TEDA hiring to change with influx of CDBG dollars

The Terrebonne Economic Development Authority (TEDA) could begin receiving a large amount of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money. However, the group must first meet strict federal guidelines, which include extending a helping hand to locals who are considered low income.

If approved, TEDA could be using the program to dump millions into an area cold storage facility. But in order to qualify for the grant, TEDA would be held at federally-mandated standards when applying for the money and even after receiving the funds, said TEDA’s CEO Michael Ferdinand at a routine board meeting last Tuesday.

In a resolution presented by TEDA, the state would require the group to “…provide opportunities for training and employment to lower income residents of the project areas and contracts for work in connection with the project area be awarded to eligible business concerns which are located in, or owned in substantial part by, persons residing in the area of the project,” according to text in the document.

Although the authority doesn’t normally advertise employment opportunities, TEDA would likely have to change its hiring practices.

Individuals approaching the group for employment would have to fill out an application, which would later be reviewed when hiring is anticipated. Preference would be given to lower income applicants who reside in the parish.

A list of area businesses, suppliers and contractors would also have to be created, as they would be the first point of contact during bidding processes and on upcoming projects. Establishments within Terrebonne Parish would also be granted top priority when compared to businesses that lay outside the parish.

Most regulations would fall in compliance with Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, which further encourages using small local businesses and hiring individuals who find themselves on the lower end of the totem pole when it comes to income.

While CDBG funds have typically been used in the past for housing projects, they are now being spent on recovery projects, which are common in Louisiana after major hurricanes.

To meet HUD standards, TEDA also created a Section 3 plan that would ensure the organization stays in compliance, said officials.

TEDA’s equal opportunity officer – a new addition to the setup – would be charged with a slew of administrative and clerical duties, including on-site monitoring of contractors and subcontractors who are working on projects using CDBG funds and fielding complaints in relation to Section 3.

However, officials at the meeting didn’t recognize the need for hiring a new individual to complete the tasks. Instead, they would probably be handed off to someone already employed by TEDA.

And even with the additional duties, officials remain financially optimistic.

“[Implementing the program] might add a little more administrative tango,” claimed Ferdinand. However, despite pressing budget cuts, it wouldn’t substantially raise labor costs or the amount of employees needed to spearhead the venture, he explained.

For the amount of money TEDA could bring in, the added work would be a minimal amount of effort and ultimately a good deal, noted officials.