SAN BENITO — The city of San Benito is launching a $1 million street project aimed at paving parts of 12 streets scattered across this town where motorists have dodged bowling-ball-sized potholes for decades, calling poor road conditions one of San Benito’s biggest problems.
Earlier this week, city commissioners picked the streets made up of 53.5 blocks based on Mayor Rick Guerra’s city tour alongside Public Works Director Adan Gonzalez.
“We tried to target some of the worst ones but there’s still some out there — but we’re going to start,” Guerra said Wednesday. “I hope the citizens understand — if we don’t do their street, give us a chance. We’ll see what we can do.”
To help stretch taxpayer dollars, commissioners agreed to tap the city’s 17-man road crew for most of the job.
But Guerra is concerned crews might not have all the equipment they need so officials are open to hiring a private contractor for some of the work.
“We want to stretch our dollars,” he said. “We’re going to try to do it in-house. We don’t have the equipment. If something is beyond our reach, you’d outsource it.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner Pete Galvan said officials might stretch their dollars to repair more streets.
Last year, officials dipped into a $404,000 budget to repair eight streets while paving a police station parking lot and a walking trail at the new South Park, Galvan said, adding they could stretch their $1 million budget to build as many as 15 streets.
To fund the project, City Manager Manuel De La Rosa is pulling $550,000 from the city’s $4 million reserve, bolstering the annual $450,000 street repair account to come up with the $1 million price tag.
Officials said they’d pave the streets in alphabetical order after wrapping up work on Lasby Road during the next month.
Tapping streets across town
During the meeting, Guerra said he and Gonzalez picked streets from among those in worse condition scattered across town.
“I was being bombarded by the citizens. ‘We need streets, where is it?’” Guerra told commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting, adding he called on them to consider launching the project.
Guerra said he recommended some of the city’s worst streets from across town.
“I want to see if I can get some of these from La Gallina, Hermosa, La Palma — you know, all over San Benito,” he said. “That way we don’t get bombarded just that we stayed on one section. We’ll do it by five or six on one side, five or six on this side and try to stretch out what we have on that $1 million.”
‘Do it right’
Amid discussion, Commissioner Rene Garcia said he wanted crews to pour materials to bolster streets.
“I think if we go with an inch-and-a-half, we’re going to end up in the same situation in a matter of time,” he said, referring to materials used to rebuild Lasby Road.
“I’ve mentioned that sometimes I wonder, ‘What are these streets made of?’ You have to keep in mind, we have heavy trash trucks that go through all our streets twice a week, so if you go one-and-a-half inch, well, that’s not very much. Even two (inches) may not be good enough. If we’re going to do something, we better do it right.”
Mulling hiring contractor for part of job
Commissioner Rene Villafranco asked officials to consider hiring a contractor for part of the work.
“I think if we can outsource some, if there’s monies available, then let’s try to do it so we can expedite some other areas that need to be, or they’re in dire need,” he said. “It’s going to take a while for our guys to do it.”
City’s equipment raises questions
Guerra questioned whether the city’s equipment could do the job.
“If we’re going to do it in-house, we need the equipment,” he said. “I talked to some of the workers — they need equipment to start doing it. I think we can stretch our monies more than outsourcing it from somebody, but again, we need the equipment.”
But De La Rosa said the city has the equipment for the job.
“Adequately, can we do it with what we have, with the type of equipment? Yes,” he said. “We’re already assessing what equipment they have and exactly what is it they’re doing. We want to put eyes on things and make sure we have a true assessment of what we need.”
Call for street maintenance program
Meanwhile, Garcia called on officials to “invest” in a long-range program aimed at maintaining streets whose overlays De La Rosa said had seven- to 10-year life spans.
“It sounds to me like this is going to be a long-term thing, because by the time we finish with these streets, I’m sure there’s going to be another list,” he said. “I think that would make a lot of sense. It’s to start building our street construction maintenance department where we’re going to focus on fixing the streets and maintaining them for many years to come. We need to invest.”
Searching for more money
After the meeting, Guerra said he wanted to hire a writer to search for grant money to better fund the city’s street program.
“I know $1 million it nothing,” Garcia said during the meeting, referring to a 2016 street list including 76 roads. “We have to find more money. It’s going to take a lot of million dollars — not $1 million. The problem is we need to find money that will address this problem that hasn’t been addressed in a long time.”
Street Repair List
Hull Street
Four blocks
From Stenger Street to Freddy Fender Lane
Rockefeller Street
Four blocks
From Whitney Street to Spears Street
Montezuma Street
2.5 blocks
From Combs Street to Diaz Street
W. Hicks Street
Four Blocks
From Dick Dowling Street to McCullough Street
Hidalgo Street
Six blocks
From Combs Street to Carol Street
S. Fannin Street
Four blocks
From Frontage Road to Ballenger Street
San Patricio Street
Four blocks
From Wentz Street to Turner Street
S. Bowie Street
Three blocks
From S. Sam Houston Boulevard to San Patricio Street
Wentz Street
Seven blocks
From S. Sam Houston Boulevard to San Patricio Street
S. McCullough Street
Eight blocks
From S. Frontage Road to Ballenger to Yost Road
S. Hidalgo Street
Four blocks
From S. Frontage Road to Ballenger Street
Mae Street
Three blocks
From N. Sam Houston Boulevard to cul-de-sac
