Mayor Tony Expresses Annoyance with the Volume of Planning/Zoning Ordinances

Mayor Tony Martinez

Our mayor is a busy man.  Dealing with the volume of ordinance variations submitted by the city's planning office at the request of the taxpayers has become a burdensome load to deal with at City Commission meetings.  After 16 of such public hearings last Tuesday night, including one where a half dozen citizens spoke out against a variation,  Tony had seen enough.

"I wonder if there is some way we could streamline the handling of these matters.  It seems like we're spending an inordinate amount of time dealing with these types of issues,"  Mayor Martinez declared.  Then, looking at no one in particular:  "You guys get together and come up with some other way of dealing with this."

Hopefully, the mayor's comments were not directed at the taxpayers with residences along Padre Island Highway just past four corners, who objected to having a "Professional Office" located in their neighborhood.  These citizens, according to Planning Officer Ramiro Gonzalez, had protested this variation every step of the way through the system.  The row of fine homes, with just a resaca between them and the Home Depot outlet, are adjacent to a bird sanctuary.  The commission agreed with the residents and shot down the proposal for the variation allowing a business.

Mayor Martinez gives the impression that City Commission meetings are somewhat of a nuisance, a drudgery to be quickly dispatched with.  Two years ago we characterized the mayor's approach as a "no-huddle" offense.  Here is a brief comment from Mean Mister Brownsville published September 22, 2011:

"The goal is not to finish a commission meeting as quickly as possible so Tony can get home in time for Boston Legal. He can TiVo it! The discussion of the item takes place right there at the meeting in front of the 2nd floor audience and the viewers at home on public access channel 12. Prior discussion of agenda items is illegal."

While seemingly annoyed at the cumbersome amount of planning decisions, Mayor Tony has included on the agenda of the last three meetings an executive session related to UTB.  Not surprisingly, his Mayor's Report last Tuesday dealt with the agreement reached between UTB and TSC.  Does the mayor not realize he was elected to deal with city issues, not act as an unofficial, unnecessary laisson for the University of Texas?

Addendum:  There seems to have been a mishandling of the vote for Agenda item #9, the item changing the ordinance to allow a business along Highway 48 in a residential area.  As stated above  several citizens spoke up against the change.  After one lady's testimony, the mayor acknowledged her as a "very close friend."  During the vote, three commissioners raised their hands to vote no.  Martinez glanced toward Debbie Portillo, but she hesitated.  Martinez counted 3  "nays," then raised his hand and said:  "We have four against.  The item is defeated."

If a replay of the tape shows that it happened in that way, it may have been an illegal vote.  Martinez is only to vote in the case of ties. so there is an obvious need to make certain all votes or abstentions are noted before he proceeds to break the tie.  It does appear that he was trying to "steer" the vote of Debbie Portillo, much as he did early in Estela Chavez-Vasquez's tenure as City Commissioner.