Gonzales city council picks board reps

Mayor Kacir named to GEDC

Posted

The Gonzales City Council appointed and reappointed members to the city’s various boards and commissions at its Dec. 12 meeting. Though most of the now 10 boards underwent little compositional change, there were a few notable alterations. Appointed board members will serve a two-year term expiring Sept. 30, 2021, unless otherwise specified.

Gonzales Mayor Connie Kacir was appointed to the Gonzales Economic Development Corporation (GEDC) board. Kacir filled the seat vacated by Steve Sucher who opted to not seek reappointment upon the expiration of his term on Sept. 30. Dewey Smith, Gerri Lawing and Gonzales Councilman Dan Blakemore were also all reappointed to their respective positions on the GEDC board.

“It’s an honor to serve and I’m looking forward to be an active member on the board,” Kacir told “The Inquirer.” Kacir further expressed excitement at the opportunities the position presents and said she hopes to create unity between the council and board.  

Kacir was selected over four other outside candidates, including Clint Hille, who the GEDC board recommended to fill the vacancy on a four-to-two vote in August. Kacir and two other candidates submitted their application for the position after the board made its recommendation.

Blakemore was one of two GEDC board members to vote against Hille’s recommendation in August and also first motioned to appoint Kacir to the vacancy at the Dec. 12 council meeting. The council voted unanimously for Kacir and the other GEDC reappointments. After the vote, Kacir thanked council for their “vote of confidence.”

Though Kacir and Blakemore voted on their own board appointments to GEDC, Blakemore did abstain from voting on the Museum Advisory Board of which his wife Lucianne Blakemore was a candidate for appointment. Both Kacir and Blakemore said they were not in violation of any statues by voting on their confirmations. Blakemore further mentioned he checked with the city’s legal counsel prior to the meeting to ensure compliance.

The Museum Advisory board grew from five seats to seven after council approved an amended chapter nine of the city’s code of ordinances. John Tinsley and Brent Baker were reappointed to the board while Lucianne Blakemore, Jean Peterek Burns and Cheri Lane were additions to the board. Lane was selected to serve a one-year term expiring Sept. 30, 2020. Sandra Mauldin sought reappointment but was not selected by city council.

The Main Street Advisory Board also had a member that sought reappointment but was not selected by council. The board featured eight openings, six expired terms and two unexpired. Carlos Camarillo, Karen Jacobs, Debbie Toliver, Sherri Schellenberg and Shelli Shelton Van Kirk were all reappointed. Amy Cernosek was selected in place of Suzanne Zaitz for the final two-year term. Cheri Lane and D’Anna Robinson were chosen to serve out the unexpired one-year terms

The only non-unanimous council vote was for the Gonzales Golf Course Advisory Board. A split three-to-two council appointed Jon Such, Glenda Kessler, Bill Kessler and Bill Hyman to the board. The Kesslers and Hyman are new appointees to the board with Glenda Kessler taking over for Erwin Ckodre who opted to not seek reappointment and Bill Kessler taking over for Floyd Rogers who resigned. Bill Kessler’s term is one year, while Glenda Kessler’s is two years. Bill Hyman was chosen over Doyle Allen for the last two-year term. Councilmen Dan Blakemore, Gary Schroeder and Mayor Connie Kacir voted in favor of the appointments, while Councilmen Tommy Schurig and Bobby O’Neal voted against.

Kacir announced at the meeting that she had been informed Sissy Mills would be stepping down from the J.B. Wells Park Advisory Board. 

“She (Mills) would continue to be a volunteer on that board, but commitments do not allow her to serve actively as a board member,” Kacir said. “She would like to remain involved in our rodeos and other events as a volunteer when available.”

The city council selected Liz Davis as Mills’ replacement on the board and reappointed Kevin La Fleur and Allison Davis.

The Planning and Zoning Commission had appointees which directly affected another city board. The city council reappointed Tim Gescheidle, Roland Martinez and Charles Patterson to the commission and picked Gilbert Martinez and Johnnie Edwards to fill the two vacant seats on the board. Edwards was selected to serve the one-year unexpired term.

Edwards and Martinez also applied to serve on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Sign Control, but legal restrictions prevent them from serving on both zoning-related city boards. The city council reappointed Vicki Frenzel and Ray Lee Raley to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Sign Control but left the two vacancies on the board open due to a lack of other candidates. 

The city council picked Andrea “Andi” Seger to fill the vacancy on the Gonzales Convention and Visitors Bureau and reappointed Holly Danz, Dawn O’Donnell and Barbara Crozier to the board. No changes were made to the Gonzales Library Board as Vicki Frenzel, Noell Ince, Martha Jo Whitt and Erwin Ckodre were all reappointed.

In addition to the appointments, the city council also established a seven-member Airport Advisory Board. No members were named to the new board at the meeting, but council will revisit after seeking applicants.

Comments