The St. Tammany Parish Council voted unanimously to open an investigation into Parish President Mike Cooper and his administration regarding an apartment development proposed for Covington.
The vote came during an at-times contentious meeting where Councilmember David Fitzgerald, whose district includes the site of the development, said he was getting stonewalled by the administration when he sought information on the project.
The 100-unit apartment complex is planned for a five-acre lot where LA 21 and LA 36 meet near the Hwy. 190 bridge. Nearby residents say the area is already congested with traffic, but developers say traffic studies show the roads in the area can handle it.
Fitzgerald said when he asked for details on the development, such as the traffic study, he was told he would have to file a public records request.
"We had to do a public records request," Fitzgerald said, addressing Cooper. "Why didn’t you walk down the hall and give me the data?"
Fitzgerald said by the time he learned of the development less than one month ago, it had already gone through most of the preliminary requirements and was on the verge of getting approval for building permits.
"Many items have to be discovered and worked through to be permitted, and these were happening without the knowledge of the council,," said Fitzgerald.
Cooper called the council's decision to conduct an investigation "demoralizing" for parish staff, and said it was "unwarranted and extreme."
