EUNICE, La. (KLFY) -- The Eunice Housing Authority has a new board after the previous board violated the open meetings law and was removed.

The removal of four out of five board members comes after the previous board closed off a meeting, preventing tenants from entering what was supposed to be an open meeting.

Mayor Scott Fontenot recommended four new board members last Tuesday: Thad Richard, John Guillory, Nikki Strauss and Gwendolyn Burney.

A complaint against the previous board was filed with the Attorney General.

"According to the Attorney General's letter that was sent to us, they're going to close the matter," Fontenot said. "They did say that the board violated the open meetings law, but it was not intentional."

Fontenot said he still chose to replace the board because "ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law."

"If we would have allowed that board to violate the open meetings law, although they corrected their actions at the next meeting, we would have opened a door to allow any other board who is appointed by this council to violate the open meetings law," Fontenot said.

Eunice Housing Authority Executive Director Angelia Guillory said she is looking forward to "continuing the work of providing safe, affordable and responsible housing to the city of Eunice."

"It is my hope the new board and I can continue without unnecessary distractions which prevent the residents of housing from receiving prompt and reliable services. Our mission is always our residents, their safety and comfort in our housing complexes. But as anywhere, this must be balanced with the policies and procedures stated in HUD guidelines. Now, not everyone will be happy or agree with these rules, but these are the guidelines and policies which have been set by HUD to provide for safety and order in housing," she continued.

Fontenot said the new board members have the necessary information and training, so the same mistake should not happen again.

"When you live in a small town like this and you know the people that you appoint on these boards and the people who are working in the executive director position and even the tenants, it's tough to make these decisions," Fontenot said. "But I followed the law accordingly, and we did what we had to do. No offense to these people who served on the board. I think they're great individuals who I respect a ton, but we had no choice but to move on."

Fontenot wanted tenants to know the Housing Authority is run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is a federal program, so future complaints should be directed to HUD.

"Complaints about the housing authority and the director should go directly to HUD or to board members," Fontenot said. "If you do have complaints that are not getting heard, the last resort is to come to this office, and then we'll try to lead you in the right direction."

Latest News