Park proposed south of town

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

City of San Benito

City of San Benito

The San Benito City Commission is proposing the development of a new park behind the fire station located at 1201 S. Sam Houston Blvd.

On Tuesday, April 15, during the public comments portion of the City Commission meeting, San Benito Parks and Recreation Board Chair Zeke Luna approached the commission with the idea of converting the open area behind the station into a new park.

“This idea of a park in back of the fire station has been ongoing for several years,” Luna said on Wednesday, April 16. “Because of a lack of funding, especially in the cutbacks to the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), it just became something from a possible project to almost slim to none.”
Luna explained that the funding for CDBG used to be near $700,000 annually, whereas now the funding is approximately $390,000 per year.

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11 comments

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    • TwoCentsWorth on May 6, 2014 at 5:41 pm
    • Reply

    My dear fellow: In response to your observations of city employees wasting time , I also have seen the parks and public works maintenance workers–hard at work at the city parks, right-of-ways, industrial park, along the expressway. Your opinion is your opinion, your perception is your perception–do not confuse them with “facts” or “truth”.

      • Disgruntled Citizen Taxpayer on May 6, 2014 at 6:54 pm
      • Reply

      You must be a city employee, related to a city employee, or related to a city commission member.

      Your last statement “Your opinion is your opinion, your perception is your perception-do not confuse them with “facts” or “truth” could and does very well apply to you!

      The city needs two assistant city managers like the school district needs two superintendents. That’s a fact Jack!!!!!!!! What a horrible waste of taxpayer dollars.

    • Mike. C. on May 6, 2014 at 6:49 am
    • Reply

    Pull up to city hall and you’ll see brand new city trucks and cars, extra reserved parking spaces for the extra employees hired to sit around city hall and do nothing at our expense. Please go out and vote! Let’s take back our city!

    • JOEVETTE on May 5, 2014 at 12:58 am
    • Reply

    fix the streets and forget about the stupid parks that they never have a chance to cut the grass or do any maintenance at

      • Disgruntled Citizen Taxpayer on May 5, 2014 at 11:04 am
      • Reply

      Go drive around the city and you will notice some city employees cruising around town in their air conditioned city trucks doing absolutely nothing. They stop somewhere and they let the engine running so the truck wont get hot inside. And yet nobody is held accountable. At least hold the politicians accountable when you vote.

        • WeThePeople on May 6, 2014 at 8:46 am
        • Reply

        I agree. Just take a look around. It is unbelievable to think we are in this bad of shape in 2014! If we keep the same ones, we are going to get the same thing. We need a rebirth of community interest for the common good…not for self-interest and exploitation! I’m voting for change.

  1. A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT. THE CHANGE IS COMING.

    • WeThePeople on May 4, 2014 at 11:42 am
    • Reply

    Yet another election time prank on the people in order to garner votes for the incumbents! They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and man hours trying to repair the city pool; then proposed spending even more on a splash pad…GIVE ME A BREAK! In case you forgot…

    Swimming Pool miscues
    https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2011/03/29/citizen-fighting-to-save-municipal-pool/

    Splash Pad stupidity
    https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/04/02/city-discusses-splash-pad-project/

    Give me a break
    http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/local_news/article_998e56dc-c28f-11e2-9559-0019bb30f31a.html

    • Anony_mouse on May 3, 2014 at 10:18 pm
    • Reply

    $385,000 for a building that is now vacant collecting dust. This is referred to as Management On the Fly. The mayor and the rest of the city commission and the EDC are acting like a bunch of real estate speculators with taxpayer dollars. I heard the funeral home was bought days before it was going on the auction block with no real plans for it. Hopefully this election will result in changes for the good of all the taxpayers who work hard for their money only to be wasted by the current political landscape.

      • WeThePeople on May 5, 2014 at 9:59 am
      • Reply

      A few little-known facts to ponder…
      * The EDC has over 50% of their resources already committed! WHY?? THEY are paying the City DEBT!
      * The City is eating up taxpayer dollars with bloated administrative costs while economic development dollars pay all of their bills!
      * The San Benito Industrial Foundation, (NOT EDC), a 501c6 nonprofit organization has almost $1 million dollars, (as of 2012 tax return, $842,475) squirreled away for twenty years that rightfully belongs to the citizens of San Benito. Their tax number is: 74-1503602.
      Take a look:
      http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/74-1503602/san-benito-industrial-foundation.aspx
      Try putting in their tax id number here and see what you get.
      http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/990finder/

    • Reform San Benito on May 3, 2014 at 9:06 am
    • Reply

    I bet the $385,000 spent to purchase the Henry Thomae Funeral Home would have provided a nice park on the south side.

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