Kemah Boardwalk celebrates New Year’s Eve.
The Houston Chronicle
Clare Fonstein, Staff Writer
Kemah city officials have been accused by a former mayor of withholding relevant documents in a federal lawsuit against the city.
The lawsuit was filed against the City of Kemah last year by T&W Holding Company, operating a bar, food truck and residential units. The business alleges the city arbitrarily revoked certificates of occupancy, refused to issue permits without justification and unlawfully seized their food truck, court documents state.
Former Kemah Mayor Terri Gale contacted the presiding judge’s office last week alleging that the City of Kemah is concealing documents that should have been turned over in relation to the case, court documents show.
“I have firsthand knowledge of documents that exist but have been concealed by the city from the court,” she wrote in an email to the judge.
She cites specific documents that should have been revealed, including an email where she expressed discontent with city employees’ handling of the companies’ permit and compliance requirements, along with an email written by City Attorney Dick Gregg III urging the City Council to not discuss Mayor Carl Joiner’s case deposition in a meeting.
Councilors were allegedly advised that, “revealing this information would be damaging to the case and to the city financially,” Gale wrote.
Gale also sent the judge’s office a copy of Joiner’s deposition given in the case as well as a City Council Agenda and documentation packet.
The documents provided by Gale don’t have bearing on any issue in this lawsuit, said Bill Helfand, who is representing the city in the lawsuit.
“Apparently, Ms. Gale’s animus towards Mayor Joiner relates to Ms. Gale having lost the election nearly two years ago,” he wrote, also attributing her involvement to prior favor of the business owner.