Burnt Bodies & Double Dipping

by | Jan 7, 2024 | City Council, Developements, Frisco Springs, Mayor Jeff Cheney, Politics, Richard Abernathy, Texas Open Meetings Act

Back in November you may have read our blog, Frisco – The City That Burns Bodies where we told you about local residents taking to Citizens Input at the November 21st city council meeting to discuss their concerns about the new Ridgeview West Memorial Park Crematory owned by Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow, Inc. 

Even though the Texas Open Meeting Act states “the governmental body (AKA City of Frisco) MAY NOT DELIBERATE on any item from public comment that is not on the agenda the city continues to break the rule, meeting after meeting.   The Act clearly states what they can do which is (1) make a statement of fact regarding the item; (2) make a statement concerning the policy regarding the item; or (3) propose that the item be placed on a future agenda.   

At the city council meeting that night Cheney opens Citizens Input by acknowledging the large number of citizens who are there to speak.  Then he continues, “so the speakers have the benefit of understanding all the facts the staff has a prepared a presentation,” followed by Jonathan Hubbard, Assistant Director of Development Services who took to the podium.  Then RICHARD ABERNATHY, THE CITY ATTORNEY speaks about the regulation and omissions from a crematorium, and this is where the problem begins, but we will get back to that.

Next Cheney asks Jonathan to confirm that this crematory was approved before the neighborhood was ever contemplated and that all this information has been available to the public on the city’s website since it had been approved.  STOP, JEFF CHENEY!  REGULAR PEOPLE who are considering buying a home don’t go research the city’s planning and development that has been approved nearby over the last 10 years.  As far as the city website, it is NOT USER FRIENDLY for the REGULAR PEOPLE to find information and most are not going to pay $90 for a PIR.  Hell Sir, most people don’t even know what key words to look for in the search tools to find such information. 

All in all, after opening citizens input at 40:09, the city held the floor over 10 minutes to “school residents’ which ended at 51:13. FYI, that is not a statement that is called a full presentation to pre-empt citizens at public input. Then NOT SHOCKINGLY, Bobblehead Bill Woodard mentions they have over 10 cards for public input and in response to the city’s policies and to be respectful of everyone’s time, he proposed citizens input should be cut from 5 min per person to 3 min per person. 

THAT’S RIGHT FOLKS, they don’t want to hear from you the CITIZEN who Cheney says is at the top of the CITY’S ORGANIZATIONAL CHART!  They can use up 10+ minutes of Citizens Input, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE BREAKING THE OPEN MEETING ACT BY HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT AN ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA, but you SIR/MADAM need to hurry up and get it done in 3 minutes or less.

At Frisco Chronicles we have told you over and over about how the city likes to school or educate us stupid citizens, we have told you about how they are breaking the open meeting act, we have told you how they are withholding PIR requests and delaying PIR requests.  Just last week we told you how the city HR Department forged documents and spent $88,000 to do a needless investigation. 

Well now, let’s get back to earlier where we mentioned a problem with the City Attorney, Richard Abernathy speaking.  Why is it a problem?  The City  Attorney is DOUBLE DIPPING and has a major conflict-of-interest.  What could that CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST BE?  Well, did you know his firm represents THE CREMATORY!  Yep, HOLD YOUR TOUPEE’S FOLKS, the city attorney’s law firm Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd & Hullett located on Redbud Blvd in McKinney represented Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow, Inc., A Texas Corporation in a lawsuit against The State of Texas in 2021.  While the case is closed today, the fact that they represented the corporation in which the citizens are there to speak against probably means HE SHOULD HAVE RECUSED HIMSELF!  Whose interest is he looking out for?  Not the citizens!  His job is to protect his clients, which in this case are the City of Frisco and Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow, Inc. 

Frisco Residents should be beyond angry at this point, they should be done right pissed off! The city continues to waste tax dollars, put developers before residents, break rules and treat citizens as if they are stupid.  When will it stop? 

Other References

NBCDFW: Controversy over new crematorium in Frisco

Dallas Morning News: Frisco Residents upset about crematory near homes

CBS NEWS: Hundreds of Frisco residents push back against Crematory