BROWNSVILLE CITIZENS FLOCK TO CITY HALL FOR MARATHON WORKSHOP AND COMMISSION MEETING

Brownsville City Commission, 2/19/2019 (Before the meeting picture, taken well before taxpayers were standing along side and back walls)

Brownsville, not exactly on the cutting edge of the civil rights movement, always gets its dander up over the racist rock in Washington Park as proven by the standing room only crowd last night in the city commission chambers for a Work Session and City Commission meeting.

Newish City Manager Manager Noel Bernal still doesn't grasp that an "Open to the Public" city workshop cannot be crammed into the City Manager's Office, "like we did it in Coppell."  Here is how Bernal placed the item on the agenda:

A) Status update regarding Jefferson Davis Monument. (City Manager’s Office)

That location was overruled as a hundred or so were already in chambers champing at the bit to say their piece.(Colloquialisms rule!)

Anyway, the crowd, roughly split between anti-rock and pro-rock, kept safe from turning into the 1968 Democratic National Convention by a couple of BPD's finest, was evenly comprised of UTRGV students who just learned Americans bought black people to use as slaves 300 years ago and older, mostly white folk, who want to preserve "history."  

Commissioner Ben Neece, who had the rock dropped into his lap because it resides in District 4, gamely tried to recount the indecisiveness so far in rock removal, destruction, and/or replacement as if the city is on some clear path to resolution.  

Mayor Tony Martinez, attempted to summarize Ben's summary with an attorney-like rhetorical question:

"So then, we are all against destruction of the monument, but in favor of either its removal or replacement?"

Actually, a UTRGV professor in a Goodwill sportcoat and khaki pants, had the best suggestion of the night, (The prof, unaware that the City of Brownsville limits Public Comment to 3 minutes had come prepared to present a dissertation on The History of Race Relations in the United States of America, but skillfully condensed his remarks into a few important nuggets.)

Professor UTRGV suggested removing the monument's plaque and giving it back to the living representatives of the DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution, and "repurposing' the rock.

How simple!  No earthmoving equipment!  No flatbed truck!  No workers dressed in disguise in the middle of the night in fear of good ol' boy retaliation!

LAST NIGHT'S MARATHON

Gavel to gavel, last night's doubleheader lasted a grueling four hours with three power points, one an ultra-slick, glossy presentation by nou·veau riche GBIC honcho Mario Losoya, who tried to take credit for all the companies like Amstels who located in Brownsville when he was still the meeting setup guy at Toyota Inc.

BCIC Chair Michael Limas, wrapped smartly in a navy winter scarf, introduced interim Executive Director Josh Mejia for a smooth presentation about converting La Casa del Nylon into a one stop shopping center for small business owners.  Mejia, aware the game was already in extra innings, tried to hurry through his well-prepared power point.

Commissioner Ricardo Longoria, Jr., who mercifully kept the meeting under five hours by calling for "the closing of public hearing" on each of the twenty agenda points, now asked interim Director Mejia about "rent" for the 25 entities scheduled to occupy La Casa del Nylon.

Sheepishly, Mejia admitted that no rent would be collected, but the city would "retain" any structural improvements on the facility.  What!!

Actually, the old building at 1304 E. Adams Street, was initially purchased by the City of Brownsville in 2012 for $2,300,000 in a deal cleverly negotiated by Tony Martinez' law partner Horacio Becerra.  Cost of refurbishment for the asbestos-laden structure is estimated at $1,700,000, leaving the total investment for one-stop businessing in Brownsville at a cool $4,000,000 so far.

Commissioner Joel Munguia, who makes former commissioner John Villarreal look like a chatterbox, actually made one motion after being reminded by Ben Neece's elbow.  Wake up, Joel!

As Financial Director Lupe Granado III stepped to the podium for the financial report, even diehard administrators like jack-of-all-trades Ramiro Gonzalez could take it no more and headed for the door.  

I soon followed, noticing Airport Director Bryan Walker, the unfortunate presenter of the evening's last agenda point about "expanding the scope of work" for airport paving, stoically remaining in his seat.