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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> OF LoOl�f DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> h�J2 r•�` a. �,°x^92, LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> h P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> cOroFiotNc� (225)219-5600 <br /> «o»••' FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.1a.gov <br /> July 8, 2024 <br /> Benjamin R. Bell <br /> Executive Director, Housing Authority of Jefferson Parish <br /> 1718 Betty Street <br /> Marrerro, Louisiana 70072 <br /> Re: Docket No. 2023-915 <br /> Advisory Opinion <br /> Dear Mr. Bell: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its July 3, 2023 meeting, considered your request, on behalf of <br /> the Housing Authority of Jefferson Parish ("HAJP") for an advisory opinion, as to whether an <br /> HAJP Board member may participate in certain matters regarding a lawsuit involving an entity in <br /> which that Board member serves as an officer. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> HAJP has a Board of Commissioners composed of 9 members. One of those members is appointed <br /> by Marrero Tenants Organization,Inc.,a Louisiana non-profit corporation("MTO").The resident- <br /> appointed member is currently Darin Collins. Mr. Collins also serves as the President of MTO. <br /> MTO has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development <br /> ("HUD"), and that litigation is currently pending. As part of the negotiations involved with the <br /> litigation,HAJP has been asked by the HUD to take certain actions to accommodate requests made <br /> by MTO regarding the Acre Road Housing Project ("Acre Road") maintained by HAJP. The <br /> actions requested by HUD would require approval by the HAJP Board of Commissioners. Mr. <br /> Collins is the only current tenant of Acre Road. <br /> You would like to know whether Mr. Collins is prohibited from participating, in his capacity as an <br /> HAJP Commissioner, in any actions affecting MTO. You would also like to know whether HAJP <br /> has the authority to force Mr. Collins to recuse himself from any matters involving MTO. <br /> LAW <br /> La. R.S. 42:1112A prohibits a public servant from participating in a transaction involving his <br /> governmental entity in which he has a substantial economic interest. <br /> La. R.S. 42:1112B(3) states that no public servant shall participate in a transaction involving the <br /> governmental entity in which, to his actual knowledge, any person of which he is an officer, <br /> director,trustee,partner, or employee has a substantial economic interest. <br /> Page 1 of 3 (BD 2023-915) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />