Brownsville PUB - October 14, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - October 14, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - September 8, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - September 8, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - August 11, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - August 11, 2008
Agenda.

CIAC: 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan Draft Released

Just in time for the planned August 14th CIAC meeting (Agenda), a final draft of the proposed 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan has been released.

Here's the hard data:

Capacity Only Projects spreadsheet (totaling $110 million).

Combined Renewal/Replacement & Capacity Projects spreadsheet (totaling $218 million).

And here's the project-by-project breakdown

The meeting will take place next Thursday at 5:30PM in the Main Conference Room at the PUB Building on 1425 Robinhood Dr. The public in encouraged to attend and ask questions.

Brownsville PUB - July 14, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - July 14, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - May 12, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - May 12, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - April 14, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - April 14, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - March 10, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - March 10, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - February 11, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - February 11, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - January 14, 2008

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - January 14, 2008
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - December 10, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - December 10, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - November 14, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - November 14, 2007
Agenda.

Zavaletta/Valadez OUT, Vasquez/Farias IN

As detailed in the Herald earlier, the Temporary Injunction on behalf of Emmanuel Vasquez against PUB Commissioner Sanchez, Mayor Ahumada & then-Commissioner Zavaletta was heard today in the 103rd District Court.

Be sure to check Emma Perez-Trevino's update, but in a nutshell, here's what happened:

• 103rd District Court Judge Janet Leal validated the current PUB Board composition as follows: Chairman Sanchez, Mayor Ahumada, Robert Guerra, Al Villarreal, Emmanuel Vasquez, and newly-appointed Arturo Farias.


• Dr. Joe Zavaletta, upon advice of his attorney, agreed to RELINQUISH claim to any extension of PUB board service in return for the mutually-agreed-upon stipulations that he be "non-suited with prejudice", and that he acted in good faith on advice of PUB "legal counsel", particularly in the illegal meeting of October 18, 2007.


• Valadez essentially terminated his representation by his original attorney and requested that he be included in representation "on an emergency basis only" by the attorney representing Chairman Sanchez and Mayor Ahumada.


• The Temporary Restraining Order on execution of any documents or contracts authorized, discussed, or voted on during the 10/18/07 meeting was EXTENDED FOR TWO WEEKS. A hearing for declaratory judgment was re-set and scheduled for 9:00AM Wednesday, November 21, 2007 (the day before Thanksgiving).

This writer sees it as a victory for the rule of LAW, the citizens of Brownsville and the ratepayers of PUB, albeit it a costly one for all the above parties.

Brownsville PUB Board Non-Meeting - October 29, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board
Non-Meeting - October 29, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - October 18, 2007ILLEGAL Board Meeting

Brownsville PUB
Illegal Board Meeting - October 18, 2007
Agenda.

Agenda Watch: PUB Meeting 10/18/07

Here's an interesting item of note from the agenda of Thursday's planned (and postponed) BPUB board meeting:

5. Consideration and Approval of Action to Reinstate Rodriguez, Colvin and Chaney (sic) to Perform All the Legal Services for the Brownsville Public Utilities Board Previously Performed Prior to October 1, 2007 - R. Guerra/E. Vasquez

Here's another : the complete DISAPPEARANCE of this item from the agenda.

Wonder how that happened?

And they say DEVELOPERS steal from PUB?

Pathetic.

ETA:

Pat-thetic.

Brownsville PUB - October 1, 2007

Brownsville PUB "Special" Board Meeting - October 1, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - September 19, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - September 19, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - August 13, 2007 INC

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - August 13, 2007 Incomplete
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - July 16, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - July 16, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - June 11, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - June 11, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - April 16, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - April 16, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - March 12, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - March 12, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - February 12, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - February 12, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - January 15, 2007

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - January 15, 2007
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB - December 11, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - December 11, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - November 13, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - November 13, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - October 9, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - October 9, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - September 11, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - September 11, 2006 Incomplete.
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - August 14, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - August 14, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - July 10, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - July 10, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - May 8, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - May 8, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - April 10, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - April 10, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - March 13, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - March 13, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - February 13, 2006

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - February 13, 2006
Agenda.

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - January 16, 2006

PUB Board Meeting - January 16, 2006
Agenda.

Using the Agenda As a Video Guide

Brownsville PUB Board Meeting - May 9, 2005
Timecoded Agenda.

Timecodes have been added to the agenda for the above meeting, to easily jump from item to item. Like so:

Is It Time to Put Down a Rabid Junk Yard Dog?

Let's see if he got this right:

Former mayor Pat Ahumada responds in today's edition to a 3-week old editorial that rightly criticized his caustic, antagonistic tactics to divide the PUB board. Here are some of his howls:

"...it appears I have become the issue by those who refused to abide by City Charter Article 6, Section 1(c), which prohibits ex-officio Eddie Treviño from voting on appointments to PUB, which has lead to the present divisiveness. The charter clearly states the six commissioners make the appointments..."

Wrong, Mr. Ahumada. You became the issue by your own behavior. In the online version of Article VI, Sec.1(c) states:

The board shall be composed of six members. The mayor of the City of Brownsville shall ex officio be one of the members of the board. The remaining members of the board shall be appointed by a majority of all five city commissioners of the City of Brownsville...

Five city commissioners. That's little "c", not big "C", see? As in, members of the city commission. There were five members of the city commission before single-member districts came about (now there are seven). The mayor could vote on PUB issues then, why not now? This is a dead issue. Even your fellow PUB Board member, Cris Valadez is satisfied with existing AG opinions on it.

Next we have:

"Article 6-1(f) mandates an election for chairman and vice chairman be held, which was not done."

Wrong, again. As anyone can see, elections WERE attempted on January, 31st. They resulted in a tie. Board counsel stated what happens when there's a tie, officers keep their positions. What's more, at the March 9th special meeting and after several tie votes (including one nomination/than nay vote by the same person!), officers were elected.

Then, this:

"Yes, legal fees were incurred because the ex officio and two other board members refused to abide by the charter and rules, but this legal proceeding was not about who will be president of the board, but about adhering to laws... To ignore them is to allow people like Cadriel and Hernandez who think they are above the law to represent a select few at our expense."

Strike 3. You're disingenuousness is appalling, sir. Money, both rate-payers' and tax-payers', was spent precisely to force a change in officers. And when exactly were Mr. Cadriel and Mr. Hernandez serving on PUB? I missed that one.

Finally:

"As per Treviño’s financial adviser, an additional 20 percent rate increase could be implemented if we are hit with a disaster like Florida..."

Oh, but we were hit with a disaster, on December 7th last year, in fact. Hurricane Pat, as I think people refer to it. I'm curious to know how our rates will be impacted with your time-and-resource-wasting diatribes?

May 7th, folks. That's when we hold accountable the public officials responsible for unleashing these rabid dogs onto the public.

Another Ahumada Apologist Appears

City Commissioner Ricardo Longoria wrote a rambling, scattershot letter to the editor on page E2 of yesterday's Herald. In it, he criticizes Bill Hudson's proposal to wipe the PUB board clean and appoint five new, politically-untethered members. In conclusion, he adds:

... I ask for two things. For Mr. Bill Hudson to do adequate research before commenting and suggesting on the makeup of boards that have been established by a city charter. And, that our mayor accept that which has been established and to be part of the solution, not the problem.

This shows a selective memory at best, or raw hypocrisy, at worst. Honorable Commissioner Longoria voted for, nay seconded, the appointment of PUB's biggest problem.

As for adequate research, perhaps he's forgotten that his constituents count on him, as Commissioner, to perform due diligence in research, as well. There have already been Texas Attorney General opinions supporting the mayor's voting power as an ex-officio. And the Mayor has done nothing but adhere to that.

PUB Board Members Sound the Retreat

Perhaps realizing the error of their ways, PUB board members Cris Valadez, Robert Sanchez, and Pat Ahumada filed a "non-suit" to their ongoing PUB case today, voluntarily dismissing all their claims without prejudice. (As I understand it, "without prejudice" means without barring the plaintiff from returning later with the same underlying claims.)

Also of note, a "special meeting" for the PUB board had been called for this evening by members Ahumada and Valadez, probably aware that Mayor Eddie Trevino was out of town and a voting majority on action items was theirs for the taking. Their luck worsening and after such short notice (posted only this past Tuesday), members Oscar Garcia and Billy Bradford were also unavailable to attend. Ergo no quorum.

The meeting has been rescheduled for the evening of Tuesday, March 8th, providing an opportunity for all members to be present. Let's hope the board can get back to business without these pointless, costly, and fruitless distractions.

All Hail the King

Looks like the Herald missed the boat in covering last night's first of several debates hosted by the South Texans for Good Government. I can find nary a mention in today's paper. And it's a shame, too, because some of the soundbites hurled between incumbent city commissioner Dr. Joseph Zavaletta and challenger Ernie Hernandez were memorable. I was there and got to hear this particular nugg