The Brownsville City Commission approved a resolution that supports the creation of a Level 1 trauma facility and thanked the soon-to-retire Deputy City Manager Pete Gonzalez for his 40 years of service during Tuesday’s meeting.
The Rio Grande Valley currently does not have a Level 1 trauma facility and residents have to travel to San Antonio for the appropriate level of medical care, according to the Resolution 2018-055.
Fire Chief Jarrett Sheldon said a trauma facility would benefit the Valley because it has only Level 2 and 3 trauma centers.
“I think it’s going to improve the overall health care of any trauma patient that goes through any of our facilities and hospitals,” Sheldon said. “Having access to, you know, more of those surgeons, more of the total process of care from the beginning of the trauma patient all the way to the rehabilitation process.”
The facility does not yet have an estimated cost or construction time, according to Sheldon. It could possibly be an addition to a facility already existent to help upgrade its level. This request must be presented at a legislative session to arrange further details and make funding available.
“I just think it’s a great effort to bring the health care that we need down here,” he said. “To get to San Antonio, it’s a long way when we need that care fast. It’ll be great to our whole health care system.”
During the meeting, Gonzalez spoke about his upcoming retirement on Dec. 14. He has worked for the city since January 1978 and has served under nine mayors and 11 city managers. Gonzalez is currently the deputy city manager and has also served as finance director and chief accountant.
Events that occurred while Gonzalez worked with the city include:
–the oil shortage of 1979 that led to Brownsville experiencing long lines at gasoline pumps
–strong sales tax revenues in Fiscal Year 1980
–a peso devaluation in 1983 that led the city’s sales receipts to decline. It took seven years for Brownsville’s sales tax receipts to recover, according to Gonzalez.
–an appraisal district formed in 1982 and it completed the 1982 tax roll late, leading to the borrowing of money from a local bank.
–the federal Revenue Sharing Entitlement was eliminated
–La Tienda Amigo collapsed in 1988, killing 14 and injuring 47
–Brownsville was placed on credit watch in 1991
–several indictments were issued by a Cameron County grand jury against elected city officials and city employees. All but one of the indictments were later dismissed.
“I enjoyed very much working for the city,” Gonzalez said. “All these 40 years, 40-plus years. I’m going to miss coming to work, but I’m also going to enjoy my retirement.”
In other business, the commission approved a cross-connection control and backflow protection ordinance that will mandate requirements for the protection of public drinking water.
The ordinance establishes backflow assembly installation, testing and maintenance requirements, customer service inspection, enforcement options and authorizes the Brownsville Public Utilities Board to adopt fees to recover costs.
The ordinance is important because it will ensure safe drinking water, reduce public health risks by regulating plumbing cross connections and complements the recently adopted landscape irrigation ordinance, according to a presentation from Albert Gomez, the director of environmental services for the BPUB.
South Texas Pools was awarded a contract in the amount of $209,700 for the re-plastering of Sams Pool in Dean Porter Park.
The pool shell is still in good condition; therefore, the second alternate bid was chosen to remove all plaster down to the concrete pool shell and install a new plaster layer within an 80-day schedule, according to the agenda documents.
Commissioners also reappointed Jacob James Gutierrez, Sandra Gomez and Sylvia Berry and appointed Francisco Salazar Jr. and Hope Pham to the Brownsville Metro Transit Advisory Committee.
