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Odessa resident urges probe after council ordinance said not published as required by charter
Summary
A resident told council that Ordinance 2024-46 — intended to protect privacy in public facilities — was never published and therefore never took effect, and called for an investigation and court action if the city secretary did not comply.
A local resident urged the Odessa City Council on May 20 to investigate why an ordinance approved in November 2024 was not published and therefore did not take effect, saying the omission undermines transparency and the charter.
Jeff Russell said he helped draft Ordinance 2024-46, which he described as intended to "protect the dignity and privacy of women in public facilities." Russell told the council the ordinance was passed by the council by two readings and a final vote on Nov. 14, 2024, but had not been published in the Odessa American as required by the Odessa City Charter, and therefore had not become law. "We passed a law, but because someone willingly chose not to take the final step, that law was quietly buried," Russell said.
Russell asked the council to direct a public investigation and to compel publication; he said he would pursue court action if the city secretary did not publish the ordinance promptly. The speaker framed the matter as one of charter compliance and trust, asking "who made that decision?" and whether the omission was an oversight or deliberate.
Council members did not take immediate action during the public-comment period; the comment was recorded during the citizens' comments segment of the meeting. The council did not announce an investigation or a formal direction on the record at the time of the comment.
