By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
San Benito elected leaders have tentative plans to approve screening requirements, disqualification standards, and individual reviews for appointments to city boards and commissions. They will decide later this month whether to make them local law.
City Fathers also discussed some 20 applicants for the City Manager position.
During a special meeting on Tuesday, San Benito Commissioners held the first reading of a new ordinance that affects all persons appointed to boards and commissions, except those appointed to the San Benito Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board, even though the EDC Board was listed on the meeting agenda.
San Benito Mayor Pedro A. Galvan said City Attorney Eric Flores introduced the idea of creating a new ordinance that didn’t require any action at the time, as it was on first reading. Flores wasn’t present on Tuesday, and instead, attorney Benjamin Castillo spoke on his behalf during the meeting.
San Benito Commissioner Place 2 Daniel Cortez, Sr., said that an EDC-related ordinance is already in place and should not apply to the EDC board.
As previously reported, the commission appointed three citizens, including former mayor Ricardo Guerra and board president Anna Garza Llanes, to fill seats on the seven-member board.
“We need to leave the EDC out of this and have it cover all the other boards and commissions,” said Commissioner Cortez, who received no pushback.
He questioned who would be reviewing all the appointments, which are exclusively made by elected leaders.
“I would think the results would be from whoever conducts the background check — the city attorney,” Cortez added. “There’s no action; we can look it over and make all the possible changes.”
There appeared to be a consensus that the commissioners themselves wouldn’t be involved in anything other than recommending the appointment of a citizen required to live within the city limits, per an existing ordinance.
“It should be left to the discretion of human resources, the city manager, and the city attorney due to day-to-day duties,” Mayor Galvan said. “They’ll be able to determine whether appointees meet the qualifications.”
He also said that if there are legal questions, it could still be presented before final action is taken.
It is tentatively agreed that if a person is disqualified in a background check, the city attorney would be the point of contact. However, no reason would be given.
Attorney Castillo told commissioners he would relay their suggestions to City Attorney Flores before the second and final reading of the ordinance.
If enacted, it would become San Benito Ordinance No. 2639.
Last month, San Benito Commissioners appointed numerous citizens to dozens of boards and commissions following a May election that produced a new mayor and three new commissioners. These boards and commissions are led by city administrative staff.
The following are included, with the city lead in parentheses: Planning and Zoning Commission (Monica Rodriguez, Planner I); Zoning Board of Adjustments Commission (Monica Rodriguez, Planner I); Keep San Benito Beautiful Advisory Board (Samantha Guzman, administrative assistant-code enforcement); Traffic and Safety Advisory Board (Capt. Michael Cortez, San Benito Police Department); Veterans Advisory Board (Police Chief Mario Perea, San Benito Police Department); Parks and Recreation Board (Samantha Guzman, Recreation assistant); Community Development Block Grant Board (Diana Garza, assistant city manager); Civil Service Board (Christine Castillo, human resources/civil service director); Animal Shelter Advisory Committee (Chief Perez, SBPD); Building Standards and Renewal Board (Edward Enriquez, director of administrative services); Hotel Occupancy Advisory Board (Aleida Garcia, director of cultural arts department).
City Fathers also discussed the applicants for the open City Manager’s post after Fred Sandoval vacated the position.
The current interim City Manager, Carlos Yerena, is said to have applied. At least one female applicant is among the candidates, according to Galvan, who discussed the topic during a presentation at the local League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) meeting Saturday evening, where he expressed pleasant surprise at the number of candidates who had applied for the position.