Council approves removing Terrebonne Rec 2/3 from parish oversight

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On Wednesday, the Terrebonne Parish Council approved a motion removing Terrebonne Parish Recreation District No. 2/3 from under parish oversight. 


 

Councilman John Amedée, who proposed the motion, said he reviewed Code of Ordinances Section 21-92, which he said allows the council to put any of the recreation boards under oversight, including payroll, expenditure, project and board oversight, if the council sees any concerns in that district. 

 

Sec. 21-92 also states: “The council shall revisit the requirements under this section invoked against each district every six (6) months following the effective date of the requirements until the district is released from these requirements by the council.” 

 

Amedée said he realized the council had not revisited the oversight requirements. 


 

“So we currently have two rec districts that are in oversight: Rec District 2/3 and Rec District 11. So I asked the administration if these rec districts were in compliance with the oversight conditions for the six months proceeding March, the 1st, 2020,” Amedée said. 

 

He continued: “The answer that I’d gotten back was that 2/3 had been in compliance, Rec 11 was working on it, but was not in full compliance at the time.” 

 

The motion “doesn’t take the pressure off of” Rec 2/3, said Amedée, before noting the Sec. 21-90 that Rec 2/3 is still under budgetary and fiscal controls. 


 

“And what that means is that they have to provide us with annual financial statements, their budget for approval and at any time the CFO or others — meaning the council — can request an audit of their situation,” he continued. “So that way, we’re always looking over them.”

 

Councilman John Navy, who didn’t support the motion, said when we created the oversight during his time with the previous council, the process was intended for all recreation districts and not to be a disciplinary action. 

 

“This was only…to make sure that they stay in compliance and we have the checks and balances we need, no matter if they get audited or whatever,” he continued. “…The parish government needs to make sure the taxpayer’s dollars are being wisely spent.” 


 

Councilman Carl “Carlee” Harding wasn’t against removing Rec 2/3 from oversight but wanted to add a substitute motion to remove Rec 11 as well, which Navy wished to second; however, Parish Attorney Jules Hebert advised against it since it wasn’t on the agenda. 

 

Amedée said he was willing to work with other council members to review the ordinance and “maybe we can get it back to where it was originally intent.” 

 

Council members Gerald Michel and Darrin Guidry voiced their approval of removing Rec 2/3 from oversight, with Guidry saying Rec 2/3 has been operating about two years without with any oversight concerns, and Michel saying the appropriate time for this was about a year and a half ago.


 

Jessica Domangue asked Kandace Mauldin, Terrebonne Parish CFO, if Rec 2/3 had been in compliance for six months. 

 

“Prior to March 31, so prior to the COVID, Rec 2/3 was in compliance,” Mauldin answered, before highlighting that any contracts or bids comes through her for approval before going out. “…And they are still in compliance during the COVID time period.”