[00:00:02]
OKAY.[I. Call Commission meeting to order]
WE'RE ALL HERE.[III. Review and approval of Minutes from the January 17, 2024 meeting.]
UH, WE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW, UH, THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 17TH MEETING.ANY COMMENTS OR CORRECTIONS? NO.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? ANYTHING? UH, COME IN? NO, SIR.
[V. Presentation and discussion of Inspector General Report, to include public discussion of any recently published reports, open letters, data, and statistics by the Office of Inspector General]
UM, OUR INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT FOR THIS MEETING.UM, REMINDER, I'LL PRESENT, UM, THE BUDGET TO ACTUAL FOR THE FIRST QUARTER AT THE NEXT ECC MEETING.
UM, BY WAY OF COMPLIANCE, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL REPORT, UM, WHICH I'LL GO AHEAD AND RUN THROUGH.
THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL REPORT IS A GOOD GOVERNMENT.
IT'S A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION.
UM, AND THIS ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ACHIEVING AND SUSTAINING EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN GOVERNMENT IS AN ONGOING AND DYNAMIC PROCESS.
IS THAT, IS YOUR SCREEN ON? NO, NO.
DO I NEED TO OPEN IT UP? I HAVE MINE TOO, BUT THE PURPOSE WAS NOT TO MAKE YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW HOW I DON'T HAVE A LIGHT? IS THAT WHAT THE SCREEN IS OR IS THAT JUST THE SOMETHING HAPPENED? YOU GOT IT? YEP.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SEEING.
JEFFERS, PARIS, THE GREEN SCREEN.
DO YOU SEE THAT
NO, I KNOW, BUT WEREN'T YOU UP THERE? YEAH, I WAS.
CAN EVERYBODY SEE THAT? THE GOVERNMENT.
LET'S SEE IF IT MOVES FORWARD.
UM, I'M GONNA LIKE SORT OF SUMMARIZE THROUGH THE BEGINNING SLIDES.
UM, THAT'S JUST ABOUT OUR OFFICE THAT WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2013.
UM, OUR VISION AND OUR MISSION, UM, THIS IS MEET THE TEAM,
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UM, AND I'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION.WE'VE GOT, UH, A GROWING, UH, TEAM OF BOTH NEW AUDITORS AND INVESTIGATORS.
EVERYBODY'S BIO WAS HIGHLIGHTED.
AGAIN, WE HIGHLIGHT THE EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS OF EACH OF OUR STAFF, WHICH IS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
THIS IS OUR EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF OUR BACKGROUND, BOTH IN ACCOUNTING LAW, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, BUDGET, UM, INVESTIGATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF OUR MANDATE, UM, ACROSS THE JURISDICTION OF THE PARISH, WHICH INCLUDES 4.6 BILLION IN ASSETS, 850 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES, AND OVER 3000 EMPLOYEES.
FUNDING FOR THE OFFICE, UH, COMES FROM THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SPECIAL SERVICE FUNDING DISTRICT.
UM, AND WE COVER THERE OUR FUNDING AMOUNTS, UH, SINCE THE OFFICE'S INCEPTION IN 2011.
THIS PROVIDES DETAILS OF HOW THE OFFICE HAS EXPENDED ITS FUNDS, UM, IN 2023, UM, INCLUDING MONIES ALLOCATED AND SHARED WITH THE ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE COMMISSION.
THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR, UH, WITH SORT OF A HIGHLIGHT SECTION.
UM, THIS YEAR'S HIGHLIGHT SECTION IS TWO PARTS, LEVERAGING KNOWLEDGE AND INTRODUCES THE NEW REPORT FORMAT THAT WE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR, WHICH IS LESSONS LEARNED.
UM, AND THIS WAS A SUMMARY REPORT LEVERAGING ALL OF OUR 18 REVIEWS AND AUDITS OF DFCS, UH, TO PROVIDE A FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVE TO THE PARISH ON HOW THESE SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED, UM, AND HOW THE FUNDS ARE BEING USED.
UM, FINALLY, AND I'LL GET, UM, INTO MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS LATER.
WE INCLUDED, UM, IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT, SORT OF A TEASER ABOUT THE FINDINGS TRACKER, WHICH ACTUALLY DEPLOYED TODAY AT ABOUT THREE O'CLOCK.
UM, AND THIS FINDINGS TRACKER TRACKS ALL OF THE FINDINGS EVER ISSUED BY THE OFFICE FROM DAY ONE THROUGH TODAY.
UM, AND THE CATEGORY OF FINDINGS ASSOCIATED, UM, WITH IT AS WELL AS ANY QUESTION COSTS, AVOIDABLE COSTS PER FINDING.
AND SO THIS WAS SORT OF A TEASER INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE WILL HAVE BECAUSE WE CHOSE TO UPDATE OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AGAIN, WE INCLUDE MILESTONES, UM, OF ALL THE OFFICE'S ACHIEVEMENTS, UM, SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED, WE NOW HAVE MADE 93 REFERRALS TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES.
UM, WE HAVE EIGHT ARRESTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO.
WE HAVE OPENED 591 INTAKES SINCE THE OFFICE, UM, FIRST CAME IN, AND WE SEE A SUMMARY OF THE OPEN INTAKES AND CLOSED INTAKES ACROSS THOSE YEARS.
KIM, CAN I, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? MM-HMM.
DO YOU KNOW THE OLDEST OF YOUR OUTSTANDING CASES THAT STILL OPEN? I KNOW YOU, YOU WORKED REALLY HARD IN 22 TO CLOSE THEM, IS WHY I ASKED.
WE WORKED HARD TO CLOSE OUTSTANDING CASES.
WE HAVE SOME CASES STILL OUTSTANDING THAT NEED TO BE CLOSED.
UM, BOTH BECAUSE THEY'RE STALE AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH RESOURCE TO GO BACK AND TAKE CARE OF THEM, AND THEY'RE OPEN BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO DO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WORK TO COMPLY WITH STANDARDS IN ORDER TO CLOSE THEM.
AND THOSE ARE PRIMARILY, UM, IN, THEY'RE ALL INVESTIGATIVE CASES, I BELIEVE.
UM, WE ARE NOW FEATURING, UM, EVALUATIONS AS OF 2022.
UM, WE DO HAVE OPEN EVALUATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING WORKED, UM, AS WELL AS WE ARE STILL TRACKING AUDITS THAT WE'VE DONE SINCE THE OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED.
AND THEN FINALLY, OUR CUMULATIVE NUMBERS.
SO WE HAVE ISSUED 16 POSITION PAPERS AND MEMORANDUM SINCE THE OFFICE STARTED 64 PUBLIC REPORTS.
AND OUR WORK HAS RELATED TO SIX ORDINANCES, WHICH HAVE BEEN AMENDED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL.
REGARDLESS OF THE KIND OF REPORT THAT WE
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ISSUED, WHETHER IT'S AN INVESTIGATION, AUDIT, OR AN EVALUATION, ALL OF OUR REPORTS FOLLOW A VERY SIMILAR PROCESS.UM, THEY MOVE TOWARDS FIELD WORK REPORT, DRAFT REPORT.
WE WAIT FOR A RESPONSE AND THEN THE REPORT IS FINALIZED.
AND THIS PROCESS ESSENTIALLY IS REQUIRED UNDER OUR STANDARDS THAT WE MUST COMPLY WITH.
AND THAT'S STANDARDS PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF INSPECTORS GENERAL AND THEN OUR ADOPTED STANDARDS, EITHER GAGS OR RED BOOK.
AND, AND I DO WANNA POINT OUT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
AS YOU SEE IN THE RESPONSE TIME, THE PLANNING FIELD WORK REPORT AND DRAFT IS ALL WITHIN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S CONTROL TO THE EXTENT THEY GET INFORMATION.
BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THE RESPONSE TIME, THAT'S POTENTIALLY 70 TO 80 DAYS OF DELAY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THAT RESPONSE TIME MAKES CURRENT DATA MORE STALE.
AND THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT RESOLVED IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO WITH THE COUNCIL.
FOR OUR INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITY, UM, THE INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITY INCLUDES PROCESSING INTAKES, WHICH THEMSELVES REQUIRE, UM, A PRELIMINARY REVIEW, SOME TIMES SOME INVESTIGATION, EITHER TO VALIDATE THE INFORMATION OR CONCLUDE THAT THE INFORMATION IS NOT VALID.
IN 2023, WE OPENED 70 INTAKES, UM, AND THE SOURCES FOR THE INTAKES WERE BALANCED BETWEEN ANONYMOUS INDIVIDUALS AND KNOWN INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF PARISH GOVERNMENT.
AS A RESULT OF THESE INTAKES, THERE ARE SIX NEW INVESTIGATIVE CASES AND 12 REFERRALS WERE MADE TO OUTSIDE ENTITIES.
AS A RESULT OF OUR INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES.
WE RELEASED, UM, AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT THIS YEAR, UM, AND THAT WAS SECURITY SERVICES CONTRACTING, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 25.
UM, THAT REPORT WAS PRESENTED BEFORE THE ECC, AND AS YOU KNOW, IT FOLLOWED THE TRACK, UM, THE FINDING THAT REVEALED THAT THE PARISH HAD CONTRACTED WITH AN UNLICENSED VENDOR FOR ITS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONTRACT.
IN TERMS OF AUDIT ACTIVITY, WE STARTED ONE NEW AUDIT IN 2023 AND CLOSED THREE AUDITS.
WE PUBLISHED TWO AUDIT REPORTS AND ONE FOLLOW UP REPORT.
UM, THOSE WERE NON MILE POINT VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, BRIDGE CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, AND THE SECURITY SERVICES FOLLOW UP REPORT, WHICH WAS BASICALLY A COMPANION REPORT, UM, COVERING SEPARATE AUDIT ISSUES, BUT ALSO RELATED TO THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONTRACT.
THE AUDIT DIVISION ALSO PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN ASSISTING IN THE PUBLICATION OF THE LESSONS LEARNED.
UM, THE DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OVER AUDIT, ERICA SMITH IS THE ONE WHO REVIEWED AND COMPILED ALL THE DATA ACROSS THE 18 AUDITS AND REPORTS, UM, FOR ME AND FOR HER AND I, UM, IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OVER INVESTIGATIONS, UM, TO DELIVER THE LESSONS LEARNED REPORT.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS ACROSS ALL SECTIONS, BUT CERTAINLY REPRESENTED A CUMULATIVE REPORT BASED UPON PREVIOUS AUDITS, EVALUATIONS, AND INSPECTIONS.
UM, WE HAVE TWO ONGOING EVALUATIONS AND INSPECTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST IS EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE AND VOLUNTEER FIRE DRUG TESTING.
AND THAT IS AN EVALUATION OF DRUG TESTING POLICIES, UM, BASICALLY ACROSS ALL UNITS PROVIDING FIRE PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION SERVICES, WHETHER PRIVATE OR PARISH EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND THE OTHER ONGOING EVALUATION IS RELATED TO PERSONNEL.
EVERY YEAR WE'RE REQUIRED TO DEVELOP A WORK PLAN, WHICH IS BASED UPON A RISK ASSESSMENT.
UM, THIS YEAR WE, OR 2023, WE CONDUCTED OUR ANNUAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND IDENTIFIED HIGH RISK AREAS OF EAST BANK, CONSOLIDATED FIRE SERVICES, PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, PURCHASING DEPARTMENT, CONSOLIDATED RECREATION, AND PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION.
WE ARE REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE TO PRESENT AN ANNUAL WORK PLAN AND PUBLISH IT.
UM, OUR ANNUAL WORK PLAN INCLUDES PLANNED AUDITS, EVALUATIONS AND
[00:15:02]
INVESTIGATIONS INSPECTIONS, SORRY.OUR PLANNED AUDIT FOR 2024 IS EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT, SICK LEAVE, EAST BANK, CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT OVERTIME AND PAYROLL CONTRACT OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING.
I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE, UM, IS PART OF MY INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT.
UM, THAT SICK LEAVE IS ALREADY IN FIELD WORK.
UM, I WILL BE INTRODUCING A NEW AUDITOR.
SHE'S CURRENTLY WORKING ON, UM, REVIEWING PERFORMANCE UNDER OUR CEA WITH WEST JEFF MEDICAL CENTER, OPERATED BY LCMC.
SO THOSE TWO ARE ALREADY ONGOING, AND WE WILL BE LEVERAGING SOME OF OUR PLANNING WORK ON SICK LEAVE, UM, TO CARRY US OVER INTO THE EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT OVERTIME PAYROLL.
UM, OUR PLANNED EVALUATIONS INCLUDE HOSPITAL SERVICES, DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, BOOSTER CLUBS AND MONITORING COUNCIL DISCRETIONARY FUNDS.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IS REFLECTED IN OUR BIMONTHLY REPORTS TO THE ETHICS COMPLIANCE COMMISSION, OUR ANNUAL REVIEW BY THE QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND OUR TRIENNIAL REVIEW BY THE PEER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I'VE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO YOU, UM, THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ASKED FOR OUR PEER REVIEW TO BE CONDUCTED THIS YEAR ON TIME, AND WE HAVE CONFIRMED DATES FOR SEPTEMBER FOR THE PEER REVIEW BID COMMITTEE TO COME THROUGH IN 2023.
WE WERE PRIVILEGED TO PRESENT BEFORE NUMEROUS CIVIC AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS.
WE WERE ALSO INTERVIEWED BY LOCAL PRINT AND TELEVISION NEWS STATIONS, UM, THROUGHOUT 2023 ABOUT THE WORK OF THE OFFICE AND THE PUBLISHED REPORTS.
AND THIS HELPS US TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF OVERSIGHT IN 2023 AS WELL.
BOTH OF THE DEPUTY AND INSPECTOR GENERALS, THAT IS JEFFREY AOL AND ERICA SMITH, UM, TAUGHT AT THE ASSOCIATION OF INSPECTORS GENERAL INSTITUTE, UM, WHICH I DO SUPPORT AS, UM, AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO NOT ONLY SHARE WHAT THEY KNOW, BUT TO LEARN WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW, UM, BY NETWORKING, UH, WITH OTHER INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICES.
AND THAT CONCLUDES A SUMMARY OF THE ANNUAL REPORT.
THE NEXT ITEM, LET ME ASK YOU, MM-HMM.
HOW ARE THE, UM, SUBJECTS OF YOUR AUDITS CHOSEN? DO THEY COME FROM, UH, POTENTIALLY FROM ANONYMOUS TIPS ALSO, OR, OR THE SUBJECTS OF THE AUDITS AS WELL AS THE EVALUATIONS ARE AN OUTCROP OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
AND THE RISK PART OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS INCLUDES, UM, MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INTERVIEWING STAKEHOLDERS, GETTING INFORMATION.
UM, DURING THOSE INTERVIEWS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, WE WILL ACTUALLY GET INFORMATION INTELLIGENCE, IF YOU WILL, UM, ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS OR WEAKNESSES OR VULNERABILITIES THAT THEY DETECT.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE GO BACK TO THE OFFICE AND ALL OF THOSE INTAKES THAT GET PROCESSED AND REVIEWED, UM, MAYBE THEY DON'T RESULT IN AN INVESTIGATIVE CASE, BUT THEY DO GO INTO OUR LARGER BANK OF INTELLIGENCE.
SO THE FINAL STEP IN THE RISK ASSESSMENT INVOLVES A BRAINSTORMING SESSION WHERE THE ENTIRE OFFICE SITS DOWN AT THE TABLE, AND WE SORT OF CALL THROUGH ALL OF THE INFORMATION GAINED, UM, FROM THOSE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS.
AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT ALL OF THE INTELLIGENCE WE'VE LEARNED IN THE RECENT YEAR, MAYBE NOT JUST IN THE RECENT YEAR, BUT THE PAST TWO YEARS, TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME AREA THAT INDICATES A PARTICULAR RISK.
AND SO SOMETIMES IT'S AN ENTITY, A SINGLE DEPARTMENT, SOMETIMES IT'S AN AREA PURCHASING HAPPENS TO BE AN AREA, SO YOU MIGHT LOOK AT A PARTICULAR FUNCTION, WHEREAS I KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT DE THE EAST BANK FIRE WAS, UM, DIRECTLY RELATED TO THAT TOPIC COMING UP IN MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS.
I MEAN, THOSE PARTICULAR ISSUES, UM, WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CALL OUT PROBLEMS. SO IT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, INDICATIONS OF A PROCESS PROBLEM OR INDICATIONS OF A DEPARTMENT PROBLEM.
AND THEN OUT OF THAT, WE JUST DIVIDE UP THE MAN HOURS WE HAVE AND TRY TO PICK THE ONES THAT WE THINK ARE THE BEST.
THE NEXT ITEM, UM, WITHIN MY INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT IS AN UPDATE STATUS OF THE PROPOSED
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AMENDMENTS TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL ORDINANCE.UM, I'M NOT SURE WHERE I QUITE LEFT OFF WITH Y'ALL IN JANUARY.
UM, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS, UH, MYSELF AND MARISH NOBEL JERRY SULLIVAN ESSENTIALLY MADE A ROUND WITH ALL COUNCIL PEOPLE AND THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE FALL OF 2023.
UM, THE ORDINANCE WAS INTRODUCED INTO SUMMARY.
UM, AN ELECTION HAPPENED AND WE ESSENTIALLY GOT SENT BACK TO SQUARE ONE IN 2024.
UM, THE NEW COUNCILWOMAN AT LARGE, JENNIFER BEN RANKIN, REINTRODUCED THE ORDINANCE INTO SUMMARY, I BELIEVE IN FEBRUARY.
UM, SO IT IS NOW PUBLISHED AND BEING HELD OVER AS AN ORDINANCE TO BE DEFERRED ON EACH COUNCIL AGENDA, AWAITING THE PRE-FILING OF THE BODY OF THE ORDINANCE.
I HAVE A GAIN MET WITH EVERY COUNCIL PERSON, ALL SEVEN COUNCIL PEOPLE, AND DISCUSSED OUR, UM, DESIRED PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
UM, I HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY, UM, SPECIFIC NEGATIVE FEEDBACK BY ANY SINGLE COUNCIL PERSON ABOUT THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE SEEKING.
UM, THERE WAS, UM, TWO COUNCIL PEOPLE WHO PAUSED OVER OUR NEEDED ACCESS.
UM, AND PARTICULARLY THOUGH EMAILS, THEY, THE, THE CONCEPT OF US HAVING ACCESS TO EMAILS, UM, THEY DIDN'T DISAGREE WITH, WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS, BUT THE WAY WE ACCESS SORT OF LIKE, MADE THEM FEEL SQUISHY.
THAT'S THE BEST I CAN COME UP WITH.
UM, WELL, I, I THINK THEY CAME FROM A LEGAL BACKGROUND THAT THINKING WHAT IF THIS IS, UH, EMAILS BETWEEN US AND COUNSEL, KEEPING IN MIND THAT KIM IS ENTITLED TO THOSE, TO THOSE EMAILS ULTIMATELY UNDER THE STATE STATUTE.
SO I, I THINK THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSIONS HAD, AND I, I THINK THERE WAS A COMFORT LEVEL THAT WAS ULTIMATELY REACHED WITH BOTH OF THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS AFTER A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT KIM'S MANDATE IS, THE CONFIDENTIALITY SHE IS BOUND BY.
AND, AND I WAS IMPRESSED THAT THEY HAD READ THOROUGHLY THE, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND HAD INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS.
IT, IT, THEY WERE GOOD MEETINGS.
UM, SO THE FINAL LANGUAGE THAT'S SORT OF SITTING OUT THERE, UM, THAT'S BEEN COMBED OVER, UM, ACCESS WAS THE LAST LANGUAGE TO BE TWEAKED.
AND THAT LANGUAGE SORT OF LIKE RESPONDED TO ANY CONCERNS THAT WERE EXPRESSED BY THE COUNSEL.
UM, SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT OUR ACCESS GOING FORWARD WOULD BE BY, UM, VERBAL REQUEST, WRITTEN REQUEST OR DIRECT ACCESS, DEPENDING UPON, UM, THE DISCRETION OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THE NEEDS OF THE MATTER, UM, EXCEPT FOR EMAILS, WHICH WOULD CONTINUE TO BE BY WRITTEN REQUESTS WITH COPY TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
SO I SORT OF LIKE CARVED OUT EMAILS AND LEFT IT THERE.
UM, OUR LAST MEETING WAS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, WITH THE PARISH COUN, UH, PARISH PRESIDENT, UM, AND HER SENIOR TEAM TO GO OVER THE AMENDMENTS.
UM, I DON'T WANNA LIKE MISREPRESENT OR OVERSTATE, UM, I DON'T, I DID NOT GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO ACCESS.
UM, I DO ALSO THINK THAT THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT OUR DESIRED, UM, AMENDMENT RELATED TO RESPONSE TIME ON DRAFT REPORTS THAT IS GOING FROM 30, UM, WORKING DAYS AND 20 WORKING DAYS TO, UM, THE RESPONSE PERIOD RUNNING CONCURRENTLY.
DON'T THINK THEY HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE RESPONSE PERIOD RUNNING CONCURRENTLY.
THEY DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE 30 CALENDAR DAYS.
THEY WANTED IT TO BE 30 WORKING DAYS.
AND FRANKLY, I WAS LIKE, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DIE ON, I CAN LIVE WITH 30 WORKING DAYS.
LET'S JUST GET THE RESPONSE PERIOD RUNNING CONCURRENTLY A SINGLE, A SINGLE DRAFT RESPONSE PERIOD.
UM, SO DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE ON THAT ONE.
UM, AND THEN THEIR ONLY COMMENTS ON ACCESS WAS BASICALLY WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THAT IS A PROBLEM FOR THE OFFICE.
UM, WE ARE ENCOUNTERING, UM, DIFFICULTIES WITH INDIVIDUALS INSIDE THE PARISH THAT ARE UNDER THE MISIMPRESSION OR MISBELIEF THAT THEY NEED THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S PERMISSION OR APPROVAL TO SPEAK WITH US.
UM, WE ARE HAVING DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, UM, TALKING PAST US TO EACH OTHER, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE HOW TO MAKE US COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE WHILE ALSO GIVING US WHAT WE NEED.
UM, AND IT IS DELAYING THE PROGRESS ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
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DID THAT JUST START RECENTLY? UM, IT HASN'T STARTED RECENTLY, HONESTLY, WHEN I WAS APPOINTED, I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS WAS A CONCERN CERTAINLY THAT DAVE MCCLINTOCK HAD.UM, AND WHEN I CAME IN, IT'S REALLY LIKE MY JOB TO FIGURE OUT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IS, IS IT SOME, IS THERE SOMETHING MORE THAT I CAN DO TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN MY COMMUNICATION OR MORE REASONABLE IN MY EXPECTATIONS? UM, AND WHERE IS THE RUBBER HITTING THE ROAD? AND I HAVEN'T WANTED TO PREMATURELY SAY IT'S NOT WORKING.
I'M TELLING YOU AFTER TWO YEARS I'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT I CAN DO.
AND WHEN I SAY EVERYTHING I CAN DO, THIS INCLUDES, I KNOW FOR A FACT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN ERICA SMITH MAKES A REQUEST, HER CUSTOMARY PROTOCOL IS, SHE DOES MAKE IT IN WRITING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES SENSE.
WHENEVER SHE ASKS FOR SOMETHING IN WRITING, SHE ALWAYS GIVES THE INDIVIDUAL 10 DAYS TO COME UP.
IF THEY NEED MORE THAN 10 DAYS, SHE GIVES THEM MORE THAN 10 DAYS.
SO I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING PEOPLE ENOUGH TIME TO RESPOND, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN PRIORITIZE THEIR OWN TASK AND PRIORITIZE US WITHIN CONTEXT.
UM, FLIP SIDE, I KNOW OUR INVESTIGATIONS, UM, HAVE MET WITH MULTIPLE DIRECTORS SIT DOWN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, HAVE THE DIRECTORS DEMONSTRATE, AND THE BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIRECTORS, OKAY, THAT'S THE REPORT I NEED, AND THE WHOLE MEETING HAS TO STOP SO WE CAN GO BACK TO THE OFFICE AND BREAK DOWN AND MAKE A REQUEST IN WRITING FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST NEED TO HIT PRINT ON AND WE COULD WALK OUT THE DOOR WITH.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A CUMULATIVE, UM, EFFECT, UM, THAT I'VE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE, UM, THE PROBLEMS. AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE AT AN IMPASSE.
UM, I'VE EXPRESSED TO THE COUNCIL PEOPLE, I'M NOT AT ALL COMFORTABLE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION KNOWING WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, BECAUSE OUR JURISDICTION EXTENDS TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND TO THE COUNCIL.
AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE ADMINISTRATION EVER BE APPRISED OF ANYTHING, UM, THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ON THE COUNCIL SIDE OF ALSO, UM, REITERATED THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT I'M REPORTING ON.
AND MY REPORTS ARE PUBLIC AND YOU GET THEM BEFORE THEY GO PUBLIC.
SO IF WE WOULD FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THE REPORTS AND FIXING THE FINDINGS INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE COULD ALL MOVE OVERSIGHT FORWARD.
DID YOU SHARE ALL THOSE CONCERNS IN YOUR MEETINGS? YES.
BUT I THINK IT, WE AS A, YOU AS A COMMISSION SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH, UH, THE MERE STATEMENT.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
THE, THE VERY PURPOSE OF AN, OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IS TO HAVE FREE ACCESS.
BUT FREE ACCESS ALSO REQUIRES CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.
IN THE EVENT THAT THEY FIND THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO REPORT, THAT INFORMATION REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL.
HOWEVER, WHEN A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS FLOATING OUT THERE TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT OTHER PEOPLE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO, IT CREATES THE APPEARANCE OF POTENTIAL IMPROPRIETY.
THAT IS OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN, I THINK, TO THE, THE COMMISSION.
AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS.
IT SHOULD NOT BE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, IT DOES RAISE A CONCERN BECAUSE IT SHOULD NEVER BE, WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
WE WANT TO HELP YOU FIND WHAT YOU NEED TO FIND.
THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE FIRST RESPONSE.
AND THEN YOU COME BACK AND TELL US WHAT YOU FOUND.
BECAUSE FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE IS A VERY CENTRAL CORE OF THIS OFFICE, AND WE EXPECT THEM TO FIND IT.
SO WHATEVER CAN BE DONE ON THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE, ON THE COUNCIL SIDE, TO, TO PROMOTE THAT, I THINK IS, IS WORTHY AND SHOULD BE APPLAUDED BY THE PUBLIC.
UH, KIM, YOU MENTIONED THE COUNCIL AND YOU MET WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GETTING THE COOPERATION THERE, SHOULD YOU, SHOULD WE CONSIDER GOING TO THE PARISH PRESIDENT AND GET, I MEAN, CAN SHE OVERRULE THE COUNCIL? NO, NO.
I'M GONNA ANSWER THAT QUICKLY.
BO IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THAN CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT.
THEY'RE A LEGISLATIVE BODY AND YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE BODY.
BUT QUITE CANDIDLY, THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND, AND I THINK KIM CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I, I FOUND A, A, A VERY OPEN DIALOGUE WITH THEM AND A WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE, UH, WITH REGARD TO MOVING THE ORDINANCE FORWARD.
I, I, I WAS VERY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ALL SEVEN OF THEM WERE VERY OPEN TO DOING IT.
EVEN THE TWO THAT HAD QUESTIONS, THEY HAD LEGITIMATE CONCERNS THAT WERE DISCUSSED OPENLY.
AND I THINK WE REACHED A POINT OF, OF AN UNDERSTANDING, BUT I WAS VERY IMPRESSED, UH, ABOUT HOW WILLING THEY WERE
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TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GOOD GOVERNMENT AND WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL'S ACCESS TO MOVE FORWARD.SO I, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH ALL OF THEM, HONESTLY.
HOW, HOW IS THE PUBLIC BEING MADE AWARE OF YOUR ISSUES? UM, THE PUBLIC HAS NOT BEEN SO, UM, MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUES AS OF YET, BUT I CERTAINLY WILL BE MAKING THE ISSUE MORE PUBLIC, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND APRIL 17TH WHEN HOPEFULLY THIS ORDINANCE, UM, WILL BE CONSIDERED.
I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE OPPOSITION.
I MEAN, IT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF YOUR EXISTENCE AS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THERE BEING OBSTRUCTIONIST.
IT IS THE WHOLE, IT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THE OFFICE.
I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, UM, REREADING SORT OF LIKE WHERE WE CAME FROM AND WHERE WE STARTED.
UM, PEOPLE FORGET, ALTHOUGH WHENEVER I DO TRAININGS, I ALWAYS REMIND PEOPLE, UM, THIS ALL CAME ABOUT INCLUDING THE ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE COMMISSION AS A RESULT OF A STUDY THAT WAS DONE MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS, THE PARISH SPENT STUDYING.
UM, AND THAT STUDY RESULTED IN AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT.
THE LINE IN THE REPORT, UM, SAYS THAT THIS OFFICE SHOULD BE CREATED WITH THE BROADEST POSSIBLE AUTHORITY UNDER STATE LAW.
AND WHEN THE OFFICE WAS CREATED, WE HAD THE BROADEST POSSIBLE AUTHORITY UNDER STATE LAW.
AND THAT'S HOW WE OPERATED FROM 2013 TO 2019.
NOW, SOMETHING HAPPENED IN 2019, UM, AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2019, UM, WHAT PEOPLE WANNA TALK ABOUT IS WHAT WAS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL LOOKING AT IN EMAILS? OKAY.
WHAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IS, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS WHATEVER THE OFFICE WAS DOING, WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH IT OR YOU DON'T AGREE WITH IT, IT WOULD HAVE STARTED, IT WOULD'VE ENDED, IT WOULD'VE BEEN CLOSED, AND IT WOULD'VE NEVER BEEN MADE PUBLIC.
THE REASON IT WAS MADE PUBLIC IS BECAUSE THE PARISH PRESIDENT WENT IN AND PULLED OUR AUDIT LOGS, AND THE PARISH PRESIDENT LEAKED WHAT WAS IN THOSE AUDIT LOGS TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE PRESS.
SO WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER IS THAT THE OFFICE CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE PARISH PRESIDENT AND THE COO AND THE PARISH ATTORNEY DEPARTED, AND THEN OUR ORDINANCE WAS CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF ANOTHER PARISH PRESIDENT.
WE HAVE HAD OUR ACCESS, UM, OBSTRUCTED BY A PARISH ATTORNEY, AND YET HERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING VERY HARD TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN BE, AND WE ARE NOT BEING GIVEN THE TOOLS AND THE ACCESS WE NEED TO SUCCEED.
SO, YEAH, THAT'S IN SHORT, I GUESS WHAT I'LL BE SAYING BETWEEN NOW AND APRIL 17TH, TO WHOEVER WILL LISTEN, IS THIS ON PAR? I MEAN, WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE, THE ACCESS YOU SHOULD HAVE, IS IT ON PAR WITH OTHER INSPECTOR GENERAL'S PRIVILEGES? AND, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IT IS, IT IS ON PAR AND, UM, IT'S ON PAR WITH WHAT THE NEW ORLEANS IG DOES.
UM,
AND HE, HE LITERALLY SAID, WELL, UNDER OUR ORDINANCE, WE CAN GO IN AND SEIZE A HARD DRIVE, AND WE HAVE GONE IN TO A CITY DEPARTMENT AND TAKEN, WE, WE NEED THAT HARD DRIVE.
I WAS LIKE, YEAH, OUR ORDINANCE SAYS THAT TOO.
WE CAN'T GET INTO THE BUILDING.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET INTO THE ROOM.
AND WE CERTAINLY CAN'T WALK AWAY WITH THE HARD DRIVE.
I MEAN, OUR ORDINANCE SAYS THE SAME THING YOURS DOES.
WE ARE JUST NOT PULLING IT OFF THE WAY YOU ARE.
SO, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY'RE SCARED OF SOMETHING OR THEY'RE, I MEAN, WHAT WAS THEIR CRITERIA? WHAT WAS THEIR, YOU KNOW, OBJECTION.
WELL, AND I THINK THAT'S THE REASON YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
YOU JUST GOTTA GET MANDATED SO THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THE PARISH, UH, THAT ARE WORKING FOR THE PARISH UNDERSTAND THEY GOTTA COOPERATE.
AND WHEN YOU WANT THEIR HARD DRIVE, YOU GET THE HARD DRIVE.
WELL, LET, LET ME, LET ME ADDRESS THE, THE POLITICAL SIDE OF, OF THE SITUATION.
THEY, THE PARISH COUNCIL WAS VERY RECEPTIVE.
DOESN'T MEAN THE VOTE'S DONE YET.
[00:35:01]
SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BETWEEN NOW AND APRIL 17TH TO MAKE SURE THE VOTE'S DONE AND DONE, DONE FAIRLY.BUT DID THEY LISTEN AND WERE THEY FAIR? AND DID THEY, DID THEY ENGAGE PROPERLY? ABSOLUTELY.
WE HOPE THAT THE PROCESS WORKS BETWEEN NOW AND APRIL 17TH TO ACCOMPLISH A GOOD RESULT.
BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE IS A, THIS IS A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO NAVIGATE THAT, THOSE MINEFIELDS AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO GET WHAT I BELIEVE KIM SHOULD HAVE.
AND, AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OFFICE, NOT JUST UNDER KIM'S DIRECTION, BUT IN UNDER FUTURE INSPECTOR GENERALS, BECAUSE IT MATTERS.
AND JERRY HAS PLAYED LIKE A PIVOTAL ROLE, JERRY AND MARTA, I THINK, UM, THEIR PRESENCE, UM, DURING THESE MEETINGS, UM, REALLY ADDED VALUE BECAUSE IT WASN'T JUST ME SAYING, I NEED THIS TO WORK.
UM, ERICA SMITH AND JEFFREY ADOL PLAYED A VALUABLE ROLE BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM COULD SAY THIS, I'M TELLING YOU FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, THIS IS NOT WORKING.
ERICA HAD THE ADDED PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS NOT HOW WE DID IT IN NEW ORLEANS.
I NEVER HAD TO DO THIS IN NEW ORLEANS.
SO, UM, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A TEAM EFFORT, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
IT SEEMS TO ME, TO ME, THAT THE INTENT IS TO JUST SLOW YOU DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, OR MY, MY, MY LARGER FEAR IS, AND NOT THAT I, I OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S IMMINENT, BUT WHAT'S REALLY BOTHERSOME IS THAT THE OFFICE WAS SET UP TO BE A SAFEGUARD.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING HORRIBLE IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT IF SOMETHING DID, WE CAN'T BE THE SAFEGUARD.
SO THE PUBLIC SUPPORTED US UNDER THE BELIEF THAT WE COULD DO A PARTICULAR THING IF THAT THING EVER HAPPENED AGAIN.
AND WITHOUT ADEQUATE ACCESS, WE CAN'T.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA DISCOUNT THE FEAR THEY HAVE.
THEY'RE ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE ONE HAND, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IT'S LIKE, YOU SHOULD BE MORE AFRAID OF US FAILING THAN YOU ARE OF US SUCCEEDING.
I THINK ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT POINTS IS THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT THIS ADMINISTRATION, AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A CRITICAL DISCUSSION.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT PRESIDENT LEE CHING AND, AND, AND HER COOPERATION BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S HER COOPERATION HAS BEEN APPARENT.
KIM HAS OFTEN TALKED ABOUT HOW QUICK THEY HAVE BEEN TO RESPOND.
THIS IS ABOUT HAVING AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE TO ENSURE ACCESS AT ALL TIMES IN THE FUTURE.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT TODAY BECAUSE TODAY IS A TINY WINDOW IN, IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS OFFICE.
AND THAT'S WHAT MATTERS THAT WE NEED TO SEE GOING FORWARD TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM AND THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT WE REPORT TO, TO JEFFERSON PARISH RESIDENTS.
AND, AND IT'S BEEN DEMONSTRABLE OVER THE YEARS THAT WHERE THERE HASN'T BEEN ACCESS AND HASN'T BEEN PROMPT AND CONTEMPORARY ACCESS WITH THE, WITH PROBLEMS ARISING, UH, NOT ONLY DO YOU LOSE TRANSPARENCY, BUT PROBLEMS REALLY, REALLY ESCALATE.
SO, UM, IF WE'RE LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAYING THAT WAS A PROBLEM, RATHER THAN CREATING AN OPEN DOOR FOR WHAT WE CAN BE SURE TO MAKE NOT A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.
THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE GOAL HERE.
HOPE I ANSWERED ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, WE HAVE A NO PROCUREMENT TO REPORT ON AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, I HAVE GOOD NEWS TO REPORT.
UM, IF I CAN INVITE UP HALEY LOVEL TO THE FAN.
UM, SHE IS THE FIRST TRUE ENTRY LEVEL AUDITOR THIS OFFICE HAS HAD.
UM, SHE IS A GRADUATE FROM HOLY CROSS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE IT ON, BUT IT'S LIKE SUMMA C*M LAUDE.
SUMMA C*M LAUDE FROM HOLY CROSS.
UM, SHE'S A CANDIDATE TO GET HER MASTER'S DEGREE FROM UNO, UM, FINGERS CROSSED.
SHE WILL PURSUE LICENSURE AS A CPA.
UM, AND SHE IS SPENDING ALL OF HER TIME ON WEST BANK MEDICAL CENTER AND OUR CEA WITH THEM RIGHT NOW.
UM, I KNOW ERICA HAS JUST BRAGGED ON HER WORK AND HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND HOW QUICKLY, UM, SHE IS FOLDING INTO OUR CULTURE AND SHE IS A NATIVE OF MARRERO, SO WE
[00:40:01]
ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME HALEY.YOU HAVE A BIG TASK,
UM, AND NEXT UP WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT WE HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THROUGH EFFICIENTLY.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, JEFFREY, YOU GOT ONE? KEEP UP WHICHEVER ONE YOU GOT.
24 WORD 29 LIVE OAK OR MARRERO? MARRERO.
WAIT, I WANT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE 'CAUSE THIS IS THE LAST PRESENTATION ON ANY VFC YOU WILL EVER GET RIGHT AFTER, RIGHT AFTER GREG, WE'VE GOT JIM AND AFTER JIM, WE NEED TO ALL CLAP
SO, UH, MY NAME'S GREG LAMPARD.
[VI. Discussion of Parish responses to Volunteer Fire Company reports]
AN AUDITOR FOR THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE MERO HARVEY VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AUDIT REPORT.SO THE MARRO HARVEY, THE MARRERO HARVEY VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY IS A NONPROFIT LOCATED WITHIN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT.
THEY HAVE A 10 YEAR CONTRACT TO PROVIDE FIRE PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION SERVICES WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
THEY RECEIVE $200,000 MONTHLY, WHICH IS 2.4 MILLION ANNUALLY.
THE RESULTS OF THE AUDIT IDENTIFIED PAYMENTS THAT MAY VIOLATE THE LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION AND OR THE FIRE PROTECTION AGREEMENT, AND NUMEROUS AREAS THAT LACKED BASIC INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER PAYROLL, EXPENDITURE, VEHICLES, AND FUEL.
THE FIRST FINDING IS THAT THE FIRE COMPANY MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION AND THE FIRE PROTECTION AGREEMENT BECAUSE IT SPENT $21,200 IN PUBLIC FUNDS ON A LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARDS PROGRAM FOR ITS 22 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
THE AWARD AMOUNTS RANGED FROM $300 TO $2,250, DEPENDING UPON THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE.
GREG, CAN I, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? AND, AND I HAVEN'T ASKED THIS BEFORE BECAUSE I, I REALIZE THE PARISH HAS A, A LENGTH OF OF SERVICE PROGRAM, BUT THIS IS A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARISH AND THESE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
SO HOW, HOW CAN THEY, HOW IS THE JUSTIFICATION, THIS IS WHAT THE PARISH DOES, HOW DOES THAT CARRY OVER TO THE VFC? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THAT QUESTION? I BELIEVE I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, I MEAN, OUR STANCE HAS BEEN THAT IN THE FIRE PROTECTION AGREEMENT, IT EXPLICITLY STATES WHAT THE MONEY CAN BE SPENT ON, AND IT HAS A SECTION THAT STATES WHAT IT CAN'T BE SPENT ON.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT IT PROHIBITS THE MONEY TO BE SPENT ON AWARDS OR GIFTS, EXCEPT AS WHAT'S PROVIDED WITHIN THE CONTRACT.
SO, AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE PARISH DOES IN IT'S, IT'S PAYROLL BECAUSE THIS IS A SEPARATE PAYROLL.
SO EVEN IF THE PARISH DOES IT, AND IT'S OKAY IN THE PARISH, IF THE CONTRACT SAYS YOU CAN'T GIVE AN AWARD, THEN IT'S CONTRACTUALLY BOUND NOT TO.
IS THAT, IS THAT, THAT'S MISTAKE FAIR TO SAY? OKAY.
UM, WE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE, THERE WASN'T A CLAUSE WITHIN THE CONTRACT ALLOWING A LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARDS PROGRAM FOR THE FULL-TIME PAID EMPLOYEES.
THE SECOND FINDING, UM, COVERS PAYROLL EXPENDITURES.
THE AUDIT
UM, ONE OF THE EMPLOYEE'S TIME CARDS, UM, FROM WHAT IT WAS RECORDED AND WHAT WAS PAID OUT ON THE PAY STUB WERE INCONSISTENT.
UM, THE MAIN ONE WAS THAT THE OVERTIME WAS BEING CALCULATED INCORRECTLY.
SO, UM, AS A RESULT IT WASN'T A HUGE DIFFERENCE, BUT AS A RESULT, THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE GETTING ACTUALLY UNDERPAID.
SO, UM, AS A RESULT, EMPLOYEES COULD BE PAID FOR HOURS THAT WERE NOT WORKED OR IT COULD RESULT IN ERRONEOUS PAYROLL.
THE THIRD FINDING IS COVERS, UH, THE EXPENDITURE CONTROLS.
SO THE FIRE COMPANY LACKED BASIC EXPENDER CONTROLS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN UNAUTHORIZED OR UNLAWFUL EXPENDITURES OF THE 41 EXPENDITURES, TESTED
[00:45:02]
34 HAD NO DOCUMENTED REVIEW AND APPROVAL PRIOR TO PURCHASE.AND 39 HAD NO DOCUMENTED REVIEW AND APPROVAL AFTER PURCHASE.
WITHOUT THE DOCUMENTED REVIEWS AND APPROVALS, THE FIRE COMPANY COULD EXER INCUR EXPENDITURES THAT WERE NOT AUTHORIZED BY LAW OR AUTHORIZED BY MANAGEMENT.
THE FOURTH FINDING IS THAT THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY DID NOT SUBMIT A CURRENT VEHICLE INVENTORY REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF FIRE SERVICES, NOR DID IT TITLE ALL THE VEHICLES IN DISTRICT EIGHT'S NAME.
LET, LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING.
DOES, DOES THE OFFICE OF FIRE SERVICES NOT SEND OUT A, A DOCUMENT SAYING, GIVE ME THIS INFORMATION AND I WANT TO SEE THE TITLES, OR WE SHOULD BE HOLDING THE TITLE BECAUSE NOW WE'RE A YEAR INTO THIS.
UM, HAVE, HAS NOTHING CHANGED ON THAT, THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF? I THINK COMPLICATING THE ISSUE, BUT THIS IS I THINK AN EXCUSE, NOT A REASON AT THIS POINT, IS THAT THESE CONTRACTS CAME INTO PLAY AROUND WHAT, 20 16, 20 15? LIKE THERE WERE NO CONTRACTS.
SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE PURCHASED BEFORE THE CONTRACTS WITH THESE TERMS WERE IN PLACE.
THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE MORE THAN HALFWAY THROUGH THE CONTRACT.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IS THAT THE PARISH WOULD'VE SENT OUT A UNIFORM LETTER TO EVERY VFC, IDENTIFY YOUR INVENTORY, SHOW ME YOUR TITLE AND DEMAND THAT THE TITLES BE PLACED IN THE DISTRICT'S NAME.
AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT SORT OF LIKE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE, BUT THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR CONTRACT HAS NOT BEEN DONE.
EVERY TIME WE AUDIT A VFC, IT'S THE SAME FINDING.
THERE'S VEHICLES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TITLED, AND NOW WE KNOW BECAUSE WE'VE DONE A LESSONS LEARNED, WE HAVE 10 YEARS WORTH OF VFC.
AND I THINK THIS FINDING SHOWS UP IN ALL THE REPORTS.
SO YOU WOULD THINK IF IT'S SHOWN UP IN ONE AT SOME POINT, YOU CAN TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO TELL EVERYBODY TITLE YOUR VEHICLES CORRECTLY.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THE PARISH HAS TAKEN THAT STEP TO BE PROACTIVE AND THAT'S WHY THE PROBLEM STILL PERSIST.
WELL, CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING? AND, AND IN ALONG THAT SAME LINE, I KNOW THE STATE, IF IT'S A CERTAIN EXPENDITURE WHEN IT BECOMES OBSOLETE OR YOU NEED TO THROW IT AWAY, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A, A, A HORRIBLE PROCESS TO BE ALLOWED TO GET RID OF IT, EVEN IF IT NO LONGER WORKS OR IF YOU WANT TO, TO SELL IT A SURPLUS.
DOES THE PARISH REQUIRE THAT IN THE CONTRACT? IF YOU HAVE SURPLUS MATERIAL, IF YOU WANT TO DISPOSE OF IT, IF IT'S IF IT'S OBSOLETE OR NO LONGER WORKING, IS THERE A SYSTEM THAT THEY REQUIRE THAT VFC IF IT'S NOT TITLED IN THE PARISH'S NAME TO DO SO, CAN WE SAY ENOUGH? THERE'S NO, NO, THERE'S NO TERMS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO SURPLUS BECAUSE THE TERM SPECIFICALLY REQUIRES, IT'D BE IN THE PARISH NAME THAT IT'D BE IN THE PARISH NAME.
BUT THAT IS, UM, AND GREG CAN SPEAK MORE FULLY TO IT BECAUSE HE'S DONE MULTIPLE ONES.
THAT IS THE RISK THAT RESULTS IS THESE ASSETS, UM, COULD BE, UM, ALIENATED WITHOUT THE PARISH'S KNOWLEDGE.
WELL, HOW ARE THEY TITLED EXACTLY? THEY ARE TITLED TO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, WHICH IN MANY INSTANCES DOES NOT HAVE A LEGITIMATE, UH, IS NO LONGER LEGITIMATELY LICENSED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
SO THEY ARE NOT IN GOOD STANDING.
POTENTIALLY NOT ONLY NOT IN GOOD STANDING, BUT THEY MAY HAVE HAD THEIR CHARTER REVOKED.
BUT THE PUBLIC FUNDS PAID FOR THE VEHICLE.
SO HAVE YOU COME ACROSS ANY INSTANCES WHERE A VEHICLE WAS DISPOSED OF? AND WE HAVEN'T COME ACROSS ANY INSTANCES WHERE A VEHICLE HAS BEEN DISPOSED OF, BUT WE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT A VEHICLE HAS BEEN DISPOSED OF BECAUSE THERE'S NO RECORD.
WE WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT IT WAS OURS
WE CAN'T GO BACK TO THE STATE AND GET A LIST OF VEHICLES THAT WERE TITLED TO A SPECIFIC VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AND SAY, WHERE IS THIS VEHICLE THAT IS NO LONGER PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE BUILDING? I GUESS WE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD OR WE COULDN'T.
YEAH, I I THINK YOU'RE POTENTIALLY CREATING A NEW SCOPE OF A NEW MM-HMM.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE, YOU'D HAVE TO GO INTO A NEW AUDIT TO DO THAT.
BUT I DO, I THINK THE STATE WOULD PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE EXTENT THEY HAVE IT.
YES, IT MIGHT BE ARCHIVED DEPENDING ON THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE AGE OF THE SALE, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE IT.
BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE, I, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT WOULD NEVER BE PART OF THE SAME AUDIT, BECAUSE YOU'RE NEVER GONNA FINISH IF YOU START THAT SCOPE CREEP.
[00:50:01]
IT, IT IS.AND I MEAN, LIKE, NO, WE WOULD NOT FINISH THE AUDIT.
BUT YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS SORT OF LIKE TARGETS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN AN AUDIT AND INVESTIGATION.
I MEAN, THE AUDIT IS THERE IN PART TO TEST COMPLIANCE AND TO TEST CONTROLS.
IF YOU FIX YOUR COMPLIANCE AND YOU FIX YOUR CONTROLS, YOU'VE FI YOU'VE FIXED YOUR RISK THAT YOU WILL EVER NEED TO DO AN INVESTIGATION TO SEE IF SOMEBODY WRONGFULLY ALIENATED IT.
SO, I MEAN, WE HAVE LIKE A DECADE WORTH OF THESE CALLING OUT THESE RISKS.
AND AS OF THE LESSONS LEARNED REPORT IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, ALL THE RISKS ARE ALL STILL PRESENT.
UM, INCLUDING AS, YOU KNOW, JERRY CALLED OUT.
WE STILL HAVE VFC WHO ARE NOT MAINTAINING THEIR CORPORATE STATUS.
UM, SO WELL, BUT IN THIS CASE, MARK HAS IDENTIFIED 10 OF THE 13 VEHICLES.
MARK, DO YOU KNOW WHO, WHAT THE OTHER THREE VEHICLES WERE? WERE YOU ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT, GREG? I'M SORRY, GREG.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN WE SAW ALL THE 13 VEHICLES, LIKE I WAS LITERALLY SO YOU COULD TAKE A PICTURE OF THE VEHICLE AND TAKE A PICTURE OF THE LICENSE.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE DOCUMENTED 13 VEHICLES.
THEY MAY NOT BE TITLED CORRECTLY, BUT AT LEAST WE KNOW ABOUT 'EM AND IF THEY GET SOLD, WE COULD FIGURE IT OUT.
NO, I MEAN THAT IS THAT THE QUESTION IS WHOSE JOB IS THAT? AND IT'S REALLY, WE'RE ALERTING THE PARISH TO THIS AND TRYING TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT.
UH, IF WE SPEND OUR RESOURCES ON THAT, OTHER THINGS WOULD NOT GET LOOKED AT.
THE FIFTH FINDING COVERS, UH, FUEL EXPENDITURES.
THE FIRE COMPANY DID NOT DESIGN OR IMPLEMENT PROPER INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THEIR FUEL TRANSACTIONS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CONSISTENTLY RECORD ODOMETER READINGS REGARDING THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEMS OR WHEN THEY FILLED UP THE VE THE STORAGE TANK, UM, ON THEIR FUEL TRUCK.
AS A RESULT, WITHOUT THE ODOMETER READINGS BEING RECORDED, FIREFIGHTERS COULD POTENTIALLY DISPENSE FUEL FOR PERSONAL OR, OR UNAUTHORIZED PURPOSES.
AND THE LAST FINDING IS THAT THE FIRE COMPANY DID NOT COMPLETE ITS CASH RECEIPTS LOG TO RECORD DEPOSITS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS OWN POLICY.
AS A RESULT, THE FIREFIGHTERS COULD POTENTIALLY MISAPPROPRIATE PUBLIC FUNDS BY NOT RECORDING THE CASH RECEIVED CAN.
UM, WITH THE CASH RECEIPTS LOG WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM, IT TURNED OUT IT WAS LIKE A VERY OLD POLICY.
SOMETHING THAT LIKE WAS WAY BACK WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE USED TO SEND IN LIKE DONATIONS AND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL.
AND NOW THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAPPEN ANYMORE.
BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, SO THE AUDIT REPORT DID IDENTIFY SOME POSITIVE FINDINGS.
THE FIRE COMPANY REVIEWED AND APPROVED ALL TIME CARDS.
THEY COMPLIED WITH THE LAW REGARDING CALCULATING THE NUMBER OF OVERTIME HOURS, MAINTAINED AN ACCURATE INVENTORY OF ALL VEHICLES HELD AT THE FIRE STATION.
THEY PROPERLY PREPARED AND APPROVED BANK REC RECONCILIATIONS AND MAINTAINED REQUIRED INSURANCE COVERAGE AND SUBMITTED THE REQUIRED REPORTS TO THE PARISH.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THAT THE FIRE COMPANY SHOULD DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING ON THE ALLOWABLE USES OF PUBLIC FUNDS AND DISCONTINUE THE LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM, DEVELOP POLICIES TO ENSURE THAT THE FIRE CHIEF SUBMITS VEHICLE LISTINGS ANNUALLY AND THAT FUEL IS ACCURATELY TRACKED AND MONITORED.
REVISE THE LENGTH OF SERVICE AND PURCHASING POLICIES TO ENSURE EXPENDITURES ARE AUTHORIZED AND ALLOWED BY LAW.
ENSURE TIME CARDS ARE ACCURATE AND THE CORRECT OVERTIME RATE IS USED AND DEVELOP A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE CASH RECEIPTS PROCEDURE AND FILL OUT THE LOG AS REQUIRED.
DO DO ALL, UM, OF THEIR VEHICLES USE DIESEL? NO, NOT ALL VEHICLES USE DIESEL.
THEY GASOLINE AND DIESEL TANKS? YES.
'CAUSE UH, USUALLY WHEN WE GO THEY'LL HAVE THE DIESEL FOR THE LARGE FIRE TRUCKS, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE SOME PICKUP TRUCKS THAT THEY USE ARE, UM, MAYBE A SUBURBAN AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL ALSO BUY, UM, GAS FOR THE LAWNMOWERS OR, UM, SOME VEHICLES THAT JUST AREN'T YOUR NORMAL VEHICLES.
[00:55:01]
YOU.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M ONE OF THE SEASONED ONES AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT PERHAPS THE LAST, UH, A SHORT PRESENTATION ON L OAK MANNER.
VFC, HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE LAST ONE.
UM, L OAK MANNER IS IN THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT SEVEN.
THEY RUN TWO, TWO STATIONS IN WMAN.
UM, THEY RECEIVE ABOUT 740,000 ANNUALLY.
AND THIS AUDIT, JUST LIKE THE LAST ONE IS KIND OF IDENTIFYING PAYMENTS THAT MAY VIOLATE THE LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION OR THE FIRE PROTECTION AGREEMENT.
ALSO, THERE'S BEEN SOME BASIC INTERNAL CONTROLS AND PAYROLL EXPENDITURE FINDINGS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU HEARD FROM GREG FIRST FINDING.
THEY ALSO HAVE A LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARD, UM, THAT'S PAID ANNUALLY TO THEIR NINE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UM, THEIR WATER AMOUNTS GO FROM 30 TO 50 PER YEAR SERVICE, THE SAME ISSUE AS MARIA HARVEY.
JIM, LET, LET ME, I'M GONNA ADD A A QUESTION ON THIS THAT I DIDN'T ASK GREG BECAUSE IT, IT CAME TO MIND AS I WAS LOOKING AT LIVE OAK.
UM, TITLE 40 ALLOWS VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS TO RECEIVE, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A BENEFIT THAT NON VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS ARE NOT.
SO IF FOR, IF THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS, THEY COULD GET A BENEFIT THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE UNDER TITLE 40 THAT AN EMPLOYEE COULD NOT, AM I CORRECT? I THINK IT'S THE OTHER WAY, JERRY.
BUT NOW I, I READ THE PARISH RESPONSE AND, AND THIS IS WHAT I, I I I, BECAUSE THE PARISH SAYS EVEN IF THE CONTRACTUAL CONSIDERATION RETAINS THE CHARACTER OF PUBLIC FUNDS AND THE ABOVE REFERENCE CONSTITUTIONAL RESTRICTIONS APPLY, EVEN IF THEY APPLY, THE LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARD IS ALLOWED BECAUSE PAYMENT OF SUCH AS A PART OF THE EMPLOYEE'S TOTAL COMPENSATION IS NOT GRATUITOUS IN NATURE.
DID THEY GIVE YOU ANY EXPLANATION BASED ON THE CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE ON WHY THAT STATEMENT IS BEING MADE? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE IT IN THE AGREEMENT.
I DON'T SEE HOW THAT AGREEMENT CHANGES THE NATURE OF THE PAYMENT.
UM, WHAT DID I JUST, UH,
FINDING NUMBER TWO UNDER OUR FIVE FINDINGS, UM, OF THE $560,000 IN PAYROLL EXP UH, EXPENDITURES, UM, THEY HAD AN ISSUE OF SIGNING TIME CARDS OR NOT SIGNING THEIR TIME CARDS.
AND WE TESTED 55 AND NONE OF THEM HAD SIGNATURES OF THE EMPLOYEES.
THE UPSHOT OF THIS IS EMPLOYEES COULD BE PAID FOR HOURS.
THEY DIDN'T WORK AND THEY HAVEN'T ATTESTED TO THE TIME THAT THEY, THEY, THEY WORKED.
JIM DOES, DOES THE, DID THE TIME CARDS HAVE A SIGNATURE OF AN EMPLOYER OR A SUPERVISOR? THE CHIEF.
SO JUST THE CHIEF SIGNS, BUT THE CHIEF DOESN'T HAVE THEM SIGN OFF BEFORE HE SIGNS? NO.
AND WHEN WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT AND THE CHIEF FELT THAT SINCE HE WAS REVIEWING THEM, ANY MISTAKES THAT WERE, THAT WERE THERE, HE WOULD CORRECT IT BEFORE SENDING THEM OFF TO THEIR PAYROLL PERSON.
SO IN, IN, IN YOUR REVIEWS, AND I, I'M NOT TRYING TO MICROMANAGE THE QUESTION, BUT IN YOUR REVIEWS, DID YOU FIND THE CHIEF DID THAT VERY OFTEN? PROBABLY NOT.
AS FAR AS MAKING CORRECTIONS, AS FAR AS MAKING A CORRECTION ON, ON, ON, THERE WERE SEVERAL THAT HE DID, THAT HE MADE CORRECTIONS IN THAT HE, HE HE TOOK DOWN OR, UH, REDUCED ADJUSTED.
SO THE CHIEF FELT, AND ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS FELT THAT THE EMPLOYEE SIGNING THEM WAS NOT NECESSARY.
[01:00:06]
BUT THEN IF YOU'RE COMMITTING PAYROLL FRAUD, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GET TO THAT? I DIDN'T SIGN IT.SOMEBODY ELSE TURNED IT IN AND I JUST EXACTLY TOOK MY CHECK.
FINDING THREE INVOLVES NOT HAVING PRE-APPROVAL OVER EXPENDITURES.
WE LOOKED AT, UM, 25 AND WE TESTED THAT AND NONE OF, UH, 23 OF THE 25 DIDN'T HAVE A, A WRITTEN APPROVAL BY A BOARD MEMBER BEFORE, BEFORE PURCHASE.
AND OF COURSE, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE PROPER CONTROLS, THERE COULD BE EXPENDITURES THAT AREN'T AUTHORIZED BY LAW FINDING FOUR.
AND A SIMILAR ISSUE THAT COMES UP ABOUT NOT REPORTING THEIR INVENTORY.
UM, WE HAD MIS TITLING OR INCORRECT TITLING OF VEHICLES, TWO OF NINE VEHICLES, THEY WERE TITLED TO THE VFC AND NOT, NOT TO THE PARISH.
AND OF COURSE, WITHOUT PROPER TITLES, WE WON'T KNOW, OR DISTRICT SEVEN DOESN'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, WHO THEY'D BE SOLD TO, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO IT'S THE SAME ISSUE THAT COMES UP, UP AGAIN.
NOW, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UM, VEHICLES NOT BEING PROPERLY TITLED WHO IS RESPONSIBLE, WHO SHOULD KNOW THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT, THAT IT WAS THE FLEET DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD GET THE TITLES AND THEY WOULD REPORT BACK TO US, BUT THEY REALLY NEVER DID AND COULDN'T FIND THEM.
SO WE, WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH.
SO THAT SAME ISSUE POPS UP,
I MEAN, GEEZ, THERE YEAH, THEY'RE DOING BETTER THAN THE OTHERS.
NOW THIS VSC DOESN'T HAVE IT TANKS, BUT THEY USE FUEL MAN.
AND THE ISSUE WITH THIS FUEL FINDING WAS THAT THEY WEREN'T PUTTING IN THE CORRECT ODOMETER READINGS WHEN THEY GOT THE FUEL.
SO WE LOOKED AT 12 MONTHS AND WE COULD SEE DISCREPANCIES AND WE ASKED WHY.
AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE CARDS WEREN'T WORKING OR, UM, SOMEONE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING AND, AND THERE WERE OTHER REASONS WHY THEY COULDN'T PUT THE ODOMETER READING IN THERE CORRECTLY.
SO OF COURSE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT CONTROLS, THE FIREFIGHTERS COULD USE THE FUEL FOR PERSONAL OR UNAUTHORIZED PURPOSES.
BUT WE DID SEE SOME POSITIVE THINGS, AND I'LL BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THOSE.
THEY COMPLIED WITH THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND STATE LAW.
UH, WHEN THEY CALCULATED THEIR OVERTIME, THEY DID MAINTAIN AN ACCURATE INVENTORY OF ALL THEIR VEHICLES.
WE DID GO OUT THERE AND SEE THEM.
UM, ALL THEIR BANK RECONCILIATIONS WERE DONE PROPERLY.
UM, AND THEY ALSO MAINTAIN INSURANCE COVERAGE ON ALL THE VEHICLES, WHETHER THEY BE FIRE TRUCKS, UM, PROPERTY INSURANCE, LIABILITY INSURANCE.
WOULD IT BE INTERESTING TO KNOW HOW THE INSURER KNOWS WHO OWNS THE CAR THAT IT'S INSURING? SO YEAH, IT BE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE IF YOU EVER HAD TO MAKE A CLAIM.
WELL, AND IT RAISES THE ISSUE OF WHO'S THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER, WHO'S THE ADDITIONAL INSURED, RIGHT? WHO IS ACTUALLY INSURED UNDER THE POLICY AND IS THE PARISH POTENTIALLY LIABLE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A VEHICLE THAT'S TITLED TO SOMEBODY ELSE? AND SO FROM A, FROM A LIABILITY STANDPOINT, RAISES A LOT OF NIGHTMARES.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A BASIS UPON WHICH INSURERS COULD MAKE A DECISION NOT TO GRANT COVERAGE OR GIVE AT LEAST A RESERVATION OF RIGHTS, WHICH IS JUST AS BAD POTENTIALLY.
SO, UM, THE LAST THING I HAVE HERE IS RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE WERE RECOMMENDING THAT LIVE OAK MANNER SHOULD DISCONTINUE THE LENGTH OF SERVICE POLICIES.
AND WE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MAYBE HOW THEY COULD INCORPORATE IT IN THEIR, THE WAY THEY PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES, RATHER THAN HAVING IT LOOK LIKE A BONUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS WHAT IT, WHAT HAPPENS.
UM, THE PAYROLL POLICY REVISED THAT.
SO THE EMPLOYEES SIGNED THE CARDS AND WE CAN SEE
[01:05:01]
THAT THE EMPLOYEE ACTUALLY ATTESTED TO THAT.UM, CHANGE THE EXPENDITURE POLICY SO THAT YOU GET BOARD PRIOR APPROVAL.
AND NOW WE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT ON SOME OF THE MAJOR PURCHASES.
THERE WOULD BE A DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING EXPLICIT THAT WE COULD SEE THAT THEY DID THAT.
UM, AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF INSTANCES WHERE I MADE A JUDGMENT, SAID, OKAY, THIS LOOKS LIKE YOU DID, SO I'M NOT GONNA INCLUDE THIS IN THE FINDING, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WERE NOT.
AND ALSO THE FUEL PURCHASE POLICY, GOTTA PUT YOUR DOMINANT READINGS IN.
UM, SO WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
SO WITH THAT ARE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M RIGHT HERE AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE THE LAST VFC.
THE EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIREFIGHTERS, ARE THEY PARISH EMPLOYEES? YES.
YES, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO GET LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARDS.
THAT'S A WHOLE SEPARATE QUESTION.
IS THERE EAST BANK? THE EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED, UM, IS FIRE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES ARE ACTUALLY NOT EVEN UNDER THE SAME CIVIL SERVICE, UM, SYSTEM AS THE REST OF THE PARISH EMPLOYEES.
SO YOU HAVE THE FIRE CIVIL SERVICE, YOU HAVE REGULAR CIVIL SERVICE, AND THEN YOU HAVE UNCLASSIFIED.
AND WHEN THIS ISSUE CAME UP ON THE PARISH SIDE, UM, AT THE TIME, UH, THE CLASSIFIED CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES, CERTAIN NAMED INDIVIDUALS, UM, SUED THE PARISH OVER THE LENGTH OF, UM, UH, SERVICE, UH, BONUSES.
AND THE ISSUE THAT THE MERITS OF THE ISSUE WERE NEVER DECIDED.
LIKE SOMEBODY ASKED FOR AN AG OPINION, THE AG WOULDN'T ISSUE AN OPINION BECAUSE THERE WAS A COURT CASE.
THE COURT CASE GOT LITIGATED, WENT UP TO THE APPELLATE COURT, UM, AND BASICALLY GOT RESOLVED ON A PROCEDURAL ISSUE.
SO THE ISSUE IS OPEN ON THE PARISH'S SIDE AND THE PRACTICE STILL CONTINUES.
UM, AND THEN THE VFC HAVE SIMPLY REPLICATED THE PARISH'S PRACTICES EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PRIVATE ENTITIES AND SHOULD HAVE NO CORRELATION, UM, BETWEEN US.
ANY QUESTIONS? THE END OF AN ERROR.
UM, AND THOSE TWO REPORTS ESSENTIALLY WERE AFFECTED, UM, BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION CYCLE.
UM, THEY WERE SUBSTANTIALLY FINISHED AND READY OUT IN DRAFT.
UM, AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE DATA THAT YOU JUST SAW WAS ACTUALLY INCORPORATED INTO THE LESSONS LEARNED.
SO THE LESSONS LEARNED DID ACTUALLY, UM, CAPTURE I THINK 10 OF 12 DFCS, UM, ON THE WEST BANK.
SO BECAUSE I WANNA KEEP MY DEPUTY OVER AUDIT, WE WILL NOT BE DOING ANY MORE DFCS FOR A WHILE.
JEFFREY IS GOING TO, UM, HOPEFULLY PULL UP, UM, A VERSION OF WHAT USED TO BE OUR RECOMMENDATION TRACKER.
UM, ONE OF THE FINAL ITEMS I HAVE, UM, IN MY REPORT, AND I'M SKIPPING SOME OF THE STUFF ON OPEN CASES AND WHERE WE'VE GONE 'CAUSE I SORT OF INCLUDED THAT IN MY ANNUAL REPORT, IS, UM, I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THAT WE WERE GOING TO, UM, BE ABLE TO DEPLOY, UM, A FINDINGS TRACKER.
SO I'M FIRST GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT WAS OUR RECOMMENDATION TRACKER.
SO THIS WAS OUR RECOMMENDATION TRACKER THAT YOU COULD ACCESS VIA A BUTTON ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN NOTICE IS THAT THIS IS ONE PAGE, BUT YOU HAVE TO SCROLL DOWN BEFORE YOU SEE THE DETAILS OF ANY PARTICULAR REPORT.
SCROLL UP A LITTLE BIT, JEFFREY.
AND SOME OF THE DETAILS YOU CAN SEE IS A SINGLE DOLLAR VALUE AT THE TOP.
THAT WAS A, A SINGLE DOLLAR VALUE, BUT THAT DOLLAR VALUE WAS NEVER, UM, CATEGORIZED AS TO THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF, OF WHAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE.
UM, WHETHER THEY WERE QUESTION COSTS OR AVOIDABLE COSTS OR SAVINGS OR HELP OR ALL THE DIFFERENT METRICS THAT YOU CAN USE TO ASSESS COSTS.
UM, THE NEXT THING YOU'LL NOTICE IS THAT THERE'S FINDINGS.
AND THEN ACROSS ALL THOSE FINDINGS, UM, YOU WILL SEE AS TO WHO RESPONDED OR WHO DIDN'T RESPOND, UM, ACROSS ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY TELL YOU MUCH MORE ABOUT THE FINDING.
UM, THIS WAS A DOCUMENT THAT WAS OVER 80 PAGES.
[01:10:01]
OF THREE O'CLOCK TODAY, WE HAVE DEPLOYED A FINDINGS TRACKER.UM, AND WHAT YOU HAVE THAT I KNOW IS PASSED OUT IS ABOUT THE FINDINGS TRACKER.
SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY AN FAQ SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE REPORTS, BUT WHEN YOU HIT ON THE BUTTON, THE FIRST THING YOU WILL SEE IS A SUMMARY.
A SUMMARY OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FINDINGS AND THEIR STATUS.
SO WHETHER IT'S RESOLVED OR PARTIALLY RESOLVED OR IT'S POSITIVE, UM, OR UNRESOLVED.
AND THOSE ARE THE TOTAL FINDINGS REACHED BY THE OFFICE SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
THEN YOU SEE THE PIE CHART THAT IS A CHART THAT TELLS YOU ALL THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF FINDINGS.
SO EVERY FINDING EVER REACHED BY THE OFFICE WAS REEVALUATED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AND BUCKETED BASED UPON THE NATURE OF THE FINDING.
AND I THINK, UM, AND I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THE LARGEST SWATH IS BASICALLY INTERNAL CONTROLS, WHICH IS AN INDICATOR THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE INTERNAL CONTROLS, YOU SOMETIMES CAN'T EVEN IDENTIFY THE FRAUD BECAUSE YOU CAN'T IDENTIFY THE BEHAVIOR THAT'S DEVIATING FROM THE CONTROL BECAUSE THERE IS NO CONTROLS.
UM, AND I USED TO SAY SOMETIMES WHEN I WAS PRACTICING IT IS CHAOS BY DESIGN.
WHEN YOU HAVE CHAOS BY DESIGN, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO HOLD ANYBODY ACCOUNTABLE.
SO THAT'S SORT OF LIKE A NEW METRIC THAT WE CAN POINT TO IS THE LACK OF INTERNAL CONTROLS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THE LAST LITTLE SUMMARY PIECE THAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU LAND ON THE PAGE IS ALL OF THE QUESTION COST, UM, BASED UPON QUESTION COSTS, IDENTIFIED COSTS BASED UPON THE NATURE OF THOSE COSTS.
SO WHEN YOU LAND ON THE PAGE, YOU CAN SIMPLY ADD A VIEW, SEE TOTAL FINDINGS, NATURE OF THE FINDINGS, THE COSTS, AND THE KIND OF FINDINGS THAT WE HAVE REACHED.
AND THEN ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CLICK ON THE REPORT OF FINDINGS.
AND THERE YOU HAVE EVERY FINDING EVER MADE, UM, BY THE OFFICE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE STATUS OF THE FINDING, WHICH IS WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME.
EITHER THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED, PARTIALLY FIXED, OR NOT FIXED AT ALL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA KNOW BECAUSE WE CAN REFOCUS SOME ATTENTION ON THE FINDINGS THAT ARE UNRESOLVED TO SEE IF THEY CAN INSTRUCT US ON WHERE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, CAN BE MADE.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE FINDINGS REPORT.
UM, AND IT ALSO GIVES YOU, OF COURSE, THE NAME OF THE REPORT AND THE PUBLICATION DATE.
THEN YOU CAN GO OVER TO THE IDENTIFIED COSTS REPORT, MAYBE.
SO IF YOU WANNA KNOW HOW, UM, HOW THE COSTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED ACROSS EVERY FINDING, UM, NOW YOU CAN LOOK AT A SEPARATE REPORT THAT JUST COVERS THE FINDING AND THE ASSOCIATED COSTS.
AND THEN THE FINAL PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR CONTEXT IS THAT THERE IS A LINK TO THE PDF ABOUT THE FINDINGS TRACKER, UM, WHICH I DID GIVE YOU A HANDOUT OF.
AND IF YOU OPEN UP THIS DOCUMENT, IT WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU THE DIFFERENT COLUMNS IN EACH OF THE REPORTS.
AND IT'LL ALSO GIVE YOU OUR WORKING DEFINITIONS OF ALL OF THE VARIOUS COSTS.
SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT A QUESTION COST IS, WHAT AN AVOIDABLE COST IS, UM, WHAT IS SAVINGS, WHAT IS REVENUE GENERATED.
SO IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE REPORTS, UM, BY OPENING UP THIS, I THINK BOTH PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY LAND ON THE PAGE, LOOK AT THE SUMMARIES, UM, AND BE SATISFIED.
SO THIS IS THE RESULT OF US UPDATING OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UM, CLOSING OUT OLD INTAKES, WORKING OLD CASES, DISTILLING US DOWN TO OUR GOOD DATA, TAKING ALL OF OUR FINDINGS SINCE THE OFFICE'S INCEPTION.
UM, CRITICALLY PUTTING AN EYE ON THEM.
UM, WANNA GIVE CREDIT TO GREG LAMPARD, UM, BECAUSE HE HAD SOME DOWNTIME WITH THE ELECTION THAT HE, UM, DID A LOT OF WORK ON HELPING US LAUNCH THIS.
UM, ALL OF THE DEFINITIONS BASICALLY WERE THE RESULT OF ERICA SMITH'S, UM, CONTRIBUTION, UM, TO ALIGN WITH STANDARDS AND TO CREATE METRICS THAT WE CAN USE GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN FINALLY, GOD BLESS JEFF ADOLPH, BECAUSE ALL THESE REPORTS ARE THE RESULT OF HIM UNDERSTANDING, UM, HOW TO WORK OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND WHAT I'M MOST PLEASED ABOUT IS THIS DATA IS CAPTURED IN OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
IF I'M HERE TODAY OR GONE TOMORROW, WHOEVER SITS IN THE CHAIR WILL NOT HAVE TO EXERCISE ANY GUESSWORK OR PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT
[01:15:01]
ABOUT THIS DATA.IT IS DOCUMENTED, IT IS MEMORIALIZED.
UM, AS WE MADE SURE THAT WE UPDATED THIS DATA, UM, WE SAT DOWN AT THE CONFERENCE TABLE, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE OFFICE, WE WENT CASE BY CASE BY CASE TO VALIDATE THE DATA, VALIDATE THE CATEGORIES, MAKE SURE WE GOT IT RIGHT, SO THAT GOING FORWARD, THE OFFICE CAN CONTINUE TO, TO LEVERAGE ALL THIS WORK.
AND AS YOU CREATE DATA GOING FORWARD, IT WILL GET ADDED INTO THIS CONTEMPORARY.
AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS TRACKER THAT USED TO TAKE HOURS TO RECONCILE BETWEEN WORD DOCUMENTS AND EXCEL SPREADSHEETS CAN LITERALLY BE DONE IN LIKE 10 MINUTES.
SO WE PLAN ON UPDATING THIS FINDINGS TRACKER QUARTERLY.
UM, AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST DEPLOYMENT.
NOW, KIM, LET ME ASK YOU ON THE WEBSITE, IT IS LIVE ON THE WEBSITE.
IF, IF, IF YOU PUBLISHED A REPORT TOMORROW MM-HMM,
YEAH, I THINK IT'S, IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
IT'S SMARTER TO HOLD THE DATA UNTIL YOU'RE READY AND THEN UPDATE, DUMP IT AT ONE TIME.
WE'D LOVE TO BE LIVE LIKE THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
UM, AND THEN MY FINAL INSTALLMENT IS, UM, WE DID HAVE, UM, A STORY BREAK ON, UM, WDSU RELATED TO, UM, AN INDIVIDUAL BEING CHARGED OVER PAYROLL FRAUD, UM, IN CONNECTION WITH GRAND, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN I DID FORGET TO INCLUDE, UM, AND MANY THANKS TO JERRY SULLIVAN FOR JOINING ME.
UM, WE DID AN OVERVIEW OF OVERSIGHT, UM, TRAINING AT, UM, IN THIS ROOM, UM, INVITING ALL OF THE DIRECTORS, UM, ALL COUNCIL, ALL AIDES TO COME AND GET, UM, A REFRESHER AND A PRIMER ON THE OFFICE, WHAT WE DO, HOW WE CAME ABOUT, OUR POWERS, OUR SUBPOENA POWERS, OUR EXPECTED ACCESS, UM, AND THE KIND OF REPORTS, UM, THAT WE PUT OUT.
AND THEN I HAD, UM, QUESTION CARDS FOR PEOPLE TO FILL OUT SO THAT THEY COULD ASK QUESTIONS, ESSENTIALLY ANONYMOUSLY.
AND I TOOK THE QUESTIONS AND, UH, JERRY ALSO DID ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR SO, 10, 15 MINUTES ON THE ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE COMMISSION AND WHAT YOUR ROLE IS AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS, UM, TO THE OFFICE.
SO, UM, I GOT A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON IT.
UM, SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE, WHICH I'M VERY HAPPY IT WAS, IS I HAD A LITTLE, UM, INTRODUCTION AT THE BEGINNING ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, HOW IT WAS BORN, UM, IN THE MILITARY, AND, AND THEN IT SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND HOW IT SPREAD, UM, THROUGH THE STATES.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, YES.
WE'RE LIKE, WE'RE NOT SO UNIQUE HAVING ONE HERE.
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A TROT AND TRUE CONCEPT THAT EXISTS.
ALRIGHT, THIS TO, UM, TIME FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WELL, THERE WAS ONE OTHER ITEM AND, AND IT WAS RAISED BY COMMISSIONER, UM, CLEMENT REGARDING THE PARISH'S RESPONSE TO THE VFC REPORTS.
I BELIEVE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT TONIGHT, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO TOUCH ON IT ANYMORE, COMMISSIONER? WELL, KIM, I'M THE NEW KID.
I'M CONCERNED THAT YOU HAVE THIS OFFICE THAT'S DOING ALL THIS WORK AND YOU DELIVER THE WORK TO THE PARIS COUNCIL AND THE FIRE CHIEFS.
AND THE ONE THAT REALLY STICKS IN MY CR IS THE ONE WHERE THE COMPANY, THE ONE OF THE FIREMEN, ONE OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREMEN, WAS RUNNING A BUSINESS OUT OF THE FIRE STATION USING THE ADDRESS.
AND THE FIRE CHIEF SAYS, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO ALLOW THAT.
WE GOTTA, THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO YOU OR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING THESE CASES, HOW DO WE FIX THAT? GIVING ATTENTION TO IT? SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOU KNOW, CALLING OUT THE ISSUE.
UM, I AM TRYING TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH THE PARISH TO, TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE, UM, AND TO, TO TAKE OUR REPORTS FOR WHAT THEY ARE, WHICH IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, MORE THAN A CRITICISM.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THE DYNAMICS ARE, IS THAT INSTEAD OF RECEIVING OUR REPORTS AND READING THEM FOR WHAT I CAN DO, THEY'RE SORT OF LIKE REVIEWED
[01:20:01]
AND IT READS MORE LIKE A DEFENSE OF A POSITION THAT WE'RE ALREADY IN, NOT A PLACE THAT WE WANNA BE.UM, BECAUSE I THINK EVERY REPORT THAT WE ISSUE, THERE'S AT LEAST ONE FINDING THAT GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S EASY.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY IN PLACE RIGHT NOW THAT, UM, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A DIRECTOR WHO'S SUPPOSED TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTRACTS, OFFICE OF FIRE SERVICES, IS SUPPOSED TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID THAT THE VEHICLES ARE NOT TITLED CORRECTLY.
SO MAKE A DEMAND LETTER TO FIX THAT.
IF YOU WOULD JUST FIX ONE THING, WELL THEN THAT WOULD BE ONE THING WE WOULDN'T CALL OUT.
I'M NOT LOOKING FOR EVERYTHING TO BE FIXED.
IF I COULD JUST GET ONE THING AT A TIME, I WOULD BE LIKE SUPER EXCITED.
UM, SO, UM, I ACTUALLY DID WITNESS SOMETHING, UM, PRETTY AMAZING TODAY AT THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND THE NEWS WAS THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE THERE FOR THIS, BUT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN HANNAN, UM, ADDRESSED, UM, BASICALLY THE CONDITION OF APARTMENTS, UM, IN HER DISTRICT THAT WERE DEPLORABLE.
AND, AND THE COUNCIL TOOK VERY BOLD ACTION THAT WAS REALLY RELATED TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, AND I RESPECTED AND APPRECIATED THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ROOM WITH A NEW COUNSEL TO BRING TO THEIR ATTENTION THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR REPORTS PROVIDE, BUT, UM, I CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED TO BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOU CALLING IT OUT.
I, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS A LESSON LEARNED IN THE VFC IS, AND I BELIEVE KIM'S MENTIONED IT BEFORE, THE PARISH HAS GONE BEYOND THE DAYS OF A RURAL WEST BANK SOCIETY.
WE NOW HAVE A SUBURBAN SOCIETY.
SO WE HAVE GONE BEYOND VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
I, I THINK WE ARE SEEING THAT FROM ALL OF THE REPORTS.
WE SEE THAT WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. SO, AND I KNOW THE PARISH IS EXPLORING OTHER ALTERNATIVES, AND I THINK IT'S A, I THINK THE TIME HAS COME FOR THEM TO EXPLORE THAT BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF DOLLARS, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE AT RISK, UH, BECAUSE OF THEIR, THEIR HOMES IN THOSE AREAS.
SO I, I THINK THE TIME IS RIPE TO SEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NOW THAT THESE REPORTS HAVE ALL COME OUT.
UH, WE NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE
[VII. Executive Session for performance review and evaluation of the Inspector General]
SESSION.I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION SECOND.
HOWARD MAY STREET ABSENT CHER K AKA.
AND, AND UNANIMOUS FOR THE PURPOSE OF, OF DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY.
THAT IS, THIS SESSION IS REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATUTE.
WE HAVE CONCLUDED OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
COULD WE HAVE A MOTION TO RETURN TO NORMAL? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
NORMAL BUSINESS TO RETURN TO NORMAL BUSINESS.
[VIII. New Business]
BUSINESS, UH, WE NEED TO DISCUSS? THERE IS ONE MATTER I WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE RECORD, AND I HAVEN'T TOLD THIS TO GREG YET BECAUSE I JUST GOT AN EMAIL, UH, OR A, A CALL FROM XAVIER DURING OUR, UH, MEETING EARLIER THAT THEY ARE, THAT, UH, IN THE PROCESS, THEY WILL HANDLE IT TOMORROW.SO SHE WILL GET RIGHT ON IT TOMORROW TO GET NOMINATIONS IN.
SHE WILL CALL ME TO CONFIRM THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY GREG AND THE PARISH PRESIDENT WILL GET THOSE NOMINATIONS WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE THAT MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND MY TERM OFFICIALLY ENDS MAY, I THINK IT'S MAY 31ST, OR MAY.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THE EXACT DATE, THAT DATE.
I'M ASHAMED TO SAY, UM, CAN WE EXTEND IT IF WE NEED TO? WELL, THIS IS HOW IT WORKS AND I, I MEAN, WARREN CAN QUIT, BUT, UH, THE PERSON CONTINUES TO SERVE UNTIL THE REPLACEMENT IS APPOINTED.
BUT I, I'M HOPING THAT THAT REPLACEMENT ISN'T AN ISSUE.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE END STRATEGY IS TO GET AND TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER BOURGEOIS FOR A LONG TENURED SERVICE BECAUSE HE'S BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION AN AWFULLY LONG TIME AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE HIM.
UH, WE UNDERSTAND
I LIKE Y'ALL, BUT WE LOVE YOU TOO.
BUT WE WANT YOU TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE NOW.
[IX. Next Meeting Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024]
[01:25:01]
DATE IS, UM, OFFICIALLY SCHEDULED FOR MAY 15TH.YOU GOT, UH, NO FLAT TIRES?
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE HAVE A GOOD EASTER.