El Paso D.A. Jaime Esparza Requests Texas Rangers Investigate Baseball Stadium Open Meetings Act Violations

Above, Yesterday, El Paso District Attorney announces investigation into
Southwest University Park baseball stadium Open Meeting Act Violations.

El Paso D.A. Jaime Esparza Requests Texas Rangers Investigate Baseball Stadium
Open Meetings Act Violations
Current and Former City Council members Cortney Niland, Michael Noe, Suzie Byrd, Steve Ortega, Ann Morgan Lilly to be Investigated

by Satira Sinverquenza
Associated Mess

In a press conference Friday afternoon, El Paso District Attorney Jaime Esparza announced that he has asked the Texas Rangers to investigate what he think are Texas Open Meetings Act violations during the baseball stadium push by El Paso City Council back in 2012. He also announced the formation of the White Crime Unit in his office.

Above, former City Council representative Steve Ortega and former City Manager Joyce Wilson 
conspire to violate the Texas Open Records Act and run a "Walking Quorum."

 

Although the violations go back to 2012, Esparza is optimistic that an investigation will find violations. Email disclosed to the public via www.chucoleaks.org, showed multiple actions by the named city council member to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act and maintain a walking quorum.

A “walking quorum” is a series of gatherings among separate groups of members of a governmental body, each less than quorum size, who agree, tacitly or explicitly, to act uniformly in sufficient number to reach a quorum.

City Rep. Cortney Niland emails stadium supporter Rick Harrow in which she sets up a "Walking Quorum."

 

DA Esparza’s sudden interest in public corruption has pleased many open government advocates in El Paso like City Attorney Silvia Firth and former City Manager and supervillain Joyce Wilson.



Above, Steve Ortega in this email says he "has the votes" implying the City Council had done a
secret vote. Reps. Niland, Noe, Acosta, Byrd, Lilly would eventually vote for the baseball stadium.

Recently escaped from Arkam Asylum, and speaking from her office at El Paso’s Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande, where her position was conveniently set up for her after she was rejected as a city manager candidate from several cities, Joyce Wilson said she is proud of Jaime Esparza but has her doubts due to Esparza's record of investigating public corruption.

“I hope he looks into my dealing facilitating these violation of the Open Meetings Act back in 2012,” say Wilson. “What does a villain have to do to get caught in this down? This town deserves a better class of criminals and I'm going to give it to them."

Above, Former El Paso City Manager Joyce Wilson at Texas Workforce,
who recently escaped from Arkam Asylum, doubts Esparza's crime-fighting abilities.

 

Esparza deflected criticism that he has been soft of political corruption, but did admit he had not been as aggressive with Open Meeting Act violations by former and current city representatives Ortega, Lilly, Byrd, Niland, and Noe.

When asked why he did not ask the Texas Rangers to investigate City Council member in 2012 when with the baseball stadium, Esparza admitted that the baseball issue concerned the rich and powerful in El Paso and the recent scandal involves the poor and people of color.

"This will not happen again in El Paso," said the D.A., "Because I'm the hero El Paso deserves, but not the one it needs right now."

To help his office learn of political corruption and Texas Open Meetings Act violations, Esparza proposed a search light be illuminated on top of the city hall building to call him to investigate corruption.

Above, EPPD pose with "Corruption Signal" which will
alert El Paso D.A. Esparza to City Council corruption

Should citizens feel the El Paso City Council is violating the Open Meeting Act or Rep. Claudia Ordaz is receiving phone texts from County Commission Vince Perez during City Council meetings, or she is not living in the district she represents, they can go atop the City Hall building and light the "Corruption Signal."

 

Above, "Corruption Signal" as it will appear illuminated
in El Paso's night sky (Photo Courtesy the District Attorney Office.)

 

When asked if he had some bias that may have prevented him from prosecuting or asking the Texas Rangers to investigate the City representatives who voted for the baseball stadium back in 2012, Esparza said he hold no bias.

 

Vote “AGAINST” Proposition 3: Bars in your neighborhood - Bar Patrons parked on your street

Vote “AGAINST” Proposition 3: Bars in your

neighborhood - Bar Patrons parked on your

street

Is the San Francisco Historical District the Target for Prop. 3

 

This proposition is very deceptive because it requires voters to be familiar with future zoning changes. For that reason alone, voters should shoot this one down.

Currently the Charter prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages in residential sections of the city.

What this Proposition Does?

It clarifies that the prohibition against the sale of alcoholic beverages in “residential districts” does not apply to mixed use areas

What and Where are mixed use areas?

There is no mixed use zoning per se, there is General Mixed Use (GMU) which serves the community and typically found on larger corridors like Mesa, Montana, and Hawkins and Residential Mixed Use (RMU) which is considered neighborhood serving, is in or adjacent to neighborhoods, and allows reduced parking because they use off street parking.

Sale of alcoholic beverages would be allowed in both the RMU and GMU.

RMU zoning would have bars in or directly adjacent to established neighborhoods as well as bar patrons parking on neighborhood streets.

GMU would allow bars along corridors like Hawkins.

Isn’t this one of the problems Cielo Vista residents had with a bar on a major corridor and intersection at Montana and Hawkins?

This proposition would have horrible impact on established neighborhoods because most homeowners do not want bars in close proximity to their homes and they have made this clear more than once.

What is the City’s “Storyline”?

The City claims it is for “SmartCode” like the Montecello which may be ok because it is new and can be designed appropriately. Plus potential homeowners know before they buy there will be bars in their neighborhoods.

Unfortunately for those areas being rezoned “SmartCode,” some unfortunate resident could end up with an RMU and a bar next to their home if the owner rezones.

Since RMU and GMU are not specific to “SmartCode” it will effect all neighborhoods across the City where RMU is allowed, which is all neighborhoods.

El Paso is already among the cities in the U.S. with the highest density of bars per capita (Source).

Where do the powers that be really want to put a bars?

I looked at various places around El Paso and one stood out: The San Francisco Historical District.

Why? Currently everything around the stadium to be is not zoned so that you can serve alcohol. The nearest bar going east is SOHO. Going east is the Camino Real. And west is the Union Depot District. That may be a long walk for some to get a drink. Being a historical district, the city cannot tear it down, but they can do the next best thing – turn the neighborhood into bars.

Protect the integrity of El Paso’s Charter – Vote “AGAINST” All 9 Propositions