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STATE OF LOUISIANA �.'pF Lodjso, DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE tr °" T'r LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS t.Or 411 F P.0. BOX 4368 Jnr �u � „ . 1 BATON ROUGE, LA 70821 '" " / (225)219-5600 •••• "'' FAX (225)381-7271 1-800-842-6630 January 23, 2017 www.ethicsstate.la.us Rita J. Hudson 784 Smith Road Merryville, Louisiana 70653 Re: Ethics Board Docket No. 2016-1200 Dear Ms. Hudson: The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its January 20, 2017 Board meeting, considered your request for an advisory opinion regarding whether you would be prohibited from contracting as a consultant with the Lafayette Regional District of the Department of Transportation and Development(DOTD) on the I-49 Connector Project after retiring from the DOTD.You stated that in April of 2016 you retired as right of way agent in the Lake Charles office of the Lafayette Regional District. As a right of way agent for that office,you assisted in right of way acquisition,relocation assistance,and the property management programs. However, the right of way agent position is considered to be a statewide position such that you could be tasked to work in any part of the state where your services were needed. You were also considered a lead agent who was responsible for training and mentoring the lower-level agents in your office; however, you were not considered a supervisor. • As a consultant,you would be providing assistance in the acquisition of property needed for DOTD rights of way and also assisting persons needing relocation services.These are the same services you provided while employed by the Lake Charles office of the Lafayette Regional District of DOTD. You stated that you did perform work for the Lafayette office of the Lafayette Regional District on various projects during your tenure with DOTD but never performed any work or attended any of the planning meetings on the 1-49 Connector Project. The Board concluded, and instructed me to inform you, that the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit you from contracting with the Lafayette Regional District as a consultant to provide right of way services for two years from your retirement date in April of 2016. La. R.S. 42:1121B prohibits a former public employee, for a period of two years following the termination of his public employment, from assisting another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction in which such former public employee participated at any time during his public employment and involving the governmental entity by which he was formerly employed, or for a period of two years following termination of his public employment, render, any service which such former public employee had rendered to the agency during the term of his public employment on a contractual basis, regardless of the parties to the contract, to, for, or on behalf of the agency with which he was formerly employed. Providing right of way services through a consulting contract with your former agency is considered rending the same services back to your former agency through a contract. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER