Crooked Creek employees question EPPJ’s actions

By: MICHAEL BORDELON

News Editor

Crooked Creek Recreational Park employees gathered for a personnel committee meeting of the Evangeline Parish Police Jury Monday, April 14, and accused police jurors of not doing their jobs in discovering the operational problems at the park.

Jury President Bob Manuel stated District Attorney Brent Coreil has ordered a state police investigation into the park’s operations. Manuel said the park’s finances show signs of mismanagement or possibly more. According to Manuel, there has been stolen gas, locks cut, funds from ice, soda and laundry services not accounted for, nearly $3,000 spent for lunches and a problem with accountability.

“We are looking at putting all employees on probation,” Manuel said. All employees would continue working and receiving the same pay, but would be considered on probationary status.

Juror Lamar Johnson said the problem was the jury did not know where some funds had gone and no one can tell them where those funds are now. “It cannot be continued like it is,” Johnson said.

At the jury’s last meeting, Crooked Creek Manager Elroy George was temporarily relieved of management duties, and the jury appointed Irby Chaddrick to fill that position. However. George was to remain working at the park under Chaddrick.

George addressed the jury, stating he did not believe nearly $500,000 was spent at the park. He said the claims the police jury spent $43,800 from the general fund to cover expenses at the park could not be right.

“Where did that money go,” George said. “Show me where that money was spent.”

Johnson stated every expense for the park was in black and white in the jury’s office, but it was missing funds and not expenses that prompted the investigation.

Although he was manager of the park, George said everything he did had to go through Juror Ronald Doucet so the jury had to have been aware. He added funds obtained from ice sales have always been the same; they have never been deposited.

One park employee stated funds from soda sales and laundry services are deposited every month. Public Works Supervisor Chester Granger, who was placed in charge of the park when these problems were found, said he did not see where the soda and laundry money was being deposited on the paper work. But he would check it again to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

George admitted employees were ordering lunches, but when Doucet told them to stop in August, they stopped. However, Manuel said $2,800 had been spent.

Juror Eric Soileau said his major concern was the missing gas, which amounted to approximately $4,500. Granger said there was a leaking tank at one point that had to be changed, but that only accounted for 250 gallons lost.

One employee approached the jury and asked Manuel why he can’t tell the other jurors they have been doing a poor job by not catching these problems before.

One employee said it was not right for these problems to “come back” on George because they were made by people under him. He said there is a better way to resolve this situation.

George and some other employees asked to look over the books in the jury office to see how there could have possibly been $500,000 spent on the park. Johnson agreed to go through the expenses with them.

Some employees voiced their concern about their names and this investigation being in the papers, but Manuel said the meetings are open to the public and the press will report whatever is done in the meetings.

Manuel said no one is being blamed for these problems. He stated George was temporarily replaced because it was his job to oversee the park’s operations. He added the district attorney believed it was in the best interest of the parish to have the state police come in to investigate.

“I want to commend George,” Manuel said. “The park is looking good and there have been no complaints from the people.”

Juror Davis Manuel said he would like to see recommendations on how to correct these problems from all the employees at the park. He also asked for their suggestions on how to save money.

Manuel said the state police investigation is currently underway. The investigators were also involved in the investigation at the park several years ago and are familiar with its operation.