REQUIRED TO SUCCEED IN B'TOWN: DA MAYOR'S BLESSING

Nov. 7, 2017 City Commission Agenda Item 10. Consideration and ACTION to authorize Change Order to Task Order No. 5 to CH2M to increase scope of work to design services related to New Airport Terminal Project at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. (Bryant Walker – Airport) 

Feb. 6, 2018  City Commission Agenda Item 15. Consideration and ACTION to execute a License Agreement between the City of Brownsville and Origo Works Properties, LLC. (Engineering).

By Juan Montoya

Well, it has become quite clear now that in the Da Mayor Tony Martinez administration, the only thing required to snag real estate deals, to bend the rules, and to cash in on the city treasury is your personal relationship with Hizzoner.

Whether it's Abraham Galonsky snagging a $2.3 million price tag on the Casa del Nylon property most other appraisers tag at $750,000, or browbeating and ridiculing other city commission members to see things his way or hit the highway, and even selling tax-delinquent property to himself to turn a handsome profit, Tony has had the least word.

In every case, the public has had to dish out the cash to pay for Da Mayor's largess. He has developed a knack for self-dealing and profiteering at the expense of the poorest community in the nation draped with the mantle of sanctity. He even has a private chapel to worship Da Lawd in his back yard.

How do you succeed in Tony Martinez's Brownsville?

If you're a beginning engineering firm and attended St. Joseph Academy with his son, why he's there to give you a helping hand using the public's funds. Take, for example, the construction of the Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport Terminal. Originally pegged at $38 million, that price has rapidly escalated to close to $58 million thanks to his intervention.

 CH2MHILL of Englewood, Co. requested the change order from Airport Director Bryant Walker in a letter dated Sept. 21 saying that original terminal was originally planned to be approximately 65,000 square feet with another 9,000 square feet designated by Custom and Border Protection for Federal Inspection Service (FIS) areas.

That, however, has changed and now the terminal is now planned for 85,000 square feet and the FIS areas to 23,000 square feet. The additional design and architectural work will increase the fees by CH2MHILL by $850,925.00, bringing ti from the original $1,650,000 to $2,500,925.00, which represents approximately 6.6 percent of the estimated construction value.

"The other item that has caused additional design and management effort is the coordination with our local architect, Origo Works," wrote James Kirshbaum, the engineer for CH2MHILL.

"As requested by the mayor, we engaged Origo Works to help incorporate "local" architectural features and elements into the original design. This effort extended the conceptual design phase of the project by approximately five months, resulting in significant additional efforts by CH2M, Corgan and Origo Works."
(See graphic at right. Click to enlarge.)

It's worth noting that the offending paragraph in Kirshbaum's letter (circled in yellow in the graphic) was removed when it was presented to the city commission. It is also worth noting that non one filed a complaint against the mayor for tampering with a government document as they did when commissioner Jessica Tetreau tried to correct the vote on the appointment of a new member of the GBIC.

And less than three month later (Feb. 6, 2018), Da Mayor was at it again. Origo Works was refurbishing a building to set up shop along the frontage road but there was a snag. It did not have enough parking space as required by the city. Without it, as many other would-be business people know, the permits would be denied and no business could take place.

But not to worry, there's where knowing Tony pays off. The firm lists work done on the mayor's businesses, including Spanky's Burgers and Rincon de la Paz off Palm Boulevard on their website. Both businesses list their principal as Martinez, and list his law firm's address at 1206 E. Van Buren Street as their mailing address.

The Feb. 6 agenda item placed by Engineering (not Tony?) reads: Consideration and ACTION to execute a License Agreement between the City of Brownsville and Origo Works Properties, LLC. (Engineering).

Under the licensing agreement, the city agreed to let the company use a part of city property...which lies adjacent to or is anticipated to be part of a continuum of the foregoing‐described major commercial development...which permission it seeks to build and maintain concrete/asphalt parking and landscaped areas which would run along, aside or across City property."

In exchange, Origo Works will build a parking lot, fence, and maintain it for the next five years with one-year options for renewals.

Commented one of our readers:

"The free give-away of city land to Origo Works for parking spaces with no consideration for the existing six business entities affected by this license agreement shows no mercy. These six businesses will no longer be able to access the rear of their buildings including the garbage collections via the alleyway which will be replaced by the relocated hike & bike trail. 

No notice to the owners no due diligence by the planning & zoning or building permits department including the engineering department. WHAT IS GOING ON?"

Yes, what is going on, indeed?

From this jaundiced viewpoint, it seems pretty simple. Martinez is doing as he wants, handing out benefits he doesn't own, and favoring his cronies at the expense of the city and its residents like priest handing out the host on Sundays.