Housing Authority nixes salary change

The Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority Board of Commission voted last Tuesday against a request by executive director Wayne Thibodeaux giving him the latitude to award raises based on job performance.

Thibodeaux asked the commission to approve a measure allowing him to give up to 10 percent pay hikes to top performing employees.

After mixed reaction from the commissioners, the measure failed to muster enough support to change the current policy.

Commissioner Brenda Belcher, the most vocal on the measure, said the current policy gave Thibodeaux the power to give performance-based raises.

A policy change, Belcher argued, was not necessary.

However, Thibodeaux says otherwise. “I want to reward those employees who go beyond the call of duty,” he said. “I want to show them that we appreciate the good job that they are doing for the housing authority.”

Under state Civil Service guidelines, housing authority commissioners must authorize all increases over 5 percent, he noted.

Commissioner Patricia Cazes offered a motion allowing Thibodeaux to issue increases how he sees fit, however the measure failed to get a second.

In other business, Thibodeaux asked the commission’s approval to seek Attorney General Charles Foti’s opinion on whether the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government has an obligation to provide services to the housing authority subdivision in Senator Circle.

The City of Houma, prior to consolidating governmental matters with the Terrebonne Parish, entered into an agreement with the housing authority in 1966 to provide services such as road repairs and sewer and structural maintenance to the Senator Circle Subdivision.

However, Thibodeaux said in 2006, the parish government refused to repair several roads and street fixtures in Senator Circle. He said when services are performed, an invoice is submitted to the housing authority for payment of services.

“Senator Circle is just like any other subdivision in Terrebonne Parish. The government should be fixing the roads and other things without making us pay for them,” Thibodeaux said.

The measure passed unanimously.

Commissioner Allan Luke was absent from voting.

And finally, Thibodeaux announced 30 units in Senator Circle are being remodeled. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused wind and water damage to many of the duplexes, he explained.

“The property was prone to flooding back in the 1980s and ’90s,” said Thibodeaux. “The kitchen area, floors and roofs needed replacing.”

According to the parish government’s building permit, the construction is estimated to cost $10,00 for each housing unit.