I can guess the response–she’s trying to work out a compromise behind the scenes in the best interest for everyone. After all, she created the Camp Bullis Joint Land Use Study Committee:

MySA.com: City Council

City Councilwoman Diane Cibrian, who chairs the Camp Bullis Joint Land Use Study Committee, a panel she created in response to concerns about encroaching development, said zoning for the tract wouldn’t be done until the issues raised by the Army had been addressed.

“As a result of the issues raised by Camp Bullis, the developer’s plans have changed,” said Cibrian, who helped negotiate the moratorium on development last summer. “The developer understands that lower-density land usage will be required for that area. The developer is agreeable to this and will work to lower the density of residential development and will work with Bullis.”

Now committees can be a good way to get things done in politics. But I can’t help but think that if Cibrian was serious about protecting Camp Bullis’ needs, we would be hearing a lot more from her. I suspect this is more of a case of using a committee as a cover for letting politically influential persons get what they want.

Why would I say that? You mean besides the fact that Cibrian has been so quiet about the issue? First, there is the comment by Mayor Hardberger:

MySA.com: City Council

Hardberger said closure seems a drastic and unlikely possibility, but he vowed to do his part to control growth. He supports Cibrian’s efforts to work out deals with those wanting to develop properties, but said he’ll support Camp Bullis and the Army if solutions cannot be found.

So he’ll support Camp Bullis rather than the committee. Why so little faith in the committee? That brings me to the second reason why I think the committee is just cover in this case. Gene Dawson Jr. of Pape-Dawson is on the executive committee. If this committee was meant to resolve differences, of course, you would need a real estate developer on the committee. But Dawson has been pretty good at publicly supporting the city’s attempts to protect the environment and control growth but making sure any regulations don’t hinder his clients.

MySA.com: Environment | Water

The preliminary plans were specifically filed to avoid the aquifer ordinance, according to a Jan. 31, 1995, letter written by Stephen Kacmar, then a vice president at Pape-Dawson.

Writing to a client, Kacmar said Pape-Dawson Engineers had “been working behind the scene with respect to the new development regulations over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.”

Kindly note, Kacmar continued, that the aquifer ordinance said any preliminary plan filed before the new rules are approved can justify vested rights.

“As you know, we prepared a (preliminary plan),” Kacmar wrote, and Pape-Dawson filed it “just prior to council action on the new regulations.

So why has Cibrian become much more interested in protecting land rights which jeopardizes over 8000 jobs than those involved in the moral climate of the neighborhood? As a semi-declared candidate for mayor (or, I suspect, any other political office that become vacant in a year), it’s time to follow the money.

The City Council faces a $13 million shortfall in its 2009 budget, but it’s unwilling to cut existing programs or raise taxes to raise revenue for the coming budget year.

“How you do it, is basically you can’t do it,” Mayor Phil Hardberger said Tuesday. “You can’t make up a $13 million shortfall if you are not willing to cut a program or raise revenues by raising taxes. And what that means is that we have a lot of hard work ahead of us.”

Obviously, our Mayor hasn’t discussed the situation with the council representative from District 8, Diane Cibrian. Remember all of those campaign promises of Cibrian’s about finding efficiencies and reducing waste in city government? Surely Cibrian has had enough time to consult with the city manager about the various programs so that she can start giving us all details on where to cut the fat. After all, this is the person who wants to run for mayor. Given a $13 million shortfall, I think this would be a good time for her to share her insights on how the city can save money without cutting programs. Heck, at this point, people probably wouldn’t even expect a tax cut…

MySA.com: City Council

While hedging on her Fiesta medal slogan, Cibrian did confirm that she has been exploring the idea ever since last fall, when she says a group of constituents asked her to consider running.

That would have been when she had logged less than six months on the council.

So what magnificent achievements had she accomplish in six months to warrant constituents asking her to run for mayor? Let’s see, by August she had join Council Member Wolff in calling for a 1-cent reduction to the property tax rate, failed to stop the development of more traffic congestion inducing stores and offices, and expressed her concern that simply synchronizing traffic lights might not be enough to ease congestion. She also demonstrated her ability to manipulate numbers (or just ignore them completely) for her own purposes.

Now why do some of her constituents want her to run?

MySA.com: City Council

She said her short tenure doesn’t reflect her full experience, which includes 20 years in government and nonprofit service.

She wants to run, she said, because “I’ve been part of an effective city government, and I want to continue that progress.”

Okay, even though I have serious questions about the value of her “experience”, if it is so significant, why didn’t she run for mayor to begin with? Maybe she was waiting to demonstrate the “effective city government” part? So she saved District 8 from Booby Rock but wasn’t interested enough in what was happening in other districts to understand the zoning issues related to Toyota.

Some observers think she may have made a mistake:

MySA.com: City Council

Henry Flores, dean of the graduate school at St. Mary’s University and a political science professor, agreed that making her intentions known so early may backfire on the hard-charging councilwoman.

She may have thought an early announcement would run off potential competition, he said, “but it also gives the opposition time to find their own candidate. She has set herself up as a target very early.”

So it would seem. But Cibrian is proof that the delivery is more important than the message. People don’t remember why she was in the news, only that she was in the news. After all, this was the candidate holding up signs of street corners.

In any case, I can’t wait to see her campaign messages, “I’ll do for San Antonio what I’ve done for district 8″–which is????

Technorati Tags: Diane Cibrian, San Anonio Mayor

MySA.com: Editorials

Councilwoman Diane Cibrian is launching an effort to permanently add protection against similar mistakes in the future, and other council members are discussing preventive measures as well.

Cibrian wants an ordinance requiring that council be informed of any zoning decision impacting even nonbinding agreements and possibly an additional hearing.

Uhmmm, is there a reason why the council members couldn’t just ask the staff? I have no idea what actually happened but it’s really hard to take seriously claims of “I didn’t know” when reportedly three advisory panels and city staff recommended against the proposal.

And for Cortez to blame his lack on knowledge on his chief of staff is just pathetic on so many levels. If he has conflicting reports from the city staff and his chief of staff, should he maybe ask a few more questions? And if he relies on his chief of staff for information shouldn’t he make sure he hires someone who will get the information right?

Cibrian’s proposal only makes sense if the council made their decision without knowing the details. So what happens if the council receives all relevant information and still makes a bad decision? Given the weak excuses offered so far, I can’t help but wonder if we have just witnessed exactly what would happen.

Technorati Tags: Philip Cortez, Diane Cibrian, San Antonio, South Size rezoning

Last month, City Council members shrugged off the recommendations of three advisory panels and city staffers as they granted a developer’s rezoning request to build a subdivision just over a mile from the center of Toyota’s pickup plant on the South Side.

And the council members thought this was a good idea because …? Given Earl’s arguments, maybe the owners of Boobbie Rock should have hired him to deal with Diane Cibrian.

MySA.com: South/East

Earl, the lobbyist, scoffed at the idea that the manufacturer should have any sway over how or whether nearby property owners develop their land.”

What gives them the right to tell my client what they can do on their property, a mile from the plant?” Earl said. “Have they bought an easement? No. Have they paid my client for their property? No.”

Ultimately, I’m not sure this is the result of terms limits and subsequent council inexperience in the way some people believe.

MySA.com: South/East

Wolff blamed the move on the council’s inexperience, with eight of its 11 members having held office for less than a year.

I think it has more to do with some council members looking forward to their post-city council employment opportunities. Should their aspirations continue to be in the political arena cooperating with David Earl would benefit them more than trying to accommodate Toyota.

Jaime Castillo’s column makes some very interesting observations regarding the situation including that:

MySA.com: Columnists

Former Mayor Ed Garza, who chairs the City South Management Authority, said Earl could’ve received permission for that kind of use under the city’s conservation ordinance.

Yet, Earl pushed for and received an “urban district” rezoning classification, which opens the door for other land uses.

“Basically, what the council gave him, he can do half-acre lots,” Garza warned, “but he can also do high density, if he wants.”

It seems pretty obvious to me why Earl pushed for the urban district classification. Who do you think it would be easier to sell to: families interested in paying for houses on large lots within a mile of the plant or singles or young couples who can’t afford a house but want to live closer to where they work?

I think the council members understood exactly what they were doing when the voted to reclassify the land. David Earl has a lot more to do with their long term interests than any of the voters of their council districts.

Technorati Tags: San Antonio City Council, South Side Toyota, zoning changes, David Earl, Harry Hausman, Diane Cibrian, Philip Cortez

District 8 City Councilwoman Diane Cibrian said she’s “strongly considering” seeking the mayor’s office after only one term. On Friday, she said she’ll make a formal decision early next year.

So Cibrian wants to do for the entire city what she has done for District 8? Which is what exactly?

Property tax relief? Wasn’t she going to find the waste in the budget to fund the tax cut? Seems she has made it through her first budget approval period and all she managed to do was to get other council members to put tax relief as a priority. Haven’t heard anything about the areas she plans to cut yet. (I’m sorry, the minuscule tax cut passed this fall has nothing to do with being a private business owner and running more efficient government.)

Wasn’t she also the one who was going to reduce traffic congestion by synchronizing the lights? It couldn’t be from expanding or building new roads since that would obviously cost money. The drive down De Zavala to I-10 at rush hour still takes 15 minutes.

“Not fair!” you say. She’s only been on the council for six months. But wasn’t that also part of her campaign, that she could hit the ground running because of her public service experience?

Cibrian has proven that she’s willing to walk the leather off her shoes and that she’s good at getting publicity. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s a good public official or that she would make a good mayor.

Technorati Tags: Diane Cibrian, San Antonio, District 8, Mayor, City Council

I am grateful that Cibrian has sent out the information and I do think that it’s part of her job in representing the district to do so. What bothers me is what I’m pretty sure are some exaggerated and unsupported statements. The basic premise of the objection is fine. “The sexual concept for this business is both offensive and disturbing to the neighborhood, the families, and the business that live and operate along IH-10 and Huebner.”

But then this is closely followed by “Children walk and ride their bikes on these very streets. This objectionable establishment will influence our youth inappropriately and create severe ramifications. This neighborhood is full of children and seniors who would be negatively affected by the bar.” The location is on the access road for I-10 between a car dealership and an office building. If children are walking or riding their bikes on “these very streets,” there’s a lot more to worry about passing a strip club. I would imagine they likely would be run over by a Hummer before they ever had a chance to wonder about the bar.

According to the email, “The San Antonio Police Department has received over 100 calls this year for Sugar’s Men’s Club.” Calls about what? Ultimately, I would imagine the residents of the nearby apartment buildings or the shopping centers off of Huebner would be more worried about the clubs rowdy cliental causing problems outside the club. Then why not say so? Is that what the calls were about?

I realize that this sounds like a teacher criticizing an essay and that’s not really the point. The point is to stop the strip club, who cares about the actual number of kids walking along the access road? It’s just that lately, I’ve been increasingly encountering exaggerated and alarmist speech in order to arouse action. I suppose it’s the nature of the times that it’s necessary to create a “crisis” atmosphere to get people’s attention: innocent children and little old ladies!

The reality is that I-10 is the gateway into the medical center, USAA, UTSA, and Fiesta Texas. And as we try to impress visitors with our talents and opportunities, they’ll be passing by Boobie Rock. Talk about a quality of life indicator.

Ultimately, I can’t fault Diane Cibrian from using generally accepted practices to address the situation. This is the state of politics today. So even though I didn’t vote for her and I’m still waiting for the traffic problems to disappear with a simple synchronizing of the lights (hey, wait a minute, since she said apartments were one of the major reasons for traffic congestion and the nearest neighborhoods to the bar are two apartment complexes, maybe this is a way to close down the apartment complexes–never mind) you should email her office to voice your opinion concerning the proposed men’s club.

District8@sanantonio.gov

Technorati Tags: San Antonio, strip club, Diane Cibrian Bobbie Rock

Dig Deeper Texas – Sometimes you have dig deeper to get past the bs » Libraries are a luxury

In all seriousness, if the Internet doesn’t satisfy, which is rarely the case, I find myself headed to UTSA or the superior Texas State library. But like I said…rarely. Wondering if there’s any way to eliminate some of the branch libraries…or at least downsize them. I know that query sounds a little ignorant; I need to read more about this. I guess I’ll head over to the Taco Cabana.

I was at the Cody Library the other day and waiting for some paperwork at the computer check-in desk. In the few minutes I was waiting, three people signed up for the computer waiting list. They were told that there were 18 on the list for the hour computer and six for the 15 minute computer. I couldn’t help but ask how many computers were available. There are two for the 15 minute users and I think she said eight for the hour users. These people signed in and were prepared to wait.

The people who signed up for computer use probably realized the value of the internet just like the commenters on my post but the library was apparently their only source of access. And you know, the Cody library isn’t located in one of the poorer parts of town. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that not everyone (especially in San Antonio) has a computer, much less internet access.

Given our support for traditional library services, I wouldn’t hold my breath for the city to increase funding for internet access. That might just raise my taxes in District 8–the location of the Cody Library.

Technorati Tags: Library, budget, District 8, Internet Use, Diane Cibrian

TTI: Urban Mobility Information: 2007 Annual Urban Mobility Report

The 2007 Urban Mobility Report builds on previous Urban Mobility Reports with an improved methodology and expanded coverage of the nation’s urban congestion problem and solutions.

According to the report, San Antonio would need to build 52 miles of new roads a year to maintain current levels of congestion. Our traffic growth rate is exceeding our road capacity growth rate by 30% to 45%. I don’t think coordinating traffic lights is going to solve our traffic problems.

Technorati Tags: San Antonio, traffic congestion, Texas Transportation Institute, Urban Mobility, Diane Cibrian, District 8

MySA.com: Metro | State

Councilwoman Delicia Herrera, who supports the higher fees, said the council last year knew the extra $2 per month would turn up in the fiscal 2008 spending plan. “We all understood this was part of the process.”

But Cibrian, elected in June, said the council’s six new members had been “saddled” with the hike.

Based on her comments, I would guess she never read it.

What a pathetic response, the new members were “saddled” with the hike. And what is Diane going to bequeath the council member who replaces her? A minuscule tax cut and even greater traffic congestion problems?

So Cibrian is going to blame previous councils for any tax increases but take credit for the tax cut. Why am I not surprised?

Technorati Tags: Diance Cibrian, garbage collection fee, tax cuts