City Council will not release details of City Manager Tommy Gonzalez’s performance plan

City council adjourned Tuesday without taking action on City Manager Tommy Gonzalez.

The City Council was in executive session for nearly six hours. It was scheduled to discuss a performance improvement plan with Gonzalez.

“It was productive and council members had a lot of input and I know the next question will be what was discussed but it’s a personnel matter and there’s no comment on any personnel matters,” Mayor Oscar Leeser told reporters shortly after the meeting adjourned.

When asked if the public could expect Gonzalez to stay on the city’s top job, Leeser said it was up to the council and Gonzalez to work together to determine that. “This process has just begun. It’s far from finalized,” Leeser said. It’s unclear when the plan will be finalized and what role the city’s Human Resources Department will play.

The council on Monday unanimously voted to place Gonzalez on a performance improvement plan following the findings of an in independent investigation.

Gonzalez is also required to amend his personal financial statements to the city and State Ethics Commission to include all pertinent information on outside consulting pay. Council also asked Gonzalez to disclose all consulting work and sources of income since becoming city manager.

The requests come after ethics Attorney Ross Fischer released his findings of an investigation into Gonzalez’s actions leading to a search for a new financial adviser without a vote from city council. Fischer determined Gonzalez did not violate any laws or abuse his power when he authorized the search for a new firm.

Fischer did raise questions about the accuracy of Gonzalez’s financial reporting, pointing out the city manager did not disclose the amounts for three honoraria he received for non-city related activities.

Texas law only allows for public servants to receive honoraria for lodging, transportation and meals. It’s not completely clear if Gonzalez received the honoraria for those reasons, according to the investigation.

Fischer also found no evidence that either Gonzalez or city Rep. Larry Romero had any business connections or would have benefited financially had the city hired Estrada Hinojosa, one of the companies competing for the contract. Romero is the target of a separate ethics investigation reviewing his role in the search for a new financial adviser. He came under question for not initially disclosing he had worked with Noe Hinojosa, the owner of Estrada Hinojosa, when he brought up the idea of the city hiring the firm.

The council on Monday also requested Mayor Oscar Leeser write a letter to Romero asking him to respond to the 60 questions the city’s Ethics Review Commission sent him. Romero resigned earlier this month but is still getting paid as a city rep., as required by state law, until the city fills his vacant seat. Romero has said he answered all relevant questions on “ABC-7 Xtra” weeks ago and during various media interviews and a news conference.

The council also voted for the mayor to write to former City Manager Joyce Wilson asking her to “explain and elaborate” on what led to the delay of the ballpark bond issuance and identify the city representatives involved in that decision.

Fischer reported Wilson refused to cooperate with the investigation, denying to identify the city representatives who raised concerns about the timing of the bond issuance and the May 2013 mayoral election. A prior city report showed Wilson purposely delayed the issuance for the election, a decision that contributed and arguably led to an unfavorable financing deal and a loss of up to $27 million.

Wilson has denied her decision to delay was politically influenced, saying it’s common to avoid important votes during elections. Her attorney, Mary Stillinger, denies Fischer’s assertion that Wilson refused to cooperate. Stillinger said Wilson simply needed more time to answer the questions. She has said Wilson will release a public statement answering the questions.

In 2012, the prior city council placed former City Manager Joyce Wilson on a performance improvement plan. That council didn’t release her improvement plan either but an unnamed city rep leaked it to the media.