Parish Council celebrates a win, frets over personnel

The bulk of Wednesday’s St. Mary Parish Council meeting was about the future and the past.
Before hearing about the parish’s biggest economic development win in two decades, the council went round in a sometimes confusing discussion about personnel policy, the result of an attempt to grapple with an aging home rule charter.
Economic Development Director Evan Boudreaux spread the word about the victory, the acquisition by Texas-based Saronic of the Gulf Craft shipyard on the Charenton Canal near Baldwin.
Last week’s announcement included Saronic’s plan to develop its latest unmanned surface vessel for military use.
Hopes are that the project will create 500 jobs over the next three to four years with an investment of $250 million. Many of the jobs will be “high-quality, family-sustaining jobs,” Boudreaux said.
Work on a state incentive program is still underway. Boudreaux said he’s also developing a workforce training program and connections with local small businesses that might serve as vendors for Saronic as it ramps up.
“This project is more than a headline,” Boudreaux said. “It’s a statement of intent.”
Saronic’s work on the new unmanned vessel is “sending a signal that St. Mary Parish is a leader in modern maritime innovation …,” Boudreaux said.
“In short, the Navy for the U.S. government is going to be built right here in St. Mary Parish.”
The military is a growing part of St. Mary’s shipbuilding industry. Conrad, Swiftships, Metal Shark and Bollinger all have entered contracts within the last few years to provide the U.S. armed forces with vessels.
Personnel
policies
Council members heard Wednesday that their adoption of a new personnel manual didn’t necessarily supersede the old manual.
The council adopted a new set of personnel policies in April 2024. Councilman the Rev. Craig Mathews of Jeanerette was one of the advocates for the new policies, saying the old manual was outdated and left the parish vulnerable to lawsuits.
On Wednesday, former parish employee Meaghan Thompson described a process with little communication or accountability, and where two personnel books are being used. Without providing details, she spoke of two employees who performed the same action, yet one was promoted and one was fired.
Thompson also spoke of one person who was placed in a supervisory role without his knowledge.
Mathews and J Ina of Franklin thanked Thompson for coming forward. Mathews said he’s embarrassed by the confusion surrounding the personnel policies.
He said the confusion over the policies could result in unfair labor practices.
“If it would have been me,” Mathews said, “I would have sued the hell out of St. Mary Parish.”
Councilman Patrick Hebert of Berwick said he believed some of the old manual’s polices were kept in place because the new manual would have taken away some benefits enjoyed by employees.
And Chief Administrative Officer Paul Governale, who was away at a conference but watching the meeting on video, texted council Chairwoman Gwendolyn Hidalgo of Bayou Vista to say the parish has been following the new manual.
“I thought it was going into effect as soon as we adopted it,” said Councilman Dean Adams of Morgan City.
Adams tried to make a motion forcing the parish government to use the new manual. But legal counsel Megan Guillory said the charter gives the CAO and the personnel director the power to enforce the policies. She said the appropriate motion would be to recommend that the administration adopt the new personnel manual.
That motion passed on a voice vote without objection.