Amarillo Council Names Permanent AEDC Board, Rejects Library Appeal

The Amarillo City Council appointed permanent members to the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation board and declined to act on an appeal of the Library Advisory Board’s decision regarding three books during its regular meeting on Tuesday.

This session marked the last regular gathering ahead of the May 3 municipal election. Public comments stretched more than two hours and focused mainly on the library materials appeal and the AEDC board appointments.

Library Materials Appeal

The council considered an appeal of the Library Advisory Board’s ruling on requests to reconsider placement of “The Every Body Book” in the juvenile section, “Gender Queer: A Memoir” in the young adult section and “The Bluest Eye” in the adult section. The board had moved one title to the adult section while keeping the others in their original locations. Staff were directed to update library policies to align with upcoming changes in state law and to expand the Library Advisory Board from five to seven members. The council chose to take no action on the appeal itself.

Library Director Amanda Barrera described the library’s use of publishing houses, professional journals and distributors to assess age appropriateness under existing selection policy. She noted that an unattended-child policy already requires children under 14 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian and that computer and obscene-material rules follow state law. The council asked staff to prepare for anticipated legislation such as House Bill 3225 on minors’ access to explicit materials in municipal libraries.

AEDC Board Appointments and Other Business

The council also finalized appointments to the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation board of directors. Item 9.J on Municipal Utility Districts was pulled from the consent agenda after public requests for more time to review the proposed policy. The meeting included an update on the Vibrant Moms project and confirmation that the new Women’s Health Clinic would begin accepting patients the following Monday.

These actions occurred at the same meeting where the council reviewed its role in setting policy rather than making case-by-case decisions on individual materials. Staff were instructed to return with updated policies once state legislative changes take effect. The decisions leave existing book placements unchanged and place the AEDC board on a permanent footing ahead of the upcoming election.

Source: https://amarillotribune.org/2025/04/23/amarillo-city-council-appoints-permanent-aedc-board-keeps-reconsidered-material-in-library/