By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
This year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration will likely have to be moved from the historic Brown Plaza, as renovation work there isn’t expected to be complete until the end of May.
Del Rio City Council members discussed the work being done at Brown Plaza at the request of Councilman Jesus Lopez during their most recent meeting on Jan. 24.
Lopez began his discussion by asking about a work timeline that had been provided to council members.
“This timeline, I didn’t even know existed. It was given to me a few weeks ago. Based on the timeline, whoever is in charge or overseeing this project, can we have a progress report in the interest of transparency to see where we are on this timeline?” Lopez asked.
City Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca fielded Lopez’s questions.
“Yes, we do receive daily emails. Right now, the last email I received, on the 19th (of January), and we are right on schedule,” Menchaca said.
“But on the 20th to the 25th, according to the timeline, there’s supposed to be a five-inch slab already poured. There’s no slab, there’s no water, there’s no nothing, just the forms. I know they’re saying delays with weather, basically, but it’s only for a little while but there’s really nothing on the timeline that I saw that they’re keeping with the timelines,” Lopez said.
“Up to the 19th they would be up to the timeline . . . Up to the 19th we were up-to-date. Of course this week has been a little bit difficult because of the weather. They have been expecting rain, so that’s probably why there were delays. Today (Jan. 24) is really the first delay that we’ve seen since we started on the project in December,” Menchaca replied.
“Also how many people does the contractor hire, have working on the project?” Lopez asked.
“I don’t have that information off the top of my head,” Menchaca said.
“I mean, does he have one group doing wire, one group doing cement, one group doing that or just one group doing one thing at a time?” Lopez wanted to know.
“Well, they do have several subcontractors. Some are working on the foundation. Some are working on the electrical. Some are working on the plumbing. For example, on Friday, they did have J.D. Plumbing out there, so they would only be working on the plumbing portion, and then of course the superintendent,” Menchaca replied.
Lopez also wanted to know if someone employed by the city was overseeing the work.
“Yes, we do have Mr. Quintanilla (City Public Works Director Albert Quintanilla) who visits there constantly, Greg (Velazquez, assistant public works director), and then Luis Mireles, our project manager,” Menchaca replied.
When Mayor Al Arreola asked if there were any other questions, Councilman Jim DeReus asked, “When you say that we’re on a timeline, you mean the revised timeline?”
“Yes,” Menchaca answered.
“So based on that revised timeline, what would you estimate the chances of having (the plaza) open by the Cinco de Mayo celebration?” DeReus asked.
Menchaca said the finish date for the project is scheduled for May 25, but added, “We are trying to get them to do it before then, but right now, the time line does show May 25.”
“So, unlikely,” DeReus added.
“If we base ourselves on the timeline, yes,” Menchaca replied.
“So what you’re saying is that if we’re going to do it right, we’ve got to follow the timeline that’s out there for May 25,” Mayor Pro-tem Steven Webb said.
“I would just say that if we don’t want to have a rushed project, then we should follow it,” Menchaca replied.
“I would rather take our time doing it right than have to go back in and dig up something that we did wrong, so I’m sorry if we can’t have the Cinco De Mayo at that location, but it’s not a feasibility at this time; it’s dangerous. It is a construction site. We can’t have people over there at Brown Plaza. What happens if a little kid falls in a ditch? Who’s liable? We are. It’s better to do the project right,” Webb said.
“I look at it this way. I think right now we’ve got to let the contractor follow the flow of what he’s doing. We can’t predict the weather. We can’t predict the elements the gentleman is working with, sometimes the supply is not there. We’re just going to have to proceed on and follow the protocols,” Arreola said, adding that it wasn’t the council’s job to tell the contractor how to do his work.
He said there are steps the city can take if the work is late or not completed as specified in the contract, and that is why the city has an attorney.
Lopez then asked who generated the work timeline, and Menchaca said it was created by the contractor.
“I just want a little transparency because people are asking what’s going on,” Lopez added.
Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon asked Lopez when he had received the timeline, and he replied he had gotten it from the city manager about two weeks ago.
Calderon pointed out the city manager included the timeline in a weekly report to the city council.
Calderon went on to say Sheedy and city staff have provided a number of documents about the Brown Plaza work, including “when it was approved, the company, the amount, even when the city of Del Rio took over management and operation of the Brown Plaza and on Nov. 29, another additional, because there was the company, what they found and that was an additional amount, so all that is here. So talking about transparency, it’s all here.”
“It’s one thing to have it on paper and another is seeing it physically. The citizens see it and we see it,” Lopez said.
“It’s on the web site,” Calderon said.
“But if they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing; it’s questionable what’s going on,” Lopez said.
Calderon called Lopez’s request for an update “kind of upsetting,” adding that “everything has been given,” but noting also that she understood his bringing it up during the meeting.
“I just want to be able to say something to our constituents, because they ask me and basically I don’t try to get into that area, because I’m just looking, just seeing what’s going on,” Lopez said.
“So you don’t try to get into the area?” Calderon asked.
Arreola again said Sheedy and Menchaca would bring back updates about the project and reiterated the contractor must be allowed to do his job.
Calderon emphasized that work at the Brown Plaza must be done right
“I know that the entire city of Del Rio wants it to be done right, and it’s going to be a major uplift . . . It is for the community. It’s for the entire city of Del Rio. Whatever time it takes, it’s going to be done right . . . We started this project after September, so the Brown Plaza Association could have its Diez y Seis de Septiembre celebration . . . we waited all those months,” Calderon said
“This is only phase one of the things we’re going to do at Brown Plaza, so this is the phase where we want to make sure to take our time and do it right, because the next phase coming up is also going to be approved by this council, and there is more to be done, and thank you, Mr. Menchaca,” Arreola said, curtailing the discussion.
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