A.D. Ibarra

-Moncada Park

The grand unveiling of the newest additions to the Eagle Pass Public Works Department, the $1,074,000.00 purchase of four residential side loader refuse collectors took place on Monday, just before the trash collector began to make their rounds that morning.

Ismael Mata, Jose Gracia, Ricardo Flores, and Ismael Mijares were given their keys and the honor of being the first to put the magnificent new machines to work on their routes as those dignitaries gathered waved racing flags in order to send them off to their day’s work and city routes.

Hector Chavez, Director of the Public Works thanked the Mayor and City Council for the approval of these four residential side loaders which will significantly reduce the route time that our machine operators take to gather the over 31,000 tons of trash that are picked up.

“They also approved for us to take over the municipal solid waste operations, then of course we have administration who has to support us to do our job,” added Chavez, “In 2007 we took it over, We rented out machines for $50,000.00 a month for six trucks. We could tell right away that it is just wasn’t going to work and fees were going to be raised again, so we presented it back to the city council who thankfully approved it even though everybody was not on board at the time.”

Chavez convinced city council that they could make it work and that one day it could be a self-sustaining entity in itself and a lo and behold, the City of Eagle Pass Municipal Solid Waste Collections Department run by Jose Mora.

Other integral members of the department are Administrative Assistant Ana Laura Rios, Lead Refuse Equipment Operator Ruben Jimenez and his team of Jose Gracia, Ricardo Flores, Jesus Lozano, Ismael Mata, Ismael Mijares, Ricardo Perez, Juan Sanchez, Margarito Sanchez, Luis Saucedo, Luis Munoz, and Jesus Valles.