Monday, January 2, 2023

P.U.B. OVERHAUL: WILL BOARD ACT OR DODGE THE BULLET?

 By Juan Montoya

By now the members of the Brownsville Public Utility Board know that the utility is probably the most hated entity in the city.

Power blackouts during a freeze, a failed $125 million venture into building a $500 million gas-powered 800 MWs electric plant paid by the ratepayers through seven years of city-commission mandated higher utility bills, and the lavish salaries of administrators while residents' bills soared, are just the tip of the iceberg at the PUB.

On Wednesday, with former PUB board president Sandra Saenz now replaced by member Art Rendon in part due to the glaring conflict of interest because of her ties to the former mayor Tony Martinez and her inaction during the controversial period that the Tenaska boondoggle was in full swing, the board will consider revamping its image by considering several items of their agenda. 

By far the most expected one is the item dealing with the possible termination of PUB CEO John Bruciak who was given a  paid two-month leave of absence after an explosive forensic report was released in which a case is made that he and Martinez played a major role in continuing the deception – and artificially high rate hikes – that the plant was still viable and allowing the spending of the $125 million raised with the higher bills. Protesters have called for Bruciak's firing and the filing of criminal charges against him, something the board has not done before this item was posted on their agenda.

Interestingly, there may be a new member on the board of the PUB after Tuesday's city commission meeting where an item on the agenda calls for "2) Consideration and ACTION on Resolution Number 2023-001, to appoint, re-appoint and/or remove one (1) Board Member(s) of the Brownsville Public Utilities Board. (City Attorney's Office)." Will it be former chair Saenz getting the heave-to? According to the city agenda packet, her term does not expire until July 2025.

Two PUB members' terms set to expire in July 2023 are Jude Benavides and Sandra Lopez Langley. It's anybody's guess who will be removed or appointed. Two prospective applicants are listed as Emilio Barrera and Mark Steven. 

Pursuant to City Charter Article VI, Utilities Board, Section 1, Management, subsection e, the City Commission may remove only one member of the Board in any twelve-month period of time and may do so only upon a unanimous vote of the entire City Commission. Any vote for removal of a Board Member of PUB will be by roll call, with each member of the City Commission being required to verbally state that member's individual vote on the record.
  
There are also items dealing with choosing an in-house counsel and a decision to continue condemnation proceedings into the acquisition of right-of-way for the Valley Pipeline, part of the Tenaska power plant process that seems unjustified since Tenaska terminated the plant's  construction since 2017.

Now the question becomes, will the board have the wherewithal to pull the trigger on Bruciak and do away with the outside board counsel that costs the utility ratepayers millions annually? Or will they dodge the bullet and continue the farce that passes as the administration of the municipal utility on the backs of the suffering ratepayers?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ho hum

BPUB - the city-owned utility in a country where costly, city-owned utilities are rare.

sell it.

sell.

yes, sell.



Anonymous said...

Jan. 6 Capitol Riot "Disqualifies" con man Donald Trump From Office, Says Republican Party's Asa Hutchinson

The GOP governor of Arkansas labels Trump a loser and a failed politician.


true that.


Anonymous said...

who is jacaranda limited partnership?

And which attorney will they bring in....this should be interesting.

Anonymous said...

That whole fking board should of been replaced 2 months ago Art Rendon no mames!! People don't believe there bullchit now all of a sudden there saying they gave us back 54 million dlrs in savings on our bills wtf. I call B/S there making shit up now so they don't have to pay raye payers back. If so then why didn't PUB tell the rate payers about this back then, ALL LIES. Would like to know during that time "so called" refund where did PUB buy there electricity from and for how much compared to other suppliers. City commissioners haven't demanded anything from PUB Looks like PUB runs the city of Brownsville Commission is there for cover.

Anonymous said...

People of Brownsville. Unite and gather your resources for an all-out offensive against PUB corruption. Dialogue, negotiation and a comprehensive strategy is essential to achieve tangible outcomes. Petition the DOJ or FBI to do the people's work. They are OUR employees. The Brownsville I remember is loaded with intelligent, talented people. I left Brownsville for Hidalgo County in 1989. Better employment opportunities in healthcare at the time. Browntown will always be my hometown. She is worth fighting for.

Anonymous said...

Art Rendon is also part of the problem in Brownsville. What a choice?, another person that has dirty fingers.

Anonymous said...

REALLY THIS CITY IS #16 AS THE SAFE CITY BUT ON WHAT COLUMN???? EATING TACOS?
THE COMPANIES THAT BUY "YOU ARE NUMBER ONE BY THE LOCAL DAILY READERS REALLY REALLY? WHAT PAPER THEY DON'T NO LONGER PRINT THE LOCAL DAILY. SO WHO ARE THE READERS? REALLY REALLLLYYYYYY??
AND BPUB PAYING TENANKA MILLIONS AND MILLIONS "FOR NOTING". NOTHING NOTHING AND ALL OF THE RATAS ARE STILL WORKING AT BPUB. REALLY REALLY????
IF YOU STEAL AND GET CAUGHT YOU GO TO JAIL HERE THEY ARE GIVEN A 60 VACATION AND WITH PAY AND INCLUDES YOUR WIFE. CAN YOU BELIVE IT?????

LETS ALL VOTE FOR THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN REALLY??????

Anonymous said...

PUB bill be like:
Electricity-400.00 ( everyone's will vary)
Water-50:00 ( will vary)
Wastewater-20.00 ( will vary)
City fees-42.53. ( is resaca fee hidden in here and not being called resaca fee)? ( break this up and tell us what you're charging )
What's next?
Paperless fee,
Fee fee
Cuz we can fee,
Might as well fee
WTHeck you going to do about it fee
Another dollar won't hurt fee ( because you can't charge us at the store for plastic bag use and whatever happened to the resaca cleaning machine you bought with the plastic bag fees?
Stop your BS and stop recycling the ratas

Anonymous said...

Haha pinche mojados don’t know their geography.
Primera is to Harlingen what Olmito is to Brownsville. I don’t care for the sheriff nor did I vote for him but some commentators on here seem to have an unrealistic view of what can be done or not done.
That being said, you could have voted for Chambers but NO because of the anti-gringo attitude.
And happy new year to el coco mojado pinche white wannabe who is probably waiting for
The first comment to trigger him into a TIRADE. Vocabulary word of the day,
Ese. Fact.

Anonymous said...

Todos los compradres Y comadres Y CRONIES HAVE TO GO NOW and an investigation is needed to catch or clear anyone of any WRONG DOINGS. Ratas have to go NOW...

FIRE THAT HILLBILLY FROM HARLINGEN NOW AND DO NOT GIVE HIM MORE VACATION PAY AND INVESTIGATE HIM CALL THE FBI, CIA NSF AND CCSO AND DA AND XYZ DO IT

HELP! I AM OVER BURDEN WITH TAXES!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I correct myself @ Jan 2, 11:03 pm

I didn’t look further on the breakdown and I did find resaca fee, but where is the resaca cleaning machine you bought with the plastic bag fee? PUB and city have made hundreds of thousands and PUB claims we got some type of credit somewhere along the line , because of the PUB /Bruciak/Martinez fiasco. We need a monthly breakdown on what you overcharged us and what you supposedly credited us . I have been a loyal customer and have been charged late fees at times when I couldn’t meet the due date. However, I have been a PUB prisoner for 40 + years and can’t escape them. I wish I could go to another electrical company . What dirty laundry does Bruciak have on the City/PUB that you won’t release him .

Anonymous said...

I correct myself @ Jan 2, 11:03 pm

I didn’t look further on the breakdown and I did find resaca fee, but where is the resaca cleaning machine you bought with the plastic bag fee? PUB and city have made hundreds of thousands and PUB claims we got some type of credit somewhere along the line , because of the PUB /Bruciak/Martinez fiasco. We need a monthly breakdown on what you overcharged us and what you supposedly credited us . I have been a loyal customer and have been charged late fees at times when I couldn’t meet the due date. However, I have been a PUB prisoner for 40 + years and can’t escape them. I wish I could go to another electrical company . What dirty laundry does Bruciak have on the City/PUB that you won’t release him .

Anonymous said...

Folks sorry to disappoint you but the BPUB Board will not do anything good to clean up this mess, neither will the DA Luis saenz, FBI or anyone else. As 11.03 pm clearly states WE ARE PRISONERS OF PUB and they are correct.

rita