By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish Council on Tuesday voted to begin the process to oust members of the parish’s maligned housing authority board amid allegations of misdeeds and improprieties.

The vote was split 5-3 in favor of putting the board on notice, which is the legally required method of action prior to voting on whether to remove the five-member board. According to the council’s legal advisors, all members are given the chance to defend themselves in front of the council.

Councilman Raydell Morris, a former housing authority member, spearheaded the call for the council to remove the board. He said the board had been late in preparing and delivering a budget and also alluded to a HUD report that indicated that the agency was dysfunctional. He said the board is jeopardizing future funding in the parish for public housing.

“I represent all four developments in the parish,” Morris said. “People depend on these units for shelter.”

The report reviews housing authority management during a period ending Sept. 30, 2009. Morris said the report detailed a wide range of problems with management.

The council debated at length over what course of action to take. Some were very reluctant to take action because they had not been given access to the report in time for the meeting. Morris was the only member that had acquired a copy.

“It seems as though this report is a secret,” said Councilman Charles Julien to Morris. “We must be honest with each other if we are going to work together on this. It is unfortunate at this time that you are asking us to remove a board without telling us anything.”

Councilwoman Cheryl Millet, who ran the meeting in the absence of Council Chairman Ronnie Smith, said she, too, was reluctant to vote because the council was not given the information to take proper action.

Parish President Natalie Robottom said her office had received a copy of the report but said it was stamped confidential. St. John District Attorney Tom Daley said after the meeting that although it was stamped, contents of the report are still public record.

Morris, Danny Millet, Jaclyn Hotard, Darnel Usry and Steve Lee voted in favor of the measure, while Julien, Cheryl Millet and Haston Lewis voted against it.

In other action from Tuesday, the Council voted unanimously to approve Robottom’s budget proposal for the 2011 year. The budget includes $54.5 million in expenditures and about $52 million in total revenue.