Special to El Rrun-Rrun
After months of waiting for clarification of BIG 2 grants from the Brownsville Community Incentives Corporation, applicants who received funding are finding themselves in danger of having to return the funds that they were given because they have failed to complete the projects and get a certificate of occupancy from the City of Brownsville.
A meeting where the BCIC board of directors will discuss these and other subjects in closed session will be held today at 5:00 p.m. in the Rio Grande Meeting Room, located at the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization, at 1304 E. Adams St.
If this wasn't calamitous enough, the BCIC board agenda includes an item concerning the employment of Cori Peña, President/CEO, who is charged with enforcing these BCIC requirements.
Another danger looming ahead for some of the biggest grant recipients like Benito Garcia, owner of Transmaquila Transport Company (DBA as Solaris) who has purchased a half dozen buildings – including the old HEB, Fallas, and other buildings in the heart of downtown – is the BCIC requirement that the grantees cannot employ workers who have not been lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States.
Insiders say that the BCIC has already consulted with a local law firm to enforce this requirement. Some observers say that Solaris may not be the only grant recipient who is under the microscope in relation to the labor requirement.
A majority of BCIC grants were handed out in August and December 2021 and only four of 16 or so grantees have started doing business. Recipients have discovered that some of the City of Brownsville rules require that structures with second stories be made serviceable by installing fire suppression (sprinkler) systems and elevators, a prohibitive requirement for many of the small business that applied.
The BCIC states that BIG 2 moneys will be given to improvements of floor entrances and exits, elevators, and fire escapes and sprinkler systems only to tenant- or owner-occupied businesses.
As a result, many of the grant recipients cannot comply with the 12-month requirements or the city-required fire escapes and elevators. The 12-month requirement, plus the city's insistence on the fire escapes, sprinkler system and elevators for the second stories effectively places them in violation of the rules and subject to the BCIC grant recovery process.
This tangle of requirements plus the delayed handing out of facade improvement services that the BCIC was going to provide the grant recipient businesses free of charge have drawn complaints that they make it impossible to comply with the 12-month deadline required by the BIG 2 grants.
Some owner say that the pandemic-induced supply side problems, and the doubling or tripling of materials and labor costs have created hardship and confusion to comply with the requirements.
"They keep changing the rules," said an exasperated grant recipient. "If I am not the owner of the building, why should I spend my own money installing sprinkler systems or elevators that will stay with the building if I close?"
The BCIC rules state that "approval of all applications shall be with the understanding and agreement that, in the event the business (applicant) fails to remain open, or the business or property is sold or transferred and subsequently closes, within twelve (12) months after the funding of the grant, the applicant shall be considered in default of its obligations under the grant, and shall be required to reimburse BCIC the grant money received."
"The applicant must agree that, in the event of default of its obligations, the applicant shall repay to the BCIC the amount of grant funds it has received, with interest, at the rate of 10 percent per annum, within thirty (30) days after the BCIC notifies the applicant of the default. The form of such payment shall be a cashier’s check or money order, made payable to the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation."
In the case of non-permanent residents who are employed to make the improvements on BIG 2- grant-funded projects, the BCIC rules require that "the applicant does not employ, nor will it employ any undocumented workers (an individual who, at the time of employment, is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States or authorized under law to be employed in that manner in the United States.)
"The applicant must agree that if, after receiving grant funds, it is convicted of a violation under 8 U.S.C. Section 1324a(f), the applicant shall repay the amount of the grant funds received by the applicant, with interest, at the rate of 10 percent per annum, within thirty (30) days after the BCIC notifies the applicant of the violation.
"The BCIC shall have the authority to bring a civil action to recover any amounts that the applicant must repay to the BCIC under paragraph 22, 23, and 24 of this Section, and in such action may recover court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees."
"They keep feeding us crap and keeping us in the dark," said a grant recipient. "I don't even like mushrooms on my pizza."
24 comments:
BCIC should require that tax dollars be spent with employment practices that follow TWC guidelines.
We shouldn’t pay people who get more rich off the work of underpaid workers.
We should require groups that we fund with tax payer dollars to pay decent- living wages And hire local workers.
We are creating a downtown that only a few people can afford. Raise the standard in pay and work conditions….will translate to more people downtown.
Don’t come to brownsville to get rich off the sweat of poor laborers.
My point is NOT for downtown it is for Brownsville. This will get political fast because someone didn’t get their money- and someone else got their money. This will be a greed fest soon.
I called over a couple of weeks ago inquire and the people who answer phones are not very knowledgeable about anything that goes on there. A Ms Padron was supposedly given a message to contact me she never called it's like you calling some random city dept like the landfill.
Your profane headline exceeds the bounds of local decency.
Open your own blog, dude!
What happens when an applicant defaults on it obligations and fails to repay the grant money received? Does the taxpayer get stuck with the bill?
They should have known the rules before they applied and signed any documents for the money. They didn't complain when they got the money. Follow the rules. There shouldn't be any exceptions. Quieren mamar y dar tope.
- This add was paid for by Zeke “El Lloron” Silva (go figure). They already gave you how much carnal? $150K! they opened your business up, now you’re crying about sprinklers putting that burden on the board because your land lord won’t comply to code, ask your landlord, don’t continue to ask and ask and ask and ask, no mames!
Sincerely,
Zeke’s Bully
P.S.
I’m Zeke’s bully and I approve this message
Rules are rules. They need to be followed. If a recipient is not compliant then funds should be returned, no questions asked. This situation is simple. When applying the guidelines and requisites that apply are clearly stated. Lack of discipline and following through of the business is a responsibility of the business owner(s). BCIC, do the community a favor and put your foot down and re allocate the funds to responsible applicants that understand.
Linda macias is hungry for power at BCIC and now the Commission pobrecita lambiscones
March 30, 2023 at 12:29 PM
You don't like it OPEN YOUR OWN BLOG IDIOTA YOU BEING HERE EXCEEDS DECENCY MORON.
OPEN YOUR OWN BLOG PENDEJO
JOTO MARICON DO DOWNTOWN AND GO LOOK FOR BORRACHOS IDIOTA JOTO MAMON
On a different subject. Does anyone know whats up with the CORIA 2024 signs popping up in the area close to the so called Mitte area on Ringold st.????
DO IT!!!
A grand jury in Manhattan has voted to indict Donald Trump, according to three sources familiar with the matter – the first time in American history that a current or former president will face criminal charges.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that dates to the 2016 presidential election.
The charges against Donald Trump are expected to be announced in the coming days and are related to district attorney Alvin Braggs’ investigation into Trump’s attempt to hide hush money payments to Stormy Daniels — a porn star with whom he allegedly had an affair.
Technically, it was Trump’s former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen who paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money back in 2016, but Trump later reimbursed Cohen through the Trump Organization, labeling the payments as legal fees.
It’s a misdemeanor in New York to make that kind of misrepresentation on financial documents, and if the misrepresentation is in furtherance of another crime — which the district attorney alleges in this case — it is a felony in New York and carries a prison sentence of up to four years.
Lock him up!!!
Indicted Donald Trump will pose for a mugshot, be fingerprinted and held in custody until a deal is negotiated if he surrenders in Stormy Daniels case: What next after ex-President was indicted on charges that carry up to four years in prison
Former president will face a typical booking - mug shot and fingerprints
He may be allowed to skip wearing cuffs and is not expected to do the perp walk.
andale, guey! No que no, puto!!!
This is the reason why few people like marketing, business, deadlines, paperwork etc because you need the head of a businessman, an assistant to help with the requirements, an accountant to help you with the books and a partner that will supply you with good vibes, energy and a good ear to listen to complaints.
Money is hard to get. Then you have to hire social people that love the public to sell your stuff and get loyal customers.
Upon news of Donald Trump’s indictment, congressional Democrats united behind a message to Americans: “No one is above the law.”
Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), who for years has been a target of the former president’s criticism after he served as the lead House manager in Trump’s first impeachment, said in a statement that Trump’s indictment “is unique throughout all of American history. But so too is the unlawful conduct for which Trump has been charged.”
“If we are to be a nation of laws, then we must apply the law equally and to everyone, regardless of their station,” Schiff said. “If we are to have justice, if we are to have a rule of law that is meaningful and protective of our democracy, we must hold the rich and powerful to account.”
The Brownsville Incentives Corporation (BIC) offers a variety of grants and incentives to support economic development in Brownsville, Texas. The BIG 2 Grant is one of the programs offered by BIC that supports the development of businesses in the Brownsville area.
To apply for the BIG 2 Grant, follow these steps:
Determine if you are eligible for the grant. To be eligible for the BIG 2 Grant, your business must be located in the City of Brownsville, and you must meet other eligibility requirements specified by BIC. You can check the eligibility requirements on the BIC website or contact them directly to confirm your eligibility.
Prepare your business plan. Your business plan should describe your business and its goals, and include details about how you plan to use the grant funding. Be sure to include financial projections and other relevant information about your business.
Submit your application. You can submit your application online through the BIC website, or you can request a paper application by contacting BIC directly. Your application should include your business plan and any other required documentation.
Wait for a response. After submitting your application, you will need to wait for BIC to review your application and make a decision. The review process may take several weeks or months, so be patient.
If approved, follow the grant requirements. If your application is approved, you will need to follow the grant requirements specified by BIC. These requirements may include reporting on your use of the grant funds and meeting other milestones or benchmarks.
Overall, applying for the BIG 2 Grant from the Brownsville Incentives Corporation requires careful planning and preparation. By following these steps and working closely with BIC, you can increase your chances of success and help support the growth of your business in the Brownsville area.
None of these requirements are out of the ordinary Montoya. Its just more complaining from people who were already receiving handouts who now are upset that the free money they got needs to be used to follow normal building and fire codes.
BCIC knew of this requirements. Why did they award monies to businesses that can't meet the requirements? It appears that the ones who did not do their job is BCIC.
CORI PENA HAS A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. AND SHE LEADS 4B?
JOSH MEJIA HAD NO KOLLAGE TAMPOCO.
POBRE BROWNSVILLE.
Glad a woman is putting her foot down and enforcing things. THAT IS WHAT THIS COMPADRISO CITY NEEDS!! You take money real happy but I'm pretty sure you sign on to an agreement. Hope this is a lesson to all leeches and lazy ppl. They want the fame and glory of being a business owner but put in no work towards it.
BCIC is rescending the money from over 12 downtown business in the next month. As soon as May election is over, Trey Mendez will no longer be an elected offcial and is going to apply for the grants and will be awarded $200,000. Ramiro Gonzalez is no longer a city employee and will be a tenant for Trey Mendez and will apply and be awarded $80,000. The other city commissioners family members will apply for the $80.000 dollars and will be awarded. You see Trey building has space for 10 tentants each being awarded $80,000 each. He will get back $800,000 for his investment FREE from you and I. Cori Pena is only stalling to give them the money in return the board will hire her full time as the BCIC President and CEO. This only a stalling tactic for political favors. This is nothing more than a SCAM in the making. The rules have been changed and made more difficult for the regular small buisness owner to actually succeed. Downtown Brownsville will not be revitalized. Noting will happen. NO new ideas from BCIC board. The whole board is corrupt and the City Elected offficals that appointed them to the board to award them the monies. Just look who is on the board... Cesar Lopez. Do we need to say more!
Thank you Zeke Silva for your continued efforts to turn Downtown Brownville into a nice place. Keep up the good fight. Don't let these bullies bully you and continue to fight for the little guy.
Who advised BCIC? The requirement that workers be citizens or admitted as Lawful permanent residents violates the civil rights provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. A person must only have authorization for employment under the immigration laws. Big fines can be imposed for such violations.
Now it’s interesting… spill the beans Zeke
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