The Brownsville City Commission unanimously appointed Noel Bernal as city manager during its meeting on Tuesday.
Bernal’s professional experience includes being the deputy city manager for Coppell, a Dallas suburb; an assistant city manager for Taylor, located in Central Texas; and a city administrator of La Villa in Hidalgo County.
In an interview with The Rider, At-large Commissioner “B” Rose M.Z. Gowen cited Bernal’s experience.
“Mr. Bernal had great experience in land use,” Gowen said. “He spoke quite clearly about the importance of strategic thinking and long-term planning in regards to that. We liked very much hearing about his financial background, his mission to serve. … All that was very telling in terms of his character.”
Bernal will start in December and his contract is for two years, according to Gowen.
Mayor Tony Martinez said he is looking forward to working with a new city manager.
“I think everybody brings a little different take to the table. … It was time for us to select a new [city manager] and I’m, I’m looking forward to it,” Martinez said. “He’s young, energetic and, I think, understanding what our city needs. And, he’s a very talented fella.”
The commissioners also approved the employment contract of Rene E. De Coss, who was appointed as the acting city attorney on Oct. 2.
In a previous interview with The Rider, District 1 Commissioner Ricardo Longoria Jr. said the length of the contract is two years as established by the city charter. According to the agenda binder, the salary for the position is $180,000.
The term contract for delinquent ad valorem tax collection services for the city was awarded to Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP.
Finance Director Lupe Granado III said the evaluation committee interviewed firms and scored their proposals. After scoring the submittals, the committee recommended the contract be awarded to Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott LLP. Granado said both of the vendors were qualified and experienced.
Longoria made a motion to award the contract to Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP, which had the second-highest ranking from the committee.
The compensation for all collection services is fifteen percent of the total amount of taxes, penalties and interest, according to the contract in the agenda binder. This fee is paid by the delinquent tax payer. The end date of the contract is June 30, 2023.
In other business, the commission:
–accepted a $50,000 routine airport maintenance grant from the Texas Department of Transportation for projects at the Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport.
–appointed Manuel Alcocer, Carol Mark and Luis Cavazos to the Airport Advisory Board.
–adopted the Air Service Support Program.
The purpose of the program is to complement the strategies and objectives of the airport’s Air Service Development Program in recruiting new carriers and encourage incumbent carriers to consider expansion and new market development, according to the agenda binder.
–declared Dean Porter Park and Washington Park as historical parks. The city purchased the land on which the Dean Porter Park stands in 1927. In 1850, Charles Stillman, the founder of Brownsville, donated the land on which Washington Park stands.
–removed Trey Mendez from the Historic Preservation and Design Review Board, Dillon Vanderford from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and Nurith Galonsky from the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corp.
Mendez, Vanderford and Galonsky were removed due to the newly enacted Board Appointment Policy, which states the board and commission members shall not serve concurrently on more than one board or commission. Mendez serves on the Main Street Advisory Board; Vanderford, the Board of Adjustment; and Galonsky, the Brownsville Public Utilities Board.
Irma Sanchez approaches the lectern during the public comment period in the Brownsville City Commission meeting held last Tuesday. Sanchez extended an invitation to the city commission to stop by Amigos Del Valle Inc, which serves senior citizens.
