Stop Work Order Issued for Mayor's Downtown Office, Brownsville Police Substation, Museum, Et Al

STOP WORK ORDER
"Please refer to Omar Ochoa @ Building
Inspections Department as soon as possible."

                                                      

                                                      O.E. Garcia

It all started with Mayor Martinez wanting a downtown office. No one in city administration had the gumption to talk him out of the ill-conceived idea.  It's not like Brownsville citizens would be able to walk by the office, peer through the commercial glass and see the mayor hard-at-work on city business.  The mayor is hardly ever in town and the office would more likely be locked, idle, the desk calendar open to a day months before.

Tony's Original Downtown Office Becomes the
unused "Brownsville Downtown Revitalization
Information Center"

Tony's original plan was carried out with the lease of the property at 1101-A E. Washington for $6,000, commencing October 8, 2013, expiring October 7, 2014.  It was an odd move by Tony since the city owns a good deal of unused office space without leasing more property.

After spending an additional $14,000 for renovations, not to mention labor with city trucks outside constantly for a month or so, Mayor Martinez got spooked. Perhaps, it was our articles or citizen inquiries, but, to save face, the leased building's use was changed from the mayor's downtown office to the Brownsville Downtown Revitalization Information Center.  

The idea for a mayoral office had not been shelved, just it's location changed as the mayor turned his attention to the trinity of small properties purchased by the city at 609, 611 and 615 E. 11th Street for $41,000, $41,000 and $42,000 respectively.(Later, the City Commission would add an additional $141,000 for remodeling.)

Former Interim Planner
Ramiro Gonzalez

The plans for the three small properties seemed in constant flux;  first a "downtown, central mayor's office, police substation and meeting room," then changed to mayor's office, "museum" and substation. Now, the Brownsville Downtown Revitalization Information Office may be relocated there.  Charlie Cabler says the BPD has not decided if they want a substation, etc.  

When we noted this constant planning on the fly, we got this criticism, perhaps from a city planner just 5 minutes from "clocking in:"  

April 29, 2014 at 7:55 AM

"City government at work escapes you, Barton. Things - and plans - change. If you don't like the way things unfold in town, run for office! Barking from a dead mesquite ain't cuttin' it, dude."

So, now the work comes to a complete halt with a STOP WORK ORDER by the City of Brownsville.  A city insider hints that the young interim planners, Ramiro Gonzalez and Roman McAllen, may have failed to get a city permit before starting work.  Perhaps, the oversight was caught by the new Planning Director Michael Warrix, who started work June 2.