CPPJ approves Go Group director hire
Published 10:52 am Friday, November 7, 2014
Calcasieu Parish police jurors on Thursday approved entering into a three-year agreement with the city of Lake Charles to hire a director for the Southwest Louisiana Task Force for Growth and Opportunity, or Go Group, and pay for any related costs associated with the position.
The agreement includes a proposed budget of $133,000 for the first year, with the Police Jury paying $83,000 and the city paying $50,000. Parish Administrator Bryan Beam said those costs include the director’s salary and benefits, along with paying a part-time clerical employee and providing office equipment.
Cost-of-living expenses will be added for the second and third years of the agreement. The Police Jury and the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development Center will provide office space.
The City Council has yet to approve its share of the agreement, but it’s expected to later this month, Beam said. On city approval, he said officials will advertise for the position and plan to hire a director by the end of January.
The director will be an employee of the parish and will lead any policies that come from the Go Group, Beam said. Several local entities formed the Go Group to prepare for the growth and other issues that may arise with the industrial expansion projects in Southwest Louisiana.
“We’re looking for someone with solid managerial skills especially related to coordinating relationships with a lot of entities,” he said. “This is a very concrete step to coordinate what is going to be way too big for the current staffs of any public agencies in the region.”
District 5 Police Juror Nic Hunter said he wants the director to “make very good use” of the Southwest Louisiana Regional Impact Study that was funded by Sasol. The study will be released today.
“I hope whoever is in this spot will look at that study from a very nonemotional, nonpolitical way and say these are the things we need to start talking about,” he said.
District 14 Police Juror Hal McMillin, Go Group chairman, said the Go Group needs a full-time director to organize plans and report them to elected officials throughout Southwest Louisiana.
