The Pearland City Council unanimously approved appointments to the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) boards at its Oct. 26 meeting. Council first debated whether Mayor Quentin Wiltz should be the city's primary representative. The seats became vacant when former Mayor Kevin Cole's term ended in May.
The approved slate names Council member Clint Byrom as primary for General Assembly Position 1 and the H-GAC Board of Directors. Council member Joseph Koza is alternate for Position 1, and Council member Rick Fernandez is alternate for the board. Fernandez is primary for General Assembly Position 2, with Council member Mona Chavarria as alternate. City Manager Trent Epperson will serve on the Transportation Policy Council, with Director of Engineering and Public Works Lorenzo Wingate as alternate.
Wiltz said he has two decades of professional experience and has attended H-GAC and Transportation Policy Council meetings. He asked council to name the specific criteria it uses if experience is a concern. Council member Tommy Echols questioned whether Wiltz could take on the added duties while serving as mayor, citing missed events. Chavarria said she had delivered 10 proclamations on the mayor's behalf and said, "This is a business decision." Byrom said former mayors Kevin Cole and Tom Reid had extensive municipal experience before becoming mayor, and said, "I just don't think now is the right time."
According to city documents, the appointments take effect in January 2027, with terms running through the end of that year.