[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6324204,"mediaKeyId","2339233-c99a20187b863e1e4f8b1dbed1511f16","parentId",2339233,"title","Pasadena council approves package of ordinances and resolutions; three councilmembers vote against EDC appointments amid transparency concerns","audioSeconds",738,"startMs",1730000,"endMs",2468000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2339233-c99a20187b863e1e4f8b1dbed1511f16&start=1730&end=2468","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2339233-c99a20187b863e1e4f8b1dbed1511f16/thumbnail_1730000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324204/Pasadena/Harris-County/Texas/Pasadena-council-approves-package-of-ordinances-and-resolutions-three-councilmembers-vote-against-EDC-appointments-amid-transparency-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324204-b16c604738d4727e255565b889c34798/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169839&Signature=UnU8VKBL5TgGVGOQpvrji4ekYI7liKR0ErhNaDh2Om2LUUrQVdC2KKhma0j-noZt1dIoRyFUU8UvJSdTY6IntQdjm~P~HOwwktMuiw9CzCykhOBZM3elJ2OikvgGkTHg~7eYPsYuuTec0jOexYbB-Yih~idcfgDNko1Egtcu~zjuV6q1ymYFKh-Q6V7IpTF7xT3WV2KJIYT6-7g7-hCi16ShGED1NHuU9YYRjYFEN1hvj9PqaFYv5nZ79AmYhwSLpzRig-cbdlkmxAn0-hGNvbZtW8TjDk86R7Eg3TeX9pwp~p-MzRouK0jqMBrZYlR4hXp1HS0BB7~mCEF37VVAuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Pasadena TX","date","2025-02-19T01:21:53Z","article","The City of Pasadena City Council on Feb. 18 unanimously approved a package of ordinances and resolutions that included equipment purchases, maintenance contracts, public-safety agreements, street-reconstruction grant applications and annual grant applications for police and parks programs. Several council members recorded opposing votes on appointments to advisory boards, citing lack of transparency around a recent convention-center project.

Among the ordinances adopted were authorization for the purchase of a FEMA Type 1 mobile emergency command trailer; a $71,380.80 annual maintenance contract with Aviate Incorporated for the city phone and answering system; a fence replacement contract through an interlocal with Kim Nill & Associates, LLC; a radio service agreement with Motorola Solutions, Inc. totaling $69,755.57; and an asphalt purchase order of $499,970 with R.B. Everett & Company. The council also approved a parks-and-recreation grant acceptance for up to $1,500,000 and a variety of smaller contracts and program agreements.

Key resolutions the council approved included accepting donations to the Madison Joy Senior Center; authorizing a citywide electric-power contract to begin after the current contract expires in May 2025; accepting in-kind materials from Branch Construction Group for the police driving track in exchange for dump-site access; applying for a Governor's Office victim-assistance grant of $85,857.19; applying for a U.S. Department of Transportation Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant for $5,108,412 for reconstruction of surface streets in flood-prone areas; and accepting a 30-foot drainage easement for maintenance of a public drainage system.

Appointments and recorded opposition

Resolution 20 25 36 would appoint Rick Lord, Marilyn Wilkins, Ernesto Paredes, Angela West, Afrin Aaron and Elaine Dominic to the board of directors of the Pasadena Economic Development Corporation for two-year terms (2025'027). Council members Ornaudu Ibarra, Manuel Guerrero and Pat (as recorded) voted no on that resolution; the motion otherwise carried.

Resolution 20 25 37 appointing Gary Williams, Bob Cooper, Linwood Monroe, Gerald Land and Bill Besdick to the Building Standards Commission (with Don Harrison and Bruce Lehman named as alternates) drew two recorded no votes, by Manuel Guerrero and Pat. Several council members who voted no cited ongoing transparency and accountability concerns tied to a previously approved convention-center financing plan; other council members defended the appointees and said the EDC had made assurances during earlier proceedings.

Votes and procedural notes

Most routine minutes, progress payments and personnel changes were approved by voice vote during the meeting. Where roll-call negative votes were recorded, the city secretary noted the names: on Resolution 20 25 36 (EDC appointments) the recorded no votes were Ibarra, Guerrero and Pat; on Resolution 20 25 37 (Building Standards Commission) the recorded no votes were Guerrero and Pat. The council did not take separate roll-call tallies for each ordinance listed; multiple ordinances and resolutions were approved by voice vote following motions and seconds.

Why it matters: the EDC and building-standards appointments come as council members debate oversight and transparency following a $96 million convention-center project that some council members say proceeded without sufficient feasibility analysis. The council's approvals authorize contracts and grant applications that can affect city operations, capital projects and grant-funded street reconstruction.

Ending: The council passed the listed ordinances and resolutions and recorded opposition on the appointments; it adjourned the meeting afterward. No additional hearings or committee referrals on the appointments were scheduled during the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Pasadena Council Meeting 2/18/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Pasadena City Council approved multiple ordinances and resolutions on Feb. 18, authorizing purchases, contracts and grant applications, while appointments to the Economic Development Corporation and the Building Standards Commission drew several recorded 'no' votes over transparency concerns.","taxTitle","Pasadena, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2798,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324207,"Pasadena resident tells council city withheld Attorney General ruling; asks for internal probe",189,357000,546000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2339233-c99a20187b863e1e4f8b1dbed1511f16&start=357&end=546","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2339233-c99a20187b863e1e4f8b1dbed1511f16/thumbnail_357000.jpg","/articles/6324207/Pasadena/Harris-County/Texas/Pasadena-resident-tells-council-city-withheld-Attorney-General-ruling-asks-for-internal-probe","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324207-5a95266efcae929a8b0a8ea8e298ca07/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169839&Signature=U4dWhMmzPnvqx07RzN~augoLOYr6XkRd-RC-KknlkTJjluNXfqB6pWZWrxfAXiBe4xKUZfT1vjJiV9qzR8RBoZOSv57tjuO4xSe9qTQYiB6VmVcq0Kr-vHTGn0qFUHFemPSQxi0l0o9PumJVwFKnSJih8GwrjA0YZlsLa5j3WVtSDRpZhLlVLfofwzk-BgTXJU5ABG6NBt5ZbufcQY0AX6hawWmahheCjM00DMZdAAis4LXykyu9BOXVggOc00E-Ck75EghDnbcGOrxE6IqsXTVmO~GNA8yz1dj86rl2meG~VMc2kur0YbsYxrAQqkbH-xBacjrmmMdeqJ45KarbNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eric Sanchez, a Pasadena resident, told the City of Pasadena City Council on Feb. 18 that the city delayed or withheld records he requested about a police investigation and that the Texas Attorney General had largely ruled in his favor.

Sanchez said he submitted public records requests beginning in June–July 2024 and encountered “delays, evasiveness, and what appears to be obstruction,” including partial redactions and withheld materials. He said the city later amended his request and sought reconsideration that could delay production by up to 45 days; Sanchez asserted that step conflicted with the Texas Government Code process as he described it.

The complaint, made during the council’s public-comment period, included allegations that materials withheld related to an individual identified in police records as Edwin Kent and to possible perjury and fabricated evidence in a separate criminal matter. Sanchez said he has prepared a public-corruption complaint and plans to submit it to the district attorney’s public integrity unit if the city does not investigate internally.

Why it matters: public-records access and timely disclosure are central to government accountability and to the ability of people to pursue remedies through courts or the Attorney General. Sanchez told the council he had taken his request to the Attorney General and said he learned the AG had “ruled largely in my favor,” but that the city had not informed him of that outcome.

Sanchez described a sequence in which the city’s legal staff, he said, initially denied the existence of certain audio/video evidence, then later acknowledged the materials existed while seeking extended time to reconsider releasing them. “If you choose not to act, I will assume you are complicit,” Sanchez said during his remarks.

Sanchez named city employees and officials in his prepared remarks and said he had documentation he intended to use in a complaint to the district attorney. The council did not take action on his request during the meeting; the item remained a public comment asking the council to direct staff to investigate.

Clarifying details from the comment: Sanchez said his requests began in June–July 2024, that he filed a public-records request on July 2, 2024, and that the Attorney General later issued a ruling he described as largely in his favor. He said the city then sought reconsideration that would permit an additional 45 days for production. Sanchez said he planned to submit a public-corruption complaint identifying specific city personnel and police officers.

No formal council motion or vote related to Sanchez’s allegations was recorded during the meeting.

Ending: Sanchez concluded his public comment by asking the council to investigate internally; if it did not, he said he would pursue the district attorney’s public-integrity unit. The council did not announce any immediate follow-up during the meeting.","At the Feb. 18 Pasadena City Council meeting, resident Eric Sanchez alleged city police and legal staff delayed or withheld public records, said the Texas Attorney General ruled largely in his favor, and urged the council to open an internal investigation into alleged police misconduct.","actionData","errors"]

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Pasadena council approves package of ordinances and resolutions; three councilmembers vote against EDC appointments amid transparency concerns

Pasadena resident tells council city withheld Attorney General ruling; asks for internal probe