Council votes on ODC board

Last year, Odessa Mayor Larry Melton defeated banker and community organizer Art Leal to win reelection. Tuesday evening, Melton cast the tie-breaking vote against Leal joining a powerful Odessa board.

After a rare closed session, councilmen Bill Cleaver and Benjamin Velasquez, who nominated Leal, voted for Leal's appointment to the board of the Odessa Development Corp., which has awarded millions in economic development incentives since its creation in 1997. James Goates and Royce Bodiford voted against the appointment. Councilman Dean Combs didn't attend the meeting.

After the meeting, Leal said his qualifications and educational background mirror those of ODC board president Rick Carlton.

"If the question is about being qualified, I don't think that should be an issue," he said. "When you have a qualified individual, I think they should be considered."

 Leal recently started Una Voz Unida, a political action committee aimed at increasing Hispanic representation on elected and appointed governing bodies in Ector County. While figures show the Hispanic population of Ector County around 50 percent, there is currently one Hispanic each on the city council, Odessa College Board and Ector County Commissioners Court. The Ector County Hospital District Board of Director has two Hispanic representatives, while the Ector County Independent School District Board of Trustees has none.

Leal, who lost to Melton 89.17 percent to 10.83 percent in the only contested city election in May 2008, said the mayor's tie breaking vote could have been personal.

"This issue is not over," Leal said and then questioned Melton's integrity.

When asked if his vote was personal, Melton said, "Absolutely not. It was not a personal decision."

"If you look back at my voting record, I've always voted on what I felt was best for the city of Odessa, and tonight was no different," he said. 

Goates said he voted against Leal's appointment because he feels current ODC board member Jim Breaux deserves a full term. Breaux, who is willing to continue serving, was appointed last year by the late District 5 Councilman Michael Sanchez to fill the unexpired term of Bob Glast. Breaux is a longtime respected Odessa business leader. He's known for his business and charitiable work.

"He's done a really, really good job," Goates said of Breaux. "I think he understands it."

Goates said Breaux, who didn't attend the meeting, would continue to serve until someone replaces him. He expected "more talking to be done" on the matter.

Leal said he wants to bring some "new blood" to the ODC board.

"The ODC controls quite a bit of money and I think there needs to be some accountability," he said.

In other action, council approved:

>> Allowing speed limits on some recently annexed areas to be brought into city ordinances. Odessa traffic coordinator Hal Feldman said the speed limits wouldn't actually change. The vote also removes parking restrictions near the old Coca-Cola distribution facility at Van Street and Blackstone Avenue and changes emergency vehicle zones, parking meter zones and limited-time parking zones on portions of Fourth Street and Washington Avenue purchased by Medical Center Hospital.

>> Multiple grants for the police and fire departments, including $68,581 shared with Ector County for equipment for the OPD, $222,940 for the OFD to buy a driving simulator and $190,337 for the OFD to buy a new brush truck.

>> An amendment to a city ordinance requiring people to pay a green fee or have permission from the manager to enter Ratliff Ranch Golf Links.

>> Awarding a consultant contract with Landgraf, Crutcher and Associates of Odessa for engineering and surveying services for a drainage basin near Faudree Road.

>> Awarding a consultant contract with S.W. Howell Engineering in the amount of $146,500 to design a proposed 24-inch water main between Dawn Avenue and 52nd Street.

>> Reappointing Kathleen McCulloch to the historic preservation committee and Leo Martinez to the traffic advisory committee.

>> Reappointing Ludie Warner and Nard Hendrick to the zoning board of adjustment and Margaret Jones to the Permian Basin Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board of Trustees.