1. Recommend approval to authorize administration to accept the Sams Stadium Scoreboard Project as substantially complete. (Tuesday board meeting agenda)
3. Discussion, consideration and possible action to request a third party compliance review in January 2019 of all 2015 TRE projects and all 2018 tax increase projects; to include artificial turf and the stadium/campus scoreboards. (Board Member Request - SPA) (Tuesday board meeting agenda)
By Juan Montoya
Remember when then-Cameron County Auditor Mark Yates got charged and arrested for buying insurance without the county commission's approval?
And one of the reasons that Texas Southmost College gave for sacking former president Lily Tercero was also for buying windstorm insurance without going to the board for approval.Well, guess what?
Some time back Brownsville Independent School District superintendent Esperanza Zendejas was told by the board to bring back the specific warranty length for "coach" Joe Rodriguez's super-duper $1.4 million scoreboard at Sams Stadium before she made any payments to the vendor.
Several members were leery that the vendor VCRNOW initially said the turnkey board had warranties for 10 years, only to have the superintendent during the Sept. 4 recommend that the board approve the project was "substantially complete" and authorize payment.
During that meeting, Zendejas acknowledged that there had been some technical difficulties with video without sound and several panels that had to be replaced. Some trustees wanted a clarification of the duration of the warranties on the scoreboard parts (initially said by the vendor to be for 10 years) since the backup to the agenda item listed warranties on some part for two years and others for five.
And since the board was not up and ready for graduation this year, the BISD had to pay a "rental fee" to VCRNOW to bring a portable screen and pay for technician. The cost for the rental and the technician for graduation ceremonies was $7,950 plus a $550 hotel fee for his lodging. ($550? Did he stay on the Island?)
Unable to give the board a definite answer then (September 4) to their questions, Zendejas asked the board to pull the item and told the members that she would come back to them with the answers to their questions.
But rather than come back to the board before issuing the second payment (the first was approved by the board June 5 for $770,000), Zendejas issued a second payment in the amount of $461,208 on her own.
Recently, during the the meeting of the Facilities Committee Dec. 5, some members questioned Zendejas on the progress on the project and she told them that the project was substantially complete and that he had already made the second payment to the vendor.
But hey, wait, members asked: Weren't you supposed to get back with the board before proceeding with the payment and acceptance of the project?
Well, yes, she vacillated, I guess that was just "an error."
Now, we're not talking peanuts here. Anyway you slice it, $1.4 million is a lot of cash for one person to unilaterally decide for the board on issuing payments and approving the project, especially when there is a question on the quality of the product being purchased.In the agenda item listed above for Tuesday's meeting, she is asking that the board accept the board as "substantially complete" and pay the $168,716 balance on the $1.4 million.
In one of her rare moments of lucidity, trustee Minerva Peña said that when you buy a Rolls Royce you expect it to act like a Rolls and not a Pinto or a Mustang.
"They don't make those anymore," she said.
Yates got charged and arrested and hauled off to Carrizales when he acted unilaterally. Tercero was fired.
Will there be any repercussions for Zendejas?
Will we see her, as we did Yates, in an orange jumpsuit, or barring that, handed her walking papers for disregarding the directives of the board?
23 comments:
Ahhh it was just an error no mames, Joe Rod and Elizonda ain't there to cover up your incompetence no more lady!
Lock her up!
Dr.Z you are FUCK NOW !!
No mames ZENDEJAS !!
Well it depends whether or not anybody is ever held accountable for either criminal conduct or imcompetence. It is not what you do, but who you know in Browntown.
I'm sure she has so much dirt on so many people at the District that they'll probably give her another raise and contract extension.
Zendejas cronies and protectors are out, her day's are numbered and she won't get a dime...Finally OUT with ZENDEJAS, the community feel's the same about her, OUT WITH ZENDEJAS. Enough CORRUPTION !!!!! They have stolen enough from our kid's. ZENDEJAS life will be MISERABLE from now on !!! YAY !
Zendejas was hired by J.R. and his crew to help perptuate thier dirty little operation.
Z has been on the inside from the time she was hired
There you go again,Juan. stirring up the BISD Board to do something stupid and to disrupt the education of our kids. you love to see the city in turmoil. Just like an arsonist that likes to enjoy seeing his own fires. Stop giving the board stupid ideas. You are as clever as a turkey.
9:27 doesn’t realize the community elected change—- if they approves of thisnleader joe and the foreman would of won
Don't forget that we're in Brownsville, corruption is number one. This is the scam of the week.
Was the investigation approved by the board?
Juan so you are saying that if zendejas issued a payment (over $400K) which was not approved or authorized by the board- then she violated policy? right? So its clear she violated BISD Policy right? then she should be fired? o no? Guess joe rod wanted his christmas bonus right?
Zendejas moved a lot of people around when she got hired. She brought her ax and didn't think twice about ridding herself of her enemies. Even administrators who were against Joe Rod were dealt with. It wasn't an error on her part. She paid off the people who funded Joe Rod's campaign so she has to take responsibility for whats going to come her way. She got her extension knowing she had to pay out Joe Rod's vendor. Joe and Zendejas had nothing to lose. They are old and way past retirement age. That made them dangerous. I'm glad its almost over. Once Zendejas is gone, BISD can finally get that dark cloud lifted.
Wasn't this guy the Cameron County Purchasing Director?
Karma baby, Karma, thats the name of the game.
esta bueno pat
The board needs to put everybody to work year round schooling stop the shenanigans. Just like everybody in the planet. 8 hour a day 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. Oh I forgot its in the contract 8+2= something...SCAM SCAM SCAM!!! ha ha ha ha ha lol lol
BISD IS FUCK BECAUSE OF OLD JOE,CARLOS,CESAR AND DR.Z.
OUT WITH THIS OLD BITCH!!
What was the first action this new board made? Find a way to increase the school boundaries - WHY? Why they need more tax monies? LOOK OUT!!!
Zendejas or board member nor administration care about our children education. They just want to get rich and we will pay the bill.
No wonder parents are transferring their kids to charter schools because unfortunately our school district is fighting who is going to get more money from the cake.
Once we are gone to heaven or hell, we will pay for our sins. That will be interesting when God ask them why you were not focus in the students education. What you be their answer.
Do you honestly think they care to 10:57?
Para el idiota at: 9:27
The turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris, which is native to the Americas. One species, Meleagris gallopavo (commonly known as the wild turkey or domestic turkey), is native to the forests of North America, mainly Mexico and the United States.
El pendejo trump pardon a Mexican turkey estupido and you say Montoya is clever as a turkey.
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