Corpus Christi city manager misses deadline to turn over public records

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — 6 Investigations began probing public funds given to developers of the Homewood Suites by Hilton in April after receiving an audio recording between Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni and a competing hotel owner .

KRIS 6 News also received copies of text messages and emails exchanged between Zanoni and this hotelier.

They were exchanged on Zanoni’s home phone and on Gmail.

As part of the process of verifying the authenticity of these documents, 6 investigators filed a public information request with the city on April 29.

On May 10, the city provided some of the requested documents, but not the text messages and emails that 6 investigators already had.

Three weeks after the city turned over the documents, KRIS 6 News asked Zanoni why those text messages and emails had not been turned over.

At that time, he said he had not yet turned over his cellphone information to the city attorney and was unsure whether the city was behind on that public information request.

However, at the time the city granted the request, it did not indicate that it was a partial response, nor that 6 investigators could expect further documents.

“That seems like an inappropriate response,” Zanoni said.

KRIS 6 News asked Zanoni if ​​his use of his personal cell phone and Gmail account was to avoid complying with state law and if 6 Investigates would have ever received these documents if he did not already have them .

Zanoni defended his transparency record.

“I’ve taken more screenshots on my phone and given them to other applicants than anyone else,” he said. “It’s not unusual for me to provide information, in this case, because of travel and other important matters and because the board has already approved it, I’m not going to drop everything to get to that point because it’s less critical.”

Councilors Gil Hernandez and Roland Barrera both said public officials have a responsibility to turn over public records.

“Okay, it would not be acceptable for a city council member to do that. I’m going to have to look at it from the perspective that if he’s doing things like that, then we have to discuss it directly in council with him,” Hernández said.

The law gives government agencies no more than ten business days to turn over documents unless they intend to ask the attorney general whether the documents can be withheld, or they have informed the requester that They need more time to comply.

In this case, the city did neither.