Sep 16, 2026 Ethics & Compliance Commission meeting

LUCK.

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[I. Call Commission meeting to order ]

IT'S 5:00 PM AND THEN WE'RE CONVENING THE JEFFERSON PARISH ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE COMMISSION.

WE'RE AT THE EAST BANK CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.

UH, BEFORE WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MR. HUDSON TO THE BOARD.

UH, HE'S A NEW MEMBER.

THANK YOU.

WELCOME TO BOARD MR. HUDSON.

UH, TONIGHT LOOKS LIKE A LIVE CROWD.

AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

IT'S A GOOD THING.

I LIKE THAT.

ALRIGHT, UH, ROLL CALL PLEASE.

FRANK YOUNG.

HERE.

HERE.

HERE.

BILLY GIBBONS? HERE.

JIM HUDSON.

HERE.

JOEL MCCLELLAN.

ABSENT WE HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU.

UH, REVIEW AND APPROVAL

[III. Review and approval of Minutes from the August 26, 2026 meeting ]

UH, WE WERE ALL EMAILED THOSE.

UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS RECEIVED? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS RECEIVED.

I SECOND.

MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU.

UH, PUBLIC COMMENT

[IV. Public Comment (Each speaker will be allowed a total time limit of two [2] minutes) ]

THAT'S KIND OF ODD.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE J-P-E-C-C HEARING? NONE.

THANK YOU.

UH, AND JERRY,

[V. Discussion regarding Loyola University Ethics & Compliance Commissioner submission ]

WE CURRENTLY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM LOYOLA THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE PARISH PRESIDENT WITH TWO NAMES.

TYPICALLY IT REQUIRES THREE NAMES, BUT WE'RE HAPPY THAT NAMES WERE SUBMITTED.

THAT'S, UH, PROFESSOR ALBERT DUPONT, WHO'S AN INSTRUCTOR OF MASS COMMUNICATIONS AT LOYOLA.

AND BRIAN C ROOTER AT STANLEY ROOTER, WHO IS, UH, AN ATTORNEY OF A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THEY, THAT FIRM CONCENTRATES A, A GREAT DEAL IN ETHICS WORK.

SO THEY WILL BE, UH, EITHER ONE WILL BE A GREAT ADDITION.

I ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL PROBABLY GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON THE 30TH MEETING.

SO I'M HOPING AT OUR NEXT MEETING IN NOVEMBER, WE WILL HAVE A FULL CONTINGENT OF COMMISSION MEMBERS.

GOOD.

THANK YOU.

UH, MADAM INSPECTOR GENERAL,

[VI. Presentation and discussion of Inspector General Report and public discussion of any recently published reports, open letters, data, and statistics by the Office of Inspector General ]

UM, EXCELLENT.

SO, UM, YOU EACH HAVE, UM, MY BIMONTHLY REPORT, WHICH WAS POSTED TO OUR WEBSITE JUST TO HIT A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, BEGINNING WITH OUR WEBSITE.

UM, WE HAVE MADE OUR FINAL APPROVALS, UM, AND CIVIC PLUS IS CURRENTLY MIGRATING OUR CONTENT FROM OUR PREVIOUS WEBSITE ONTO OUR NEW WEBSITE.

UM, AND I THINK WE MIGHT HIT A GO LIVE OF ABOUT NOVEMBER.

SO WE MIGHT HAVE A NEW WEBSITE, UH, CLOSE TO THE END OF THE YEAR.

WE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT FOR A DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OVER AUDIT, UM, AND WE'RE PURSUING ALL OPTIONS AVAILABLE.

IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO APPLY FOR THE JOB OF DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OVER AUDIT, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY.

UM, IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE, UH, WE, UH, HAVE PUBLISHED OUR ANNUAL WORK PLAN, UH, WHICH I WILL WALK YOU THROUGH.

AND THEN FINALLY, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, I ATTENDED THE WAGON AND CIVIC ASSOCIATION.

UM, BASICALLY SAID HELLO TO EVERYBODY.

THEY ALWAYS GIVE ME ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO GIVE ANY UPDATES OF REPORTS THAT WE RECENTLY PUBLISHED.

SO I'LL LET THEM KNOW WHAT CAME OUT.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THE PELICAN DERM CLUB, UM, AND JUST COVERED AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE OFFICE DOES AND AGAIN, ANY RECENT PUBLISHED REPORTS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE.

SO IF YOU HAVE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, I'LL KICK OFF, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON THE ANNUAL WORK PLAN.

THANKS.

UM, AND QUESTIONS? ANYONE ON? OKAY, MONICA.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

UM, SO BY SEPTEMBER 1ST OF EVERY YEAR, WE ARE OBLIGED TO, UH, REPORT THE ANNUAL WORK PLAN.

UM, AS A MATTER OF ORDINANCE, OUR WORK MUST BE, QUOTE, RISK BASED, NOT NECESSARILY A FORMAL RISK ASSESSMENT, BUT A RISK BASED.

SO WE DEFINITELY DO ENGAGE IN A RISK ASSESSMENT AND THE WORK THAT WE PLAN IS BASED ON IDENTIFIED RISKS.

UM, WE BEGIN THAT PROCESS IN ABOUT JUNE OR JULY.

WE CONCLUDED ABOUT MIDGUT IN TIME TO PUBLISH THIS REPORT.

UM, IN TERMS OF A PROCESS OVERVIEW, WE BEGIN BY UNDERSTANDING THE RISK UNIVERSE.

UM, WE'LL DO RESEARCH, WE'LL DEVELOP SOME RISK ASSESSMENT CRITERIA, WE'LL ASSESS AND THEN WE'LL PRIORITIZE HIGH RISK AREAS AND DEVELOP OUR PROJECTS AROUND THAT.

UM, FOR US, I HAVE TO NOTE, UM, I BELIEVE, LET'S SEE, WE WILL HAVE OUR 2025 FINANCIALS FILED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE PARISH WILL, SO WE CONSIDER THE FINANCIALS,

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UM, AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT THE BUDGET BOOK.

SO AS MUCH FINANCIAL INFORMATION AS WE CAN GET, UM, WE WILL CONSIDER THAT.

UM, THE SECOND STEP IN THE RISK ASSESSMENT IS RESEARCH.

KIND OF YEAR OVER YEAR SINCE MY APPOINTMENT, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DIVERSIFY AND SPAN WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.

UM, IN ADDITION TO REVIEWING FINANCIALS, UM, AND REVIEWING OPEN SOURCE, WE INTERVIEWED MORE THAN 20 INDIVIDUALS.

UM, BEGINNING WITH ME, I TRIED TO GET TO EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.

SO WE'LL REACH OUT TO PEOPLE WHO DO BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT TO GET THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THEY'RE EXPERIENCING GOVERNMENT.

AND THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE ISSUED A SURVEY TO 86 EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING DIRECTORS, ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS, UM, TO HEAR SOME THOUGHTS BACK FROM INSIDE, UM, ANY OPERATIONAL OR ORGANIZATIONAL RISKS.

AND WE COMPILED ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, AS WELL AS ANY INTERNAL INTEL THAT WE IDENTIFY BY WAY OF TIPS AND COMPLAINTS.

HAVE WE GOTTEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT ONE DEPARTMENT, UM, RISK CRITERIA.

WE WILL DEVELOP A CRITERIA BASED AROUND THESE CATEGORIES.

UH, CORRUPTION RISK, UM, CASH MISAPPROPRIATION, FRAUDULENT DISBURSEMENTS, MISUSE AND THEFT.

SOME OF THESE, UH, WE STEAL ACTUALLY FROM THE A CFE.

SO THESE CRITERIA THAT'S OUT THERE.

UM, AND THEN WE DEVELOP COMPLIANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT, RISK PROCUREMENT, RISK, TECHNOLOGY RISK, UM, AND PROCESS RISK BASED ON OUR RISK ASSESSMENT RESULTS.

UM, THESE WERE THE HIGH RISK AREAS, UH, THAT WE IDENTIFIED THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, THE PARISH MIGRATED FROM THEIR LEGACY SYSTEM OF AS 400, WHICH I THINK HAD BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, OVER TO A NEW SYSTEM POWERED BY N FOUR.

UM, THAT MIGRATION HAPPENED MID-YEAR.

IT DID NOT HAPPEN AT THE END OF A FINANCIAL YEAR.

SO IN TERMS OF LIKE HOW THE AUDIT IS GOING TO BE HANDLED, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS A RISK.

UM, WE STILL HAVE, UM, OPERATIONAL AND SUPERVISION, UM, I WOULD SAY INSTABILITY IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

UM, THEY RECENTLY HIRED AN ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR BUT WAS WITHOUT AN ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.

SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF HIGH TURNOVER THERE.

UM, AND THEY'RE STILL RELYING UPON DELOITTE TWO.

SO NOT SURPRISING FINANCE DEPARTMENT ENDED UP IN A HIGH RISK.

UM, EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN, UM, WITHIN OUR TOP FIVE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

WE'VE ISSUED SEVERAL REPORTS, BUT WE HAVE YET MORE WORK TO DO.

UM, WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ONGOING, UM, THE SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT.

AND THEN AFTER THAT WE HAVE PLANNED, UH, TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER OR NOT FIREFIGHTERS TIME AND ATTENDANCE IS ACTUALLY BEING RECORDED AND THAT THEY'RE PAID FOR TIME WORKED RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE PAID FOR TIME SCHEDULED.

UM, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW THEY HANDLE PAYROLL THERE.

UM, FOR ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND TURNS ON THE NEWS, UH, WE HAVE WATER, UM, AS OUR IDENTIFIED HIGH RISK AREA.

I AM NOT CERTAIN HOW WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE THIS BECAUSE IT COULD BE TACKLED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IT WAS AN OBVIOUS RISK AREA THAT WE HAD TO PUT ON THE, ON THE FOREFRONT.

UM, RECREATION CONTINUES TO, TO COME UP FOR VARIOUS REASONS AND WE CERTAINLY DO GET A LOT OF TIPS REGARDING RECREATION.

AND THEN FINALLY, PARISH COUNCIL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS.

UM, THIS IS BASICALLY THE MONEY THAT THE COUNCIL RECEIVES AND CAN SPEND AT THEIR DISCRETION.

SO THAT CAN BE A FEW DIFFERENT AREAS AND A FEW DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

THERE REALLY ARE NO PARAMETERS, UM, OTHER THAN MINIMAL LEGAL PARAMETERS FOR HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE SPENT.

UM, SO THAT MADE OUR RISK ASSESSMENT.

OOPS.

SO AUDIT PROJECTS.

WE HAVE ONGOING RIGHT NOW, HOSPITAL SERVICE DISTRICT ONE.

WE PREVIOUSLY DID AN AUDIT OF WEST JEFF HOSPITAL.

WE, UM, HAVE OPEN AND IT'S PROBABLY NEARLY FINISHED.

I JUST NEED TO PUT EYES ON IT.

HOW WAS THE LEASE MONEY SPENT? SO THAT'S LIKE PART TWO OF THAT.

UM, WE HAVE OPENED AN AUDIT OF JEFFERSON FACILITIES INC.

AND JEFFERSON REDEVELOPMENT INC.

UM, THESE ARE AUDITS LOOKING, UM, ACROSS THE ENTITIES FROM THEIR EXCEPTION TO TODAY.

THE REVENUE THAT WAS GENERATED SPECIFICALLY BY JEFFERSON FACILITIES INC.

WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO PAY THE BOND DEBT, WHICH DID NOT.

THE PARISH HAS BEEN PAYING THE BOND DEBT.

SO WE'RE

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UM, OUR PLANNED AUDITS FOR 2027 ARE GOING TO BE AROUND PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING.

AND THEN I'VE ALREADY LET YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT.

I'LL INTERRUPT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

UM, OUR ONGOING EVALUATIONS, UM, I MENTIONED EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE.

WE HAVE ACTIVE RIGHT NOW THE SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE ACTIVE JEFFERSON FACILITIES, THE FIVE 19 QEP LONG.

SO THAT IS A PARTICULAR REVIEW OF A TRANSACTION, UM, FOR THE RENOVATION AND LEASE OF THE HISTORIC PROPERTY AT FIVE 19 QEP LONG THAT WAS CONVERTED, UM, INTO SHARED WORKING SPACE.

UM, AND THEN REVIEW OF PARISH CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, PROCESS SPECIFICALLY, UM, THE CAPITAL PROJECT MONEY THAT WAS SOLICITED FOR THE MULTI-USE DEVELOPMENT AND PARKING GARAGE.

UM, SO THOSE ARE ONGOING.

OUR PLANNED, UM, WE WILL LOOK INTO COUNCIL, UH, DISCRETIONARY SPENDING TO SEE IF IT'S IN COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS.

UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, UM, PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS, UM, THAT HAVE COME ONLINE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT.

I DON'T, AGAIN, KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE SCOPE OR OBJECTIVE'S GOING TO BE.

THAT'LL BE SOMETHING WE DECIDE LATER.

UM, AND WE DID IDENTIFY PARISH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES KIND OF AS AN OUTCROP.

UM, AN EXTENSION OF OUR EXPERIENCE, NOT ONLY IN THE PERMITTING DEPARTMENT, BUT AS WELL AS THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT THAT WE DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION OF PRACTICES MINIMALLY AND ESTABLISHED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES PER DEPARTMENT.

SO, UM, WE HAVE THAT ON THE HORIZON TO LOOK AT.

AND THEN FINALLY, UH, ONCE OUR WEBSITE IS UP AND RUNNING, WE WOULD LIKE TO LAUNCH A TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE WHERE WE MAKE PUBLIC HOW COUNCIL DISCRETIONARY FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT.

UM, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, IT, YOU KNOW, THOSE FUNDS USED TO BE JUST TOURISM AND THEN KIND OF BEGINNING WITH BP.

THAT WAS A BIG POT OF MANY.

AND THEN THERE WAS THE COVID I THINK WAS THE NEXT BIG POT OF MONEY.

SO WE'VE HAD A FEW BIG INFUSIONS INTO THESE, UH, DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.

IT'S NOT JUST, UH, REVENUE FROM GAMING AND TOURISM.

MR. HUDSON, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WERE ASKING A QUESTION.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

THANK YOU .

ANY QUESTIONS? MY GOAL IS EFFICIENCY TONIGHT.

.

ANY QUESTIONS, LADIES, GENTLEMEN? NO THANKS.

I WOULD JUST ASK ABOUT THE, SO WE HAVE ANY OTHER BIG POTS OF MONEY? NO, NO.

THE, THE ARPA FUNDS WERE THE LAST BIG INFUSION.

SO HONESTLY, THE INFUSIONS COME AS A RESULT OF BAD THINGS HAPPENING EITHER, UM, NATIONALLY OR VIA HURRICANES OR OIL SPILLS.

SO KNOCK ON WOOD THAT WE DON'T GET ANYMORE MASSIVE INFUSIONS.

THANK YOU.

NO QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, ONTO NEW

[VII. New Business ]

DO WE HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS TONIGHT, JERRY? I DON'T THINK WE DO.

WE DON'T.

UH, AS YOU KNOW, THERE IS, UM, COMPETING MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE JEFFERSON PARISH AND THE BREW PUB THAT'S, I BELIEVE SET FOR, UH, SEPTEMBER 28TH.

SO AT THE NEXT MEETING, HOPEFULLY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL CAN REPORT ON HOW THE OUTCOME OF THAT LITIGATION WENT.

BUT WE HAVE NOTHING BUT THE MEMOS THAT'S BEEN FILED TO DATE.

THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.

AND SPEAKING OF

[VIII. Next Meeting Date: November 17, 2026 ]

DO I HAVE A HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? OOH, SECOND .

THANK YOU.

UH, THIS ADJOURNS THE MEETING.

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING.

THANK YOU.