By MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 3, 1999

LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Recreation Advisory Board cleared some ofthe air between itself and the parish administration at its monthly meeting at the Percy Hebert Building Monday night.

The board has long complained that its advice and suggestions have long been ignored in regards to recreation, and board members have threatened to resign en masse if improvements were not made.

The latest controversy came with the recent nominations of a new parish recreation director without the board being consulted for its advice.

Parish President Arnold Labat recommended Sgt. Ronnie Smith of the St.John Parish Sheriff’s Office as the new director at the Parish Council meeting last week, but the council refused to confirm the appointment.

Advisory board member Russ Wise made a report at that meeting, giving the board’s recommendation that Debra Poche, who has been involved with parish recreation for over 20 years, be appointed interim program coordinator and that a national search be made for a full-time director.

Wise also gave his opinion that the position of recreation director be made a civil service job in order to take some of the politics out of the position.

The council voted against Poche but agreed to conduct a search for a director.

“I think I reflected this board when I said we were fed up being in an advisory capacity and not having our recommendations take fruit,” Wise said.

Advisory board president Phil Helm said he saw the pros and cons of making the position a civil service one. He said he wants to make the jobas apolitical as possible, but at the same time if it was made a civil service position it would make it harder to replace the director if duties are neglected.

Helm said he had also been getting phone calls saying Labat had already hired Smith. He said if that was true, that legal counsel should beconsulted to see if violations had been made. Labat said it was suggestedto him by the council that Smith be hired as a consultant and assist him in running the department on a day to day basis.

Helm asked Labat what authority Smith had over Poche, who was recently reinstated to her position by the civil service board. Labat said Smith’sauthority was what he told him to do. When asked if that included hiringand firing employees, Labat emphatically said no.

“Only one person has the authority to hire and fire and that is Arnold Labat right now,” Labat said.

Labat said he wanted the board to understand that the charter said it is to report to him, not the council. Board members replied that they report tohim through the minutes of their meetings and that he has attended few of their meetings in the past.

Helm also said he has been getting phone calls from people involved with the parish Biddy Basketball program, of which Smith is a coordinator, saying the appointment of Smith as director would be a mistake. Whenasked why the council refused to confirm Smith’s appointment, Labat said the council did not want to appoint someone for 10 months. Council andparish president elections will be held later this year.

Board member Lionel Tamplain said it is time the board and administration start working together. Wise agreed, saying that the board,the council and the administration all have the same basic objective, they just can’t get a line to how to reach it.

“We get along good among ourselves,” Tamplain said. “We just have notbeen able to communicate with the council and president.”At the end of the meeting, Wise said he felt the had accomplished a lot at the meeting.

“I feel we have cleaned the air a bit,” Wise said. “We are closer to beingtogether than we have been in a long time.”In other business, Helm said he was looking to give up the position as the board’s president after serving six years in that capacity. He said hewould like to see the board think about electing a new president at its next meeting, but that if it is not filled, he would stay on.

“It has been great being president and serving you,” Helm said. “I am proudof every one of you. You have worked hard. But it is time for a change.”Board member Danny Rome commended the job Helm has done.

“Phil gave 150 percent for everything he did for the kids of the parish,” Rome said.

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