Second International Bridge
In an earlier post, Joe Hyde updated, ”Garza re-opened the discussion about preparing to build a second (or newer, larger) international bridge. This prompted Valdez to indicate that bridge revenue is down, why do we need a second or larger bridge “, Let me say that I have voted for Mayor Valdez and will vote for him again, for the most part I think he has delivered on his promises and done a fair job, However, there are a few issues that I cannot see eye to eye on with the mayor and current administration which brings me to this topic of the second bridge.
If we do not plan ahead and construct this second bridge now, we will miss out on a great opportunity for growth in the next decade. If you think Eagle Pass soared in the last few years, watch it double soar if they get the ports to plains traffic while we sit idle and try to figure out why we are not seeing the growth. Ports to plains is coming, the highway in Mexico is near completion (I think it’s 71 I’m not certain) and we will be in a position to cross freight and trucks fastest, quickest and shortest distance than any other border town between Canada and Mexico. We are in a prime location and we must not sit on the side line and wait for things to happen. There is funding available, there is a way to pay for the bridge without costing the tax payer and anyone opposing this bridge is either not visionary enough or has a hidden agenda, because it simply makes all the sense in the world.
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That's very interesting,
That's very interesting, this post was read 149 times today "Second International Bridge (read today: 149)" as shown by the ticker on the Live web site. I wonder what's prompting this up today, is there someone, or some organization looking into it? Or is there some research being done for a second bridge?
Does anyone know?
Thanks for asking. We've
Thanks for asking. We've received occasional bouts of spam with Web links included, just looking for places to put their propoganda. Trying to delete them and the posters from all over the country as fast as we can.
Bill Sontag
Feature Writer
Southwest Texas LIVE!
Local Taxing Entity,SAY
Local Taxing Entity,SAY WHAT!!!!
Here we go again.Tax the poor so we can have a bridge now.Thats what being presented here.
Leave the torn streets, drainage down town and don't fix them.
Positive,you want a bridge
Positive,you want a bridge that cost millions and take 10 years to build let the down town
with all the problems it has with broken streets and drainage,where is you're sense of community?You think that having a bridge will solve the down town problem?The problem with the politicians in Del Rio they don't get paid enough.They need to get paid at least 20,000
dollars a year for councilman.Mayor 25,000 a yesr.This way they get a feeling of being involved and have pride in their community.
alcerva, based on everything
alcerva,
based on everything being presented here, I understand that the bridge would not cost the tax payers because thre is federal money for it. Second, i never said the bridge should take place of other streets and down town.
Unless he knows a secret on
Unless he knows a secret on how the Fedreral Govt. works, I think a bridge would be paid for by a local taxing entity.
If we do it right, there are
If we do it right, there are grants out there. If we do it wrong, we will foot the bill for not only half of the bridge but the road leading up to it, a new POE and all it's sundry accessories, the environmental studies, international studies, placement studies, legal issues and so on and so forth. But again if we do it right and start eyeballing things now we can get some if not a lot of help on almost all of these things.
This should open me up for a few choice comments; One fun part is going to be justifying [for grant purposes] a bridge for the future when everything that will truly justify it hasn't been completed yet.
You are right on the
You are right on the justification. On the other part about doing it right and grants and stuff you are right again but how do you justify. Darn, it is the "FIELD OF DREAMS" again. Talk about streets, sewers lines, water lines and infrastucture. These are real and needed right now. Unleaah all that energy and wisdom I was gonna say "splain" to us how to get it done but I will say, please EXPLAIN how to "GIT R DUN"
:) What everyone should
:) What everyone should understand is that no money need be spent right now. Or even in the near future. What should be done at this point is that our city council needs to engage in an in depth discourse on the fact that the current paradigm is or rather will be changing in regards to future accessibility to and from our community. That's the first step that always seems to be the hardest for us [as a community].
We know these changes are coming and we need to do at least a superficial assessment on what that means to us as a community and really really discuss it and not simply dismiss it out of hand [because we don’t need it right now]. So number 1. We need to determine what effect if any the up and coming changes will have on our community. 2. We need to determine if we should build a bridge. 3. We need to determine if we can build a bridge. 4. Build support/get help, well there's more but this is what I believe to be the gist of things.
Now when I say we need a superficial assessment, I mean use in house assets to determine any future potential. Not go out and spend a million bucks on some third party company. If no one at the City can do this then for goodness sakes ask the business community what they think will happen. Or simply mobilize our assets and have a contest at the College for business students to do a development study, taking into consideration all future road changes and their impact on our economy. Put simply there are plenty of ways to take a cursory look at this bridge idea without spending money. If we look at it and decide that it's simply not worth it then I will stop squeaking so loudly. I will however continue to be the squeaky wheel as long as we sit and do nothing.
We need to upgrade the City's infrastructure on a planned and ongoing basis. I understand that there is a plan. I haven't seen it but I've heard there is one. This should be done irregardless of anything else that comes along [like the need for a bridge]. One cannot be dropped in favor of the other. Our City Leadership is fully capable of multitasking.
Please remember that I'm not saying build it now. I'm just saying that we need to get the ball rolling now, and that I consider this to be an insurance plan. If we don't need it, fine. But I'd rather have most things in place if we do need it rather than do another Oh S$%# like the POE fiasco.
this post is 3 days old and
this post is 3 days old and 71 posts , rise up people and make change Community
"We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community...Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own."
"When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So, it how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we are. It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life."
"When you have people together who believe in something very strongly - whether it's religion or politics or unions - things happen."
"You are never strong enough that you don't need help."
quote by cesar chavez
amor patriae is right!We
amor patriae is right!We don't need another bridge now.What we need is to fix down town.Half of the streets are torn up and not sufficient drainage.Whats happening with the politicians in Del Rio?Don't they have any pride in the community?Quit wasting tax dollars and do the right thing for the community. I remember whem President Johnson open a bridge in the chamizal area in El Paso,Texas.President Nixon did the same in amistad bridge and also in matamoros.Get your congressman of his butt on a bridge.Also the veterans of Foreign Wars need a clinic in Del Rio.Veterans travel 100 miles for their appointments.
I'm feeling your pain on the
I'm feeling your pain on the Veteran's support issue. I had an emergency a few years back that VA refused to pay for since the emergency "yes it was service connected" was extremely painful and debilitating so I went to a local hospital ER. The VA said I should have driven 3hrs to San Antonio.
They used to have a great Doc named Hussein in Uvalde at the VA Clinic but the last I heard he quit working for VA since they owed him over a half million or so and refused to pay. That guy even did house calls for Vets that were to sick to come to his clinic.
Table 3 - Val Verde County
Table 3 - Val Verde County Scheduled Mobility Projects
Highway No. Scheduled Contract Award Estimated Cost Length (miles) Project Description
New Location (Outer Loop) 2007 $1,835,000 1.050 Construct two-lane roadway from Laughlin Air Force Base Road to
US 277 South
New Location (Outer Loop) 2007 $15,210,000 1.950 Construct railroad grade separation from US 90 to Laughlin Air Force Base Road
New Location (Outer Loop) 2007 $4,620,000 1.300 Construct two-lane roadway from
FM 2523 to US 90 East
New Location 2007 $2,000,000 0.950 Construct two-lane roadway from Del Rio Outer Loop to Laughlin Air Force West Gate Entrance
County Road (Box Canyon Road) 2008 $4,866,780 7.651 Construct a two-lane roadway from US 90 to the National Park Service boat ramp
Table 2 - Maverick County Scheduled Mobility Projects
Highway No. Scheduled Contract Award Estimated Cost Length (miles) Project Description
US 277 2007 $15,324,667 0.579 Construct railroad grade separation from Business US 277 North and US 277 intersection to east of US 277
State Loop 480 2007 $10,794,330 2.045 Construct four-lane divided roadway from FM 1021 to US 277 (Phase II)
State Loop 480 2007 $11,960,050 2.178 Construct four-lane divided roadway from US 277 to US 57
State Loop 480 2007 $22,015,820 4.595 Construct four-lane divided roadway from the Eagle Pass Bridge to
FM 1021
State Loop 480 2007 $14,237,420 1.098 Construct interchange at Loop 480 and FM 1021
State Loop 480 2007 $12,923,620 0.919 Construct interchange at Loop 480 and US 277
State Loop 480 2008 $57,846,262 5.700 Construct four-lane divided roadway from US 57 to US 277 North
FM 1021 2008 $8,257,855 0.389 Construct railroad grade separation from Monroe Street to Austin Street
And this difference in
And this difference in investment is because Eagle Pass and Maverick County have not been at odds like Del Rio and Val Verde County have. Oh and they haven't been sitting around waiting for these building projects to drop in their laps. They have been and still are being the squeaky wheel that gets the proverbial grease.
All of this will add up to a transportation and distribution juggernaut that will keep their community infused with wages and incoming tax dollars for decades to come.
Del Rio is busy chasing off large companies while Eagle Pass has what looks to be a huge trans shipping facility being built on Hwy 57.
even if, lets say we were to
even if, lets say we were to get a loading or unloading facilty for our border freight crossings, we are not set up highway wise for traffic, oh well its quality growth not quantity here in delightfull del rio, right
I usually don't like the old
I usually don't like the old term "If you build it they will come" because most people don't know how to properly apply it. Their habit of liberally sprinkling that particular locution about on new ideas like confetti does not make them successful. But that being said, Eagle Pass had the infrastructure + a few other things and the Corona Factory came there. The facility that I saw being built there is supported by highways in several different directions for dispersal of whatever they are transshipping.
more old freight studies
more old freight studies http://www.dot.state.tx.us/publications/transportation_planning/trsp_summary_final.pdf
this shortcut lists freight
this shortcut lists freight info overall http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_5022_1.pdf
i saw this earlier today, it
i saw this earlier today, it has good facts and procedures on ideas for bridges. http://www.kcsouthern.com/en-us/Media/Documents/12-07%20Feasability%20Study%20for%20Proposed%20International%20Rail%20Bridge.pdf Much of Laredo/Nuevo Laredo’s economic viability directly depends on continued trade between the United States
and Mexico. A large number of jobs in these two cities are based solely on commerce moving through and stopping
in these two sister communities. The two cities currently have transfer and transportation facilities to accommodate
this traffic, and any relocation of these assets would be extremely expensive and counterproductive to the region.
There are several studies and projects currently underway to look at regional commercial and non-commercial
congestion, in an effort to mitigate projected delays. These studies involve passenger vehicles, commercial trucks
and railroads. This particular study was commissioned by Kansas City Southern Railway to study the Laredo/Nuevo
Laredo area to determine the most plausible location for a new railroad crossing between the U.S. and Mexico. This
study will specify, to the Kansas City Southern Railway, the next steps toward submitting for a Presidential Permit to
construct a new railroad crossing. While numbers discussed in this study reveal rapid growth, it must be pointed out
that the existing bridge infrastructure is reaching its limits.
The following facts govern this study:
???? There is only one existing railroad crossing in the area. It is controlled by the Kansas City Southern Railway
(KCS). It is a single track bridge and is located in the city centers of both Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. It is
currently being used by both the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and KCS.
???? There are at least two proposed railroad crossings that have been studied in varying degrees over the last
10 to 15 years; the proposed Columbia and Flecha Lane routes. Both of these routes have been designed
to support UP traffic. In the past, the limited amount of traffic controlled by TexMex was less than 10% of the
traffic using this rail bridge; however, this will change significantly in the future.
???? KCS purchased the TexMex Railroad and the Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) and created a rail
network with traffic projections that indicate KCS projected future growth is greater, in itself, than the traffic
using the bridge today. The projected rail traffic in the future will exceed the capacity of the bridge.
???? There are two major vehicle crossings in this area; the World Trade Bridge used primarily for commercial
truck traffic and the International Passenger Bridge located at the south end of U.S. Interstate 35.
???? There are at least three new proposed vehicle crossing sites that have been studied in varying degrees over
the last few years. They are referred to as Site 1, Site 2 and Site 3 in this study. Site 1 is northern site, Site 2
is in the middle and Site 3 is the southernmost site. This study examined each of these routes to determine
if synergies existed between these highway projects that could be used to provide a workable framework for
rail.
The rationale behind this study is to examine the existing crossings and the future proposed sites to identify the most
logical location to construct a new railroad bridge to serve the future needs of the rail industry in this area.
Key Points
There are several key goals associated with the proposed bridge;
???? The route must be constructible – it should be financially feasible.
???? The route must be secure.
???? The route must be efficient.
???? The route must provide the needed capacity to support the dramatic rail growth projected in the future.
???? The proposed route should cross the Rio Grande River outside the city centers of both Laredo and Nuevo
Laredo.
???? The acquisition of property to support the route should minimize the amount of personal displacement to
residents and business owners in the area.
WoW! There has sure been a
WoW! There has sure been a lot of discussion on this topic. It took me a bit to work my way through all the responses in chronological order. Here’s my 2 Cents worth. The two sides seem to be “we need a bridge” and “we don’t see the need for a bridge”. Absolutely there is solid argument that we don’t need a bridge “right now” but I have yet to see anyone prescient enough to tell me that will or won’t be the case in ten or more years. That being said, I do believe that we need to get off the mark about a bridge and do it soon. We need start a debate at the City Council and carry it on up the food chain.
Again I agree that no we don’t need another bridge right now, nor do I see us needing one in the next five or so years. But the growth rate we’ve shown, coupled with our communal propensity to put things off until they bite us in the rear tells me that we need to start planning for the future and do it now. So what if we spend the money on the studies and we don’t end up building the bridge. I can think of worse things to spend my tax money on and I would simply consider it a type of insurance plan. We need to get our ducks in a row “as a community” "this will take time" and take it to the State, "this will take more time" take it to the Feds "this will take even more time" and for goodness sakes take it to the Mexican Gov’t, get it on their Radar Map “as an action item for some point in the future” and point out that the 4 lane from here to Uvalde, the new Hwy in Mexico and the Ports to Plains project, our upcoming loop, and so on and so forth each have the distinct potential to increase the crossing load, and taken all together we may have a real log jam of a problem ahead of us if nothing is done.
To me the bottom line on this is that if we choose to drag our feet we will be left behind “again” stooging around at the starting line. As has been previously pointed out, there is much much more to building an International bridge than simply coughing up the money and exhibiting somewhat more than a sullen willingness to proceed. So even if we start going balls to the wall on this yesterday it will literally take a decade to accomplish. Don’t let this be another POE alt route fiasco/catastrophe. No one is going to step in and hold our widdle bitty hands for this one either
While it is remotely possible that prosperity will simply fall into our immobile and static communal lap, I wouldn’t hold my breath. And not doing anything, or simply passing the buck for someone five or ten years down the road to deal with, is literally and figuratively holding our community’s breath hoping that it will.
You are one of several
You are one of several people that say we might need a bridge but not NOW. i cant follow this line of reasoning or logic. Here's one for you. I'm not hungry now, I don't need to eat now, so i should not worry about working to earn tomorrow meal.
A bridge is a 10 to 15 year project, look how long it is taking for the loop. if you all say we might or e need a bridge in the next 10 to 15 years, then we must begin working towards it.
Someone keps bringing up the fact that we need vision in this community, i agree and it tells me that all those who keep sayig we don't need a bridge now, lack the vision.
by the way, we don't need to conserve on fuel now. Let's wait until we have a major crisi in this country. the crisis is 15 years ago, we need to conserve now.
positive, either I'm
positive, either I'm misreading your post or you misread mine. I stressed over and over again that we need to get started "now" because as you pointed out this takes years. My vision is for the future and for it to not bite us in the rear. And I pointed out in my prior post that this is just what has been happening to us in the past.
Several posters here are
Several posters here are pointing to maquilas as the holy grail we should be searching for and then they talk about how great things are in Laredo in Eagle Pass. Yet, Acuna maquilas employ more people than the maquilas in Eagle Pass and Laredo combined. So that brings up two questions:
-If our bridge is too inadequate to serve the maquilas, how come our maquilas employ more people than the maquilas served by a total of 6 bridges?
-Secondly, if you think maquilas are key to a growing economy, how come you say Eagle Pass and Laredo are better off than us?
The key to the need for a second bridge is the Mexican highway system. Until Mexico commits to building a arterial highway from a major city to Acuna, it makes no sense for us to put in a second bridge.
I never made the point that
I never made the point that the Maquilas are the Holy Grail, I have talked about HYW 57 that is nearly complete. Again VISION is what we need here.
QUESTION;who decides to
QUESTION;who decides to build a bridge with mexico,the city or congress?worried minds like to know.
We Americans cannot simply
We Americans cannot simply come to consensus, barrel in there, and say, 'By God, we're going to build another bridge to a sovereign country!"
Here's the drill: Both countries must not only agree to the bridge, but to participate in its construction and maintenance. Moreover, presidential permits must be obtained from both countries' chief executives before one cent of money can be appropriated to plant the first bridge piling.
Latest estimates I've heard is that that process alone may require millions of dollars and ten years to execute.
That said, it's not an insurmountable problem if you've got a lot of cash and a decade before it's needed. Growth advocates are likely to say, 'Well, hell, in ten years we're damned sure going to need that bridge!' They may be right. Where's the bi-national business plan?
Both sides of the issue need to be polishing up their crystal ball with facts, money, patience, and a willingness to listen to people who know what they're talking about, none of which are easily derived from anonymous posts on a Web site.
Mister Sontag, "Latest
Mister Sontag,
"Latest estimates I've heard is that that process alone may require millions of dollars and ten years to execute."?
The very reason why we should be planning it today. You have just made my point for me. I have said time and time again that we should be looking ahead and not run our city day to day, month to month, or even year to year. The millions you are talking about are available to us today; you have even written articles quoting county officials that this Bridge could be paid for by available federal funds. Additionally, our sister city is crying out for us to get a move on this second Bridge, they have their funds ready and we are snubbing our nose at them. Anonymous? No!
Niles Strong
Let me make one comment that
Let me make one comment that may clarify some of the facts in regards to the land at the "Y" Which was referred to by many in this thread.
If you will go back to the minutes of city council meetings during that time in question ('96-'97), you would clearly see that the sole purpose of buying the land at the "Y" was to do a swap with TXDOT whereby the Texas Department Of Transportation would give the city of Del Rio the land needed for the water treatment plant close to the springs and in return TXDOT would get that piece at the "Y". Henceforth, the city ran an 8" water pipe to give TXDOT city services at the "Y". The swap never took place, the city manager at the time was fired and now the city owns a piece of property at the "Y" while leasing from TXDOT the land on which sits the water treatment plant. There was never an intent to drill for water. I don't quite understand who, where, when, and how we got to this point. These are the facts.
How we got to this point is
How we got to this point is stubborn local government that thinks they can overturn laws on their head and drill a well when they did not buy the water rights. By the way, where was the super attorney, Mr. Garza at the time? He was on council, and how did he miss such a simple document called "DEED" showing they did not buy water rights?
nstrong and collegeguy,
nstrong and collegeguy, you're not really answering my questions, so I'm going to limit this post to one question and see if I can get an answer.
What is keeping all the trucks that would utilize our second bridge from using our current bridge?
What's keeping them away is
What's keeping them away is the hassle of having to go through narrow city streets, 2 lane hwy to get here and high toll at the bridge... Have you ever seen a truck trying to turn into town blocking traffic at the intersection for minutes at a time, needing police and sheriff escort to cross city streets? If you have you know that those truckers swore off coming through this way again.
Also what's keeping trucks from coming is warehouses, custom brokers, and refrigerated warehousing. The city and the county have to take the first step in infrastructure be it the loop or the bridge to get the investment wheel rolling on the others. No growth is ever possible without infrastructure; a second bride is a big piece of it.
But you know what Mr. Wrob, I have seen and read about our local government spending money on a well that they can’t use, I have seen and read about our city mismanaging the water treatment plant where it ended up being ½ the size of the original for a lot more of our money and it all goes back to one thing. Being hard headed and not having a vision. Why would the city keep fighting a losing battle on the land at the “Y” knowing that it can’t be won? Why would the city be stubborn and waste tax payers’ money on projects that don’t make sense? Why would the city keep fighting the county on creating a water commission that can regulate water use? Why? Why? Why?
But when it comes to investing in sound policy, opening roads, building bridges, and developing infrastructure, the city wants to put off and ignore until another plan is made in a different city. It’s time to take charge and look beyond next year.
"Why would the city be
"Why would the city be stubborn and waste tax payers’ money on projects that don’t make sense?"
That's what I was thinking about a second bridge.
Is that why the city wasted
Is that why the city wasted tax payers' money on all these projects below?
1- The maim street city program, then moved th epolice station out of main street.
2- Paid for land at the "Y" and never completed the the swap, as we learned from Mr. Khoury's post.
3- Is fighting a legal battle that's costing hundreds of thousands to get rights to water at the "Y" when you have already paid a truck load of money to drill a well across the street on county property and never even used that well.
3- Gave money to and approved TIRZ 1, now that area looks like a third world country
4- Paid Hundreds of thousands to fight TIRZ 2
5- spent killions fighting the Gateway Apartments knowing that it should not have been approved in the first place.
6- squandered off an opportunity to get a water commission to control the water use.
and on and on and on, yet our street suffer, our loop is just a topic of conversation, and a second bridge is being fought tooth and nail. No parks, No recreation, No sports complexes, expensive water and gas, expensive utilities, no recycling, trash is all over the place. Basically, all the responsibilities of a city are being neglected. Don't you see stubborn?
I am simply tired of of paying taxes and not seeing anything in return.
p.s. I was told by a friend yesterday who spoke to a city official that the gas fund makes a milion dollar a year and this money gets transfered to the general fund. that is a shame if that is the case. once the gas fund paid off the original bond it rates should have been brought back and citizens given a break. You should not be accepting that for the many poor people in the city that rely on gas at their hoomes.
"Basically, all the
"Basically, all the responsibilities of a city are being neglected."
?????
2007 COMPLETED PROJECTS
• Fire Station #4
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades
and Demolition of Old Water Tanks
• Parks—Hogan Park Lights, Installed New
Playground Equipment, Hike and Bike
Trail (Phase II)
• Completed Design of Police Station
• Civic Center Restroom Renovations
• School District Recreational Sports
Complex and Paving Project; shared cost
with the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated
Independent School District
• Relocation of utility lines for new elementary
school on Las Vacas St
• Del Rio International Airport—
Emergency Generators, Constructed
Helipad, Installed Taxi Way Lights
• Code Updates—
· 2006 International Building
· 2006 International Residential
· 2006 International Plumbing
· 2006 International Fuel Gas
· NFPA 70 National Electrical
· 2006 International Mechanical
· 2006 International Fire Code
· 2006 International NFPA Fire
Prevention Code
• Street Paving—9,489 Linear Feet ;
Johnson Blvd, Ave S & P, Taini St, E.
Cortinas St, Park Ave
2008 ONGOING PROJECTS
• Main Street Infrastructure Project and
Downtown Master Plan
• Ave E & Ave G Reconstruction Design
• Joint Land Use Study (JLUS)
• Construction of the new Police
Station
• New roofs for the Chihuahua Center
and Buena Vista Pool
• Qualia Loop Road Design
• Relocation of International Bridge
Toll Booths and Software Upgrade
• Animal Shelter Request for
Qualifications
• Request for Proposals for Design of
North Side Waste Water Overflow
Collection Line
• Request for Proposals for Solid
Waste Disposal Contract
• Developing City Wide Recycling
Program
• North Side Fire Station Parking
Lot Paving
• Traffic Signal for Bedell Ave &
Lowe St
• Street Paving—10,918 Linear Feet;
Broadview St, Ogden St, Cantu St,
Flores St
• Request for Proposals for Developing
Marketing Material and Press Kit
• Installation of Drip System and Planting
40 Trees on the North Main Blvd median
• Sidewalk Ordinance Research
• City Beautification—City Wide Clean Up
Project
• Revision to City of Del Rio Employee
Salary Schedules
• Revision to City of Del Rio Employee
Personnel Manual
2008 PROJECT STUDIES
• Revision of City Ordinances
• Water Model and Water Leak
• Water/Wastewater Rates
• Wastewater System Facility Plan and
Water Distribution Facility Plan
• Flood Control Studies—Hazard
Mitigation Plan, Drainage Ditch and
Wetland Delineation Study & Projects
Identification
• Study for Sizing Emergency Generator
• Water Conservation Plan
• Engineering Study for the San Felipe
Creek Master Plan
2008—2009 FUTURE PROJECTS
• Zoning and Subdivision Land
Development Study
• Annexation Plan
• Paving Dodson Ave
• Veterans Memorial Park along the San
Felipe Creek
• Emergency Operation Center
Submitted by Mike Wrob on
Submitted by Mike Wrob on Mon, 04/28/2008 - 2:58pm.
"Basically, all the responsibilities of a city are being neglected?????"
YES!
You cannot be serious. You are insulting the intelligence of the citizens of Del Rio with this list. Do you mean to convey that in '06 -'07 you and the entire council could muster up restroom renovations and a little bit of paperwork? Had it not been for the late Jack Richardson the fire station would still be a drawing on the board just like the relief rout and many other projects. But here's the real deal.
Citizens drive up and down the streets that are very poorly lighted, full of craters big enough to swallow the entire wheel of a full size gas guzzling SUV. Citizens know how great of a relationship you and the county have that Austin has coined a phrase after us "Don't act so stupid, you're beginning to sound like Del Rio city attorney". You couldn't reach an agreement on a water commission.
Boy oh boy, amazing how Del Rio is so out of touch with the real world. Everywhere else building parks and recreation means, hundreds of acres, a walking trail, a jogging track, water fountains, benches for lovers, trees, tennis courts, basket ball courts, bike trail, grass areas. Here in Del Rio, you put up a slide and you call that a park? You pave a parking lot and you call that infrastructure while cities around us are building loops, highways, overpasses, and bridges to ensure growth and ease of traffic, yet here in Del Rio filling in pot holes is about the extent of infrastructure. I don't know where you live, probably in a very nice neighborhood, but you ought to drive the streets of south Del Rio, Sanfe, and many other areas. You should get out a bit more. We maybe poor, but we are not stupid; don't treat Del Rio citizens like they are stupid.
Hey Mike, It looks like you
Hey Mike, It looks like you have to be just bored out of your mind ;)LOL
Impressive list, at first
Impressive list, at first glance. Lots of "to do" paperwork items included, updating codes, etc., which are clerical housekeeping tasks. We would like to see compl;eted works. Park Avenue is one. Parking lots? What about tackling a MAJOR city problem, like trash? Too many rough, bumpy streets. Bus service. Things all citizens have need for on a daily basis.
If you check the list we are
If you check the list we are addressing the trash problem, at the first meeting in May we will be sending out a request for proposals for a new solid waste pickup contract. The new service provider will be required to provide the 96 gallon wheeled containers to everybody. I admit, we dropped the ball last year when Moore's contract came up for renewal. We will likely not be ready come July 31 this year when the contract expires. However, we are committed to upgrading the service this year.
As far as bus service goes, we had to terminate the contract of the previous provider because they were operating without insurance. We advertised for a new provider last month and got no takers. We are re-advertising and would appreciate any help you can give us in finding somebody. The city has decided not try and do it ourselves because the service requires going into Mexico and we don't want to take on that liability.
Yes you're right, the streets suck. They were neglected for years. The previous administration, to their credit, did begin an ambitious repaving program and we are trying to continue it. The sad fact is that we live in a poor community and our taxes do not come close to providing the funds we need to do this. All the property taxes collected only cover 19% of the city's budget. They do not even cover half the cost of the fire and police department. The reconstruction of Main Street and the infrastructure under it alone is going to use up 2 years of Street Department construction funds. We also have $93 million in water and wastewater line reconstruction that needs to be done, this is not counting the streets above these lines. This is for a city with a $19 million annual budget.
The best we can hope for is some grant money to help us with some of this. Ms. Frances has been working very hard to turn up grant money and has been making some headway. Congressman Ciro Rodriguez and his staff have been very helpful and are working very closely with us, far more than any other elected official we deal with. Please remember him this fall.
I appreciate the response.
I appreciate the response. Gives us something to look forward to. But it also makes me wonder. With only $19M to play with, I can't help but wonder if something is rotten in Denmark. Why hasn't anyone, especially your financial gurus, come up with ways to increase the revenue? When ordinary expectations of the citizenry cannot be met, how can you plan anything else? I'd say fixing streets is more of a priority than parking lots and upgrading restrooms. Lots of excuses here.
I apologize, I was working
I apologize, I was working off the top of my head, actual budget amount is $20.3M. If you want to increase revenue you have two choices, get it from the citizens of Del Rio through taxes or fees, or try to get it from people outside of Del Rio. I don't think we want to try to get more money from our citizens. Outsiders can contribute through tourists paying sales tax, etc. Earlier today another councilperson mentioned to me that McAllen made a lot of money selling land that they had bought many years ago and wondered if we shouldn't buy some land. But do you really want the city getting in the land speculation business? We're open to ideas for more revenue.
I agree the streets are important, but we just can't ignore everything else. One source of revenue is tourists, we don't want to turn them off with torn up bathrooms at the civic center. If one of the fire trucks was damaged because we failed to keep up their parking lot that wouldn't be prudent (it's okay to insert a joke here about them having to worry more about the streets of Del Rio).
The recycling program is going to cost about $200K to set up this year and about $50K a year to administer. Do you want us to drop it to concentrate on streets?
What is the % contribution
What is the % contribution of bridge tolls to the total budget. Just to compare with the tax contribution. Now let me think, whatever the tolls may be and they are lost who pays the difference?
It was supposed to be about
It was supposed to be about 22% for this year, however crossings are down so it will be less.
Oh Mr. Wrob, If you just
Oh Mr. Wrob, If you just organized yourself and got ducks in a row things would just go swimmingly. The fact that the city has very little extra cash in its budget and if the second bridge was funded the city would bankrupt itself is no reason not to press forward. Now, you get on down the road and tend to these little issues you have brought up and earn that wage you are getting as a councilperson.
"All of the responsibilities
"All of the responsibilities of a city are being neglected." Most important words said anywhere so far in this post. Do what should be done before any thoughts of a second bridge. Gotta have a good foundation (effective and efficient city government) before anything else can be undertaken. City first, bridge later. Or never. Whatever. JUST GET THE CITY WORKING THE WAY IT SHOULD TO TAKE CARE OF ITS CITIZENS.
Nothing is keeping them away
Nothing is keeping them away from using our current bridge. I just think that a second bridge would be a convenience to trucks and factories that establish on both sides of the border. I'm in Laredo right now and I've seen the impact the World Trade bridge (commercial truck only bridge) has had in north Laredo. Factories and warehouses have put up place in that part of town and has doubled since last year. The bridge connects to loop 20 which then links with I-35....ok I understand that we may not have congested commercial traffic right now but a second bridge (maybe even for commercial only) is something that should be taken seriously and should be in the city discussion table.
""ok I understand that we
""ok I understand that we may not have congested commercial traffic right now but a second bridge (maybe even for commercial only) is something that should be taken seriously and should be in the city discussion table.""
And it should always be on the table in my opinion. I have always said that a second bridge is one of those things that is kept up close to the discussion board. The cities infrastructure should AWLAYS be on the forefront of discussion. That will be what helps Del Rio grow in the correct way. Not just grow, but grow in the right way. Also, it's just my opinion, that building a second bridge first is akin to putting the cart before the horse.
Nothing. Nothing at all is
Nothing. Nothing at all is keeping them from using our current bridge. And as you say, traffice is down. Alot of people have the assinine attitude of "if we build it they will come", well hate to break the news to you but thats not the case. For example, several years ago Laredo had just opened up a new bridge into Mexico( I believe their third?) and guessed who used it? 95% of the traffic wasn't the trucks it was built for. It was built out of the way into Mexico so the truckers would rather back up traffic for miles rather than go across at an inconvenient location. I saw the diesel trucks coming to a stop and turning the engines off, the line was so long. In fact, I was sitting at a store at the six mile marker when I saw this. And the line was getting longer quicker than it was moving. In Mexico, are they building roads to Acuna getting ready for an increase in traffic? I dunno, don't get over there as much as I used to but maybe somebody who goes can enlighten us. I'm not saying we should not look into building another bridge, or not keep looking into it but, I don't think the numbers warrent it right now. In my opinion the attitude of "build it they will come" will cost more than the rewards we will reap.
wow ,a very hot topic . well
wow ,a very hot topic . well i have been commuting off and on to eagle pass since 2004 ,and even though the town is alot dirtier than del rio they have their stuff together mainly 1.the railroad interchange with mexico, 2.the population and industrial jobs lined up[ leaving piedras negras and going into the interior,3.the equivalent of union pacific which is ferromex rail company servicing their side ,4. all of the truck traffic on top of the hundreds of railcars exchanged every day ,if it were crossed on trucks only it would be crazy . i worked there almost every afternoon till 3 or 4 in the morn and if your downtown at a railroad crossing expect to be there awile while we switch out railcars and make up the outbound trains . it is amazing all of the things that cross over by rail chevy suburbans and trucks nissan altimas and versas grain and minerals corn syrup and so much more. del rio used to have so much rail in and around the depot and alot of good round use carnocker and clerk jobs all gone with the wind just like sanderson oh well we better come up with something or step aside and maybe become a river tubing and river camping destination.acuna only had passenger rail seice in the past but never a strong freight service wich is probably the reason the tracks are abandoned.
Sorry gang, I did not mean
Sorry gang,
I did not mean to open up a can 'o worms, I simply was supporting a concept of expansion with a second bridge.
Let's talk about that bridge instead of "Splain". Shall we?
Hmm, apparently I am being
Hmm, apparently I am being overlooked. Do we not have two entry ways from Mexico? I am thrilled to use the POE at the dam. The scenery is much better to look at vr. the homeless guys touching my vehicle and trying to sell me junk. My only complaint there is the hours. Is it possible to extend the hours?
Thanks much!
I'm with you--the dam
I'm with you--the dam crossing is very convenient. However, I don't think the TABC has a station there to collect taxes on booze and cigarettes. At least, that is what I was told years ago. And, it was at one time open more hours.
Not safe for Trucks and
Not safe for Trucks and heavy traffic, we would need to build another DAM soon anyway, it is falling apart according to the core of engineers. Bill Sontag reported on it a while back.
Way to go MIKE, there you go
Way to go MIKE, there you go again using commmin sense and logic. I feel sure the folks your trying to splain to have no grasp. How was the OYSTER BAKE...??
what the heck is your
what the heck is your problem! "SPLAIN"???? If you have something to say, then say it...or are you afraid? Try spelling things right too! "your"? Isn't it, "you're".
And your problem must be
And your problem must be limited, I suppose, to capitalization - a norm at the beginning of a sentence or question - and punctuation, usually marking a question with a QUESTION MARK, not an exclamation point. In my book, slang used for innocent, casual humor is preferable to nitpicking by those who won't pick their own zits - I mean nits.
Bill Sontag.
Mr. Sontag, This is not
Mr. Sontag,
This is not about writing abilities or punctuation. I made the same point that Collegeguy makes and that has nothing to do with misspelling or linguistics. It has to do with the connotation of the word "SPLAIN" and we all know what it means.
"Lucy, you got some
"Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do!" The hallmark of Ricky Ricardo's domestic frustration was a laugh point on countless episodes with Lucile Ball. Everyone laughed at it, not because of the spelling, but for the always-simmering tension it represented. And it's still used that way.
Moreover, I know for an absolute fact that EZ Ryder is more culturally sensitive than nearly anyone you might know. He has credentials and personal history that you, evidenced by your slam, know nothing about, one of the real liabilities of these anonymous posts.
I also know that EZ Ryder uses "'splain" in conversation with a lot of folks. On more than one occasion, he's said to me, "Sontag, let me 'splain this to you so you'll understand." Nothing racist about it, none intended, none taken. Certainly, we've got more important issues to attack than this.
Collegeguy criticized his spelling and punctuation, while showing mistakes in his own. That was my point.
Bill Sontag
Fair and balanced? Wow! I
Fair and balanced?
Wow! I guess you are officially hired as EZ's attorney and spokesman now that you are not writing for Live. If he was so sensitive he would not speak it or write it unless EZ suffers a speech deficiency and in this case I might understand, but writing it publicly is still not acceptable even if he can't pronounce it correctly.
Cool your jets. More
Cool your jets. More important matters to discuss. Should LIVE hire me as an editor to correct/red-pencil all comments??? Nah. They can't afford me.
Besides, they can always hire Eric Bayne....
My jets are as cool as
My jets are as cool as ever.
I still like Bill a lot. Just don't agree with his points here. OBTW, I like you too even though I don't know you... A cool 68 degrees
I knew before I posted the
I knew before I posted the comment that I had some punctuation and grammer mistakes. I did it on purpose. I really didn't care because I wanted to relay my message. EZ on the other hand uses "your" instead of "you're" in his sentence which changes the.....AAHHH, I don't even know why I'm debating this! What really got me going was the whole "splain" remark! That fact that EZ used it in that context really gets my noggin stirred up. Who is this person? EZ, just double check your posts, just like I will try from now on, so that you may not sound offensive even though it may not be your intention.
-collegeguy
It is silly and unfair to
It is silly and unfair to get stirred up over most posts on the internet.
You wouldn't scold someone for spelling incorrectly in verbal speech because there is no spelling involved.
Sarcasm is also very difficult to pick up on the internet, as is subtlety. To just start firing shots across someone's cyber bow without knowing them is a bit much.
Then again, there are always the crowds who seem like they just wait for a chance to be offended.
Unless someone flat out calls you out, you can't really jump in guns blazing. The whole "splain" thing to me was little more than net lingo. I've been known to type out "prolly" instead of probably. Like Bill mentioned above, "splain" goes back for quite awhile. Even then it was more or less coined by a Cuban and not a Mexican. Trying to read between the lines on the internet often ends up with you getting a completely different story.
Aargh! Sometimes it's really
Aargh! Sometimes it's really hard to explain things on the net!
EZ, You don't fool me,
EZ,
You don't fool me, surely if a second bridge benefited you personally you would be all over it, you and the many industrial park crowd along with some of the self serving few in town can’t support anything that would remotely benefit the greater good. I don't understand this, I like Mike, I support Mike but I am beginning to question the judgment. By The way, are you poking at Hispanics by using the term "splain"? If you are you should be ashamed.
Well Heck, A simple attempt
Well Heck, A simple attempt at humor really got you guys off the real issues. I feel no need to explain "splain" as it was just a word used to bring a smile. Anyway, I think the more important thoughts of Sontag and Wrob should be given proper considerations. They are well presented and the point Mr. Sontag made about the improved Highway out of Acuna hooking us up with the traffic from the interior of Mexico could be a real benefit to both our communities. Even a small percentage of the traffic redirected from Highway 57 in Mexico to our area could be a real windfall. As the Mexico visitors make del Rio an alternative or even a primary destination to enjoy our areas assets even more will try us out. All we have to do is WELCOME our visitors and let them enjoy our fine Recreational Area and City. The new enhanced roadway certainly may increase our industrial opportunities on both sides of the river. The new P.O.E. being brought online in the near future will only compliment the opportunities for prosperity of both Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna.
Let's just try to be
Let's just try to be optimistic about this...it can happen (land port). With the right placement of a second international bridge, maybe south of the current one so that it can connect with the proposed loop, we can get the traffic going. Placement of such infrastructure will bring in maquilas because of the free flow connecting artery. Or a second bridge can be placed just north of the current one to connect both (U.S./MX)current industrial parks. AND if you haven't checked out the comprehensive master plan, a second connecting loop is in proposal that will connect to the west end of town.
Where is the additional
Where is the additional traffic to support two bridges going to come from? If we put a bridge connecting the industrial parks, the industrial park traffic will just be diverted from the first bridge to the second bridge. We'll have the same number amount of toll revenue now supporting 2 bridges.
The thing that backs up traffic right now is not the bridge capacity, but the POE capacity. Once the new POE is complete, crossing times should be significantly decreased. Also, it would be hard to talk customs into ponying up for a second POE if we abandon the one they've just invested in.
Mr. Wrob, Thank you for
Mr. Wrob,
Thank you for continuing to serve our community as a Councilperson.
Laredo is a hot freight port due to infrastructure logistics, which has now fed over to Eagle Pass and apparently it is growing (factual numbers are not on our desk). As to a second bridge – has compilation of research data been presented that would lend itself to justification, or lack thereof, to support a second bridge for freight and/or other? Would said research pinpoint a future date for justification?
The only data I currently am
The only data I currently am aware of is the fact that bridge crossings have been declining rather than increasing, hardly the trend that would indicate the need for a second bridge.
If Mexico were to commit to building a highway to Acuna/Del Rio similar to highway 57 that would certainly change the equation. However, I don't think that building a bridge in hopes that they will build a highway to it is very prudent. A second bridge without a corresponding increase in bridge traffic would literally bankrupt the city, so a little caution seems like a good idea to me.
Mr. Wrob, That's what every
Mr. Wrob,
That's what every one has been saying for a long time in Del Rio, where is the traffic going to come from, meanwhile, Eagle Pass, The Rio Grand Valley are enjoying unprecedented growth. That is why the train switch station moved from Del Rio to Eagle Pass, That's why the Brewery is going to the Eagle Pass side of Mexico, and that's why the loop was completed in record time in Eagle Pass while we still sit and twirl our thumbs around here. And that is precisely why the ports to plains and the Mexican HWY system will end up going through Eagle Pass and not Del Rio. Mark my word!
Better wake up and have a vision in Del Rio, better start looking for reasons why we should and not justify why we are not.
I'm starting to question why I voted for you in the first place. Get out from under the thumb of the few that continue to cloud your judgment Mike Wrob.
I am looking for reasons why
I am looking for reasons why we should, and you have yet to give me one.
If we build a second bridge, who will be using it that is not using our current bridge?
um...freight trucks? and
um...freight trucks? and more freight trucks? If you cater to them, they will come...along with their warehouses and maquilas.
Um... no. And again...um...
Um... no. And again...um... no. Look at my other post in the paticular article on why. I saw with my own two eyes trucks that would rather stop and wait for hours rather than take another bridge that was out of their way. When a big rig pulls up and turns his engine off because the wait is so long rather than use a new bridge that nobody used, that tells you something. This build it and they will come attitude is dangerous. I think alot of peoples "vision" is more of wishfull thinking than anything else. Now, if they start to build new plants over in Acuna, or start to buld up close, yea, lets look at the prospects of another bridge. Or, if that stupid port to plains is going straight thru Del Rio, yes lets look into another bridge.
Chris, As you articulated
Chris,
As you articulated earlier "if that stupid port to plains is going straight thru Del Rio, yes lets look into another bridge."
The Ports To Plains is definitely going straight through Del Rio. See the ports to plains article that Bill Sontag wrote several months ago.
The last drawing I saw