Alan E. Baxter Caught on Camera

 Here is a link to some video files of Ex Mayor Alan E. Baxter.    Merely weeks after he was last elected as Mayor Alan E. Baxter filed for the Bexar County Commissioner.  Wow, he was using Windcrest to further his political life.  Baxter was heavily involved with one political party here in Bexar county, but after he lost out for the County Commissioner, he backed the other political party candidate.  Baxter should not be trusted

Baxter Streets not that bad    He thinks the problem is Parks.  Later he gets Park Lights for Hundred of Thousands of Dollars and they are LEASED.  Yes, Leased, that $100,000 is taken out of the annual budget on day one.  The street sweeper Lease is another $50,000, so day one of each year Windcrest makes two Lease payments which immediately reduces the Windcrest budget by $150,000 on day one.  But Baxter claims Windcrest is Debt Free.  Go Figure that one.

Baxter Lying  Claims Tens of Thousands of Dollars went missing.  Maybe that's his cover story for his depleting the street fund.  Sure strange how he always blames others for missing money when under his term as Mayor, the Garbage Fund was over $180,000 in the RED.  Baxter passed that RED line item onto newly elected Mayor Dan Reese.

Caution- Expletive Recording of Alan E. Baxter Cursing Windcrest Ex Fire Chief.  The Policy manual now makes it illegal for an employee to record conversations.

Baxter Cancels Fire Dept Insurance

 Baxter and Jacobi during the process of dismantling the Windcrest Volunteer Fire Department cancelled the Fire Department's accident and sickness insurance.  Now they are both back seeking election for a repeat performance. 

Windcrest officials consider fire department oversight

By Jeff B. Flinn, Staff writer

March 16, 2018

Three years ago, a representative of VFIS of Texas received an email from Windcrest Fire Department officials, asking them to cancel the department’s accident and sickness insurance with the National Union Fire Insurance

Since then, no insurance policy has been in place to protect Windcrest firefighters in the cases of work-related illness or injury.

At its Feb. 26 meeting, the Windcrest City Council heard a representative from the Martin, Cukjati & Tom law firm talk about auditing, accountability and management practices of the Windcrest Volunteer Fire Department. The council is considering two separate proposals on how to run the volunteer fire department and its supporting charity wing.

“Part of the purpose of a fire agreement is to insulate the city from liability,” said Jeffrey Tom, law firm partner, who criticized the former organization’s lack of professionalism and failure to provide insurance and pension funding for its firefighters.

“If you have auditing and accounting management, someone would have noticed that we canceled our insurance and that the amount of money in the insurance column on that audit report went down,” Tom said. “Someone would have noticed that we hadn’t made our pension payments for 11 firefighters over the last three years.”

In October 2017, Windcrest City Council replaced the longtime Windcrest Volunteer Fire Association (WVFA) with the Windcrest Volunteer Fire Department “Bugle Crew,” a newly formed organization designed to handle firefighting, fundraising and accounting practices that were lost under the former group.

The two organizations’ fire agreements, the WVFA and the Bugle Crew, have been put before council, with key structural and operative differences.

“The WVFA is a fund-raising organization,” the attorney said. “Their agreement says, ‘We’re going to fundraise, it’s not our job to respond to emergencies. You’re not going to see our bank records, we’re going to fundraise.’”

Under this agreement, Cukjati said the city is responsible for all of the firefighting.

“(The city) is responsible for responding to and fighting all of the fires. (WVFA) is going to fundraise. They’re saying, ‘Trust us to do that well, and trust us to spend your money well. We’re good guys, we’re your neighbors, and we’ll take care of you,’” he added.

Consequently, the Bugle Crew agreement requires staffing levels and response to emergencies, but also requires financial auditing by the city.

“The Bugle Crew agreement says, ‘We’re going to be transparent with our finances. We’ll take the obligation to respond to fires, and to make sure we’re meeting minimum staffing levels,’” he said. It also requires a fundraising arm that reports to the city with monthly statements and audits.

City Councilman James McFall, one of three councilmen who had been targeted for recall because of their votes to replace the WVFA with the Bugle Crew, explained why the vote occurred in the first place.

“This whole situation started because we were constantly asking for an audit, to be transparent,” McFall said. “Citizens are asking me, ‘What are you doing with the money,’ and when we’d ask, it was always, ‘We’ll get back to you.’ That’s what I have heard for five years.”

Councilman Gerd Jacobi, another councilman targeted by the failed recall, said he was stunned the WVFA would allow firefighters into its organization that would act only as fundraisers and not be required to fight fires.

“The main thing should be that they protect us when there’s a fire. I don’t want to have that separated, to where a fireman says, ‘Hey, I only collect money. I’m not going on a fire run,’” Jacobi said. “I want to have that fire protection. These guys are volunteers here because they want to fight fires, not become fundraisers.”

Councilwoman Joan Pedrotti said the city needs an agreement that ensures the city has adequate fire protection.

“Let’s not talk about fundraising. That’s not important. Firefighting is important,” Pedrotti said. “We need this agreement to protect our citizens and to move forward. I think we need an agreement with an association for exactly what Mr. Jacobi said, to protect our property and the citizens of Windcrest.”

Mayor Dan Reese, a former Windcrest Fire Department fire chief and volunteer, spoke up for the firefighters who served the city under the WFVA.

“It’s a misperception to say the fire association only did fundraising. Those people were firefighters first, and the fact is that they didn’t have to be part of the association to fight fires,” Reese said. “The fire association raised money, and I would contend … that there needed to be more oversight.”

Tom said any agreement the city abides by should include financial accountability and require staffing that reports to the city, so instances like canceled insurance policies and failure to make pension payments do not happen.

“There’s been no written agreement that’s supposed to tell us who does what. The purpose of an agreement is to fix those misunderstandings so everybody knows what the job is, what their role is,” the attorney said.

“It is unbelievable that we could not sit there and say, ‘This is the structure of the fire department. This is what the fire department does, this is what the volunteer fire department program means,’” Tom said. “None of this was down. None of this was documented. We lost track of what those rules were.”

A recall petition aimed at removing the Bugle Crew will be on the May 6 general election ballot in Windcrest.

jflinn@express-news.net

NO Cell Phone for Mayor?

This is how Jacobi operates.  Newly elected Mayor Dan Reese was denies a CellPhone and Tablet which all Mayor receive. Reed the newspaper story below to get the real FACTS of how Jacobi operates.

Windcrest puts off more agenda items than it passes

By Jeff B. Flinn, Staff writer       

December 13, 2017

Windcrest City Council voted at its Dec. 4 meeting to table two agenda items until next June. It denied presenting new Mayor Dan Reese with a cellphone and tablet, and tabled an executive session.

Such is the new face of the city’s governing body, which met for nearly three hours last week and tabled seven agenda items. Council members also canceled their remaining December meeting and set the January meeting for seven weeks later, Jan. 22.

A primary fixture on the agenda was creation of a new firefighters association, the Windcrest Volunteer Fire Department Bugle Crew. City Councilman Jim Shelton read the motion, which was approved by a 3-2 vote. It pitted the city’s existing voting bloc of Councilmen Gerd Jacobi, James McFall and Shelton against the two newly elected council members, Frank Archuleta and Joan Pedrotti.

Shelton’s motion supplants the former fundraising arm of the city fire department, the Windcrest Volunteer Fire Association, with a new agency called the Bugle Crew, which will have sole fundraising and branding rights for the city of Windcrest.

City Manager Rafael Castillo explained the new organization’s status and role.

“We are still in charge of the fire department,” Castillo said. “They (Bugle Crew) are just the volunteers to help us provide services for the community. We will be responsible for the budget and the maintenance of facilities and all the assets, in general.”

Castillo said the pact helps clean up issues the city had with the former fire association.

“This is a lot cleaner contract than we had before, and it separates a lot of liabilities that were not very clear in the past,” he said. “There was a huge liability that was left in limbo before, and we honestly believe that with these decisions that were made, as painful as they are, will definitely provide less liability, and the assets will become a lot more clear.”

Reese, a former Windcrest fire chief and volunteer firefighter, was not happy with the change and questioned how the previous City Council gave Castillo the authority to negotiate the contract in the first place.

“This fundamentally changes how we do fire in Windcrest. Fundamentally,” Reese said. “This agreement never came before a City Council. Never. It was never discussed, it never was outlined, and it never was used as an agenda item so that the citizens could understand what this does.”

There were three agenda items addressing the status and future of the volunteer fire department. Besides the 3-2 passage of the Bugle Crew agenda item, the other two items were tabled until a meeting next June.

The first tabled firefighting issue dealt with delivery of a report by City Attorney Michael Brenan concerning the status of the firefighting function of the city. Brenan said he had the report ready, but Jacobi’s motion and its passage prevented presentation of the report.

“We’re not making a new fire association. We are fundamentally changing the way fire protection is done in the city of Windcrest,” Reese said. “This is mind-boggling that we’re going to table the most fundamental change in fire protection in the city of Windcrest, ever.”

No explanation was given for why Jacobi picked the third Monday in June to next hear the issue, but McFall offered a retort to Reese’s declaration.

“When we had the other (fire) association, citizens asked about (the) money, about financial reports, about what’s going on with it,” McFall said. “The association lied several times. They never brought any paperwork about where the financial statements were, not one time.

“I had citizens sitting out there to ask, ‘What did you make from the (annual firemen’s) gala?’ ‘Oh, we’ll show it to you next time’ was the answer. Next time never came around. Those are things we are forgetting; we’re forgetting that there are problems. We had to recognize the problems and correct them,” McFall said.

The second agenda item tabled until June, this time on a motion by McFall, dealt with council discussing “the firing policy” of the fire department. Archuleta said he wanted a list of volunteer firefighters who have been let go or whose service has been terminated over the past several months. He asked for copies of their letters of termination, and any rebuttals or exchanges between the dismissed firefighters and the city.

Brenan told Reese he would have Castillo get that information to Archuleta.

Another tabled item dealt with items requested by Reese following his Nov. 7 election. Among the items on the list were a cellphone and tablet for his use as mayor.

Shelton made a motion to table the item until the council could be presented with the costs associated with the purchases. The item will be brought up at the Jan. 22 meeting.

But Reese closed the tense exchange by saying he’d changed his mind about rejecting a mayoral stipend of $600.

“Now I am going to take the $600, because of the inability to act on what I consider a very simple item that has grown into something that will not happen, for seven weeks,” he said. “It is absolutely amazing that we’re talking about whether a mayor can have a phone.”

Three other agenda items: board and commission appointments, whether relatives of city officials are being appointed to commissions and boards, and a request to hire an accounting firm to conduct a forensic audit, were tabled on motions by Pedrotti, but not before the need for more information on each item was requested.

jflinn@express-news.net

Employee Benefits for Sale

 When Alan E. Baxter first became mayor, he asked for the city employee benefits package which included Health benefits and a $4,000 HSA.  No other mayor in the history of Windcrest has received Health benefits.

 It gets better.  Alan E. Baxter then gave a part time finance employee city Health benefits in exchange for working an addition 8 hours a month.  Nothing was tracked, she came and went as she wanted. 

Next, Alan E. Baxter gave another part time Contractor City Employee Benefits, yes, Baxter hired this contractor then awarded this Contractor City Employee Health plan Benefits, including the $,4000 HSA in exchange for working an additional 8 hours a month.   Again, nothing was tracked.  Plus once when this contractor actually worked additional hours he billed the city for Overtime to the tune of $1500 dollars.  Ooops caught again, Alan E. Baxter has to hide this quick, so he paid this $1500 out of the Special Legal Fees budget line item.  After all, who would think to search Special Legal Fees account for contractor overtime.

 The bottom line Windcrest has Three (3) part time workers receiving full time employee benefits for working a few extra hours a month.

 Now Alan E. Baxter is planning to be elected once again.  You can bet he will get city health benefits shortly after if he is elected.

 No, the mayor does not vote, but he always grooms at least 3 council people to vote his way.  You have probably already heard how he treats employees that don't play his way.  Remember the Baxter's Cursing Tirade which was recorded?  That's on the web.

Vote Dan Reese, Frank Archuletta and Wes Manning.

Scheme still Unresolved

In Sept 2018 the EDC president (Sue Alexander) explained why she was required to sign a deed transferring a parcel of WEDEC property over to Michael White (IWannaOil,LLC)

 Coincidentally this occurred at the same time as the Finance Director briefed city council about a $145,000 loan to EDC that needed to be repaid by EDC.  What Loan? Sue Alexander, EDC president and the rest of the board denied any knowledge of any $145,000 dollar loan. 

  Baxter & Jacobi all plead disbelief and amazement when this "Loan" surfaced. Actually they were embarrassed only because it was exposed.   Yet City Council will convene into a closed session as authorized by the Section 551 07 of the Texas Government Code to consult with the City Attorney concerning settlement of the portion of the pending lawsuit between the City and Michael White and his related entities and concerning settlement of contemplated litigation over approximately 111 acres of land owned by the City and the Windcrest Economic Development Corporation 

The agenda only refers to the 111 acres, the newly annexed property surrounding Rackspace.  Nothing new there.  But the resolution council passed for this agenda item also Included another 180 acres, located in San Antonio, which included the Target Tract on Walzem AND the property were WalMart now sits.  Plus the vacant property along Walzem Rd at Eisenhouer Rd and around the nursing facility on Eisenhouer Rd.  These properties are referred to as the 180 acre tract.  The settlement agreement has this entry:

"City and the City EDC hereby covenant and agree to immediately take all reasonable actions necessary to prove clear good and marketable title in the City EDC in and to the 180 Acre Tract and the Target Tract and the validity of the liens and deed-in-lieu of foreclosure held by Buddin on the 180 Acre Tract and the Target Tract for the purpose of enabling Buddin and other White Parties and their Affiliates to commercialize these properties.."

  The settlement included $250,000 payment to EDC.  The audits do not show the addition of any $250,000, nor do the City audits.  Where did the $250,000 go?

 Why did the Agenda hide this piece of information?  Very slick indeed.  The settlement agreement clearly refers to the "180 Acres", but the Windcrest Mayor, Attorney and City Council hid that fact by having the agenda item also refers to the 111 acre tract.  Why?  

 Now the Scheme has been exposed.  Enough said, Alan E. Baxter and Gerd Jacobi are running for Election to get back on city council.

I see a trust issue here do you?

Vote Dan Reese, Frank Archuletta and Wes Manning for city council.  Move forward not backwards.

Baxter Jacobi - Bad for Windcrest

 Remember the Fire Department "Bugle Crew"?  That was Alan E. Baxter's brain child and brought about by Gerd  "Jake" Jacobi.

  Now Jacobi is saying he will make sure the FD is properly trained and staffed.  Does he have another Bugle Crew in mind?

 Have you heard of  "Windcrest Sister Cities"?  Another secret brain child of Alan E. Baxter.  He had one of his crony EDC directors form the Windcrest Sister Cities with tax payer dollars, yet keeps the fact that Baxter is a member of the board for that outfit secret.

 Check the past budgets.  Under Baxter and Jacobi, Public Works budgeted $10,000 to maintain alleys.  That barely covers maintenance for two alleys, let alone the entire city.

  Baxter and Jacobi saddled Windcrest with a 7 year trash pickup contract.  But the trash folks get to use those huge overweight trucks that are destroying many of our alleys.

 Vote Dan Reese for Mayor and Frank Archuletta for council, the black sign crew are Bad for Windcrest.

Gerd 'Joke' Jacobi Windcrest Council

One of the 3 amigos is trying a comeback!  He was not the leader of the pack, but always voted as told by the 3 amigos leader. 

https://www.blogger.com/video-thumbnail.g?contentId=1181fbde77719737&zx=s2uodn7d0689
Jacobi has filed for Windcrest city council.  Check out the council video above.  Jacobi flatly says to the three new council members they are trying to dismantle our procedures, we will never be able to work together!
 

 Jacobi is also very very fond of  "Tabling Agenda items" to undermine the entire council- including the Mayor.  Once he motioned to table an item for a whole year!  Not until the next council meeting as is the morm, he did not want the item back until he was gone.
 

 The Garbage fund is still in the red some $50k.  Under Jacobi it was some $280,000 in the RED and all the while Jacobi, Mcfall, Baxter and Shelton smiled and said, we are debt FREE!.

  The City Manager is responsible for presenting a balanced budget.  You have to wonder why he is still in charge.  Several years of the Garbage Fund being in the RED.  Only recently did Citizen discover there were some 100+ residents that had not paid their Garbage Bill for many many years.

  Seems the City Manager would have noticed the negative numbers and investigated himself.  No, he smiles and tries to explain the reason for the Red is the fund was being subsidized!  Yep, you have been paying for someones garbage bill thru your taxes.

The actual addressed of those not paying their Garbage Bill has not been made public.  Wonder why?  Maybe because it would be embarrassing to the ex mayor and his three amigos to see those names and addresses.

Vote Dan Reese and Frank Archuletta and Wes Manning.  Keep Windcrest moving forward.