LDWF Secretary meets with parish leaders over office closure

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, March 20, 2018

A meeting between Iberia officials, some St. Landry officials and Secretary Jack Montoucet with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Monday morning got fairly heated as parish leaders pushed to stop the closure of LDWF’s New Iberia and Opelousas offices. 

Sitting in the Iberia Parish Council chambers were Montoucet and his staff, along with members of the Iberia Parish Council, New Iberia City Council, local mayors, realtors, Acadiana Regional Airport officials and Port of Iberia officials, all of who fielded questions to Montoucet about his reasoning for closing the New Iberia office. 

For several minutes, Montoucet explained the fiscal situation of LDWF and his reasoning for consolidating the New Iberia and Opelousas offices with a centralized location in Lafayette. Reasons included being unable to purchase property adjacent to the current property on Darnall Road to expand, a need for repairs in both offices and the LDWF’s desire to have a second location outside of Baton Rouge that could be used as a base when severe flooding occurs. 

Montoucet said that no one would be losing jobs when the deal for the new Lafayette building is closed, and the enforcement agents who currently work in Iberia Parish mostly operate out of their trucks and homes. 

“The only thing that will move is the physical location of the offices because it’s cheaper and we will be able to lease office space with our partners, and that rental will help offset costs,” he said. 

However, Iberia Parish President Larry Richard, who was present via telephone, asked Montoucet how many of the 47 employees in New Iberia would have to work out of Lafayette once the move did occur, to which the secretary responded about half. 

“We want to economically impact you as little as possible but we have things we need to do in our department,” Montoucet said. “That building gives us way more capabilities than what people realize, it has fiber optics, we have one of the best in Lafayette.”

That didn’t sit well with some in the crowd. 

“One of the problem I had is that I don’t think this was transparent,” Iberia Parish Councilman Michael Landry said. “I don’t think you talked to local officials before you decided to make this decision.”

Opelousas Mayor Reggie Tatum echoed that sentiment, saying he only heard the office was closing last Friday from his parish president. 

Others in the audience responded with a little more passion. Port of Iberia Director Craig Romero said he couldn’t believe what he was hearing from the secretary. 

“I understand why you brought your public relations guy Jack, you got the biggest job in this room, buddy,” Romero said. 

“You’re talking about efficiency, you’re telling me you’re going to hook up a boat in Lafayette and respond to Delcambre or Loreauville, and it’s an efficiency move? There isn’t any common sense in that.”

Romero even offered to donate land from the port to Wildlife and Fisheries in order to keep an office in the parish. 

“I propose to the council that I’ll find a piece of land and donate it to the government so they can make a deal with Wildlife and Fisheries,” Romero said. “The balls in your court Jack. Use a little common sense.”

Other local officials who spoke included Iberia Industrial Development Director Mike Tarantino, who also offered his services to find a suitable location in Iberia Parish for LDWF. The theme for many, including Tarantino and Mayor Freddie DeCourt, was being tired of losing things to Lafayette. 

“I’m concerned about every job and every transaction in my city, when you say things won’t change, I don’t believe that,” DeCourt said. 

Iberia Parish Councilman Warren Gachassin, who initially introduced a resolution urging LDWF to not close the office, said the conversation wasn’t over. 

“I don’t want you forget about these people that will be hurt with this,” Gachassin said to Montoucet. “It seems like the mindset is that this is a done deal, at the end of the day this won’t die down. It’s going to continue to grow.”

State Sen. Fred Mills, R-Parks, said the Iberia delegation in the state were also unanimous in support for keeping the New Iberia office open as well. 

“Very seldom have I attended a meeting of this urgency and magnitude, and there’s a solution within the community,” Mills said. “What I saw here from the port, the airport, the economic development authority, realtors and the council, what they’re really urging everyone to consider is we have options.”

As a next step, Richard said after the meeting that he is currently attempting to secure a meeting with Gov. John Bel Edwards about the issue.