Waterplant No. 1 maintenance discussions continue for city

By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
Reporter@sbnewspaper.com

As the New Year approaches, maintenance issues concerning the City of San Benito’s Water Treatment Plant No. 1 are being addressed.

While litigation continues with regard to the inoperable condition of Water Treatment Plant No. 2, the City is relying upon Plant No. 1 to meet the needs of its residents.

As previously reported in the News, and according to a report by Lou Portillo and Associates PLLC, the $17 million Plant No. 2 only operated for a short while before serious malfunctions occurred. The report states, “Within 16 months of placing the original membranes in service, the membranes required total replacement,” even though the membranes’ anticipated life expectancy was 10 years.

At present, San Benito’s only functioning water plant — Plant No. 1 — is reportedly in need of maintenance. At the last regularly scheduled meeting of the city commission, elected officials voted to take action regarding the acquisition of pumps and related materials needed in order to repair the water plant.

Mayor Celeste Sanchez said, “We (previously) approved a contract with Lou Portillo (and Associates PLLC) engineering service to assess the pump and see what new equipment or repairs were needed. He is supposed to give us a list of what supplies or repairs may be needed to give Mr. (Manuel) Lara.”

Regarding the list of necessary supplies and repairs, City Manager Manuel Lara said, “At the meeting, the commission (pre-)approved all expenses, providing the engineer approved that they were necessary purchases.”

On Friday, Lara confirmed a purchase has been made which included “a few motors” that were reportedly part of a “preventative maintenance” procedure. The total cost of this expenditure was $32,000.

“Just one mechanical component” of Plant No. 1 has been addressed thus far, said Lara. “Still, a few other things may be looked at if we feel they need to be backed up or looked at.”

Lara said only those concerns deemed a “necessity” will be handled at this time.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/12/26/waterplant-no-1-maintenance-discussions-continue-for-city/

6 comments

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    • So Right on January 2, 2015 at 10:03 pm
    • Reply

    @Zembbar: you are so right. This community is not growing nor do the city leaders want it to grow. Why would anyone want to move here? All the towns around us are growing with new businesses but not San Benito.
    We need to elect people who have a vision for our city. While we are at it, let us elect school members who can think for themselves.
    Mrs. Mayor, please get this town back on track and clean up the unslighlitness of our once good city. Thank you.

    • Zembbar on December 31, 2014 at 3:51 pm
    • Reply

    Thank you San Benito News continuing to address this issue in the paper. I feel like our city leaders would love to call this a 17 million hiccup on the road and let it pass. Whereas, plant number 1 not too long ago was deemed insufficient for our city, here they are talking about it’s maintenance. Our mayor seems like a fine person but, her statement that ‘we have made history ‘ sounds like a personal accomplishment. I am a middle class worker who does not receive assistance,trying to raise a family. It seems every year our roads deteriorate with only useless patches for repair and more mysterious dilapidated houses with several cars on the sidewalk and front lawns/ no trespass signs on tinfoil or boarded up windows are becoming the norm. I don’t see any reason why a hardworking family would be compelled to move into our neighborhoods.

    • Senor Taxpayer on December 31, 2014 at 1:55 pm
    • Reply

    Voters should remember at election time that it was commissioners JD Gonzalez, JD Penny, and Rene Villafranco who orchestrated the reinstatement of Cruz-Hogan as city engineers @ $2,000 per month retainer contract.

    They need to be held ACCOUNTABLE for this TAXPAYER FUNDED action! It was the taxpayers who paid for their action. Wake up people.

    Work on Shafer Road was supposed to start in August 2014 and nada has happened. The city crew started working on North Mcculloch way back in May or June and it is still not finished. This is what happens when the city commission decides to do the work in-house instead of contracting it out and letting the professionals do it.

    A New Year is coming, let’s make it a “NEW City Commission” and not just a repeat of the same individuals who are just looking out for themselves and their friends as they have demonstrated. DITTO for the school board.

    • Juan on December 30, 2014 at 7:59 am
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    The sign says “1927”,thats a long time to be collecting taxes.Where has all that tax money gone ?
    Has somebody stolen it ? Even a small place like SB should have money left over.There does not appear to have been any improvements to the system done,where have the funds been used,who is accountable speak up city leaders and administrators,thats what we’re paying you for,and we want our money’s worth,no,don’t know,find out,stop sitting on your hands.

  1. Let’s see what our great city commissioners have up their shelves when dealing with this water plant issue. Let’s not forget Orlando Cruz the engineer who built this useless water plant is really close friends to several commissioners and that’s no secret. In addition, his ex wife service on the school board as well. What does that tell us about the characters we have occupying our political seats in our town. As a matter of fact, Ana Cruz enjoys the huge house that was built by the money Cruz made of the $17million dollar useless plant. That women has no shame still living there knowing where the money came from( us tax payers) raising taxes as well. Anyhow, I guess we have to wait and see what transpires in the next month. We tax payers need to do a better job going out to vote and re elect good, honest and caring people that will focus on the community. 2015 can’t come fast enough city: Joe D, Penny must go bad and Ana Cruz and Fatima Huerta in the school district.. Let’s come together and get these people out!!!!

      • Juan 2 on December 29, 2014 at 10:56 pm
      • Reply

      Good points Hope. Easy words to say but there are no honest people interested in running for office! There are a lot more crooks than people genuinely interested in the City. The crooks buy votes and have their politiqueras out in force. Then the home health scammers trick old people out of their ballots. Is it any wonder voter turnout is low?

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