Brownsville city and civic officials have met privately about a growth plan for the city.

The Brownsville Herald has the story:

Elected and appointed officials of public entities have been meeting to prepare for the implementation of the city’s near $900,000 master plan called "Imagine Brownsville" — but most Brownsville residents have not been invited. ...


City Attorney Mark Sossi’s position is that the committee is "informal" and is not subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act or to the Texas Public Information Act, which are state statutes aimed at providing transparency, accountability and safeguarding the public’s right to know.

But the article goes on to point out that the panel, the Comprehensive Planning Coordination Board Executive Committee, includes officials from the utility board, the local school district, and the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. And that those public entities, along with the private ones, will each kick in $25,000 annually toward the committee's work.

It's hard to understand why a committee making decisions about a public plan, using public money, should deliberate in private, even if the city attorney is correct in the application of Texas' open meetings law to this situation.

Master plans can impact growth for decades. The public should have full access to the discussion as the Brownsville plan is being carried out.