By JOE BOCANEGRA
Special to the NEWS
Plans to repair San Benito streets currently await the contracting of an engineer to supervise the project.
As previously reported, the city agreed to borrow $3.1 million in the form of Certificates of Obligation with an interest rate of 2.55 percent, which city officials plan to repay over the next 20 years. Funding for said repayment will come from a 4 percent property valuation tax hike implemented in September 2012, according to city officials.
Concerning the process of contracting an engineer, Assistant City Manager Hector Jalomo said the mayor and city commission are responsible for as much.
“We do not know how far they are into selecting one (engineer),” Jalomo said. “We’re going to wait until the elected officials select one.”
According to Mayor Joe H. Hernandez, the selection may come at the next city meeting.
“We might have it on the next agenda,” Hernandez said. “At the moment, we’re looking at bids, so we’re probably going look it over then.”
In addition, the mayor said the commission’s plans to select a single engineer are contrary to what was decided recently. “The previous commissioners elected three engineers to overlook and to alternate between projects,” Hernandez further remarked.
According to various sources, the repairs are estimated to reach $19,000 per city block; the figure is solely for the materials and does not include labor or equipment.
Streets to be repaired include the blocks between N. Bowie to Dick Dowling, W. Morelos from Franklin to Hildalgo, S. Bowie from Expressway 83 to Turner, and Whalen Road from Expressway 83 to Turner.
For the full list, click here.
Read this story in the Jan. 30 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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As much as I want to contribute positive comments about SB and its leadership — I truly do! — it’s these kind of actions that make it impossible. Talk about putting the proverbial horse before the cart. This entire street repair program has been mismanaged from the beginning. Customarily, and simply stated, one identifies a problem, formulates a plan, seeks knowledgable sources to provide solutions and costs, then borrows money based on those quantified findings. This has been handled completely backward and contrary to sound principles of project management.
What is the point in hiring an engineer when the city has determined — and publicly stated — which roads will be repaired and at what cost?
What is the rationale in incurring the expense of an engineer at this stage when the city has already done the engineering-related materials lists and cost analysis? In order to have publicly stated a figure of $19,000/street for materials, the city would have to already know how many cubic yards of concrete, rebar, mesh and stone needed to come up with that figure. To have been able to ascertain which streets the city crews could repair vs. the ones they have to contract, that, too, requires having the knowledge of the scope of work involved, which does not require an engineer at this time.
What will be the cost of an engineer? $60,000 — or 3 less streets repaired? $100,000 — or 5 less streets? More, and even less streets repaired? If I’m not mistaken, the city actually sold CO’s in excess of $3.3 million, but lost $200,000 — or 10 streets repaired — off the top to the company who arranged the financing. How much will hiring an engineer now take from the remaining $3.1 million? How many citizens will soon be disappointed to learn that their street, which was announced to be repaired, will be scrapped because they hired an engineer that cut into the available funds?
Yes, I do ask a lot of questions! Someone needs to, and I’m hoping the city can give us sound answers. Everything about this street repair project seems backwards. Even if I concede that the city had to initiate the financing to determine its borrowing power, hiring an engineer at this stage, after all the streets announced to be repaired, seems superfluous.
Word is the current engineer who does the work for the city would not agree to join the compadrismo that is in some of the valley. Politics as usual and the voters approve it. You get what you vote for citizens of san benito.
Pretty close or the person or persons who paid for the two week vacation in China.
Just guessing but I bet the engineer will come out of MATHIS.