South Texas Anti Incumbent Candidates: And you can take that to the bank!

South Texas Anti Incumbent Candidates: And you can take that to the bank!

Romans 8:31 - What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Gladiators - Not In My Life Before

Song Lyrics	Biblical Reference
Do you, do you I never, never ever felt this way Not in my life before Visions through the power of the Most High
Thy rod and thy staff protect me	Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Through the night I go to sleep And wake me up safe and sound	Psalm 4:8 - I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
With Jah before us, who can be against us?	Romans 8:31 - What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Oh no, oh, oh no, not one
I will forever sing praises	Psalm 45:17 - I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. Psalm 61:8 - So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.
I will forever be content I know my troubles are over All my joys coming over I never, never ever felt this way Not in my life before Visions through the power of the Most High Thy rod and thy staff protect me Through the night I go to sleep And wake me up safe and sound With Jah before us, who can be against us? Oh no, oh, oh no, not one Do you feel what I feel? Do you know, do you know what I know? Do you feel what I feel? Do you know, do you know, do you know what I know? I will forever sing praises I will forever be content I know my troubles are over All my joys coming over Never, never ever felt this way Not in my life before Visions through the power of the Most High Thy rod and thy staff protect me Through the night I go to sleep And wake me up safe and sound With Jah before us, who can be against us? Oh no, oh, oh no, not one I will forever sing praises I will forever be content I know my troubles are over All my joys coming over Never, never ever felt this way Not in my life before Visions through the power of the Most High Hey, do you know what I know? Do you feel, do you feel, do you feel what I feel? Do you know what I know? Do you feel, do you feel, do you feel...

underground utility includes replacing, upgrading and relocating water, waste water and storm water lines.....this area is not the colonias is it?

City approves $95 million in bonds for underground utility work

Sep 26, 2006 07:23 PM CDT








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CORPUS CHRISTI - The city council approved bonds to be used toward costs for underground utility work around the city at its Tuesday meeting. They approved a total of $95 million, which includes $10 million for refinancing some bonds that were previously issued, at a new, lower interest rate.

The underground utility projects are scheduled to coincide with street projects, such as one currently in progress on Cimarron and Yorktown, near Mireles Elementary, where the city's looking to make some storm water drainage improvements.

The bonds will be used on current projects as well as some that will be started in the next few months. City officials said they're saving money by working on the underground utilities while the construction on the streets are in progress.

"Once the street is paved, we don't have to be digging up an old water line that broke. We would have already replaced that and be good to go for another twenty years, and we won't have to be digging up streets," City Engineer Angel Escobar said.

The underground utility includes replacing, upgrading and relocating water, waste water and storm water lines. At Cimarron and Yorktown, they're laying down new water pipes - just one the 14 underground utilities projects the $95 million will cover.

Another drainage improvements project is in progress is at Kinney and Water Street, and another big project that will begin shortly consists of drainage improvements on the westside in the Mansheim area near Sunnybrook.

Most of the projects were scheduled to be completed within the year and the next fiscal year, which is about 12 months.

Online Reporter: Jenny Suniga

Can you believe the City of Corpus Christi?

HardcoreHarry
Posts: 2328

HardcoreHarry

Can you believe the City of Corpus Christi...
12/22/2006 5:32:30 PM
is making me go to court for ...get this: PARKING IN A HANDICAPPED SPOT!

I took the ticket downtown early this month and pointed out the OBVIOUS to them. I figured they would do the math and figure it out for themselves.

=sigh=

So I hit my head on the mirror getting out of my wife’s new car while parked at Barnes and Noble and did not notice the handicapped placard had fallen down. (The Suzuki SL7 isn’t as easy to get in and out of as my pickup). Um...the car is even outfitted with hand controls for goodness sake!

Doesn't the city have anything better to do than pursue me on this? I consider this a flagrant waste of my taxpayer dollars.

This is just plain stupid.

Hardcore Harry




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Author Replys
curmudgeon
Posts: 3780

Click here to email curmudgeon

This sounds like a story . . .
12/22/2006 6:14:28 PM
. . . for Channel 10 News. I would give all three local newsrooms a call a see which one showed up first. After it hits the airwaves they will handle your citation like a warm turd.

If this doesn''t work just plead not guilty and ask for a jury trial. I will involve you goin'' to court but the outcome will be in your favor.
HardcoreHarry
Posts: 2328

Click here to email HardcoreHarry

Re: This sounds like a story . . .
12/22/2006 6:26:42 PM
Yeah it is a matter of principle for me. If they want to cite me for failure to display because the placard fell down that is one thing. But, pursuing this even after I showed up in person is plain stupid.

I can''t tell you how many times I have been in that very Barnes and Noble parking lot wishing they would issue citations for customers abusing these very spaces.

=chuckle=

That they issued one to me just plain sucks donkey balls.

Hardcore Harry
Wild Ape
Posts: 3978

Click here to email Wild Ape

Re: Re: This sounds like a story . . .
12/22/2006 6:37:50 PM
I never understood why they don''t have a sticker instead of a placard.
HardcoreHarry
Posts: 2328

Click here to email HardcoreHarry

Re: Re: Re: This sounds like a story . . .
12/22/2006 6:53:21 PM
They used to have one ya put on your plates but retard thieves were always cutting them off and ""extended"" family members were using spaces when no one disabled was in the vehicle.

I used to get both updated at the same time when I got my Purple Heart plates renewed. It was really streamlined and simple then.

NOW, you have to go to any city municipality who issues them and get a doctor to sign off that yes indeed you don’t have any legs sir and no the prospects of them growing back are grim.

The local doc in Port A wanted to charge me 25 dollars to sign this piece of paper. I told him he had a lot of cheek charging me for his signature for a disabled placard and left. I went to the naval hospital in Corpus and corralled the first Chief Petty Officer I could find and he got-er-done. Thus proving the following maxim: If you want a job done in the military ask an NCO. God bless each and every one of them sonsabitches cause they are the heart and soul of this country''s defense!

My placard is due to expire in April. Guess I will have to find me another CPO to work his/her magic.

LOL

Hardcore Harry

curmudgeon
Posts: 3780

Click here to email curmudgeon

Can''t say . . .
12/22/2006 7:09:17 PM
. . . that I disagree with them issuing a citation to your car. It really pisses me off when folks who are obviously not handicapped park in handicaped parkin'' spaces even if they have a sticker. The stupid part is not immediately dismissing the ticket when you appeared in person. Just goes to show that you can be a bureaucrat with a two digit I.Q.

In Texas parking violation are criminal offenses, Class C misdemeanors. You have the same rights as if you had been charged with murder, i.e, the right to a trial by jury if you request. I would love to see that trial. You do need to know how the system works. While I ain''t a lawyer, I did play one on T.V., well not really but I was a bail bondsman and sat through many courtroom dramas.

I would start by calling the city court administrator and explaining the circumstances. If that didn''t work I would call the mayor. Politics works in strange ways. If that fails, you have a court date. At that appearance they will ask you to plead to the charge. Normally everyone just pleads guilty and pays up. If you plead not guilty, they will set a court date. At that time you can request a jury trial. If you request a jury trial they will give you a funny look, go back and find one of the city attournies and try to ""work somethin'' out"", in other words, dismiss the ticket. No city procesutor with an I.Q. above room temperature will go before a jury against a veteran with a Purple Heart and a wheel chair.
bigo
Posts: 691


Re: Can you believe the City of Corpus Christi...
12/22/2006 7:18:58 PM
I can''t believe that dick-head doctor in Port A.

Corpus Christi Aquifer Storage and Recovery Conservation District.

PECIAL DISTRICT LOCAL LAWS CODE
CHAPTER 8811. CORPUS CHRISTI AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 8811.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Board" means the board of directors of the district.
(2) "Director" means a member of the board.
(3) "District" means the Corpus Christi Aquifer Storage and Recovery Conservation District.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.002. NATURE OF DISTRICT. The district is a conservation and reclamation district in Kleberg, Nueces, and San Patricio Counties created under and essential to accomplish the purposes of Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution. The district is created to develop and protect municipal aquifer storage areas created by the City of Corpus Christi.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.003. CONFIRMATION ELECTION NOT REQUIRED. An election to confirm the creation of the district is not required.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.004. INITIAL DISTRICT TERRITORY. The initial boundaries of the district are coextensive with the city limits of the City of Corpus Christi and include:
(1) property owned by or under contract to the City of Corpus Christi in Nueces and Kleberg Counties; and
(2) in San Patricio County, property owned by or under contract to the City of Corpus Christi and bounded on the west by Interstate Highway 37 and U.S. Highway 77, on the north by the metropolitan planning organization boundary, on the east by County Road 2849, and on the south by the city limits of the City of Corpus Christi.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.005. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW. Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, Chapter 36, Water Code, applies to the district.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.006. CREATION OF GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS IN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY. (a) This chapter does not preclude the creation of a groundwater conservation district in San Patricio County.
(b) A groundwater conservation district created in San Patricio County may not limit or restrict the district from recovering water stored by the district in a municipal aquifer storage area in the district, even if the municipal aquifer storage area is also located in the groundwater conservation district.
(c) To the extent that the boundaries of the district and a groundwater conservation district in San Patricio County overlap, the power and authority of the two districts are joint and coextensive.
(d) The district and land in the district are exempt from taxes and fees imposed by a groundwater conservation district created in San Patricio County.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
SUBCHAPTER B. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sec. 8811.021. DIRECTORS; TERMS. (a) The district is governed by a board of five directors.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), directors serve staggered four-year terms.
(c) The initial directors shall draw lots to determine which three directors shall serve four-year terms that expire at the end of the calendar year four years after the effective date of the Act creating this chapter, and which two directors shall serve two-year terms that expire at the end of the calendar year two years after the effective date of the Act creating this chapter.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.022. APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS. The Corpus Christi City Council shall appoint the directors.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.023. VACANCY. If a vacancy occurs on the board, the board may appoint a director to serve the remainder of the term.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.024. OFFICERS. The board shall annually elect officers. The officers must be confirmed by the Corpus Christi City Council.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES
Sec. 8811.051. AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECTS. The district may implement and develop aquifer storage and recovery projects.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.052. MUNICIPAL AQUIFER STORAGE AREAS IN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY. The district may not allow more water to be recovered from a municipal aquifer storage area in San Patricio County than the amount of water stored by the district at the municipal aquifer storage area.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.053. TAXES AND BONDS PROHIBITED. The district may not impose a tax or issue bonds.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.
Sec. 8811.054. EMINENT DOMAIN. The district may not exercise the power of eminent domain.Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 897, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.

City's to-do list: WATT about the Leaky Roof at City Hall?

City's to-do list

August 13, 2006

Asian Cultures Museum and Educational Center

1800 N. Mesquite St.

One of five Asian museums

in the country, the Asian museum provides classes, Asian arts and crafts and traveling exhibits.

Year built: 1945

Bought by the city in 1999 and renovated in 2001

Square footage: 8,366

Estimated maintenance costs through 2015: $149,438

Major costs:

$53,250 for a new roof

$28,200 for new air handler units

$12,672 to sand and paint concrete floors

Heritage Park

(excluding the Asian Museum)

1581 N. Chaparral St.

Park includes the Corpus Christi Visitors Center, Gugenheim House and Seaman's Center, among other buildings.

Years built: 1851-1987

Estimated maintenance costs through 2015: $1,387,046 Major costs:

$230,222 for the Buddy Lawrence House

$115,635 for the Sid Richardson Building

$95,935 for the Sidbury

House

Oso Wastewater Plant

501 Nile Drive

Plant includes 32 buildings, including lift stations, pump houses, storage tanks and screening buildings.

Years built: 1950-1992

Estimated maintenance costs through 2015: $1,506,648 Major costs:

$233,981 for the plant

$133,658 for offices/labs

Corpus Christi Police Department Headquarters

321 John Sartain St.

Former Central Power and Light Co. building

Acquired by the city in 1988 for $1.4 million; occupied by the police department since 1991.

Estimated major costs:

$500,000 for a new air conditioning system

$500,000 for elevator replacements

City Vehicle Fleet

Includes all vehicles, from pickup trucks to tractors, beach cleaners and street equipment.

Number of vehicles: 2,000

Average life: 93 months

Expected life: 86 months

Percent past useful life: 46

Cost to replace all vehicles past their useful life: $27 million

Source: City of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Police Department

Spin that wheel in a target PR Campaign for Mr Neal

Preventing breakdowns cheaper than fixing them

City undertakes inventory to organize its efforts better

By Denise Malan and David Kassabian Caller-Times
August 13, 2006

When the police department's 7-year-old air conditioning unit broke again in early May, maintenance officials gave up hope that constant leaks in the system could be fixed permanently. They rented a portable unit that still hums in the officers' parking lot next to rows of squad cars to keep the building operating in the summer heat.

The rental is costing the department $8,700 a month, adding roughly 30 percent to its total monthly utility bill, city officials said. The permanent unit had been expected to last 10 years but has been plagued with problems for years. A new, permanent air conditioner could cost $500,000, and the bidding process could push installation off until January.

"Whenever you get a cost of this nature, it does put you through a tizzy," said Assistant City Manager Oscar Martinez. "We want to be able to plan and anticipate better than we have been, because our facilities are getting older. They haven't been maintained on a strategic basis, and we're trying to get better at that."

It's fairly common every year for one or two of the city's approximately 400 municipal buildings to need an air conditioning overhaul, one of thousands of annual maintenance needs the city faces each year.

Until recently, the city generally dealt with maintenance issues - for buildings and for city vehicles - as problems arose. They let some vehicles drive beyond their life expectancy without replacing them and didn't do some nonessential building upkeep. The result - almost half of the city's fleet is beyond its useful life and some buildings are in need of big-ticket repairs, Martinez said.

The city has ended up paying more in the long term when regular maintenance could have reduced those costs, Martinez said.

To save money and plan for future repairs, the city is undergoing an inventory and long-range planning survey of almost all the city buildings. The survey includes needs for painting, site work, parking lots, floors, ceilings, plumbing, electrical systems, asbestos removal and heating and air conditioning systems.

The goal is to prioritize needs and save money for new roofs, air conditioners and other major work before things break. The survey has been under way for two years and will continue on a rolling basis in the future. It is about 75 percent complete.

The city budgeted $18.5 million for maintenance this year, including security, vehicle parts, equipment purchases, fuel and building maintenance, and other expenses. That number is up from $16.1 million three years ago, but still not enough to meet all maintenance needs immediately.

Under the new system, the city sets aside the same amount in maintenance funds but has started putting away money to go toward anticipated maintenance. It is a more complex version of a savings account for home repairs, Martinez said.

Martinez, who oversees budget preparations, put $100,000 each into two new funds as seed money for future maintenance needs. One fund is for buildings and the other for equipment, such as trucks, tractors and beach cleaners.

The money came from the maintenance budget, a fund to which all city departments contribute for upkeep, and the plan is to set aside money each year.

"It really won't be accessible in the short term," he said. "We have to build up the fund to capacity so it's able to meet the demand as well as have some mechanism so it's constantly replenished."

Michael Neuman, associate professor of urban planning for Texas A&M University, College Station, said the city's approach, known as lifecycle planning, is a relatively new way to manage government infrastructure.

"It's typical that a municipality or county hasn't taken a holistic view of infrastructure and maintenance over the long term," Neuman said. "It seems like it's so common sense. It sounds obvious, but it's not that common, surprisingly."

City staff is creating a database that shows each building's expected needs until 2015 and estimated maintenance costs based on life-cycle projections. City architect Jim Boggs is heading the project with help from someone in each department who is familiar with the buildings. The study is being done internally and doesn't cost the city other than staff time, Martinez said.

"While it's critical to find out what might be hitting us in the near future, it's just as important to know what will be coming in three to four years so we're not surprised," Martinez said.

Most city buildings - including warehouses, park buildings and various departments - are included in the study. However, City Hall has not been included yet because it recently was renovated. The Police Department also was left out because it has a dedicated maintenance supervisor. Those buildings will be included later as the survey continues. Buildings will be surveyed on a rotating basis, so projections will go beyond 2015.

"We can be more aggressive with our preventative maintenance program," Martinez said. "We need to take every step necessary for preventative maintenance so these larger problems don't come along."

Maintenance hasn't been a major budget priority, Martinez said. When it comes time to haggle over the budget, a maintenance issue usually would lose funding to a service, he said.

For instance, the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Health District building is in need of parking lot repairs and some plumbing maintenance, Martinez said. However, city officials put money into health services such as clinics and vaccinations because of their importance, he said.

"Typically, because of competing priorities, a parking lot might not be the first thing you think of," Martinez said.

Neuman said putting off maintenance is not unusual for governments.

"In the city budget, the first thing to go is maintenance," he said. "They say, 'Oh we'll do it next year,' and next year becomes next year, becomes next year and so on."

Parts and labor prices, as well as more sophisticated equipment, have pushed maintenance costs up in recent years, Martinez said. But the study and renewed focus on maintenance should save the city money on repairs and replacements, he said.

"It's on a schedule rather than, 'Can we squeeze it in this year?' or 'We have no choice because it broke down,' " he said.

Neuman, who studied lifecycle planning for the states of California and New Jersey, said few studies have been done, but the results are promising.

"There's no disputing the few studies that have been done that show if you take a life-cycle approach, you'll have significant cost savings," Neuman said.

Contact Denise Malan at 886-4334 or at maland@ caller.com. Contact David Kassabian at 886-3778 or at kassabiand@ caller.com