VP Housing to conduct audit

By: MICHAEL BORDELON
News Editor

During its meeting Tuesday, October 7, the Ville Platte Housing Authority ordered an audit to be performed so the new interim executive director, Grant Soileau, could start with a clean slate.

Soileau said the last time an audit was performed was December 2007. Board member David Ortego suggested the audit be performed so the board could review the housing authority’s finances prior to the date Soileau took over. The board eventually agreed to have an audit performed covering the time between December 2007 and September 16, the date former executive director Emily Woodall resigned. The approximate cost of the audit, according to Soileau, is $5,500.

The housing authority also removed Woodall’s access to the finance system and allowed Soileau and Chairman Daniel Arvie to have access to that system. Soileau said the process will take approximately two weeks before he or Arvie can access the system.

In other business, the board:

•Received a report on the housing authority’s vacant units and the reasons for these vacancies. Soileau said some of the apartments currently vacant would be filled before the end of the week, while some were undergoing maintenance work, such as floor replacement or painting.

•Agreed to have Eddie Goudy appear before the board at its next meeting to discuss utility and phone bills at an apartment Goudy is using to run a non-profit organization, which assists people with addiction support and rehabilitation. Soileau said the housing authority recently paid over $600 on utility and phone bills in one month for that apartment. Board member Anna Frank said she has seen people going in and out of the apartment but no one who lives in the housing projects. The board requested Goudy appear at the next meeting to report to the board.

•Learned patrols around the housing projects were increased, as certain areas were experiencing problems again. Soileau reported there have been fights and a shooting. He also stated there were limited patrols recently as the problems had subsided. The board agreed to allow Soileau to use his discretion as to how many patrol hours would be required.