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Terrebonne Parish Council members and Rec Board members discussed the future of a recreation district for over 2 hours, Tuesday night.
During Terrebonne Parish’s Recreation District 11 meeting, March 10, two Terrebonne Parish Council members spoke with Rec 11 members about the upcoming Ordinance vote that would dissolve the Rec 11 Board and have the Terrebonne Parish Government take over the Rec 11 parks.
“You need to look at the budget,” said Graham Douglas, retired. “Because that’s what they’re doing downtown.”
Douglas, who also came before the Terrebonne Parish Council’s Legal, Policies, and Procedures Committee Monday, March 9, and spoke for around 16 minutes on Councilman John Navy’s light, said he wanted to see these issues resolved but not have the government take over Rec 11.
During the Committee meeting he asked about what the problem with the budget was. Kandace Mauldin, the Chief Finance Officer for Terrebonne Parish Government, explained that Rec 11’s budget is 1.4 million and their spending is 1.8 million.
Both the Rec 11 Board, and Terrebonne Parish approved the spending budget.
Douglas told the Board, the budget was the justification for the take over.
“Why did the Board Approve the budget,” Douglas asked.
According to Lawrence Ward, attorney for the Rec District 11 Board, Scott Jenkins, a previous accountant for the Board, raised the problem in the past.
Ronald Rainey, Chairman of Recreation Board 11, said Parish President Gordon Dove assured him that he would “take care of” a controversial bond. Rainey said he took that as Dove would pitch in on the costs, “They were talking like they was going to throw in the difference,” Rainey said.
Councilwoman Jessica Domangue said, she remembered the bond from before her time in politics, “I was in that meeting, whenever the bond was talked about.”
“When the bond came out, we were told that the gym was going to cost… this much,” said Domangue. “And there was going to be enough money left over from the bond to improve all the parks.”
Two drains on the budget were cited: the Dumas Pool, and too many employees.
Rainey argued that staff such as lifeguards at the pool, and Dumas Pool were large drains on the budget.
“You’re talking about a small amount, $35,000, isn’t going to cover $300,000,” Said Domangue.
The Rec District 11 currently employs 6 full-time and 4 part-time.
“We have too many employees,” said Ward. “That’s why we’re over extended on the budget.”
To make any budget cuts, according to Ward, the Board needs approval from Mauldin.
According to Sonya Labat, the Rec 11 Board accountant, while there was a meeting scheduled with Mauldin to oversee proposed budget cuts, the meeting was cancelled.
Recreation District 11 is one of two Recreation Districts currently under oversight.
Councilman Carl Harding said he would call and schedule a new meeting to discuss budget changes, and fight to retain jobs, but only if people were following through on their duties.
“If I had to sit down here and fight for this man’s job, I’m a’ fight for this man’s job, but if this man doin somethin’ wrong – I can’t fight for him,” said Harding.
If the ordinance discussed during the Committee meeting were to pass, those currently employed by Rec 11 aren’t guaranteed jobs with Terrebonne Parish Government. The Parish has the option to classify them as government employees.
When discussing ways the Parish could save expenses, Mauldin cited reduction of auditing fees, accounting fees, use of the Parish’s existing grass cutting contracts, reduction of maintenance at gyms, reduction of office supplies and port-o-potties.
During the Committee meeting, Domangue showed a number of photos depicting safety concerns in parks in Rec 11. She had those and more in a packet containing problems in every park, but with her district’s problems tagged.
Read about that here: https://www.houmatimes.com/news/steps-being-taken-in-rec-11-to-shut-down-equipment-allow-council-control-the-district/
Douglas raised this problem, holding Domangue’s packet in his hand, “I looked at the parks, and I think everything is addressable – at what cost? I don’t know,” he said.
“Some of it’s petty,” he said. “What I would suggest is this here: take this inspection, prioritize it, work on the inspections, and do it week by week.”
