PUBLISHED APRIL 5
By Abigail Allen Editor & Publisher
Again the governance subcommittee was a key point of discussion at the March 28 Pilot Point City Council meeting.
Multiple council members spoke about the purpose of the committee, which was attended by all but Mayor Pro Tem Andrew Ambrosio.
“‘The city council shall determine, by ordinance, resolution or otherwise, its own rules of order and business,’” council member Chad Major read from the charter, adding “where the word shall is used, that means it will be done.”
Major, who is also a member of the subcommittee, cited section 8.01 of the charter, which outlines how to form boards and commissions.
“By bringing forward recommendations for improved and well-defined procedures, we can do the city’s business more efficiently, saving everyone time,” Major said.
Ray Dane, who was selected as the chairman of subcommittee, clarified, too, that the subcommittee will focus on policies, procedures and guidance for how the council handles business, not pre-reviewing all of the items that are set to come before the full council.
Council member Elizabeth Jones read a statement, punctuated by laughter and scoffs from the crowd, in which she said, “I personally recommended the three leaders for the governance committee for their wisdom, leadership, honesty, integrity and more importantly their fairness to all.”
Jones also said the elected officials had been discussing the idea in a council retreat and in closed sessions since September.
Heitzman said he wanted “to publicly challenge this dais and myself to hold onto” the principle of working together.
“I will find a way to disagree with civility and kindness, and I need to work on that better, but I think we all do, everybody in the room,” he said.
A few attendees spoke in support of the governance subcommittee, including William Harrison, John Haughton and former council member Andy Singleton.
Singleton, who served on a subcommittee of two council members to investigate the issues within Yarbrough Farms, said establishing this governance subcommittee is within the rules set by the charter.
He also talked about the danger over phone calls or social media posts of a walking quorum.
“If she calls him, asks him something, calls him and then calls him, you’ve got a walking quorum,” Singleton said. “That’s illegal. You can go to jail for that.”
Multiple community members, including Kelley Burgess, Micky Nortman and Amy McEvoy, said they believe the mayor to be the only transparent member behind the dais.
“For me, I think it’s a trust issue,” Jordan Harr of Kainos Community CrossFit said about the council.
He also questioned the lack of diversity on the subcommittee and whether other residents will be able to participate.
Kevin Muenchow voiced his unwavering support of Mayor Elisa Beasley, describing her as having an “incorruptible heart.”
When Jones’ nominations were questioned in the meeting, Beasley asked her to explain why she selected Dane, Major and Brian Heitzman and did not nominate the mayor.
During Jones’ response, Beasley asked an additional question, and the two began speaking at the same time.
“Excuse me, I wasn’t done,” Jones said.
“Just a second,” Beasley said.
“That’s why,” Jones said.
During the council discussion, Beasley passed a highlighted portion of the Open Meetings Act to the city attorney, Brenda Mc-Donald, saying that having a closed subcommittee meeting on March 25 is at least “on the fringe of putting the city in danger of breaking the Open Meetings Act.”
“You should not have allowed them to meet until we had absolutely posted a public notification to allow the public to know that they would meet,” Beasley said.
Code enforcement was also a focus on March 28.
Long-time Pilot Point property owner Gretta Buchanan spoke about concerns about the code department and the police department.
“I feel like they need to respect the citizens more and try to work with us more instead of hampering us,” she said.
Beasley said she agreed with Dane that she would like to see the staff be “hard on the process, soft on the people.”
Code Compliance Manager Leo Bonanno asked in turn for the council to update its policies to reflect what his department should enforce.
“We have the opportunity to make a better book,” Bonanno said.
The council also voted to establish a municipal court of record in the city, and it also voted for a “resolution to support an application to USDOT for FY 2024 Safe Streets and Roads For All funding.”
During the public comment section, multiple people also discussed the state of the police department, including former PPPD staff member Justin Carlson, Realtor Carrie Millett, Buchanan and business owner Nate Smith.
“It’s no secret that our police department is basically a revolving door at this point,” Smith said. “Our police officers continue to ask for help and it appears to fall on deaf ears.”
He added that Chief Rex Marks’ leadership style might be “just not the right fit” for the department.
The council will have a workshop at the April 11 meeting about the PPPD.
Also at the meeting, the council recognized Ronda Robinson, owner of Signal Sign, for celebrating 40 years in business; appointed Kent Billiter to the Municipal Development District; approved the unmodified and clean audit for fiscal year 2022-23; and approved security upgrades to the city’s Public Works facilities.
The council also authorized City Manager Britt Lusk to enter into a professional services agreement with Centurion American Acquisitions LLC for the Bryson Ranch development.
Following the executive session, the council and mayor voted unanimously to extend Lusk’s contract to 2027 and to give him a roughly 7% raise, which brings his salary to $196,000, below the market average of a little over $200,000.
