CDC puts hold on Northside Center request
By BRENDA SOMMER news1@leader-news.com

The City Development Corp. of El Campo is coming up with a plan before it decides whether to allow its executive director to also take the helm of the Northside Education Center.

In August, Northside board President Gordon Sorrell asked the CDC to let CDC Executive Director Chandra Spenrath take calls and handle business after Northside Executive Director Irene Barr stepped down Sept. 1.

The distance-learning center, opened on the refurbished grounds of the original El Campo High School at 707 Fahrenthold, is home to several adult education programs. For the past three years, the CDC has provided an annual allotment of $30,000 to the education center for workforce development.

The CDC gives money to the center to help workers land jobs, hone their office and customer service skills, and brush up on computer programs.

But the CDC board put that request on hold temporarily because it had a number of concerns about such an arrangement, including the possibility of conflict of interest and the legality of such a move.

The board appointed a committee made up of board members Randy Collins and Bobby Perez and Spenrath to look into the issues, and held their regular September meeting Monday at Northside, attended by only three of the board's five voting members.

"They have not come up with a plan of what they really want, just a request, so I've asked Chandra to come up with a plan on how she can envision how this will work," CDC board President Gwen Willis said. "She will then present to the committee, they will tweak it and then bring it to our next meeting."

She said board attorney Ronny Collins said he saw no legal conflict in Spenrath assuming duties at Northside. As well, Spenrath has found other towns where similar situations exist, Willis said.

"So we see this as potentially working but all the details have not been worked out," Willis said. "We want to see if we can help."