WEB EXCLUSIVE: City mulls Chamber contract to staff position

By JOE BOCANEGRA
Special to the NEWS

City of San BenitoNo action was taken during a San Benito City Commission meeting Tuesday evening on a proposed contract between the San Benito Chamber of Commerce and the City of San Benito.

According to City Manager Manuel Lara, the proposal consisted of employing a position to operate the chamber, which has been without the services of an executive director since the July departure of Zeke Padilla, who had served in said capacity for over 10 years.

“We wanted to have the chamber to share their thoughts with us with staffing a position in the chamber,” Lara said. “Once they’re ready to move forward, we’ll sit down with the city attorney and chamber representatives, and we’ll discuss a contract then.”

Commissioners, however, did approve an interlocal agreement between the city and the San Benito Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

The approval came after discussion between the commissioners in regards to federal grant monies.

“We agreed to apply for another USDA grant,” said Lara. The grant requires a match by the EDC of equal or less than $100,000. The commissioners asked for clarification prior to their approval.

“EDC can reimburse the city,” Lara said. “And those funds that are matched can be used for an EDC-approved street project.”

Also approved at Tuesday’s meeting was a purchase for eight pickup trucks and two vehicles through HGAC. According to Assistant City Manager of Public Safety Art Rodriguez, the vehicles are to be used solely for the Code Enforcement Department.

“It’s to replace existing vehicles,” Rodriguez said. “We are getting seven two-door, short-beds for the employees and a one four-door crew cab that I will use because I am always on call.” The two other vehicles, a For Taurus and a Ford Fusion, will be used solely for administration purposes.

“We might have people who need testing, either locally or somewhere else,” Rodriguez explains. “The cars will be used for that reason. If it is one person, they’ll take the Fusion; if more, the Taurus.”

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/02/06/city-mulls-chamber-contract-to-staff-position/

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    • WeThePeople on February 12, 2013 at 8:05 am
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    Since the SB News broke this story, another local periodical is reporting that the city has halted its funding of the San Benito Chamber of Commerce.
    All of a sudden, everyone is clamoring for accountability when there was none for years! How do you fund over $4,000 a month to something that is not there? For several months they have had no employees, got free rent and lights; so where was this money going? Accountability, indeed!
    To a smell something burning?

    • Pete on February 9, 2013 at 10:33 pm
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    Can not wait for the 2014 elections!

    • Ruben on February 9, 2013 at 12:04 am
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    ITS TIME TO TAKE BACK OUR COMMUNITY! REMEMBER, YOUR COMMISSIONERS MIGHT HAVE VOTED FOR THIS ALREADY. REMEMBER THEM ON THE NEXT ELECTION. FOR SOME REASON, THIS ADMINISTRATION THINKS OUR TAXPAYERS HAVE DEEP POCKETS. I FOR 1, DON’T WORK FOR THE SBCISD. START DEMANDING THAT ALL COMMISSION MEETINGS BE TELEVISED!

      • WeThePeople on February 11, 2013 at 11:25 pm
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      The City would never go for that! It would be too embarrassing!

  1. And while your at it why don’t you throw some red carpet on the side walk leading from the parking lot to the administrative offices. And during lunch very Friday start catering some sandwiches from Jason’s Deli for the staff and departments heads why don’t you order some rib-eye’s with loaded potatoes on the side from the RoadHouse. Man! the people of tis town just don’t get it.

    • Reforming San Benito on February 7, 2013 at 11:34 am
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    MEMO, exactly! There is a chain of command at the SB PD and FD, like same departments in other cities; nothing new or extraordinary. If there is a need to request direction from the Assistant City Manager of Public Safety in the middle of the night because the Chief, Assistant Chief and shift commanders cannot handle situations, then it is time to replace those individuals. Rarely, if ever, will a situation arrise that cannot be handled with direction over the phone.

    Mayor and Commissioners, did you not question the need to burden the taxpayers with the expense of a $25,000-$35,000 vehicle at a time when you are borrowing money to repair streets? How can each of you, in good conscience, justify the outlay of money for a new vehicle for an employee who already is issued a city owned vehicle in good working condition? How can you accept the rationale and approve the purchase of 2 additional vehicles for the sole purpose of training? These are extravagent purchases for a city that has borrowed money two years in a row cannot afford.

  2. Assistant City Manager Art Rodriguez is trying to feed us a bunch of BOLONA and not the light one.He said he getting a four-door crew cab because he is allways on call.Since when do need a new pick-up to answer the phone and tell people what to do.If that is true what he said of being on call does he get extra pay for that?MR.Rodriquez should bypass the new pick-up And use that money where it is needed.

    • Reforming San Benito on February 6, 2013 at 6:44 pm
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    Where is all this money coming from to add 10 new vehicles? The Assistant City Manager of Public Safety already drives a nice city pickup that was good enough for Chief Gomez; why does he need a new vehicle?

    If the Assistant City Manager of Public Safety is truly concerned with public safety, as his title implies — and the safety and well being of the peace officers of this community — he should forego the purchase of a new vehicle for himself and direct that money instead be spent on new police radios for his entire command. From what I’m hearing — and not hearing in dropped police transmissions — the taxpayers money will be better spent on radios for the force that protects and serves this community than on a sparkling new truck sitting in a driveway because someone might receive a call after hours.

    Only a few months ago the commission raised property taxes on the citizens to pay for the $3.3M it had to borrow to repair streets. Now it can afford to purchase 10 new vehicles? Where did this money come from? It is not in the city’s fiscal 2012-13 budget approved in September.

    These are taxpayer dollars we are talking about! The very same taxpayers who were forced to swallow a property tax increase to fund street repairs because there wasn’t money to fix the streets. According to Mr. Jalomo’s figures — about $19,000 in material needed to repair each block — each of these new vehicles represents desperately needed repairs to one city block. That’s right, 10 blocks.

    The city commission and administration need to reasses their spending habits and how they are managing the precious little resources of this city. Frugally spending money on vehicles that were not budgeted while borrowing money and indebting the citizens with more debt and higher property taxes, is the height of incompetence and mismanagement.

    • WeThePeople on February 6, 2013 at 3:40 pm
    • Reply

    The City should not be involved with running private businesses. If anyone should be involved, it should be the EDC, but only to provide technical assistance; not operating capital for them. The Chamber is supposed to a business association, right?
    Maybe the City should buy the San Benito News, so they could control what we read and say as well? What do you think,. Mr. Editor?

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