Backstory: Sept. 2018, our CTA refused to provide us with information to allow us to move forward in the program. I knew what we needed but he refused to answer our emails and our questions. We reported him to the state from the director to the Governor and nothing was done about it. Frustrated by the state not requiring this person to communicate with us I requested all the emails between him and his manager Paul Roberts of P.W.R. LLC a sub-contractor working on a federal program under the guidance of the state of Louisiana. I found that not only did this person not want to answer our questions he actually asked his manager if you could not reply to our emails anymore. Once I learned about his actions and the actions of his manager I sent the emails to the states director. He was removed from his position but it was months later and we had no forward progress with our disaster recovery in the HUD CDBG-DR program because of two people.

Our CTA's email to his manager Paul Roberts, "I don't want to answer his questions, he finds fault in everything I say."

I suggest you do the same if you have issues with local and state workers and sub-contractors with the state. Do not allow a person like we had penalize you and make you suffer from stress as we have with the state workers and sub-contractors in Louisiana. 

Take Action: 
Most State workers and Sub-Contractors for the state use a 3 contact rule. Not all, but most will attempt 3 times to communicate with you. Often this changes and you the citizen will not be informed of the change. In the case of our HUD CDBG-DR program the change was from 3 attempts per month to 3 attempts in 7 days. There are no policies that offer timelines or even state the case worker or state worker has to reply to you. Even the Governors Executive Order has no provision to enforce two-way communications.

Allowed methods of communications: 

1. By appointment in their offices if applicable.
2. USPS Mail 
3. Phone call
4. Email

Normal and Expected Response times.

• State Workers to include directors and managers.
• Sub-Contractors to include corporate offices.

If you are reading this you have reached the point you are now documenting to the second everything you communicate with the state or local government. It is best to use only email at this point. 

>> SEND EMAIL ONLY!

General Communications:

• Allow 3 business hours for response that they are working on your issue.
• Allow time they reference in the response email to address / resolve your issue.
• If no actual time is referenced email every 3 business hours until a time is put in print for you.
• Set your timer or calendar for a follow up email from the given time.
• If any issue takes longer than 3 days you must email the program manager or state manager.
• Allow 3 business days to address your issue.
• If after 3 business days a state director or sub-contractor manager does not respond to you, then email the next person up the chain and explain your issue and list each person you reached out to that did not respond or address your issue.
• If you are still not getting a response take to Social Media.

DO NOT write in a way that sounds like you are in need of empathy or compassion. Neither has fixed a roof leak from my research.

Communicating with State OCD-DRU people under contract with the federal assistance program HUD CDBG-DR.

• Have your policy argument evidence documented.
• Keep your requests for review under 250 words.
• Reference Facts only.
• Offer no emotional information or personal feelings. (Feel, Felt, Found doesn't work)
• Give one business day for a simple reply.
• Give 3 business days for follow ups.
• After 5 business days if no word you can go public because they have just ignored you.

It takes practice talking with people that work in government. Many still understand how to communicate with the citizens they work for while others are placing walls between the state services that are to provide a service to the citizens between the citizens. 

Note: If you have a specific case that does not match what is published here please use the research resources links to submit the issue or use the contact page form.