Did you see this story in the El Paso Times?
There won’t be any weather- or fire-protection for damaged buildings inside the fenced off portions of Duranguito in the Union Plaza District for now.
The El Paso City Council voted to revisit the topic during the next council work session meeting on Jan. 18.
The item originally was on the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting, but when District 6 city Rep. Claudia Rodriguez asked city officials about an update on a plan to protect the buildings, City Attorney Karla Nieman and El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said no progress has been made.
On Nov. 9, the City Council unanimously voted to reinforce buildings that had holes punched in them by heavy machinery.
. . .
Gonzalez said because of the ongoing legal battle between the city and Max Grossman, alongside residents of the neighborhood, the city would have to have an agreement in place “to feel comfortable” to do anything regarding the buildings.
Nieman said that “we won’t be touching the buildings until we have additional feedback from architects and engineers about how to how to proceed to move forward with doing what we need to do with the buildings.”
Wow, did the City Manager just tell City Council that he didn’t feel like doing what they told him to do?
City Council gave him explicit instructions, and he said he doesn’t feel like it. Like he needs “to feel comfortable.”
His contract requires him to “comply with . . . all lawful Council directives.” His contract doesn’t say “unless he doesn’t feel comfortable with it.” There’s no snowflake clause.
When City Council gives the City Manager explicit instructions, he doesn’t need to “feel comfortable” about it.
That’s gross insubordination.
It will be interesting to see how the Mayor and City Council deal with it.
Any minute now I’m waiting for Miss Margo to jump in with an Editorial to the El Paso Times….and how about some more name dropping about the chain smoking former librarian from Midland….
TommyG will feel truly comfortable when he leaves the job in El Paso and goes back home to the Arlington area. So will I/we.
Note that our esteemed City Attorney chimed in with legalese for “we can’t do it until TG feels comfy”…that’s how she “earns” that super-sized salary…
Tommy G got FIRED from his last job in Irving, TX. The fact that the Citizens of El Paso are paying him over $400,000 in Total Compensation (KVIA News July 14, 2021), is an Obscenity. El Paso is one of the POOREST Cities in the USA. He makes more than his counterparts in Dallas and Phoenix. Do you think he merits such a Salary compared to these other cities? What has he done or accomplished that merits such a Salary that is worth more than his equivalent peers? These are the same Good Ole’ Boys that continue to run El Paso. {I must pause, I’ve put on Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers, to help me get through this post}. Just recently read Miss Margos’s (sarcasm font) tear about how El Paso needs a Multi Purpose Arena. Wait a minute. Wasn’t her husband, Oklahoma Dee, President of the El Paso School Board when they hired Juan Cabrera, Former Superintendent of the EPISD? The SAME Juan Cabrera who basically was Fired by the same board because he had a conflict of interest and was being Sued by his California Investors? And, Cabrera was given a $500,000 “Adios Package”? Tommy G had his Income Tax done by John Romero for $100.00. A bookkeeper but is the brother of former Mayor Pro Tem, Larry Romero? The same Larry Romero who had his street paved, even though he was NOT on the Approved List, along with so many other misdeeds I would need to write a book. Meanwhile, Tommy G basically sneers at the people who pay his Salary.
Sometime next year, after multi-year extended weather exposure, vagrants trying to get out of the weather, damaged chain link fencing, etc. the local Health/Safety/Fire Department(s) will declare the locations as a nuisance and ‘Hazardous to the Public’. The effort will then be made for a streamlined demolition order in order to protect the “public”. Then the efforts to build the sports arena will resume as the structures at the heart of the “historic District” no longer exist.
“Then the efforts to build the sports arena will resume”
Yes and it will be a complete flop because there is no business model that pays for it. After a few years of being an anchor on the city’s budget, Mountainstar will graciously offer to take it off the city’s hands for a token payment of one dollar. The plan all along?