VP Housing Authority discusses what do with part-time workers

By: ELIZABETH WEST
Staff Reporter

At the Housing Authority of the City of Ville Platte’s July 7, 2015 meeting board members faced issues concerning the amount of hours part time employees will be able to work.
With the May 19 meeting minutes approved, the board began discussing all items on the agenda.
Before tackling the issue concerning part time employees, Vice Chairman David Ortego gave an update on finances. “Our expenses are substantially down from last year,” Ortego said.
A comparison between 2014 and 2015 showed that the expenses at this time in 2014 were $1,128,985.00 and for 2015 the expenses are $963,727.00. The Housing Authority according to Ortego now has a “profit of almost $151,000.00 after 11 months.” After a review of the financial statement, it was unanimously approved.
Part time employees for the Housing Authority could potentially be facing a cut in hours due to insurance requirements.
“The federal government is now putting the employer at risk of a fine if employee does not go and get insurance,” Executive Director Grant Soileau said.
The Housing Authority will be fined if an employee working more than 19 hours does not at least have hospitalization.
The part time workers cannot be put on the Housing Authority insurance because there are certain criteria that has to be met to qualify.
“We cannot put them on the Housing Authority insurance because they have got to be a full time employee, and or civil service, or unclassified by the board of directors,” Soileau said.
Currently the part time workers have been working in between 32 and 38 hours a week which means these employees are going to take a hard hit on their incomes if they have to begin working only 19 hours a week.
Even though the Housing Authority is financially doing well, without being full time or civil service workers there is no way to supply the employees with hospitalization.
Mr. Ortego suggested that Mr. Soileau “talk to other people facing these issues” and “look into how much the fine would be for the Housing Authority and maybe we will just pay the fine because we need the workers.”
The information that Mr. Soileau gathers concerning the part- time employees will be further discussed at the next meeting.
Renewal of part time employees did pass unanimously at the meeting but the hours that they will be able to work is still unknown.
Also at the meeting, renewal of Mr. Grant Soileau’s Executive Director contract was unanimously approved along with the lowest bid received for a new crew cab maintenance truck.