By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — The St. John the Baptist Parish Council unanimously voted Tuesday to overturn Parish President Natalie Robottom’s Monday veto of a resolution enforcing a hiring freeze on all new parish employees.

Robottom vetoed the resolution, which was passed Jan. 30 at a special Council meeting in light of an announcement Robottom made naming a special assistant to the Utilities Department.

“In reality, the practical effect of this action by the Council is simply to limit broadly the executive authority of the parish president to administer, direct and supervise parish departments,” Robottom wrote in her veto of the resolution.

The Council had two options Tuesday — to let the veto stand or attempt to overturn it, which required a two-thirds vote of the total Council.

The Council, minus absent member Cheryl Millet, unanimously voted to overturn the veto.

According to parish records, Monday’s veto is the third enacted by Robottom. The first two came in May and June 2010 and were in relation to renewing and extending janitorial and grass contracts. In those cases, both vetoes were upheld.

Robottom and Council members have cited the source of contention in the hiring freeze resolution as the January appointments of Blake Fogleman and Laverne Saulny.

Robottom named Fogleman and Saulny as special assistants, which do not require Council approval.

The Council called a special meeting to pass the resolution, which was drafted to enforce an immediate hiring freeze on new parish employees, “specifically to restrict the hiring of employees to newly created employment positions without Council authorization,” the resolution states.

Fogleman was named as special assistant to the parish president, “assigned as director of utilities to replace Virgil Rayneri,” a press release stated, and Saulny was assigned as special assistant to the parish president assigned to the Department of Economic Development.

According to the parish’s Home Rule Charter, the resolution — which will not go into effect until five days after it’s published in L’OBSERVATEUR, the parish’s legal journal — is not retroactive, meaning the appointment of Fogleman and Saulny will stand.

The Council emphatically tabled Fogleman’s hiring decision at the Jan. 13 meeting when Robottom recommended his appointment to take over as director of utilities.

The appointment again appeared on the agenda at the Council’s Jan. 27 meeting, but failed to garner a Council member’s motion to take it off the table for discussion.

Earlier in January, Robottom announced the appointment of Saulny as special assistant to the parish president assigned to economic development.

“Saulny will serve as acting director in the absence of (Director) Torri Buckles, who is on extended medical leave,” a press release stated.

Last week Robottom said the current D.A.’s position — that the parish president did not have the authority to hire special assistants to serve as directors, and neither the Home Rule Charter nor Code of Ordinances provides for the position of acting director — does not conflict with previous Attorney General opinions, however, “it attempts to define the types of duties allowable for special assistants in the absence of a confirmed director or one on medical leave.”

Robottom said those issues are not clearly addressed in the Home Rule Charter, and she wanted to make clear “both the Economic Development Department and the Utilities Department are still headed by confirmed directors, thus neither special assistant was appointed as the director of the respective department.”

Buckles was confirmed by the Council, Robottom said, but is on extended sick leave, and Saulny accepted a special assistant appointment Dec. 22 and was assigned to economic development.

Saulny began the position Jan. 5, Robottom said, and is tasked with certain duties defined and delegated by the parish president, including but not limited to duties related to economic development. Robottom said Saulny’s appointment will last until Buckles returns.

Robottom said Rayneri was also confirmed by the Council and is anticipating retirement, and Fogleman is tasked with certain duties defined and delegated by the parish president, including but not limited to duties related to the Utilities Department. 

“Due to the Emergency Order and recommended reorganization, (Rayneri) is being assisted by third party consultants, Water and Waste Water Managers and the Public Safety Director,” Robottom said. “The term of the appointment (for Fogleman) is through the parish president’s term in office.”

Robottom said the history of special assistants serving in the absence of directors due to vacancies or the inability of the confirmed director to fulfill the duties of the position includes a 2007-2008 and 2008-2010 vacancy in Public Works, 2007 and 2008-2010 vacancies in Planning and Zoning, 2009-2010, 2010 and 2015 vacancies in Economic Development and the 2015 Utilities vacancy.

“Currently, discussion continues regarding options for fulfilling the responsibilities of a department in the absence of a director while maintaining the integrity of the Charter, but at this time neither appointees have been tasked with the full responsibility of the department head,” Robottom said.