By JIM BUTLER
Kent House will get $12,000 in GAEDA funds for its annual late-summer biking and walking event.
The La. Sports Hall of Fame didn’t get a hearing of its request for $4,000 to assist in a celebrity bowling event this month.
Both were pitched in May as economic development opportunities by the respective non-profit organizations.
The split decision caps an unsettled spring for the Authority.
The headlines have gone to the Weiss & Goldring Building back and forth, pushing to the background other agency activity.
Recapping a not-so-silent Spring:
March 4 – special meeting to respond to lawsuit from former Commissioner John Callis; March 10 – Economic Development Committee recommends $30,000 for Steubenville Youth Conference, $7,000 for La. Animal Control Association gathering. (Committee meeting notices not posted on web site); March 17 – No posted meeting agenda reflected on web site archive. Minutes record Rod Noles oath-taking, consent agenda approval, project sites (project not delineated) discussion;
April 14 – Economic Development Committee receives request regarding Celebrity Bowling Bash, no motion to consider, thus rejected. Kent House request motion passed; April 14 – Operations & Human Resources tables for a week motion to approve and adopt job description for a Director of Communications and to authorize posting and solicitation of applicants. Motion passes to add executive director evaluation discussion in executive session to next commission meeting agenda; April 21 – No quorum for monthly meeting. No agenda apparently on web postings.
May – no committee minutes posted if any held; May 5 – Special call meeting, no quorum, only Zendrea Whitehead present. Agenda does not include Director of Communications or executive director evaluation items. Agenda does include motion to adopt job description for a Manager of Strategic Initiatives, posting and solicitation of applicants. Agenda does include executive session to discuss character, professional competence or physical or mental health of a person. Rod Noles has resigned.
May 19 – Agenda includes items from May 5 call, including lease agreements with tenants in new building and use policy/fee schedule for conference room but does not include executive session for any reason and adds Brad Smith oath-taking.
Through May 31 the Authority web site indicated no posting of either the Communications or Strategic Initiatives positions.