Cedar Park officials admit meeting violation

AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Dec. 1 obtained an admission from several Cedar Park City Council officials that they violated the state’s open meetings law last spring during negotiations to remove the city manager from office.

As part of the admission, the officials agreed to complete open government training, and to participate in legislative activities next session to promote any new law advocating open government education for public officials.

Special prosecutor Brandy Byrd-Hallford, an assistant attorney general, deferred criminal prosecution for 180 days in order for the city officials to complete the terms of the agreement.

The council members who have been under investigation for open meetings violations are Bob Antle, Tina Collier, Scott Mitchell, Phil Duprey (now resigned), Art Nelson and Bob Young, the former mayor who is cooperating with the attorney general as part of a plea bargain.

The investigation by the attorney general, through the Williamson County District Attorney’s office, revealed that council members convened several illegal meetings in March to discuss the imminent termination of then City Manager Robert Powers, who subsequently resigned.

Bartlett officials to attend training

BARTLETT — Bell County prosecutors dropped open meetings charges against six Bartlett council members after the Texas Municipal League certified that the officials had attended training on the state meetings laws.

The council members were charged Sept. 22 with violating the Texas Open Meetings Act after entering into executive session June 7 without having posted the closed portion of the meeting on the agenda.

Through a plea bargain the council members agreed to attend open meetings training in exchange for the Class B misdemeanor charges being dropped, the Killeen Daily Herald reported.

Monitor donates legal fees to United Way

MCALLEN — The United Way of South Texas received a $10,000 donation from The Monitor.

The newspaper donated the money after a state district judge awarded it attorneys fees in a public information lawsuit against the city of Pharr.

State District Judge Mario Ramirez in May ordered the city to hand over the records and to pay $10,000 in attorneys fees to the newspaper. The newspaper said it actually spent close to $75,000 in the lawsuit defending the public’s right to know.

“It was never about getting money to put in our pockets,” publisher M. Olaf Frandsen said. “The principle was for a city government not only to understand the open records law but to abide by it.”

Clear Creek ISD closes doors to discuss ‘infrastructure’

CLEAR LAKE — The Galveston County Daily News in October objected to trustees of the Clear Creek Independent School District school board going into executive session to discuss “facility access and infrastructure.”

The newspaper said the agenda item was too vague. Officials told the newspaper they had checked with legal counsel and the posting was OK.

City files complaint against state comptroller

SULPHUR SPRINGS — The city filed an open records complaint against the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts office after the agency ignored a request for information regarding taxes collected on the sale of mixed drinks in the city, the Sulphur Springs News Telegram reported.

City Manager Marc Maxwell said the city elected to take the action against the state of Texas, specifically the comptroller’s office, for refusing to release specific information regarding the results of an audit of mixed drink tax revenues for the city.

Maxwell said the city became interested in getting the audit information after noticing that proceeds from the mixed drink taxes decreased following the opening of a new restaurant.

The city filed an open records request but the agency did not respond properly, the city manager said.

High court to hear defamation dismissal

BROWNSVILLE — The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear The Brownsville Herald’s request seeking dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by Cameron County Sheriff Conrado M. Cantu.

Cantu claims he was misquoted as making a racially explosive comment during a debate in 2000. The newspaper reported Cantu said he was a better candidate than his rival because he was Hispanic. He sued the paper, the editor and the reporter who wrote the story.

The newspaper argued that the article was substantially accurate and that accurate coverage of political campaigns is protected from defamation lawsuits.

Arguments are to be heard Jan. 5.

Navigation report remains under wraps

BROWNSVILLE — A report commissioned by the Brownsville Navigation District this summer is complete but BND officials will not release the document, The Brownsville Herald reported.

The report cost taxpayers more than $100,000.

The final investigative report regarding Mexico’s position on the Port of Brownsville’s proposed rail/truck international bridge was submitted to BND officials.

Board chairman Peter M. Zavaletta said that its release would damage an ongoing outside inquiry into how $21.4 million was spent on the international bridge project that still lacks crucial support from the Mexican government.