Terrebonne recreation reforms rebuffed

Lloyd Poiencot, the chairman of Terrebonne Parish Recreation District 10, spoke at last week’s Terrebonne Parish Council meeting about a proposed ordinance that would give the council sweeping authority in its oversight of rec district boards, including the ability to remove them without cause.

When Lloyd asked those joining him in opposition of the ordinance to stand up, nearly the entire packed house of parents, board members, coaches and children rose to their feet.

After more than an hour of discussion regarding the ordinance, Council Member John Navy, who proposed the reforms, withdrew the ordinance before any vote. The ordinance will be brought back to council committee to remove the “without cause” portion and work with recreation board members to firmly establish what cause is.

Navy’s proposed power grab in the name of oversight of a strained and, in some districts, troubled recreation system faced a bulwark of opposition from recreation district board members. Poiencot said board members felt like victims being bullied into giving up control of their districts, millages and programs.

“Our districts were created for the reason of providing and maintaining facilities and programs to the children and adults of Terrebonne Parish, regardless of athletic ability, gender, race, religion, age or even the ability to pay,” Poiencot said.

The ordinance discussion was part of a continued dialogue on recreation reform in the parish. Terrebonne Parish formed a recreation steering committee last month, with council members, state legislators and a representative of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, among others, on the committee. The committee met for the first time last month and featured preliminary discussion on the recreation system, including a report from the chamber on the overall system. The report noted how Terrebonne’s 11 districts outnumber many other parishes with similar populations. It also noted that Terrebonne’s total millage collections outweigh similar-sized parishes but did not have the same kind of return on investment. As an example, the report cited Tangipahoa Parish, which in 2015 collected $4.7 million in recreation millages compared to Terrebonne’s $9 million. Even with a smaller annual income, Tangipahoa’s capital assets, meaning the total value of its facilities, were valued at $24.4 million, considerably higher than Terrebonne’s $17.9 million.

At the council meeting, Poiencot noted the parish did not solicit any recreation board chairs to participate in the committee.

“With the tremendous amount of experience that exists in our 11 districts, it makes you take pause and wonder what was the motive for that reasoning,” Poiencot said.

The committee is holding its second meeting at the Terrebonne Parish council meeting room today at 3:30 p.m. Council Clerk Venita Chauvin said the council has been mailing the notice to each rec district to invite them to participate in the meeting.

Navy’s withdrawal of the ordinance was a short-term victory for those rec board members, and the re-introduced regulations may actually grant them more protection from parish council removal. Assistant Parish Attorney Michelle Neil, acting as legal advisor for the council at the meeting, said the council already has the ability to remove rec board members without cause, according to state law. Because Terrebonne has no parish law restricting that ability, state law presides. If the council approved an ordinance specifically listing and establishing “with cause” in removal, it would restrict its ability to fire without cause.

Rec District 1 Board Member and former Council Member Teri Chatagnier told the council approval of the ordinance would not only empower themselves but also every future council. Chatagnier said while she did not think this council would wield its powers unfairly, she could not be sure of what would happen in the future.

“If you pass this ordinance tonight, every single person who got up and spoke against this, and you’re for it, you will have the power to remove them based on free speech. That’s not something you want to give any board,” Chatagnier said.

Navy’s ordinance would have also given the parish specific further oversight powers over Recreation District 11, maligned by many council members for its past of mismanagement. Multiple council members have spoken of Rec. 11 giving out contracts for work without board approval, mistakenly having contractors use parish property for work and neglecting facilities such as Dumas Park and the Mechanicville Gym. The new ordinance would have put stringent requirements on Rec. 11 to constantly provide expenses for parish administration review, with Terrebonne Parish Chief Financial Officer Kandace Mauldin having wide-ranging oversight of its finances.

Rec. 11 members came up at the meeting to defend its current iteration, saying the board has worked to address past failures in management. They also noted that the parish-wide recreation system had been acting as a manager of Rec. 11 for two years until this May. According to Rec. 11 Board Member C.J. Stoufflet, the board has allocated $700,000 total between this and next year’s budgets toward renovations for the Dumas and Mechanicville facilities.

Though the ordinance was pulled, Rec. 11 remained in Navy’s crosshairs at the meeting. He sought a vote to dissolve the entirety of the Rec. 11 board and reinstate new members, but the measure could not be voted on since it was not originally on the agenda. Navy said he planned to bring the vote up at next week’s council meeting. Rec. 11 Board Chairman Randy Galliano said the current board has been better managing the district’s finances and operations, although it is one facing a particular strain of maintaining more than 20 facilities, more than any other district. Galliano said he did not think a dissolution of the Rec. 11 board would be a panacea for the district.

“I think they’re making a mistake if they do it,” Galliano said. “I think they’re finally in a position to get things right there, and if they dissolve it they may be starting all over with more problems.”

At a meeting last Monday night of rec board members to discuss the ordinance, Hank Babin of the Chamber of Commerce spoke to board members about the chamber’s report. Babin held court with rec district heads about his figures and answered questions they had about his research. Rec board members stressed Terrebonne cannot be judged strictly by its population, as the parish is so geographically spread out and diverse that each district is representing a unique community. Those board members expressed concern about a push for consolidation, which council members have not advocated for, that would result in representation of those insular communities diminishing. Karl Harding touched on the recreation districts’ role in fostering that hyper-local identity at the council meeting.

“Some type of sport I’ve played throughout Terrebonne Parish. I coached kids, I umpired, and I can see the difference in the areas,” Harding said. “But every area has the feeling of the community of all the kids that play there. They represent that community.”

Navy said he was happy to see that kind of turnout at a council meeting and the chance for improved dialogue between all parties concerned about Terrebonne’s recreation. Navy said that kind of participation and input from the public is critical to good governance.

“Everybody’s talking now for what’s best for our kids,” Navy said. “Hey, that’s democracy, and I applaud that, as Mr. [Danny Babin] alluded to. That’s what we should be doing.” •

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