Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce contract for tourism and publicity with City questioned
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
During the Eagle Pass City Council regular meeting held on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, at City Council Chambers, Eagle Pass resident Juanita Martinez questioned the City of Eagle Pass’ contract for $91,300 with the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce for tourism and publicity services, noting a contradiction and a conflict of interest as the local Chamber of Commerce has approved a resolution in favor of the controversial Dos Republicas Coal Partnership open surface coal mine and co-sponsored a recent Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair held at the City of Eagle Pass International Center for Trade while the City of Eagle Pass is fighting against the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership coal mine from contaminating and polluting the City’s sole source of potable water, air, and the effects of the public health of its citizens.
Agenda item No. 15 called for discussion and possible action regarding agreement with Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce for tourism and publicity.
Martinez addressed City Council during the Citizens Communications and stated:
“ My concern is that the City of Eagle Pass will be funding the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce over $90,000 of the City’s hard-earned Hotel Occupancy Room Tax monies….because the City has been fighting against the possible contamination and pollution of our air, water and public health by the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership coal mine while the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, of which City Councilman William Davis is the President, has approved a resolution or position contradictory to the City Council of Eagle Pass in favor of the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership coal mine. This is a major contradiction of the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce to oppose the City Council of Eagle Pass on one hand while on the other hand requesting over $90,000 of City Hotel Occupancy Room Tax monies for publicity and tourism services. Furthermore, the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce President for the past eight years is City Councilman William Davis, which presents a conflict of interest between the City and the Chamber of Commerce.”
Martinez then read to the City Council and Chamber of Commerce members present at the meeting an official letter, dated February 2011 from then Eagle Pass City Manager Daniel Valenzuela: “Although the City [of Eagle Pass] is in strong favor of brining or creating new jobs in Eagle Pass, the City’s main concern is for the health and safety of this community; of course, there are other considerations. As the City continues its outward growth, it is important to plan for its expansion. This also includes determining which industries and businesses the City would prefer to recruit to our area. Even if Dos Republicas could guarantee environmentally clean operations with no risk of environmental contamination, the perception of a coal mining operation and its effect on the local environment is very negative….Although in the short term, Dos Republicas may be able to guarantee a certain number of jobs in our area, the concern for the City is a possible long term negative effect. As investors and businesses look to relocate and begin operations in Eagle Pass, as part of the process they will evaluate the quality of life in our area; they want to ensure a good quality of life because many of these businesses will be asking their employees and families to relocate to Eagle Pass. If they determine our area to have a poor quality of life because of the coal mining, then they will go elsewhere, taking their jobs with them. The long term effects can be devastating as more and more businesses look elsewhere to safer communities. The promise of 100 to 160 new jobs may pale in comparison to a much larger number of jobs.”
Martinez pointedly asked the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce if they could now see their contradictory position to that of the City of Eagle Pass. Martinez advised the City Council that Eagle Pass citizens did not approve of the City funding the Chamber of Commerce over $90,000 per year while they took contradictory and conflict of interest positions to those of the City of Eagle Pass.
Last Friday, October 3, 2014, the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored a Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair together with the Maverick County Development Corporation at the City of Eagle Pass International Center for Trade. The Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce official logo was printed on a sleek brochure promoting the coal mine business procurement fair, which was mailed to all Chamber members, as well as emailed to all persons on the secretive Chamber of Commerce email list. Chamber member Mike Garcia of State Farm Insurance spoke in favor of the coal mine as a Chamber member. These steps are contradictory and a conflict of interest with the City of Eagle Pass’ position against the Dos Republicas coal mine.
Martinez opined that the citizens of Eagle Pass do not support the City paying the Chamber of Commerce over $90,000 per year while the Chamber is taking adversarial positions against the City, the hand that feeds it. It is well-known that the City’s annual contribution to the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce of over $90,000 per year from the City’s Hotel Occupancy Room Tax monies is what really keeps the Chamber afloat financially.
Martinez recommended to City Council that the City of Eagle Pass would best be served if it established its own in-house Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote tourism and publicity like most cities do. The City Council thanked Martinez for her suggestion and comments.
During discussion, City Councilman and Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce President William “Billy” Davis stated that he did not have anything to do with the Chamber’s co-sponsoring the Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair because the Chamber’s Executive Committee had approved it at a meeting he did not attend without his knowledge and that he did not have a conflict of interest as he is not paid by the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce for being President, but decided to recuse himself from Agenda item No. 15 and withdrew himself from the City Council Chambers.
City Manager Gloria Barrientos advised the City Council that this was an annual request for renewal by the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce for $91,300 for tourism and publicity services to the City. Barrientos stated that “$30,000 is for the operation of the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce operations (subsidy) and another $61,300 is for tourism and other city promotions.”
Barrientos added that these $91,300 funds were allocated in the City budget from the Hotel Occupancy Room Tax funds and is something that the City has done each year and it is required by state law that these funds be used for tourism and publicity. If this is so, then why are $30,000 being used for subsidizing the operations of the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce instead of tourism and publicity? Why are only $61,300 of these monies being used for tourism and publicity instead of the entire $91,300?
Barrientos recommended City Council to approve Agenda item No. 15 noting that Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sandra Martinez was not present at the meeting due to a family emergency.
City Councilwoman Gloria E. Hernandez raised a question what was being done about the concerned citizen’s issue regarding the Chamber of Commerce’s support of the Dos Republicas coal mine. Hernandez asked her City Council members and Barrientos “Is the Chamber of Commerce supporting the Dos Republicas coal mine?”
Incredulously, City Manager Barrientos answered “Not that I’m was aware of.” “I know that they had an event recently but it was to inform the public,” said Barrientos.
City Councilman Luis Sifuentes intervened and stated that he believed that was the Maverick County Development Corporation who was sponsoring the Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair.
Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu stated “I don’t know if the Chamber of Commerce spearheaded any specific action. I can understand the concern if the City, of course, is currently in litigation with an issue like this. I can also express the importance that the Chamber plays in partnership with the City on contracting services for tourism. I know that it is important to have this type of agreement in place. But I also know that it is important to make sure that there are concerns brought forth by the citizens that we address them in a manner that ultimately would be understandable from both parties. From the Chambers perspective, I can say I don’t know what happened at that event.”
Mayor Cantu stated the City was out of town during that day of the Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair, even though it was held at a City of Eagle Pass event center. “I can say that their are valid concerns from any resident that brings up any concern,” said Mayor Cantu.
City Councilwoman Gloria Hernandez pointed that these are more than just concerns from citizens as they are City concerns too because the City is currently in litigation with Dos Republicas concerning its controversial coal mine.
Mayor Cantu stated he did not know of any resolution that had been drafted or approved by the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in favor of the Dos Republicas coal mine.
City Councilman Rudy Villalpando stated the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce does offer its assistance to any commercial type of industry as part of its chamber responsibilities.
Many Eagle Pass citizens find it hard to believe Mayor Cantu, City Manager Barrientos, and Councilman Luis Sifuentes that they did not know of or are aware of the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce approval of a resolution in favor of the Dos Republicas coal mine or sponsoring the Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair. One local citizen questioned whether if any of the $91,300 of City Hotel Occupancy Room Tax monies were used to sponsor or promote (eg. brochure, mail, email, etc.) the Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair at the city-owned International Center for Trade.
City Councilman Luis Sifuentes stated he had attended the Dos Republicas coal mine Business Procurement Fair to further educate himself on the operation. “I have small kids. If anyone should be concerned about pollution and water shortages, it should be me. But in the same token, the State already approved it and unless we have a complete turnaround from the State I don’t see this not following through in the long run. There are a lot of businesses that can supply this company with a lot of services and supplies and that’s going to help the community. Pollution, can they guarantee that something is not going to happen? No. Nobody can guarantee that something bad is not going to happen. Bad things do happen,” said City Councilman Luis Sifuentes.
The City Council approved to renew the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce contract for tourism and publicity services for $91,300 to the dismay and disappointment of a local concerned citizen with Mayor Cantu, Councilman Sifuentes, and Councilman Villalpando voting in favor while Councilwoman Hernandez abstaining and Councilman Davis recusing himself. The concerned citizen stated the City Council and Administration are minimizing their knowledge of the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce activities and/or its contradictory and conflict of interest actions against the City of Eagle Pass.
