Council Staggers along on Coliseum with Conflicting Agendas

Restored Adame rebuffed
Even with Mayor Joe Adame back at the helm, Council was unable to bring to the Coliseum issue to a promised conclusion. Over three hours of public comment and chaotic Council discussion resulted in a tear it down, maybe not resolution.

The Council voted to proceed with an analysis of the cost to remove asbestos, which would be required whether it is torn down or reused. During the meantime they would allow a presentation and negotiations with the Swim Center proposal and if that failed Leisure Horizons. Council members Leal, Marez, Martinez, Elizondo, Kiesnick and Chesney voted for the measure with Mayor Adame, Adler and Scott voting against it.

In an unusual and maybe illegal move, Mayor Adame made a motion from the Mayor’s Chair to tear down the Coliseum. After much discussion most members wanted to consider the swim center during the time an asbestos analysis was completed (4-6 weeks) and offered amendments to Adame’s measure to do so. He refused to amend it and instead amended his own motion to say after demolition if a clear title opinion freed up the property from the park issue it would be offered up for a lower density development on the Coliseum site and the parking lot to the north.

The issue became moot when he couldn’t get five votes, an even more embarrassing result. The unusual motion was compounded because the Mayor re-instated himself from a conflict of interest recusement after WtP revealed he owned the Whataburger property within a few hundred feet of the development. He received a legal opinion saying he could vote on the issue, a copy of that opinion and the supporting documentation have been requested from the City by WtP.

Even more unusual was Brent Chesney who had previously recused himself because he was part owner in the Ice Rayz which was part of the Brass plan. Chesney says he is no longer bound to recusal because the Brass plan was not on the agenda. What was on the agenda and presented by John Bell as part of the possible choices for the site was an unsolicited proposal by Ice Rayz owner Tim Lange to rehabilitate the structure for the Ice Rayz and public skating venue.

While Lange offered the best deal for restoration of the building for the City, Council members were not willing to even debate what is a no-win issue of allowing the Rayz to leave the money losing American Bank Center. While no Council member made a motion to consider that option it presents a question of Chesney voting on competing proposals. Chesney at one point seemed to become teary eyed and emotional stating, “It’s important to go forward despite the impact it has on any individual council member.”

Mayor still ducking park issue.
While a title company opinion would tell the City whether a company would issue title insurance on the property for development funding by private interests it is not a legal opinion and still could be subject to a lawsuit or a petition drive. Ray Madrigal approached the Council again to preserve and restore the Coliseum. Madrigal turned in petitions he says will force the Council to put the issue to a public vote. John Bell who was hired by the City to provide legal advice has previously stated that the City can’t be forced to spend money therefore the petition is meaningless. What is in question is if the petition would prevent the City from tearing it down while awaiting a vote. The outcome remains to be seen as the City Secretary Armando Chapa has to certify if Madrigal has enough legal signatures to bring the issue to a head.

Bell’s legal opinion regarding the park status was questioned by Brent Chesney who pointed to information posted and printed in WtP and in statements made to Council by this author and others. Bell replied to Chesney that his legal advice regarding the Coliseum was his opinion. He asserted that while many Council’s had plans, it was never officially designated as a park. This flies in the face of information documented by WtP in articles on this site. Bell asked for and was faxed copies of the original documents used as sources in those articles at his request from WtP last week.

Bell responded that he hadn’t had a chance to fully review the material but stated his available material seemed to be the same and he would get back after more review. He did dispute several points, to which WtP responded prior to today’s meeting. Whether Bell received the information before the meeting or not is unknown. The same information was being given to the Council in public session by the author when Mayor Adame decided to enforce the time limit (see Council Presentation this page). He had allowed swim center and Grow Corpus Christi Brass Diane Metz proponents extra time over the three minute limit by several minutes each, one to show a video. When the author of this article tried to present a short history of official park designations (see other articles this page) the Mayor enforced the three minute limit. When asked to provide additional time to finish the Mayor refused and the author was told he would be forcibly removed if he continued.

Competing agendas were fully evident with Chesney arguing to keep the Coliseum and find some use for it. Even though it was obvious not one other person on the Council was interested in returning to the Brass proposal, Leal still argued enthusiastically and emotionally for it, at one point throwing in some unrelated reference to dead veterans for emotional effect. Kiesnick, Chesney and others argued for other than park development. Kiesnick at one point claiming Corpus Christi had excess park land based on a park study. (That study, Part of the Parks, Open Space and Recreation Master Plan actually stated we had an excess of neighborhood pocket parks and a deficit of large parks.)

At Large Council Woman Nelda Martinez and Economic Development Director Irma Caballero both advocated to put Leisure Horizons to back on the list. In the end, they voted to give the swim center eight weeks to answer all of the questions. Marez was like an undecided man in a rowboat, rowing with one oar for a while then the other until finally backing the compromise dual track measure. Larry Elizondo in his usual fashion was the last to jump in and agreed with the others to pursue the dual track. At times during the meeting several members were talking simultaneously with Adame looking on, almost as if a bystander, without offering leadership or directing the meeting.

Mark Scott promoted a park on steroids, similar to Discovery Park in Houston. While most Council people liked the idea, they felt there weren’t sufficient funds available in a budget crunch to implement it. When staff was asked if the money was available to provide the $2 million to tear down the facility, the response was that it wasn’t in the budget and would have to be funded through the reserve fund or certificates of obligation. Do we have a decision? Maybe.