Several residents used the public-comment period at the Live Oak Economic Development Corporation’s Nov. 4 special meeting to raise allegations of official misconduct, contend the city violated the Texas Open Meetings Act and accuse the city of reducing transparency by outsourcing inspections.

"The torturous interference that the city has engaged in is absolutely diabolical," said Christina Lichtenberg, a Live Oak resident and small-business owner, alleging that a city fire marshal "falsely reported a crime that did not occur at my business" and that the city had acted to "cover up his misconduct." Lichtenberg also said the board violated the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) by failing to provide requested information within the statutory timeframe and criticized the city’s use of a federally funded Flock camera system, saying the technology in place "far surpasses" what was described in a February resolution.

Cecilia Lopez told the board that shifting permitting and inspection duties to a private contractor had "effectively pulled a curtain over public oversight" and that moving those functions out of the public workforce removed salary and contracting details from public view. Lopez linked the timing of that contract to the deployment of the camera system and said the change had reduced transparency.

Robbie Berg alleged that on Oct. 25 Live Oak police "illegally arrested" a local man, Damien Fobbe, and described the seizure of his phone and force used by an officer. Berg said the police report contains claims he disputes, including an allegation that Fobbe was surveilling city employees; Berg said video posted online contradicts that description.

Speakers framed their remarks as requests for accountability and records; none of the public comments resulted in board action during the meeting. The board did not respond with substantive findings on the allegations during the session, and no staff presentation or formal investigation report was offered at the meeting.

Why it matters: Residents’ allegations involve police conduct, the timeliness and adequacy of public records under TOMA, and the scope of surveillance technology deployed in a city of roughly 16,000 people — all matters that can affect civil liberties and local oversight.

What the speakers asked for: Lichtenberg said she would pursue recall petitions if the issues were not addressed. Several speakers asked for release of records and clearer public explanations of contracts, camera capabilities and the city’s complaint-handling procedures.

What wasn’t resolved: The meeting record does not show staff or the board issuing findings, launching an investigation or scheduling follow-up on the allegations. Several claims in public comment reference internal affairs and police reports; the transcript does not confirm whether the city has opened or concluded any formal investigations.

Provenance: Topic introduced by Christina Lichtenberg at 00:01:50 ("My name is Christina... new Live Oak resident and the local small business owner") and concluded with Robbie Berg’s remarks about an Oct. 25 arrest at 00:13:03 ("On October 25, Damien Fobbe was illegally arrested").