Council OKs Genre as CAO

PORT ALLEN — The City Council appointed convicted felon and former Police Chief Adrian Genre on Wednesday night as Port Allen’s new chief administrative officer, effective July 1.

Barry Brewer, who has overseen the city’s operations for more than 30 years, retired from the position on June 11, officials said.

Genre applied for a job as assistant CAO in 2010 during the administration of former Mayor Derek Lewis.

Back then, Genre had the backing of Councilmen R.J. Loupe Sr., Hugh “Hootie” Riviere and Ralph Bergeron, who joined in voting in favor of Mayor Roger Bergeron’s appointment of Genre as CAO.

Council members Ray Helen Lawrence and Irvrie Johnson voted against naming Genre as CAO.

Genre served as Port Allen’s police chief for seven years before resigning in August 2000 after pleading guilty to perjury in a federal civil-rights lawsuit against the city and its Police Department.

The lawsuit asserted only black applicants were given a written test during a Police Department interview process.

Genre admitted to lying in a deposition about the department’s hiring practices. He was sentenced to serve six months in federal prison, plus serve three years on probation and pay a $2,000 fine.

Since November 2001, Genre has owned and operated Jason’s Restaurant & Catering in Port Allen.

Mayor Bergeron told the council Wednesday night he felt Genre is the most qualified of the five candidates the city’s Personnel and Finance Committee interviewed for the CAO slot. The mayor said 12 people submitted applications.

“I’ve thought about it and prayed about it,” Bergeron said.

The mayor’s recommendation drew gasps from audience members eagerly waiting to speak out about their opposition to Genre’s appointment.

“How, with a good heart, could you hire that man?” Gerald Gauthe, a former Port Allen police chief now retired, asked the mayor before the council’s vote.

Genre, “betrayed the trust of the people that elected him into office,” Gauthe said. “He went to the federal pen, cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in a lawsuit. You can stand up here and say you made a good decision?”

Gauthe asked Bergeron if he was going to hire former Mayor Lewis and former Police Chief Fred Smith as well after they are released from prison. Both Smith and Lewis were convicted of crimes stemming from the FBI’s Operation Blighted Officials sting.

“How long ... does a man have to be punished for making a mistake?” Bergeron replied. “Given all that it cost him already, what is the likelihood he would betray that trust again?”

Gauthe told the mayor he wasn’t trying to punish Genre for his past.

“I hope he gets the best job in the world, just not with the city,” Gauthe said. “I think this thing was cut and dried months ago. I’ve been hearing on the streets for three months Adrian was going to get that job.”

Mayor Bergeron tried to dispel any talk that his friendship with Genre was a factor in his decision. “This was about who I thought would do the best job,” Bergeron said.

Back in 2010, when Genre first came under consideration for the CAO job, Lewis asked the council to appoint Cenceria LeMone Dalcourt as Brewer’s assistant, with the understanding that she would take over after Brewer retired.

Dalcourt, who also applied for the CAO post, has been serving as the interim CAO for the past 10 months while Brewer was on paid leave.

“Cenceria’s ré sumé was outstanding,” Councilwoman Lawrence said. “There is no doubt in my mind she has been doing a pretty decent job. When I looked at Mr. Adrian’s (Genre’s) résumé , he did not have some of the qualifications she had.”

Dalcourt’s résumé says she served as director of disaster management at Glenn Shaheen & Associates, an engineering firm headquartered in Gonzales, before taking the assistant CAO job. Dalcourt also holds a civil engineering degree from Southern University.

The mayor would not discuss Dalcourt’s job performance during the meeting, but alluded to concerns he had. “Having worked here with her, I got to observe things you don’t see on a résumé ,” he said.

When asked by councilman Johnson if she had reviewed her personnel folder and found any disciplinary actions filed against her, Dalcourt said no.

“Since April 10, I have not had any disciplinary actions in my folder or poor job performance recorded,” Dalcourt told Johnson. “I’m kind of shocked to hear all of this as well.”

After the meeting, Dalcourt said she was shocked by the mayor’s statements Wednesday night because he heavily relies on her.

“I still have a job to do and I’m going to do that job,” she said. “God doesn’t put you through something for no reason.”

Comments

1) Comment by Aconcerncitzen - 18/06/2012

Mr. Braud as you spend time stating your opinions and truth about your "friends", please understand nothing in my statement was untrue. You speak of the Knights of Columbus respectively, but like I said this organization has ALWAYS been majority white. I do believe at some point since 1881, African Americans wasn't accepted in this fraternal organization neither in the Catholic Church. You speak of this organization in a respectful manner, but in the other hand we all know its just another place the members meet to drink your alcoholic beverages and gossip. Instead of Mr. Genre being at City Hall to accept his recommendation he was outside at the KC Hall drinking a beer. Every candidate who has been chosen for a position has stood before the council, what makes Adrian different? You speak of the two people characteristics in a highly manner because you are their friend. The fact is Adrian Genre discriminated against black candidates and went to prison for that. Never have I called Adrian or Roger a racist, there actions called them a racist. The comment I have made is that this decision is a racial decision and not a what’s best for the City decision. You and I know Walt this city has been divided racially for forever and a day, but there are certain people like you who are in denial. In order to fix race relation, the problem has to be brought up. Let me point out more FACTS, Roger Bergeron hired Adrian over a black candidate who was more qualified and been in the position for over two years! Lets not forget he did this last year when he chose another less qualified white candidate over a more qualified black candidate for the CFO position. I'm sure both Adrian and Roger are both men of faith, family and community but wasn't slave owners too. Like the saying says, "If it walks like a duck, quack like a duck, talk like a duck, dammit its a DUCK"! If a black mayor would have hired a black candidate over a more qualified white candidate, would that decision be called racist decision? Yes, I know so mister! Hold on, if this black candidate had a felony record would he/she be hired or even chosen as a final candidate? Heck NO!!!!! So as you speak of these two people character, look at the FACTS and their decisions they have made and tell me where their hearts are. Lets not even talk about the council members (R.J. Loupe, Ralph Bergeron, and Hugh Riviere ) who voted for Adrian, were their decisions not racial motivated? Back in April of 2010 when then Mayor Lewis bought the two qualified black candidates to replace the former CFO and CAO, the SAME majority white council members voted no to both of them, but when Mr. Bergeron decided to chose his friend/convicted felon, who was the less qualified candidate its ok. Mr. Riverie made the remark that "its the Mayor decisions so lets go with it" but did he feel the same way about former Mayor Derek Lewis choice? Lets not forget another FACT, there are NO blacks in the upper management positions in the City of Port Allen. Don’t even talk about the fact Mayor Bergeron tried to slide this agenda item in by an AMENDMENT! I really thought this issue should have been discuss in a council meeting where the ENTIRE COMMUNITY could have an opportunity to speak on this issue! So how do you feel on Mayor Bergeron choice to slide this issue under the eyes of the citizens of Port Allen? Well, since you spent time telling your truths about your FRIENDS, I have spoke truths in all my statements, which are backed up by FACTS!!!!!

2) Comment by waltbraud - 15/06/2012

I wanted to comment on the person who made the recent comment on this article. As a long time member of the Knights of Columbus in Port Allen, I am really upset about your misinformed comments about our organization. Let me take a minute to educate you. The Knights of Columbus was founded in by Father Michael J. Mcgivney on October 2, 1881. It is an organization that has now become the largest Catholic family fraternal organization in the world. It was founded to be an organization of catholic men who were to be"the strong right arm of the church". We do many charitable acts that give back thousands of dollars back to our community. As far as your racial statements, let me visit that comment. Since I have been around our council, we have had two practical Catholic African American men who have applied to our council. They were both accepted and are big part of our council and family. Now that you have been educated on that part, let me move on to talk about a couple of my friends. As far as Adrian Genre, I am going to tell you as a friend that I know he is not a racist person at all. Let's really think about it. He currently owns a private business where he can employee any person he chooses. He has multiple African Americans who work for him and they ALL LOVE him. Not only do they work for him, he helps their families in any way that he can. As I think back, I do believe as police Chief, he hired more African Americans than any other race. Mayor Bergeron is also a close friend, mentor, and like a father to me. If you took the few minutes that it took you to write this comment to sit down and really get to know Mayor Bergeron, you will get to know what an incredible man he is. He is a man of faith. family, and community. You will never meet a man with a bigger heart and more passion about what he does and the people he does it for. I would suggest anyone who is a citizen of our city who wants to get to know a great man, take a minute to get to know our Mayor, I am sure he would be happy to sit in his office and chat with anyone. Well, since I spent time explaining the truth, hopefully someone who writes comments like the one you have written will be a man/woman in the future and not hide behind the name of Aconcerncitizen. Thanks for your time.

3) Comment by Aconcerncitzen - 14/06/2012

This is truly a City with some problems!!!!!!! Mayor Bergeron has decided to hire his convicted felon, long-time friend as the Chief Financial Officer. Which makes it even worst the elected council members, Ralph Bergeron, RJ Loupe and Hugh Rivere (who also are friends with Adrian Genre) voted to allow this to happen. Over the past 2 years this city has been face with problems and disappointments. This was the perfect time to restore some kind of integrity back into the City of Port Allen. The CAO position is the person who is in charge of all the personnel and this includes hiring and firing. Why put a person in this position who has racially discriminated against past employees, cost the city thousands of dollars and been to prison. This city has always been divided by race. Here you have a white mayor with a majority white council who has consistently not hire black candidates for management positions. From my understanding Ms. Dalcourt, an african american, has been in this position training and doing the work for over two years now, so why wasn't she hired. This is no different from last year when they oust another african american candidate for the CFO position, to later hire an unqualified person. Remember these were also the same two african american candidates the white council members didn't want in the beginning. Excuses after excuses has been made to not to put these people into these respective positions. Its 2012, its time for a change and the racial division has to end!!!!! Yes, there will be people who will ask why race has to be brought in this and the answer will be because its a racial issue. You truly have to be in denial if you think differently. Another problem with what transpired yesterday is the fact that the Mayor tried to sneak this issue in the regular meeting. This issue should have been placed on the agenda for any citizen with a concern could have spoke. Mr. Genre for my understanding wasn't even at the meaning, instead he was at their local "drinking/after meeting spot (Port Allen KC Hall)" where they all meet later. Should I point out that this KC Hall "Club" is 99% white with no woman! That reads clear as day DISCRIMINATORY! With all the drama that has happen, these are definitely reasons of potential and future lawsuits. This year is an election year, so truly think twice about who you vote for. I will ask that our future politicians be committed to bettering the City of Port Allen, restoring the integrity back into our communities and put your special interest to the side.