23 Oct Brownsville Environmental Task Force Gets Off to a Tense Start

Brownsville’s new Environmental and Conservation Task Force picked its leaders Wednesday, but not before a public comment period dominated by demands that one member be taken off the panel, per the Brownsville Herald.

Valeria Caballero stepped forward for chair and won the vote. Etienne Rosas, who has publicly criticized the appointment of fellow member Carolyn Wood, was voted vice chair. Wood tried to open the field by nominating Scott Fry, general manager of Cameron County Drainage District No. 1, but he declined. Just seven of the members, the community appointees, have a vote.

The 11-member group was appointed to study how data centers affect the environment and local economy. A preliminary report with findings and recommendations is due to the city commission in December, and the commission will decide whether to adopt any regulations.

Roughly 40 people packed into the meeting room at the Brownsville Event Center. Six spoke during public comment, and most of them questioned whether Wood, a senior environmental regulatory engineer at SpaceX, has a conflict of interest because of her employer. Christopher Basaldú, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, said the city appears to be steering the outcome and argued any ordinances should serve the environment, not SpaceX or data centers.

City Manager Alan Guard addressed the tension up front, acknowledging the issue directly. He told members they can meet as often as they like, hold public hearings and submit split reports if their final views differ. Boards usually have no budget, he said, but members should say so if they want an outside expert. He also asked them to be respectful and hear one another out.

An assistant city attorney, Lena Muñoz, then reviewed open-meetings rules, public information requests and the city’s ethics code. She acknowledged some may see the process as rule by the wealthy but said the city operates as a democracy.

The ethics discussion brought Wood back up. Caballero, a staffer at Basaldú’s group, asked how a conflict-of-interest complaint against Wood could be started. First Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Avendaño said legal advice has to be given in closed session, and the members voted to move into one.

Afterward, Joseph Hollmann, who leads the Southwest Regional Water Authority and sits on the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, said it remains to be seen whether the group will mesh and that he hopes the recommendations stick. Rosas said he is cautiously optimistic and isn’t as concerned about the six-month timeline as he is about what the group produces.