| Advisory opinion regarding whether the Code of Governmental Ethics prohibits the outside employment of a permit clerk for Terrebonne Parish Planning and Zoning District. |
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Kristy Cobb was hired by the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government ("TPCG") as a Permit Clerk in the Planning & Zoning Department ("the Department") on July 22, 2026.
Prior to her employment with TPCG, Ms. Cobb was a part-time independent contractor providing bookkeeping services for HMSE, a local contractor that regularly submits permits applications to the Department. Upon accepting employment with TPCG, Ms. Cobb voluntarily suspended her bookkeeping work with HMSE and will permanently discontinue the work if the Board determines that it is prohibited by the Code.
Ms. Cobb's employment with HMSE was strictly related to bookkeeping services and had no connection to their permit applications. Ms. Cobb has no ownership, membership, partnership, or other interest or financial stake in HMSE. She is not an officer or director of the company, and her relationship with HMSE is limited solely to providing bookkeeping services as an independent contractor in exchange for hourly compensation.
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La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) No public servant and no legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for any person during his public service unless such services are:
(d) Neither performed for nor compensated by any person from whom such public servant would be prohibited by R.S. 42:1115(A)(1) or (B) from receiving a gift.
La. R.S. 42:1115A(1) prohibits a public servant from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to have a contractual, business or financial relationship with the public servant's agency.
La. R.S. 42:1115B prohibits public employees from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public employee knows or reasonably should know that such person conducts operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency, or has substantial economic interests which may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the public employee's official duty.
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Adopt proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Kelsey Simmons |
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