Daryl
Slusher’s a hit.
In Week One, the rookie delivered on his campaign promise for hard-line
scrutiny of city affairs, sans plunging into conflict. Here an occasional joke,
there compliments to developers he opposed, Slusher was composed and tactful.
Of course, the honeymoon just started and everyone’s trying extra hard to
remember their manners. But for now, the future looks bright. One longtime
council aide called Slusher a “pleasant surprise.”
Take an example from last Wednesday’s work session on the draft policy budget,
when Slusher touched off a flurry of questions about staff efforts to privatize
the Hornsby Bend Water and Wastewater Plant. Referencing a June 19 city staff
memo to the council, Slusher calmly asked why staff would privatize an
award-winning operation. City Manager Jesus Garza explained that management
mergers in certain areas could result in savings.
Other councilmembers then picked up the ball, pressing buttons that apparently
angered the city manager while Slusher steered wide of the ruckus. Jackie
Goodman and Gus Garcia expressed concern that the Water and Wastewater
Department (WWD) staff were going through the privatization motions without
notifying the council. According to the memo, staff was close to having a
consultant prepare bid applications for the operation and maintenance of the
plant. “The proposed consultant will work with the City to prepare a fair and
`level playing field’ for all bidders, and to define the detailed scope of
work, performance measures, contractor qualifications, and bid evaluation
criteria,” the memo read.
Despite that wording, Garza reassured the council that a consultant hadn’t
been selected, and that staff had done nothing irregular and that the council
would hire the consultant.
But Garcia and Goodman, who called the circumstances “all very secret,”
weren’t convinced. Garcia complained that he had never given direction to staff
to pursue privatization. In a rare backlash against his superiors, Garza
replied, “Gus, it’s within my purview to look at and compare my operating
expenses. There are several points along the way where the council can say
`Let’s don’t do this’.”
Perhaps Garcia and Goodman were having mental regurgitations of a similar
situation earlier this year with Mayor Bruce Todd’s proposal to sell the
Electric Utility Department (EUD). Numerous councilmembers suspected that city
staff and the city’s consultant reviewing the EUD, Price Waterhouse, were
curiously in line with Todd’s philosophy that privatization is the cure for the
EUD’s future. Now, Todd and city staff are teaming up again; it was only four
days before the June 19 memo that Todd called for the privatization of five
city departments, including WWD. “Before we become fearful of privatization, we
have to understand that this is happening all over the country,” said Todd,
defending staff at the work session.
While privatization is nothing new — the city has been bought off by private
interests for years — the rest of the council is hesitant to make it official.
Adding to that hesitation may be Todd’s personal stake in the matter. Shortly
after he announced a desire to sell the EUD, it was discovered that his
father-in-law lobbied for a leading EUD suitor, Texas Utilities. So did Kristen
Kessler, his former executive assistant, and Don Martin, his campaign
consultant, both at Don Martin Public Affairs.
Now, it’s deja vu all over again. Waste Management, Inc. is a top candidate to
manage parts of the city’s Solid Waste Services division. Waste Management is
already offering the city a replacement landfill after its current one closes
down in 1999. On June 15, Todd called for the privatization of garbage
collection. Martin and Kessler are no doubt pleased; they represent Waste
Management, Inc. (See story, p.18.)
And consider this tidbit: Todd’s call for privatization came just over a
month after he left his accounting job to open Todos, a new public
relations firm he and his wife, Elizabeth Christian (daughter of the
aforementioned lobbyist George Christian), have created for his after-life in
the private sector. Todos is planned as a sort of clearinghouse for PR work,
farming out services with participating PR, advertising, and consulting firms.
According to the May 7 Austin American-Statesman, Todd will also provide
advice about “government regulations and local officials.” He promised not to
involve himself in projects that affect the city for an unstated period
following the end of his mayorship next June, to avoid any conflict-of-interest
charges. But the privatization issue will be on the table even then, and Todd
and his partners will certainly benefit from the wheels he’s setting in motion
now.
Slusher’s hard questioning continued at last Thursday’s council meeting, which
might well be called “The Daryl Slusher Show.” Slusher prompted the majority of
debate, and provided the lone dissent on numerous items without pissing anyone
off. On first reading for a proposed development at the intersection of FM 2222
and Riverplace Blvd., Slusher complimented the developer, Pete Dwyer of
Dwyer-Murphy Company, for his proposed water-quality compliance, then was
almost apologetic in saying he’d have to vote “No” because the project could
create undue traffic, and he wanted to see more information in that regard.
Ronney Reynolds abstained for reasons unsaid and the rest of the council
approved.
Beverly Griffith’s first week was more reserved; she’s no doubt trying to get
her feet on the ground with complex city issues. Speaking of feet, though, she
did team with Slusher for an alternative to the elimination of the
$45,000-a-year pedestrian coordinator position. As expected, only Goodman and
Garcia voted to keep the position. In an attempt to carry out the spirit of Max
Nofziger’s controversial ordinance creating the position, Todd proposed a
resolution that city staff include “pedestrian-friendly policies” when planning
for transportation. It was meaningless, since city staff already supposedly
attempts that. Slusher and Griffith presented their own resolution, asking the
city manager to bring back numerous reports and plans on improving pedestrian
safety. Garcia, who would have provided the fourth and winning vote, was absent
at the time, and the item seemed doomed for failure. Realizing this, Slusher
agreed to remove the meatiest part of their resolution — to create a planning
team for pedestrian issues — after Reynolds raised protests of
“micro-management.” But Griffith apparently felt betrayed, suggested that the
item stay in, then almost demanded that the council delay the item until
Garcia’s return.
Still, when the Pro Tem resumed his position at the dais, Slusher didn’t
pursue getting the planning team back into the resolution. Todd instead
suggested that the city’s bike coordinator handle the planning. And although
Griffith, Garcia, and Goodman weren’t extremely pleased with the change, it
helped the resolution to pass unanimously.
On first reading, the council also approved a franchise agreement with Central
South West Communications. The proposed agreement promises a city-wide,
broad-band computer network in five years. Approval was quick, though Mitchell
complained that the negotiation process moved too swiftly, and he didn’t have
sufficient time to study the issues. After thanking city staff for a briefing
earlier that day, Slusher chimed in with a similar argument. The agreement
passed with Slusher abstaining and Mitchell voting `No.’ Afterwards, Mitchell
slapped Slusher on the back, and the two had a good laugh.
n
This week in council: no meeting, no fireworks. The next meeting is July 11.
This article appears in July 5 • 1996 and July 5 • 1996 (Cover).