DID GALONSKY ACTUALLY VOTE ON THE FRONTON ISSUE? PUBLIC COMMENT RULES ENFORCED. FINDING A ROLE FOR MUNGUIA

Commissioner Galonsky

After the 4-1/2 hour City Commission marathon, I left the building at about 8:30 PM, immediately running into blogger Juan Montoya on Elizabeth Street.

"How did the vote on Fronton Street go?" asked Montoya.

"The agenda item to repeal the name change failed," I told Montoya.

"What!" exclaimed Juan.

"So much for being an historical city!"

When Montoya asked how the voting went, I explained that Tetreau, Cowen and Munguia voted against repealing the name change, but that Ben Neece was the only "yes" vote I actually saw or heard.

"I was staring right at Nurith, but I neither saw her raise her hand or heard her vote.  I know she was co-sponsor, but she just seemed to acquiesce to the three "no" votes and concede.  Now, after the item failed, she tried to bring it back, saying the people had not been allowed to speak on the issue.  Maybe the minutes will show she voted."

Juan Rene Hernandez

It was an evening where Mayor Mendez struggled to adhere to existing rules, at one point prepared to allow Juan Rene Hernandez, the young man who spoke so eloquently at last meeting opposing the Fronton Street name change, to again address the issue in Public Comment.

When advised by City Attorney Rene DeCoss that the new regulations allowing Public Comment on agenda issues wouldn't go into effect until September, Mendez said: "I'm ok with it."

When Commissioner Neece tried to make a motion to circumvent the requirement temporarily, DeCoss advised against doing that.  At that point Mendez told Hernandez he would not be allowed to speak.

After the vote, it was obvious the upset Fronton Street residents did not understand what had just happened until the results were whispered in their ears.  Visibly angry, the group exited en masse, only to regroup outside chambers seemingly looking to young Mr. Hernandez for direction.  

As I passed by, I told Hernandez they could still fight this.

"I know," said the articulate Fronton Street resident, who also happens to work for the City of Brownsville.

An early morning caller said he laughed at what I wrote about the meeting last night.

"In the first part of the story, you described John Cowen as 'smart,' then later called him a 'dumbass.'  Maybe you should change that to 'acted like a dumbass,' " my friend suggested.

"A lot of smart people act like dumbasses.  I do it all the time," was my counterpoint.

At one point during the meeting, I thought of a nickname for Commissioner Munguia, El Sequestrador de Mociones.  It just seemed like he'd found his niche, seconding motions.  

But then Munguia and Tetreau seemed to emerge as a tandem, joining forces on a couple issues with Tetreau also nominating Munguia to a couple city boards.

"Commissioner Munguia is really a cat and dog lover.  You should see his Great Dane.  It's as big as a horse," stated Tetreau as she nominated Mungia to serve on the Animal Control Advisory Board.

Sheepishly accepting the appointment, Commissioner Munguia set the record straight:  "It's really my wife who's a dog lover."