By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Editor’s note: Story about meeting this story mentions is here.
County officials say they will be paying close attention to a public meeting Wednesday on city plans for a second international bridge, and one county commissioner sharply criticized Mayor Al Arreola and city council members for not coming to commissioners court to discuss the bridge plans.
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. opened the discussion during the court’s October regular term meeting on Oct. 9 under an agenda item titled “discussion and possible action on the proposed second international bridge.”
Owens said he met with the new city manager two weeks ago and learned about the proposed route the city’s consultants on the bridge project will be presenting during the public meeting.
The site of the proposed international bridge and the proposed routes connecting it to U.S. Highway 90 have been the subject of numerous complaints from individuals who live in the area between the bridge site and the highway, all located northwest of the Del Rio city limits.
Owens said, “I think the (route) that’s going to be presented (Wednesday) is the one that’s going to go through the ranch and right where Las Brisas (Boulevard) ends, there’s some mobile homes right there, cut through there, come alongside Las Brisas and then come up and go through that 700-800 acre tract and end up almost between Lorina’s Cantina and Agua Vista.
“That’s the one I think they’re going to present. That’s the (route) that they showed me two weeks ago, so that’s what I assume they’ll present on the 16th,” Owens said.
Owens then noted the county has hired a law firm to represent the county over the bridge issue.
“The county has gone out and engaged a law firm, so I just want to make sure the individuals out there still understand that this court took a vote, and the court approved not to support a second international bridge unless it was farther south or southeast from the (existing) bridge, not north or northwest from the bridge that we have,” the county judge said.
“So we are still going down that road. Our attorneys will be paying attention to whatever happens at the hearing (on Wednesday), and then at the point that they do pick a route and say, ‘This is the ultimate route,’ then we will have to begin that process and start sending letters to (U.S.) Senator (John) Cornyn’s office, (U.S. Sen. Ted) Cruz and all our federal representatives, as well as to our state representatives, and explain to them why we don’t believe this is a good idea,” Owens added.
When Owens finished, he asked the commissioners if they had any comments, and County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton said, “Judge, it’s my understanding you met with the city manager and they presented you with that map of the route?”
“Yes, sir,” Owens replied.
“It’s upsetting to me that the city of Del Rio would play in our backyard and that the elected officials of the city would not have the common courtesy to stand before this court to present what they want to do and that they would send somebody else to do it,” Nettleton said.
“I think it is a disgrace. Whether we agree with the route or disagree with the route, it’s common decency that the mayor or one of the council members should be the ones presenting to this court what their decisions are if they’re going to play in our backyard. I don’t think it’s right that they send the city manager to talk to the county judge.
“That is not the way we work together. That is not the way we get things done. The mayor should have had the common decency to stand before this court and present it to us, if they’re going to play in our backyard. That’s all I have to say,” Nettleton said.
Owens then asked the other members of the court if they had any comments, but none did.
The court took no action on the agenda item following the comments by Owens and Nettleton.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
