Two members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority, East resigned effective Monday, leaving the nine-member commission with just five voting members and cranking up anxiety over who is actually steering the agency that is supposed to shield New Orleans from storm surge. The exits land on top of an allegation that a board member punched the levee authority’s police chief, a claim that has brought misdemeanor charges and invited fresh outside scrutiny.
Police Superintendent Joshua Rondeno has filed misdemeanor battery charges alleging that board member Deborah Settoon struck him during a closed-door meeting last October, and he has also filed a formal complaint alleging racial discrimination. Settoon denies the allegation and has pleaded not guilty. The twin departures, Settoon and Randall Noel, shrink the board’s working quorum and make routine business harder at an agency that oversees critical flood infrastructure, according to NOLA.com.
A Board Already Under Stress
The latest stumble follows months of turmoil at the authority, including earlier walkouts and very public fights over whether to expand the role of its police force and how appointments should be made. The Bureau of Governmental Research has documented prior resignations and warned that changes pushed by outside advisers risk politicizing an authority that was created after Katrina to keep levee decisions at arm’s length from partisan influence, according to the Bureau of Governmental Research.
Police Role And The Spending Fight
Rondeno has defended recent equipment purchases and expanded training, arguing that the moves are needed to keep officers safe and respond to growing demands along the lakefront. Local reporting shows the agency has stepped up visible patrols and put more emphasis on event and crowd response in recent months, a shift that regulars along the lakeshore view with mixed feelings. See reporting from WWNO for background on policing changes and security operations.
Attorney General Probe And Political Fallout
The Louisiana attorney general’s office has opened a probe into the levee authority and brought in an outside law firm to review board conduct, while some state lawmakers say they are weighing legislation to tighten oversight. Senate President Cameron Henry has labeled the board completely and utterly dysfunctional and said lawmakers are considering steps to get this board under control, language that shows how the governance fight has moved from the boardroom to the Capitol, as reported by NOLA.com.
With storm season looming and the authority responsible for a multi-billion-dollar hurricane protection system, watchdogs say the latest personnel shuffle brings real operational risks. Local governance groups and former board critics warn that the rapid turnover and very public infighting will increase pressure on state officials to decide whether to step in or let the agency try to rebuild its own governing capacity, according to the Bureau of Governmental Research.
