DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / August 30, 2000

LUTCHER – When NelRod Co., based in Fort Worth, Texas, ended itsassociation as independent consultants with the St. James Public HousingAuthority, officials claimed they weren’t wanted there by the housing authority’s management.

R.M. Jackson, executive director for the housing authority, said that wasnever the case.

And Charles Barnett with the Department of Public Housing and Urban Development’s Troubled Agency Recovery Center gave another explanation: “We were informed that the contractors had received a threat against an employee. We advised that they pull out,” said Barnett. NelRod was hired earlier in the year by the Troubled Agency Recovery Center in Memphis, Tenn., to advise the St. James Parish Housing Authorityand help it return from a trouble status rating.

And before the company left, that seemed to be the road the public housing authority was on.

At the July 19 St. James Parish Council meet in Vacherie, Willie Ferguson,a NelRod technical assistant, reported to the council that the housing authority was well on its way to restoring its status with HUD.

Ferguson told the council the housing authority had improved 100 percent and made definite improvements.

But on Aug. 18 NelRod discontinued its dealings with the housingauthority. Bonita Curtis, vice president of Nelrod, called the parishpresident’s office to inform parish officials of their leaving, said President Dale Hymel Jr. Curtis explained only that they were notreceiving cooperation from the housing authority management. Hymelquestioned Curtis as to the details, concerned that she was saying one thing after Ferguson had said the opposite at the prior council meeting.

Curtis wouldn’t give any details, Hymel said, but added she said she would return to give a report to the parish council.

Barnett, unsure of the details of NelRod’s involvement in St. James Parish,had no information on the relationship between the two agencies prior to NelRod leaving the parish.

“We’ll look at their report and decide what the next step will be,” said Barnett.

Jackson said she was surprised when NelRod accused her department of not wanting them there.

“We were doing fine. All the audits were clean and we’re makingconsiderable progress,” said Jackson.

Barbara Holowell, Nelrod’s admissions and occupancy specialist, continually made promises to the residents that the housing authority could not deliver, Jackson said. Holowell promised new appliances whenthe housing authority doesn’t have money budgeted at the time and led residents to believe they could get utilities in their children’s names, a violation of state law.

In opposition of the housing authority’s structured housing lists, Holowell also told residents they could move where ever they wanted, Jackson said.

“She didn’t want us to collect the security deposits and (she wanted us) to forgive rent and not make residents pay if they were overdue. These werethe type of technical suggestions we were receiving,” said Jackson.

With all suggestions made verbally, Jackson requested NelRod put its advisements in writing. “When we requested their directions in writing,they pulled out,” said Jackson.

Nelrod took the residents’ word on everything without first investigating, Jackson claimed. The company also did not correct its mistakes with theresidents, leaving it all up to the housing authority, said Jackson.

“This has destroyed two years of work, but everything we have is on paper,” said Jackson. Continually posting and submitting policies andlease agreements in writing to the St. James Housing Authority residentsand administration, as well as the St. James Council, Jackson is certainshe has done her job properly.

“I’ve done everything possible. One can look at the St. James web site andsee every penny spent by the housing authority,” said Jackson.

At a special meeting of the housing authority board Monday night, boardmember Janet Johnson called for Jackson’s resignation. Jackson wasnot prepared to comment on the meeting, and Johnson could not be reached Tuesday morning for comment.

Nelrod is expected to finish its report for the involved agencies within the next few weeks, said Hymel.

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