THE OFFICE ODYSSEY   3 / 28 / 08

HOW MANY ROOMS DO WE NEED?  MR. CLARK GETS AN OFFICE

Rumsfeld had "known unknowns" and "unknown unknowns":  the La PD Board knew it wanted offices in Baton Rouge, but couldn't figure out which space to rent because it didn't know who was going to be "officing" there.  New Orleans?  They don't know who's going to be there, either.

The human toll was on Clark Gradney, the Fiscal Officer, who was driving to New Orleans three days a week.  Now, we have been critical of this Board for many things, but its hard to see how the Chief Defender wouldn't ask the Baton Rouge Capital Office to give Clark a desk, or make other arrangements to let him be the Baton Rouge presence of the La PD Board. 

In any event, with the Board unable to grasp several proposed leases,  the Board opted to simply authorize Clark to contract for acceptable space for himself in Baton Rouge, ASAP.  So there will be the statutory "Baton Rouge Office" after all.  With computers, we can work in any office from anywhere. 

It seems the Board is not going to make many hires until Jean Faria can put in her preferences,  so it is likely the Clark Office will be the presence for the State PD Board for the short term in BR.  But we hope the board or staff just hires a Realtor to help them with locating and contracting for space when the time comes.  This is going to be a big lease, and the Board should be able to phase up its space as folks are added to the State Staff.