Type B chair says incentive aimed at downtown activation; staff and council disputed FEMA framing

Leah Pagan Oliveri, who chaired the Corpus Christi Type B sales‑tax corporation at the time the Homewood Suites incentive was considered, testified that the board’s decision emphasized downtown activation and retail. Oliveri said the board explicitly rejected using Type B funds as a general bank for FEMA or freeboard compliance and that the retail and job components were decisive when the board recommended funding.

Oliveri walked the tribunal through the Type B guidelines and the EDC economic‑impact process (RIMS2 and other models) and explained that staff and the EDC are advisers while the Type B board has broad discretion under chapter 505 of the Texas Local Government Code. She also reviewed an email exchange in which staff asked the developer for detailed retail build‑out costs that were later included in the draft contract’s Exhibit A. Oliveri repeatedly told the tribunal she pushed staff to ensure the council agenda and contract language reflected the board’s street‑level activation rationale.