"It makes it hard to watchdog them when they do things like that.”
Freeport OKs deal in empty chamber
May 3, 2006
By Chris Robinson
The Facts (Clute, Texas)
Copyright 2006
FREEPORT — Councilman Larry McDonald burst out of the municipal courtroom’s wooden doors late Monday night, pausing in the lobby only to shout at City Manager Ron Bottoms that it was wrong for them to act on an item when people outside were unaware council had resumed open session.
Minutes earlier, council wrapped up a closed-door executive session lasting about an hour and approved a settlement agreement with the co-owners of Trico Seafood Co., Dennis Henderson and George Gala.
The settlement allows the city to acquire about 200 acres of Trico’s waterfront property for the proposed marina, provided the city shoulders the cost of moving Trico further down the Old Brazos River and replicating its facilities. No information was available on the cost of the project.
The settlement was approved 4-1, with McDonald opposed. He later said he opposed it because he wasn’t provided with information on the issue before executive session.
Bottoms said he made every effort to check the lobby to announce open session had resumed, but many of those waiting were in the parking lot. Mayor Jim Phillips agreed Bottoms looked as best he could for anyone waiting outside.
McDonald, however, said he believes Bottoms wasn’t thorough because camera equipment owned by Wright Gore III, son of the president of Western Seafood, was left in clear view in a chair outside the courtroom.
No audio recording was available of the action on the settlement, City Secretary Delia Munoz said, because she left before executive session began. However, she said the meeting notes indicated there was no discussion on the item in open session. She also said council normally conducts business with the chamber’s doors closed, regardless of whether the session is open or closed. It was not unusual, then, for the doors to remain closed after Bottoms had entered the lobby to check for anyone when the council reconvened in open session.
Clan Cameron, a candidate for Ward A on council, was one of the people waiting in the parking lot.
“It’s happened before,” he said. “It all boils down to how they’ve made their decision in the executive session. When it gets to public session, it’s already a done deal, but it’s kind of an exclusion thing. … It makes it hard to watchdog them when they do things like that.”
The settlement is part of a larger push by the city and its economic development corporation to acquire privately owned waterfront land for the construction of a marina, which is intended to revitalize downtown Freeport and usher in further economic growth. Though the process has been kept at bay by pending litigation with Western Seafood and Western Shellfish over their properties, council recently approved extending a loan of $219,000 to the EDC for the purchase of the Western Seafood property using eminent domain.
Phillips said Tuesday he expects the funds to be at the court registry by the end of this week, after which Western Seafood will have 45 days to appeal the purchase.
Gore could not be reached for comment on the issue.
Earlier in the meeting, council delayed approval of rezoning 186 acres of property previously annexed by Port Freeport pending a city planning commission recommendation.
Port Executive Director A.J. “Pete” Reixach argued the property would be more beneficial if it was classified as M-2 heavy industrial instead of R-1 residential, but Phillips and members of the planning commission weren’t convinced they should grant the port that classification without further deliberation on the port’s plans for development.
Planning commissioners agreed to present their recommendation at council’s next meeting.
In other business Monday, council:
RESCHEDULED: The next regular council meeting from May 15 to May 22 to canvass election results.
APPROVED: A tax abatement agreement with Air Liquide Large Industries worth about $207,000 for the development of a $7.7 million hydrogen booster station. Air Liquide representatives said Monday the station has been completed.
HEARD: From 19 motorcycle enthusiasts representing seven motorcycle organizations in proclaiming May as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness month. Roddy Mohler of Texas Motorcycle Rights Association II said the presentation was part of a larger push for the eventual addition of motorcycle safety signs, which he would like to see installed at every entrance to Freeport.
Chris Robinson covers Freeport for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0151.
© 2006 The Facts. A Southern Newspapers publication. Published in Clute, Texas. thefacts.com
May 3, 2006
By Chris Robinson
The Facts (Clute, Texas)
Copyright 2006
FREEPORT — Councilman Larry McDonald burst out of the municipal courtroom’s wooden doors late Monday night, pausing in the lobby only to shout at City Manager Ron Bottoms that it was wrong for them to act on an item when people outside were unaware council had resumed open session.
Minutes earlier, council wrapped up a closed-door executive session lasting about an hour and approved a settlement agreement with the co-owners of Trico Seafood Co., Dennis Henderson and George Gala.
The settlement allows the city to acquire about 200 acres of Trico’s waterfront property for the proposed marina, provided the city shoulders the cost of moving Trico further down the Old Brazos River and replicating its facilities. No information was available on the cost of the project.
The settlement was approved 4-1, with McDonald opposed. He later said he opposed it because he wasn’t provided with information on the issue before executive session.
Bottoms said he made every effort to check the lobby to announce open session had resumed, but many of those waiting were in the parking lot. Mayor Jim Phillips agreed Bottoms looked as best he could for anyone waiting outside.
McDonald, however, said he believes Bottoms wasn’t thorough because camera equipment owned by Wright Gore III, son of the president of Western Seafood, was left in clear view in a chair outside the courtroom.
No audio recording was available of the action on the settlement, City Secretary Delia Munoz said, because she left before executive session began. However, she said the meeting notes indicated there was no discussion on the item in open session. She also said council normally conducts business with the chamber’s doors closed, regardless of whether the session is open or closed. It was not unusual, then, for the doors to remain closed after Bottoms had entered the lobby to check for anyone when the council reconvened in open session.
Clan Cameron, a candidate for Ward A on council, was one of the people waiting in the parking lot.
“It’s happened before,” he said. “It all boils down to how they’ve made their decision in the executive session. When it gets to public session, it’s already a done deal, but it’s kind of an exclusion thing. … It makes it hard to watchdog them when they do things like that.”
The settlement is part of a larger push by the city and its economic development corporation to acquire privately owned waterfront land for the construction of a marina, which is intended to revitalize downtown Freeport and usher in further economic growth. Though the process has been kept at bay by pending litigation with Western Seafood and Western Shellfish over their properties, council recently approved extending a loan of $219,000 to the EDC for the purchase of the Western Seafood property using eminent domain.
Phillips said Tuesday he expects the funds to be at the court registry by the end of this week, after which Western Seafood will have 45 days to appeal the purchase.
Gore could not be reached for comment on the issue.
Earlier in the meeting, council delayed approval of rezoning 186 acres of property previously annexed by Port Freeport pending a city planning commission recommendation.
Port Executive Director A.J. “Pete” Reixach argued the property would be more beneficial if it was classified as M-2 heavy industrial instead of R-1 residential, but Phillips and members of the planning commission weren’t convinced they should grant the port that classification without further deliberation on the port’s plans for development.
Planning commissioners agreed to present their recommendation at council’s next meeting.
In other business Monday, council:
RESCHEDULED: The next regular council meeting from May 15 to May 22 to canvass election results.
APPROVED: A tax abatement agreement with Air Liquide Large Industries worth about $207,000 for the development of a $7.7 million hydrogen booster station. Air Liquide representatives said Monday the station has been completed.
HEARD: From 19 motorcycle enthusiasts representing seven motorcycle organizations in proclaiming May as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness month. Roddy Mohler of Texas Motorcycle Rights Association II said the presentation was part of a larger push for the eventual addition of motorcycle safety signs, which he would like to see installed at every entrance to Freeport.
Chris Robinson covers Freeport for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0151.
© 2006 The Facts. A Southern Newspapers publication. Published in Clute, Texas.
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Wednesday, May 03, 2006
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