Briggs named interim park director for Abbeville

The Abbeville Parks and Recreation Department has a new director, at least for the time being.
The Abbeville City Council voted 3-1 Tuesday at its regular meeting to hire Laura Briggs as parks and recreation director on a provisional basis. She replaces Jerry Smith, who was not granted permanent status with the city. Briggs will serve as director for 90 days, at which point the city is expected to open the position and conduct an official interview process for the position.
Councilman Wayne Landry, District D, made the motion to hire Briggs, one seconded by Councilman-at-Large Francis Plaisance. Louis Joe Hardy, District A, Plaisance and Landry voted in favor of the hire. Councilman Francis Touchet Jr., District B, voted no, while Councilman Brady Broussard Jr., District C, abstained from voting.
Wednesday morning Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza said, after expressing similar sentiments during the meeting, he is disappointed in the circumstances surrounding the hire. Piazza said the topic was not discussed between him and the entire council.
“It certainly was inappropriate that this individual was hired without prior knowledge of two councilmen and myself,” Piazza said. “We were not privileged to see a résumé, able to interview her or even meet this new hire before hand, nor was the parks and recreation board. We are not operating as a team. I am not sure when this decision was made, but I was informed by one councilman 10 minutes before the meeting started that a new director would be hired. Another councilman already had the motion written and prepared. If the decision was made prior to the meeting, then it could constitute a blatant violation of the Sunshine Law (open meetings law).
Touchet echoed those sentiments Wednesday morning.
“I am disappointed that I did not have a chance to question our new rec director,” Touchet said of Briggs. “I feel that as a councilman, I was not able to give my district the right representation.”
Prior to the vote at Tuesday’s meeting, Touchet stressed patience.
“I oppose making a quick decision on something that we need to take our time with,” Touchet said. “I understand that (Briggs) may be qualified, I am just saying we open up the job and see what is out there.”
Tuesday prior to the vote, Jim Quackenbos, a member city’s parks and recreation board, who has since resigned, according to Piazza, offered a similar suggestion to the council.
“With all due respect to the council,” Quackenbos said, “I would ask that you respect the opinions and actions of the volunteers of the parks and recreation board. I ask that you take some time to confer with the parks and recreation board’s selected representative, in selecting any person for this job, be it provisional or permanent.”
Broussard’s abstention and Touchet’s vote of no were both in respect to the parks and recreation board members’ opinions not being taken into consideration.
Now the decision has been made, Piazza said Wednesday that he will work for what is best for the situation.
“My job as mayor is to move the city and its recreation department forward,” Piazza said. “Whatever the direction the council chooses to move the program, I will support and do my very best to make it successful.”
Briggs did attend Tuesday’s meeting. She said during the meeting that her focus is clear.
“I do care about children and they are my focus,” Briggs said. “As far as discussing anything else, I will only do that in a confidential meeting with the board that hired me.”
Briggs, a 2008 Abbeville High graduate, has worked closely with the youth sports programs for years. She earned a degree in sports administration from LSU, according to credentials Landry listed during the meeting. Briggs was one of 139 applicants when Smith was hired last fall, but she was not one of the four finalists interviewed.
“I think it is important for our kids to have somebody in position to move them forward,” Landry said during Tuesday’s meeting, “whether it is temporary or permanent. I chose to make a motion to hire Laura Briggs. She is a young lady who is experienced, talented and educated about our recreation department.
“She has volunteered her time and she is qualified.”
Plaisance said hiring Briggs now is to ensure the upcoming sports seasons go off as planned.
“I think a provisional hiring is to get somebody over there as quickly as possible for the baseball registration that is going on right now,” Plaisance said prior to the vote. “That gives us time to work with the (parks and recreation board) to see what direction we want to go. It gives us that three months to search and get somebody in there now.
“We need somebody in there to move forward, and this young lady (Briggs) has worked over there and is very, very familiar with the program.”