By Paige Gurgainers
In an intergovernmental meeting convened by the Webster Parish Police Jury (WPPJ) on Tuesday, May 7, discussion between board members and President Jim Bonsall commenced where it was decided the jury would amend Ordinance 688.
Ordinance 688 establishes the function, membership, executive director and authority of the Office of Community Services (OOCS). It stated, “The Webster Parish Police Jury delegates to the Webster Parish Office of Community Services all powers and authority to operate a community services program in Webster Parish.”
Bonsall said, “This amendment really defines the relationship between the OOCS and the WPPJ. They do some things on their own, we do some things. They do a lot of things that we don’t know they do. They do stuff over there every day that we are responsible for that we don’t even know they do.”
According to Bonsall this amendment would relieve the jury of liability but still allow the OOCS to continue doing business as usual.
Webster Parish Attorney Patrick Jackson agreed.
“For the last several decades this organization has been treated as a hybrid element of government,” Jackson said. “For audit purposes, it has its own audit and tax I.D. number. For at least the last 7 to 8 years we have had some significant legal issues that occurred that we found out about after the fact. As your lawyer it is very difficult to deal with significant events when you have no knowledge of them on the front end.”
The OOCS offers several programs to the community including transportation, HeadStart services, Section 8 housing, family daycare, low-income energy assistance and food services.
“These are very worthwhile and necessary things. They are spending a great number of dollars in the community, but this body is responsible for what they do,” said Bonsall.
This amendment would allow them to continue offering their programs but would ultimately give their board the responsibility and authority to manage their affairs and would remove the jury from accountability.
This discussion continued during the regular jury meeting, and it was voted unanimously to be adopted. This ordinance will be later followed by legislation.
“It’s about a four-month process where we will evolve this hybrid organization into a fully functional entity with its own accountability structure,” explained Jackson. “This will take some time to do that.”
Bonsall clarified, “I don’t want anything to happen to any program they do. To be honest with you, a deal came up with Mary Whitaker (former Executive Director of OOCS). It was an honest mistake. They used some in-kind services for their match for a grant that was paid for by another federal grant. It got caught up with years later and to this day there is still $300,000 on our books that we owe the federal government that still has not been settled. They have had bus wrecks and people have gotten on the bus after the wreck and sued OOCS which ultimately sued us. That’s the kind of thing I don’t want us to have the liability on when we really don’t know their business.”
The ratification of this amendment will not ensue any real changes as far as how the OOCS functions. They will continue to offer the same programs and will remain operable from the same building.