Deal may be signed, but accusations swarming

The St. Mary Parish Council closed out 2009 wielding accusations of “good ol’ boy” deals and allegations of corruption.

The barbs were exchanged in the wake of last week’s final vote on a pending mosquito contract.

The council approved the contract with Mosquito Control Contractors Inc., which is owned by New Iberia’s Glenn Stokes, the parish’s current provider. Councilmen Gary Duhon, Chuck Walters, Ken Singleton, Albert Foulcard, Charles “Butch” Middleton, Steve Biehorst and Logan Fromenthal supported the deal.

Stokes has held St. Mary’s mosquito service contract for more than 20 years. He provides similar services to Lafayette.

It’s the longtime tenure with the parish that irked opponents of the contract – councilmen David Hanagriff, Glen Hidalgo, Kevin Voisin and the Rev. Craig Matthews.

The four councilmen voted to award the contract to Cajun Mosquito LLC, which is owned by Jessie Boudreaux of Franklin.

Hanagriff suggested rebidding the project because so few companies applied.

“The system is flawed,” he charged. “These quotes are not right. They’re not accurate. We need to get more quotes; we only had two bids. And if only two contractors applied for the job, then we need to go out and get more.”

Biehorst chastised Hanagriff for not challenging the bid process months earlier. “I’m sorry that we didn’t get 10 proposals in,” he said. “It just didn’t happen.”

Hidalgo echoed Hanagriff’s argument that the bid process ensured Stokes’ reappointment. “This administration thinks (Stokes) is the next best thing since sliced bread,” the councilman said. “This throws up a red flag to me. How can a contractor be on the payroll for so long when there are other qualified contractors that can do the job? Just because we have a contract that’s cheaper doesn’t make it the better one.”

He stopped short of saying Stokes’ deal was corrupt, but suggested the 20-year gig posed “the perception of corruption among the public.

“We’re all corrupt over mosquitoes?” Councilman Chuck Walters responded. “That’s what you’re saying? …This contract just comes down to money and performance.”

In a surprising move, Mathews temporarily abandoned his council seat, taking position at the podium to address the council. He urged his peers to perform due diligence and not vote as “good ol’ boys” with the parish administration.

“I find this contractor to be quite negligent in performing his current scope of work here in the parish,” Mathews continued. “In his contract, he said at least 10 mosquito pools a week would be conducted, but in reviewing the billing statements, (Stokes) has only billed St. Mary Parish $96 because he is far from doing this amount of work. This bid is totally unreasonable.”

Mathews called on the council “to put an end to engaging in personal friendships, innuendos and the good ol’ boy shenanigans and render a fair and equitable judgment” for the parish.

Foulcard was among Stokes’ supporters who took issue with Mathews’ remarks. “I don’t appreciate you questioning my integrity,” he charged. “I vote as I so desire. …I’m not a good ol’ boy. I vote my convictions for the people of St. Mary Parish.”