Brawley City Council: Mayor speaks on negative public comments hurled at city staff, Council updates on various topics

BRAWLEY – Brawley City Council’s regular meeting held on Tuesday, October 3 featured reports from members ranging from updates on health care bills and noise ordinances, to conferences, Cattle Call prep, and commentary on worsening public criticism towards city officials that Mayor Nava deemed “uncalled for.”

Councilmembers Luke Hamby and Donald Wharton have been involved with “numerous stakeholder conversations” regarding Healthcare Bill AB 918 and will remain in regular contact with major players in the process as all parties progress towards finding a solution that satisfies the Valley as a whole.

“This is not a north-south thing, this is very much a ‘we the Valley’ thing,” Wharton said during his update. Both agree that the bill will likely be a recurring topic of conversation for the foreseeable future.

Councilmember Hamby said that he and other City employees have been working hard to prepare the city for its annual Cattle Call weekend, and that the nice weather has been a welcome change to employees accustomed to the deadly summer temperatures.

“As the weather cools off there’s a lot more work that can be done without killing people,” Hamby said. He noted that projects are “coming in faster than ever before,” but that the “endless work” before them will be all the more achievable now that the fall season has arrived.

Councilmember Wharton foreshadowed good news regarding new business at the local airport, noting that he will keep the info anonymous as additional improvements to the facility are still in the early stages. He mentioned specifically that an executive hangar may be in the works, but that more will be divulged at a later date.

Updates from Wharton also included news of continued discussions between Spot 805 and residents of Ciudad Plaza in the debate over appropriate noise levels on Main Street. Following updates given by Police Chief Jimmy Duran earlier in the meeting, Wharton suggests that the issue be brought back as a discussion item in order for the council to consider amendments to the current ordinance and to hash out remaining details on the matter.

Several council members were able to attend the League of California Cities in Sacramento, a conference intended to bridge the gap between local officials across the state. Councilmember Rebollar, who attended for the first time, said he saw it as a chance for officials and administrators to “exchange knowledge and experiences” as California continues to focus on integrating political spheres on a “personal and professional level.” He briefly noted the “buzz” surrounding the topic of Lithium Valley in north-end areas as the very real potential for economic growth and job opportunities seems to be on residents’ radar.

Rebollar was also recently recognized as Hispanic of the Year for the Hidalgo Society, and was congratulated by his fellow council members upon the public announcement. Rebollar said the award was “an honor” and invited the public to attend the Dia de la Raza event on Saturday, October 14, where he will be recognized. Rebollar thanked his father and previous Hispanic of the Year recipient, Gabe Rebollar, for inspiring him through his “profound love for the community.”

Councilmember Ramon Castro, who has been bestowed the award in years past, summarized the accomplishment.

“Whether we made it out of the projects,” Castro said. “Whether we’re making a little more money now, we will continue to do the things that we’re supposed to do … we can’t forget about where we came from [so we can] continue to help other people climb out of that situation and move on to better things.”

Mayor George Nava took the floor at the conclusion of the meeting to address the growing concern of animosity being shown towards city officials.

Recently, “disparaging remarks” being hurled towards staff members, department heads, and managers within the city have reached a tipping point and are beginning to take a toll on their hardworking recipients, he said. Nava pointed out that there are 19 parks in the City of Brawley, although staffing still sits at “less than ten.” He asked for grace and patience from the community as staff and officials continue to do the best they can, as fast as they can, with the limited resources they have.

“We’re serving 27,000 plus people… and it really isn’t fair that people are attacked for doing the work that we have to do as a collective unit,” the mayor said. “Quite honestly, we are human beings. People lose sleep over those comments … they are not just forgetting things.”

Nava apologized for the “long-winded” but “necessary” comment, and appealed to the public by referencing the current council’s successful track record of resolving issues successfully.

Sarina E. Guerra

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