ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / May 13, 2000

LAPLACE – Following the advice of Councilman Dale Wolfe, the St. John theBaptist Parish Council voted to let Parish President Nickie Monica fire Sheila Morris, chairperson of the St. John Parish Housing Authority Board ofCommissioners.

The firing was prompted by a letter from HUD sent to Monica last week. Inthe letter, director of the New Orleans office of HUD Chester Drozdowski said the St. John Parish Housing Authority was not making any progress, andhe threatened to cut federal funding to public housing in St. John Parish ifthe board of commissioners was not fired.

Citing various complaints that the present housing authority administration had not filed the correct reports and audits, Drozdowski also said he had reports that Thomas Gholson, the new executive director of the housing authority, was letting families back into public housing after they had been evicted. Drozdowski said this went against federal policy.Wolfe first asked requested the entire board be fired. He didn’t have muchpraise for Gholson, either.

“Mr. Gholson has a big job,” Wolfe said. “But I don’t see much progress beingmade.”Gholson was hired as executive director in February after the former executive director, Patrena Ester, was fired by then-Parish President Arnold Labat in September 1999. Her firing was a result of HUD dissatisfaction withthe way the housing authority was being managed. Labat also dismissed theBoard of Commissioners, including Morris, then reappointed Morris and named four new board members. Morris was named board chairperson.The new board hired Gholson as a consultant in October then made him executive director in February.

In the letter to Monica, Drozdowski expressed his displeasure that Morris was still on the board of commissioners. Back in September he had recommendedthe entire board be dismissed and no one from the old board be reappointed.

Gholson addressed the council and said HUD’s charges were groundless.

“When I first appeared before you four months ago,” Gholson said, “I told you that the records of the housing authority were in such disarray that I couldn’t hand in the reports and audits in a timely fashion. I still have notbeen able to find most of the financial records.”According to Gholson, the former executive director had taken all the records and had even purged all the computers in the housing authority office.

Gholson said HUD has not offered any assistance at all to him. They said theywould offer technical assistance and training for the new board members, but five months later that assistance and training has not been forthcoming.

“An adversarial atmosphere between HUD and the housing authority exists and I don’t know why,” said Gholson. “They continue to harbor ill feelingsbecause the former parish president did not follow their orders.”He denied that he was disobeying the one-strike-and-you’re-out rule on evictions. He told the council that since he was hired he has not evictedanyone. He said the only people he has let back into public housing arefamilies evicted for not paying their rent on time, but he has not let anyone back in who was evicted for crime or drugs.

“Terminating the board is not an option,” said Gholson. “They never talked tothe board or gave them a chance to answer. There was no due process.”Morris told the council she had not seen the letter until that afternoon and wanted to know why she had not been allowed to see the letter. Like Gholson,Morris said the board was working with a handicap because of missing records. She said no former resident on the Bar List had ever been let backinto public housing. She blamed HUD for most of the problems.”The technical advisors are aware of what is going on,” Morris said. “But HUDrefuses to come in and train us. We are doing the best that we can. We feelthat we are working for the betterment of housing. We are doing the best wecan.”However, Wolfe was not convinced by Morris’ words.

“I have the evidence, the documentation that shows the board doesn’t know what is going on,” said Wolfe. “I was misled and misguided by the board, and Iwill not have people painting a pretty picture about the housing authority and the board as if they were so great.”Several residents complained to the council that drugs are running rampant in the housing projects. But Morris said a recent report by Chief Sheriff’sDeputy Harold Kliebert showed that crime had decreased within public housing.

Wolfe countered and said, “I don’t see patrols in the projects anymore.”He then moved that the council vote to remove Morris and hold an appeals hearing.

“I’ve spoken to many, many residents, and they feel the same,” said Wolfe.

“I’ve spoken to the board and they feel the same.”One board member who asked not to be identified said the board was not given important information by Morris and she was keeping them in the dark.

The board member also felt the housing authority is not being run in a business-like manner, and they are not paying attention to where the money was going.

Councilman Lester Rainey told the council that he, Monica, Drozdowski and Council Chairman Duaine Duffy did have a meeting along with the attorney- general for HUD.

In that meeting, Rainey said, “Drozdowski emphatically told us that Morris be removed.”Rainey reminded the council that HUD is the governing authority in this matter and dispenses the funds.

“Let us please follow HUD’s recommendation this time,” Rainey said. “Mr.Drozdowski said that a problem is still there and that is Sheila Morris.”Duffy echoed Rainey, “They were emphatic about that. I’m going to followtheir lead.”By law, Monica is the only one that can fire Morris, and Cleveland Farlough asked Monica what he would recommend to the council.

“I will do it with the approval of the council,” responded Monica.

Job Boucvalt and Allen St. Pierre wanted to see more documentation beforethey would make a decision. Wolfe said he had the documentation.St. Pierre said, “If you have the documentation, bring it forward.”Wolfe responded, “I move we remove Sheila Morris.”Boucvalt said he wouldn’t vote until he saw more documentation.

Wolfe said, “You will have 30 days to see the information. You will have ampletime to see both sides of the story.”The vote was 7-1 to have Monica fire Morris. Boucvalt voted against themotion, and Steve Lee was absent.

After Monica fires Morris, the council will have a hearing in which Morris can appeal her dismissal.

Monica said he would follow the council’s endorsement and “remove Sheila Morris from the Board of Commissioners as soon as possible.” He did not say who would replace Morris on the board.

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