LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / March 22, 2000

HAHNVILLE – St. Charles Councilwoman Dee Abadie’s hope to create anadministrative staff agency for the Parish Council died for lack of support Monday.

The District Three councilwoman said the agency could provide council members with information and research necessary to make informed decisions.

Problems developed, however, as opponents saw it as an attempt to get a parish council attorney, independent of the parish attorney.

Council chairman Terry Authement argued the proposal flies in the face of the parish’s home rule charter, and he pointed out that any such agency would still be under the control of the parish president.

The only employee not under the parish president is the council secretary, Authement added.

Since virtually all employees are administration employees by law, that would essentially defeat the purpose creating an agency independent of the parish president, he said.

Abadie claimed, “People have been pushed, coerced and threatened with recall.” She added “friends of the administration” have urged her to dropthe proposal.

Councilman Brian Fabre rebutted, “If you want this, change our charter.”Other opponents were likewise vigorous, as Councilman “Ram” Ramchandran said, “The time to kill it is now, here, today.”Councilman Barry Minnich commented to Abadie, “I think the atmosphere is wrong, and I think you created that atmosphere.”Abadie was supported in her attempt to establish the agency only by Councilman Lance Marino. Council members Clayton “Snookie” Faucheuxand April Black were absent from the vote.

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