City Council scrutinizes actions, leadership of city-appointed port commissioners on desal

Three city-appointed Port of Corpus Christi commissioners fielded questions from the Corpus Christi City Council during a tense meeting on Tuesday, weeks after a public schism between the two governmental entities over their respective seawater desalination permitting efforts.

During a heated question-and-answer session that lasted more than an hour, council members scrutinized the port commissioners on their recent decisions, leadership and communication with city leaders concerning the port's efforts to obtain desalination permits.

Council members also condemned the port's chief executive, Sean Strawbridge, for providing a statement to the Caller-Times in which he criticized the city's intent to purchase land for $5.4 million for one of its proposed facility locations.

Mayor Paulette Guajardo, who was the sharpest in her critique of the port commissioners, questioned city appointees David Engel and Rajan Ahuja for supporting a port resolution stating the port authority's intent with its proposed desalination projects at Harbor Island and the La Quinta Channel.

Guajardo said the goals outlined in the May 2 resolution, which passed in a 5-2 vote, compete directly with and could hinder the city's desalination efforts. Engel and Ahuja voted in favor of the resolution, while Gabe Guerra, the newest city-appointed commissioner, voted against it.

"The very people who appointed you have voted 9-0 their stance and position on the single most important and critical infrastructure project that the city of Corpus Christi will see," Guajardo said. "Desalination is a city function. That is something we are responsible for, and not one of you has made a stance at that port commission to say that."

The mayor continued, speaking directly to Engel, the longest-serving city appointee, "It is very confusing, sir, for you to say one thing and then do another."

City and port leaders agree seawater desalination facilities are needed to address concerns with droughts and to better accommodate the Coastal Bend's projected population and industrial growth, which could strain the region's limited water supplies.

However, city leaders accuse the port of being unclear about its intent to obtain the permits, saying the port or a third party (as the port authority proposed in the May 2 resolution) opening a desalination plant would hurt the city's business model as the sole water provider for nearly 500,000 residents in the region.

District 1 Councilman Billy Lerma said he did not have confidence in the three city-appointed port commissioners.

Engel, responding to Guajardo, said the port is dedicated to helping the city obtain its permits and offering its own permits for the city to use if the city leaders were inclined.

"We are committed to the city's permitting process. We want to help you in any way we can if you choose to solicit our help," he said, saying that sentiment was outlined in the port's resolution. However, he acknowledged that some comments by port staff did not align with that resolution since it was passed. "I think there is a lot we can offer the city with their desal plans if you want it. If not, we'll be standing by, hoping you get your permit."

Questions sent to a Port of Corpus Christi spokesperson about the council meeting were not answered Tuesday.

The city is focused on obtaining a permit to build a desalination plant at the Inner Harbor, while the port is seeking the same for a plant on Harbor Island. In addition, both the city and port are seeking permits at two different locations at the La Quinta Channel.

Before the question-and-answer session, Engel and Guerra briefed the council on the business of the port authority. (Ahuja attended the meeting virtually because he was sick with COVID-19, he said.)

Their presentation included updates on the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project, finances, recent overseas trips, the Harbor Point East project and funds committed to community organizations and nonprofits.

Guajardo questioned why the port commissioners did not discuss the port's desalination efforts in the presentation, saying that omission was an example of port commissioners not being forthright with information about the projects.

District 3 Councilman Roland Barrera said he had requested port commissioners give him a briefing on the port's desalination projects more than a month ago but had still not received it.

"As an elected official, I have a responsibility to the citizens who elected me to know what it is that you are doing, particularly due to the effect it is going to have on water," Barrera said.

Port CEO's statement

The council also discussed Strawbridge, the port's chief executive, and a statement he sent to the Caller-Times for a story about concerns surrounding the city's proposed Inner Harbor plant.

In the statement, Strawbridge said the city's plans to purchase land from Flint Hills Resources near the waning Hillcrest neighborhood was an ineffective use of taxpayer money.

"We don't understand why the City would use precious taxpayer dollars to acquire land in the Hillcrest neighborhood when it's well known the Port Authority has plenty of land it acquired through the Hillcrest Neighborhood Voluntary Acquisition and Relocation Program which it will gladly contribute to the City's desalination efforts at no cost to its taxpayers," he said in the statement.

At-large Councilman Mike Pusley said port commissioners at their next public meeting should ask Strawbridge to publicly retract the statement, which he said accused the council of "duping" city taxpayers.

"We hear the apologies … but there has to be a public retraction of that kind of information because that is a very serious claim," he said. "I'm looking for my port commissioners to stand up and say, 'You know what, we don't agree with that and we're going to put that item on the agenda for public discussion.'"

Barrera questioned why the comment was made to the newspaper before it was voiced to the council.

Engel and Ahuja said Strawbridge's comment does not align with the position of the port authority.

"I have no clue why that was said. I don't agree with it," said Engel, who earlier said the statement went against the port's stated goal of supporting the city's efforts to establish a desalination plant.

"Those remarks are not how I feel, and I certainly don't think the city is duping taxpayers. I know that y'all took a lot of time and effort to figure out where that property is and (if) it is the best location for your desal plant."

Later in the meeting, Ahuja said the situation with the comment had been addressed, but he did not elaborate. Personnel matters for governmental entities are often talked about behind closed doors, as is permitted by Texas open meeting law.

"We have, for the last two or three weeks, been addressing that," Ahuja said, speaking to Lerma. "You should not, hopefully, hear another comment like that come out. We have very strongly taken care of that."

Questions sent to a Port of Corpus Christi spokesperson about whether Strawbridge was reprimanded for the comment were not answered Tuesday.

A least one elected official said Strawbridge's statement was correct.

During the public comment period of the port's May 24 meeting, Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales, a former port commissioner, said his statement "spoke the truth" while also voicing her personal opposition to the city's proposed Inner Harbor plant. She charged the county-appointed port commissioners to mediate with the city and port to "stop the chaos."

The port authority is composed of seven volunteer commissioners: three appointed by the city of Corpus Christi, three appointed by the Nueces County Commissioners Court and one by the San Patricio County Commissioners Court.

Some remaining Hillcrest residents have voiced concern about the city's intent to purchase the land for its proposed Inner Harbor site. That land, owned by Flint Hills Resources, is in a "buffer zone" previously meant to protect the minority community from the bordering industry.

Multiple residents also spoke during the council's public comment period against the city's efforts on desalination, raising concerns about the potential environmental impact of the facilities.

Chase Rogers covers local government and industry in South Texas. Contact him at chase.rogers@caller.com or on Twitter @chasedrogers. You can support local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times. 

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: City Council voices concerns with port, port's CEO in heated meeting