Residents praise Precinct 3 cleanup, raise concern over county material reportedly stored on private property

Three residents used the public comment period at Monday's San Patricio County Commissioners Court to highlight local road and cleanup work and to raise concerns about county property reportedly stored on private land.

Frank Casey, a resident of Sutton in Precinct 3, asked the court for an explanation after noticing county materials and equipment on private property for about six months. "This is our tax money in Precinct 3 that she has stored on her personal property and no telling what else," Casey said, referring to a former commissioner (name not specified by the speaker). He also told the court he had been told the new commissioner, Ruben Gonzalez, had four workers at Casey's home doing work and said he supported Gonzalez's efforts: "He's done more in the past 6 months than the last 2 commissioners did in 10 years." Casey requested answers from the court.

Edna Cavazos, a Precinct 3 resident who attended a community cleanup in St. Paul, thanked Commissioner Gonzalez, Gabriel Fonseca (staff organizer) and other staff for organizing and staffing the event. "Great outcome... Everything was well organized. People were smiling. Environmental was there. Great guidance," Cavazos said.

Bobby Nedbolic (listed in the transcript as a Precinct 3 resident) urged the court to consider a unified county approach to road management, arguing current practices favor higher-population areas and leave rural roads in greater disrepair. He cited a conversation with former commissioner Fred Nardini about county growth and the need for a centralized road management system. "Please get serious about your responsibility as a court to wisely manage county tax money and services with the obvious choice to have a unified county management of county roads," he said.

The judge and commissioners did not announce any immediate investigatory actions in response to the allegations about county materials on private property during the public comment period. Commissioner Gonzalez later reported ongoing road and maintenance work in Precinct 3, including chip sealing, brush pickup and barrier painting in multiple areas.

The court did not take action on the specific allegation that county materials remain on a private parcel during the meeting; residents asked for answers and the court recorded praise for recent cleanup and maintenance activity.