State ethics board issues opinion

Parish Manager Barry Blackwell will have to reduce his half ownership in the Northpark residential real estate development in Gray to 25 percent or less, the Louisiana Board of Ethics ruled Thursday.

State rules prohibit government officials from engaging in substantial private transactions involving agencies under their supervision. As manager, Blackwell has wide supervisory authority over Terrebonne Parish departments.

If Blackwell does not lower his ownership stake in the project, he cannot use parish resources to develop the subdivision, the board stated.

Blackwell also cannot sell his ownership in the project to his near relatives, according to the board.

The ruling could become moot if President-elect Michel Claudet appoints a different parish manager after assuming office on Jan. 14.

Houma real estate developer Ronnie Shaw had requested the state ethics board opinion, claiming Blackwell was involved in a conflict of interest.

“The staff of parish government reports to Blackwell,” Shaw told the Houma-Terrebonne Regional Planning Commission in November. “This is the conflict I feel.”

The Northpark subdivision will comprise at least 180,000 acres on a strip of land across Bayou Terrebonne from the U.S. Post Office in Gray.