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Mount Pleasant resident alleges asbestos, says officials told staff not to respond
Summary
At the Feb. 3 Mount Pleasant City Council meeting, resident Kyle Moring told the council he has records showing state inspectors found asbestos and food-safety violations at Walmart and alleged city staff and officials were instructed not to respond. He urged the council to investigate and release public records.
A Mount Pleasant resident told the City Council on Feb. 3 that state agencies found asbestos and food-safety violations at a local Walmart and accused city staff of suppressing records and discouraging officials from replying.
"06/30/2025, roof debris and particles were falling on the people of Mount Pleasant on the food they were buying to feed their families," said Kyle Moring during the public-comment period, asserting that he has emails and other records to back his statements. Moring said a July 1 stop-work order for asbestos testing followed his complaints and that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture substantiated violations at Walmart store 131.
Moring also cited internal city emails, saying Assistant City Manager Candace Webster emailed staff asking that certain records be provided only to her and that the city manager asked the governing body not to reply to emails from Moring about OSHA violations and safety concerns. "When elected leaders are told, do not reply, questions don't get answered, concerns don't get tested, and the public stops believing the system is fair," he said, and added he is prepared to provide the records he referenced.
Council did not take action during the public-comment period. The council's public-comment rules limit remarks to three minutes and the mayor reminded speakers that the Texas Open Meetings Act restricts unscheduled deliberation of non-agendized topics. The council did not announce an immediate follow-up at the meeting.
Moring framed his remarks as requests for transparency rather than criminal accusations: "I'm not here to accuse anyone of a crime. I'm asking you to do your job. Find out why that was removed, find out what the public record should have shown, and fix it," he said.
The transcript of the meeting shows Moring named dates and internal emails he says support his account and that he offered to provide the records to the city. Council members did not debate his claims on the floor during the meeting. The city has not provided a statement in the council meeting transcript about any follow-up steps; the records Moring referenced were not produced during the meeting.
Next steps: The transcript does not record a formal referral or motion to investigate. If the council or staff chooses to act, public records and any agency reports Moring referenced (DSHS, Texas Department of Agriculture) would be relevant evidence.
