By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / March 17, 1999

LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Council on Tuesday sustained ParishPresident Arnold Labat’s veto of a resolution calling for a statewide search for a new recreation director.

The action leaves the parish’s recreation program in a precarious limbo over administration of that program.

“I’d just as soon let it go, maintain the parks and start fresh next year,” Labat told the council.

Another Labat veto, dealing with an engineering contract with Shread- Kuyrkendall to do in-kind services for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,was tabled by motion of Councilman Nickie Monica.

Labat vetoed the resolutions which came from the council’s Feb. 23meeting. The recreation resolution called for the new director to take thejob in January 2000.

At that same meeting, Labat nominated Sgt. Ronnie Smith of the St. JohnSheriff’s Office for the job, but he council took no action on Labat’s suggestion and instead passed the resolution calling for a job search.

The program has been struggling since the firing of Louis Lipps last September for budget overrides. The later appointment on Jan. 25 of LionelWashington lasted less than two weeks before Washington accepted an assistant coaching job with the Green Bay Packers.

Councilman Steve Thornton said he could support going outside the parish for a new recreation director, again insisted against simply hiring “another jock,” and noted the School Board is likewise searching outside the school system for its next superintendent.

However, Thornton added, “I still must insist on advertising the position.”Thornton, in squaring off against Labat, commented, “I don’t see what’s the hesitancy” in opening the position up to the public, rather than Labat conducting his own search.

Labat pointed out, as he did in his veto message, that it was his responsibility, as dictated by the home rule charter, to select a nominee and offer him to the council for confirmation. The charter states nothingas to how he is to come up with nominees.

Labat added, as to Smith, “The man has worked heart and soul for recreation. I’ve worked with this man, I’m satisfied with him – that’s whyI recommended him.”Councilman “Rock” Perrilloux agreed with Labat “100 percent,” and added, “We need a director this summer.”On the other hand, Perrilloux urged Labat that since the council doesn’t want to confirm Smith, he should consider other candidates.

Councilman Perry Bailey chimed in, saying there is no need to go outside the parish for likely candidates for a job which could end by January.

Councilman Duaine Duffy said, “I don’t see the harm in doing it in-parish, but also, there was no need to veto.”On the vote to sustain Labat’s veto of the outside job candidate search, the council approved Labat’s position with only Monica, Duffy and Thornton voting in opposition. Councilmen Ranney Wilson and Joel McTopy wereabsent.

Following the Feb. 23 meeting, Labat had also vetoed a resolution whichcalled for engineering firm Shread-Kuyrkendall to use surveying work for the parish’s master drainage plant as in-kind work for the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers.

Discussion and vote on that veto was tabled by Monica until the March 23 meeting.

This surveying work, if approved by the Corps, might have the effect of trimming back the amount of matching funds required from the parish for the east bank hurricane protection levee.

Cost of the surveying work would not exceed $160,000, according to the contract.

Labat vetoed the resolution because the hurricane’s alignment has not yet been decided upon, so surveying work would be premature.

“Without knowing the alignment, it is impractical for the parish to enter into a contract for this work,” Labat’s veto message stated.

He also noted there was no prior approval from the Corps for such in-kind work and finally, he felt the contract should be offered up for competitive bids.

In other business, Warren Pierre was appointed interim Justice of the Peace in District 1, following the resignation of Ellis Hall. Under statelaw, Pierre is banned from running for re-election next time.

Also, Stan Orillion of the Garyville Timbermill Museum asked the parish for help in saving the struggling museum. He and other members of themuseum’s board met with Labat on Wednesday.

Orillion said afterward what came out of the meeting is that the St. JohnParish Library may buy one acre of the museum’s 8-acre site for their new Garyville library branch.

The infusion of cash to the museum’s coffers would help pay off the museum’s $40,000 debt and help enable efforts to restore and reopen the facility.

“It would be great for the library and the community and certainly help us,” Orillion added. The library board still must agree to the purchase andis due to meet March 23 to consider the proposal.

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