Local residents and businesses aren’t keen on rolling out a welcome mat for border wall contractors in the area.
One local electrician in Terlingua, Josh Flack, was contacted last week about his assistance in supplying power for construction workforce camps—which he declined and then posted the man’s phone number on Facebook, asking commenters if anyone knew who it was.
Tracing the phone number revealed the caller works as a project engineer for Barnard Construction Co., a Montana company that has built physical border walls in Texas and New Mexico.
Flack told Marfa Public Radio the Barnard caller was looking at properties in Lajitas. “ I just basically told him that I had an obligation to my kids to not be involved in anything like that, and that’s probably what he’s gonna get from most local businesses,” Flack told MPR.
Another source in Terlingua spoke with a geologist who works with Rizzo International, an engineering firm that has worked on border wall projects. Last week, patrons of the Starlight Theatre told that geologist to leave the restaurant after he revealed his role.
Area realtors—who have told Big Bend Sentinel about numerous inquiries for property acquisition—don’t have an option of turning away the feds and contractors since they are obligated to present all offers to clients.
Reporting by Sam Karas and Rob D’Amico.