Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority
Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting
The regular meeting for the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority was held July 24, 2025
at 3:00 p.m. in Senator Circle at 124 K Senator Circle, Houma, Louisiana.
Chairperson Hebert called the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners to order at 3:00 p.m. followed by the Invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Chairperson Hebert stated that this is the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
Upon roll call, the following Commissioners were recorded as present:
Commissioners: G. Burke, J. Boykin, D. Sherman, D. Picou and C. Hebert
Absent: None
Also present: Mrs. Nikita Gilton, Executive Director, Mr. Jamie McDaniels, Sulzer Group, Mr. Brandon Decuir, Legal, Mrs. Tiffany Stokes, Housing Supervisor, Ms. Tamara Matthews, Procurement, Mr. Tyson Brown, XPSynergy; Justin Coleman, Maintenance and Stephanie Trott, Sulzer Group
Continuing with the agenda, Item #4, Order of the Day/ Approval of Agenda; Mrs. Gilton said the agenda will proceed as published.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #5, Public Comment; Chairperson Hebert called upon Mr. Robbie Liner. Mr. Liner said a couple of weeks ago, a friend of his came to one of the meetings and heard the situation. He reached out to him and said that he might have something that they (HTHA) would like. He has an apartment complex on the westside of Houma, behind the mall, 116 apartments. He is in the process of remodeling them. It is not for sale but for this board and this situation he would consider selling it. It has been appraised and he has the value of what it would cost to finish it out. He is in the process of putting new windows, new AC’s, new floors, new stainless-steel appliances, new fixtures, plumbing, toilets, lighting, new insulation and new sheetrock where needed. It received some damage from Ida. He is putting brand new roofs on them. He has 32 apartments complete. He has 47 two bedrooms, two baths; 32 one bedrooms, one bath. He also has 20 townhouses that are two bedrooms and a bath and a half; and 17 bedrooms and two baths. He said they are well built. Through Ida, they just had some roof damage. Besides that, no structural damage at all. It is not in a flood zone. It is in flood zone X. It is in walking distance from Walgreens and Rouses.
Vice Chairperson Picou asked if they could visit these apartments. Mr. Liner said absolutely. They can see the ones that have been complete. He has 32 complete and 19 people moving in. He said if it is something that they are interested in, obviously, he would stop renting it out to the public. Timing is of the essence. He is working on completing about an apartment complex per month. It is an 8-acre property. It has the oak trees on it. It is right over 100 years old. They are the green ones right behind the mall. The ones what are white are completed. The ones what are still green is the ones they did not get to yet.
Chairperson Hebert asked if they are behind the old Kirschman’s. Mr. Liner said they border the St. Bernadette School. If you pass by the Kirschman’s building/Big Lots and go straight, you run straight into it.
Mr. Liner said it was appraised for 8.5. He has about three million left to put in it because he is putting all brand-new mini splits and so forth. The ticket price is right around 11.5. Obviously if they want to negotiate a little bit, he would definitely be willing to work with them. If this does fall through, they will not see it for sale. This would be the only way he will sell it. He has been here his who life, a business owner, if he can help he will. If it is not something for them, it is fine. They will keep moving forward with what they are doing. Chairperson Hebert asked for a business card.
Commissioner Boykin asked Mr. Liner how old was his appraisal. Mr. Liner said four months. Commissioner Boykin asked who was the appraiser. Mr. Liner said it was somebody out of New Orleans. Not everyone could appraise that type of facility. The bank got it appraised. Commissioner Boykin asked if it was his own personal appraisal or bank appraisal. Mr. Liner said South Louisiana Bank.
Mr. Liner said if they get a chance and haven’t been there, go ride and look at the apartments.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #6, Approval of Minutes from May 22, 2025 regular board
meeting; motioned to approve by Commissioner Sherman, seconded by Vice Chairperson Picou. Chairperson Hebert called for the vote:
UPON ROLL CALL THERE WAS RECORDED
YEAS: G. Burke, J. Boykin, D. Sherman, D. Picou, and C. Hebert
NAYS: None
ABSTAINING: None
ABSENT: None Motion carried
Continuing with the agenda, Item #7, Bills and Communications, Item #7A, Approval of Pay
Vouchers for the period of May 10, 2025-July 10, 2025; motioned to approve by Commissioner Burke, seconded by Vice Chairperson Picou. Chairperson Hebert called for the vote:
UPON ROLL CALL THERE WAS RECORDED
YEAS: G. Burke, J. Boykin, D. Sherman, D. Picou, and C. Hebert
NAYS: None
ABSTAINING: None
ABSENT: None Motion carried
Continuing with the agenda, Item #7B, Monthly Financials-March 2025; Item #7B1, Memo from Fee Accountant to Board of Commissioners; Item #7B2, Balance Sheet for March 2025; Item #7B3,Income and Expense Statements for March 2025; Item #7B4,Public Housing Financial Assessment Score for the month of March 2025; Item #7B5,Bank Reconciliation.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #7C, Monthly Financials-April 2025; Item #7C1, Memo from Fee Accountant to Board of Commissioners; Item #7C2, Balance Sheet for April 2025; Item #7C3,Income and Expense Statements for April 2025; Item #7C4,Public Housing Financial Assessment Score for the month of April 2025; Item #7C5,Bank Reconciliation.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #7D, Monthly Financials-May 2025; Item #7D1, Memo from Fee Accountant to Board of Commissioners; Item #7D2, Balance Sheet for May 2025; Item #7D3,Income and Expense Statements for May 2025; Item #7D4,Public Housing Financial Assessment Score for the month of May 2025; Item #7D5,Bank Reconciliation.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #8, Report of the Secretary / Executive Director–Agency Update; Mrs. Gilton reported that her agency update is in the packet if they had any questions in regards to it.
Mrs. Gilton also said to the board that she feels like she is in a hostile work environment.
She reiterated that if there was anything in her agency update that they needed her to elaborate on, she would.
Mrs. Gilton called upon Mr. Jamie McDaniels & Mr. Tyson Brown to do a presentation. Mr. Brown said the presentation revolves around the recovery project in which they have named Coming Home. The project has been divided into five main pillars, vendor engagement & development, Housing Task Force, Data Collection & Analysis, Project Communications, Quality of Life & Self Sufficiency, when there are residents. He went through each pillar and discussed.
Mr. McDaniels discussed the reconstruction of Senator Circle, Phase 1 & Phase 2 Preliminary Schedule. Mrs. Gilton provided him an overarching guidance on where she wanted to go.
Mr. McDaniels reported regarding the FEMA projects; Senator Circle is closer to getting through the FEMA process. Still waiting on Bayou Towers. There is a meeting with the FEMA Consolidated Resource Center to try to talk about Bayou Towers and finalize that.
Chairperson Hebert asked if the RFP’s are going out in September and what are they waiting on. Mr. McDaniels said the drawings. The original thought what they were going to repair those units. There were over four hundred pages the architect provided to do the repair. There is the FEMA 50% process and then there is the NFIP. In the FEMA process, if it is 50% then they pay to rebuild it to include elevation. If the elevation was not damaged, it cannot be included in FEMA Public Assistance. With the National Flood Program, it does not matter if FEMA is paying for it or if FEMA is not. With the appraisal of the units, it was going to be substantially damaged which mean they would have to elevate and FEMA was not going to pay for those. They quickly shifted gears to plan b which was to reconstruct the units using the same foundation. They preliminary have HUD’s approval to use the same foundation, same footprint. So, it was switched from a repair model to a reconstruction model. Each building has to have individual building plans to get a permit. So, they are looking at 120 buildings that has to have building plans. He received the go ahead from HUD to change to that on July 3rd.
Chairperson Hebert said she thought they were closer than this. Mr. McDaniels said they are pressing the architect to get as much work done as possible. August 25th is when they will have the documentation and they should be ready for the Request for Proposal by September 5th
Continuing with the agenda, Item #9, Consideration and approval of interagency agreement with Eunice Housing Authority; motioned to approve by Vice Chairperson Picou, seconded by Commissioner Burke. Chairperson Hebert called for the vote:
UPON ROLL CALL THERE WAS RECORDED
YEAS: G. Burke, J. Boykin, D. Sherman, D. Picou, and C. Hebert
NAYS: None
ABSTAINING: None
ABSENT: None Motion carried
Mrs. Gilton said HUD reached out at the end of May with the Chairperson there and asked her to oversee Eunice Housing Authority. She has hired a lady there that has previously worked for Houma Terrebonne Housing Authority and is training her to be the Executive Director, where she can run Eunice Housing Authority.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #10, Discussion and possible action relative to naming the Official Journal 2025-26 for the Houma Terrebonne Housing Authority as required by LRS 43:171; Mrs. Gilton reported that The Courier was the only response. Motioned to approve by Commissioner Sherman, seconded by Commissioner Burke. Chairperson Hebert called for the vote:
UPON ROLL CALL THERE WAS RECORDED
YEAS: G. Burke, J. Boykin, D. Sherman, D. Picou, and C. Hebert
NAYS: None
ABSTAINING: None
ABSENT: None Motion carried
Continuing with the agenda, Item #11, Discuss and possible action relative to updating HTHA By-laws (Chairperson Hebert); Chairperson Hebert said in lieu of what happened at the Council meeting, Mr. Champagne brought up a good point; it doesn’t take much time. They explained to them why they went to meetings every other month. She spoke with Nikki and Brandon. What he did was reconstruct the bylaws. Motioned to approve by Vice Chairperson Picou, seconded by Sherman. Chairperson Hebert called for the vote:
UPON ROLL CALL THERE WAS RECORDED
YEAS: G. Burke, J. Boykin, D. Sherman, D. Picou, and C. Hebert
NAYS: None
ABSTAINING: None
ABSENT: None Motion carried
Chairperson Hebert told Mr. Decuir he did an awesome job.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #12, Commissioner Comments; Vice Chairperson Picou thanked the Sulzer Group for what they were doing. In talking with other people that is waiting on FEMA, they are no better than HTHA. It’s a waiting game. He believes they are on the right track right now and about to put it in their laps. He wanted to thank them for that.
Chairperson Hebert thanked Mr. McDaniels and Mr. Brown for their presentation.
Commissioner Sherman thanked the Sulzer Group for the work they are doing, as well as the project director, management and overseer. He said they have a very significant architecture planners, engineers, research analyst on the team and they appreciate their efforts, genuinely.
Continuing with the agenda, Item 13, Next Regular Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, 2025; 3:00 p.m., 124 K Senator Circle; Houma, LA 70363.
Continuing with the agenda, Item #14, Adjournment; Motioned to approve by Commissioner Sherman, seconded by Commissioner Burke. Chairperson Hebert called for the vote:
UPON ROLL CALL THERE WAS RECORDED
YEAS: G. Burke, J. Boykin, D. Sherman, D. Picou, and C. Hebert
NAYS: None
ABSTAINING: None
ABSENT: None Motion carried
Meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.