(San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
Dozens of people who live in San Benito or within its extraterritorial jurisdiction were appointed to various boards and commissions by elected officials; most of the appointments were unanimous.
The San Benito Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board was the only entity where appointments weren’t decided unanimously during a regular San Benito Commissioners meeting on Tuesday.
In fact, two seats remain available on the board.
The EDC and other appointments were made as a result of a major change within the San Benito Commission following a May election that brought in a new mayor (Pedro A. Galvan) and three new commissioners (Place 1: Ricardo Perez Jr., Place 2: Daniel Cortez Sr., and Place 3: Victor M. Gonzalez).
They now have the authority to appoint or remove any board member.
At a special meeting earlier this month, Mayor Galvan recommended that the city administration look into not only how appointments are made but also how changes to those appointments may occur. At the regular meeting, he once again noted that there are various interpretations, which can lead to confusion, frustration and distrust.
City Attorney Eric Flores said the city charter ultimately supersedes any “conflicting” ordinance that may have been passed and any bylaw that may have been adopted by a board or committee.
Each EDC appointee is required to live in the city limits, and have been in some kind of managerial role or business owner or officer.
These new appointees will head a board that was over budget by $1 million, Mayor Galvan elaborated before commissioners made their appointments and votes followed.
The EDC board was established unanimously for the first four places. It included: Place 1 Vicente Reyes (by Commissioner Perez); Place 2 Esteban Rodriguez (by Commissioner Cortez); Place 3 Erica Guerra (by Commissioner Gonzalez); and Place 4 Hector Gomez (by Commissioner Navarro).
Mayor Galvan had initially asked to table Place 5, Place 6, and Place 7 and “no hold over to apply.”
Attorney Flores said according to a San Benito ordinance as it affects the EDC, a mayor could nominate a person for “Places 5 and higher,” which doesn’t guarantee a seat because it still has to pass by a majority vote of the commission.
When Mayor Galvan un-tabled his motion, he began to ask those in the audience if they would like to be on the EDC board.
His first appointment, Rogelio Nunez, who is CEO of the Narcisco Martinez Cultural Arts Center, was approved by a split commission vote following a roll call.
Residents Joe Rodriguez and then a few minutes later Ray Garcia, who were also in the audience, were asked by Mayor Galvan if they would want to serve on the EDC, despite being challenged about their qualifications by other commissioners.
They were both turned down by a split majority vote. Some commissioners didn’t turn on their microphones when another roll call was done, so it was not clear who voted yes or no.
For “decorum purposes and interjection from the crowd” attorney Flores had asked that Mayor Galvan refrain from hailing the crowd and urged other commissioners to consider names.
Mayor Galvan said he would welcome applications via email and to share the details to the community.
The application deadline is the next regular meeting in July.
“We’ll open up the applications for Places 6 and 7 so all the commissioners can see all of the information, the board applicants, so they could have thorough review as Commissioner Perez requested,” Mayor Galvan said. “I’m sure those with the criteria and credentials will stand out.”
OTHER APPOINTMENTS
Attorney Flores also said that when it comes to these entities having appointees in the presence of children or minors, it’s been a “standard practice” for the City of San Benito to require a background check even though there is no statute or governing code requiring it.
It’s been a safeguard for the city for several years before an oath of office is scheduled.
The commission is also looking to relegate the background checks to go from the city secretary’s office to possibly the city’s human resources and/or the police department.
In some instances, scheduled monthly meetings have been canceled because a quorum wasn’t established by some of these boards and/or committees.
Assistant City Manager Diana Garza said that has occurred with the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Board.
“We’ve had issues with that so our board can bring recommendations to (elected leaders) in a timely manner,” Garza said.
This board is especially important because thousands of dollars in federal grants are discussed and those ideas are passed along to the commissioners to ultimately act upon.
Some of the other entities that could discuss the disbursement of grants at the state level are the Parks and Recreation Board, and the EDC Board.
Another entity that handles thousands of dollars is the Hotel Occupancy Advisory Board. Local funds are generated through tax dollars from hotel and motel stays.
These funds are then filtered back to promote the city. One example, Mayor Galvan said, was the Summer Concert Series and monies that were spent on advertisement last year.
The following are individuals who were appointed until their term expires with the city’s lead resource personnel listed in parentheses:
- Planning and Zoning Commission (Monica Rodriguez, Planner I)
Place 1 Melissa Cortez, Place 2 Velma De Los Santos, Place 3 Esteban Rodriguez, Place 4 Hector Gomez, and Place 5 Adam Abrego;
- Zoning Board of Adjustments Commission (Monica Rodriguez, Planner I)
Place 1 Jeremy Maya, Place 2 Velma De Los Santos, Place 3 Noe Galvan, Place 4 Miguel Garcia, and Place 5 JB Garcia;
- Keep San Benito Beautiful Advisory Board (Samantha Guzman, administrative assistant-code enforcement)
Place 1 Kathy Bogart, Place 2 Decision tabled, Place 3 Forrest Walker, Place 4 Decision tabled, Place 5 Decision tabled;
- Traffic and Safety Advisory Board (Capt. Michael Cortez, San Benito Police Department)
Place 1 Mario Cervantes, Place 2 Adan Cortez, Jr., Place 3 Mike Travis, Place 4 No appointment at this time, Place 5 No appointment at this time;
- Veterans Advisory Board (Police Chief Mario Perea, San Benito Police Department)
Place 1 Commissioner Ricardo Perez, Jr. as ex-officio, Place 2 Decision tabled, Place 3 Armando Armas, Place 4 Mindy Caballero, and Place 5 Israel Villarreal;
- Parks and Recreation Board (Samantha Guzman, Recreation assistant)
Place 1 Mark Silva, Place 2 Jaime Rodriguez, Place 3 Mister Rivera, Place 4 Decision tabled, Place 5 Clarissa Gomez;
- Community Development Block Grant Board (Diana Garza, assistant city manager)
Place 1 Anna Garza Llanes, Place 2 Allison Colvin, Place 3 Melissa Cortez, Place 4 No change of Maria Ester Rivera Hernandez, Place 5 Rogelio Nuñez;
- Civil Service Board (Christine Castillo, human resources/civil service director)
Place 1 Arnulfo Gonzalez, Place 2 Lorenzo Sanchez, and Place 3 Luis D. Gonzales, Jr.;
- Animal Shelter Advisory Committee (Chief Perez, SBPD)
Licensed veterinarian Allison Tewell Merritt, municipal official Mayor Galvan, shelter duty attendant Javier Coronado, welfare organization representative Edith Tamez, citizen Kathy Bogart;
- Building Standards and Renewal Board (Edward Enriquez, director of administrative services)
Place 1 Juan Antonio Maya, Jr. Place 2 Noelia Barrera, Place 3 Ricardo Guerra, Place 4 Ernesto Garcia, and Place 5 Ana Llanes;
- Hotel Occupancy Advisory Board (Aleida Garcia, director of cultural arts department)
Places 1-5 included hotel representative members Sam Patel and Henry Bhakta, city manager (position was held by Fred Sandoval), city commissioner (position was held by Thomas W. Goodman II), and a citizen (unfilled).
Director Garcia was unavailable at the meeting so the commissioners unanimously tabled any decision to announce appointments until the next scheduled meeting.