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The embattled chairman of a Terrebonne Parish recreation district board has voiced no objection to plans for an increase in its size from five to nine members.
That would make Recreation Board 2-3 the largest in the parish in terms of members. Most have either five or seven.
But Councilman Darrin Guidry R-Houma says that by increasing the size more ideas for how some big projects the board is involved with — and better internal oversight — will result.
Guidry’s proposal was presented Monday at a council committee meeting.
The next step, if it is approved, would be a public hearing at a regular council meeting, and a vote.
“That is the Parish Council’s right to do,” said District 2-3 chairman Gary Beeson. “The council is the one that puts board members on recreation boards.”
Councilman Gerald Michel, who has been a defender of Rec 2-3, agrees that a bigger board could make for better internal oversight, and did not oppose the measure. He also suggested that some people who have been critical of the board’s work might want to consider seeking seats on an expanded board once there is approval. Michel said his support should not be seen as any indication of a lack of faith concerning its members.
Guidry stressed that the ordinance was not created as a response to criticism of the 2-3 board or its handling of the under-construction Bayou Country Sports Park.
“The ordinance is an action not a reaction. This is something that has been in the works since I was elected in order to better represent the entire area of District 2-3,” Guidry said. “Two heads are better than one and nine heads are better than five. We will have more even representation among all the council districts. District 2-3 is one of the largest.”
The Council recently enacted an ordinance validating its oversight of recreation boards, buttressed by an opinion from Attorney General Jeff Landry.
Complaints had emerged over the past year over how the parish handles establishment of recreation sites through its board, and how some are managed. The Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce offered a plan that would include consolidation of recreation districts, though no direct action has been taken on those suggestions.
More recently questions have emerged about a private deer-hunting stand on Recreation District land that has since been moved. Parish President Gordon Dove directly spoke with Beeson about the matter after receiving a complaint.
Jeff Motichek of Houma, who resides within District 2-3, has questioned several district practices, and made extensive public records requests to aid his examination, said the proposal does not solve the problems he contends plague the district.
“It does nothing to address the elephant in the room, which is our antiquated, confusing, inefficient recreation system which leaves huge swaths of our citizens, underserved,” Motichek said. “They can change the font but it still spells status quo.”
