| A request for an advisory opinion, submitted by Assistant District Attorney and Parish Attorney O'Neil J. Parenton, Jr., concerning whether the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") would prohibit brothers, Derrin and Dayne Duplessis, from simultaneously working for Ascension Parish Government. |
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Sections 2-122 through 2-126 of Ascension Parish's Code of Ordinances states that the Chief Administrative Officer (Kenneth Dawson) supervises the heads of the following four (4) departments: the Department of Finance, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Planning and Development, and the Department of Human Resources. The Department of Planning and Development is comprised of four (4) divisions: Building, Floodplain Management, Planning, and Zoning.
Derrin Duplessis is currently the Chief Building Official and Building Division Head, which falls under the Building Division. Derrin Duplessis supervises the Building Inspectors and Building Clerks. His brother, Dayne Duplessis, is employed as the Code Enforcement Inspector, who is supervised by the Chief Code Enforcement Officer (Patrice Frazier Johnson). Code Enforcement is a part of the Zoning Division, where the Zoning Official (Lance Brock) is the Division Head.
On certain occasions, Dayne Duplessis (as the Code Enforcement Inspector) would consult with Derrin Duplessis (as Chief Building Official). These circumstances would arise when Dayne Duplessis would have to investigate complaints of code violations related to potential building code violations. In those instances, it is likely that either Dayne Duplessis or the Chief Code Enforcement Officer would consult with the Chief Building Official, Derrin Duplessis.
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La. R.S. 42:1102(3) defines "agency head" to mean the chief executive or administrative officer of an agency or any member of a board or commission who exercises supervision over the agency.
La. R.S. 42:1119A states that no member of the immediate family of an agency head shall be employed in his agency.
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Adopt the proposed opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
LaToya D. Jordan |
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