By Moses Leos III

Emotions hit a high point Tuesday as the Kyle City Council sparred over a position meant to assist with disseminating agenda related information to council members. 

By a contentious 4-2 vote, council approved a resolution appointing Chief of Staff Jerry Hendrix as its information officer. Council members Diane Hervol and Daphne Tenorio cast the dissenting votes. 

Mayor Todd Webster crafted the resolution from a provision in the city’s charter. According to Section 4.05 of the charter, council members can appoint an information officer to gather and disseminate information on questions relating to the agenda. 

The move was in response to council questions at its last meeting. During that meeting, Hervol and Tenorio claimed council member questions on agenda items weren’t being disseminated to all council members. 

In addition, Webster said the move was done to assist City Manager Scott Sellers, who had previously worked with council agenda information requests. Webster said he perceived Sellers was being “papered” with information requests by Hervol and Tenorio. 

According to Webster, the new resolution doesn’t “limit council members’ access to the city manager in any way.” 

“I don’t know how anyone could do their job properly by getting papered over with as much information as he was,” Webster said. He went on to add that Hervol and Tenorio “don’t see themselves as the problem.” 

But Hervol and Tenorio both believed that Sellers should continue to give the information. Tenorio questioned how Sellers has time to have an internship program, but not enough time to be a point of contact. 

“You’re responsible for all of the information that comes out of this office. I hold you responsible to do so,” she said. “I understand your time is golden. But guess what, so is ours.” 

Hervol maintained her stance that information wasn’t being disseminated; she added on Tuesday that information was being withheld. She said after the meeting she couldn’t pinpoint where the breakdown in disseminating information stems from. 

“If there was a question in regards to the agenda, it wasn’t given (to council),” Hervol said. “I don’t know if (questions) are being verbally done … but I would think a council member would have a question on an agenda item somewhere over the last year and a half.” 

It was her accusation that kick-started an argument between her and Webster on the dais. Webster called her allegation “inappropriate” and said that the “burden is on you to prove it.” 

“I truly believe that if you feel it’s inappropriate, then you are entitled to feel how you choose,” Hervol said to Webster on the dais. 

Webster said, “It’s not right” for both to “readily lob” accusations of inappropriate conduct to Sellers or other council members

“The allegation is because evidence doesn’t exist that people aren’t asking questions, so then they must be asking them secretly,” Webster said. “That’s the argument and that’s asinine.”