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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> ,0* ovi'• DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> �'<�oM o S�yQ <br /> 4 Ate= LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> P.0.BOX 4368 <br /> BATON ROUGE, LA 70821 <br /> (225)219-5600 <br /> "°,, FAX (225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> March 20, 2017 <br /> Mr. Scotty Baudoin <br /> M and E Consulting <br /> 1304 Bertrand Dr. <br /> Suite A6 <br /> Lafayette, La. 70506 <br /> Re: Board Docket No. 2017-179 <br /> Dear Mr. Baudoin: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its March 17, 2017 meeting, considered your request for <br /> an advisory opinion regarding whether the Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit your <br /> company, M and E Consulting,from providing consulting services to general and sub-contractors, <br /> when M and E Consulting will be reviewing their work on private and public projects. The <br /> consulting services would be regarding the best management practices to companies to help the <br /> companies improve performance and efficiency. <br /> You stated that M and E Consulting is a licensed mechanical and electrical engineering <br /> consulting firm which provides engineering design services to architects, private companies and <br /> public entities. When M and E Consulting reviews the work of a contractor for a public entity, it is <br /> responsible for observing the work of general, mechanical and electrical contractors to make sure <br /> the work is being installed per the intent of the contract documents and in compliance with the <br /> Engineering Code. <br /> You stated that M and E Consulting has contracts with the University of Louisiana, at <br /> Lafayette, Lafayette Consolidate Government and a number of other public agencies to provide <br /> review services on ongoing construction projects. M and E Consulting is also the subcontractor for <br /> review services to architects and engineers whose contracts are with public entities. Further, you <br /> stated that the employee of M and E Consulting that provides the services on the contracts to oversee <br /> the public jobs would also be providing the consulting services regarding the best management <br /> practices to companies to help the companies improve performance and efficiency.Also,you would <br /> expect that the companies would utilize the management services you would supply to efficiently <br /> complete the project they are currently working on. <br /> In BD No. 2009-378,a copy of which is enclosed,the Board concluded that an architecture <br /> firm was a public employee,and as such,was subject to the Code of Governmental Ethics within the <br /> confines of its contract with the State of Louisiana. Absent specific information about the <br /> contractual services provided, the Board declined to render an opinion. However, the Board <br /> instructed me to inform you that as a public employee, M and E Consulting would be prohibited <br /> from rendering any service to a company when M and E Consulting reviews that company's work <br /> for a public entity. La. R.S. 42:1111 C(2)(d) prohibits a public employee from receiving a thing of <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />