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'���„,,,,��� STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> p�pF LOU,'. DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> ptti,� �usrSj'• <br /> S r�;,,0�_ LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> Illnrir 1„III P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> II"°, " $ BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> C0*F,i;06 / (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.Ia.gov <br /> December 18, 2017 <br /> Hon. James B. Cantrelle <br /> President, Lafourche Parish Government <br /> Post Office Drawer 5548 <br /> Thibodaux, Louisiana 70302 <br /> Re: Ethics Board Docket No.2017-1169 <br /> Dear Mr. Cantrelle: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its December 15, 2017 Board meeting, considered your request <br /> for an advisory opinion as to whether you could rent an apartment to an employee of the Lafourche <br /> Parish Government. You stated that you are currently the Lafourche Parish President and that you <br /> own twenty-five percent of Country Square, LLC with your wife, son and daughter owning the <br /> remaining seventy-five percent in equal amounts. You stated that Country Square, LLC owns an <br /> apartment complex that an employee of the Lafourche Parish Government is interested in renting at <br /> fair market value without any discount. You stated that you have no management interest in the <br /> apartment complex as that duty is handled by Cantrelle Heating and A.C.which is wholly owned by <br /> your son, James Cantrelle,II. <br /> The Board concluded and instructed me to inform you that the Code of Governmental Ethics would <br /> prohibit you from renting the apartment to an employee of the Lafourche Parish Government. La. <br /> R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) prohibits a public servant and a legal entity in which the public servant <br /> exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent,from receiving compensation <br /> for services rendered to any person who has or is seeking to obtain a business, contractual or <br /> financial relationship with the public servant's agency. La.I .S.42:1102(20.1)defines"service"as <br /> the performance of work, duties, or responsibilities, or the leasing, rental, or sale of movable or <br /> immovable property. Your ownership interest in Country Square, LLC of twenty-five percent <br /> coupled with your wife's ownership interest of twenty-five percent which is community property and <br /> therefore owned equally by you result in an ownership interest in excess of twenty-five percent. The <br /> Code of Governmental Ethics would therefore prohibit Country Square, LLC from receiving <br /> compensation for rental of the apartment to an employee of your agency. <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />