repair program

• In about a week, workers will focus on Central City, says Steve Nelson, the new deputy chief administrative officer of infrastructure.
• They are working their way through the 311 backlog of about 3,000 broken streetlights across the city.

What he's saying: "It's not low-hanging fruit," says District Attorney Jason Williams. "This is running to the tough stuff."

Between the lines: Moreno made a symbolic choice by having her first event in New Orleans East, an area she says will be a top priority during her administration.

• She says she's moving forward to open a City Hall annex. The next step is identifying a location.
• Jason Hughes, the new council member for New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward, joined her for the press conference.

Zoom in: The city is in the process of hiring its own electricians to do the work, Nelson says.

• They will be swapping copper components for aluminum to avoid theft, which has caused many of the broken streetlights.

The bottom line: Report broken streetlights to 311.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say Steve Nelson is the new deputy chief administrative officer of infrastructure (not deputy mayor).