| Advisory opinion request regarding whether Gordon Dove, as Terrebonne Parish President, may participate in matters involving the Hollywood Road Extension project, at a time when Dove Development and Land, LLC, owns property abutting the proposed roadway. |
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The right-of-way property for the Hollywood Road Extension project (Project) was acquired from all of the landowners prior to Gordon Dove taking office as Terrebonne Parish President. The Project was also budgeted and engineered prior to the commencement of Mr. Dove's term of office. The remaining aspects of the Project are authorizing the public bid for the construction of the Project and contracting for wetland mitigation associated with construction of the Project on the Parish-owned right-of-way property. According to Parish custom, the Parish President, along with the pertinent departments, signs off on the Request for Bid. Once bids are received, by state law, the Parish Council is required to award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
There are a total of 25 parcels of land abutting the proposed roadway, one of which is owned by Dove Development and Land, LLC, a company of which Mr. Dove and his immediate family members own a controlling interest. Nevertheless, the linear footage of the land owned by Dove Development and Land, LLC, (parcel 66565 on the map attached to your request) that abuts the proposed roadway represents 2.42% of the total linear feet of land abutting the roadway.
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La. R.S. 42:1112B(3) prohibits a public servant, except as provided in R.S. 42:1120, from participating in a transaction involving the governmental entity in which, to his actual knowledge, any person of which he is an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee has a substantial economic interest.
La. R.S. 42:1102(21) defines "substantial economic interest" as an economic interest which is of greater benefit to the public servant or other person than to a general class or group of persons.
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Adopt the proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Haley Williams |
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