By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Members of the county’s new historical commission in mid-August, elected two interim leaders and agreed the group’s first priority is maintaining its certification through the state.
Val Verde County Commissioners Court on July 31 appointed 14 county residents to serve on the new Val Verde County Historical Commission.
The appointees included Omar Fuentes, Katherine Long, Ken Herrera, Marilu Trevino-Alf, Karina O. Reyna, Raul G. Padilla, Enrique Lozano, Anna A. Chapman, Ramiro Guzman, Alejandra Dewey, Alonzo Martinez, Gay Culbertson, Kerr Wardlaw and Patrick Zuberbueler.
The new commission members met Aug. 14 in the old county court-at-law courtroom where the commissioners court meetings are held. Members present included Fuentes, Herrera, Trevino-Alf, Reyna, Wardlaw, Guzman, Dewey, Chapman and Martinez.
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. attended the meeting and asked the members to begin by briefly introducing themselves.
Most expressed a lifelong interest in history, especially local history, and voiced their desire to preserved that history and share it with the community.
After the introductions, Owens spoke to the group.
“First of all, I want to thank you all. We had a committee before, and when we came in as county judge in 2019, the court appointed members (to the historical commission) in 2019 and 2020, and then that was it. There was no other action taken, but there was Covid and a lot of other things, so I’m not pointing fingers or throwing rocks, but the court thought it was best just to start new, not trying to revamp or reorganize or anything, just do away with it,” Owens told the group.
He said several months ago, the county received a letter from the state saying it had started the process of decertifying the county’s historical commission.
Owens said when he informed state officials the county was in the process of restarting the historical commission “they were really helpful and excited that we were going to move forward.”
“This will help us with future grants, anything having to do with history, and it’s necessary,” Owens said, adding he believed the county “needed to preserve as much of our history as we can.”
He told the commission the county has some $6,400 in the current year’s budget for the historical commission.
Owens told commission members they need to select a chair and another individual to serve as the commission’s liaison with the Texas Historical Commission.
He said the commission would need to meet at least four times a year, and the commission must have at least seven members.
Owens said the court would look at commission members’ attendance after a few months and make any future decision regarding the commission accordingly.
Fuentes volunteered to serve as the commission’s liaison with the state and said he would work with state officials to make sure the local commission is not decertified.
Guzman told the group that one of the members not present at the meeting – Culbertson – had previously served as the organization’s chair and was interested in serving in that capacity again.
Guzman said Culbertson had taken up the reins of the commission after two of its most active members, Doug and Willie Braudaway, moved out of the community.
Guzman then suggested Culbertson be named as interim chair and Fuentes be appointed the commission’s state liaison.
Fuentes reiterated the state was in the process of decertifying the local commission.
“Because of Judge Owens’ timely intervention, the person (we were dealing with) from the state has agreed to abate the proceedings of decertification, but they need to be assured that some sort of proactive measures are being taken by us to get back up to snuff, and there are a list of requirements they have provided to us,” Fuentes said.
He said his first priority for the commission’s first 60 to 90 days “is to avoid the ship from sinking, because it’s a lot more burdensome to start fresh rather than to maintain our status.”
Owens said the commission would select a new slate of officers in January 2025.
“I’d like to propose Gay (Culbertson) as interim/carryover chair and our state contact as Omar (Fuentes). That will get us through the next 60, 90 days, and we’ll get to know each other, bring back the old by-laws and see if we need to revamp anything and move forward from there,” Guzman said.
His suggestion was approved unanimously.
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