By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members have approved the appointment of former City Planner Janice
Pokrant as the new city planning and zoning director, over the objections of one council
member who called the appointment “a step backwards.”
The city council voted 5-2 during its regular meeting Tuesday to pass a resolution
approving the appointment. Pokrant, who worked for the city from August 2007 to May
2023, was most recently employed as the senior planner for a private company, Matrix
Design Group.
Before calling for a motion on the resolution, Mayor Al Arreola invited Human
Resources Director Mario Garcia to address the council.
Garcia told the council, “It gives me great pleasure to introduce the individual that we
have selected to fill the position of planning and zoning director. . . She has a deep
commitment to sustainable growth and community development.
“She’s eager to apply her experience, and she extensive experience in municipal planning
and regulatory compliance. She has over 25 years in the field, and those skills have been
honed in zoning regulations planning, in comprehensive planning and so on. . . She has
the ability to create and implement policies that would enhance the quality of life for the
citizens and the city of Del Rio,” Garcia said.
Arreola called for a motion on the resolution approving Pokrant’s appointment, but
before anyone could make a motion, Councilman J.P. Sanchez said he wished to make a
comment.
Sanchez said, “Before the city made aware that they were talking to Ms. Pokrant, my
phone started ringing off the wall. And it wasn’t in support for her. The majority of the
people said they felt it was a step backwards, that we’re going back to the old code and
compliance.
“On another note, on a personal note, I’ve done business over there at code and
compliance for 42 years, and the employees of the city are at the service of the
community, and I myself have gone over there and knocked on the door and asked for a
meeting, and I was told, ‘I’ll get back to you,’ and then on two different occasions, they
told me face-to-face, ‘I haven’t forgot you; I’ll get back to you.’ And that’s not right.
“I’m thinking about the little guy that’s going to go over there and try to get something
done. He needs to be able to have an audience. He needs to be able to talk to people. He
needs to be able to have questions answered, and that was not happening before. So, with
that said, I’m only one vote, but I cannot support this,” Sanchez finished.
Arreola again called for a motion, and Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez made the
motion to approve the resolution, with Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez giving
the second.
Gutierrez said she would like to make a statement to Pokrant, who was in the audience.
Gutierrez said, “I’ve known you for many, many years, and I am very aware of many of
the concerns that Councilperson Mr. Sanchez has mentioned, and coming in, that’s what
you’re going to be combatting. The reputation of the city is at stake. We’ve had a lot of
negative comments regarding that department. . .”
Gutierrez said she met Pokrant when Gutierrez served on the city’s board of adjustment
and had found Pokrant “always very kind and very helpful.”
Gutierrez added, “But through the years, there has been a disconnect between that
department and the citizens that go to get service. . .”
The councilwoman encouraged Pokrant to establish timelines for dealing with issues and
projects brought to her office by citizens. She said she has also heard many complaints
that those issues and projects were not addressed in a timely manner.
Gutierrez asked Pokrant to concentrate her efforts “on how we can get to ‘yes’.”
Gutierrez said, “Our job is to serve the citizens of this community. They have a problem,
it’s our problem. But with that said, we must enforce our codes, and it will be your
responsibility. . . But I am not a developer. I’m not a builder, and that’s why I encourage
you: Have a focus group. Meet with these people. How can we come to yes, to a working
relationship between our building community, our developers and the city of Del Rio so
we can all build a city that we can be proud of.”
Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. said he wished to address Pokrant as well.
Lopez said, “All I’m asking is that you run that department efficient, that turnaround is
quick, hours instead of days. . . A lot of ordinances in the city of Del Rio are very
outdated. . . So I’m asking if a developer comes up to you, and gives you something you
do not recognize, get your team together as soon as you can to help that individual.”
Lopez said Del Rio has a reputation that its building permitting process “is worse than
everybody else.”
“I’m hoping that you’re successful, (that you) work that department successfully,” Lopez
added.
Arreola also spoke before the vote. He admitted, “The city has made some mistakes, but
we’ve got to step up and move to the next level.”
He asked who Pokrant’s supervisor would be, and City Manager Shawna Burkhart said
Pokrant will answer directly to Assistant City Manager Manuel Chavez.
Arreola went on, “The success of any individual that we hire is the success of the people
above you, how well they coach you and train you and get you out there and the open
communication with your supervisors. It’s up to management to supervise you and get
you to the next level.”
Arreola invited Pokrant to speak, and she told the council, “Thank you for your
consideration. I would like to say if I would have known then what I know now, maybe I
would have made some other decisions and made some changes back then. I’m not
saying I did everything right or that I did everything wrong; I think that I’ve learned and
grown and had different opportunities while I’ve been away.
“I’ve been able to see, in the private sector, about the impacts that are made during
discussions with different entities, what impacts the development community, how it
impacts the citizens and how it impacts the city as a whole, and so, I do want to bring that
knowledge back to the citizens of Del Rio.
“Del Rio is my home, and I want to make sure that as we grow, we grow responsibly, but
we grow as a community, where we’re working together, because that’s the only way that we can grow economically, if we’re working together to make it happen, and so, I do
thank you for this consideration,” Pokrant said.
Pokrant said she will work with Chavez and Burkhart “to come up with a plan for
accountability . . . so that we can help streamline processes or so we can help clarify
issues that have come up.”
Burkhart followed up, telling the council, “I am pleased that Ms. Pokrant has considered
us to work with. During this process, we posted for . . . a little over a month for this
position. There are not many people with that skill set in in our community, so we are
very pleased that Ms. Pokrant has chosen to join us and bring her talents to the table.
“We simply are very eager to get started,” the city manager added.
The council voted 5-2 to approve Pokrant’s appointment, with Sanchez and Councilman
Randy Quiñones voting against Pokrant’s appointment.
Reach the writer at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
