by Nicole Bradford
In a split vote, Pearland City Council, at its first meeting of 2025, appointed a Charter Review Commission, the advisory board tasked with reviewing and initiating any changes to the city’s charter.
“We opened this to the public; it’s the first time we’ve ever done that,” Mayor Kevin Cole said. “Historically, it’s been each (council) member gets a member. You’ve got to know somebody to be in.”
The advisory board is appointed every six years to review the city’s charter documents. This six-month process results in a report and recommendations forwarded to the city council.
These include changes needed to adhere to new state laws, single-member districts, or term limits. Any changes recommended by the board would need approval from both the council and voters.
In this case, changes to the charter, if any, go to voters in May 2026.
Only one resident west of Highway 288 — Travis S. Spiegelhauer — volunteered and was given a seat on the committee, Cole said.
Also volunteering and receiving the appointment was Chamber of Commerce CEO Jim Johnson.
Two committee members — Gerald Koza Jr. and Craig Slater – have served on the committee and are on the Economic Development Corp. board.
Appointee Alexander Okwonna is the immediate past chair of the Chamber and provost for San Jacinto College North Campus.
Also appointed was Victoria Forsberg, an HOA president who addressed the council during the recent annexation of MUD No. 16, and Shelly Heuser, who serves on the Pearland Education Foundation board along with other volunteer boards.
Voting against the slate of appointments were council members Rushi Patel, Layni Cade and Mona Chavarria.
“There were five people left out and one of them I feel is overqualified,” Patel commented. “All of a sudden we’re picking people based on the area they live in and breaking our community down into districts.”
