City Council Hires A Marshal Without A Background Check

On June 11, 2015 the Sandy Oaks City Council approved Jesse Gutierrez to be the City Marshal.

Gutierrez is a resident of Waterwood and works in law enforcement in Floresville, Texas.  He had volunteered to be City Marshal and work for free in December of 2014.

At a previous City Council meeting on December 11, 2014 the Council discussed approving Gutierrez as City Marshal, but couldn’t of him because they had never created the position of City Marshal.

Related: Marshal Applicant Defends Mayor Clement

The City Council held a meeting on December 15, 2014 to create the position of City Marshal.  They also approved hiring Gutierrez as City Marshal on the condition that he pass a background check.

Related: Citizens Banned From Meeting Location

Alderman Earnest Gay was absent from the December 15 meeting, but the City Council tasked him anyway with contacting the San Antonio Police Department to see if they would offer a free background check on Gutierrez.  Gay was a former SAPD officer.

On February 12, 2015 Gay reported to the City Council that he didn’t know anyone inside SAPD who could get a free background check done.  He then suggested that the City Attorney, Art Martinez de Vara, get the background check done because he was the Mayor of Von Ormy and already dealt with those issues.

Alderman Micki Ball suggested that the Council look into Bexar County Sheriff’s Department doing the check.  Mayor Clement said he would contact them.

The issue of the City Marshal and the hiring of Jesse Gutierrez did not appear on a City Council meeting agenda until early June when Alderman Gay released a Council agenda that included the following:

Swearing in of the City Marshal: Previously the had requested a background check for previously approved candidate, Jesse Gutierrez, this is difficult to complete and unnecessary since he has proper credentials and standing with a state law enforcement agency.  (Ball/Tremblay)

A few days later a new agenda for the same meeting was announced and the item regarding the hiring of Gutierrez was reworded thus:

Conduct Swearing in of City Marshal, Jesse Gutierrez. (Ball/Tremblay)

The item was placed on the agenda by Aldermen Ball and Tremblay and at the June 11, 2015 City Council meeting Jesse Gutierrez was approved and sworn in.

The issue of a background check was never addressed by any of the City Council members at the July 9th meeting.

,

Comments are closed.