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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> 4r LOt DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> CIi 7. <br /> 9y= LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> • BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> °+Plea d (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> July 23,2018 <br /> Mr. Chad A.Duffaut <br /> Chief of Administration <br /> St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 <br /> 1358 Corporate Square <br /> Slidell,Louisiana 70458 <br /> Re: Louisiana Board of Ethics <br /> Docket No. 2018-631 <br /> Dear Mr. Duffaut, <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its July 20, 2018,meeting, considered your request for an ad- <br /> visory opinion as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") would prohibit certain <br /> businesses from entering into transactions with the St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 <br /> ("Fire District"). <br /> You stated that the Fire District is seeking estimates to rebuild a boat dock behind the fire sta- <br /> tion. One potential business to complete the work is Sauter and Sauter Ltd. d/b/a Distinctive <br /> Design Construction, LLC,which is owned by Gerald Sauter. Mr. Sauter's son, Brandon Sauter, <br /> is employed by the Fire District as a firefighter. <br /> You also stated that the Fire District is seeking estimates to perform repair work on a Fire Dis- <br /> trict vehicle. One potential business is Alex's Body Shop,which is owned by Alejandro Gonzales. <br /> Mr. Gonzales's son,Ryan Gonzales,is employed by the Fire District as a firefighter. <br /> La. R.S. 42:1113A(1)(a) provides that no public servant, or member of such a public servant's <br /> immediate family, or legal entity in which he has a controlling interest, shall bid on or enter into <br /> any contract, subcontract,or other transaction that is under the supervision or jurisdiction of the <br /> agency of such public servant. La. R.S. 42:1102(13) defines "immediate family member" to in- <br /> clude a public servant's parent. La. R.S. 42:1102(8) defines "controlling interest" to mean any <br /> ownership in any legal entity by or on behalf of an individual, or member of his immediate <br /> family, either individually or collectively,which exceeds twenty-five percent of that legal entity. <br /> The Board concluded, and instructed me to inform you, that Sauter and Sauter Ltd. d/b/a Dis- <br /> tinctive Design Construction, LLC and Gerald Sauter would be prohibited by Section <br /> 1113A(1)(a) from bidding on or entering into contracts, subcontracts, or other transactions to <br /> provide services to the Fire District while Brandon Sauter is employed by the Fire District. <br /> Page 1 of 2 (Docket No. 2018-631) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />