San Angelo citizens were significantly impacted by toxic water contamination in early February 2021. City Council heard a recommendation from staff to implement customer service agreements as part of a solution.
Mayor Brenda Gunter: The question is, because of the PaulAnn issue we had to do these inspections, but why weren't inspections done prior to contamination to have seen some of this a year ago, two years ago, six months before the contamination?
Those inspections have been required since at least August 2016, the date of TCEQ updated its Cross Connection Control Program. The man to have answered that question is City Manager Daniel Valenzuela, hired in 2012.
Assistant Water Utilities Director Andy Vecellio: ... You can't go back and fix the past. We can only take a look at the past, review it, analyze it and develop a program moving forward to reduce the potential for it to happen again.
The Mayor's question deserves a thoughtful exploration and response. The city is not known for conducting investigations, much less thorough ones.
Valenzuela promoted the two men responsible for ensuring water safety, Ricky Dickson and Shane Kelton. They occupied the Executive Director of Public Works/Operations. Dickson held the job from 2014-2019. The city has no documents reflecting Dickson fulfilled his role requiring backflow preventers, as stated in city ordinances. Valenzuela oversaw Operations and Water Utilities until he promoted Kelton to the role.
An unanswered question from Mayor Gunter remains on the table. Why weren't TCEQ required inspections done since 2016? City Manager Daniel Valenzuela should provide answers from a competent investigation. In his message to citizens in the midst of the crisis Valenzuela said "I too want answers."
Entering problem solving mode after the system broke is but more of the same from city leaders.
No comments:
Post a Comment