46 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE TheCoastalBend.com • Renewed leadership, new management. The City of Corpus Christi is organized in a Council-Manager government struc- ture, where the elected city council operates like a board of directors, the mayor a sort of chairman of the board, with a city manager hired as a professional administrator in the CEO role. In a Mayor-Council system, the mayor acts as the CEO of the City and often has veto power over the council. The idea behind Cor- pus Christi's chosen system is the separation of politics from the management of the city—that's the idea, at least, which can fail when the mayor and city manager collude and coordinate to the advantage of a political side, especially when financial incentives motivate the city manager and others. “The day the beatings stop, you'll think you landed in paradise.” Prior to 2019 when Peter Zanoni arrived in Corpus Christi to serve as city manager, after years as an assistant city manager in San Antonio, City Hall was as dysfunctional as it is today. Zanoni was our fourth city manager in three years, two who quit and one interim, and brought with him hope for citizens that came with simple compe- tency and management experience on a high level—and he delivered. Our streets were at last being fixed, quickly in some places, the financial condition of the City was greatly improved, and much of the dead weight within City staff was being trimmed and replaced with (somewhat) more capable hires. Just a few months into the job, however, it became clear to this observer that Zanoni had employed a strategy to cozy up to the mayor, then Joe McComb, by parroting whatever ridiculous notion he wanted the people to believe. In the very public debate over a canal on North Beach, an effort to build a new tourist attraction while relieving the peninsula's chronic flooding problem, Zanoni declared on KRIS News that the storm sewer system on North Beach functioned properly, despite video of lifted manhole covers revealing 90% blockage of sewer lines. In a private meeting with developers, he admitted that the system did not work and was the cause of flooded streets when the moon was full—no rainfall required—because that was Mayor McComb's line in opposition to the canal project. He employed the same strategy for five years with Mayor Paulette Guajardo, now in her third term, until recently when they have quarreled publicly in City Council meetings. Peter Zanoni's strategy of aligning himself with the mayor and her coalition on council—lead by Councilman Roland Barrera—has rewarded him handsomely. Hired at a salary of $300,000 per year in 2019, record compensation for a Corpus Christi city manager, his pay had increased to $372,000 by 2024, when he was giv- en a 10% pay raise that took him to $409,000, his current salary plus benefits, in a 5-4 vote. Although beneficial to Zanoni personally, his tactic as city manager fully compromises the mission of the Council-Manager system to take politics out of the management of the City. Quite the opposite, the City of Corpus Christi has de- volved into a fight club of battling factions aligned on opposite sides. When I meet a newcomer to our once “Sparkling City by the Sea,” I offer those famous words of the all-knowing Obi-Wan Kenobi, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.” Once we fix the water disaster, and after we are blessed with a leader whose clearly articulated agenda is embraced by the voters, then we must find a new city manager who we can trust—that word again. While the city manager and his staff have exerted great effort to lead us to long- term water solutions, they have failed, and our only hope is an outside interven- tion. When you add the fundamental flaws in his management style, allegations of favoritism in his hiring of an animal control director (the one with zero experience who quit after a month while qualified applicants were being ignored), to almost $150,000 in entertainment expenses for him and his staff, to the toxic work envi- ronment at City Hall that has produced one resignation after another, the replace- ment of Peter Zanoni would be the next vital step in fixing Corpus Christi. • And then, we can start catching up. With new leadership and management in place at the City of Corpus Christi, billions upon billions of dollars in pent-up investment will descend upon the Coastal Bend. The local industries association says that some $70 billion in in- dustrial investment has been lost or delayed due to the lack of water—much, all, or more of those investments will at last materialize. When we establish the Coastal Bend as the national center of public water excellence, rather than shame, by locating the most advanced seawater desalination plant in the Unit- ed States here, we will emerge as one of the biggest turnaround stories in the country. An effective new leader, like Henry Cisneros would do, will personal- ly visit those lost billionaires and tell them about the new attitude toward business in Corpus Christi. As wages increase with a growing economy and confidence returns for big investors, we can at last do big things with our most valued asset, one of the most beautiful and pristine coastlines in the Unit- ed States. “San Antonio turned a dirty ditch into one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, but we can't figure out what to do with most beautiful waterfront on the Texas coast.” Those sad words were first pub- lished 22 years ago, and more sad- ly, apply even more today. What we must do: [1] North Beach navigable canal and Riverwalk-style hospitality zone, surrounded by hotels and a village community. [2] A Kemah-style entertainment de- velopment on one of the Bayfront landmasses. [3] A minimum 1,000- room, five star convention center hotel adjacent to the Hilliard Cen- ter. [4] Develop Lake Padre into a Sandestin-meets-Fort Lauder- dale marina district and home to the first superyacht fleet in Texas. [5] Bring back Selena Fest in the spring (don't fight with Buc Days) and Bayfest in the fall. Increased off-season hotel demand will spark new investment in full-ser- vice hotels (those with a restau- rant and room service) along the Bayfront. The San Antonio-Austin MegaRegion (credit: Mayor Cisner- os) is the fastest growing region in the country. We need to bring their dollars here while improving our economy and quality of life. North Beach Canal Kemah Boardwalk Sandestin Resort Fort Lauderdale Marina Fiesta de la Flor
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