The race for City Council District V

 

Only candidate Juan José Rendon took the time to get back to us the answers LareDOS posed to both candidates for City Council District V.

 

LareDOS: Give us your background in Laredo as well as information about your education and employment experience, the name of your spouse and your children, where you grew up in Laredo , and where you reside now.

Juan José Rendon: I was born and raised in Laredo by my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Rendon. I am a product of Laredo public schools and graduated from Martin High School in 1964. I worked in the downtown district as a sales person for two major stores. I also worked as a sales manager for a mobile home company. I later became part owner of a restaurant/bar. I joined the Laredo Fire Department on March 20, 1978. My beginning position was a firefighter, and I advanced through the ranks as assistant driver, driver, captain, and district chief, by having time in rank and passing civil service exams. I enhanced my education in my profession as a firefighter by taking courses such as the National Fire Academy Certificate of Training: Fire Supervision Phase I, 1988; Certificate of Training: Incident Command System, 1990; Certificate of Training: Managing Tactical Operations, 1992; and Certificate of Training: Chemistry of Hazardous Materials, 1994.

Additionally, I have completed Texas Engineering Extension Service courses through the Texas A&M University System in Crash Fire Symposium, 1989; Incident Command System, 1990; Methods of Teaching Course, 1992; Managing Company Tactical Operations: Preparation, 1992; 24-Hour live fire training, 1993; Incident Command System, 1994; Firefighting Course IV, 1994; and First Responder Hazmat Technician, 1995. In 1991 and 1992 I completed the Greater Dallas County Fire Instructors Association course, Aircraft Fire and Rescue Instructors and Coordinators Conference. I also completed courses of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Personnel Standards and Education for Firefighter Certification in 1979; Intermediate Firefighter Certification in 1986; and Aircraft Crash & Rescue Firefighter Certification in 1988. I have completed Texas Commission on Fire Protection courses for Intermediate and Advanced Firefighter Certification. In 1987, I completed the International Crash-Fire Rescue Academy of the American Association of Airport Executives. In 1992, I completed the Texas State Association of Firefighters Service Training Program and in 1995 completed a course in Incident Command Systems sponsored by the Governor's Division of Emergency Management. Through Laredo Community College 's Continuing Education Department I have completed coursework in Special Topics in Environmental Control Technologies in 1994

My family and I are the owners of Rendon's Karate and Dance Academy , a small family-operated business that I started 34 years ago. The business that I started with a few students has flourished to hundreds of students attending classes on a daily basis. One of the greatest satisfactions that we have felt and seen during the years is seeing our students becoming productive citizens of our community.

I married María De La Luz Cervantes and we are blessed with two daughters and one son. They are Diana, Juan José, and Sara. We have also been blessed with grandchildren -- Juan José, Marco Antonio, Lorena Teresa, and Juan Leonardo. I was raised in the Guadalupe and Heights neighborhoods during my school days. We have lived in Retama II subdivision for 34 years. Retama II is part of City Council District 5, the position that I am seeking, and the position that Councilman Eliseo Valdez will be vacating because of his final term in office.

What have you learned about public service in the years you have been a public servant?

I do not hold an elected position at this time, but I have served my community with pride and honor as a public safety officer. I have witnessed the growth of our community with pride and interest, but that growth has not come without a price. Some of the issues that I am addressing are traffic congestion, drug awareness through education and prevention, a secondary water source, and public safety.

In the course of making decisions for the entity on which you serve, you are faced with a great deal of information. How do you discern between the mass of information you receive and the salient information you really need to make good decisions?

Making good decisions with issues at hand can be accomplished by listening with an open mind, studying and discussing the matter, and always remembering that decisions we make should be made with the best interest of our citizens and our community.

How do you remain focused on the hard issues?

I will remain focused on hard issues by being fair, impartial, and always looking for the best possible results that will better our citizens and our community. The citizens will be my number one commitment.

What decision making skills do you bring to a forum like City Council?

During my tenure as an officer in public safety, I was faced with decision making on a daily basis. The proper training that I had provided me with great information to decide on the best possible action to take. My experience in decision making as an officer of the Fire Department and my background as a businessman is what I will bring to a forum like the City Council. My experience in the Fire Department from safety issues to making on-the-spot decisions will enable me to focus primarily on the people I will serve.

Are you a team player?

I have always been an advocate of being a team player. I have always believed that working together brings out the best results possible. I believe that my success as an officer was because I treated everybody with respect. I made everybody in our group aware that every single one of them was very important for our team. Our main and most important role was to provide citizens and our community with the best professional services. Being in a team means a unified group. Together we shall succeed!

Characterize this City Council's ability to make good decisions that benefit the general populace.

I believe that in general this city council has made decisions for the populace of our community, but there are some issues that I feel need to be addressed such as traffic congestion, a secondary water source, drug awareness through education and prevention, and public safety. Our City Council has always been a strong organization and I want to continue this trend by coming in with my eyes wide open ready to serve.

There is a perception that this City Council is so pro-growth and pro-development that other important quality of life issues hang in the balance, like the environment, parks, and the state of the cityscape in general. Give us your ideas about this.

Realistically and truthfully, I need to listen to both sides of a story. I'm all for the development and I'm all for preservation. We have to compromise to keep both sides of the spectrum satisfied, making sure about what is best for the community. This is my commitment to the council and to the people I will serve. There is a balance if you look for it.