By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
Following a request from elected leaders, the City of San Benito administration plans to reintroduce fee proposals for renting the Community Building to help cover the costs of events that would otherwise require thousands of dollars.
To move forward with a new fee comparable with neighboring cities in Cameron County, it would include the restructuring of a rental contract.
It would also likely require another ordinance enacted in 2024, post-COVID-19. At that time, the ordinance showed a schedule of fees, departmental authority, enforcement, and penalties, among other modifications.
The San Benito Community Building topic was introduced by commissioners Deborah A. Morales and Pete A. Galvan during a regular Feb. 3 commissioners meeting.
The only paperwork for commissioners to review on the item was an ordinance created nearly two years ago.
Galvan said event centers, some that recently were introduced to San Benito citizens, affected the use of the community building.
“The community building (usage) kind of phased out where it wasn’t being rented as much, or we as a city stopped,” Commissioner Galvan said at the beginning of the discussion, citing the leadership of a previous city manager.
“We made a decision not to rent it or leave it accessible to the public,” he said. “We’re just using it for private events … like trainings.”
Before being elected, Galvan said he remembers a time when family and friends rented the building. Guests had the opportunity to bring their own drinks, liquor or not, and it was provided with a couple of paid San Benito police officers.
Commissioner Morales said a constituent approached her about the use of the building, but it appears there are “a lot of hoops” that interested parties need to jump through just to rent it.
She would like for the money to stay in the city.
“We shouldn’t make it difficult to rent or use,” Commissioner Morales said. “I see it as a proactive approach in working with our community and having them stay here, and put their money back here as opposed to going somewhere else.”
As of now, the San Benito Community Building, located at 210 East Haywood Street, can be rented for four hours at a cost of $350, with each additional hour costing $75. There is a $50 cleanup deposit.
At the meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Thomas W. Goodman II commented that this seems like a reasonable fee structure.
After listening to commissioners, City Manager Fred Sandoval will have a month to produce a new plan, informed by city staff.
“There’s a couple of things we need to consider; the building is in disrepair,” Sandoval said.
However, he agrees that the edifice could be a local asset for citizens, but it has to be in presentable shape. Sandoval doesn’t think, at this moment, the community building could be rented.
“I want to make sure we are putting our best foot forward; I’d like to come back and bring a fee structure,” Sandoval said. “I don’t think we made it that difficult (but) there’s a process.”
Sandoval admits that COVID-19 and social distancing affected how the city rented and used the building years later.
Since then, the building has been used primarily by nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
Sandoval will present those new ideas at a commission meeting in March, in keeping with Galvan’s request.
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