SAN ANTONIO – During KSAT’s 6 O’Clock News Tuesday night, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she was focused on “moving forward” while half of City Council calls for her censure.
On Monday, five councilmembers called for a special meeting to propose censuring Jones.
The councilmembers named in the proposal are Phyllis Viagran (District 3), Teri Castillo (District 5), Marina Alderete Gavito (District 7), Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (District 8) and Misty Spears (District 9).
The five councilmembers wrote that there have recently been “repeated instances of unprofessional conduct” involving Jones. The censure proposal comes after a confrontation on Feb. 5 between Jones and District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur and Jones.
In the aftermath of the confrontation, Kaur filed a formal code of conduct complaint against Jones that will be investigated over the next two weeks.
Jones told KSAT on Tuesday that the confrontation was related to the Bonham Exchange. The gay nightclub, which opened in 1981, was several years overdue for the installation of a required sprinkler system to meet fire code.
>> What’s the story behind the Bonham Exchange? KSAT Explains
The Bonham Exchange missed the Jan. 31 deadline for establishments to either be compliant or be on the path towards a compliance plan.
“The fire chief (Valerie Frausto) was very clear that in order for this place to be safe, you need to bring down the occupancy,” Jones told KSAT. “That is something that I fully support.”
A resolution put forward by Kaur would have given the Bonham Exchange and other businesses more time, but Jones said Kaur’s resolution would not have reduced the businesses’ occupancy.
“Let me be very clear: When the fire chief calls the Bonham Exchange a ‘fire trap,’ I take that very seriously,” Jones said. “And so, when she says, ‘reduce the occupancy,’ you know what we’re going to do? Reduce the occupancy.”
Jones said Kaur’s resolution would have put peoples’ lives at risk and also would not have put the Bonham Exchange on a path to a sprinkler system.
“Fire code, in my book, is nonnegotiable,” Jones told KSAT.
Patrick Christensen, an attorney for the Bonham Exchange, confirmed it signed an agreement with the city last week to remain open with reduced occupancy. The deal would reportedly cut its current occupancy of roughly 650 people by more than half — to less than 300 people.
General Manager Joan Duckworth previously said she needed time to raise money for the estimated $550,000 sprinkler system and that restricting occupancy to less than 300 people “would virtually shutter us.”
“We can be creative though, right, about how we address the operating model,” Jones said. “But, at the end of the day, it needs to be safe.”
When asked if she felt there have been times where tensions were so high that interactions with councilmembers were questionable or unprofessional, Jones said, “I think it’s very clear we have different professional backgrounds,” noting her experience in the Air Force.
“Asking tough questions, right, and really digging into the issues that I think are in the best interest of our community, I’ll continue to do. ... If I have in any way hurt somebody’s feelings though, I will always apologize, ‘cause that is never my intention,” Jones said.
Jones declined to comment on whether she would have done anything differently in her interaction with Kaur and other councilmembers, citing the ongoing investigation.
“I think it’s important we repair relationships, but let’s also let’s be focused on results,” Jones said.
Watch the full interview in the above video player.
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