Harlan Kirgan
The last update on the St. Landry Parish Government website was more than a year ago.
Former District 8 Councilwoman Pam Gautreau scolded the Council’s Administrative- Finance
Committee about the lack of updates at its meeting Wednesday at the Old City Market in Opelousas.
“When was the last time you all went on the St. Landry Parish Coby Clavier Government Facebook page? When was the last time you went on the St. Landry Parish Government website?” Gautreau asked.
The issue has not been lost on Eunice Councilman Coby Clavier, who has, in the past, requested that the Council member’s photos be placed on the site.
“It is really lacking and nobody has seen about it as you heard,” Clavier said Thursday.
“We are going to try to make a push and get an updated website,” he said.
Parish President Bill Fontenot is responsible for the site, but Clavier said no one is assigned to to the updates.
Clavier said he and other new council members have been in office for three years and their photos are not on the site.
Fontenot, contacted Thursday, agreed that the site has not been updated and blamed it on the loss of an administrative assistant.
“I think it is of the highest importance,” he said of maintaining the site.
But other work took precedence, he said.
“I’m going to be in the next couple of weeks interviewing some potential IT professionals ...,” he said.
An existing employee will be needed to deter- mine what goes on the site, he said.
The site update may take place in the next couple of months, he said.
Gautreau said, “You are here doing the taxpayer’s work and the tax- payers have no idea when these meetings are, who their Council members are, where the minutes and agendas are to these meetings.”
Gautreau suggested the Council use Facebook as well as updating its web- site, which is at stlandryparish.org.
“Where is the general public supposed to get information? You are the governing body of this parish. Bill Fontenot is only the president. Why does he have a parish government Facebook and this Council does not?” she said.
Gautreau requested the Council create a Facebook page to post information.
Councilman Ken Marks said, “This has been an ongoing issue.”