Committee places appointments on consent agenda; Council to enter closed session on personnel and litigation

The Committee of the Whole placed three personnel appointments on the consent agenda and later voted unanimously to enter closed session to discuss personnel matters and litigation.

The committee approved placement on the consent agenda for the appointment of Krista Heineke as Director of Financial Operations, Mario Benavides as Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Curtis Muth as Assistant Director of Public Works (assistant city engineer). No individual roll‑call votes on those appointments were recorded at the Committee; items were added to the consent agenda for formal council action.

Elizabeth Coronado, director of human resources, told the Committee that city ordinance requires council approval for assistant department head and division head appointments; she said the practice had not always been followed and clarified that such appointments should be presented to council. During the exchange an alderman said the assistant director of public works position was required to be approved; Coronado confirmed the ordinance requirement but did not cite an ordinance number during the meeting.

Later in the meeting Alderman Garza moved, and Alderman Franco seconded, a motion to enter closed session pursuant to Section 2(c)(1) of the Open Meetings Act to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of a specific employee of the public body and Section 2(c)(11) to discuss litigation. The clerk called the roll and the motion carried 11 yes, 0 no. The meeting record shows the Committee entered closed session at 5:35 p.m.

Discussion and direction: The appointment items were placed on the consent agenda for council consideration; the closed session motion was adopted by roll call 11‑0 and the Committee adjourned to closed session. No personnel actions were taken in open session during the meeting.