Thursday, March 02, 2023

Council Slapdown of COSADC Nears End


On March 7th San Angelo City Council will consider Development Corporation bylaws revisions under their Consent Agenda.  The changes have been reduced to Executive Director purchasing authorities.

There should be no need for First Vice President John Bariou to speak on the matter, not that Council had any interest in hearing concerns about Development Corporation independence under Texas law.  

The next task is get an Executive Director hired and update the City Services agreement.  Former Economic Development Director Guy Andrews had concerns about the fairness of the City Services agreement and dysfunction in the City Manager's office.  Those remarks and initial bylaws changes stoked City Council's ire.

Assistant City Manager Michael Dane noted this in the last COSADC meeting"

"How will we approve/propose items that will be well received by Council?"

"We are good with her (the Mayor) as of 4:30 pm yesterday."

Time will tell if this conflict has been managed or buried, only to rise again in a major storm.

Update 3-7-23:  City Council approved the minor bylaws change.  After Executive Session Council approved a number of Development Corporation Board members.  John Bariou's name was not among the nominees approved.  City Council enacted their desired discipline on behalf of Dane and Valenzuela.

1 comment:

John Bariou said...

You seem to have missed the “encoded” Agenda Item that follows the Council’s closed session. It cites the fresh appointments and reappointments of COSADC Board of Directors in which I, John Bariou, am quietly being removed as Director/First Vice President by the nomination of a replacement by Council Member Karen Hesse-Smith (SMD5).
This is without a doubt a move to silence any further correction of the ILLEGAL actions to operate a Texas Economic Development Corporation parented by the City of San Angelo in a manner inconsistent with Texas Law.
If you have any questions regarding this fact, please feel free to contact me at:
JEBariou@GMail.com or Cell: 325-234-2500

It has been a privilege to serve my fellow citizens of San Angelo as a steward of YOUR tax dollars as a Director on the Board of YOUR economic development corporation (NOT a department of the City) for some 11 years.

Contrary to Council’s desire to ignore the TRUTH, I will no longer be constrained by the protocols of bureaucracy, nor will my (the people’s) voice be silenced by my dismissal from the Board.

Respectfully,
John Bariou