By Pete Vasquez
Pvasquez@cherryroad.com
The Alice City Council listened to public comments from some of those in attendance about the importance of the Natatorium, which is currently managed by the Y.M.C.A. of Corpus Christi, and how not only Hub City citizens use the premises but also those from out of town.
Carolyn Sutherland, who’s been an Alice resident since 1966, said more needs to be done to get the word out about the building.
“People from all around town need to know about our natatorium. I think we need to advertise it more for the people of Alice as well as Jim Wells County because there are a number of people out there that use the pool that are not just from Alice. They’re from Banquete, Hebbronville and up and down Highway 44 and 281,” she said.
Alice resident Belinda Silva spoke about the council’s responsibility for a monthly financial management report.
“The city of Alice was supposed to be responsible for getting a detailed monthly financial report about the organization managing it. According to city records, the city manager failed to do his job by allowing forty-two consecutive months to go by without getting one single financial report,” she said. “How has the city been able to give a budget report to the citizens if they never knew how much the facility was generating and expenses.”
Alice City Manager Michael Esparza said they have an agreement with the Y.M.C.A. where the “Y” hasn’t complied with.
“My finance manager and myself have received some financial documents, but I wouldn’t say they’re true financials. In September we were finally able to get a meeting with them. They’re awfully difficult to get a hold of and started the process of getting out of our agreement. It’s been a challenge there’s been a lot of lack of communication with them. We’ve been able to deal with the local people here but to try and get a hold of the Corpus people has been a challenge,” said Esparza.
The City Manager said they will have to probably take it back from them mainly because of non compliance with the contract.
Resident Priscilla Gonzalez’ comments were about streets in Alice being in terrible conditions and showed council photos of Hickey Street.
“These streets are in such a terrible state that they are affecting our elderly. One elderly person in our community can no longer attend church in her wheelchair because she couldn’t be pushed on the road,” she said.
Gonzalez also showed council photos of abandoned homes on the southside that are a welcome mat for illegal activity.
“These homes just bring in drug users, possums, snakes and rats,” she added.
Gonzalez said in researching city council meetings on YouTube, she came across a 2019 meeting where council (excluding the mayor and councilman Garza) agreed that the natatorium had to be shut down and drained immediately because the money was needed for infrastructure.
“Our mayor Carrasco has been voicing about our infrastructure for quite some time and no one from council would co-sponsor to turn it into an agenda item. Today our streets are worse than ever, and the Natatorium is generating an enormous amount of money by hosting private events, bringing in people from surrounding school districts which is building community bonds and creating lifelong friendships. Most importantly our natatorium is teaching lifesaving swimming lessons to all second graders thanks to Alice ISD. We need someone in charge of our natatorium,” she said.
Disabled veteran Joyce Slack of Sandia was representing about 45 women that attend the natatorium and Y.M.C.A. programs including herself.
“There’s a lot of rumors going around that this pool is getting shut down. Please don’t close it down. Get someone that really understands the working of it to ensure that we keep it because it’s one of the best things in this city,” she said.
There was also a presentation by R.E.A.L. Inc. for their Multi-Modal Transit Facility, a motion to authorize a grant for TxDot transportation Alternatives Sidewalk Project and a motion to re-affirm the City of Alice Fair Housing Policy.
