[StBernard] After no applications and with deadline looming, committee asking St. Bernard residents to seek levee authority seat

[Westley Annis]

After no applications and with deadline looming, committee asking St.
Bernard residents to seek levee authority seat

After no candidates have applied and with a deadline looming on Monday
(March 31), the independent committee that selects nominees to sit on the
east bank regional levee authority made another call on Friday for
nominations from St. Bernard Parish residents. 

The chairman of the committee announced on March 20 that the the group was
accepting St. Bernard nominations for the seat on the Southeast Louisiana
Flood Protection Authority-East. The flood control board oversees the East
Jefferson Levee District, Orleans Levee District, and Lake Borgne Basin
Levee District.

That announcement came after retired 4th Circuit Court of Appeal Judge David
Gorbaty withdrew his name. Gorbaty has a conflict of interest now that he is
volunteering as the St. Bernard's chief administrative officer. Authority
members are not allowed to work for local governments within the authority's
borders.

The nominating committee decided on March 6 to keep levee authority
President Tim Doody as one of its nominees for a seat representing St.
Bernard, ignoring Gov. Bobby Jindal's opposition to Doody. But the committee
agreed to replace its second nominee for the seat, after Gorbaty withdrew
his name.

Jindal wants to oust Doody for overseeing the authority's decision last July
to file a wetlands damages lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and pipeline
companies. The governor has said that action contravenes the state's coastal
restoration strategy.

In September, Jindal appointed three new members opposed to the lawsuit to
replace three of four levee authority members whose terms had expired. One
of those new members was appointed directly by Jindal to replace an
authority member whose appointment had never been approved by the state
Senate, under a provision of state law that allowed Jindal to skirt the
nominating committee.

The other two were selected from names provided Jindal by the nominating
committee.

The authority currently has six members in favor of the lawsuit and three
against it.

The state Legislature is considering a bill that would give the governor the
authority to reject authority nominees and require the nominating committee
to submit new names until the governor finds one acceptable.

To apply for a position, interested candidates can find the applications
here. Applications may be submitted to the Office of the Governor - Coastal
Activities, Attn: Stephanie Aymond, 1051 North Third Street, Suite 138,
Baton Rouge, LA 70802. You can reach Aymond at 225.342.3968.

Here's more information on the nomination process for the levee board, and
on the levee board itself.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/after_no_applications_and_
dead.html