Sewer plant property purchase nears completion
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WHAT'S NEXT?
The final vote to buy the sewer plant property is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The city council will conduct the vote during a public meeting in the Council Chamber at 107 W. Juan Linn St.
Plans to buy land for a new sewer plant in south Victoria moved closer Monday to becoming a reality.
The vote came amid protests from a city council member who said he believes the action is illegal.
The city council voted 4-3 Monday to make a $375,000 budget amendment to buy the land and pay closing costs. The final vote to approve the amendment is scheduled for Tuesday.
Protests to the vote came from Council Member Joe Truman, who said he believes it violates the city charter. He said the charter requires there to be a grave public necessity to make a budget amendment.
"Under no pretense can we call this a dire public necessity," Truman said.
The city knew five years ago it would need a new sewer plant and the plant won't be completed for five years, he said. The city should have prepared for that in the current budget, he said.
City Manager Charles Windwehen disagreed.
"We were aware that we might be purchasing some land," Windwehen said. "What we didn't know was the price."
Supporting the budget amendment were Mayor Will Armstrong, Mayor Pro Tem Tom Halepaska and council members Paul Polasek and Denise Rangel. Opposed were council members Gabriel Soliz, David Hagan and Truman.
The city council already voted 4-3 to buy 76 acres along Southwest Ben Jordan Street between Laurent Street and Hand Road. The decision is opposed by nearby residents concerned about odor, disease and property values. A budget amendment is needed to transfer the funds for the purchase.
City Attorney Thomas Gwosdz said a grave public necessity is not something defined by the city charter. He said that's a finding the city council has to make each time it considers a budget amendment.
Council members would have to vote against the budget amendment proposal if they consider it a violation of the charter, Gwosdz said.
Armstrong said the council's decision was a simple one.
"There is no doubt in my mind it's a necessity," the mayor said. Armstrong added potential lawsuits and other issues exist if the city builds in alternate locations, some of which are in the floodplain and could adversely affect nearby property.
Rangel said the council also needs to consider that the aging Willow Street sewer plant would be closed when the new plant is opened. She said it is only feet from nearby residents and does pose an odor problem, unlike the new plant Victoria would build.
Rangel said she recently visited the Willow Street plant.
"That was disgusting," she said. "It was awful."
Rangel said the people living near that plant need to be considered in the decision, too.
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PatB,
Interesting question about the smell of a zoo.
Even more interesting to me is, if the zoo had built on this site and the city determined, as has been professed by Armstrong, et al, that this is the only acceptable site, would they have undertaken eminent domain or condemnation activities to secure this site?
Some in the city are stating this is the only acceptable site but what would the choices be if the zoo was already built?
There is much more to this story then what is being said or reported but based on the biased and incomplete reporting exhibited by the VA the public will never know the truth.
December 29, 2009 at 9:14 a.m.My $.02... If,as originally planned,the new Victoria Zoo would have been built on this property what would be the odor level? Just a thought.
December 29, 2009 at 8:06 a.m.Rangel said she recently visited the Willow Street plant.
December 29, 2009 at 5:34 a.m."That was disgusting," she said. "It was awful."
You think?
people there is alot of info out there. we are not the only ones that are having this problem................ West Harlem is a predominantly minority and low-income neighborhood located on the northern section of Manhattan in New York City. In 1985, the North River Sewage Treatment Plant, originally planned for construction in a predominantly white and upper-middle class neighborhood, was constructed in West Harlem. The Plant stretches eight blocks along the Hudson River from 137th street to 145th street.
Ever since its construction, members of the community have complained about overbearing odors emanating from the North River Sewage Treatment Plant. The plant processes over 170 million gallons of raw sewage a day. Due to the noxious odors, most often described as resembling the smell of rotten eggs, residents complain about not being able to go out on their terraces or open up their windows. The odor becomes even more potent during the hot summer months. The smell sometimes reaches as far down as 120th street and all the way up to 157th street -almost a two-mile distance.
In addition to the offensive smell, after the opening of the North River Sewage Treatment Plant, many residents complained of itchy eyes, shortness of breath, and other symptoms often related to asthma and other respiratory ailments.
December 28, 2009 at 11:28 p.m................... finish reading at this link>>http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/ny.html
Finally we are getting somewhere! I commend Denise Rangel for her ability to see the big picture. Council's job is to make decisions that are best for Victoria as a whole- for our future. Never will they be able to please all the people all the time- there will always be those who complain. But this plant is needed. Good for you, Ms. Rangel! Good for you! If only the other new members could see beyond their puppet-master's propaganda and negative influence.
December 28, 2009 at 9:45 p.m.WTG Mayor, Halepaska, Polasek and Ragel. Shame on you Truman, Hagan and Soliz.
December 28, 2009 at 7:59 p.m.