Help from a reader

February 21, 2017

In Crumbling roads we pointed out that the city’s pavement condition index was not working.

Mr. Michael Bray (one of our loyal readers) contacted the appropriate department and got this response:

Mr. Bray, there were some technical difficulties with the address locator part of the web site application.
The application is now functioning properly.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are still having issues accessing the information.
Our thanks to Mr. Bray.
If you want to see how the city has rated a local street, click on this link:
pavement condition index
You might be surprised at how good your road is!
The index was based on a 2008 study.  The city could ask their employees to rate the streets as they drive on them and bring the condition index up to date.
We deserve better
Brutus

8 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

DDC not providing meeting minues

February 18, 2017

When city council decided to build our ballpark they created the Downtown Development Corporation (DDC).

Note that it was not named the Ballpark Development Corporation.

That should tell us something.

While the DDC is required to comply with Texas local government rules it seems to want to operate behind the scenes.

They have held meetings in June, August, and October of 2013 as well as in March of 2015 and April of 2016.

None of the meeting minutes for those meetings are available on the DDC website even though minutes for earlier meetings are.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | Ball park, City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Unbelieved

February 17, 2017

Our county commissioners have reconstituted the county  historical commission.

According to the county judge the action has nothing to do with the opinions of the ousted members but instead has to do with perceived violations of the Texas open meetings act.

Chapter 318 of the Texas local government code establishes the county commissioner’s authority to create a local county historical commission.  It gives the county commissioners the responsibility of appointing at least seven residents of the county to the historical commission–in January of an odd numbered year.

The very fact that county commissioners appointed new members in February is a violation of the rules.  Don’t look for the county commissioners to remove themselves for their own violation of Texas law.

Hypocrisy

Few of us believe what the county judge has said.  The members were removed because of their attempt to interfere with the placement of the arena.

She claims that the members were removed because they may have violated the law while at the same time she violates chapter 318.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

 

5 Comments | City government, County Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Goals you don’t know that you have

February 11, 2017

They’re at it again.

The city has scheduled a special city council meeting for February 16, 2017.

There is one item on the agenda:

Discussion and action on the update of the Strategic Plan:  Goals for the City.

Curious?

Would you like to know about the update, the strategic plan, or the goals for the city?

There is no backup material posted with the agenda item.

City ordinance 018031 requires that backup material be posted no later than 6 P.M. on the Wednesday before the meeting since the city is operating with a four day week.

Does anyone want to place a wager as to whether they let us see the material before the presentation at the city council meeting?

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

It’s who you know not what you know

February 10, 2017

El Chuqueno published a piece the other day that included this quote:

As you commence your seventh term in office, I write to respectfully urge the office of the Disrict Attorney of the 34th to investigate recent possible violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act and actively pursue any enforcement measures deemed appropriate, if violations occurred. These alleged violations involving county boards and municipal representatives weaken public trust in our local government entities and I firmly believe that your office’s examination into these important matters can help reassure the public that violations of the Act are taken seriously, and that appropriate measures are actively used to enforce it.

That evidently came from a letter from one of our county commissioners to our district attorney.

Commence

“As you commence your seventh term in office”–what is that about?

Was there a message there that we are missing?  Starting the request with “I write …” explains the purpose of the letter.  Why the reference to the district attorney’s tenure?

Action

It seems that the district attorney plans to take some of the issues to a grand jury.  Why now?  Where has our district attorney with six terms of office been during the other corruption situations that have been plaguing us?

We deserve better

Brutus

8 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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