ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / August 30, 1999

LAPLACE – After a few technical and legal glitches, the new Board of Commissioners of the St. John Public Housing Authority was sworn inThursday evening in the Parish Council chambers.

The four new commissioners, plus Sheila Morris, the only commissioner from the old board, are taking over the reins of a Housing Authority that is in disarray and is the subject of scandal.

In attendance for the swearing-in ceremony were friends of the commissioners, Parish President Arnold Labat, and parish councilmen Perry Bailey, Dale Wolfe and Clinton Perrilloux.

The new commissioners are Stella Barnes, a mother of four children and public housing tenant at Edgard Oaks; the Rev. Alexander White Sr., head ofthe New Life Missionary Baptist Church in LaPlace; Pedro Francisco, local businessman, and Thomas “Lucky” Stayton, retired Shell Chemical Co.

supervisor.

Conspicuously absent from the first meeting of the new board was the Housing Authority attorney William O’Regan and Ester. O’Regan wassupposed to swear in the new board members, and the ceremony was delayed until Willard showed up and agreed to handle the swearing in ceremony.

Morris was slightly perturbed at O’Regan’s absence.

“He should be here,” she said, “even if it is to disagree with us.”O’Regan did send a letter to the board stating that he could not swear them in because of various state statutes, but Willard was puzzled by this because according to him, everything was legal.

New commissioner Stayton said, “I am very upset that Ms. Ester is nothere and also Mr. O’Regan, who happens to be my neighbor.”After a brief recess, in which Willard wrote up the oath, the new commissioners were duly sworn in.

Right afterward, Stayton moved that a meeting be called as soon as possible where Ester and O’Regan would be present so that the board could start on new business. The motion was passed unanimously.Asked what he would like to accomplish as a housing commissioner, Stayton said, “To supply the public housing tenants with a clean and safe place to live.”Barnes said she “would like to make life more comfortable in the projects.

Just because you live in the projects doesn’t mean life has to be bad.”Francisco wanted, “to make sure all necessary repairs were taken care of.”Rev. White said, “I have to take make some observations first before Iknow what can be done.”All the new commissioners will be serving what was left of the commissioners that were dismissed, except for Morris, who will be serving the full five-year term. Stayton will serve the next longest termuntil August 18, 2003.

Because of her experience, Labat appointed Morris chairperson of the body for the present time.

However, the legal and operational difficulties are far from over, now that a new Board of Commissioners is in place.

It all started last May when disgusted public housing tenants sent a letter of complaint along with a video tape to the New Orleans Office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The tape showed publichousing units in need of major repair, and tenants claimed the housing authority was not fixing their units.

HUD investigated and presented its findings to Labat and the Parish Council. Partially to blame for the maintenance problems, said the HUDreport, was the interference of the board of commissioners in the day-to- day operations of the executive director, Patrena Ester.

Not satisfied with this conclusion, the council hired attorney Walter Willard and began its own investigation. Labat then fired the board ofcommissioners and appeals hearing for the dismissed commissioners began.

During these hearing, a picture of a dysfunctional board became clear.

None of the commissioners, except for Morris, were reinstated. On thesecond night of hearings, Ester was called to testify, however her lawyer, Robert Barnett, said Ester was a state employee and was not required to answer any questions about parish business. Ester refused to answer anyquestions.

The council then turned the investigation over the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, the state Attorney General and the Inspector General of HUD.

A day later, Labat fired Ester and appointed Assistant Executive Director Clara Lewis as interim director. At Tuesday night’s Parish Councilmeeting, Labat announced his appointments to the new board of commissioners, and Thursday they were sworn in.

This week, HUD informed Labat that in fact Ester was still director and he didn’t have the right to fire her.

In a letter dated Aug. 25, HUD told Labat, “Be advised that the Departmentof HUD does not recognize this action as valid. There is no authority be itstate or federal law for the chief local official to assume roles and responsibilities of the Housing Authority or its governing body.”In fact, at Thursday’s meeting, Morris informed the new board that HUD has reinstated Ester as executive director. Morris said HUD cannot do this,because according to Housing Authority regulations, only the board of commissioners can hire and fire the executive director.

But until the legal ramifications are worked out, Ester is still employed as executive director. It was also disclosed that Ester is working withouta contract because her old contract expired in December 1998.

Labat’s reaction to the HUD letter was one of irritation.

“If HUD feels that way, then let them come down here and run the housing authority,” he said.

HUD has done just that. Until Ester returns to work, Shelly Warren of theNew Orleans office of HUD is running the St. John Public HousingAuthority.

Barnett has said that litigation against the parish is a sure thing.

“Mr. Labat is wrong,” Barnett said. “He has no authority to fire Ms. Ester.”When asked what Ester plans to do, Barnett was evasive.

“We plan to do something,” he said. “We have several irons in the fire, butMs. Ester is not in a rush, she has all the time in the world.”There will also be some hard feelings between the Parish Council and Labat. Not one of his appointees to the board were nominees of the council. When Labat told the council of his choices, he hadn’t even picked Morris because HUD told him they wouldn’t accept her.

Councilman Wolfe reacted angrily to this.

“HUD can’t tell us what to do,” he shouted. “Go tell HUD to take a flyingyou-know-what.”In the end, Labat relented to the council’s wishes and put Morris on the board.

Morris said she plans to update the housing policies and lease agreements during her term as commissioner.

“We have to have leases and policies that reflect modern times,” she said.

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