Iberia Parish resident Thomas Goolsby told council members that groundwater at his home was being poisoned with runoff herbicide from neighboring farms and that no action has been taken to stop the practice.

The Iberia Parish Council went into executive session Wednesday night to allow Iberia Medical Center board member Frederick “Bozo” Metz and his attorney, Edmond Guidry of St. Martinville, to respond to allegations made against him in an investigative report last month.

When the council returned to regular session, Legal Counsel Andy Shealy explained that in addition to hearing from Metz, the council also had a chance to ask questions.

That was it. There was no other discussion, no expansion of the agenda to take any action or address the report on the council’s part.

Metz left immediately after the executive session concluded.

The investigative report was delivered to the IMC Board on Oct. 8 and given to Iberia Parish Council members on Oct. 9. The council voted on Oct. 23 to receive the investigative report from the IMC board.

At that same meeting, the council voted to table filling two upcoming vacancies on the board. At its Dec. 11 meeting, it is scheduled to take up filling two seats on the panel, one that Metz currently holds and the other that Chairman Larry Hensgens holds. As of Oct. 23, the council had three applicants — Metz, Hensgens and Roland Jeanlouis — for the two slots.

Although Metz and board member David C. Benson were both subjects of the report, Benson was not scheduled to appear Wednesday. The report cites nine witnesses who described Metz’s actions and statements detrimental to the IMC board and seven witnesses describing Benson’s statements and actions that were not in the best interests of the hospital.

The hospital’s Medical Executive Committee brought the issue of removing the two board members to the IMC board in the form of its own resolution during a special meeting on Aug. 7. That move came less than two weeks after IMC Chief Executive Officer Parker Templeton tendered his resignation on July 25.

Because the Iberia Parish Council was the appointing authority for Metz and Benson, any action to remove either or both of them from the IMC Board would have to come from the council.

The council Wednesday heard from representatives of the Southern Mutual Help Association about progress at the Teche Ridge mixed use development. According to Clinton Shepard, activity in the development is increasing as proponents say the real estate market in Iberia Parish is improving.

The council also heard from Patoutville resident Thomas Goolsby, who said that farmers had been poisoning groundwater near his property with a broad-spectrum herbicide. He said he had spoken to the council previously in 2017, but has not seen any action to stop the chemical infiltration. As Council Chairman Paul G. Landry tried to direct Goolsby to speak with the administration outside of the meeting to explain his issues, Goolsby became emotional and was gaveled down.

In other action, the council:

• Authorized travel expenses for one member of the Iberia Parish Council to attend the 2020 NACo Legislative Conference to be held from Feb. 29 to March 4 in Washington, D.C., at a cost of $2,500.

• Authorized the payment of the $275 registration fee for each current and incoming council member who will attend the annual state Police Jury Conference from Feb. 12 to Feb. 14 in Shreveport.

• Passed a resolution requesting the state Department of Transportation and Development to place the railroad crossing projects for the city of New Iberia at the highest priority level.

• Passed a resolution appointing Tammy B. Gordon to the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, representing Delcambre Direct Seafood, for a three-year term.

• Passed a resolution appointing Kirsten D. Bourque to the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, representing the Loreauville Community Project, for a three-year term.

• Passed a resolution appointing Joyce Buller to the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, representing the Friends of the Jeanerette Bicentennial Museum, for a three-year term.

• Passed a resolution appointing Germaine Comeaux to the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, representing the Iberia Preservation Alliance, for a two-year term.

• Passed a resolution appointing Heidi Martin to the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, representing the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce, for a two-year term.

• Passed a resolution appointing Phebe A. Hayes to the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, representing the Iberia African American Historical Society, for a one-year term.

• Tabled a resolution appointing Elizabeth Bodin to the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, representing the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, for a one-year term.