LEAGUE CITY — Voters won’t know by election day on Saturday whether officials up for re-election will be implicated in an Open Meetings Act investigation because grand jury hearings will stretch into next week.
District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk said the jury would meet Tuesday to hear testimony from AmeriWaste President Janell Marin, League City general service director Travis Doughty and Mayor Jerry Shults. The jury could then begin deliberating whether to indict anyone involved or ask to hear from more witnesses, Sistrunk said.
“By then, we’ll know which way we’re headed,” he said. “We’re guided by the grand jury. They know the players involved. We’re following their lead.”
On Thursday, the jurors heard from a few members of city support staff, including Shults’ secretary, Csilla Ludanyi, and AmeriWaste Vice President and former City Administrator Mike Clawson.
Hearings began last week about events leading up to Oct. 23, when four council members voted to switch trash contractors.
Sistrunk’s office spent six months investigating the deal after Councilmen Mike Barber and Tim Paulissen told him their suspicions that elected officials made the decision to change companies outside of a legally posted public meeting, which would be a violation of state law.
Jurors have already heard from Barber, City Administrator Chris Reed and Independence Bank President Jeff Harrison.
Once all witnesses testify, the grand jury will decide whether to indict those involved with criminal charges or dismiss the case.
There is no set day for the grand jury to end its hearings, Sistrunk said.
Criticism of the deal began when Paulissen learned AmeriWaste had bought hundreds of new trash bins days before the council voted to award the company a temporary contract.
After the city requested bids for a new, permanent contract, the same four council members voted to award AmeriWaste a five-year contract, despite it not being the lowest bidder.
City and company records show that AmeriWaste began negotiating a deal to take over League City’s $6 million annual trash pick-up contract months before any other company knew it was up for grabs. During that time, the company bought equipment and met with city officials.
