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Ex-EDC members allege agendas
By Ann Marie Shambaugh, Community Editor
As three town council members temporarily comprise the Little Elm Economic Development Corp., some former members are contending that last week's clearing of the board stemmed from ulterior motives.
The council voted 4 to 2 to remove all EDC members during their June 5 meeting, citing that a majority of the current council had not appointed a majority of the board. This is also true for the Board of Adjustments, but legalities prevent that board from being disbanded.
Not everyone believes the EDC break-up explanation is so simple.
Johnson believes that the council is singling out former EDC president and council member Terri Lowery, an election opponent of both Mayor Frank Kastner and council member David Hillock in recent years.
Both Kastner and Hillock deny her allegation.
"Everybody was removed equally," Hillock said. "Everybody has the same process from which they were released from the EDC. Everybody has the same process to go through to get back on to the EDC."
Kastner also emphasized that the town isn't hiding anything.
"There's no prejudging, or hidden agendas or anything whatsoever," he said.
The mayor also said the issue was raised for valid reasons.
"My perspective is that the council and some of the citizens wanted to know where our EDC is going, and it seems that there's no significant job creation going on in Little Elm," Kastner said.
Johnson disagrees, however. She said she has proof that the EDC has played a crucial role in bringing business to town, including luring an Applebee's set for Little Elm's southwest corner of Eldorado Parkway and Farm-to-Market Road 423 that almost went to Frisco.
"I just don't see how any Town Council member or mayor could say that we're not doing our job," she said. "I believe they want full control of anything that has to do with the town."
Lowery has decided not to seek reappointment because she said she perceives personal agendas are more important to some town leaders than what is best for Little Elm.
"I don't choose to work with that, because I think when people take an oath to serve the town, that should be the priority and not personal agendas," she said.
As of Wednesday evening one former board member, David Cox, had turned in an application for reappointment, although the town did receive a few new applications. The deadline for applications has been extended to Friday.
Hillock said he knows of about 10 people interested in filling vacant spots and said he believes the number of responses has reinforced his vote to reappoint the council.
"Anytime we can encourage a diverse group of people within the town to get involved that may be justification within itself," Hillock said.
In the meantime, Hillock and council members Beverly Hughes and Dee Dee Lear, a former liaison to the EDC, are taking care of EDC business. They met for the regular meeting on Monday and discussed the strategic plan but left most non-urgent items for the future board to deliberate.
"Our primary function at this point is to keep the EDC healthy and alive until the new board is appointed," Hillock said.
EDC consultant Pam Mundo said she thought the meeting was helpful, despite the fact that different faces will handle the board next month.
"It gave the opportunity for these council members to let us hear from them in terms of their opinions of the future direction that they would like to see the EDC go," Mundo said.
The board did decide to send a representative to weekly town development review committee meetings. Both sides hope that the move will improve communication between the town and EDC, something that the mayor said he thinks everyone could benefit from.
"I think that we both need to work more in concert with one another, and I think that's one of the things that's going to come out of this," Kastner said.
Hillock said he hopes that the changes also will bring about a better understanding between the EDC and the council on how they should relate to each other.
"Council has not only a privilege but a right and an obligation to have folks in these board seats who are providing an advisory role to council," he said. "Having that relationship between the two boards in commission and having an obligation to one another to support each other, that just wasn't done in the past. That falls wholly back on council and that's my fault as much as any council member."
For some, the effort to share a vision comes too late.
"I think they've done more damage than they even begin to realize, and it's real sad for Little Elm," Lowery said.
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