Regional planning commission hopes to exceed ‘the bare minimum’

The committee that will select a new director for the Capital Region Planning Commission met for the first time today, with hopes of finding a proactive leader who will be successful in drawing down federal dollars for planning and transportation projects. “Right now, this [metropolitan planning organization] is doing just the bare minimum,” says Mary Stringfellow of the Federal Highway Administration. The MPO primarily serves the core areas around Baton Rouge, and is run by the same staff as the CRPC, which serves 11 parishes. Walter Brooks, head of the New Orleans MPO, says technical expertise may be less important than management and communications skills. Current and former employees often criticized the management style of the former director, Huey Dugas, who resigned last month. Stringfellow says the new director would not be in place before the MPO’s “unified planning work program” is due to the Federal Highway Administration and DOTD. Ascension Parish President Tommy Martinez offered to let Ray Miller, the former CRPC transportation director who was fired by Dugas and now works for Ascension, help with the transition. However, because Miller is expected to apply for the executive director position, that idea was ruled out as a possible conflict, says West Baton Rouge Parish President Riley Berthelot. Brooks has offered to help out instead. The expected salary range for the next director is $120,000 to $160,000. —David Jacobs