Residents press council over locked parks, removed lights and program disruptions in Recreation District 1

Several residents and former Recreation District 1 officials urged the Terrebonne Parish Council on Sept. 10 to intervene after a series of actions they say left the Gray area’s Larry Randolph Park inaccessible for routine recreation, displaced youth practices and removed lighting and field infrastructure.

Wayne Thibodeaux, speaking for residents in the Gray area, told the council the board “has been unresponsive” to requests about playground equipment and maintenance. Arnold Adams Sr., who said he served on the Recreation District 1 board for 32 years and 14 years as chairman, said the district’s membership includes several H. L. Bourgeois School employees and accused the board of choices that have not served the wider neighborhood.

Coaches and parents described repeated problems getting gate codes, locked gates at scheduled practice times and long delays cutting grass and providing restroom access. Coach Tori Adams said his teams were repeatedly blocked from fields and that, when access was given, combinations or keys did not work. Anthony Rainey, another resident, said volunteer youth activities were disrupted when staff or contractors removed lights and goal posts from practice areas.

Why it matters: Residents said the district’s actions have a direct effect on youth programming and on seniors who use parks for exercise. Speakers repeatedly invoked state recreation district statutes and the parish’s oversight responsibilities and asked the council to use its authority to ensure the parks serve the community’s needs.

Council response and next steps: Councilman Carl Harding said the matter requires clarification of ownership and management and asked the parish attorney and Quality of Life director to investigate. Quality of Life staff member Mr. Domingue acknowledged conversations with council leadership and told the meeting he would follow up to gather facts on lease agreements, removed equipment and whether the district owns the park or the parish holds title to the property. Council members said they would refer the matter for follow‑up with Quality of Life staff and the rec advisory board and warned that if residents remained unsatisfied the council would consider further action.

No formal council action was taken tonight; members encouraged residents to pursue the rec district’s next regular meeting and said council staff would seek documentation of ownership, lease terms, invoices and the reason for equipment removal. Council members stressed urgency for children’s access: “While the adults figure it out, let the children go play on those fields with grass cut and bathrooms open,” said Councilman Hamner.

Clarifying details raised at the meeting included: an allegation that removal of lighting/poles had cost roughly $2,750 (one public comment referenced higher figures circulating on social media), a claim that some board members are school employees creating perceived conflicts, and requests that the council verify whether the recreation district or the parish holds title to specific park parcels.

Ending: Council leaders asked Quality of Life staff to report back to the council with property ownership records, lease agreements and invoices for removed infrastructure, and encouraged district residents and parents to document incidents and attend upcoming district meetings so the council and administration can resolve the issues quickly.