Monday night’s Tatum City Council meeting turned into an hours-long ordeal as the final agenda item opened the floor to community complaints against the Tatum Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO)Coordinator.
Numerous residents, small business owners, and even a council member raised complaints against TEDCO’s Coordinator Janie Lassen, making claims of favoritism, name-calling, and carrying out personal vendettas against business owners.
Resident and business owner Victor Terrazas recounted a verbal altercation in February that ended with him allegedly being called a “d***head” as he exited the City Hall building.
“When I met her, I was met with aggression,” said Terrazas. “She was rude, and she was accusing me of things. When I left, she actually had a couple words for me.”
Lassen denied the allegations stating that she didn’t recognize Terrazas and doesn’t remember that incident. Terrazas made a plea to the council on behalf of the citizens of Tatum that professionalism be demanded of every city employee, especially when dealing with the public.
“I’ve been here 45 years, we pay taxes, we make plenty of money, and we don’t mess with anybody here in Tatum. When I come here, I don’t appreciate the way I was treated. The only reason I’m even here is because I heard other people complain about her, so there needs to be a level of professionalism if she’s going to work for the city and she’s going to be paid with our taxes,” Terrazas said. “I’ve never seen her before so for her to treat me that way she treated me, that’s unacceptable.”
Defending herself Lassen explained, “The only thing I asked was if you had people staying at the hotel. I did ask you if you were gonna have people living there and you told me it was ran down.” Lassen claimed to have used a calm and pleasant tone when addressing Terrazas, which was vehemently disputed as resident onlooker Chris Lay interrupted the exchange saying, “She just said she didn’t remember him.”
Tatum resident Malantha Palmer voiced concerns over favoritism when choosing vendors for local festivals and community events. Palmer, a Paparazzi jewelry consultant, questioned why she’s been on a waiting list to set up a booth at Tatum’s annual Jingle Bell Bop and Pecan Pie Festival since 2018 while newer and out-of-town vendors appeared to have skipped to the front of the list.
“According to Paparazzi guidelines two consultants can not set up at the same venue. Since I started in Paparazzi I called and asked Janie if I could set up at the Jingle Bell Bop and was told that they already had a Paparazzi vendor and they would add me to the waiting list,” said Palmer. “At the Jingle Bell Bop there was a lady from Marshall, not from Tatum, with a table and a few pieces of jewelry and was telling everyone they had to go to her website. Then I called to ask if I could set up at the Pecan Pie Festival and again was told no that I was on the waiting list.”
According to Palmer, these denials continued through these annual events until 2021 when she asked to set up at the Jingle Bell Bop to be told she was fourth on the list only to attend the event and realize the attending Paparazzi vendor had only signed up with the company in the spring of that same year.
“How does this work in your eyes?” asked Palmer. “I’ve been a consultant since October of 2018, I’ve been on a waiting list since then, and then in 2021 I’m fourth on the list but a person who has only been in for a few months gets ahead of me on the list.”
Palmer claimed this unnamed consultant was a personal friend to Lassen, insinuating favoritism in choosing event vendors.
TEDCO President Carrie Dinsman took to the podium to explain and defend Lassen and the TEDCO board but also address credible community issues regarding vendor selection for local festivals.
“I have a heart for this community and I have volunteered for TEDCO for more than 10 years. The reason that we volunteer is to serve this community and the local businesses and not ourselves,” said Dinsman. “We’ll have to figure out how to meet and go over the Pecan Pie Festival and that way we can better serve you and other people like you that feel like you are being dismissed.”
“There’s no malice or favoritism in our decision making, period. I don’t care who you are, we don’t operate that way. There are guidelines and processes that we have to follow; therefore, not everyone is happy about the results sometimes,” continued Dinsman. “The city does not pay Janie Lassen. She’s paid by TEDCO, and we don’t get the city’s funds.”
Economic Development groups such as TEDCO are funded from city sales tax revenue and available grants but do fall under the city and city council umbrella. While the TEDCO board can make financial decisions, all expenditures must be approved by the City Council. The board of directors of a Type A EDC serves at the pleasure of the city council, and may be removed and replaced at any time and without cause. All funding agreements approved by an EDC must also be approved by the city council. The composition of a corporation’s board of directors and the length of a member’s term differ between Type A and Type B. The city council must appoint a board of directors with at least five members to serve terms up to six years. The statute does not specify qualifications for Type A corporation board members.
TEDCO Vice President Nakia Smith took to the podium to remind everyone in attendance that placement on the TEDCO board is a volunteer experience and the only gain is fulfilling a civil duty to the community.
“Everything we do is for Tatum,” said Smith. “If we’re here for one person then we’ve lost the real meaning behind what we’re even doing. I’m here just because I care for this town.”
City Council member Wendell Moore addressed his own issues with Lassen but not before offering to take his claims into executive session.
“Yeah, me and Janie’s had words and because of the stuff that took place and was said at the TEDCO meeting,” said Moore, addressing a previously held meeting where he addressed the TEDCO board regarding allegations of misappropriation of EDC funds and Lassen’s denial of the occurrence, which got a bit heated.
“I’ve tried to let that go. It is what it is, but when I come in this building, and I ask her a question and every time she has some excuse about why she can’t do it or why she didn’t, or she grabs her phone to record our conversation. I’m not going to deal with that.”
“There’s stuff that she’s doing, and it’s because of me,” he continued. “It’s personal, I get it. Well, you know something’s gotta take place.”
In regular city business the council table items regarding a text service to help the city secretary disseminate city information and discussion surrounding the Tatum Volunteer Fire Department boot drive. Also tabled were items about repair or replacement of the city’s recording system within City Hall and bids for HVAC maintenance and mowing and cleaning services. Discussions on a refund regarding the EMS building were tabled along with clarification of TEDCO bylaws and transparency of wages and monies.
In happy council news the Municipal Court Clerk salary was raised to $15 per hour while Waterworks workers Michael Morton and Cody Jones saw increases in their wages with Morton earning $23.25 and Jones bringing in $19.50.
