Parish council debates race in FFH board appointment

The appointment Wednesday to fill a vacancy on the Hospital Service District 1 Board of Commissioners by the St. Mary Parish Council raised the issue of equal minority representation on the seven-member board.
The appointment to fill the unexpired term of Ann Luke of Centerville was handed to Robert Judice Jr., also of Centerville, upon motion by Councilman David Hanagriff with a second by at-large councilman Steve Bierhorst. Both Luke and Judice are white.
“This board has been in a delicate situation and I’m taking a lot of things into account making my decision,” Hanagriff said.
Bierhorst added that he supported the Judice appointment since he will represent the same area as Luke.
“We found a good gentleman here who wants to serve,” Bierhorst said. “I know that there’s some other people that want to serve … and I hope they do get the opportunity, but it’s all about representation from throughout that whole district.”
African-American Councilman Charles Middleton of Franklin voted against the appointment of Judice, a retired farmer. The term ends on Sept. 20, 2017.
Others applying for the position were Craig Matthews of the western St. Mary parish area and Allen R. Randle Sr. of Franklin. Both are black.
At-large Councilman Albert Foulcard, an African-American, said the current hospital board only has one minority member, which is his nephew Eugene Foulcard.
“St. Mary Parish has at least 33 percent (minorities) and one out of seven is not 33 percent,” Foulcard said. “That’s ridiculous in the year 2015.”
He asked that when the term expires that the council consider a minority.
“I’m not going to make a whole lot of fuss tonight,” Middleton said. “But consider this — some things need to change.”
The council also heard from Mathews, a former parish councilman who noted his 12 years of experience in health care administration.
Bierhorst recognized Mathews’ qualifications but added, “We can’t have all doctors and lawyers and Indian chiefs on these boards. I think good common citizens with good common sense, the working man is just as good serving on that board as anybody else.”
Bierhorst told Mathews, “If that seat was in the Four Corners areas right now, you’d be my man.”
Judice will join the board tonight when it meets in regular session at 5 p.m. in the Franklin Foundation board room.
In other business the council:
—Passed resolutions approving the 2014 state compliance questionnaire for the Sales and Use Tax Department; a certificate of substantial completion on the generator replacement project at the Law Enforcement Center; a contract with Elliott Construction LLC on the reconstruction of the Centerville bridge approach road; a contract with Coastal Bridge Company LLC on the Chatsworth bridge repair project; a cooperative endeavor and lease agreement with the Save Our Children Mentoring Program for use of the Bunche Branch Library on Fifth Street; and a professional services agreement with CB&I Environment & Infrastructure Inc. for certified planning and related engineering services at Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport in Patterson.
—Delayed response to a request for a $1,000 contribution toward the hosting of the Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show to be held on April 17-19 in conjunction with the Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival.
—Approved a request by Councilman David Hanagriff to transfer $7,000 from the Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 three-tenths percent sales tax fund to Recreation District 7 for equipment and supplies for the Centerville Biddy Basketball Program.