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City still waiting for a response from NOAH contractors

07:13 PM CDT on Friday, October 10, 2008

Lee Zurik / Eyewitness News

Video: Watch the Story

Two months after it sent a letter to 26 NOAH contractors, asking for proof of work, the City of New Orleans is still waiting on a response from 6 of those contractors.

An investigation by Eyewitness revealed some homes NOAH claimed its contractors remediated either didn't exist or didn't have any work done by the non-profit. After conducting its own inspection, the city found 46 properties that NOAH invoiced the city for work, but the work was not done.

The city attorney sent a letter to the contractors, asking for proof of work and required a response by august 15.

Since then, the city has received reimbursement from one contractor, Training Connection, for about $2,500 for a house on Crowder Boulevard that the contractor admitted it did not gut.

Late last month, the city sent a letter to another contractor, Dominick Willard, saying, "The information you provided to this office is deemed insufficient." The city asked Willard to provide the proper proof of work, or send the city a reimbursement check by October 10. Willard is the brother of New Orleans City Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis.

And also late last month, six contractors received another letter from the city because they never provided any information or proof of work.

Among the companies sent a second letter by the city, three had with ties to former NOAH Executive Director Stacey Jackson. Doucette Associated contractors works out of a NOAH-owned property.

Hall Enterprises, the highest-paid contractor in the home remediation program's owner, Richard Hall, is a cousin of Stacey Jackson. Parish Dubuclet owner, Trellis Smith, the second highest-paid contractor owns a store in Canal Place with Jackson.

Meantime, the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office continues to investigate the home remediation program. Eyewitness News talked to several attorneys over the past month, since Gustav, none have heard anything from federal investigators.

Sources said investigators have spent the last month looking at the many subpoenaed documents received from the Nagin administration, City Council, NOAH offices and contractors.