San Antonio officials demand an independent review of the Public Works Department amid growing frustration over construction delays and safety concerns.
SAN ANTONIO — Frustration is boiling over in San Antonio, as residents and small business owners voice mounting concerns over stalled construction projects, safety hazards and poor communication from the city’s Public Works Department.
Now, city councilmembers are stepping in.
Following complaints of delays, miscommunication, and what some describe as “broken promises,” Councilmembers Marina Alderete Gavito, Dr. Sukh Kaur, and Teri Castillo are requesting an independent review of the department. The proposed evaluation will focus on major city initiatives, including the 2022 Bond Projects and the Infrastructure Management Program.
Council members say the move comes at a critical moment, as a new Public Works director is expected to be appointed. They hope the review will help reset expectations and restore public trust.
“We need to push the reset button on Public Works,” said Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito, who represents District 7. “Execution of the project, making sure quality work is being done across all districts.”
She pointed to repeated issues in neighborhoods like Jefferson, where sidewalk construction was delayed due to missed coordination with conservation district requirements.
“Misses like that can’t happen,” Gavito said.
The call for change echoes complaints the city heard today from business owners, including Tomas Uresti, who owns Corner Coffee and More on Pleasanton Road. Uresti said recently-installed medians are more than an inconvenience — they’re a threat to safety and survival.
“Sooner or later, somebody’s gonna get hurt if not killed because of the work that they’re doing,” Uresti said, adding that he believes contractors are not following city ordinances or OSHA safety guidelines.
Uresti spoke directly to council during a public comment portion of Wednesday’s meeting, warning that several businesses along Pleasanton Road are on the brink of closure due to the disruption.
“Not all city council members know what’s going on,” said Uresti. “I’m positive not all of them have had the chance to drive this corridor. Until somebody drives it, will they know exactly what the problems are? You have to see it firsthand.”
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to allow somebody from outside of this area to tell us what’s best for us,” Uresti said in an interview with KENS May 2. “I’m going to work to help my fellow business members on this side of town not to be shut down, not to be forced out of business and to be picked on the way Public Works is doing now.”
Uresti is now requesting city records to determine who was responsible for community outreach tied to the project, after claiming flyers promised by the city were never distributed.
“They said they sent out 18,000 flyers to all the businesses and neighbors in the area. No one recalls getting that. I didn’t get any in my business or my home,” Uresti said. “The website said they came to all the businesses down Pleasanton Road. That’s not true. You paid block walkers to do this and it wasn’t done.”
Councilwoman Alderete Gavito said concerns like these need to be addressed quickly — and publicly — by the incoming mayor and council.
City Manager Erik Walsh said steps are already underway.
“Infrastructure is one of our core services and we need to continuously ensure we’re executing and providing services at high levels,” said Walsh. “Last month, I initiated an outside consultant review to streamline and improve communication with the public, enhance our delivery of projects and retool our project management efforts.”
Next, this City Council Request heads to committees before going to council for a full vote.