Regional planning director resigns

Huey Dugas, executive director of the Capital Region Planning Commission, has resigned, sources tell Daily Report. The resignation has not been publicly announced. A CRPC staffer would not confirm or deny the resignation and referred questions to West Baton Rouge Parish President Riley “Pee Wee” Berthelot, vice chairman of the executive committee that oversees the CRPC. Berthelot did not respond to a call for comment in time for publication. Dugas has directed the CRPC staff since 2010. During that time, the commission has corrected some of the issues that nearly caused its Metropolitan Planning Organization to lose federal accreditation. But many former employees and outside parties who deal with the commission say Dugas mismanages the office and maintains a hostile work environment. More than a dozen employees have resigned or been fired since he took over, including Ray Miller Jr., a former transportation director, who blasted Dugas on his way out the door. The CRPC is supposed to facilitate solving regional transportation issues, and helps local governments decide how to spend federal transportation dollars. For a recent Business Report story about the turmoil at the CRPC, click here. —David Jacobs