The Refugio City Council voted 18 months ago to have the city attorney re-write an ordinance to exclude a requirement for a fire marshal on the substandard building committee. At Tuesday night’s meeting, the council reviewed the new ordinance but rejected it.

The revamped ordinance still required a fire marshal in addition to a certified building inspector with at least 10 years experience.

Alderman Ron Nelson said that’s not what the council ordered.

“All we asked was to leave the fire marshal out,” Nelson said. “This has drug on forever.”

City Attorney Deb Bauer told the council that she was following their instructions when she re-wrote the ordinance.

“I did what I was told to do,” Bauer said.

On April 24, 2007, Bauer and the council held a workshop meeting to discuss the ordinance. Also attending was a group of citizens and former members of the substandard building committee.

Jack Barnhart, former chair of the committee, complained at the workshop 18 months ago that progress wasn’t being made. During the meeting that followed the workshop, the council voted for Bauer to change the wording to delete the fire marshal.

Tuesday night, Bauer claimed she was told to use Austwell’s ordinance as a sample.

The majority of the buildings that are targeted for demolition do not need a building inspector or fire marshal to make a determination, Nelson said.

“We’re not talking about houses where people live,” Nelson said. “We’re talking about dilapidated, abandoned buildings.”

Nelson claimed that most of those buildings will likely be voluntarily demolished and not be contested.

“I have some that I’m tearing down myself,” he said.

Reymundo Rocha, an appointee to the building inspection committee before it disbanded, said he still considered himself a member of the committee. Rocha said the committee considered three things when inspecting a house including whether the house has utility hookups, whether it is a fire hazard and whether it is a health hazard.

Bill Rayburn, who chairs the concerned citizens group, was at the workshop meeting 18 months ago when the council voted to remove the requirement of a fire marshal. Jaso recognized Rayburn to speak.

Rayburn told the council he believed the current ordinance was well written and sufficient and didn’t need to be rewritten, with the exception of removing the fire marshal.

“But you’re not using that ordinance,” Rayburn said. “You don’t have to have an engineering degree to see the grass is too high and that a building doesn’t have windows and doors.”

The council will hold a workshop one hour before the next meeting to iron out the details.

In personnel matters, Matt McKay complained to the council about being treated rudely when he went to city hall to pay his water bill. McKay said he attempted to pay with cash but the city employee refused to take his $150 because he was $14 short. He also complained that his wife was mocked when the employee repeated the story to the mayor.

“Nobody should be made to feel like they’re at the bottom of the barrel,” McKay said, and asked that city public servants treat all citizens with courtesy.

In open meeting Callie Shreckengost apologized to McKay but said her version was different.

“I choose not to argue or talk about your case in public,” Shreckengost said.

“I believe measures have been taken to address this,” McKay said, and asked that people not be dishonored by city employees.

“Our apologies, sir,” Mayor Ray Jaso said.