[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6522285,"mediaKeyId","5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302","parentId",5071375,"title","Council asks Corpus Christi Housing Authority to review apartment acquisitions, finds prior actions subject to legal review","audioSeconds",1570,"startMs",3695000,"endMs",5265000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302&start=3695&end=5265","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302/thumbnail_3695000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6522285/Texas/Council-asks-Corpus-Christi-Housing-Authority-to-review-apartment-acquisitions-finds-prior-actions-subject-to-legal-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522285-67c7512a200aec2135ea30a36b0a459d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771130415&Signature=X2IilBkagSTZYX1NMpQ3LoVuqhg1U-retRt-zO~cjN8OoCkMRFJaUMM5FFAif7tyTBW7Eif6wgRqHMN3TtOyWF0gUI-JEPAngPraOWug-j2LgVxTx0FB5EIEMmrUhW5F~vgzpfmbSe79mqmy4Cv5s-EZtg6Wpxrn3LfrZMj2avmjA4-WoDJnmyBv4zd3lakV5NQC453WKeRuS0T9V1uQDKfpDXswtZ-al3bYHOh4Ew521xXM4myI4oIzpmGxtkbQQimA-nT4LcWZjNJoPPrAXrBKo-Jhcy-E356EOIrs40ELUysxkj5KxVkjmBiPcdji-Lavu1V2Z66dQUU~8BzxWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council","date","2025-06-24T23:35:40.407Z","article","The City Council voted on June 24 to request that the Corpus Christi Housing Authority (CCHA) acknowledge the council’s findings and terminate certain acquisition‑related contracts and memoranda of understanding that the council said may have been processed without required public posting and with potential Open Meetings Act or bylaw violations.

The resolution covers numerous apartment properties listed by the council and asks the housing authority to (a) acknowledge the city’s findings that specific land‑acquisition actions are void by operation of law and (b) terminate the contracts, MOUs, ground leases and operating agreements tied to those acquisitions. The council’s resolution also asks the housing authority to provide updates and remedy irregularities.

Housing Authority response: Gary Alsup, CEO of CCHA, told council the agency is an independent unit of government that operates under state statutes and that its attorneys had reviewed similar deals elsewhere in Texas. Alsup said the acquisitions were legal under state law as he understood them and asked the council to be careful about implying bad faith. He also said the agency had posted meetings and that the authority’s board had acted under legal advice.

Why it mattered: Council members who supported the resolution said the way some board actions had been posted and executed raised possible legal and procedural concerns, including the Open Meetings Act and local government code provisions. Several council members asked for the housing authority to remedy deficient postings and to bring previously executed transactions into compliance or to unwind them if they cannot be validated.

Public comment and political context: The item drew public speakers who argued both that the housing authority’s actions diverted tax dollars from the public and that the authority’s actions were an attempt to preserve workforce housing. The council amended the original language after legal staff advised that calling acts “illegal” without full adjudication could itself raise procedural problems; an amended version used wording such as “appears illegal” in some places and asked the housing authority to address defects.

Ending: Council approved the amended resolution and asked staff to follow up. CCHA leadership said the authority believed the transactions were lawful and encouraged further dialogue; council members said they expected an accounting and compliance steps to be taken.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Corpus Christi | City Council Meeting June 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City Council voted June 24 to ask the Corpus Christi Housing Authority to review and, where necessary, terminate or correct a series of apartment acquisitions and related agreements that the council said may have procedural defects.","taxTitle","City Council, Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas","taxId",77669,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6522290,"Naming‑rights spat spotlights American Bank Center finances and Oak View Group’s management",2563,10697000,13260000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302&start=10697&end=13260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302/thumbnail_10697000.jpg","/articles/6522290/Texas/Namingrights-spat-spotlights-American-Bank-Center-finances-and-Oak-View-Groups-management","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522290-fda0adc80fb65958a0176294cb2e0107/orig.mp4?Expires=1771130414&Signature=l5mXRZIs7NNAiaR77aktPejIbSBCZYkKF7CcP1sE-jKjQ2aK55DXCcjkMhATseELWa355BzoijBUwzUL8Pc~5NN65e9kJjaenS~Dr2fcHEu9nd6TuyuIECScfy1RLyyoBqn8ELwpcreqdjulv3s0uu3CUaIT~F-79zr5ERIUix2FXafiwjBJbNqe2cQnhTXhstmgWtqJalJG9f1zeM0e5jv-fJeZIphgAp25cJQtshZ~~VEKvaShOrc7b1xf3lUAExYbS10sF8YFAjZKdIqLOID6J11rE7JJFPSinnBGYYrrWAF7TlL18AAmDiqNj58zTXZmGBwe3GdXNS7ECRDpyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilmembers pressed Oak View Group (OVG/OVG 360), the American Bank Center operator, on June 24 about its selection of a naming‑rights partner and on financial reporting after staff told council the city would receive a lower naming‑rights payment than a previously public offer.

OVG said it entered contract negotiations with Hilliard law firm on an offer that OVG reported is approximately $13.3 million over 10 years. OVG representatives said the Thomas J. Henry firm had previously proposed roughly $20 million over 10 years. OVG said the two bids were not apples‑to‑apples because the packages differed in included inventory and sponsorship elements and because OVG has heard from some existing tenants and sponsors that a Thomas J. Henry naming package could lead to sponsor withdrawals or other revenue losses.

OVG representatives told council that the Hilliard package included fewer “inventory” elements that the company could resell (for example, box office naming and certain assets that would have been bundled with the Henry offer), and OVG said that difference reduced the net city value when OVG modeled lost or substituted business. OVG said some potential tenant or sponsor partners asked to remain unnamed but indicated they would reconsider supporting the venue if certain naming choices were made.

Council concerns and requests: Several council members pressed OVG for more transparent documentation. Council members asked for:
- Monthly financial statements and audits showing OVG’s operating performance at the complex; staff said OVG provides monthly financial reports and the city is working to reconcile earlier audit gaps left by a previous operator (SMG/ASM). OVG said audits are underway to establish beginning balances.
- A clearer accounting of sponsorship, suite and ticket revenue changes tied to naming proposals and the assumptions OVG used to estimate potential sponsor attrition.

Public reaction and context: The naming rights discussion prompted more than a dozen public commenters, some urging the council to reclaim naming‑rights authority and others defending local bidders. Several council members said the naming‑rights negotiation had become politicized and asked OVG to be more proactive in sharing the financial and contractual detail that supports its recommendation.

Ending: OVG said it will provide the documentation requested and that the company’s operating statements show improved venue performance since it took over operations. Council members asked for quarterly or monthly updates and said they would continue to monitor financial and contract milestones for the American Bank Center.","Council questioned Oak View Group 360’s selection of a naming‑rights partner after a public offer from a local law firm; OVG and council discussed sponsorship impacts, lost revenue, and the company’s financial reporting and audit backlog.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6522294,"Council narrows city manager authority for Inner Harbor desal spending, asks for regular accounting",14900,282000,15182000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302&start=282&end=15182","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302/thumbnail_282000.jpg","/articles/6522294/Texas/Council-narrows-city-manager-authority-for-Inner-Harbor-desal-spending-asks-for-regular-accounting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522294-9d4dc0e67409ceb20e33c33298feb7d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771130414&Signature=iJHgyAU2ZweIzzQyWTr~ffftFcWVJE6pkJ32mHNYcrzBi6t0~meQ-LwaYj~WPtsjsJBfKXHonAS7uWv8i8LDOIP1RkHf9vmHPXGIkx8QsqdZymNxFQn6XI9X~bbtJ3BrfaUuaslAI2fJeTtXlsYyYw9vuakAHB1o3yE1O~esEc-UsPJDTkW0EojQdYnkH5SseIyEm4nUr6x4W6k8N0laNrjLUERwqruSlHpknFtd1SQrnC1aE~CRqp958ykYTYgnpy-ex~eh1wgMvNg0QOItBl-~ndPPkY4e4xM0df1AXqU~1yjR5jrPTz5qa-xB8FCTmsAFBhQYXPXan2R5NAL9xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Council members voted on June 24 to change how future purchases, contracts and contract amendments for the Inner Harbor seawater desalination treatment plant are authorized and reported.

The 5–4 decision requires the city manager to follow “normal procurement procedures for all future purchases, contracts, and amendments” related to the desalination project and directs staff to provide “accurate accounting to council for all funding spent and encumbered” on the project. Councilman Gil Hernandez moved the change; council recorded the motion as approved 5–4 after an extended discussion.

Why it mattered: The council action followed weeks of public scrutiny of the desalination program’s scope and cost estimates, questions about when and how the city manager and staff might authorize expenditures, and public concern that large commitments were being made without regular council review. Supporters of the change said it restores an expected level of elected oversight for large capital spending. Opponents — including city legal staff and project managers — warned it could slow a complex progressive design‑build procurement and raise project costs.

How the debate unfolded: Council members pressed staff on the contract structure and where the city stands with the project’s designer/builder, Kiewit, which the city selected to lead the design‑build delivery. Project leaders said the procurement is a progressive design‑build staged in steps and that some early work and long‑lead purchases have been authorized under a previously delegated authority; they said rescinding the delegation entirely could cause time and cost impacts because construction‑phase work can require rapid, high‑value contract amendments.

At the same time, several council members and public speakers insisted the city should not operate with what they described as an overly broad delegation for a project expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Council members who supported the resolution said they are not trying to stop the project but want the council to receive regular, itemized accounting and to vote on higher‑value amendments.

Public input: The meeting included dozens of public comments both for and against the desalination project; some speakers urged the council to preserve the city manager’s authority so work could proceed quickly, while others said the scale and environmental risks of the Inner Harbor project demand stronger council oversight.

Next steps: Staff agreed to return to council with clearer schedules and the specific accounting requested. Molly and the project team said they will provide updates on the cost model and design milestones, and council members asked for a regular, public ledger of project expenditures and encumbrances.

Ending: Council’s vote alters the city’s delegated authority for future desal‑related spending and signals heightened scrutiny of project costs and procurement steps as the design phase proceeds.","After heated public comment and a lengthy council debate about transparency and cost, the City Council voted 5–4 to require the city manager to follow normal procurement procedures and to provide council an accounting of funds spent and encumbered for the Inner Harbor seawater desalination project.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6522299,"Corpus Christi staff report reservoir gains, new MOU with South Texas Water Authority as city advances multiple alternative supplies",459,470000,929000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302&start=470&end=929","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071375-70cda120e02cc3e7ce761f8265d2b302/thumbnail_470000.jpg","/articles/6522299/Texas/Corpus-Christi-staff-report-reservoir-gains-new-MOU-with-South-Texas-Water-Authority-as-city-advances-multiple-alternative-supplies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522299-c652e44908abc5acfcf70fbbddadcf82/orig.mp4?Expires=1771130414&Signature=GoM-j~P75XHIT-xraCdlRMZ6ud~n1z9W2VjWhQRqZ9TwiC9Y5Cus25-t8lJ24Ahwib66QMlMf-rVKoJ530ROMcEaubKmwzvBqCHj12JXKH0Hv8yzHxA7toEbSThrOUwob1gheGzpf~l-YyGaf~1nl~FBKBS8Gp-kInrxeXUo9HA84QPrSE8wyJSvuPt4YQ41Pps2g-RhGBI9NTui0KVk3ZA3VWxL3TYPJMQOCBxhP~KrgCWK4M4g9Dm6x4DkLXdT1z33yZvHvQlX63YW2R0LMkK8Ewzl~8p8rPsrkxLEIRSwji~dF-jyEj2MvKPRJ1RaCSMrakZBia-5hjtlKxqN7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Drew Molly, the city’s chief operating officer for utilities, told the City Council on June 24 that recent rain pushed the combined Choke Canyon–Lake Corpus Christi level up from about 14.7% to 15.9% and filled Lake Texana to roughly 99.4%.

Molly said the city also received notice that Lavaca–Navidad River Authority would make 4,500 acre-feet of interruptible water available and that his office had secured a signed memorandum of understanding with South Texas Water Authority (STWA) to study potential conveyance and purchase arrangements over the next 45 days. “We were able to agree on a memorandum of understanding that allows us to work more in-depth with them over the next 45 days,” Molly told council.

The update, which council requested to be provided regularly, also covered three other projects: (1) a planned effluent reuse or direct potable-reuse study contract awarded to Garver for professional services; (2) the Nueces River groundwater well program, where the city has three operational groundwater wells and is drilling up to eight in phase 1; and (3) repairs to the Mary Rhodes pipeline pump, which staff said was expected to restore the pipeline’s design flow to roughly 70,000,000 gallons per day within 24–48 hours of the meeting.

Why it matters: City staff framed the package of actions as a multi‑pronged strategy to reduce the risk of shortages by combining eastern interruptible water, groundwater augmentation, reuse studies and, eventually, desalination. Molly said the city’s water‑supply dashboard now projects the risk of a shortfall later into 2026 than previous runs after recent rains and the eastern supply allocation.

Nueces River wells and water quality: Molly and council members discussed water quality from newly drilled groundwater wells. Molly said three test wells are producing and that measured total dissolved solids (TDS) ranged from about 3,000 to about 5,000 milligrams per liter in early tests. He told council that arsenic levels in the sampled groundwater were below the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per billion, and staff plan to treat high‑TDS water at a future brackish reverse‑osmosis plant (a Phase 2 project) so treated water would meet drinking‑water standards.

Council members asked about downstream users on the Nueces River and legal senior‑rights holders. Molly and staff said they have been communicating with downstream water users — including San Patricio Municipal Water District, WCID No. 3, Celanese and Flint Hills — and that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) declared the city’s temporary bed‑and‑banks permit application administratively complete. Molly said there are real‑time monitoring devices in the river to help detect water‑quality changes.

Effluent reuse and pilot studies: Molly said the professional services contract for evaluating reuse and potential direct potable‑reuse options was executed on June 20 and that the next step is a 12‑month source‑water characterization study performed with TCEQ coordination.

STWA MOU and 7 Seas: John Matas, representing the South Texas Water Authority, told council that STWA had a signed MOU with the city and that STWA’s initial facility is projected at 3 million gallons per day with an ability to scale; he said STWA’s overall conveyance capacity could be on the order of 30 million gallons per day and that STWA and its partner 7 Seas had provided documents to the city under confidentiality. County Judge Jeremy Madrid, who attended, told council the partnership aims to help the region and thanked the city for agreeing to negotiate under the MOU.

Costs, timing, next steps: Molly said the city will evaluate proposal documents over the coming weeks and bring details to council during the next reporting cycle. He said the city will update the water‑supply dashboard every two weeks as model runs are refreshed. Council members asked staff for more itemized financial and timeline detail and for regular, posted briefings so elected officials and the public can track contract amendments and purchases.

Ending: Council members praised staff for the progress but pressed for clearer, publicly available accounting and faster answers on specific technical questions — especially groundwater quality and how any new supplies will be blended and treated before distribution.","City staff reported reservoir gains after recent rains and updated council on multiple supply efforts — Nueces River groundwater wells, potential effluent reuse, eastern interruptible supplies and a memorandum of understanding with South Texas Water Authority to explore brackish desalination and a possible take-or-pay purchase arrangement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council asks Corpus Christi Housing Authority to review apartment acquisitions, finds prior actions subject to legal review

Naming‑rights spat spotlights American Bank Center finances and Oak View Group’s management

Council narrows city manager authority for Inner Harbor desal spending, asks for regular accounting

Corpus Christi staff report reservoir gains, new MOU with South Texas Water Authority as city advances multiple alternative supplies