Rowlett council appoints volunteers to advisory boards, reopens some applications and schedules review of planning commissioner

The Rowlett City Council appointed volunteers to several city advisory boards and commissions, agreed to reopen applications for two vacancies and scheduled a future agenda item to consider removal of a Planning and Zoning Commission alternate following concerns about a potential conflict of interest during its Jan. 27, 2025, work session at City Hall.

Council members interviewed two applicants for the Planning and Zoning Commission during the meeting: Leslie Snyder and an applicant identified in the record as Byron. Leslie Snyder described residents in the city and prior experience touching on development infrastructure; Byron summarized a long career in law enforcement and federal grant management and said he sought to volunteer after downsizing to Rowlett. The council discussed the time commitment for Planning and Zoning — generally twice monthly on the second and fourth Tuesdays at about 6:30 p.m., with meetings typically lasting up to two to three hours plus preparatory packet review — before making appointments.

The council, by consensus, appointed Byron to an open seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission (the vacancy was an alternate seat) and moved Leslie Snyder to a different commission where she indicated willingness to serve. Council also approved adding one additional alternate member to the Animal Shelter Advisory Board, permitting the four current applicants to serve (with Sue Hartson designated as the regular member and the other three as alternates). Other appointments made or recommended during the meeting included Stella Hunter and Lizzie Johns to Arts and Humanities (alternate positions), Greg Ingram as an alternate to the Golf Advisory Board, and two candidates (Nancy and Rachel) to the Library Advisory Board as alternates. The council noted that Melissa Thomas is no longer a member of the animal shelter advisory board.

Councilors agreed to reopen the applications window for two specific vacancies — the Board of Adjustment and the Senior Advisory board — beginning Feb. 1, 2025, and running through Feb. 28, 2025; staff was asked to post the openings on the city website and social media and to recruit candidates. City staff reminded applicants that packets for Planning and Zoning are distributed the weekend before meetings (typically Thursday or Friday) and often include staff reports, site plans and other attachments that commissioners should review before the meeting.

During the appointments discussion, a councilmember raised a complaint received by email about an existing Planning and Zoning alternate, Carl Crowley. Council members reported that Crowley is employed by a private consulting firm identified in the record as Master Plan, which performs development-related work for municipalities. According to the record, Crowley told a council member he would recuse himself from any Planning and Zoning matter that involved Master Plan. Council members discussed options for addressing perceived or actual conflicts of interest and, after a short legal discussion in closed session authorized under Texas Government Code Section 551.071, agreed by consensus to add a future agenda item to consider removal of Carl Crowley from the Planning and Zoning Commission as an alternate. Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Winget summarized the outcome: “we'll add a future agenda item, to consider the removal of Carl Crowley from the Planning and Zoning Commission as an alternate.”

City Attorney (Miss Thomas) and the city secretary were involved in the executive-session consultation; the council recessed to closed session for legal advice under Section 551.071 and returned with no immediate action taken in closed session. After the work session concluded, city staff said the city secretary would notify applicants of appointments and next steps.

The session concluded with the council directing staff to post the two selected application openings, to broadcast the vacancies through city communication channels, and to recruit candidates for the openings. No formal roll-call vote was recorded in the meeting minutes for the individual appointments; the record shows council consensus or unanimous agreement on the items reported.