New Eunice Housing Authority board member appointed...."They just need to do what they need to do."
EUNICE, La. (KLFY)-- A new board member will be appointed to the Eunice Housing Authority after most of the board was recently removed and replaced.
This comes after News Ten reported on tenants being locked out of a public meeting about their homes.
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot said a board member stepped down from his position in December.
"We just recently had a resignation by one of the board members who took on some more work in his business, and he decided to hang it up," Fontenot said.
When asked why it took a month to fill that empty seat, Mayor Fontenot said it's not easy to find somebody with the knowledge and experience for the role.
"We don't have people beating down the door to come join and serve on a board that doesn't get paid," Fontenot said. "I can be honest with you."
The mayor's recommendation for replacement is Kevin Brown. One concerned board member told us this is the same Kevin Brown we did a story on in March 2018.
At the time, he was accused of moving graves at Mount Olive Cemetery. Then, he said he was taking care of the cemetery because it belonged to his family.
News Ten investigated the allegations. The Louisiana Cemetery Board said the site must be abandoned because it is not registered. News Ten reached out to District Attorney Don Landry about this case because the Acadia Parish Sheriff did investigate. He says they have no record of anything involving this individual and improperly moving graves.
Mayor Fontenot said no one expressed concerns about his recommendation of Brown, "not by anyone in particular or even the housing authority or its director."
"I don't base my decisions on allegations either," Fontenot said. "I mean, if there's proof that someone has committed a crime and charged with something serious, then we'll take in consideration all avenues and make sure that either they're clear or they're not."
Angelia Guillory, Eunice Housing Authority Executive Director, spoke about the new board member recommendation.
"i"m looking forward to continuing the work of providing safe, afford ale and responsible housing to the city of Eunice," Guillory said. "It is my hope the new board and I can continue without unnecessary distractions which prevent the residents of housing from receiving prompt and reliable services."
Guillory continued, "Our mission is always our residents, their safety and their comfort in our housing complexes. But as anywhere this must be balanced with the policies and procedures stated in HUD guidelines. Now, not everyone will be happy or agree with these rules, but these are the guidelines and policies which have been set by HUD to provide safety and order in housing."