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Jury asks staff to draft restriction on jurors contracting with parish, debates policy vs. ordinance
Summary
Juror Sonny asked staff to draft a policy or ordinance preventing a sitting city juror from contracting with the parish; jurors debated whether a policy or an ordinance is preferable, noted a state ethics exception for small populations, and agreed to add the item for further consideration and public feedback.
Juror Sonny proposed that staff member Tom draft an ordinance barring a city juror from contracting directly or indirectly with the parish. He said the public had urged such a policy and that the existing ethics rule includes an exception for jurisdictions with populations under 10,000.
Jurors discussed alternatives: adopt an ordinance, adopt a policy that's easier to change, or require more detailed disclosure of subcontractors in bid materials. Some jurors cautioned that a strict ban could deter qualified business owners from serving as jurors and noted the exception exists for small-population parishes. Juror Sam and others suggested refining the proposal and seeking public input before taking final action.
The jury approved adding the proposal as an add-on to be drafted by staff; one juror suggested tabling detailed action for 30 days to gather public feedback and return in July for a fuller discussion.
Next steps: staff was asked to draft language (ordinance or policy options) for juror review and public feedback; jurors discussed returning in July to consider refined proposals.
