The Mandeville City Council is in the hole-plugging business, holes the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office said the Mandeville city government is riddled with.

The report, released in August, found dozens of mishaps with city operations, including the lack of policies governing city-issued credit cards, vehicles and Fuelman cards.

The report also found Mayor Eddie Price and several employees guilty of misusing city funds and accepting gifts from city-hired vendors. The City Council took immediate action once the report went public and passed an employee travel policy, a city-issued credit card policy and introduced a vehicle fleet policy yet to be adopted.

The council’s most recent productivity could be its most important with the creation of a Charter Review Committee and a Code of Conduct Committee.

Under the current city charter, which hasn’t been updated in 20 years, the City Council has hardly any say-so over the dealings of the mayor.

“It’s heavily weighted toward a strong mayoral form of government,” Mayor Pro Tem Trilby Lenfant said.

In part, that’s the purpose of forming the charter committee, Lenfant said, “to look at whether or not we need a fundamental realignment of the balance of powers.”

The auditor’s report found faults within the city, involving the distribution of city-issued vehicles and credit cards. Even though Price and Finance Director Milton Steibing were named in the report for misusing city vehicles and credit cards, they’re ultimately responsible for the distribution of the city’s credit/purchasing cards and vehicles.

That’s another facet of the charter the council hopes to address with the new committee.

The council also formed the Code of Conduct Committee to develop strict ethic guidelines for anyone doing business with, employed by or elected by the city.

“The citizens and businesses of Mandeville are entitled to responsible, fair and honest city government which has earned the public’s full confidence for integrity,” the resolution said.

This committee also comes as a result of the “possible breaches of ethical standards” found in the auditor’s report.

Both committees feature City Attorney David Cressy, two appointments by each councilman at large, one appointment by each district councilman, one appointment by the mayor and two council members selected by the council.

Charter Review Committee

Price appointed resident Lynn Mitchell for his experience working on the last revision made to the charter.

Lenfant appointed local attorney Brian Koukoutchos, who specializes in balancing powers, and attorney Matt Ehrlicher. Councilman Jerry Coogan appointed attorney Randy Russell, while Councilwoman Carla Buchholz appointed James Bouloware who currently serves a consultant for the U.S. Surpreme Court in technical services, and Councilman Jeff Bernard chose former Councilman and former state representative Edward Deano. Lenfant and Coogan will also serve on the committee.

Code of Conduct Committee

Price chose resident John Meyer, no relation to Rick Meyer, owner of the city’s engineering firm, Meyer Engineers, who was cited in the report as supplying Price and Steibing with lavish vacations via his private plane.

Lenfant appointed former journalist Richard Boyd, who is active in the community and a member of the Friends of the Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Jazz Hall board of directors. Lenfant also chose local psychologist Carol Self.

Coogan appointed Fire Protection District 4 Chief Rick Tassin, Buchholz chose Rhonda Alleman, and Bernard appointed Jim Incaprera.

Bernard and Buchholz will also serve on the committee.

Councilwoman at Large Adelaide Boettner, who has been ill, has yet to make her appointments.