[00:01:21] OH, OKAY. OKAY. COMING UP NEXT ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL. ON THE COUNCIL, MAYOR RAMIRO GARZA JR. MAYOR PRO TEM DANIEL DAN DIAZ, COUNCIL MEMBER JASON DELEON, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID SALAZAR JR. AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID WHITE, SITTING IN HIS ADVISER, CITY MANAGER MAYRA AYALA, AND CITY ATTORNEY OMAR OCHOA. AND NOW LIVE FROM EDINBURG CITY HALL, THE EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. WE'RE GOING TO START THE MEETING THIS EVENING OF OUR EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL FOR APRIL 2ND AT 6 P.M. ON MY WATCH. WHEN I CALLED THIS MEETING TO ORDER, [1. CALL TO ORDER, ESTABLISH QUORUM] THERE IS ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT ARE PRESENT HERE, EXCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER DAN DIAZ OR MAYOR PRO TEM. I THINK HE'S RUN A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT HE'LL JOIN US IN A LITTLE BIT. WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED TODAY AS WE DO EVERY MEETING WITH A PRAYER BY GABRIELLA [A. Prayer.] CONKLIN FROM FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE STAND. LET US PRAY. DEAR LORD, THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU'VE MADE. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US ALL TO SEE A NEW DAY AND GATHER SAFELY HERE IN THIS PLACE. I PRAY, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY OFFICIALS, CITY STAFF, CITIZENS, AND EACH OF US PRESENT IN THIS PLACE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING OUR COMMUNITY. I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR OFFICIALS AND LEADERS TO ALWAYS WORK FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE AND THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CALLED TO SERVE. MAY YOU INSPIRE IN THEM WISDOM, A SPIRIT OF JUSTICE, A HEART OF COMPASSION AND EMPATHY, AND A SENSE OF UNITY AS THEY STRIVE FOR HARMONY AND FORWARD MOVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY. MAY YOU BLESS AND KEEP US ALL AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR NEIGHBORS. IN YOUR HOLY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, [B. Pledge of Allegiance.] AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, [2. CERTIFICATION OF PUBLIC NOTICE] CERTIFICATION OF PUBLIC NOTICE. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE MEETING WAS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE TO TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON MARCH 28TH, 2024 AT 7:40 P.M.. SIR. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE. [3. DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST] YES, SIR. UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A COUNCIL MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFYING FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM. IF THERE IS A CONFLICT, THE MEMBER CAN'T PARTICIPATE OR VOTE ON THE ITEM. ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS TO DISCLOSE? NO, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. [4. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS] WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE A COUPLE TONIGHT. WE'RE TONIGHT. WE ARE HONORING THE EDINBURG NORTH GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM, WHO WERE RECENTLY NAMED NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS. LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND. THEY'RE HERE JOINING US TODAY. AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION THAT WILL BE READ FOR THE RECORD AT THIS TIME. YES, SIR. MAYOR. WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM ATTENDED THE SHOWTIME INTERNATIONAL GRAND NATIONALS DANCE COMPETITION ON MARCH 23RD THROUGH THE 24TH, 2024, IN GALVESTON, TEXAS. AND WHEREAS, THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS PRACTICING TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND REPRESENT THE ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE AND WHERE SHOWTIME INTERNATIONAL GRAND NATIONAL STANDS. [00:05:02] COMPETITION HAD OVER 400 ROUTINES PERFORMED, AND THE GOLDEN SPURS COMPETED AGAINST VERY PRESTIGIOUS TEAMS IN THE SMALL DIVISION. THE TWO DAY COMPETITION WAS TOUGH, BUT THE SPURS DISPLAYED THEIR SKILLS AND DANCED THEIR HEARTS OUT AT EVERY PERFORMANCE. AND WHEREAS ATTENDING THE NATIONAL COMPETITION HAS OFFERED THE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO DANCE BUT ALSO TO BUILD ON TEAMWORK, RESPONSIBILITY, PERSEVERANCE, UNITY AND LONG LASTING FRIENDSHIP. AND WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS WERE AMAZING IN EVERY PERFORMANCE, EARNING THE TITLE OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, CONTEMPORARY ROUTINE, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, JAZZ ROUTINE, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, POM ROUTINE, SECOND PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPION, HIP HOP ROUTINE THIRD PLACE. BEST OF THE BEST AND OVERALL BEST PRECISION TEAM. NATIONAL AWARD FOR TEAM ROUTINES AND NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS FOR SMALL DIVISION MOTIVATION. THE GOLDEN SPURS OFFICERS BROUGHT HOME FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS POM ROUTINE, FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, JAZZ ROUTINE, FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPION, CONTEMPORARY ROUTINE, SECOND PLACE, BEST OF THE BEST OFFICE ROUTINES AND NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS FOR OFFICERS IN SMALL DIVISION. AND WHEREAS, THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM IS MADE UP OF AN OUTSTANDING GROUP. ALEJANDRA CAVAZOS, ASHLEY FLORES, KATELYN GAMEZ, GINA LYNN GARCIA, JACQUELINE GARZA, HANNAH GOMEZ. ALEJANDRA GONZALEZ. SIENNA GONZALEZ, DAISY GUILLEN, CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ, BRIANNA HASSELL, SOPHIA MENDOZA, GIA PENA, JOCELYN PINON, LIZBETH SOTO, LIZ ALLISON, SURITA, AND MENDOZA. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JOSHUA AND BARAJAS AND NOEMI SALINAS. AND WHEREAS, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM. NOW, THEREFORE, ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG, TEXAS, BY THE POWER VESTED IN THEM BY LAW. I DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM, NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS, AND CALL UPON ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE SUCCESS OF THESE STUDENTS AND COACHES. MR. BEASLEY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US. I WAS HERE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK FROM US. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU KNOW, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BRING THIS CHAMPIONSHIP TO OUR CITY. AND WE'RE PROUD TO TO, TO REPRESENT Y'ALL. SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WELL, MY. MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE COUNCIL FOR A JOB WELL DONE. I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS IN GALVESTON, RIGHT? AND Y'ALL WENT TO GO SHOW WHAT EDINBURGH WAS ALL ABOUT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL. AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE UNDERCLASSMEN. SO YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK RIGHT. AND DO IT AGAIN, RIGHT. SO AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. BUT IF YOU CAN STEP UP TO THE MIC, SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR PARENTS ARE WATCHING HERE AND AND SAY WHAT, WHAT GRADE LEVEL YOU'RE AT. AND THAT WAY EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO YOU ARE. SO YOU WANT TO START TO WHOEVER WANTS TO GO FIRST OR OR IF NOT, YOUR INSTRUCTOR CAN LINE YOU ALL UP. OKAY. I'M. SORRY. AND A MAJOR. OH MY GOODNESS. AND I'M A SENIOR. OKAY. I'M SIENNA. I'M CAPTAIN AND I'M A JUNIOR. ALL RIGHT. I'M ALLISON, I'M FIRST LIEUTENANT, AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M GINA GARCIA. I'M A SECOND LIEUTENANT, AND I'M A SENIOR. THANKS. YEAH. I'M ELIZABETH, AND I'M A JUNIOR. I'M JACQUELINE GARZA, I'M A THREE YEAR VETERAN, AND I'M A JUNIOR. OKAY. I'M BRIANNA, AND I'M A JUNIOR. I'M CHRISTY, AND I'M A SENIOR. I'M HANNAH, AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M DAISY AND I'M A SENIOR. OKAY. I'M JOCELYN, AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M CAITLIN AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M ASHLEY AND I'M A FRESHMAN. I'M SOPHIA, AND I'M A FRESHMAN. OKAY, GREAT. I WOULD ALSO ALSO THANK ALL OF OUR PARENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING US THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY. [00:10:02] AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK MY ASSISTANT FOR HELPING ME THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY. MY FINANCE DIRECTOR IS ALSO HERE. MISS VILLARREAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL. AND AGAIN, THE PARENTS, FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID FOR THE GIRLS. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEM. GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. AND YOU MAKE US PROUD. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. [A. Presentation of Proclamation Recognizing the Edinburg North Golden Spurs Dance Team as National Grand Champions as Requested by Joanne Perez Pena. [Clarice Y. Balderas, City Secretary]] ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE HERE. IS THAT CORRECT FOR. NO, SIR. THE SECOND ITEM IS PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF APRIL [B. Presentation of Proclamation Recognizing the Month of April 2024 as Child Abuse Awareness Month as Requested by the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council. [Clarice Y. Balderas, City Secretary]] 2024 AS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, AS REQUESTED BY THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. IF ANYONE IS HERE FOR THE PROCLAMATION, IF YOU CAN STEP TO THE PODIUM. YEAH. IF THEY'RE NOT HERE IF WE CAN SEND TO THEM. YES, SIR. AND ASK THE COMMUNITY TO JUST OBSERVE. APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH. SO. YES. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C, [C. Present the Recipient for the Employee of the Month Award for the Month of February 2024. [Belinda Torres, Director of Human Resources/Civil Service]] PRESENT THE RECIPIENT FOR THE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AWARD FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2024. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. BELINDA TORRES, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES. WE'RE PROUD TO PRESENT OUR RECIPIENT FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. MISS VIANEY VASQUEZ. SHE'S A PROGRAM COORDINATOR TWO WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. WORLD BIRDING CENTER DIVISION. AND I'LL PASS THE MIC TO DIRECTOR JAVIER GARZA TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M PROUD HERE TO TO TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR EMPLOYEE AT BIRDING CENTER VASQUEZ IS OUR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. YEARS BACK, SHE APPLIED WITH US, AND SHE CAME OUT AS A PART TIMER WHILE GOING TO COLLEGE. AND SHE WAS IN THE OFFICE STAFF AND VERY TALENTED, AND SHE MOVED UP TO FULL TIME OFFICE STAFF. AND AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE AT THE BIRDING CENTER AS A PROGRAM COORDINATOR. TWO AND USING HER TALENTS, SHE'S A COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR. SHE JUST GRADUATED THIS PAST DECEMBER. SO SO WE'RE WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HER OVER THERE AT THE BIRDING CENTER. BROUGHT UP A LOT OF A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE, A LOT OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, AND TO SPEAK ON HER BEHALF. WE HAVE OUR CITY MANAGER HERE TODAY, BRANDON ALANIS, TO SPEAK ON THAT. THANK YOU. REAL QUICK, THANK YOU. COACH. JUST AGAIN, TO TOUCH ON THE WORK MISS BENNETT HAS DONE. SHE ALSO OVERSEES OUR OUTREACHES INTERACTING WITH OVER 10,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE CALENDAR YEAR. SO THAT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO OUR HARD WORK. THOSE ARE A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS. WEEKENDS THAT SHE SELFLESSLY DEDICATES HER JOB TO. SO NOW THE PERSON OF THE HOUR, MISS VASQUEZ. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THIS IS REALLY AWESOME TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR MY WORK. AND I'M VERY PROUD TO WORK AT THE BIRDING CENTER, AND I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YEAH, WELL. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON THIS, HONOR. AND I'VE BEEN OUT THERE AND SEE YOU OUT THERE WORKING AND DOING DO ALL THAT Y'ALL CAN FOR OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF OURSELVES AND YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK AND APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO, EVERYTHING THE BURNING CENTER DOES. SO THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO UP THERE TO TAKE A PICTURE. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CARTER. HI. CONGRATULATIONS. I WONDER. ARE WE READY? ON THE COUNT OF THREE. READY. ONE. TWO. THREE. [5. PUBLIC COMMENTS] ALL RIGHT. ITEM FIVE. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL ALLOWS FOR A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING [The Mayor and City Council allow for a specific portion of the City Council Meeting to be dedicated to public comments. Public Comments are limited to three (3) minutes. Please note that this public comment period is not interactive. The City Council may not respond to public comments.] TO BE DEDICATED TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. I WILL [If a resident desires to make a public comment in person, please complete the Public Comments Form which will be located outside of the City Council Chambers and submit the completed form to the City Secretary prior to the commencement of the City Council Meeting. We ask for everyone's cooperation in following this procedure.] BE TAKING TIME. PLEASE NOTE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOT INTERACTIVE. THE COUNCIL MAY NOT RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. [00:15:02] THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS MISS FERN MCCLARTY REGARDING TAXPAYERS MONEY. GENTLEMEN, IN REFERENCE TO THE PURCHASE OF THE HEB SOCCER COMPLEX, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COUNCIL THINKS IT CAN MAKE SUCH A PURCHASE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN COME OUT AND SAY, LOOK AT WHAT A WONDERFUL THING WE HAVE DONE. I DID AN OPEN RECORDS TO THE EDINBURGH AND ALL I RECEIVED SAYS THIS FILE. IT SAYS WE REVIEWED IT AND HAS DETERMINED THERE'S NO RESPONSE DOCUMENTS TO YOUR REQUEST. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY OPEN RECORDS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. YOU LIVE IN A GLASS BOWL AND LITTLE BY LITTLE, THE PUBLIC WILL FIND OUT WHAT THIS DEAL WILL COST THE PEOPLE OF EDINBURGH. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE UNIVERSITY WANTED TO BUY THE SOCCER COMPLEX, WHY DID THEY NOT JUST BUY IT FROM THE DEVELOPER? THE BERT OGDEN FAMILY HAS MADE SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY. WHY DID THE CITY OF EDINBURGH HAVE TO BUY THE FACILITY? IN MY OPINION, IT IS BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY MUST COMPLY WITH STATE LAW. EVEN IN RECEIVING A GIFT. AND THAT TAKES TIME. COULD IT BE THAT THE DEVELOPER WANTED TO AVOID PAYING PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH STARTED ON JANUARY 1ST? ALSO, HOW DID THE CITY GET THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE FACILITY? IT TAKES TIME TO COMPLY WITH STATE REGULATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTING A LENDING INSTITUTION. THE LAST QUESTION REMINDS ME OF THE COMMENTS OUR MAYOR MADE DURING THE LAST PRESENTATION OF THE CITY AUDIT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION SPENT THIS MONEY. I SUPPOSE THAT THE MAYOR HAS DISCOVERED THE SECRET BECAUSE HERE WE ARE AGAIN, MAKING A QUICK DEAL. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT DEALS MADE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ARE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE COST APPEARS AS PROPERTY TAX AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WAS BUYING A SOCCER COMPLEX LISTED ON THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT OR THE 2040 PLAN? I DON'T THINK SO. DURING A TIME WHEN FAMILIES ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES, WHEN INFLATION IS REDUCING OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR OUR FAMILIES, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OBTAINING POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OR WHATEVER. NO PROJECT, NO POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. HOW ELSE CAN ONE JUSTIFY THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGH RISK PARKING FACILITY WHERE THERE ARE NO BUSINESSES? THIS COUNCIL HAS HIRED A CONSULTANT TO IDENTIFY HOW MANY HOW MUCH UTILITY COST COULD BE INCREASED, BUT DID NOT BOTHER TO IDENTIFY THEIR IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE THAT SERVE. THE COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED A TWO YEAR CONSULTANT CONTRACT FOR LOBBYING IN AUSTIN WHEN THE STATE LEGISLATION WOULD BE OUT OF SESSION. AND JUST A FEW WORDS ABOUT AMBULANCES. THE CITY NEEDS TO SELECT THE AREA OF ITS INVOLVEMENT CAREFULLY, BECAUSE NO LEGAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN OPERATE AS EFFICIENTLY AS A PRIVATE COMPANY. HELP THEM IF YOU MUST, BUT TAKE TAKING OVER THEIR JOB INCREASES THE LIABILITY AND COST OF OPERATIONS. IF YOU THINK CITIES CANNOT BE SUED, ASK THE NEIGHBORING CITIES. YOUR ACTIONS ARE INCREASING THE COST OF LIVING BY INCREASING OUR DEBT. CREATE A PLAN. ESTABLISH A BUDGET AND DO NOT EXCEED THE BUDGET. IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE OR POLITICAL. SO AGAIN, I DID AN OPEN RECORDS AND I'M VERY UPSET WITH EDINBURGH BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS SAY THE CITY IS OPEN AND THEY'RE NOT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANYTHING. I DID GET THE INFORMATION THOUGH, LET YOU KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. MISS MCLARTY ALSO ASKED QUESTIONS ON ITEM SIX A, TEN AND 11 A. THE NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT IS MIGDALE CASTLE. INVITATION TO UFO FESTIVAL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. MIGDALE CASTLE. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL ARTS. FOR THE RECORD. TODAY WE'RE INVITING EVERYONE TO COME OUT TO THE UFO FESTIVAL. IT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND, APRIL 4TH, FIFTH AND SIXTH. ON APRIL 4TH WE ARE OPEN AT THE LIBRARY FROM 7 P.M. TO 10 P.M.. WE HAVE AN OPEN MIC NIGHT WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OR HAVE SEEN ANYTHING OUT IN THE NIGHT SKY CAN COME OUT AND TELL THEIR STORIES TO OTHER LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS. APRIL 5TH WE HAVE THE UFO FESTIVAL HAPPENING HERE AT THE BEAUTIFUL AMPHITHEATER LOCATED AT 201 NORTH 201 WEST MCINTYRE. WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, A TINFOIL HAT THAT'S A FAVORITE OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF GAMES, LASER LIGHT SHOWS AND A DRONE SHOW. ON APRIL 6TH, WE'LL HAVE THE UFO CONFERENCE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE AT REGION ONE AT 1900 [00:20:02] WEST JUNIOR, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE FROM 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M.. AND THEN THAT EVENING, WE'LL HAVE THE UFO INCIDENT SITE BASED ON THE THE WHOLE FESTIVAL IS BASED ON THE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN 1966 HERE IN EDINBURG. AND THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING OUT TO THE RANCH FOR A TOUR OF THE SITE AND A NIGHT SKY WATCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. MAYOR. COUNCIL. ALL RIGHT. [6. PRESENTATION AND REPORT] THAT BEING THE CASE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX PRESENTATION REPORTS, [A. Presentation and Discussion Regarding the Possible Creation of a Public Utilities Board. [Tomas D. Reyna, Assistant City Manager]] PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THE POSSIBLE CREATION OF A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, TOM REINA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON JUST WE'RE LOOKING FOR DISCUSSION POINTS FOR Y'ALL TO PRESENT ON THE CREATION OF A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. YOU MAY ASK, WHAT'S A PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD? A PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD IS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR A REGULATORY BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THE REGULATORY PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICE WITHIN A SPECIFIC JURISDICTION. THESE UTILITIES INCLUDE SUCH AS WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND SOMETIMES TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AS BUS OR TRAINS. THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THE PUB IS TO ENSURE THAT THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED RELIABLY, AFFORDABLY AND SUSTAINABLY TO ALL THE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ALSO BALANCING THE INTEREST OF THE UTILITY PROVIDERS AND THE PUBLIC. PUBS TYPICALLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SET OUR RATES, ESTABLISH SERVICE STANDARDS, APPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, MEDIATE DISPUTES BETWEEN UTILITY COMPANIES AND CUSTOMERS, AND ENFORCE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE REGULATORY AND RELEVANT LAWS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE SPECIFIC POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUB CAN VARY, DEPENDING ON THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF THE JURISDICTION THAT IT OPERATES. SO WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IS ALMOST JUST LIKE THE EDC BOARD, WHICH IT WOULD BE THEIR OWN SIMPLE, SEPARATE ENTITY THAT WOULD MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS ON THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AND THEN COME BACK TO FINAL APPROVAL AS PER CITY COUNCIL. SO WHAT IS NEEDED TO CREATE A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IS, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE NEED TO DETERMINE THE NEEDS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IN YOUR COMMUNITY. CONSIDER FACTORS SUCH AS TYPES OF UTILITIES SUCH AS WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS THAT WOULD THE BOARD WOULD OVERSEE EXISTING REGULATORY MECHANISMS AND ANY GAPS OR DEFICIENCIES IN THE IN THE CURRENT OVERSIGHT THAT OUR UTILITY DEPARTMENT DOES CARRY DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES AND SCOPES CLARIFY DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES IN THE SCOPES OF THE PROPOSED UTILITY BOARD. THIS MIGHT INCLUDE OUTLINING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, AUTHORITY COMPOSITION, THE OPERATING PROCEDURES. ALSO CONSIDER CONSULTING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, UTILITY PROVIDERS, CUSTOMER ADVOCACY GROUPS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GATHER ANY INPUT AND SUPPORT. THE NEXT STEP WE WOULD DO IS DRAFT AN ORDINANCE. IF NECESSARY, WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR LEGAL EXPERT TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE THAT FORMALLY ESTABLISHES THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD DETAIL THE BOARD'S PURPOSE, POWERS, MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURES, APPOINTMENT OR ELECTED PROCEDURES, TERMS OF OFFICE, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT PROVISIONS. TOM, BEFORE YOU CHANGE, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR. OR IS THIS ONLY GOING TO BE FOR ITEMS WE PRODUCE, LIKE THE WATER? WE DON'T PRODUCE ELECTRICITY, SO. THAT IS CORRECT. TALKING ABOUT WATER, SEWER TRASH. NO, THIS WOULD JUST BE FOR WATER AND SEWER. WATER SEWER? YES, SIR. BASICALLY THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT. OKAY. THE NEXT STEP IS WE WILL NEED TO APPOINT MEMBERS IF THE IF THE PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD WILL HAVE APPOINTED MEMBERS, THIS WILL ESTABLISH A PROCESS OF SELECTIONS OR APPOINTING QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE ON THE BOARD. THIS PROCESS MAY INVOLVE NOMINATIONS BY ELECTED OFFICIALS. APPLICATIONS FOR INTERESTED CANDIDATES. INTERVIEWS AND FORMAL APPOINTMENTS. THE NEXT ONE IS OBTAIN APPROVAL, WHICH WILL COME BACK TO THE GOVERNING BODY TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND TO APPROVE THE NOMINATIONS. THE NEXT ONE IS PROVIDE TRAINING AND ORIENTATION, JUST LIKE YOU ALL SAT THROUGH WHEN Y'ALL WERE ELECTED. WE WOULD ESTABLISH ALL THAT TRAINING FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS AND WHAT THEIR ROLES AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD BE. THE NEXT STEP IS WE COMMENCE OPERATIONS, WHICH CURRENTLY WE DO DO OUR OPERATIONS FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE GOVERN. BUT THEN THE UTILITIES BOARD OFFICIALLY ESTABLISHED ITS MEMBERS AND ARE IN PLACE, BEING CONDUCTED REGULAR MEETINGS, FULFILLMENT OF ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUES WITHIN THE JURISDICTION. [00:25:01] THE NEXT PART, THE NEXT PORTION IS WE NEED TO ESTABLISH OPERATING PROCEDURES, DEVELOP OPERATING PROCEDURES AND BYLAWS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. THESE SHOULD ADDRESS MATTERS SUCH AS MEETING FREQUENCIES, QUORUM REQUIREMENTS, VOTING PROCEDURES, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICIES, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS. THE NEXT ONE IS WE WOULD ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS FOSTERING ONGOING COMMUNICATION WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING US AS THE UTILITY PROVIDER AND THE OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PUBLIC. WE WOULD NEED TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK, ADDRESSING CONCERNS, AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF UTILITY SERVICES. SO CREATING A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD MAY INDEED MIGHT REQUIRE SOME OF THE APPROVAL FROM THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION, WHICH ULTIMATELY GOES TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF TEXAS OR ANY REGULATORY AUTHORITIES. BUT SINCE WE ALREADY ARE APPROVED UTILITY PROVIDER, THIS WOULD STILL NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BOARD FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION AS WE ESTABLISHED AT PUB. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROCESS OF FORMING A PUB IN TEXAS MAY VARY DEPENDING ON LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES, LOCAL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE SPECIFIC UTILITIES INVOLVED. CONSULTING WITH LEGAL EXPERTS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS CAN ENSURE THAT THE PROCESS IS CONDUCTED EFFICIENTLY AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS. OVERALL, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PUBLIC UTILITY DEPENDS ON THE ABILITY TO BALANCE THE INTERESTS OF THE CUSTOMERS, UTILITY COMPANIES, AND THE PUBLIC GOOD. SO THIS HAS JUST BEEN A SHORT PRESENTATION. SO I'M HERE TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY DISCUSSIONS OR ANY DIRECTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PROCEED ON THIS COUNCIL. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION REAL QUICKLY, THANK YOU, TOM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I HAD ASKED CITY MANAGEMENT TO BRING THIS TO LIGHT JUST TO GET COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND ALSO JUST THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE BEEN GROWING SO RAPIDLY AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE, WE WENT TO A UTILITY ANALYSIS AND DETERMINED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT OUR UTILITIES ARE IN NEED OF. AND SINCE WE'VE BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY, OTHER CITIES HAVE SET UP SOMETHING SIMILAR SO THAT IT CAN HAVE ITS OWN FOCUS. RIGHT NOW, IT'S UNDER CITY MANAGEMENT. IT'S A DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY. OTHER CITIES LIKE MCALLEN, I THINK BROWNSVILLE, HARLINGEN HAVE A UTILITY. THEY'RE ALL CALLED DIFFERENTLY. I THINK MCALLEN BROWN'S IS CALLED PUB. OF COURSE, BROWNSVILLE HAS POWER TO YOUR POINT. COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT MOSTLY IT'S WATER AND SEWER. AND I THINK, AS TOM MENTIONED, THIS WOULD JUST BE THE UTILITIES OPERATIONS, ALL THE WATER WASTEWATER OPERATIONS COLLECTION SYSTEM AS WELL. THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT. AND GIVEN ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE NEEDING TO MAKE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT HAS ITS OWN FOCUS. BUT THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHTS. I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE FOR COUNCIL TO LOOK AT AND EVALUATE. AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D LIKE TO LOOK FURTHER, I THINK THERE'S A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. WE BASICALLY, JUST AS THE BEST EXAMPLE IS I DISCUSSED IT WITH THE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT. IT'S JUST LIKE ESTABLISHING OUR EDC HOW WE SEPARATE IT. IT'LL BE ITS OWN GOVERNING BOARD. ULTIMATELY WE STILL COME AND REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL. YEAH. AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT. SO OVERSIGHT WILL STILL CONTINUE BY THE COUNCIL. THE BOARD YOU KNOW, WILL SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL, BUT ULTIMATELY, ANY MAJOR APPROVALS, JUST LIKE EDC COMES BEFORE THE COUNCIL. THIS IS JUST SO THAT THE BOARD HAS WE HAVE MORE DIRECT OVERSIGHT FROM THAT STANDPOINT. YES, SIR. THE BOARD WAS SOLELY FOCUSED ON UTILITY PROJECTS. YEAH. YOU HAD A COMMENT? YEAH. MAINLY IS HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE DAILY DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS? BECAUSE WHAT IT LIKE WE TAKE THE WHOLE SYSTEMS AS THE SYSTEMS, RIGHT. TRANSFER IT OUT. SO BASICALLY IT WOULD JUST JUST LIKE NOW OUR UTILITIES IS SUPPORTED JUST BY UTILITY FUND, BUT IT WOULD HAVE ITS OWN REGULATORY BOARD. IT WOULD BE YOU WOULD NEED TO APPOINT A GENERAL MANAGER AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SAME STRUCTURE. WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO AGREEMENT AS WHO'S GOING TO DO THE FINANCIALS, WHO'S GOING TO DO HR JUST EXACTLY LIKE EDC. WE WOULD THEY WOULD ANSWER TO THE BOARD, STAFF WOULD ANSWER TO THE BOARD. THEN ULTIMATELY THE BOARD WOULD ANSWER TO YOU ALL AND MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS. IT WOULD LOOK AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THEY WILL LOOK AT ANY FUNDING REQUESTS, ANY APPLICATIONS TO FOR GRANTS OR TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. BASICALLY THE ITEMS FOR THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT WILL NO LONGER COME TO THIS, TO THE COUNCIL. IT WOULD GO TO THE UTILITY BOARD THAT ULTIMATELY, IF WE NEED FINAL DECISION, WOULD COME BACK TO THIS GOVERNING BOARD. HOW ABOUT HIRING STAFF, THE DIRECTORS OR THE BOARD THAT THE [00:30:02] DIRECTOR'S BOSS WILL BE THE BOARD. IT WOULD BE A GENERAL MANAGER, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR DIRECTORS OR SO FORTH AT THAT POINT. SO BASICALLY WE'RE WE'RE IN A POSITION THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ALL THE STAFF, SINCE OUR UTILITY STAFF IS FUNDED BY THE UTILITY FUND. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK FOR EVERYBODY SAKE THIS REALLY DOESN'T AFFECT EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY AT ALL. IF ANYTHING, IT'S JUST GIVING IT ITS OWN FOCUS. NOW, THE ONLY MAYBE DIFFERENCE IS GOING TO BE IF THERE'S A GENERAL MANAGER, THAT GENERAL MANAGER IS APPOINTED BY THE THE BOARD. RIGHT. AND THEN GENERAL MANAGER OVERSEES THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. FOR ALL I KNOW, IT COULD BE THE DIRECTOR CURRENTLY OF THE UTILITIES. RIGHT. I MEAN, BUT THE BOARD WILL DO THAT. AND AND THEN IN TURN RUN THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AND OBVIOUSLY IN COORDINATION WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, RIGHT. BECAUSE, I MEAN IT'S OUR CITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT IT'S JUST COORDINATION HAS TO BE THERE AS WELL. I KNOW IN OTHER CITIES THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. THEIR GENERAL MANAGER COORDINATES WITH CITY MANAGEMENT JUST BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT OVERSEEING OUR CITY AS A WHOLE. SO. OKAY. AND SO WHAT IS THE PROCESS? I MEAN, IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO. LOOK, I KNOW YOU OUTLINE SOMETHING HERE, BUT I DON'T HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR OUR CITY MANAGER. I MEAN, I MEAN, FOR ME, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T LIKE TO INTERRUPT, OBVIOUSLY, SERVICES OR ANYTHING. AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE POINT HERE, BUT FROM A TIMELINE STANDPOINT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'D WANT TO SET SOMETHING LIKE THIS UP AS PART OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IN OTHER WORDS, AS WE KICK OFF A NEW FISCAL YEAR BUT, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. HAVE WE GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO THAT OR. YES, SIR. SO BASICALLY WE LOOKED INTO WHAT THE PROCESS IS. SO THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS. OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME COMMUNITY OUTREACH. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO CONDUCT SOME PUBLICATIONS MAYBE BE ABLE TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT IN ULTIMATELY IT COULD BE CREATED THROUGH AN ORDINANCE. AND THEN FROM THERE, WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT WE WANT THIS BOARD TO BE ABLE TO DO. AT THIS POINT, IT WOULD BE WATER, WASTEWATER LIKE IT WAS MENTIONED. AND THEN OF COURSE, IT WOULD HAVE THEIR BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR OWN FUND. THEY'RE ALREADY THE, THE STAFF, EVERYBODY IS JUST, IS ALREADY FUNDED THROUGH THE, THE THE UTILITIES FUND. I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY DISRUPTION. IT'S BASICALLY JUST CREATING THE BOARD. LIKE YOU MENTIONED, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD TO DECIDE IF MAYBE THE CURRENT DIRECTOR WOULD BE THE GENERAL MANAGER, OR IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO HIRE SOMEONE ELSE. THAT AGAIN, WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL. AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS, THAT'S ALSO UP TO TO THE COUNCIL. THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE COUNCIL TO DECIDE AS WELL HOW THEY'RE APPOINTED IN THOSE THINGS. SO IF THE DIRECTION IS TO START LOOKING TOWARDS THAT WAY, I WOULD DO MY FIRST OFFICIAL INQUIRY WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE REGULATIONS. AND THEN I WOULD PRESENT SOMETHING TO OUR MR. OCHOA AND TO SEE IF WE'RE READY FOR THAT, IF WE HAVE ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DO NEED TO FOLLOW. IF NOT, THEN WE START CREATING THE ORDINANCE AND THEN LOOK IN THAT TIMELINE. ARE WE SUBSIDIZING THE UTILITY FUND NOW WITH GENERAL FUND? I GUESS THE WAY WE'RE HEADED TO WITH THAT QUESTION IS HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT IF WE GO INTO SOMETHING. SO I COULD TRY TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE WHAT I KNOW, COUNCILMEMBER, IS THAT THERE'S STILL IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT THAT POSSIBILITY IS STILL THERE. YEAH. BUT I THINK ANYTHING EXISTING OBVIOUSLY REMAINS. BUT MOVING FORWARD, IT'S JUST ANOTHER ENTITY. NO DIFFERENT, I THINK, THAN THE EDC. I THINK THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WITH THE EDC IS THAT THAT'S GOVERNED BY A WHOLE OTHER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ACT. AND SO IT HAS ITS OWN SET OF REQUIREMENTS. BUT AT THE END IT'S A BOARD APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL. RIGHT. AND THE BYLAWS ARE SET UP TO WHERE AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE AMENDED OURS, RIGHT, WITH EDC SO THAT WE APPROVE MOST OF THE ITEMS. RIGHT. SAME THING WITH THIS OPERATION. I GUESS I'M GOING THAT WAY, MAYOR, BECAUSE THE EDC, IF IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SHORT FUNDING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE CAN JUST STOP THEIR FUNDING UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY CATCH UP. WHEREAS WE REALLY CAN'T STOP FIXING PIPE OR LAYING PIPE OR ALL THAT STUFF. SO SOMEWHERE THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING WHERE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THE UTILITY FUND IS RUNNING SHORT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE STUCK OR WE JUST COME BACK IN LIKE WE WOULD BE LIKE, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, IF THEY COULDN'T, IF WE HAD MANHOLE CATASTROPHES RIGHT NOW, WE'D HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR. RIGHT. YES, SIR. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DRAFT IN THE OPERATIONS AND THEN IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THOSE POSSIBILITIES ARE STILL THERE. THAT'S BASICALLY WE'LL BE CREATING THE STEPS THAT WE DO WANT TO FOLLOW. AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE STEPS THAT WE WOULD PRESENT TO YOU AT FIRST. THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND THEN WE WOULD EVENTUALLY RECOMMEND A WORKSHOP ONCE WE GET THAT FAR ALONG. [00:35:02] THAT WAY, WE ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE CROSSING OUR T'S AND DOTTING OUR I'S AT THAT POINT. THAT'S AN AREA WE CAN'T STOP, RIGHT? OR WE'LL FALL BEHIND REAL FAST. I AGREE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAINAGE, RIGHT? IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE. THIS WOULD JUST BE FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS SYSTEMS, WASTEWATER LIFT STATIONS AND WATER FLOODS. YEAH. JUST TO BE CLEAR. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, COUNCIL ON OUR BUDGET. WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND. WE HAVE ALL THESE FUNDS. RIGHT. UTILITY FUND IS WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO. SO EVERYTHING UNDER THAT FUND IS WHAT WILL FALL UNDER THIS. AND MAYOR, THE OVERALL BENEFIT FROM THIS WOULD BE AS FAR AS WHAT LIKE MORE OVERSIGHT OR. SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO BRING BEFORE YOU. THE ONLY REASON I WANTED TO BRING UP TO THE COUNCIL IS WE'RE GROWING, GROWING VERY RAPIDLY. AND I WAS TAKEN ABACK, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WITH WHEN WE DID THE RATE STUDY AND WE SAW THE NEEDS AND WE'RE BEHIND. AND I FEEL THAT THE CITY HAS ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, AND THE UTILITIES FUND NEEDS ITS OWN FOCUS, YOU KNOW, AS OTHER CITIES HAVE. AND IT'S GROWING. WE'RE GROWING RAPIDLY. AND SO I THINK THIS BOARD WILL BE CHARGED WITH MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ADEQUATE WATER, THE SEWER, AND THAT WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS. SO TO ME, THAT'S THAT'S HOW I SEE IT. IT COULD CONTINUE AS IT IS, BUT I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE 100,000 PLUS NOW. HARLINGEN IS A LOT LESS POPULATION. WE ARE THEY'VE BEEN SET UP LIKE THIS FOR. BUT I DID TALK TO THEIR MAYOR, AND SHE DID INFORM ME THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY BUILT INTO THEIR CITY CHARTER. SO THEY'VE HAD IT SET UP. I THINK THERE'S IT'S CALLED HARLINGEN WATER WORKS. WATER WORKS, BUT THERE'S THIS IS PART OF THEIR CITY CHARTER, HOW THEY WERE FOUNDED. SO THEY'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT BEFORE COUNCIL. I OBVIOUSLY THE, THE, THE BENEFITS ARE THAT BUT THERE IS ANOTHER LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY IF YOU WILL. I GET THAT, YOU KNOW, ADDING A BOARD, BUT IT ALSO WILL HAVE ITS DIRECT OVERSIGHT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUT I, I DIDN'T SEE HERE THE COMPARABLES TO OTHER CITIES, MAYBE AS A FOLLOW UP, BUT WE CAN GET A LIST OF ALL THOSE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE SET UP HOW THEY'RE OPERATED. THAT MAY BE HELPFUL. I MEAN, IT'S NOT ANYTHING WE'RE WANTING TO RUSH INTO AT THIS TIME. WE JUST WANTED TO COME AND BRING IT TO YOU ALL BECAUSE MY MY GUESS. WHAT WOULD THE HURDLE BE IF YOU KNOW, IF WE NEEDED TO MAKE A CHANGE HAPPEN AND WE I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH PROCESSES. IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH THAT, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BOARD AND THEY GO, I GUESS THERE WAS THE CHIEF, AND THEN THEY GO TO THEIR THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THEN THEN IT COMES TO US. SO IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT HURDLES TO GET THROUGH IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH THIS. IT JUST DEPENDS HOW WE SET IT UP. THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS THAT THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT UP LIKE BY COUNCIL MEMBER Y2 IN TERMS OF THE THE FUND. WE COULD SET IT UP TO WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE FIRST 2 TO 5 YEARS IT'S SET UP THROUGH MAYBE CITY MANAGEMENT WILL ASSIGN THIS TO SOMEONE. I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD. RIGHT, WHILE WE SET UP ALL THE OPERATIONS. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S BYLAWS REQUIRED. IS THERE. OKAY. SO, YES, THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED. OKAY. SO THOSE BYLAWS WILL OUTLINE WHICH WE WOULD APPROVE, HOW IT WOULD OPERATE. YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT OPERATE, BECAUSE I GUESS IT WILL DEPEND ON US HOW MUCH OVERSIGHT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AT THE END. IT'S GIVEN ITS OWN FOCUS. YOU KNOW, THEY MEET ONCE A MONTH AND ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS WATER AND SEWER. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND WE MEET TWICE A MONTH, BUT WE TALK ABOUT 20 OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WE NEED TO. SO THAT AT THE END, THAT'S REALLY THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE. YEAH, IT'S ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT HAS THIS KIND OF BOARD, WHICH IS THE NEWEST ONE THAT'S BEEN RECENTLY CONVERTED TO A BOARD. MCALLEN. MCALLEN. MCALLEN. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BENEFITS THAT THEY'VE GOT OUT OF THAT? THE BIGGEST BENEFIT, AS ECHO THE MAYOR, IS THEY SOLELY FOCUS JUST ON UTILITY PROJECTS, ON INFRASTRUCTURE, ON, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO MAKE THAT DECISION WHERE YOU HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, I'M GOING TO SUPPLY THIS MUCH PIPING OR NEW SERVICES, OR AM I GOING TO PAVE SOME STREETS, OR AM I GOING TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING OR NEW FACILITY? SO THOSE THOSE WON'T COME TO Y'ALL ANYMORE FOR THE UTILITIES THAT WOULD GO TO THE BOARD. BIG ITEMS AS FUNDING OR BOND ISSUANCE OR ANYTHING THAT STILL WILL COME TO THIS BOARD FOR THAT DECISION AND ANY WAY THAT WE WANT TO SET UP. SO THAT IS THE BENEFIT IS THEY'RE SOLELY FOCUSED ON GROWING THE UTILITY. HOW LONG HAS THAT BOARD BEEN IN EXISTENCE? I WOULD HAVE TO GET THAT EXACT ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT I JUST A ROUGH ESTIMATE. IT'S BEEN ABOUT TEN YEARS NOW. THE PUB IN MCALLEN, I THINK IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN THAT. YES, SIR. I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT. YEAH, BUT THEY'RE SET UP. MCALLEN SET UP REAL DIFFERENTLY. IN FACT, THEY'RE ELECTED, SO ALL THEIR BOARD MEMBERS ARE ELECTED. YES, SIR. BY PLACE? YES. SO WHEREAS IN BROWNSVILLE, THEY'RE APPOINTED AND IN HARLINGEN AS WELL. [00:40:02] BUT AGAIN, EACH CITY, HOWEVER WE SEE DETERMINED. AND THE OTHER THING I'LL MENTION, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE HEAR FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT. IT'S FUN. BUT IT'S AGAIN, THEY'RE PAIRED UP WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO WHEN THEY COME TO US SAY WE NEED THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, WE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT YOU KIND OF WEIGH IT AGAINST OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SAY, WELL, WE ALREADY GAVE, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT IN MY OPINION BECAUSE UTILITIES FUND THAT'S JUST WATER AND WASTEWATER, YOU KNOW, AND IT NEEDS ITS OWN FOCUS. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, IF IT IS SOMETHING WE DO TO HOW WE SET IT UP. BUT I THINK LONG TERM, BECAUSE I'M THINKING LONG TERM, NOT HOW DO WE SET THIS FOR NEXT YEAR? I THINK IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE, BUT I JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO START THE DISCUSSION. THAT'S ALL. SO LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS SO LIKE THE EDC, WE GIVE THEM A BUDGET EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SO WE WOULD BE GIVING THIS BOARD A BUDGET. YES. WELL, YEAH. WELL THE DIFFERENCE IS THEY WOULD HELP COME UP WITH A BUDGET AND THEN BRING TO US TO ADOPT IT. SO WE WOULD STILL ADOPT SIMILAR TO THE EDC RIGHT. THE BOARD EVALUATES AND COMES UP WITH THEIR BUDGET. AND THEN WE WE RATIFY THAT. RIGHT. BUDGET. SO IT WOULD IT WOULD OPERATE IN MUCH THE SAME WAY. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I MEAN, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER, I GUESS STAFF CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE. I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE OTHER CITIES, HOW THEY'RE SET UP, THEIR THEY'RE HOW THEY'RE APPOINTED. AND THOSE THINGS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. I BELIEVE IN THE SAME WAY, TOO. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT HAVE IT TO SEE WHAT THE PROS AND CONS, HOW THEY'RE SET UP AS FAR AS BYLAWS, AND SEE SOMETHING THAT IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO ADOPT INTO OUR OUR CITY. AND THEN, MISS FERN, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT, MA'AM? I THINK GOING THROUGH THERE IF YOU APPOINTED, IT'S AGAIN THE GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB FRIENDS, RELATIVES AND LOVED ONES THAT WOULD BE PUT ON THIS BOARD. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW, WOULD THEY BE ELECTED SO THAT THE PEOPLE HERE IN EDINBURGH COULD HOPEFULLY ELECT SOMEONE THAT THEY TRUST TO DO THIS? AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITY IS NOT ABLE TO HIRE ONE PERSON OR WHATEVER TO KEEP DOING THIS, INSTEAD OF HAVING ANOTHER BOARD THAT IS GOING TO I LIKE I SAY, I KNOW THE THE WHAT IS IT P AND Z BOARD. YOU HAVE TO BOW DOWN TO THEM AND THEY ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH. SO IT'S NOT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. SO I DON'T THINK THIS ONE IS EITHER. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW IS DO THE PEOPLE GET TO VOTE FOR THE BOARD, BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY TRUST A LITTLE MORE. AND THE ADVANTAGES, WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING THIS COMPARED TO HAVING THE CITY AS WE'VE GOT IT NOW AND ANOTHER AGENCY, ALL WE SEE IS THAT THIS ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO RAISE TAXES, RAISE THE AMOUNTS ON THE ON THE PEOPLE, WHICH Y'ALL JUST DID. SO AND PEOPLE ARE CALLING AND THEY'RE HURTING. SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE AGAIN JUST MORE PAPERWORK, MORE GOVERNMENT, ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE TO BOW DOWN TO. WE HAVE Y'ALL TO BOW DOWN TO. SO WE'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE'RE CHANGING IT. I UNDERSTAND WHAT Y'ALL WERE SAYING JUST NOW, BUT THE PEOPLE ARE. LIKE I SAID, I DON'T LIKE THE GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB AND NEITHER DO THEY. AND THEY WOULD TRUST THEMSELVES AT VOTING. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAD A WATER DISTRICT OR SOMETHING NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT WE HAD A COUNTY COMMISSIONER. I THINK HE'S IN THE IN THE PEN FOR THINGS HAPPENING. SO THIS IS WHAT WE WORRY ABOUT IS THE POWER AND THINGS THAT GO INTO STUFF LIKE THIS. SO PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. WELL, IF Y'ALL CAN HELP US GATHER THAT INFORMATION, THAT'D BE GREAT. AND THIS IS WE'RE JUST EVALUATING THIS RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S INITIAL DISCUSSION. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME BACK IN NEXT MONTH AND GET SOME MORE INFORMATION. SO. YES SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON COUNCIL TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ITEM SEVEN. [7. PUBLIC HEARINGS] AND WE HAVE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F AND G. SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ALL THESE ITEMS AND WELCOME ANY COMMENTS BY ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F, AND G. THE HEARING IS NOW OPEN, SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND MAKE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL WILL TAKE ITEM ONE BY ONE. [00:45:04] ITEM A. GO AHEAD MA'AM. [A. Hold Public Hearing and Consider the Ordinance Providing for the Rezoning Request from Agriculture and Open Space (AO) District to Commercial, General (CG) District, Being a 0.453 Acre Tract of Land, More or Less, Being Out of a 20.0 Acre Tract Out of Lot 8, Block 4, Lot 1, Block 5 and Lot 1, Block 17, John Closner Subdivision, Located at 5522 South Veterans Blvd., as Requested by NAVAK LLC. (A 4/5 vote is required by the City Council to overturn the Planning & Zoning Commission action.) [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM AGRICULTURE AND OPEN SPACE DISTRICT TO COMMERCIAL GENERAL CG DISTRICT. BEING A 0.45 ACRE TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS BEING OUT OF 20 ACRE TRACT, OUT OF LOT EIGHT, BLOCK FOUR, LOT ONE, BLOCK FIVE, AND LOT ONE, BLOCK 17. JOHN CLOSNER SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 5522 SOUTH VETERANS BOULEVARD, AS REQUESTED BY NOVAK LLC. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. [B. Hold Public Hearing and Consider the Ordinance Providing for the Rezoning Request from Residential, Primary (RP) District to Residential, Multifamily (RM) District, Being Lot 6, Block 241, Edinburg Original Townsite, Located at 121 North 21st Avenue, as Requested by Benito Estimbo III. (A 4/5 vote is required by the City Council to overturn the Planning & Zoning Commission action.) [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] ITEM B CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY PX DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL FAMILY DISTRICT. BEING LOT SIX. LOT 241 EDINBURG. ORIGINAL TOWN SITE LOCATED AT 121 NORTH 21ST AVENUE, AS REQUESTED BY BENITO. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION PASSES. [C. Hold Public Hearing and Consider the Ordinance Providing for the Rezoning Request from Residential, Primary (RP) District to Residential, Urban and Townhome (RU) District, Being a 0.80 Gross Acre Tract of Land, More or Less, Out of the North 10.00 Acres of Lot 5, Section 274, Texas- Mexican Railway Company’s Survey Subdivision, Located at 1210 South Jackson Road, as Requested by Sheriff Muse-Ariyoh, on Behalf of Yolanda and Jaime Molina Ramirez. (A 4/5 vote is required by the City Council to overturn the Planning & Zoning Commission action.) [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] ITEM C CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FOR RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY PX DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL, URBAN AND TOWNHOME RUE DISTRICT BEING A 0.88 GROSS TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS OUT OF THE NORTH. TEN ACRES OF LOT FIVE, SECTION 274 TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1210 SOUTH JACKSON ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY SHERIFF MOOSE ON BEHALF OF YOLANDA AND JAIME MOLINA RAMIREZ. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THIS ONE, JAIME. THERE'S A THERE WAS ANOTHER ITEM JUST ADJACENT TO THIS. DID THAT GET PASSED OR WAS THAT TOWNHOMES AS WELL OR. YES, MA'AM. JAIME. PLANNING AND ZONING DIRECTOR. FOR THE RECORD, THEY'VE ALREADY ACQUIRED THREE ACRES. THEY'RE ACQUIRING THIS. SO IS IT THE SAME GROUP? IT'S THE SAME GROUP. OKAY. THEY'VE ALREADY PURCHASED THREE ACRES. THEY'RE PURCHASING THIS 0.80 ACRE TRACT OF LAND JUST SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE A BIGGER TOWNHOME DEVELOPMENT. SO IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT HAD BEEN APPROVED BEFORE FOR THE NEIGHBORING TRACK. CORRECT. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT BY OMAR PERALEZ FURTHER EAST. THAT'S RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. THEY'RE KIND OF WORKING BOTH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS SIDE BY SIDE. AND WE SHOULD SEE A LOT OF ROOFTOPS THERE SHORTLY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. WE HAD TWO PARTIES AGAINST. THEIR CONCERNS. THERE WAS TWO PARTIES THAT SUBMITTED A PETITION OR A WRITTEN STATEMENT AGAINST. HOWEVER, AT THE PNC MEETING, NOBODY SHOWED UP TO VOICE ANY OPINIONS AND IT PASSED FIVE ZERO. AT PNC. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION PASSES. [D. Hold Public Hearing and Consider the Ordinance Providing for the Rezoning Request from Residential Suburban (RS) District to Commercial, General (CG) District, Being 10.505 Acres Out of Lot 12, Section 276, Texas-Mexican Railway Company Survey, Located at 3406 West University Drive, as Requested by Melden & Hunt, Inc. (A 4/5 vote is required by the City Council to overturn the Planning & Zoning Commission action.) [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] ITEM D, CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL SUBURBAN R. S DISTRICT TO COMMERCIAL GENERAL CG DISTRICT. BEING 10.505 ACRES OUT OF LOT 12, SECTION 276 SIX TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY LOCATED AT 3406 WEST UNIVERSITY DRIVE, AS REQUESTED BY MAULDIN AND HUNT. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM E CONSIDER THE VARIANCE REQUEST TO THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE. [E. Hold Public Hearing and Consider the Variance Request Request to the City’s Unified Development Code, Article 5, Section 5.207, Easements for a Sign, Being Dutch Bros Addition Subdivision, Lot 1, Block A, Located at 4108 South Business Hwy 281, as Requested by A1-Skylite Signs. [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION 5.207 EASEMENTS FOR A SIGN BEING DUTCH POST ADDITION SUBDIVISION LOT ONE, BLOCK A, LOCATED AT 4108 SOUTH BUSINESS HIGHWAY 281, AS REQUESTED BY A1 SKYLIGHT SIGNS. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. I HAD A QUESTION, MR. AZEVEDO. SO, DO WE NOT ALLOW ANY OF THOSE PYLON SIGNS ALONG KLAUSSNER? WE DO, MAYOR. BUT THERE'S A 25 FOOT ACCESS EASEMENT, SO THIS IS FIVE FEET HIGHER. OKAY. GOT IT. I WILL SAY THAT THE DRIVEWAY ON THAT ACCESS EASEMENT IS IS BEING RESPECTED. THE SIGN IS OUTSIDE OF THAT 25 FOOT OR IT'S WITHIN THE 25FT, BUT OUTSIDE OF THE PROPOSED DRIVEWAY BECAUSE I DO SEE THERE'S OTHER DEVELOPMENTS. THERE ARE THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME AND REQUEST SAME SIZE OF PYLON. HAVE YOU ALL GOT ANY REQUESTS ON THAT, OR THERE'S GOING TO BE A BANK THAT'S GOING TO BE BUILT ON THE NORTH SIDE. SO THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE A SIMILAR REQUEST IF THAT ACCESS EASEMENT EXTENDS TO THEIR PROPERTY AS WELL. SO I JUST I MEAN, I DON'T PARTICULARLY HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT BECAUSE THAT ONCE WE APPROVE ONE, IT WILL SET THE PRECEDENT. CORRECT? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM F. [F. Hold Public Hearing and Consider the Petition Providing for the Voluntary Annexation of 199.997 Acres, Being All of Lots 38 and 39, Baker’s Subdivision of the Cucharia Tract, According to the Plat Thereof Recorded in Volume 2, Page 46, Maps of Records in the Office of the County Clerk of Hidalgo County, Texas, Being Located at 8601 North Jasman Road, as Requested by the City of Edinburg. [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] CONSIDER THE PETITION PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 199 .997 ACRES. BEING ALL OF LOTS 38 AND 39 ACRES SUBDIVISION OF THE TRACT. ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN VOLUME TWO, PAGE 46. MAPS, MAPS AND RECORDS, AND THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED AT 8601 NORTH JASMINE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. CAN WE VOTE ON THIS ITEM SINCE WE'RE THE APPLICANTS? I KNOW IT SOUNDS, BUT I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A CITY OF EDINBURG [00:50:04] REQUESTING THIS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. SO YES, THE ANSWER IS YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. [G. Hold Public Hearing and Consider the Petition Providing for the Voluntary Annexation of All of Share 4 Containing 125.17 Acres, Tract of Land Out of Mutual Partition of Tract 158 San Salvador Del Tule Grant, as Per Map or Plat Thereof Recorded in Volume 16, Page 11, Maps of Records in the Office of the County Clerk of Hidalgo County, Texas, Being Located at 8601 North Jasman Road, as Requested by the City of Edinburg. [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] ITEM EIGHT VARIANCE. WE HAVE ITEM A MAYOR. CAN I JUST GO BACK REAL QUICK? ON, ON. GO AHEAD. LAST ONE ON E. IS THAT A VARIANCE? SHOULD IT BE WITH VARIANCES OR SHOULD IT BE IN PUBLIC HEARINGS. NO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ITEM THREE SIR. NO E THAT'S THE ONE WITH THE SIGN. THE ONE WITH THE SIGN. YES, SIR. IT WAS A PUBLIC HEARING. OR SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN UNDER VARIANCES? IT WAS UNDER VARIANCES. BUT IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE ANY ANY SIGN VARIANCES REQUIRED SIGNS TO REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH I JUST. NO PROBLEM. GO AHEAD. VARIANCE ITEM G CONSIDER THE PETITION PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF ALL OF SHERFORD CONTAINING ONE 25.17 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF MUTUAL PARTITION OF TRACT 158 SAN SALVADOR DEL TULE. GRANT AS PER MAP OR PLETHORA RECORDED. VOLUME 16, PAGE 11. MAPS OF RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK OF HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED 8601 NORTH JASMINE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. SO MOVED. SECOND. A MOTION TO SECOND. JUST FOR THE RECORD, I'M NOT SURE IF I SAID ITEM F OR G. THIS IS ITEM G. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIED. [8. V ARIANCE] [A. Consider Variance Request to the City's Unified Development Code, Article 5, Section 5.203-1,] ITEM EIGHT IS VARIANCE ITEM A CONSIDER VARIANCE REQUEST TO THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE. ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION 5.203-1 RIGHT OF WAY AND PAVING WIDTH BENEATH THIS RANCH SUBDIVISION BEING 4.98 ACRES. OUT OF LOT 14, SECTION 233 TEX-MEX RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1013 NORTH DEPOT ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY MAULDIN AND HUNT. [9. ORDINANCES] SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM NINE. [A. Consider Ordinance Providing for the Voluntary Annexation of 12.79 Acres Being a Part or Portion Out of Lot 12 and All of Lot 13, Block 7, Santa Cruz Gardens Unit No. 3, According to the Plat Thereof Recorded in Volume 9, Page 3, Maps Records in the Office of the County Clerk of Hidalgo, Texas, Being Located at 4918 North Doolittle Road, as Requested by Rio Delta Engineering on Behalf of Copper Cove Subdivision, LLC. [Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning & Zoning]] ORDINANCES. WE HAVE ITEM EIGHT. CONSIDER ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 12.79 ACRES BEING A PART A PORTION OUT OF LOT 12 AND ALL OF LOT 13, BLOCK SEVEN, SANTA CRUZ GARDENS, UNIT NUMBER THREE, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME NINE, PAGE THREE. MAP RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK OF HIDALGO, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED AT 4918 NORTH DOOLITTLE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY RIO DELTA ENGINEERING ON BEHALF OF COPPER COVE SUBDIVISION. SO MOVED. SECOND. I HAD A QUESTION ON THIS. SO HAVE THEY SUBMITTED A PLAT TO THE CITY TO DEVELOP THIS, AND IF SO, WHAT? WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO DO? YES, MAYOR. THEY'VE SUBMITTED A PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR 58 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. SO IT'S NOT MULTIFAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY LOTS. AND IS THERE A SEWER IN THIS AREA? THE SEWER IS BY THE CITY OF EDINBURG. THE WATER IS NORTH ALAMO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B, CONSIDER REVIEWING AND APPROVING THE ORDINANCE. [B. Consider Reviewing and Approving the Ordinance Amending the Budget for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year Carry-Overs Re-Appropriations to the General Fund, Governmental Grant Fund, C.D.B.G. Fund, T.C.S.A. Fund, Municipal Court Special Revenue Fund, Public Education & Gov't (PEG) Fund, Parkland Dedication Fund, Utility Fund, Solid Waste Management Fund, South Texas International Airport at Edinburg Fund, Ebony Hills Golf Course Fund, Los Lagos Golf Club Fund, and State of Emergency Fund. [Ascencion Alonzo, Director of Finance]] AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE 2023 2024 FISCAL YEAR. CARRYOVERS REAPPROPRIATIONS TO THE GENERAL FUND, GOVERNMENTAL GRANT FUND, CDBG FUND, TXA FUND, MUNICIPAL COURT, SPECIAL REVENUE FUND. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT FUND. LAKEFRONT PARKLAND DEDICATION FUND, UTILITY FUND, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FUND, SOUTH TEXAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT EDINBURG FUND, EBONY HILLS GOLF COURSE FUND, LOS LAGOS GOLF CLUB FUND AND STATE OF EMERGENCY FUND. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. [10. RESOLUTIONS] MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM TEN RESOLUTIONS. [A. Consider Resolution Ratifying the City Manager’s Submission of a Grant Application to the Federal Communication Commission’s Universal Service Administrative Company Under the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 E-rate Grant program for the Extension of Internet Access and Services and to Execute All Grant Documents Relating Thereto. [Leticia Leija, Director of Library and Cultural Arts]] ITEM A CONSIDER RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION'S UNIVERSAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPANY UNDER THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025. E-RATE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE EXTENSION OF INTERNET ACCESS AND SERVICES, AND TO EXECUTE ALL GRANT DOCUMENTS RELATING THERETO. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. JUST A QUESTION. YES, SIR. GO AHEAD. WHY ARE WE RATIFYING? WHY ARE WE LATE? GOOD. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL, FOR THE RECORD, LET THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY AND CULTURAL ARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS ON ME. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR, JUST LIKE LIKE EASTER, EVERYTHING CAME A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. AND WHILE WE WERE FOCUSING ON SOMETHING, THAT DAY CAME ALONG BY THE TIME I REALIZED. BUT GOOD THING WE WERE JUST IN TIME TO SUBMIT OUR. I DID CONSULT WITH OUR GRANT DIRECTOR, AND SHE SAID I COULD GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT IT AND THEN COME IN BEFORE YOU ALL FOR RATIFICATION. SO WE DID FOLLOW THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND WE JUST WE JUST TRY TO AVOID IT. WHAT WE TRY TO DO. SO YES MAKE SURE EVERYBODY AND I AND I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED ALSO WAS THAT THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN DATE. SO THAT KIND OF THREW ME OFF A LITTLE BIT. BUT YES, DEFINITELY. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 25 YEARS. AND THIS THIS YEAR WAS THE YEAR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO AS WE GET THE FUNDS WILL BE GOOD. [00:55:02] THANK YOU. 90%. SO THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. [B. Consider Resolution of the City of Edinburg Suspending the April 4, 2024, Effective Date of AEP Texas Inc.’s Requested Rate Change to Permit the City Time to Study the Request and to Establish Reasonable Rates; Approving Cooperation with the Cities Served by AEP Texas and Authorizing Intervention in AEP Texas Inc.’s Requested Rate Change Proceedings Before the Commission; Hiring Lloyd Gosselink Attorneys and Consulting Services to Negotiate with the Company and Direct Any Necessary Litigation And Appeals; Requiring Reimbursement of Cities’ Rate Case Expenses; Finding that the Meeting at which this Resolution is Passed is Open to the Public as Required By Law; Requiring Notice of this Resolution to the Company and Legal Counsel. [Omar Ochoa, City Attorney]] MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B CONSIDER RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG SUSPENDING THE APRIL 4TH, 2024 EFFECTIVE DATE OF AEP. TEXAS REQUESTED RATE CHANGE TO PERMIT THE CITY TIME TO STUDY THE REQUEST AND TO ESTABLISH REASONABLE RATES. APPROVING COOPERATION WITH THE CITY SERVED BY AEP TEXAS AND AUTHORIZING INTERVENTION IN AEP TEXAS. REQUESTED RATE CHANGE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION, HIRING LLOYD GOSLING ATTORNEYS AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE COMPANY AND DIRECT ANY NECESSARY LITIGATION AND APPEALS REQUIRING REIMBURSEMENT OF CITY'S RATE CASE EXPENSES. FINDING THAT THE MEETING AT WHICH THE RESOLUTION IS PASSED IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, REQUIRING NOTICE OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE COMPANY AND LEGAL COUNSEL. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THIS IS THIS IS VOTED ON. THIS IS FOR US TO FIGHT THE RATE INCREASES PROPOSED BY AEP. AND I DID ATTEND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING, AND MOST OF THE CITIES HAVE JOINED IN THIS EFFORT. SO I JUST WANT TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW AND THE PUBLIC. SO. THERE'S A LAW FIRM OUT OF AUSTIN, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WILL WORK ON BEHALF OF THE. YES. THAT'S CORRECT. THE WHERE THEY ARE WORKING ON BEHALF OF CITIES. TO OPEN UP THIS ACTION WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE RATE CHANGE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. [C. Consider Resolution Approving the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRR) Program Budget Amendment. [Claudia Farias, Director of Grants Administration].] ITEM C, CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. ARPA CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS PROGRAM BUDGET AMENDMENT. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT I THINK, MR. FRIEND, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MA'AM? YES, SIR. BE BEHIND YOU. GO AHEAD. WELL, THERE'S. YEAH. WELL, THIS IS THE CORONAVIRUS, RIGHT? COVID 19. AND WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THIS FOR AND HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I KNOW IT'S A GRANT. AND MY THING IS EVERYONE IS STILL GRABBING AND GOING. AND I BELIEVE THE THE COVID IS JUST ABOUT OVER OR IS OVER. SO I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY WE'RE STILL GRABBING MONEY. JUST BECAUSE IT'S THERE DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER I'LL BE FILLING IN FOR MISS CLAUDIA FARIAS. SHE'S OUT ON A TRAINING, BUT. YES, SIR. THIS WAS THE SAME ONE THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU LAST WEEK. THERE WAS MAKING CHANGES. YES, SIR. THE THE STANDBY GENERATORS WERE CLASSIFIED AROUND. ONE OF THEM'S FOR THE DOWNTOWN WATER PLANT, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS FOR THE SEWER PLANT. SO THEY WERE FLIPPED ON LAST BUDGET. SO WE'RE MAKING THE CORRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT AREA. BASICALLY. SO IT'S THE SAME LIST THAT WE PROVIDED LAST MEETING. THIS WILL JUST BE CORRECTING THOSE FROM WASTEWATER. THERE'S NO NEW FUNDS, SO WE'RE JUST HAVING TO ADHERE TO THAT CHANGE. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. IT'S COVID, IT'S COVID MONEY. DO THAT. WE WERE ALREADY AWARDED THAT WE'VE BEEN STEWARDS OF. AND WE'RE JUST SPENDING AS WE FIND THAT THE NEEDS ARISE. SO IT'S ALREADY WE HAVEN'T. THAT'S NOT NEW. MONEY'S CORRECT. MONEY'S FROM 21. YES, SIR. 21. THESE ARE THE SAME MONTHS. YES, SIR. 21, 22 AND 23. AS WE FEEL AS GOOD STEWARDS THAT WE CAN AS WE START SPENDING. YEAH. AND I THINK I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE QUESTION IT IS. AND I THINK AND THERE'S A LIST OF WHAT WE SUBMITTED, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE THE FUNDS FOR. AND SO WE DEVIATE FROM THAT. WE GOT TO SHOW WHY WE DID THAT. AND THAT IS CORRECT. MAKE SURE IT COMPLIES. SO ANYWAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 11. AWARDING A BID. [11. AWARDING OF BID] ITEM A CONSIDER AWARDING BID NUMBER 2023 DASH 19. [A. Consider Awarding Bid No. 2023-19, Installation of a New 750KW Standby Generator for the Downtown Plant High Service Pumps to McDonald Municipal & Industrial, in the Amount Not to Exceed $1,009,469.00 and Authorize the City Manager to Execute Any Documents Related Thereto. [Gerardo Carmona Jr., P.E., Director of Utilities]] INSTALLATION OF A NEW 750 KW STANDBY GENERATOR FOR THE DOWNTOWN PLANT. HIGH SERVICE PUMPS TO MCDONALD MUNICIPAL INDUSTRIAL, AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO NOT TO EXCEED 1,009,469 AND AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY DOCUMENTS RELATED THERETO. SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. WAS THIS ONE ALSO? IS THERE A QUESTION ON THAT? GO AHEAD MA'AM. I HAD A QUESTION. I COULDN'T ANSWER IT FOR THE PUBLIC. THEY HAD WHERE IS THIS GENERATOR? WHAT IS IT USED FOR? AND I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE IT. I STAND BY GENERATOR THAT'S NOT TO EXCEED $1 MILLION. SO WE WERE JUST WONDERING, WHERE IS THE HIGH PLANT? HIGH SERVICE PUMPS TO MCDONALD MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL. SO THEY JUST KIND OF. IF YOU'LL EXPLAIN THAT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, GERARDO CARMONA, DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES. SO THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE A GENERATOR. [01:00:02] WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN EXISTING GENERATOR THERE AT THE DOWNTOWN PLAN WHICH IS LOCATED ON MALL. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT GENERATOR IS TOO SMALL. WE DO HAVE SEVERAL HIGH SERVICE PUMPS THAT THAT WITH THIS GENERATOR WOULD BE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BACKUP POWER. AND SO BASICALLY THE HIGH SERVICE PUMPS IS BASICALLY AFTER IS THE PUMPS AFTER THE WATER HAS ALREADY BEEN TREATED. IT GOES INTO A WELL. AND THEN FROM THERE, THOSE HIGH SERVICE PUMP, PUMP, PUMP IT OUT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHERE THE, WHERE THE INTO THE PIPING. AND SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMERS GET THE WATER FROM. SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT GENERATOR BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME KIND OF LOSS OF POWER MAYBE DURING THE HURRICANE OR SOMETHING. IT'S GOING TO REALLY HINDER OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE WATER TO THE NORTH PART OF TOWN. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, WHEN WE LOSE POWER, YOU CAN STILL FLUSH YOUR TOILET BECAUSE OF THIS GENERATOR. WELL, YEAH, TECHNICALLY, SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO PUT IT IN LAYMAN'S TERM. I CAN STILL TURN ON THE FAUCET AND BRUSH MY TEETH, BUT NOT HAVE ANY LIGHTS IN THE HOUSE. BUT THAT'S WHAT PART OF THIS PUMP IS. EITHER WE BRING IN RAW WATER IN OR FRESHWATER OUT. YES, YES. SO WE WE CAN'T WE DO LOSE POWER. THEN WE WON'T BE ABLE TO WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE, THE DEMAND WITH THE WEST PLANT. SO WE ACTUALLY NEED THAT, THAT DOWNTIME TO, TO ALSO PUSH THAT WATER OUT AS WELL. SO YOU'RE THINKING LIKE AN ENGINEER, THINK LIKE A LAYMAN. I SAY, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT PUSHES THE WATER. YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH WHEN THE POWER'S GO OUT. ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM 12. [12. APPOINTMENTS] APPOINTMENTS. WE'VE GOT QUITE A NUMBER OF THEM. SO DO YOU WANT TO GO DOWN THE LIST? AND THAT WAY WE DON'T CONFUSE WHICH ITEM WE'RE LOOKING AT. [A. Consider Appointments to the Following City Advisory Boards, Councils, Commissions and Committees: Community Development Council, Two Members; Edinburg Golf Board, Four Members; Edinburg Little League, One Member; Environment Advisory Board, Two Members; Planning and Zoning Commission, One Member; Recreation and Parks Board, Three Members; Boys] OKAY. CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING CITY ADVISORY BOARDS, COUNCILS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES. THE FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. TWO MEMBERS. IT SAYS THREE HERE. EXCUSE ME. IT SAYS THREE MEMBERS ON OUR PACKET. THREE MEMBERS. SORRY. IS IT 2 OR 3? IT SHOULD BE TWO, I THINK. WELL, THERE'S THERE IS THREE. THERE WAS A VACANCY. SO THERE'S A MISTAKE. IT'S THREE MEMBERS. THERE'S NORMA, CATALINA OLIVARES, LEAH VARGAS, AND A VACANCY. WHO ARE YOU MOVING OR. NO. THEIR TERMS ARE. THEIR TERMS ARE UP. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, ALL THESE ARE THEIR TERMS ARE UP FOR OBVIOUSLY SERVING. RIGHT? SO. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. MY ONLY QUESTION HERE ALSO IS DO THEY DON'T THEY FALL BY DISTRICTS. THIS ONE. NO THEY DON'T. THIS ONE DOESN'T OKAY. SO COUNCIL IS THERE ANY MOTIONS TO REAPPOINT NORMALLY LEAH VARGAS. AND THEN WE HAVE VACANCY. SO THERE'S SOME APPLICANTS THERE ON THE ON THE LIST? YES. SINCE IT'S LISTED, YOU CAN ONLY APPOINT TWO, NOT THE THREE. IT'S INCORRECT ON THE ON THE SHEET. ON THE CAPSULE? YES. ON THE CAPTION. OH OKAY. SO WE GOT TO GO. BASED ON THE CAPTION. YES. WHAT WAS POSTED? OKAY. SO COUNCIL CAN IS THERE A MOTION TO JUST REAPPOINT THOSE. THE TERMS I THINK NORMA OLIVARES AND VARGAS AND THEY LEAVE THE VACANCY FOR THE NEXT MEETING. YES. I GUESS I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO REAPPOINT THEM SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND TO REAPPOINT NORMA, OLIVARES AND VARGAS. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS EDINBURG GULFPORT. FOUR MEMBERS. QUICK QUESTION ON THAT. IS IT ALREADY ALREADY ON? HE WAS JUST NEWLY APPOINTED LAST MONTH ABOUT THE MISTAKEN. YEAH. YOU HAVE AN APPLICANT. OKAY. HE MIGHT BE WHERE THE VACANCY IS. YEAH, BUT DID WE JUST APPOINT. WE JUST APPOINTED HIM LAST MONTH. CAN WE CONFIRM THAT? YES. YEAH, BECAUSE IF HE'S ALREADY IN THERE, THEN IT SHOWS FOR. YES. SO WE DO HAVE BILL CARLSON, ONE, EL GARCIA AND DONATO AMAYA THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REAPPOINTED. AND THEN YOU'LL CHECK ON THE. YES, I WILL CHECK WITH ON DAVID. IS THERE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT THOSE MEMBERS? SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION. AND A SECOND. IF YOU COULD JUST CONFIRM THAT. AND IF THERE'S A VACANCY THAT THAT WE APPOINT NEXT MONTH. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. THE NEXT ONE IS THE EDINBURG LITTLE LEAGUE. ONE MEMBER. THAT WOULD BE ARMANDO CELADON. CELADON. SO I MOVE. WE HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND. MR.. SORRY. MR.. CANNOT SERVE AGAIN. HE ALREADY SERVED HIS THIRD AND FINAL TERM. OKAY. CAN WE MAKE HIM AN HONORARY? [01:05:03] ALL RIGHT. LET'S TABLE THAT AND COME BACK NEXT MEETING. OKAY, LET'S TABLE THAT ITEM. THAT'S OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD. NEXT. THE NEXT ONE IS ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY BOARD, TWO MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL, WE HAVE A MEMBER, DALIA ROBLEDO. AND THEN WE HAVE VACANCY. YES. IS THERE ANY MOTIONS? MOTION TO REAPPOINT. OKAY. SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND TO REAPPOINT DALIA ROBLEDO. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE YOU WANT TO NOMINATE FOR THE OTHER VACANCY? YOU WANT TO COME BACK WITH THAT? OKAY. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. ONE MEMBER. IS THERE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT JORGE SOTELO? SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. THE NEXT ONE IS RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD. THREE MEMBERS. THE THREE MEMBERS ARE MONICA SOTO, GILBERT SANCHEZ, AND FERNANDO DELGADO. COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY MOTIONS? THERE'S NOBODY YOU GUYS LIKE. AND WE'LL JUST GO WITH THE THREE THAT WE HAVE THREE MEMBERS. GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO. HOLD ON. WAS THERE YOUR MOTION, CHIEF, OR DO YOU WANT TO MAKE. I REALLY DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION. I'LL MOVE TO APPOINT THE THREE. ALL RIGHT. SOTO. SANCHEZ. SANCHEZ. OKAY. AND. DELGADO. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND NEXT ITEM. THE NEXT ONE IS BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF EDINBURG. RGV. ONE MEMBER. MOTION TO REAPPOINT EDDIE VANOVER. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND THE LAST ONE IS EDINBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY. TWO MEMBERS. AND THESE ARE MAYOR APPOINTED. WE HAVE PRESENT MEMBERS, ARMANDO BARRERA AND JOSE RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL WILL BE REAPPOINTING ARMANDO BARRERA AND JOSE RODRIGUEZ FOR HOUSING AUTHORITY. OKAY. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, SIR. [13. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT] ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM 13. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEM EIGHT. CONSIDER APPROVING THE EDC BOARD SELECTED RECIPIENTS OF THE FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO MOVED. SECOND. [A. Consider Approving the EEDC Board's Selected Recipients of the Facade and Lot Improvement] A MOTION AND A SECOND. [Program. [Raudel Garza, EEDC Executive Director]] WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THIS? I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, BUT JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED FOR EDINBURG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. THIS PROGRAM STARTED AS KIND OF A RETENTION, JOB RETENTION AND BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM, AND IT'S TURNED OUT TO BE A LOT MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE SELECTING ARE HIRING PEOPLE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL. FIRST OF ALL, OF THE 40, WE HAVE 248 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES IN THOSE 40 BUSINESSES. WE HAVE 214 PART TIME EMPLOYEES IN THOSE 40 BUSINESSES. THEY'RE CURRENTLY HIRING. OF THOSE 40 BUSINESSES TRYING TO HIRE AT LEAST 50 EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY AND 83 WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. SO WE STARTED ASKING THEM A FEW QUESTIONS AND TRYING TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE AT. AND WE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT ON AVERAGE, THEY AVERAGED UNDER $1 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUES. MOST OF THEM ARE SMALLER BUSINESSES AND MOST OF THEM ARE SIX EMPLOYEES OR LESS. AND SO THAT'S THE TARGET THAT WE WERE TRYING TO HIT. THE 40 ARE IN YOUR PACKET. AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PUSHING THIS PROJECT OUT. AND THEN ANY FUNDS THAT ARE LEFT OVER, WE'RE GOING TO REALLOCATE INTO SOME OF THE OTHER APPLICANTS. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS? WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THE EDC HAS ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES, EXISTING BUSINESSES? WELL, THERE WAS A SPARK 4.0, WHICH WAS A ARPA FUNDS PROJECT, WHICH DID PROVIDE SOME FUNDING FOR, FOR FOR SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES. BUT THOSE WERE FEDERAL FUNDS. THIS IS LOCAL TAX DOLLARS. THIS IS THE SALES TAX THAT'S BEING GENERATED. I WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT. COUNCIL MEMBER DIAZ JUST JOINED THE MEETING. GO AHEAD. I THINK SO. THE LAST TIME WAS WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. WHERE THE BUSINESS IS EXCITED. WERE THEY GIVE ME SOMETHING, YOU KNOW. YEAH. NO, THEY'RE ALL EXCITED. THIS IS. THEY ALREADY KNOW THOUGH. OR ACTUALLY, [01:10:01] AFTER YOU ALL TAKE ACTION. I MEAN, IT'S IN THE PACKET, BUT THAT'S REALLY IT. I'D BE GLAD TO READ THE 40 NAMES IF YOU ALL WANT ME TO. NO. THAT'S FINE. WELL, THEY'RE IN THE PACKET, BUT MY QUESTION IS, HOW MANY MORE DO WE HAVE APPLY? WE HAD 25 OTHER SUPPLY. WOW. SO THERE MAY BE AROUND TWO. THERE MAY BE AROUND TWO LATER ON. YEAH. SO. WELL, WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE BOARD. AND I KNOW OUR MAYOR PRO TEM SITS ON THE BOARD, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HELPING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THIS IS A PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER WAYS TO DO IT. AND IT'S REALLY ALL OVER TOWN, THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND THE EAST SIDE. AND I KNOW SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY SHOW THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE ARE ARE GREAT. SO AND I DO ALSO SEE THAT THEY'RE INVESTING MORE THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE GRANTS ARE GETTING. YEAH. AM I READING THIS CORRECTLY? THERE'S ABOUT 600. SOME THOUSAND. THAT IS 29,000. YES. AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SO, YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD LEVERAGE FOR US. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. AND IF I CAN ADD, I KNOW I JUST GOT HERE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DID OR DIDN'T SAY, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO MAKE THIS PART OF THE BUDGET WITH THE COUNCIL SUPPORT. SOMETHING WE CAN DO MORE THAN JUST ONCE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. THE OTHER DIFFERENCE IS THAT SOMETIMES THESE BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT AND THEN GET REIMBURSED. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HELPING THEM WITH THAT. OR WE CAN POSSIBLY PAY THE CONTRACTOR DIRECTLY. SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, WE CANNOT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH THAT. WHAT ELSE HAVE WE DISCUSSED? JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER PROGRAMS. AND I HAVE TO COMMEND RANDALL. HE'S GOOD AT ACRONYMS. PHILIP. WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR? FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. CORRECT. FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO THERE'S A LOT OF LEEWAY WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO. BUT IT'S IT'S MOSTLY TO HELP THE BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES. AND WE ALSO REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE REALLY LIKE TO HELP OUT DIDN'T EVEN APPLY. SO HOPEFULLY THE NEXT TIME AROUND WE'RE GOING TO HELP THEM APPLY. SEND PEOPLE, SEND STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY THEY GET IN ON IT. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT [14. CONSENT AGENDA] HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 14. COUNCIL'S CONSENT AGENDA. WE HAVE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F AND G. IS THERE ANY ITEMS YOU WANT TO TAKE OUT OR YOU WANT A MOTION TO ITEM D? SO IS THAT YOUR MOTION, SIR? TO APPROVE EVERYTHING ELSE, APPROVE EVERYTHING ELSE AND REMOVE AND BRING D UP. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR TO APPROVE? A, B, C, E, F AND G. PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. [D. Consider Rescheduling the Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Regular City Council Meeting to Thursday, May 23, 2024. [Clarice Y. Balderas, City Secretary]] SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM D. CAN YOU READ IT. IS THERE A MOTION. YEAH. CAN YOU READ IT. CONSIDER RESCHEDULING THE TUESDAY, MAY 21ST, 2024 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO THURSDAY, MAY 23RD, 2024. A MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT JUST TO DISCUSS. GO AHEAD. THE ONLY REASON I BROUGHT IT UP IS I THINK THIS IS PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHEN OUR NEXT MEETING IS. SO IF WE IT SHOULDN'T BE. WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT. YEAH, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT. SO THAT WAY YOU KNOW THAT. YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT DATE. AND NOBODY CAN SAY WE HID IT SOMEWHERE. SO THAT'S ALL. SO THAT'LL BE THURSDAY, MAY 23RD. THIS CARRIES ON OUR MEETING INSTEAD OF TUESDAY THE 21ST FOR THE FUTURE, I GUESS. JUST PULL IT OUT AND JUST PUT IT THERE. IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE, THE MEETING WOULD BE BETTER FOR US. YEAH. GOOD POINT. OKAY. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. OH, THIS THIS IS GOING TO BE WHERE I SEE THE ICC. ALL RIGHT. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? [15. OTHER BUSINESS] SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. [A. Future Items Requested by City Council. (Myra L. Ayala, City Manager)] ITEM 15. COUNCIL. OTHER BUSINESS. IS THERE ANY ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO REQUEST FROM CITY MANAGER? IF NOT, YOU CAN'T SAY YOU WEREN'T ASKED. SO UNTIL NEXT MEETING. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX. [16. EXECUTIVE SESSION] EXCUSE ME 16 EXECUTIVE SESSION. CAN I GET A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE. SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS 7:12 P.M.. [02:02:25] OH, OKAY. OKAY. COMING UP NEXT ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE EDINBURG CITY [02:02:33] COUNCIL. ON THE COUNCIL, MAYOR RAMIRO GARZA JR. [02:02:37] MAYOR PRO TEM DANIEL DAN DIAZ, COUNCIL MEMBER JASON DELEON, [02:02:42] COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID SALAZAR JR. [02:02:45] AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID WHITE SITTING IN HIS ADVISORS, [02:02:49] CITY MANAGER MAYRA AYALA AND CITY ATTORNEY OMAR OCHOA AND NOW LIVE FROM EDINBURGH CITY [02:02:56] HALL, THE EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL. [02:03:03] GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. [02:03:04] WE'RE GOING TO START THE MEETING THIS EVENING OF OUR EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL FOR APRIL 2ND [02:03:08] AT 6 P.M. ON MY WATCH. WHEN I CALLED THIS MEETING TO ORDER, THERE IS ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT ARE PRESENT HERE, EXCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER DAN DIAZ OR MAYOR PRO TEM. I THINK HE'S RUN A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT HE'LL JOIN US IN A LITTLE BIT. WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED TODAY AS WE DO EVERY MEETING WITH A PRAYER BY GABRIELLA CONKLIN FROM FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE STAND. LET US PRAY. DEAR LORD, THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU'VE MADE. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US ALL TO SEE A NEW DAY AND GATHER SAFELY HERE IN THIS PLACE. I PRAY, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY OFFICIALS, CITY STAFF, CITIZENS, AND EACH OF US PRESENT IN THIS PLACE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING OUR COMMUNITY. I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR OFFICIALS AND LEADERS TO ALWAYS WORK FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE AND THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'VE BEEN CALLED TO SERVE. MAY YOU INSPIRE IN THEM WISDOM, A SPIRIT OF JUSTICE, A HEART OF COMPASSION AND EMPATHY, AND A SENSE OF UNITY AS THEY STRIVE FOR HARMONY AND FORWARD MOVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY. MAY YOU BLESS AND KEEP US ALL AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR NEIGHBORS. IN YOUR HOLY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO CERTIFICATION OF PUBLIC NOTICE. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE MEETING WAS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE TO TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON MARCH 28TH, 2024 AT 7:40 P.M.. SIR. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE. [02:05:03] YES, SIR. UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A COUNCIL MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFYING FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM. IF THERE IS A CONFLICT, THE MEMBER CAN'T PARTICIPATE OR VOTE ON THE ITEM. ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS TO DISCLOSE? NO, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE A COUPLE TONIGHT. WE'RE TONIGHT WE ARE HONORING THE EDINBURG NORTH GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM, WHO WERE RECENTLY NAMED NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS. LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND. THEY'RE HERE JOINING US TODAY. AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION THAT WILL BE READ FOR THE RECORD AT THIS TIME. YES, SIR. MAYOR. WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM ATTENDED THE SHOWTIME INTERNATIONAL GRAND NATIONALS DANCE COMPETITION ON MARCH 23RD THROUGH THE 24TH, 2024, IN GALVESTON, TEXAS. AND WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS PRACTICING TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND REPRESENT THE ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE AND WHERE SHOWTIME INTERNATIONAL GRAND NATIONAL DANCE COMPETITION HAD OVER 400 ROUTINES PERFORMED, AND THE GOLDEN SPURS COMPETED AGAINST VERY PRESTIGIOUS TEAMS IN THE SMALL DIVISION. THE TWO DAY COMPETITION WAS TOUGH, BUT THE SPURS DISPLAYED THEIR SKILLS AND DANCED THEIR HEARTS OUT AT EVERY PERFORMANCE. AND WHEREAS ATTENDING THE NATIONAL COMPETITION HAS OFFERED THE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO DANCE BUT ALSO TO BUILD ON TEAMWORK, RESPONSIBILITY, PERSEVERANCE, UNITY AND LONG LASTING FRIENDSHIP. AND WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS WERE AMAZING IN EVERY PERFORMANCE, EARNING THE TITLE OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, CONTEMPORARY ROUTINE, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, JAZZ ROUTINE, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. POM ROUTINE SECOND PLACE. NATIONAL CHAMPION HIP HOP ROUTINE, THIRD PLACE BEST OF THE BEST AND OVERALL BEST PRECISION TEAM. NATIONAL AWARD FOR TEAM ROUTINES AND NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS FOR SMALL DIVISION. THE GOLDEN SPURS OFFICERS BROUGHT HOME FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS POM ROUTINE FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, JAZZ ROUTINE, FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPION, CONTEMPORARY ROUTINE, SECOND PLACE, BEST OF THE BEST ROUTINES AND NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS FOR OFFICERS IN SMALL DIVISION. AND WHEREAS, THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM IS MADE UP OF AN OUTSTANDING GROUP. ALEJANDRA CAVAZOS, ASHLEY FLORES, KATELYN GAMEZ, GINA LYNN GARCIA, JACQUELINE GARZA, HANNAH GOMEZ, ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ, KIANA GONZALEZ, DAISY GUILLEN, CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ, BRIANNA HASSELL, SOPHIA MENDOZA, GIA. PENA, JOCELYN PINION, LIZBETH SOTO II, ALLISON SURITA, ANA MENDOZA. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JOSHUA AND BARAJAS AND NOEMI SALINAS. AND WHEREAS THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM. NOW, THEREFORE, ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG, TEXAS, BY THE POWER VESTED IN THEM BY LAW, I DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM, NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS, AND CALL UPON ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE SUCCESS OF THESE STUDENTS AND COACHES. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US. I WAS HERE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK FROM US. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU KNOW, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BRING THIS CHAMPIONSHIP TO OUR CITY. AND WE'RE PROUD TO TO, TO REPRESENT SEND YOUR. SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY. AND AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WELL I. MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE COUNCIL FOR A JOB WELL DONE. I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS IN GALVESTON, RIGHT? AND Y'ALL WENT TO GO SHOW WHAT EDINBURGH WAS ALL ABOUT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL. AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE UNDERCLASSMEN, SO YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK RIGHT. AND DO IT AGAIN, RIGHT. SO AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. BUT IF YOU CAN STEP UP TO THE MIC, SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR PARENTS ARE WATCHING HERE AND AND SAY WHAT, WHAT GRADE LEVEL YOU'RE AT. AND THAT WAY EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO YOU ARE. SO YOU WANT TO START TO WHOEVER WANTS TO GO FIRST OR OR IF NOT, YOUR INSTRUCTOR CAN LINE YOU ALL UP. OKAY. I'M. SORRY. AND A MAJOR. OH, MY GOODNESS. AND I'M A SENIOR. I'M SIENNA. I'M CAPTAIN AND I'M A JUNIOR. I'M ALLISON, I'M FIRST LIEUTENANT, AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M GINA GARCIA, I'M SECOND LIEUTENANT, AND I'M A SENIOR. THANKS. YEAH. I'M ELIZABETH, AND I'M A JUNIOR. [02:10:05] I'M JACQUELINE GARZA, I'M A THREE YEAR VETERAN, AND I'M A JUNIOR. OKAY. I'M BRIANNA, AND I'M A JUNIOR. I'M CHRISTY, AND I'M A SENIOR. I'M HANNAH, AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M DAISY AND I'M A SENIOR. I'M JOCELYN AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M CAITLIN AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M ASHLEY AND I'M A FRESHMAN. I'M SOPHIA, AND I'M A FRESHMAN. GREAT. I WOULD ALSO ALSO THANK ALL OF OUR PARENTS. THEY HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING US THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK MISS SALINAS FOR MY ASSISTANT, FOR HELPING ME THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY. MY FINANCE DIRECTOR IS ALSO HERE. MISS VILLARREAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL. AND AGAIN, THE PARENTS, FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID FOR THE GIRLS. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEM. GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. AND YOU MAKE US PROUD. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE HERE. IS THAT CORRECT? NO, SIR. THE SECOND ITEM IS PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2024 AS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, AS REQUESTED BY THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. IF ANYONE IS HERE FOR THE PROCLAMATION, IF YOU CAN STEP TO THE PODIUM. YEAH. I'M NOT HERE. IF WE CAN SEND TO THEM. YES, SIR. AND ASK THE COMMUNITY TO JUST OBSERVE. APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH. YES. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C, PRESENT THE RECIPIENT FOR THE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AWARD FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2024. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. BELINDA TORRES, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES. WE'RE PROUD TO PRESENT OUR RECIPIENT FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. MISS VIANEY VASQUEZ. SHE'S A PROGRAM COORDINATOR TWO WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. WORLD BIRDING CENTER DIVISION. AND I'LL PASS THE MIC TO DIRECTOR JAVIER GARZA TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M PROUD HERE TO TO TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR EMPLOYEE AT BIRDING CENTER VASQUEZ IS OUR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. YEARS BACK, SHE APPLIED WITH US AND SHE CAME OUT AS A PART TIMER WHILE GOING TO COLLEGE. AND SHE WAS IN THE OFFICE STAFF AND A VERY TALENTED. AND SHE MOVED UP TO FULL TIME OFFICE STAFF. AND AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE AT THE BIRDING CENTER AS A COORDINATOR. TWO AND USING HER TALENTS, SHE'S A COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR. SHE JUST GRADUATED THIS PAST DECEMBER. SO SO WE'RE WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HER OVER THERE AT THE BIRDING CENTER. BROUGHT UP A LOT OF A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE, A LOT OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, AND TO SPEAK ON HER BEHALF. WE HAVE OUR BIRDING CITY MANAGER HERE TODAY, BRANDON ALANIZ, TO SPEAK ON THAT. THANK YOU. REAL QUICK. THANK YOU. COACH. JUST AGAIN, TO TOUCH ON THE WORK MISS BENNETT HAS DONE. SHE ALSO OVERSEES OUR OUTREACHES INTERACTING WITH OVER 10,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE CALENDAR YEAR. SO THAT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO OUR HARD WORK. THOSE ARE A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS. WEEKENDS THAT SHE SELFLESSLY DEDICATES HER JOB TO. SO NOW THE PERSON OF THE HOUR, MISS VASQUEZ. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THIS IS REALLY AWESOME TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR MY WORK. AND I'M VERY PROUD TO WORK AT THE BIRDING CENTER, AND I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YEAH. WELL. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON THIS HONOR. AND I'VE BEEN OUT THERE AND SEE YOU OUT THERE WORKING AND DOING ALL THAT Y'ALL CAN FOR OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF OURSELVES AND YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK AND APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO, EVERYTHING THE CENTER DOES. SO THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO UP THERE TO TAKE A PICTURE. [02:15:02] THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CARTER. HI. CONGRATULATIONS. ON THE COUNT OF THREE. READY? ONE. TWO. THREE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM FIVE. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL ALLOWS FOR A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO BE DEDICATED TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. I WILL BE TAKING TIME. PLEASE NOTE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOT INTERACTIVE. THE COUNCIL MAY NOT RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS MISS FERN MCCLARTY REGARDING TAXPAYERS MONEY. GENTLEMEN, IN REFERENCE TO THE PURCHASE OF THE HEB SOCCER COMPLEX, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COUNCIL THINKS IT CAN MAKE SUCH A PURCHASE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN COME OUT AND SAY, LOOK AT WHAT A WONDERFUL THING WE HAVE DONE. I DID AN OPEN RECORDS TO THE EDINBURGH AND ALL I RECEIVED SAYS THIS FILE. IT SAYS WE REVIEWED IT AND HAS DETERMINED THERE'S NO RESPONSE DOCUMENTS TO YOUR REQUEST. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY OPEN RECORDS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. YOU LIVE IN A GLASS BOWL AND LITTLE BY LITTLE, THE PUBLIC WILL FIND OUT WHAT THIS DEAL WILL COST THE PEOPLE OF EDINBURGH. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE UNIVERSITY WANTED TO BUY THE SOCCER COMPLEX, WHY DID THEY NOT JUST BUY IT FROM THE DEVELOPER? THE OGDEN FAMILY HAS MADE SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY. WHY DID THE CITY OF EDINBURGH HAVE TO BUY THE FACILITY? IN MY OPINION, IT IS BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY MUST COMPLY WITH STATE LAW. EVEN IN RECEIVING A GIFT. AND THAT TAKES TIME. COULD IT BE THAT THE DEVELOPER WANTED TO AVOID PAYING PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH STARTED ON JANUARY 1ST? ALSO, HOW DID THE CITY GET THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE FACILITY? IT TAKES TIME TO COMPLY WITH STATE REGULATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTING A LENDING INSTITUTION. THE LAST QUESTION REMINDS ME OF THE COMMENTS OUR MAYOR MADE DURING THE LAST PRESENTATION OF THE CITY AUDIT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION SPENT THIS MONEY. I SUPPOSE THAT THE MAYOR HAS DISCOVERED THE SECRET, BECAUSE HERE WE ARE AGAIN, MAKING A QUICK DEAL. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT DEALS MADE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ARE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE COST APPEARS AS PROPERTY TAX AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WAS BUYING A SOCCER COMPLEX LISTED ON THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT OR THE 2040 PLAN? I DON'T THINK SO. DURING A TIME WHEN FAMILIES ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES, WHEN INFLATION IS REDUCING OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR OUR FAMILIES. OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OBTAINING POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OR WHATEVER. NO PROJECT, NO POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. HOW ELSE CAN ONE JUSTIFY THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGH RISK PARKING FACILITY WHERE THERE ARE NO BUSINESSES? THIS COUNCIL HAS HIRED A CONSULTANT TO IDENTIFY HOW MANY HOW MUCH UTILITY COST COULD BE INCREASED, BUT DID NOT BOTHER TO IDENTIFY THEIR IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE THAT SERVE. THE COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED A TWO YEAR CONSULTANT CONTRACT FOR LOBBYING IN AUSTIN, WHEN THE STATE LEGISLATION WOULD BE OUT OF SESSION, AND JUST A FEW WORDS ABOUT AMBULANCES. THE CITY NEEDS TO SELECT THE AREA OF ITS INVOLVEMENT CAREFULLY, BECAUSE NO LEGAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN OPERATE AS EFFICIENTLY AS A PRIVATE COMPANY. HELP THEM IF YOU MUST, BUT TAKE TAKING OVER THEIR JOB INCREASES THE LIABILITY AND COST OF OPERATIONS. IF YOU THINK CITIES CANNOT BE SUED, ASK THE NEIGHBORING CITIES. YOUR ACTIONS ARE INCREASING THE COST OF LIVING BY INCREASING OUR DEBT. CREATE A PLAN. ESTABLISH A BUDGET AND DO NOT EXCEED THE BUDGET. IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE OR POLITICAL. SO AGAIN, I DID AN OPEN RECORDS AND I'M VERY UPSET WITH EDINBURG BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS SAY THE CITY IS OPEN AND THEY'RE NOT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANYTHING. I DID GET THE INFORMATION THOUGH. LET YOU KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. MISS MCLARTY ALSO ASK QUESTIONS ON ITEM SIX A, TEN AND 11 A. THE NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT IS MAGDALA CASTLE. [02:20:07] INVITATION TO UFO FESTIVAL. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. MAGDALO COUNCIL. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL ARTS. FOR THE RECORD. TODAY WE'RE INVITING EVERYONE TO COME OUT TO THE UFO FESTIVAL. IT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND, APRIL 4TH, FIFTH AND SIXTH. ON APRIL 4TH, WE ARE OPEN AT THE LIBRARY FROM 7 P.M. TO 10 P.M.. WE HAVE AN OPEN MIC NIGHT WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OR HAVE SEEN ANYTHING OUT IN THE NIGHT SKY CAN COME OUT AND TELL THEIR STORIES TO OTHER LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS. APRIL 5TH WE HAVE THE UFO FESTIVAL HAPPENING HERE AT THE BEAUTIFUL AMPHITHEATER LOCATED AT 201 NORTH 201 WEST MCINTYRE. WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, A TINFOIL HAT THAT'S A FAVORITE OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF GAMES LASER LIGHT SHOWS AND A DRONE SHOW. ON APRIL 6TH, WE'LL HAVE THE UFO CONFERENCE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE AT REGION ONE AT 1900 WEST JUNIOR, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE FROM 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M.. AND THEN THAT EVENING WE'LL HAVE THE UFO INCIDENT SITE BASED ON THE THE WHOLE FESTIVAL IS BASED ON THE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN 1966 HERE IN EDINBURGH, AND THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING OUT TO THE RANCH FOR A TOUR OF THE SITE AND A NIGHT SKY WATCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. MAYOR. COUNCIL. ALL RIGHT. THAT BEING THE CASE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX PRESENTATION REPORTS, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THE POSSIBLE CREATION OF A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. TOM RENA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON JUST WE'RE LOOKING FOR DISCUSSION POINTS FOR YOU ALL TO PRESENT ON THE CREATION OF A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. YOU MAY ASK, WHAT'S A PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD? REPORT. PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR REGULATORY BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THE REGULATORY PUBLIC UTILITIES SERVICE WITHIN A SPECIFIC JURISDICTION. THESE UTILITIES INCLUDE SUCH AS WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND SOMETIMES TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AS BUS OR TRAINS. THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THE PUB IS TO ENSURE THAT THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED RELIABLY, AFFORDABLY, SUSTAINABLY TO ALL THE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ALSO BALANCING THE INTEREST OF THE UTILITY PROVIDERS AND THE PUBLIC. PUBS TYPICALLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SET OUR RATES, ESTABLISH SERVICE STANDARDS, APPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS AND MEDIATE DISPUTES BETWEEN UTILITY COMPANIES AND CUSTOMERS, AND ENFORCE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE REGULATORY AND RELEVANT LAWS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE SPECIFIC POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUB CAN VARY DEPENDING ON THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF THE JURISDICTION THAT IT OPERATES. SO WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IS ALMOST JUST LIKE THE EDC BOARD, WHICH IT WOULD BE THEIR OWN SEPARATE ENTITY THAT WOULD MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS ON THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AND THEN COME BACK TO FINAL APPROVAL AS PER CITY COUNCIL. SO WHAT IS NEEDED TO CREATE A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IS, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE NEED TO DETERMINE THE NEEDS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IN YOUR COMMUNITY. CONSIDER FACTORS SUCH AS TYPES OF UTILITIES SUCH AS WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS THAT WOULD THE BOARD WOULD OVERSEE EXISTING REGULATORY MECHANISMS AND ANY GAPS OR DEFICIENCIES IN THE IN THE CURRENT OVERSIGHT THAT OUR UTILITY DEPARTMENT DOES CARRY DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES AND SCOPES CLARIFY DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES IN THE SCOPES OF THE PROPOSED UTILITY BOARD. THIS MIGHT INCLUDE OUTLINING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, AUTHORITY COMPOSITION, THE OPERATING PROCEDURES. ALSO CONSIDER CONSULTING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, UTILITY PROVIDERS, CUSTOMER ADVOCACY GROUPS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GATHER ANY INPUT AND SUPPORT. THE NEXT STEP WE WOULD DO IS DRAFT AN ORDINANCE. IF NECESSARY, WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR LEGAL EXPERT TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE THAT FORMALLY ESTABLISHES THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD DETAIL THE BOARD'S PURPOSE, POWERS, MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURES, APPOINTMENT OR ELECTED PROCEDURES, TERMS OF OFFICE, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT PROVISIONS. BEFORE WE CHANGE, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR. OR IS THIS ONLY GOING TO BE FOR ITEMS WE PRODUCE, LIKE THE WATER? WE DON'T PRODUCE ELECTRICITY. SO THAT IS CORRECT. TALKING ABOUT WATER, SEWER, TRASH. NO, THIS WOULD JUST BE FOR WATER AND SEWER. WATER SEWER? YES, SIR. BASICALLY THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT. [02:25:02] OKAY. THE NEXT STEP IS WE WILL NEED TO APPOINT MEMBERS IF THE IF THE PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD WILL HAVE APPOINTED MEMBERS. THIS WILL ESTABLISH ANY PROCESS OF SELECTIONS OR APPOINTING QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE ON THE BOARD. THIS PROCESS MAY INVOLVE NOMINATIONS BY ELECTED OFFICIALS. APPLICATIONS FOR INTERESTED CANDIDATES, INTERVIEWS AND FORMAL APPOINTMENTS. THE NEXT ONE IS OBTAIN APPROVAL, WHICH WOULD COME BACK TO THE GOVERNING BODY TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND TO APPROVE THE NOMINATIONS. THE NEXT ONE IS PROVIDE TRAINING AND ORIENTATION, JUST LIKE Y'ALL DO. WHEN Y'ALL WERE ELECTED, WE WOULD ESTABLISH ALL THAT TRAINING FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS AND WHAT THEIR ROLES AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD BE. THE NEXT STEP IS WE COMMENCE OPERATIONS, WHICH CURRENTLY WE DO DO OUR OPERATIONS FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE GOVERN. BUT THEN THE UTILITIES BOARD OFFICIALLY ESTABLISHED ITS MEMBERS AND ARE IN PLACE, BEING CONDUCTED REGULAR MEETINGS, FULFILLMENT OF ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUES WITHIN THE JURISDICTION. THE NEXT PART. THE NEXT PORTION IS WE NEED TO ESTABLISH OPERATING PROCEDURES. DEVELOP OPERATING PROCEDURES AND BYLAWS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. THESE SHOULD ADDRESS MATTERS SUCH AS MEETING FREQUENCIES, QUORUM REQUIREMENTS, VOTING PROCEDURES, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICIES, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS. THE NEXT ONE IS WE WOULD ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS. FOSTERING ONGOING COMMUNICATION WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING US AS THE UTILITY PROVIDER AND THE OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PUBLIC. WE WOULD NEED TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK, ADDRESSING CONCERNS, AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF UTILITY SERVICES. SO CREATING A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD MAY INDEED MIGHT REQUIRE SOME OF THE APPROVAL FROM THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION, WHICH ULTIMATELY GOES TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF TEXAS OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITIES. BUT SINCE WE ARE ALREADY ARE APPROVED UTILITY PROVIDER, THIS WOULD WOULD STILL NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BOARD FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. AS WE ESTABLISHED AT PUB. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROCESS OF FORMING A PUB IN TEXAS MAY VARY DEPENDING ON LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES, LOCAL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, AND THE SPECIFIC UTILITIES INVOLVED. CONSULTING WITH LEGAL EXPERTS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS CAN ENSURE THAT THE PROCESS IS CONDUCTED EFFICIENTLY AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS. OVERALL, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PUBLIC UTILITY DEPENDS ON THE ABILITY TO BALANCE THE INTERESTS OF THE CUSTOMERS, UTILITY COMPANIES, AND THE PUBLIC. GOOD. SO THIS HAS JUST BEEN A SHORT PRESENTATION. SO I'M HERE TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY DISCUSSIONS OR ANY DIRECTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PROCEED ON THIS COUNCIL. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION REAL QUICKLY, THANK YOU, TOM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I HAD ASKED CITY MANAGEMENT TO BRING THIS TO LIGHT JUST TO GET COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND ALSO JUST THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE BEEN GROWING SO RAPIDLY AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE WENT TO A UTILITY ANALYSIS AND DETERMINED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT OUR UTILITIES ARE IN NEED OF. AND SINCE WE'VE BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY, OTHER CITIES HAVE SET UP SOMETHING SIMILAR SO THAT IT CAN HAVE ITS OWN FOCUS. RIGHT NOW, IT'S UNDER CITY MANAGEMENT. IT'S A DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY. OTHER CITIES LIKE MCALLEN, I THINK BROWNSVILLE, HARLINGEN HAVE A UTILITY. THEY'RE ALL CALLED DIFFERENTLY. I THINK MCALLEN BROWN'S IS CALLED PUB. OF COURSE, BROWNSVILLE HAS POWER TO YOUR POINT. COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT MOSTLY IT'S WATER AND SEWER. AND I THINK, AS TOM MENTIONED, THIS WOULD JUST BE THE UTILITIES OPERATIONS, ALL THE WATER WASTEWATER OPERATIONS COLLECTION SYSTEM AS WELL. THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT. AND GIVEN ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE NEEDING TO MAKE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT HAS ITS OWN FOCUS. BUT THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHTS. I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE FOR COUNCIL TO LOOK AT AND EVALUATE. AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D LIKE TO LOOK FURTHER, I THINK THERE'S A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. YEAH. WE BASICALLY, JUST AS THE BEST EXAMPLE IS I DISCUSSED IT WITH THE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT. IT'S JUST LIKE ESTABLISHING OUR EDC, HOW WE SEPARATE IT. IT'LL BE ITS OWN GOVERNING BOARD. ULTIMATELY, WE STILL COME AND REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL. YEAH. AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT. SO OVERSIGHT WILL STILL CONTINUE BY THE COUNCIL. THE BOARD YOU KNOW, WILL SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL. BUT ULTIMATELY, ANY MAJOR APPROVALS, JUST LIKE EDC COMES BEFORE THE COUNCIL. THIS IS JUST SO THAT THE BOARD HAS WE HAVE MORE DIRECT OVERSIGHT FROM THAT STANDPOINT. YES, SIR. THE BOARD WAS SOLELY FOCUS ON UTILITY PROJECTS. YEAH. YOU HAD A COMMENT? [02:30:01] YEAH. MAINLY, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE DAILY DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS? BECAUSE WITH IT LIKE WE TAKE THE WHOLE SYSTEMS SYSTEMS. RIGHT. WE TRANSFER IT OUT. SO BASICALLY IT WOULD JUST JUST LIKE NOW OUR UTILITIES IS SUPPORTED JUST BY UTILITY FUND BUT IT WOULD HAVE ITS OWN REGULATORY BOARD. IT WOULD BE YOU WOULD NEED TO APPOINT A GENERAL MANAGER AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SAME STRUCTURE. WE WOULD HAVE TO DO INTO AGREEMENT AS WHO'S GOING TO DO THE FINANCIALS, WHO'S GOING TO DO HR JUST EXACTLY LIKE EDC. WE WOULD THEY WOULD ANSWER TO THE BOARD. STAFF WOULD ANSWER TO THE BOARD. THEN ULTIMATELY THE BOARD WOULD ANSWER TO ALL AND MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS. IT WOULD LOOK AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THEY WILL LOOK AT ANY FUNDING REQUESTS, ANY APPLICATIONS TO FOR GRANTS OR TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. BASICALLY THE ITEMS FOR THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT WILL NO LONGER COME TO THIS, TO THE COUNCIL. IT WILL GO TO THE UTILITY BOARD. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IF WE NEED FINAL DECISION, WOULD COME BACK TO THIS GOVERNING BOARD. HOW ABOUT HIRING A STAFF? THE DIRECTORS, ARE THEY THE BOARD THAT THE DIRECTOR'S BOSS WOULD BE THE BOARD? IT WOULD BE A GENERAL MANAGER. AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR DIRECTORS OR SO FORTH AT THAT POINT. SO BASICALLY WE'RE WE'RE IN A POSITION THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ALL THE STAFF SINCE OUR UTILITY STAFF IS FUNDED BY THE UTILITY FUND. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK FOR EVERYBODY SAKE THIS REALLY DOESN'T AFFECT EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY AT ALL. IF ANYTHING, IT'S JUST GIVING IT ITS OWN FOCUS. NOW, THE ONLY MAYBE DIFFERENCE IS GOING TO BE IF THERE'S A GENERAL MANAGER, THAT GENERAL MANAGER IS APPOINTED BY THE, THE BOARD. RIGHT. AND THEN GENERAL MANAGER OVERSEES THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. FOR ALL I KNOW, IT COULD BE THE DIRECTOR CURRENTLY OF THE UTILITIES. RIGHT. I MEAN, BUT THE BOARD WILL DO THAT. AND AND THEN IN TURN RUN THE DAY TO DAY IN OPERATIONS. AND OBVIOUSLY IN COORDINATION WITH OUR CITY MANAGER. RIGHT. BECAUSE, I MEAN IT'S OUR CITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT IT'S JUST COORDINATION HAS TO BE THERE AS WELL. I KNOW IN OTHER CITIES THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. THEIR GENERAL MANAGER COORDINATES WITH CITY MANAGEMENT JUST BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT OVERSEEING OUR CITY AS A WHOLE, SO. OKAY. AND SO WHAT IS THE PROCESS? I MEAN, IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO. LOOK, I KNOW YOU OUTLINE SOMETHING HERE, BUT I DON'T HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR OUR CITY MANAGER. I MEAN, I MEAN, FOR ME, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T LIKE TO INTERRUPT OBVIOUSLY, SERVICES OR ANYTHING. AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE POINT HERE, BUT FROM A TIMELINE STANDPOINT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'D WANT TO SET SOMETHING LIKE THIS UP AS PART OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IN OTHER WORDS, AS WE KICK OFF A NEW FISCAL YEAR BUT, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. WE'VE GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO THAT OR. YES, SIR. SO BASICALLY, WE LOOKED INTO WHAT THE PROCESS IS. SO THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS. OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME COMMUNITY OUTREACH. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO CONDUCT SOME PUBLICATIONS, MAYBE BE ABLE TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT IN. ULTIMATELY IT COULD BE CREATED THROUGH AN ORDINANCE. AND THEN FROM THERE WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT WE WANT THIS BOARD TO BE ABLE TO DO. AT THIS POINT, IT WOULD BE WATER, WASTEWATER LIKE IT WAS MENTIONED. AND THEN, OF COURSE, IT WOULD HAVE THERE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR OWN FUND THERE ALREADY. THE STAFF EVERYBODY'S JUST IS ALREADY FUNDED THROUGH THE, THE THE UTILITIES FUND. I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY DISRUPTION. IT'S BASICALLY JUST CREATING THE BOARD. LIKE YOU MENTIONED, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD TO DECIDE IF MAYBE THE CURRENT DIRECTOR WOULD BE THE GENERAL MANAGER, OR IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO HIRE SOMEONE ELSE. THAT AGAIN, WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL. AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS, THAT'S ALSO UP TO TO THE COUNCIL. THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE COUNCIL TO DECIDE AS WELL HOW THEY'RE APPOINTED AND THOSE THINGS. CORRECT. SO IF THE DIRECTION IS TO START LOOKING TOWARDS THAT WAY, I WOULD DO MY FIRST OFFICIAL INQUIRY WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE REGULATIONS. AND THEN I WOULD PRESENT SOMETHING TO OUR MR. OCHOA AND TO SEE IF WE'RE READY FOR THAT, IF WE HAVE ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DO NEED TO FOLLOW. IF NOT, THEN WE START CREATING THE ORDINANCE AND THEN LOOK IN THAT TIMELINE. ARE WE SUBSIDIZING THE UTILITY FUND NOW WITH GENERAL FUND? I GUESS WHAT WE'RE HEADED TO WITH THAT QUESTION IS HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT IF WE GO INTO SOMETHING? SO I COULD TRY TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE WHAT I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER IS THAT THERE'S STILL IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT THAT POSSIBILITY IS STILL THERE. YEAH. BUT I THINK ANYTHING EXISTING OBVIOUSLY REMAINS. BUT MOVING FORWARD, IT'S JUST ANOTHER ENTITY. NO DIFFERENT, I THINK, THAN THE EDC. I THINK THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WITH EDC IS THAT THAT'S GOVERNED BY A WHOLE OTHER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ACT, AND SO IT HAS ITS OWN SET OF REQUIREMENTS. [02:35:01] BUT AT THE END IT'S A BOARD APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL. RIGHT. AND THE BYLAWS ARE SET UP TO WHERE AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE AMENDED OURS, RIGHT, WITH EDC SO THAT WE APPROVE MOST OF THE ITEMS. RIGHT. SAME THING WITH THIS OPERATION. I GUESS I'M GOING THAT WAY, MAYOR, BECAUSE THE EDC, IF IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SHORT FUNDING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE CAN JUST STOP THEIR FUNDING UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY CATCH UP, WHEREAS WE REALLY CAN'T STOP FIXING PIPE OR LAYING PIPE OR ALL THAT STUFF. SO SOMEWHERE THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING WHERE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THE UTILITY FUND IS RUNNING SHORT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE STUCK OR WE JUST COME BACK IN LIKE WE WOULD BE LIKE, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, IF THEY COULDN'T, IF WE HAD MANHOLE CATASTROPHES RIGHT NOW, WE'D HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR RIGHT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DRAFT IN THE OPERATIONS AND IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THOSE POSSIBILITIES ARE STILL THERE. THAT'S BASICALLY WE'LL BE CREATING THE STEPS THAT WE DO WANT TO FOLLOW. AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE STEPS THAT WE WOULD PRESENT TO YOU AT FIRST. THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND THEN WE WOULD EVENTUALLY RECOMMEND A WORKSHOP ONCE WE GET THAT FAR. ALONG THAT WAY, WE ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE CROSSING OUR T'S AND DOTTING OUR EYES AT THAT POINT. THAT'S THAT'S AN AREA WE CAN'T STOP, RIGHT? OR WE'LL FALL BEHIND. I AGREE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAINAGE, RIGHT? IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAINAGE. DRAINAGE. THIS WOULD JUST BE FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS SYSTEMS, WASTEWATER, LIFT STATIONS AND WATER PLANTS. YEAH. JUST TO BE CLEAR, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW COUNCIL ON OUR BUDGET, WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND. WE HAVE ALL THESE FUNDS. RIGHT. UTILITY FUND IS WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO. SO EVERYTHING UNDER THAT FUND IS WHAT WILL FALL UNDER THIS. AND THE OVERALL BENEFIT FROM THIS WOULD BE AS FAR AS WHAT LIKE MORE OVERSIGHT OR. SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO BRING BEFORE YOU. THE ONLY REASON I WANTED TO BRING UP TO THE COUNCIL IS WE'RE GROWING VERY RAPIDLY. AND I WAS TAKEN ABACK, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WITH WHEN WE DID THE RATE STUDY AND WE SAW THE NEEDS AND WE'RE BEHIND. AND I FEEL THAT THE CITY HAS ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, AND THE UTILITIES FUND NEEDS ITS OWN FOCUS, YOU KNOW, AS OTHER CITIES HAVE. AND IT'S GROWING. WE'RE GROWING RAPIDLY. AND SO I THINK THIS BOARD WILL BE CHARGED WITH MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ADEQUATE WATER, THE SEWER, AND THAT WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS. SO TO ME, THAT'S THAT'S HOW I SEE IT. IT CAN CONTINUE AS IT IS, BUT I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE 100,000 PLUS NOW. HARLINGEN IS A LOT LESS POPULATION. WE ARE THEY'VE BEEN SET UP LIKE THIS FOR. BUT I DID TALK TO THEIR MAYOR, AND SHE DID INFORM ME THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY BUILT INTO THEIR CITY CHARTER. SO THEY'VE HAD IT SET UP. I THINK THEIRS IS CALLED HARLINGEN WATERWORKS. WATERWORKS, YES. BUT THERE'S THIS IS PART OF THEIR CITY CHARTER. HOW THEY WERE FOUNDED. SO THEY'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT BEFORE COUNCIL. I OBVIOUSLY THE, THE, THE BENEFITS ARE THAT BUT THERE IS IT'S ANOTHER LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY IF YOU WILL. I GET THAT, YOU KNOW, ADDING A BOARD, BUT IT ALSO WILL HAVE ITS DIRECT OVERSIGHT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUT I, I DIDN'T SEE HERE THE COMPARABLE TO OTHER CITIES MAYBE AS A FOLLOW UP, BUT WE CAN GET A LIST OF HOW THOSE OTHER CITIES ARE SET UP. HOW THEY'RE OPERATED. THAT MAY BE HELPFUL. I MEAN, IT'S NOT ANYTHING WE'RE WANTING TO RUSH INTO AT THIS TIME. WE JUST WANTED TO COME AND BRING IT TO YOU ALL BECAUSE MY MY GUESS. WHAT WOULD THE HURDLE BE IF YOU KNOW, IF WE NEEDED TO MAKE A CHANGE HAPPEN AND WE I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH PROCESSES. IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH THAT, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BOARD AND THEY GO, I GUESS THERE WAS THE CHIEF, AND THEN THEY GO TO THEIR THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND THEN THEN IT COMES TO US. SO IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT HURDLES TO GET THROUGH IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH THIS. IT JUST DEPENDS HOW WE SET IT UP. THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS THAT THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT UP LIKE BY COUNCIL MEMBER Y2 IN TERMS OF THE THE FUND. WE COULD SET IT UP TO WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE FIRST 2 TO 5 YEARS IT'S SET UP THROUGH MAYBE CITY MANAGEMENT WILL ASSIGN THIS TO SOMEONE. I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD. RIGHT, WHILE WE SET UP ALL THE OPERATIONS. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S BYLAWS REQUIRED. IS THERE. OKAY. SO. YES, THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED. OKAY. SO THOSE BYLAWS WILL OUTLINE WHICH WE WOULD APPROVE, HOW IT WOULD OPERATE. YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT OPERATE, BECAUSE I GUESS IT WILL DEPEND ON US HOW MUCH OVERSIGHT WE WANT TO HAVE AT THE END. IT'S GIVEN ITS OWN FOCUS. YOU KNOW, THEY MEET ONCE A MONTH AND ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS WATER AND SEWER. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND WE MEET TWICE A MONTH, BUT WE TALK ABOUT 20 OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WE NEED TO SO THAT AT THE END THAT'S REALLY THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE. YEAH, IT'S ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT HAS THIS KIND OF BOARD, WHICH IS THE NEWEST ONE THAT'S BEEN RECENTLY CONVERTED TO A BOARD. MCALLEN. MCALLEN. MCALLEN. WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST BENEFITS THAT THEY'VE GOT OFF THAT THE BIGGEST BENEFIT, AS I ECHO THE MAYORS, IS THEY SOLELY FOCUS JUST ON UTILITY [02:40:04] PROJECTS, ON INFRASTRUCTURE, ON, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO MAKE THAT DECISION WHERE YOU HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, I'M GOING TO SUPPLY THIS MUCH PIPING OR NEW SERVICES, OR AM I GOING TO PAVE SOME STREETS, OR AM I GOING TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING OR NEW FACILITY SO THOSE THOSE WON'T COME TO YOU ANYMORE FOR THE UTILITIES THAT WOULD GO TO THE BOARD? BIG ITEMS AS FUNDING OR BOND ISSUANCE OR ANYTHING THAT STILL WILL COME TO THIS BOARD FOR THAT DECISION AND ANY WAY THAT WE WANT TO SET UP. SO THAT IS THE BENEFIT IS THEY'RE SOLELY FOCUSED ON GROWING THE UTILITY. AND HOW LONG HAS THAT BOARD BEEN IN EXISTENCE? I WOULD HAVE TO GET THAT EXACT ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT I JUST A ROUGH ESTIMATE. IT'S BEEN ABOUT TEN YEARS NOW. THE PUB IN MCALLEN, I THINK IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN THAT. YES, SIR. I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT. YEAH, BUT THEY'RE SET UP. MCALLEN SET UP REAL DIFFERENTLY. IN FACT, THEY'RE ELECTED. SO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE ELECTED. YES, SIR. BY PLACE? YES. SO WHEREAS IN BROWNSVILLE, THEY'RE APPOINTED AND IN HARLINGEN AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, EACH CITY, HOWEVER WE SEE DETERMINED. AND THE OTHER THING I'LL MENTION, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE HEAR FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS. RIGHT. IT'S FUN. BUT IT'S AGAIN, THEY'RE PAIRED UP WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO WHEN THEY COME TO US SAY WE NEED THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, WE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT YOU KIND OF WEIGHED AGAINST OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SAID, WELL, WE ALREADY GAVE, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT IN MY OPINION BECAUSE UTILITIES FUND. THAT'S JUST WATER AND WASTEWATER, YOU KNOW. AND IT NEEDS ITS OWN FOCUS. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, IF IT IS SOMETHING WE DO TO HOW WE SET IT UP. BUT I THINK LONG TERM, BECAUSE I'M THINKING LONG TERM, NOT HOW DO WE SET THIS FOR NEXT YEAR? I THINK IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE. BUT I JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO START THE DISCUSSION. THAT'S ALL. SO LIKE COUNCILMEMBER WHITE WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS SO LIKE THE EDC, WE GIVE THEM A BUDGET EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SO WE WOULD BE GIVING THIS BOARD A BUDGET. YES. WELL YEAH. WELL THE DIFFERENCE IS THEY WOULD HELP COME UP WITH A BUDGET AND THEN BRING TO US TO ADOPT IT. SO WE WOULD STILL ADOPT SIMILAR TO THE EDC RIGHT. THE BOARD EVALUATES AND COMES UP WITH THEIR BUDGET. AND THEN WE WE RATIFY THAT RIGHT BUDGET. SO IT WOULD IT WOULD OPERATE IN MUCH THE SAME WAY. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I MEAN, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER, I GUESS STAFF CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE. I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE OTHER CITIES, HOW THEY'RE SET UP THERE, HOW THEY'RE APPOINTED. AND THOSE THINGS, I THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL. I BELIEVE IN THE SAME WAY, TOO. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT HAVE IT TO SEE WHAT THE PROS AND CONS, HOW THEY'RE SET UP AS FAR AS BYLAWS, AND SEE SOMETHING THAT IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO ADOPT INTO OUR OUR CITY. AND THEN, MISS FERN, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT, MA'AM? I THINK GOING THROUGH THERE IF YOU APPOINTED, IT'S AGAIN THE GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB FRIENDS, RELATIVES AND LOVED ONES THAT WOULD BE PUT ON THIS BOARD. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW, WOULD THEY BE ELECTED SO THAT THE PEOPLE HERE IN EDINBURGH COULD HOPEFULLY ELECT SOMEONE THAT THEY TRUST TO DO THIS? AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITY IS NOT ABLE TO HIRE ONE PERSON OR WHATEVER TO KEEP DOING THIS INSTEAD OF HAVING ANOTHER BOARD THAT IS GOING TO. I, LIKE I SAY, I KNOW THE THE WHAT IS IT, P AND Z BOARD. YOU HAVE TO BOW DOWN TO THEM AND THEY ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH. SO IT'S NOT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. SO I DON'T THINK THIS ONE IS EITHER. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW IS DO THE PEOPLE GET TO VOTE FOR THE BOARD? BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY TRUST A LITTLE MORE. AND THE ADVANTAGES, WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING THIS COMPARED TO HAVING THE CITY AS WE'VE GOT IT NOW AND ANOTHER AGENCY, ALL WE SEE IS THAT THIS ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO RAISE TAXES, RAISE THE AMOUNTS ON THE ON THE PEOPLE, WHICH Y'ALL JUST DID. SO AND PEOPLE ARE CALLING AND THEY'RE HURTING. SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE AGAIN JUST MORE PAPERWORK, MORE GOVERNMENT. ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE TO BOW DOWN TO. WE HAVE Y'ALL TO BOW DOWN TO. SO WE'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE'RE CHANGING IT. I UNDERSTAND WHAT Y'ALL WERE SAYING JUST NOW, BUT THE PEOPLE ARE. LIKE I SAID, I DON'T LIKE THE GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB, AND NEITHER DO THEY. AND THEY WOULD TRUST THEMSELVES AT VOTING. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAD A WATER DISTRICT OR SOMETHING NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT WE HAD A COUNTY COMMISSIONER. I THINK HE'S IN THE IN THE PEN FOR THINGS HAPPENING. SO THIS IS WHAT WE WORRY ABOUT IS THE POWER AND THINGS THAT GO INTO STUFF LIKE THIS. SO PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. [02:45:02] THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. WELL, IF Y'ALL CAN HELP US GATHER THAT INFORMATION, THAT'D BE GREAT. AND THIS IS FERN. WE'RE JUST EVALUATING THIS RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S INITIAL DISCUSSION. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME BACK IN NEXT MONTH AND GET SOME MORE INFORMATION. SO. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ITEM SEVEN. AND WE HAVE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F, AND G. SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ALL THESE ITEMS. AND WELCOME ANY COMMENTS BY ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F, AND G. THE HEARING IS NOW OPEN, SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND MAKE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL WILL TAKE ITEM ONE BY ONE ITEM A. GO AHEAD. MA'AM. CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM AGRICULTURE AND OPEN SPACE DISTRICT TO COMMERCIAL GENERAL CG DISTRICT BEING A 0.453 ACRE TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS BEING OUT OF 20 ACRE TRACT, OUT OF LOT EIGHT, BLOCK FOUR, LOT ONE, BLOCK FIVE, AND LOT ONE, BLOCK 17. JOHN CLOSNER SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 5522 SOUTH VETERANS BOULEVARD, AS REQUESTED BY NAVARRE LLC. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION. IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY PX DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL FAMILY DISTRICT. BEING LOT SIX. LOT 241 EDINBURG. ORIGINAL TOWN SITE LOCATED AT 121 NORTH 21ST AVENUE, AS REQUESTED BY BENITO. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION PASSES. ITEM C CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FOR RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY PX DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL, URBAN AND TOWNHOME RUE DISTRICT BEING A 0.88 GROSS TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS OUT OF THE NORTH. TEN ACRES OF LOT FIVE, SECTION 274 TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1210 SOUTH JACKSON ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY SHERIFF ON BEHALF OF YOLANDA AND JAIME MOLINA RAMIREZ. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THIS ONE, JAIME. THERE'S A THERE WAS ANOTHER ITEM JUST ADJACENT TO THIS. DID THAT GET PASSED OR WAS THAT TOWNHOMES AS WELL OR. YES, MA'AM. JAIME, PLANNING AND ZONING DIRECTOR, FOR THE RECORD. THEY'VE ALREADY ACQUIRED THREE ACRES. THEY'RE ACQUIRING THIS. SO IS IT THE SAME GROUP? IT'S THE SAME GROUP. OKAY. THEY'VE ALREADY PURCHASED THREE ACRES. THEY'RE PURCHASING THIS 0.80 ACRE TRACT OF LAND JUST SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE A BIGGER TOWNHOME DEVELOPMENT. SO IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT HAD BEEN APPROVED BEFORE FOR THE NEIGHBORING TRACK. CORRECT. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT BY OMAR PERALEZ FURTHER EAST. THAT'S RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. THEY'RE KIND OF WORKING BOTH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS SIDE BY SIDE AND WE SHOULD SEE A LOT OF ROOFTOPS THERE SHORTLY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. WE HAD TWO PARTIES AGAINST. THERE WERE CONCERNS. THERE WAS TWO PARTIES THAT SUBMITTED A PETITION OR A WRITTEN STATEMENT AGAINST. HOWEVER, AT THE PNC MEETING, NOBODY SHOWED UP TO VOICE ANY OPINIONS. AND IT PASSED FIVE ZERO. AT PNC. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION PASSES. ITEM D, CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL SUBURBAN ARES DISTRICT TO COMMERCIAL GENERAL CG DISTRICT. BEING 10.505 ACRES OUT OF LOT 12, SECTION 276 SIX TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY LOCATED AT 3406 WEST UNIVERSITY DRIVE, AS REQUESTED BY MELDON AND HUNT. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM E, CONSIDER THE VARIANCE REQUEST TO THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE. ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION 5.207 EASEMENTS FOR A SIGN BEING DUTCH BROS. ADDITION SUBDIVISION LOT ONE, BLOCK A, LOCATED AT 4108 SOUTH BUSINESS HIGHWAY 281, AS REQUESTED BY A1 SKYLIGHT SIGNS. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. I HAD A QUESTION, MR. AZEVEDO. SO, DO WE NOT ALLOW ANY OF THOSE PYLON SIGNS ALONG KLAUSNER? WE DO, MAYOR, BUT THERE'S A 25 FOOT ACCESS EASEMENT. SO THIS IS FIVE FEET HIGHER. OKAY. GOT IT. I WILL SAY THAT THE DRIVEWAY ON THAT ACCESS EASEMENT IS IS BEING RESPECTED. THE SIGN IS OUTSIDE OF THAT 25 FOOT OR IT'S WITHIN THE 25FT, [02:50:01] BUT OUTSIDE OF THE PROPOSED DRIVEWAY BECAUSE I DO SEE THERE'S OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THERE. ARE THEY THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME AND REQUEST SAME SIZE OF PYLON. HAVE YOU ALL GOT ANY REQUESTS ON THAT? OR THERE'S GOING TO BE A BANK THAT'S GOING TO BE BUILT ON THE NORTH SIDE, SO THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE A SIMILAR REQUEST IF THAT ACCESS EASEMENT EXTENDS TO THEIR PROPERTY AS WELL. SO I JUST I MEAN, I DON'T PARTICULARLY HAVE A PROBLEM, COUNSEL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT BECAUSE THAT ONCE WE APPROVE ONE, I WILL SET THE SET THE PRECEDENCE. CORRECT. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM F. CONSIDER THE PETITION PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 199 .997 ACRES. BEING ALL OF LOTS 38 AND 39 BAKER SUBDIVISION OF THE TRACT, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN VOLUME TWO, PAGE 46. MAPS OF RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED AT 8601 NORTH JASMINE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. CAN WE VOTE ON THIS ITEM SINCE WE'RE THE APPLICANTS? I KNOW IT'S A IT SOUNDS, BUT I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A CITY OF EDINBURG REQUESTING THIS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. SO YES, THE ANSWER IS YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM EIGHT VARIANCE. WE HAVE ITEM A. MAYOR, CAN I JUST GO BACK REAL QUICK? ON, ON. GO AHEAD. LAST ONE ON E! IS THAT A VARIANCE? SHOULD IT BE WITH VARIANCES OR SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN PUBLIC HEARINGS? NO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ITEM G, SIR. YEAH. NO E THAT'S THE ONE WITH THE SIGN. THE ONE WITH THE SIGN. YES, SIR. IT WAS A PUBLIC HEARING OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER VARIANCES. IT WAS UNDER VARIANCES. BUT IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE ANY ANY SIGN VARIANCES REQUIRED SIGNS TO REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. YEAH YEAH I JUST. NO PROBLEM. GO AHEAD. VARIANCE ITEM G CONSIDER THE PETITION PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF ALL OF SR FOUR CONTAINING ONE 25.17 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF MUTUAL PARTITION OF TRACT 158 SAN SALVADOR DEL TULE GRANT AS PER MAP OR PLAT RECORDED VOLUME 16, PAGE 11. MAPS OF RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK OF HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED AT 8601 NORTH JASMINE ROAD AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. JUST FOR THE RECORD, I'M NOT SURE IF I SAID ITEM F OR G. THIS IS ITEM G. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM EIGHT IS VARIANCE. ITEM EIGHT. CONSIDER VARIANCE REQUEST TO THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE. ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION 5.203-1 RIGHT OF WAY AND PAVING WIDTH BENEATH THIS RANCH SUBDIVISION BEING 4.98 ACRES. OUT OF LOT 14, SECTION 233 TEX-MEX RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1013 NORTH DEPOT ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY MAULDIN AND HUNT. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM NINE. ORDINANCES. WE HAVE ITEM EIGHT. CONSIDER ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 12.79 ACRES BEING A PART A PORTION OUT OF LOT 12 AND ALL OF LOT 13, BLOCK SEVEN, SANTA CRUZ GARDENS, UNIT NUMBER THREE. ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME NINE, PAGE THREE, MAP RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK OF HIDALGO, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED AT 4918 NORTH LITTLE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY RIO DELTA ENGINEERING ON BEHALF OF COPPER COVE SUBDIVISION. SO MOVED. SECOND. I HAD A QUESTION ON THIS. SO HAVE THEY SUBMITTED A PLAT TO THE CITY TO DEVELOP THIS, AND IF SO, WHAT? WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO DO? YES, MA'AM. THEY'VE SUBMITTED A PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR 58 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. SO IT'S NOT MULTIFAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY LOTS. AND IS THERE A SEWER IN THIS AREA? THE SEWER IS BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. THE WATER IS NORTH ALAMO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B, CONSIDER REVIEWING AND APPROVING THE ORDINANCE. AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE 2023 2024 FISCAL YEAR. CARRYOVERS REAPPROPRIATIONS TO THE GENERAL FUND, GOVERNMENTAL GRANT FUND, CDBG FUND FUND, MUNICIPAL COURT, SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT FUND, PARKLAND DEDICATION FUND, UTILITY FUND, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FUND, SOUTH TEXAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT EDINBURG FUND, EBONY HILLS GOLF COURSE FUND, LOS LAGOS GOLF CLUB FUND AND STATE OF EMERGENCY FUND. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM TEN RESOLUTIONS. ITEM A CONSIDER RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION'S UNIVERSAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPANY UNDER THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025. E-RATE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE EXTENSION OF INTERNET ACCESS AND SERVICES, AND TO EXECUTE ALL GRANT DOCUMENTS RELATING THERETO. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. [02:55:02] JUST A QUESTION. YES, SIR. GO AHEAD. WHY ARE WE RATIFYING? WHY ARE WE LATE? REALLY? GOOD. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, LET THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY AND CULTURAL ARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS ON ME. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR, JUST LIKE, LIKE EASTER, EVERYTHING CAME A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. AND WHILE WE WERE FOCUSING ON SOMETHING, THAT DAY CAME ALONG BY THE TIME I REALIZED. BUT GOOD THING WE WERE JUST IN TIME TO SUBMIT OUR. I DID CONSULT WITH OUR GRANT DIRECTOR, AND SHE SAID I COULD GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT IT AND THEN COME UP BEFORE YOU ALL FOR RATIFICATION. SO WE DID FOLLOW THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND WE JUST WE JUST TRY TO AVOID IT. WHAT WE TRY TO DO. SO YES. MAKE SURE EVERYBODY AND I AND I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED ALSO WAS THAT THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN DATE. SO THAT KIND OF THREW ME OFF A LITTLE BIT. BUT YES, DEFINITELY. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 25 YEARS AND THIS THIS YEAR WAS THE YEAR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AS LONG AS WE GET THE FUNDS, WE'LL BE GOOD. THANK YOU. 90%? YES. WELL. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B, CONSIDER RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG SUSPENDING THE APRIL 4TH, 2024 EFFECTIVE DATE OF AEP. TEXAS REQUESTED RATE CHANGE TO PERMIT THE CITY TIME TO STUDY THE REQUEST AND TO ESTABLISH REASONABLE RATES. APPROVING COOPERATION WITH THE CITY SERVED BY AEP TEXAS AND AUTHORIZING INTERVENTION IN AEP TEXAS. REQUESTED RATE CHANGE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION, HIRING LLOYD GOSSELINK ATTORNEYS AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE COMPANY AND DIRECT ANY NECESSARY LITIGATION AND APPEALS REQUIRING REIMBURSEMENT OF CITY'S RATE CASE EXPENSES. FINDING THAT THE MEETING AT WHICH THE RESOLUTION IS PASSED IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, REQUIRING NOTICE OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE COMPANY AND LEGAL COUNSEL. SO MOVED. THANK YOU. I HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THIS IS THIS IS VOTED ON. THIS IS FOR US TO FIGHT THE RATE INCREASES PROPOSED BY AEP. AND I DID ATTEND THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING, AND MOST OF THE CITIES HAVE JOINED IN THIS EFFORT. SO I JUST WANT TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW AND THE PUBLIC. SO THERE'S A LAW FIRM OUT OF AUSTIN, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WILL WORK ON BEHALF OF THE. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. THE WHERE THEY ARE WORKING ON BEHALF OF CITIES. TO OPEN UP THIS ACTION WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE RATE CHANGE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM C, CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. ARPA CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS PROGRAM BUDGET AMENDMENT. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION AND I THINK. MR. FRIEND, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MA'AM? YES, SIR. RIGHT BEHIND YOU. GO AHEAD. WELL, THERE'S. YEAH. WELL, THIS IS THE CORONAVIRUS, RIGHT? COVID 19. AND WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THIS FOR? AND HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I KNOW IT'S A GRANT. AND MY THING IS EVERYONE IS STILL GRABBING AND GOING. AND I BELIEVE THE THE COVID IS JUST ABOUT OVER OR IS OVER. SO I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY WE'RE STILL GRABBING MONEY. JUST BECAUSE IT'S THERE DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I'LL BE FILLING IN FOR MISS CLAUDIA FARIAS. SHE'S OUT ON A TRAINING, BUT. YES, SIR. THIS WAS THE SAME ONE THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU LAST WEEK. THERE WAS MAKING CHANGES. YES, SIR. THE THE STANDBY GENERATORS WERE CLASSIFIED AROUND. ONE OF THEM'S FOR THE DOWNTOWN WATER PLANT, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS FOR THE SEWER PLANT. SO THEY WERE FLIPPED ON LAST BUDGET. SO WE'RE MAKING THE CORRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT AREA. BASICALLY. SO IT'S THE SAME LIST THAT WE PROVIDED LAST MEETING. THIS WILL JUST BE CORRECTING THOSE FROM WASTEWATER. SO THERE'S NO NEW FUNDS. SO WE'RE JUST HAVING TO ADHERE TO THAT CHANGE. CORRECT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. IT'S COVID. IT'S COVID MONEY DUE THAT WE WERE ALREADY AWARDED THAT WE'VE BEEN STEWARDS OF. AND WE'RE JUST SPENDING AS WE FIND THAT THE NEEDS ARISE. SO IT'S ALREADY WE HAVEN'T. THAT'S NOT NEW. MONEY'S CORRECT. MONEY'S FROM 21. YES, SIR. 21. THESE ARE THE SAME MONTHS. YES, SIR. 21, 22 AND 23. AS WE FEEL AS GOOD STEWARDS THAT WE CAN AS WE START SPENDING. YEAH. AND I THINK I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE QUESTION IT IS. AND I THINK AND THERE'S A LIST OF WHAT WE SUBMITTED, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE THE FUNDS FOR. AND SO WE DEVIATE FROM THAT. WE GOT TO SHOW WHY WE DID THAT. AND THAT IS CORRECT. MAKE SURE IT COMPLIES. SO ANYWAY OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM 11. AWARDING A BID ITEM A. [03:00:01] CONSIDER AWARDING BID NUMBER 2023 DASH 19. INSTALLATION OF A NEW 750 KW STANDBY GENERATOR FOR THE DOWNTOWN PLANT. HIGH SERVICE PUMPS TO MCDONALD MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL. AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED. NOT TO EXCEED 1,009,469. AND AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY DOCUMENTS RELATED THERETO. SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. WAS THIS ONE ALSO? IS THERE A QUESTION ON THAT? GO AHEAD MA'AM. I HAD A QUESTION AND I COULDN'T ANSWER IT FOR THE PUBLIC. THEY HAD WHERE IS THIS GENERATOR? WHAT IS IT USED FOR? AND I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE IT. I STAND BY GENERATOR THAT'S NOT TO EXCEED $1 MILLION. SO WE WERE JUST WONDERING, WHERE IS THE PLANT? HIGH SERVICE. PUMPS TO MCDONALD MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL. SO THEY JUST KIND OF IF YOU'LL EXPLAIN THAT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GERARDO CARMONA, DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES. SO THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE A GENERATOR. WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN EXISTING GENERATOR THERE AT THE DOWNTOWN PLANT, WHICH IS LOCATED ON MALL. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT GENERATOR IS TOO SMALL. WE DO HAVE SEVERAL HIGH SERVICE PUMPS THAT THAT WITH THIS GENERAL WOULD BE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BACKUP POWER. AND SO BASICALLY THE HIGH SERVICE PUMPS IS BASICALLY AFTER IS THE PUMPS AFTER THE WATER HAS ALREADY BEEN TREATED. IT GOES INTO A WELL. AND THEN FROM THERE, THOSE HIGH SERVICE PUMP, PUMP, PUMP IT OUT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHERE THE, WHERE THE INTO THE PIPING. AND SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMERS GET THE WATER FROM. SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT GENERATOR BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME KIND OF LOSS OF POWER MAYBE DURING THE HURRICANE OR SOMETHING. IT'S GOING TO REALLY HINDER OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE WATER TO THE NORTH PART OF TOWN. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, WHEN WE LOSE POWER, YOU CAN STILL FLUSH YOUR TOILET BECAUSE OF THIS GENERATOR. WELL, YEAH. TECHNICALLY, YEAH. SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO PUT IT IN LAYMAN'S TERM. I CAN STILL TURN ON THE FAUCET AND BRUSH MY TEETH, BUT NOT HAVE ANY LIGHTS IN THE HOUSE. BUT THAT'S WHAT PART OF THIS PUMP IS. EITHER WE BRING IN RAW WATER IN OR FRESHWATER OUT. YES, YES. SO WE WE CAN'T WE DO LOSE POWER. THEN WE WON'T BE ABLE TO WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE, THE DEMAND WITH THE WEST PLANT. SO WE ACTUALLY NEED THAT, THAT DOWNTIME TO, TO ALSO PUSH THAT WATER OUT AS WELL. SIR. THINKING LIKE AN ENGINEER OR THINK LIKE A LAYMAN AND SAY, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT PUSHES THE WATER AND BRUSH YOUR TEETH WHEN THE POWER GO OUT. ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 12 APPOINTMENTS. WE'VE GOT QUITE A NUMBER OF THEM. SO DO YOU WANT TO GO DOWN THE LIST? AND THAT WAY WE DON'T CONFUSE WHICH ITEM WE'RE LOOKING AT. OKAY. CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING CITY ADVISORY BOARDS, COUNCILS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES. THE FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. TWO MEMBERS. IT SAYS THREE HERE. EXCUSE ME. IT SAYS THREE MEMBERS ON OUR PACKET. THREE MEMBERS? SORRY. IS IT 2 OR 3? IT SHOULD BE TWO, I THINK. WELL, THERE'S THERE IS THREE. THERE WAS A VACANCY. SO THERE'S A MISTAKE. IT'S THREE MEMBERS. THERE'S NORMA, CATALINA OLIVARES, LEAH VARGAS, AND A VACANCY. WHO WE WERE MOVING OR. NO, THEIR TERMS ARE. THEIR TERMS ARE UP. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, ALL THESE ARE THEIR TERMS ARE UP FOR OBVIOUSLY SERVING. RIGHT. SO. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. MY ONLY QUESTION HERE ALSO IS DO THEY? DON'T THEY FALL BY DISTRICTS. THIS ONE. NO THEY DON'T. THIS ONE DOESN'T OKAY. SO COUNCIL, IS THERE ANY MOTIONS TO REAPPOINT. NORMA OLIVARES. VARGAS. AND THEN WE HAVE VACANCY. SO THERE'S SOME APPLICANTS THERE ON THE ON THE LIST. YES. SINCE IT'S LISTED, YOU CAN ONLY APPOINT TWO, NOT THE THREE. IT'S INCORRECT ON THE ON THE SHEET. ON THE CAPTION. YES, ON THE CAPTION. OH, OKAY. SO WE GOT TO GO. BASED ON THE CAPTION. YES. WHAT WAS POSTED? OKAY, SO COUNCIL CAN IS THERE A MOTION TO JUST REAPPOINT THOSE? THE TERMS I THINK NORMA OLIVARES AND VARGAS AND THEY LEAVE THE VACANCY FOR THE NEXT MEETING. YES. I GUESS I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO REAPPOINT THEM. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO REAPPOINT NORMA, OLIVARES AND VARGAS. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS EDINBURG. GULFPORT FOR MEMBERS. QUICK QUESTION ON THAT ISN'T ALREADY THERE ALREADY. HE WAS JUST NEWLY APPOINTED LAST MONTH ABOUT THE MISTAKEN DAVID. YEAH. YOU HAVE AN APPLICANT. [03:05:01] OKAY. HE MIGHT BE WHERE THE VACANCY IS. YEAH, BUT DID WE JUST APPOINT. WE JUST APPOINTED HIM LAST MONTH. CAN WE CONFIRM THAT? YES. YEAH. BECAUSE IF HE'S ALREADY IN THERE, THEN IT SHOWS FOR. YES. SO WE DO HAVE BILL CARLSON ONE EL GARCIA AND DONATO AMAYA THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REAPPOINTED. AND THEN YOU'LL CHECK ON THE. YES, I WILL CHECK WITH ON DAVID. IS THERE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT THOSE MEMBERS. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IF YOU COULD JUST CONFIRM THAT. AND IF THERE'S A VACANCY THAT THAT WE APPOINT NEXT MONTH. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. THE NEXT ONE IS THE EDINBURG LITTLE LEAGUE. ONE MEMBER THAT WOULD BE ARMANDO CELADON. I'LL APPOINT CELADON, SO I MOVE. WE HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. MR.. SORRY. MR. CELADON CANNOT SERVE AGAIN. HE ALREADY SERVED HIS THIRD AND FINAL TERM. OKAY. CAN WE MAKE HIM AN HONORARY? ALL RIGHT, LET'S TABLE THAT AND COME BACK NEXT MEETING. OKAY, LET'S TABLE THAT ITEM. THAT'S OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD. NEXT. THE NEXT ONE IS ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY BOARD TWO MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL, WE HAVE A MEMBER, DALIA ROBLEDO. AND THEN WE HAVE VACANCY. YES. IS THERE ANY MOTIONS? MOTION TO REAPPOINT. OKAY. SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND TO REAPPOINT ROBLEDO. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. IS THERE ANYBODY COUNSEL YOU WANT TO NOMINATE FOR THE OTHER VACANCY? YOU WANT TO COME BACK WITH THAT? OKAY. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. ONE MEMBER. IS THERE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT JORGE SOTELO? SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. THE NEXT ONE IS RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD. THREE MEMBERS. THE THREE MEMBERS ARE MONICA SOTO, GILBERT SANCHEZ, AND FERNANDO DELGADO. COUNSEL. IS THERE ANY MOTIONS? THERE'S NOBODY YOU GUYS LIKE. AND WE'LL JUST GO WITH THE THREE THAT WE HAVE THREE MEMBERS. GO AHEAD. MAKE A MOTION TO. HOLD ON. WAS THERE A MOTION, CHIEF, OR DO YOU WANT TO MAKE? I REALLY DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION. I'LL MOVE TO APPOINT THE THREE. ALL RIGHT. SOTO SIGNS. SANCHEZ. SANCHEZ. OKAY. AND. DELGADO. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND NEXT ITEM. THE NEXT ONE IS BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF EDINBURG, RGV. ONE MEMBER. MOTION TO REAPPOINT EDDIE VAN WEBER. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND THE LAST ONE IS EDINBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY. TWO MEMBERS. AND THESE ARE MAYOR APPOINTED. WE HAVE PRESENT MEMBERS, ARMANDO BARRERA AND JOSE RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL WILL BE REAPPOINTING ARMANDO BARRERA AND JOSE RODRIGUEZ FOR HOUSING AUTHORITY. OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, SIR. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM 13. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEM A, CONSIDER APPROVING THE EDC BOARD. SELECTED RECIPIENTS OF THE FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO MOVED. SECOND. A MOTION AND A SECOND. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THIS? I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, BUT JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED FOR EDINBURG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. THIS PROGRAM STARTED AS KIND OF A RETENTION, JOB RETENTION AND BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM, AND IT'S TURNED OUT TO BE A LOT MORE THAN THAT, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE 40 BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE SELECTING ARE HIRING PEOPLE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL. FIRST OF ALL, OF THE 40, WE HAVE 248 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES IN THOSE 40 BUSINESSES. WE HAVE 214 PART TIME EMPLOYEES IN THOSE 40 BUSINESSES. THEY'RE CURRENTLY HIRING. OF THOSE 40 BUSINESSES TRYING TO HIRE AT LEAST 50 EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY. AND 83 WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. SO WE STARTED ASKING THEM A FEW QUESTIONS AND TRYING TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE AT. AND WE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT ON AVERAGE, THEY AVERAGED UNDER $1 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUES. MOST OF THEM ARE SMALLER BUSINESSES AND MOST OF THEM ARE SIX EMPLOYEES OR LESS. [03:10:03] AND SO THAT'S THE TARGET THAT WE WERE TRYING TO HIT. THE 40 ARE IN YOUR PACKET. AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PUSHING THIS PROJECT OUT. AND THEN ANY FUNDS THAT ARE LEFT OVER, WE'RE GOING TO REALLOCATE INTO SOME OF THE OTHER APPLICANTS. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS? WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THE EDC HAS ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES, EXISTING BUSINESSES? WELL, THERE WAS A SPARK 4.0, WHICH WAS A ARPA FUNDS PROJECT WHICH DID PROVIDE SOME FUNDING FOR FOR FOR SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES. BUT THOSE WERE FEDERAL FUNDS. THIS IS LOCAL TAX DOLLARS. THIS IS THE SALES TAX THAT'S BEING GENERATED. I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT. COUNCIL MEMBER DIAZ JUST JOINED THE MEETING. GO AHEAD. SO I THINK THE LAST TIME WAS WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, WHERE THE BUSINESS IS EXCITED. WERE THEY. THEY GIVE ME SOMETHING, YOU KNOW. YEAH. NO, THEY'RE ALL EXCITED. THIS IS THEY ALREADY KNOW THOUGH. OR ACTUALLY AFTER YOU ALL TAKE ACTION, I MEAN, IT'S IN THE PACKET, BUT THAT'S REALLY IT. I'D BE GLAD TO READ THE 40 NAMES IF YOU ALL WANT ME TO. NO. THAT'S FINE. WELL, THEY'RE IN THE PACKET, BUT MY QUESTION IS, HOW MANY MORE DO WE HAVE APPLY? WE HAD 25 OTHER SUPPLY. WOW. SO THERE MAY BE AROUND TWO. THERE MAY BE AROUND TWO LATER ON. YEAH. SO. WELL, WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE BOARD. AND I KNOW OUR MAYOR PRO TEM SITS ON THE BOARD, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HELPING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THIS IS A PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER WAYS TO DO IT. AND IT'S REALLY ALL OVER TOWN, THE DOWNTOWN AREA ON THE EAST SIDE. AND I KNOW SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY SHOW THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE ARE, ARE GREAT. SO AND I DO ALSO SEE THAT THEY'RE INVESTING MORE THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE GRANTS THEY'RE GETTING. YEAH. AM I READING THIS CORRECT? THERE'S ABOUT 600. SOME THOUSAND. THAT IS 29,000. YES. AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SO, YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD LEVERAGE FOR US. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. AND IF I CAN ADD, I KNOW I JUST GOT HERE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DID OR DIDN'T SAY, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO MAKE THIS PART OF THE BUDGET WITH THE COUNCIL SUPPORT. SOMETHING WE CAN DO MORE THAN JUST ONCE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. THE OTHER DIFFERENCE IS THAT SOMETIMES THESE BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT AND THEN GET REIMBURSED. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HELPING THEM WITH THAT. OR WE CAN POSSIBLY PAY THE CONTRACTOR DIRECTLY. SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, WE CANNOT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH THAT. WHAT ELSE HAVE WE DISCUSSED? JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER PROGRAMS. AND I HAVE TO COMMEND RANDALL. HE'S GOOD AT ACRONYMS. PHILIP. WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR? RANDALL. FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. CORRECT. FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO THERE'S A LOT OF LEEWAY WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO. BUT IT'S IT'S MOSTLY TO HELP THE BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES. AND WE ALSO REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE REALLY LIKE TO HELP OUT DIDN'T EVEN APPLY. SO HOPEFULLY THE NEXT TIME AROUND WE'RE GOING TO HELP THEM APPLY. SEND PEOPLE, SEND STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY THEY GET IN ON IT. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 14. COUNCIL'S CONSENT AGENDA. WE HAVE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F AND G. IS THERE ANY ITEMS YOU WANT TO TAKE OUT OR YOU WANT A MOTION TO DE ITEM DE. SO IS THAT YOUR MOTION TO APPROVE EVERYTHING ELSE, APPROVE EVERYTHING ELSE AND REMOVE AND BRING DE UP. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR TO APPROVE A, B, C, E, F AND G, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM D. CAN YOU READ IT. IS THERE A MOTION. YEAH. CAN YOU READ IT. CONSIDER RESCHEDULING THE TUESDAY, MAY 21ST, 2020 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO THURSDAY, MAY 23RD, 2020 FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. JUST TO DISCUSS. GO AHEAD. THE ONLY REASON I BROUGHT IT UP IS I THINK THIS IS PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHEN OUR NEXT MEETING IS. SO IF WE IT SHOULDN'T BE BURIED, WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT. YEAH, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT. SO THAT WAY YOU KNOW THAT. YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT DATE AND NOBODY CAN SAY WE HID IT SOMEWHERE. SO THAT'S ALL. SO THAT'LL BE THURSDAY, MAY 23RD. THIS CARRIES ON. OUR MEETING INSTEAD OF TUESDAY THE 21ST FOR THE FUTURE, I GUESS JUST PULL IT OUT AND JUST PUT IT THERE. IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE, THE MEETING WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU. YEAH. GOOD POINT. OKAY. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THIS THIS IS GOING TO BE WHERE I SEE ALL RIGHT. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 15. COUNCIL. OTHER BUSINESS. THERE ANY ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO REQUEST FROM CITY MANAGER? NOT. YOU. CAN'T SAY YOU WEREN'T ASKED. SO UNTIL NEXT MEETING. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX. [03:15:01] EXCUSE ME. 16 EXECUTIVE SESSION. CAN I GET A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE? SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS 7:12 P.M.. OH, OKAY. OKAY. COMING UP NEXT ON ESPN, A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL. ON THE COUNCIL. MAYOR RAMIRO GARZA JR. MAYOR PRO TEM DANIEL DAN DIAZ, COUNCIL MEMBER JASON DELEON. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID SALAZAR JR. AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID WHITE. SITTING IN HIS ADVISER, CITY MANAGER MAYRA AYALA AND CITY ATTORNEY OMAR OCHOA. AND NOW LIVE FROM EDINBURG CITY HALL. THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. WE'RE GOING TO START THE MEETING THIS EVENING OF OUR EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL FOR APRIL 2ND AT 6 P.M. ON MY WATCH. WHEN I CALLED THIS MEETING TO ORDER, THERE IS ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT ARE PRESENT HERE, EXCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER DAN DIAZ OR MAYOR PRO TEM. I THINK HE'S RUN A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT HE'LL JOIN US IN A LITTLE BIT. WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED TODAY, AS WE DO EVERY MEETING. WITH A PRAYER BY GABRIELLA CONKLIN FROM FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE STAND. LET US PRAY. DEAR LORD, THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU'VE MADE. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US ALL TO SEE A NEW DAY AND GATHER SAFELY HERE IN THIS PLACE. I PRAY, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY OFFICIALS, CITY STAFF, CITIZENS, AND EACH OF US PRESENT IN THIS PLACE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING OUR COMMUNITY. I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR OFFICIALS AND LEADERS TO ALWAYS WORK FOR THE [03:20:04] GOOD OF THE PEOPLE AND THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'VE BEEN CALLED TO SERVE. MAY YOU INSPIRE IN THEM WISDOM, A SPIRIT OF JUSTICE, A HEART OF COMPASSION AND EMPATHY, AND A SENSE OF UNITY AS THEY STRIVE FOR HARMONY AND FORWARD MOVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY. MAY YOU BLESS AND KEEP US ALL AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR NEIGHBORS. IN YOUR HOLY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, CERTIFICATION OF PUBLIC NOTICE. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE MEETING WAS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE TO TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON MARCH 28TH, 2024 AT 7:40 P.M.. SIR. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE. YES, SIR. UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A COUNCIL MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFYING FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM. IF THERE IS A CONFLICT, THE MEMBER CAN'T PARTICIPATE OR VOTE ON THE ITEM. ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS TO DISCLOSE? NO, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE A COUPLE TONIGHT. WE'RE TONIGHT. WE ARE HONORING THE EDINBURG NORTH GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM, WHO WERE RECENTLY NAMED NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS. LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND. THEY'RE HERE JOINING US TODAY. AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION THAT WILL BE READ FOR THE RECORD AT THIS TIME. YES, SIR. MAYOR. WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM ATTENDED THE SHOWTIME INTERNATIONAL GRAND NATIONALS DANCE COMPETITION ON MARCH 23RD THROUGH THE 24TH, 2024, IN GALVESTON, TEXAS. AND WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS PRACTICING TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND REPRESENT THE ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE AND WHERE SHOWTIME INTERNATIONAL GRAND NATIONAL DANCE COMPETITION HAD OVER 400 ROUTINES PERFORMED AND THE GOLDEN SPURS COMPETED AGAINST VERY PRESTIGIOUS TEAMS IN THE SMALL DIVISION. THE TWO DAY COMPETITION WAS TOUGH, BUT THE SPURS DISPLAYED THEIR SKILLS AND DANCED THEIR HEARTS OUT AT EVERY PERFORMANCE. AND WHEREAS ATTENDING THE NATIONAL COMPETITION HAS OFFERED THE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO DANCE BUT ALSO TO BUILD ON TEAMWORK, RESPONSIBILITY, PERSEVERANCE, UNITY AND LONG LASTING FRIENDSHIP. AND WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS WERE AMAZING IN EVERY PERFORMANCE, EARNING THE TITLE OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, CONTEMPORARY ROUTINE, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, JAZZ ROUTINE, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, POM ROUTINE, SECOND PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPION, HIP HOP ROUTINE THIRD PLACE. BEST OF THE BEST AND OVERALL BEST PRECISION TEAM. NATIONAL AWARD FOR TEAM ROUTINES AND NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS FOR SMALL DIVISION. THE GOLDEN SPURS OFFICERS BROUGHT HOME FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS POM ROUTINE FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. JAZZ ROUTINE, FIRST PLACE NATIONAL CHAMPION, CONTEMPORARY ROUTINE, SECOND PLACE, BEST OF THE BEST ROUTINES AND NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS FOR OFFICERS IN SMALL DIVISION. AND WHEREAS THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM IS MADE UP OF AN OUTSTANDING GROUP. ALEJANDRA CAVAZOS, ASHLEY FLORES, KATELYN GAMEZ, GINA LYNN GARCIA, JACQUELINE GARZA, HANNAH GOMEZ, ALEJANDRA GONZALEZ, SIENNA GONZALEZ, DAISY GUILLEN, CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ, BRIANNA HASSELL, SOPHIA MENDOZA, GIA PENA, JOCELYN PINON, LIZBETH SOTO, IVY LEE, ALLISON SURITA, ANA MENDOZA. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JOSHUA AND BARAJAS AND NOEMI SALINAS. AND WHEREAS THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM. NOW, THEREFORE, ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG, TEXAS, BY THE POWER VESTED IN THEM BY LAW, I DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE EDINBURG NORTH HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN SPURS DANCE TEAM, NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPIONS, AND CALL UPON ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE SUCCESS OF THESE STUDENTS AND COACHES. AND MR. BEING FIRST OF ALL, MAJOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR I WAS HERE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK FROM US. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU KNOW, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BRING THIS CHAMPIONSHIP TO OUR CITY. AND WE'RE PROUD, PROUD TO TO, TO REPRESENT YOUR. SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WELL, I MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE COUNCIL FOR A JOB WELL DONE. I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS IN GALVESTON, RIGHT? AND Y'ALL WENT TO GO SHOW WHAT EDINBURGH WAS ALL ABOUT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL. [03:25:01] AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE UNDERCLASSMEN, SO YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK RIGHT. AND DO IT AGAIN, RIGHT. SO AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. BUT IF YOU CAN STEP UP TO THE MIC, SAY YOUR NAME, AND YOUR PARENTS ARE WATCHING HERE AND, AND SAY WHAT, WHAT GRADE LEVEL YOU'RE AT. AND THAT WAY EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO YOU ARE. SO YOU WANT TO START TO WHOEVER WANTS TO GO FIRST OR OR IF NOT, YOUR INSTRUCTOR CAN LINE YOU ALL UP. OKAY. I'M. SORRY. AND A MAJOR. OH, MY GOODNESS. AND I'M A SENIOR. I'M SIENNA, I'M CAPTAIN, AND I'M A JUNIOR. THANK YOU. I'M ALLISON, I'M FIRST LIEUTENANT, AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. HI. I'M GINA GARCIA, I'M A SECOND LIEUTENANT, AND I'M A SENIOR. THANKS. YEAH, I'M BETH, AND I'M A JUNIOR. I'M JACQUELINE GARZA. I'M A THREE YEAR VETERAN AND I'M A JUNIOR. OKAY. OKAY. I'M BRIANA AND I'M A JUNIOR. I'M CHRISTY AND I'M A SENIOR. I'M HANNAH AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M DAISY AND I'M A SENIOR. I'M JOCELYN AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M KATELYN AND I'M A SOPHOMORE. I'M ASHLEY, AND I'M A FRESHMAN. I'M SOPHIA, AND I'M A FRESHMAN. GREAT. I WOULD ALSO ALSO THANK ALL OF OUR PARENTS. THEY HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING US THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK MISS SALINAS FOR MY ASSISTANT, FOR HELPING ME THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY. MY FINANCE DIRECTOR IS ALSO HERE. MISS VILLARREAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL. AND AGAIN, THE PARENTS, FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID FOR THE GIRLS. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEM. GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. AND YOU MAKE US PROUD. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE HERE. IS THAT CORRECT FOR. NO, SIR. THE SECOND ITEM IS PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2024 AS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, AS REQUESTED BY THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. ANYONE IS HERE FOR THE PROCLAMATION IF YOU CAN STEP TO THE PODIUM. YEAH, YOU ARE NOT HERE. IF WE CAN SEND TO THEM AND ASK THE COMMUNITY TO JUST OBSERVE. APRIL, IS THIS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, SO. YES. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C, PRESENT THE RECIPIENT FOR THE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AWARD FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2024. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. BELINDA TORRES DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES. WE'RE PROUD TO PRESENT OUR RECIPIENT FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. MISS VIANEY VASQUEZ. SHE'S A PROGRAM COORDINATOR TWO WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. WORLD BIRDING CENTER DIVISION. AND I'LL PASS THE MIC TO DIRECTOR JAVIER GARZA TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M PROUD HERE TO TO TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR EMPLOYEE AT BIRDING CENTER VASQUEZ IS OUR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. YEARS BACK, SHE APPLIED WITH US, AND SHE CAME OUT AS A PART TIMER WHILE GOING TO COLLEGE. AND SHE WAS IN THE OFFICE STAFF AND A VERY TALENTED. AND SHE MOVED UP TO FULL TIME OFFICE STAFF. AND AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE AT THE BIRDING CENTER AS A PROGRAM COORDINATOR. TWO AND USING HER TALENTS, SHE'S A COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR. SHE JUST GRADUATED THIS PAST DECEMBER. SO SO WE'RE WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HER OVER THERE AT THE CENTER. BROUGHT UP A LOT OF A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING OUT THERE, A LOT OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, AND TO SPEAK ON HER BEHALF. WE HAVE OUR CITY MANAGER HERE TODAY, BRANDON ALANIZ, TO SPEAK ON THAT. THANK YOU. REAL QUICK, THANK YOU. COACH. JUST AGAIN, TO TOUCH ON THE WORK MISS BNA HAS DONE. SHE ALSO OVERSEES OUR OUTREACHES, INTERACTING WITH OVER 10,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE CALENDAR YEAR. [03:30:01] SO THAT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO OUR HARD WORK. THOSE ARE A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS THAT SHE SELFLESSLY DEDICATES HER JOB TO. SO NOW THE PERSON OF THE HOUR. MISS VASQUEZ COFFEY. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THIS IS REALLY AWESOME TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR MY WORK. AND I'M VERY PROUD TO WORK AT THE BIRDING CENTER, AND I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YEAH. WELL. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON THIS HONOR. AND I'VE BEEN OUT THERE AND SEE YOU OUT THERE WORKING AND DOING ALL THAT Y'ALL CAN FOR OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF OURSELVES AND YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK AND APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO, EVERYTHING THE BIRDING CENTER DOES. SO THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO UP THERE TO TAKE A PICTURE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HI. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. RIGHT HERE. ON THE COUNT OF THREE. READY? ONE. TWO. THREE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM FIVE. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL ALLOWS FOR A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO BE DEDICATED TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. I WILL BE TAKING TIME. PLEASE NOTE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOT INTERACTIVE. THE COUNCIL MAY NOT RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS MISS FERN MCCLARTY REGARDING TAXPAYERS MONEY. GENTLEMEN, IN REFERENCE TO THE PURCHASE OF THE HEB SOCCER COMPLEX, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COUNCIL THINKS IT CAN MAKE SUCH A PURCHASE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN COME OUT AND SAY, LOOK AT WHAT A WONDERFUL THING WE HAVE DONE. I DID AN OPEN RECORDS TO THE EDINBURG AND ALL I RECEIVED SAYS THIS FILE. IT SAYS WE REVIEWED IT AND HAS DETERMINED THERE'S NO RESPONSE DOCUMENTS TO YOUR REQUEST. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY OPEN RECORDS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. YOU LIVE IN A GLASS BOWL, AND LITTLE BY LITTLE, THE PUBLIC WILL FIND OUT WHAT THIS DEAL WILL COST THE PEOPLE OF EDINBURGH. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE UNIVERSITY WANTED TO BUY THE SOCCER COMPLEX, WHY DID THEY NOT JUST BUY IT FROM THE DEVELOPER? THE BERT OGDEN FAMILY HAS MADE SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY. WHY DID THE CITY OF EDINBURGH HAVE TO BUY THE FACILITY? IN MY OPINION, IT IS BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY MUST COMPLY WITH STATE LAW. EVEN IN RECEIVING A GIFT. AND THAT TAKES TIME. COULD IT BE THAT THE DEVELOPER WANTED TO AVOID PAYING PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH STARTED ON JANUARY 1ST? ALSO, HOW DID THE CITY GET THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE FACILITY? IT TAKES TIME TO COMPLY WITH STATE REGULATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTING A LENDING INSTITUTION. THE LAST QUESTION REMINDS ME OF THE COMMENTS OUR MAYOR MADE DURING THE LAST PRESENTATION OF THE CITY AUDIT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION SPENT THIS MONEY. I SUPPOSE THAT THE MAYOR HAS DISCOVERED THE SECRET. BECAUSE HERE WE ARE AGAIN, MAKING A QUICK DEAL. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT DEALS MADE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ARE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE COST APPEARS AS PROPERTY TAX AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WAS BUYING A SOCCER COMPLEX LISTED ON THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT OR THE 2040 PLAN? I DON'T THINK SO. DURING A TIME WHEN FAMILIES ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES, WHEN INFLATION IS REDUCING OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR OUR FAMILIES, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OBTAINING POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OR WHATEVER. NO PROJECT, NO POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. HOW ELSE CAN ONE JUSTIFY THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGH RISK PARKING FACILITY WHERE THERE ARE NO BUSINESSES? THIS COUNCIL HAS HIRED A CONSULTANT TO IDENTIFY HOW MANY HOW MUCH UTILITY COST COULD BE INCREASED, BUT DID NOT BOTHER TO IDENTIFY THEIR IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE THAT SERVE. THE COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED A TWO YEAR CONSULTANT CONTRACT FOR LOBBYING IN AUSTIN WHEN THE STATE LEGISLATION WOULD BE OUT OF SESSION. AND JUST A FEW WORDS ABOUT AMBULANCES. [03:35:02] THE CITY NEEDS TO SELECT THE AREA OF ITS INVOLVEMENT CAREFULLY, BECAUSE NO LEGAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN OPERATE AS EFFICIENTLY AS A PRIVATE COMPANY. HELP THEM IF YOU MUST, BUT TAKE TAKING OVER THEIR JOB INCREASES THE LIABILITY AND COST OF OPERATIONS. IF YOU THINK CITIES CANNOT BE SUED, ASK THE NEIGHBORING CITIES. YOUR ACTIONS ARE INCREASING THE COST OF LIVING BY INCREASING OUR DEBT. CREATE A PLAN. ESTABLISH A BUDGET AND DO NOT EXCEED THE BUDGET. IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE OR POLITICAL. SO AGAIN, I DID AN OPEN RECORDS AND I'M VERY UPSET WITH EDINBURG BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS SAY THE CITY IS OPEN AND THEY'RE NOT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANYTHING. I DID GET THE INFORMATION THOUGH. LET YOU KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. MISS MCLARTY ALSO ASK QUESTIONS ON ITEM SIX A, TEN AND 11 A. THE NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT IS MIGDALE CASTLE. INVITATION TO UFO FESTIVAL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. MIGDALE CASTLE. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL ARTS. FOR THE RECORD. TODAY WE'RE INVITING EVERYONE TO COME OUT TO THE UFO FESTIVAL. IT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND, APRIL 4TH, FIFTH AND SIXTH. ON APRIL 4TH, WE ARE OPEN AT THE LIBRARY FROM 7 P.M. TO 10 P.M. WE HAVE AN OPEN MIC NIGHT WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OR HAVE SEEN ANYTHING OUT IN THE NIGHT SKY CAN COME OUT AND TELL THEIR STORIES TO OTHER LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS. APRIL 5TH WE HAVE THE UFO FESTIVAL HAPPENING HERE AT THE BEAUTIFUL AMPHITHEATER LOCATED AT 201 NORTH 201 WEST MCINTYRE. WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, A TINFOIL HAT THAT'S A FAVORITE OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF GAMES, LASER LIGHT SHOWS AND A DRONE SHOW. ON APRIL 6TH, WE'LL HAVE THE UFO CONFERENCE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE AT REGION ONE AT 1900 WEST JUNIOR, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE FROM 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M.. AND THEN THAT EVENING WE'LL HAVE THE UFO INCIDENT SITE BASED ON THE THE WHOLE FESTIVAL IS BASED ON THE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN 1966 HERE IN EDINBURG. AND THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING OUT TO THE RANCH FOR A TOUR OF THE SITE AND A NIGHT SKY WATCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. MAYOR. COUNCIL. ALL RIGHT. THAT BEING THE CASE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX PRESENTATION REPORTS, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THE POSSIBLE CREATION OF A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. TOM REINA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON JUST WE'RE LOOKING FOR DISCUSSION POINTS FOR YOU ALL TO PRESENT ON THE CREATION OF A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. YOU MAY ASK, WHAT'S A PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD? A PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD IS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR A REGULATORY BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THE REGULATORY PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICE WITHIN A SPECIFIC JURISDICTION. THESE UTILITIES INCLUDE, SUCH AS WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND SOMETIMES TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AS BUS OR TRAINS. THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THE PUB IS TO ENSURE THAT THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED RELIABLY, AFFORDABLY AND SUSTAINABLY TO ALL THE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ALSO BALANCING THE INTEREST OF THE UTILITY PROVIDERS AND THE PUBLIC. PUBS TYPICALLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SET OUR RATES, ESTABLISH SERVICE STANDARDS, APPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, MEDIATE DISPUTES BETWEEN UTILITY COMPANIES AND CUSTOMERS, AND ENFORCE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE REGULATORY AND RELEVANT LAWS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE SPECIFIC POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUB CAN VARY, DEPENDING ON THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF THE JURISDICTION THAT IT OPERATES. SO WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD AS ALMOST JUST LIKE THE EDC BOARD, WHICH IT WOULD BE THEIR OWN SEPARATE ENTITY THAT WOULD MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS ON THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AND THEN COME BACK TO FINAL APPROVAL AS PER CITY COUNCIL. SO WHAT IS NEEDED TO CREATE A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IS, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE NEED TO DETERMINE THE NEED FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD IN YOUR COMMUNITY. CONSIDER FACTORS SUCH AS TYPES OF UTILITIES SUCH AS WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS THAT WOULD THE BOARD WOULD OVERSEE EXISTING REGULATORY MECHANISMS AND ANY GAPS OR DEFICIENCIES IN THE IN THE CURRENT OVERSIGHT THAT OUR UTILITY DEPARTMENT DOES CARRY. DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES AND SCOPES CLARIFY DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES AND SCOPES OF THE [03:40:02] PROPOSED UTILITY BOARD. THIS MIGHT INCLUDE OUTLINING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, AUTHORITY COMPOSITION, THE OPERATING PROCEDURES. ALSO CONSIDER CONSULTING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, UTILITY PROVIDERS, CUSTOMER ADVOCACY GROUPS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GATHER ANY INPUT AND SUPPORT. THE NEXT STEP WE WOULD DO IS DRAFT AN ORDINANCE. IF NECESSARY, WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR LEGAL EXPERT TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE THAT FORMALLY ESTABLISHES THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD DETAIL THE BOARD'S PURPOSE, POWERS, MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURES, APPOINTMENT OR ELECTED PROCEDURES, TERMS OF OFFICE, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT PROVISIONS. BEFORE WE CHANGE, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR. OR IS THIS ONLY GOING TO BE FOR ITEMS WE PRODUCE, LIKE THE WATER? WE DON'T PRODUCE ELECTRICITY, SO. THAT IS CORRECT. TALKING ABOUT WATER, SEWER TRASH. NO, THIS WOULD JUST BE FOR WATER AND SEWER. WATER SEWER? YES, SIR. BASICALLY THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT. OKAY. THE NEXT STEP IS WE WILL NEED TO APPOINT MEMBERS IF THE IF THE PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD WILL HAVE APPOINTED MEMBERS. THIS WILL ESTABLISH ANY PROCESS OF SELECTIONS OR APPOINTING QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE ON THE BOARD. THIS PROCESS MAY INVOLVE NOMINATIONS BY ELECTED OFFICIALS. APPLICATIONS FOR INTERESTED CANDIDATES. INTERVIEWS AND FORMAL APPOINTMENTS. THE NEXT ONE IS OBTAIN APPROVAL, WHICH WOULD COME BACK TO THE GOVERNING BODY TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND TO APPROVE THE NOMINATIONS. THE NEXT ONE IS PROVIDE TRAINING AND ORIENTATION. JUST LIKE Y'ALL SAT THROUGH WHEN Y'ALL WERE ELECTED. WE WOULD ESTABLISH ALL THAT TRAINING FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS AND WHAT THEIR ROLES AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD BE. THE NEXT STEP IS WE COMMENCE OPERATIONS, WHICH CURRENTLY WE DO DO OUR OPERATIONS FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE GOVERN. BUT THEN THE UTILITIES BOARD OFFICIALLY ESTABLISHED ITS MEMBERS AND ARE IN PLACE, BEING CONDUCTED REGULAR MEETINGS, FULFILLMENT OF ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUES WITHIN THE JURISDICTION. THE NEXT PART, THE NEXT PORTION IS WE NEED TO ESTABLISH OPERATING PROCEDURES, DEVELOP OPERATING PROCEDURES AND BYLAWS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. THESE SHOULD ADDRESS MATTERS SUCH AS MEETING FREQUENCIES, QUORUM REQUIREMENTS, VOTING PROCEDURES, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICIES, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS. THE NEXT ONE IS WE WOULD ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS, FOSTERING ONGOING COMMUNICATION WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING US AS THE UTILITY PROVIDER AND THE OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PUBLIC. WE WILL NEED TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK, ADDRESSING CONCERNS, AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF UTILITY SERVICES. SO CREATING A PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD MAY INDEED MIGHT REQUIRE SOME OF THE APPROVAL FROM THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION, WHICH ULTIMATELY GOES TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF TEXAS OR ANY REGULATORY AUTHORITIES. BUT SINCE WE ARE ALREADY A APPROVED UTILITY PROVIDER, THIS WOULD STILL NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BOARD FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. AS WE ESTABLISHED AT PUB, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROCESS OF FORMING A PUB IN TEXAS MAY VARY DEPENDING ON LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES, LOCAL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, AND THE SPECIFIC UTILITIES INVOLVED. CONSULTING WITH LEGAL EXPERTS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS CAN ENSURE THAT THE PROCESS IS CONDUCTED EFFICIENTLY AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS. OVERALL, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PUBLIC UTILITY DEPENDS ON THE ABILITY TO BALANCE THE INTERESTS OF THE CUSTOMERS, UTILITY COMPANIES, AND THE PUBLIC GOOD. SO THIS HAS JUST BEEN A SHORT PRESENTATION. SO I'M HERE TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY DISCUSSIONS OR ANY DIRECTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PROCEED ON THIS COUNCIL. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION REAL QUICKLY, THANK YOU, TOM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I HAD ASKED CITY MANAGEMENT TO BRING THIS TO LIGHT JUST TO GET COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND ALSO JUST THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE BEEN GROWING SO RAPIDLY AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE WENT TO A UTILITY ANALYSIS AND DETERMINED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT OUR UTILITIES ARE IN NEED OF. AND SINCE WE'VE BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY, OTHER CITIES HAVE SET UP SOMETHING SIMILAR SO THAT IT CAN HAVE ITS OWN FOCUS. RIGHT NOW IT'S UNDER CITY MANAGEMENT. IT'S A DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY. OTHER CITIES LIKE MCALLEN, I THINK BROWNSVILLE, HARLINGEN HAVE A UTILITY. THEY'RE ALL CALLED DIFFERENTLY. I THINK MCALLEN BROWNSVILLE IS CALLED PUB. OF COURSE, BROWNSVILLE HAS POWER TO YOUR POINT. COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT MOSTLY IT'S WATER AND SEWER. AND I THINK, AS TOM MENTIONED, THIS WOULD JUST BE THE UTILITIES OPERATIONS, ALL THE WATER WASTEWATER OPERATIONS COLLECTION SYSTEM AS WELL. THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT. AND GIVEN ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE NEEDING TO MAKE, [03:45:04] I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT HAS ITS OWN FOCUS. BUT THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHTS. I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE FOR COUNCIL TO LOOK AT AND EVALUATE. AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D LIKE TO LOOK FURTHER, I THINK THERE'S A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. WE BASICALLY, JUST AS THE BEST EXAMPLE IS I DISCUSSED IT WITH AYALA ON THE ESTABLISHMENT. IT'S JUST LIKE ESTABLISHING OUR EDC, HOW WE SEPARATE IT. IT'LL BE ITS OWN GOVERNING BOARD. ULTIMATELY, WE STILL COME AND REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL. YEAH, AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT. SO OVERSIGHT WILL STILL CONTINUE BY THE COUNCIL. THE BOARD YOU KNOW, WILL SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL, BUT ULTIMATELY, ANY MAJOR APPROVALS, JUST LIKE EDC COMES BEFORE THE COUNCIL. THIS JUST SO THAT THE BOARD HAS WE HAVE MORE DIRECT OVERSIGHT FROM THAT STANDPOINT. YES, SIR. THE BOARD WAS SOLELY FOCUSED ON UTILITY PROJECTS. YEAH. YOU HAD A COMMENT? YEAH. MAINLY. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE DAILY DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS? BECAUSE, LIKE, WE TAKE THE WHOLE SYSTEMS. SYSTEMS, RIGHT? WE TRANSFER IT OUT. SO BASICALLY IT WOULD JUST JUST LIKE NOW OUR UTILITIES IS SUPPORTED JUST BY UTILITY FUND, BUT IT WOULD HAVE ITS OWN REGULATORY BOARD. IT WOULD BE YOU WOULD NEED TO APPOINT A GENERAL MANAGER AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE YOUR SAME STRUCTURE WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO AGREEMENT AS WHO'S GOING TO DO THE FINANCIALS, WHO'S GOING TO DO HR JUST EXACTLY LIKE EDC. WE WOULD THEY WOULD ANSWER TO THE BOARD, STAFF WOULD ANSWER TO THE BOARD. AND ULTIMATELY THE BOARD WOULD ANSWER TO YOU ALL AND MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS. THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THEY WILL LOOK AT ANY FUNDING REQUESTS, ANY APPLICATIONS TO FOR GRANTS OR TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. BASICALLY, THE ITEMS FOR THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT WILL NO LONGER COME TO THIS TO THE COUNCIL. IT WOULD GO TO UTILITY BOARD. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IF WE NEED FINAL DECISION, WOULD COME BACK TO THIS GOVERNING BOARD. HOW ABOUT HIRING A STAFF? THE DIRECTORS ARE THE BOARD THAT THE DIRECTOR'S BOSS WOULD BE THE BOARD. IT WOULD BE A GENERAL MANAGER. AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR DIRECTORS OR SO FORTH AT THAT POINT. SO BASICALLY WE'RE WE'RE IN A POSITION THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ALL THE STAFF, SINCE OUR UTILITY STAFF IS FUNDED BY THE UTILITY FUND. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK FOR EVERYBODY SAKE THIS REALLY DOESN'T AFFECT EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY AT ALL. IF ANYTHING, IT'S JUST GIVING IT ITS OWN FOCUS. NOW, THE ONLY MAYBE DIFFERENCE IS GOING TO BE IF THERE'S A GENERAL MANAGER, THAT GENERAL MANAGER IS APPOINTED BY THE THE BOARD. RIGHT. AND THEN GENERAL MANAGER OVERSEES THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. FOR ALL I KNOW, IT COULD BE THE DIRECTOR OF THE UTILITIES, RIGHT. I MEAN, BUT THE BOARD WILL DO THAT. AND AND THEN IN TURN RUN THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. AND OBVIOUSLY IN COORDINATION WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, RIGHT. BECAUSE, I MEAN IT'S OUR CITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT IT'S JUST COORDINATION HAS TO BE THERE AS WELL. I KNOW IN OTHER CITIES THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. THEIR GENERAL MANAGER COORDINATES WITH CITY MANAGEMENT. JUST BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT OVERSEEING OUR CITY AS A WHOLE, SO. OKAY. AND SO WHAT IS THE PROCESS? I MEAN, IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO LOOK, I KNOW YOU OUTLINE SOMETHING HERE, BUT I DON'T HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR OUR CITY MANAGER. I MEAN, I MEAN, FOR ME, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T LIKE TO INTERRUPT OBVIOUSLY, SERVICES OR ANYTHING. AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE POINT HERE, BUT FROM A TIMELINE STANDPOINT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'D WANT TO SET SOMETHING LIKE THIS UP AS PART OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IN OTHER WORDS, AS WE KICK OFF A NEW FISCAL YEAR BUT, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. HAVE WE GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO THAT OR. YES, SIR. SO BASICALLY WE LOOKED INTO WHAT THE PROCESS IS. SO THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS. OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME COMMUNITY OUTREACH. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO CONDUCT SOME PUBLICATIONS MAYBE BE ABLE TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT IN ULTIMATELY IT COULD BE CREATED THROUGH AN ORDINANCE. AND THEN FROM THERE WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT WE WANT THIS BOARD TO BE ABLE TO DO AT THIS POINT IT WOULD BE WATER WASTEWATER LIKE IT WAS MENTIONED. AND THEN OF COURSE IT WOULD HAVE THEIR BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR OWN FUND. THEY'RE ALREADY THE, THE STAFF, EVERYBODY IS JUST, IS ALREADY FUNDED THROUGH THE, THE THE UTILITIES FUND. I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY DISRUPTION. IT'S BASICALLY JUST CREATING THE BOARD. LIKE YOU MENTIONED, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD TO DECIDE IF MAYBE THE CURRENT DIRECTOR WOULD BE THE GENERAL MANAGER, OR IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO HIRE SOMEONE ELSE. THAT AGAIN, WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL. AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS, THAT'S ALSO UP TO TO THE COUNCIL. THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE COUNCIL TO DECIDE AS WELL HOW THEY'RE APPOINTED IN THOSE THINGS. OKAY. SO IF THE DIRECTION IS TO START LOOKING TOWARDS THAT WAY, [03:50:03] I WOULD DO MY FIRST OFFICIAL INQUIRY WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE REGULATIONS. AND THEN I WOULD PRESENT SOMETHING TO OUR MR. OCHOA AND TO SEE IF WE'RE READY FOR THAT, IF WE HAVE ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DO NEED TO FOLLOW. IF NOT, THEN WE START CREATING THE ORDINANCE AND THEN LOOK IN THAT TIMELINE. ARE WE SUBSIDIZING THE UTILITY FUND NOW WITH GENERAL FUND? I GUESS THE WAY WE'RE HEADED TO WITH THAT QUESTION IS HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT IF WE GO INTO SOMETHING. SO I COULD TRY TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE WHAT I KNOW, COUNCILMEMBER, IS THAT THERE'S STILL IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT THAT POSSIBILITY IS STILL THERE. YEAH. BUT I THINK ANYTHING EXISTING OBVIOUSLY REMAINS. BUT MOVING FORWARD, IT'S JUST ANOTHER ENTITY. NO DIFFERENT, I THINK, THAN THE EDC. I THINK THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WITH EDC IS THAT THAT'S GOVERNED BY A WHOLE OTHER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ACT, AND SO IT HAS ITS OWN SET OF REQUIREMENTS. BUT AT THE END IT'S A BOARD APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL. RIGHT. AND THE BYLAWS ARE SET UP TO WHERE AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE AMENDED OURS, RIGHT, WITH EDC SO THAT WE APPROVE MOST OF THE ITEMS. RIGHT. SAME THING WITH THIS OPERATION. I GUESS I'M GOING THAT WAY BECAUSE LIKE THE EDC, IF IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SHORT FUNDING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE CAN JUST STOP THEIR FUNDING UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY CATCH UP WHERE WE REALLY CAN'T STOP FIXING PIPE OR LAYING PIPE OR ALL THAT STUFF. SO SOMEWHERE THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING WHERE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THE UTILITY FUND IS RUNNING SHORT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST THE QUESTION IS LIKE, ARE WE STUCK OR HAVE WE JUST COME BACK IN LIKE WE WOULD BE LIKE, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, IF THEY COULDN'T, IF WE HAD MANHOLE CATASTROPHES RIGHT NOW, WE'D HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR. RIGHT. YES, SIR. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DRAFT IN THE OPERATIONS AND THEN IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THOSE POSSIBILITIES ARE STILL THERE. THAT'S BASICALLY WE'LL BE CREATING THE STEPS THAT WE DO WANT TO FOLLOW. AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE STEPS THAT WE WOULD PRESENT TO YOU AT FIRST. THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND THEN WE I WOULD EVENTUALLY RECOMMEND A WORKSHOP ONCE WE GET THAT FAR ALONG. THAT WAY WE ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE CROSSING OUR T'S AND DOTTING OUR EYES AT THAT POINT. THAT'S THAT'S AN AREA WE CAN'T STOP, RIGHT? YES, SIR. FALL BEHIND REAL FAST. I AGREE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAINAGE, RIGHT? IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAINAGE. DRAINAGE. THIS WOULD JUST BE FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS SYSTEMS, WASTEWATER, LIFT STATIONS AND WATER PLANTS. YEAH. JUST TO BE CLEAR, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW COUNCIL ON OUR BUDGET, WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND. WE HAVE ALL THESE FUNDS. RIGHT. UTILITY FUND IS WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO. SO EVERYTHING UNDER THAT FUND IS WHAT WILL FALL UNDER THIS. AND MAYOR, THE OVERALL BENEFIT FROM THIS WOULD BE AS FAR AS WHAT LIKE MORE OVERSIGHT OR. SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO BRING BEFORE YOU. THE ONLY REASON I WANTED TO BRING UP TO THE COUNCIL IS WE'RE GROWING, GROWING VERY RAPIDLY. AND I WAS TAKEN ABACK, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WITH WHEN WE DID THE RATE STUDY AND WE SAW THE NEEDS AND WE'RE BEHIND. AND I FEEL THAT THE CITY HAS ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, AND THE UTILITIES FUND NEEDS ITS OWN FOCUS. YOU KNOW, AS OTHER CITIES HAVE, AND IT'S GROWING. WE'RE GROWING RAPIDLY. AND SO I THINK THIS BOARD WILL BE CHARGED WITH MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ADEQUATE WATER, THE SEWER, AND THAT WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS. SO TO ME, THAT'S THAT'S HOW I SEE IT. IT COULD CONTINUE AS IT IS, BUT I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE 100,000 PLUS NOW. HARLINGEN IS A LOT LESS POPULATION. WE ARE THEY'VE BEEN SET UP LIKE THIS FOR. BUT I DID TALK TO THEIR MAYOR, AND SHE DID INFORM ME THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY BUILT INTO THEIR CITY CHARTER. SO THEY'VE HAD IT SET UP I THINK THERE'S IT'S CALLED HARLINGEN WATERWORKS WATERWORKS. BUT THERE'S THIS IS PART OF THEIR CITY CHARTER, HOW THEY WERE FOUNDED. SO THEY'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT BEFORE COUNCIL. I OBVIOUSLY THE, THE, THE BENEFITS ARE THAT. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY, IF YOU WILL. I GET THAT, YOU KNOW, ADDING A BOARD, BUT IT ALSO WILL HAVE ITS DIRECT OVERSIGHT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUT I, I DIDN'T SEE HERE THE COMPARABLES TO OTHER CITIES, MAYBE AS A FOLLOW UP, BUT WE CAN GET A LIST OF ALL THOSE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE SET UP HOW THEY'RE OPERATED. THAT MAY BE HELPFUL. I MEAN, IT'S NOT ANYTHING WE'RE WANTING TO RUSH INTO AT THIS TIME. WE JUST WANTED TO COME AND BRING IT TO YOU ALL BECAUSE MY MY GUESS. WHAT WOULD THE HURDLE BE IF YOU KNOW, IF WE NEEDED TO MAKE A CHANGE HAPPEN AND WE I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH PROCESSES. IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH THAT, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BOARD. AND I GUESS THERE WAS THE CHIEF. AND THEN THEY GO TO THEIR THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THEN THEN IT COMES TO US. SO IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT HURDLES TO GET THROUGH. IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH THIS, IT JUST DEPENDS HOW WE SET IT UP. THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS THAT, THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT UP LIKE BY COUNCIL MEMBER Y2 IN TERMS OF THE, THE FUND WE COULD SET IT UP TO WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE FIRST 2 TO 5 YEARS IT'S SET UP THROUGH MAYBE CITY MANAGEMENT WILL [03:55:05] ASSIGN THIS TO SOMEONE. I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD. RIGHT? WHILE WE SET UP ALL THE OPERATIONS, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S BYLAWS REQUIRED. IS THERE. OKAY. SO, YES, THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED. OKAY. SO THOSE BYLAWS WILL OUTLINE WHICH WE WOULD APPROVE, HOW IT WOULD OPERATE. YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT OPERATE. BECAUSE I GUESS IT WILL DEPEND ON US HOW MUCH OVERSIGHT WE WANT TO HAVE AT THE END. IT'S GIVEN ITS OWN FOCUS. YOU KNOW, THEY MEET ONCE A MONTH AND ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS WATER AND SEWER. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND WE MEET TWICE A MONTH, BUT WE TALK ABOUT 20 OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WE NEED TO. SO THAT AT THE END THAT'S REALLY THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE. YEAH. IT'S ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT HAS THIS KIND OF BOARD, WHICH IS THE NEWEST ONE THAT'S BEEN RECENTLY CONVERTED TO A BOARD. MCALLEN. MCALLEN. MCALLEN. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BENEFITS THAT THEY'VE GOT OFF THAT THE BIGGEST BENEFIT IS ECHO THE MAYORS IS THEY SOLELY FOCUS JUST ON UTILITY PROJECTS, ON INFRASTRUCTURE, ON, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR YOU ALL TO MAKE THAT DECISION WHERE YOU HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, I'M GOING TO SUPPLY THIS MUCH PIPING OR NEW SERVICES, OR AM I GOING TO PAVE SOME STREETS, OR AM I GOING TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING OR NEW FACILITY? SO THOSE THOSE WON'T COME HERE ANYMORE FOR THE UTILITIES THAT WOULD GO TO THE BOARD. BIG ITEMS AS FUNDING OR BOND ISSUANCE OR ANYTHING THAT STILL WILL COME TO THIS BOARD FOR THAT DECISION AND ANY WAY THAT WE WANT TO SET UP. SO THAT IS THE BENEFIT IS THEY'RE SOLELY FOCUSED ON GROWING THE UTILITY. HOW LONG HAS THAT BOARD BEEN IN EXISTENCE? I WOULD HAVE TO GET THAT EXACT ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT I JUST A ROUGH ESTIMATE. IT'S BEEN ABOUT TEN YEARS NOW. THE PUB IN MCALLEN, I THINK IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN THAT. YES, SIR. I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT. YEAH, BUT THEY'RE SET UP. MCALLEN SET UP REAL DIFFERENTLY. IN FACT, THEY'RE ELECTED. SO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE ELECTED. YES, SIR. BY PLACE? YES. SO WHEREAS IN BROWNSVILLE THEY'RE APPOINTED AND IN HARLINGEN AS WELL. BUT AGAIN EACH CITY HOWEVER WE SEE DETERMINED. AND THE OTHER THING I'LL MENTION, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE HEAR FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT. IT'S FUN. BUT IT'S AGAIN, THEY'RE PAIRED UP WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO WHEN THEY COME TO US SAY WE NEED THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, WE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT YOU KIND OF WEIGHED AGAINST OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SAID, WELL, WE ALREADY GAVE, YOU KNOW. AND SO WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT IN MY OPINION BECAUSE UTILITIES FUND THAT'S JUST WATER AND WASTEWATER, YOU KNOW, AND IT NEEDS ITS OWN FOCUS. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, IT IS SOMETHING WE DO TO HOW WE SET IT UP. BUT I THINK LONG TERM, BECAUSE I'M THINKING LONG TERM, NOT HOW DO WE SET IT FOR NEXT YEAR? I THINK IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE. BUT I JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO START THE DISCUSSION. THAT'S ALL. SO LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS SO LIKE THE EDC, WE GIVE THEM A BUDGET EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SO WE WOULD BE GIVING THIS BOARD A BUDGET. YES. WELL YEAH. WELL THE DIFFERENCE IS THEY WOULD HELP COME UP WITH A BUDGET AND THEN BRING TO US TO ADOPT. SO WE WOULD STILL ADOPT SIMILAR TO THE EDC, RIGHT. THEIR BOARD EVALUATES AND COMES UP WITH THEIR BUDGET. AND THEN WE WE RATIFY THAT RIGHT BUDGET. SO IT WOULD IT WOULD OPERATE IN MUCH THE SAME WAY. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I MEAN, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER, I GUESS STAFF CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE. I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE OTHER CITIES, HOW THEY'RE SET UP, THEIR HOW THEY'RE APPOINTED. AND THOSE THINGS, I THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL. I BELIEVE IN THE SAME WAY, TOO. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT HAVE IT, TO SEE WHAT THE PROS AND CONS, HOW THEY'RE SET UP AS FAR AS BYLAWS, AND SEE SOMETHING THAT IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO ADOPT INTO OUR OUR CITY. AND THEN, MISS BYRNE. DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT, MA'AM? I THINK I'M GOING THROUGH THERE. IF YOU APPOINTED, IT'S AGAIN THE GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB. FRIENDS, RELATIVES AND LOVED ONES THAT WILL BE PUT ON THIS BOARD. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW, WOULD THEY BE ELECTED SO THAT THE PEOPLE HERE IN EDINBURGH COULD HOPEFULLY ELECT SOMEONE THAT THEY TRUST TO DO THIS? AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITY IS NOT ABLE TO HIRE ONE PERSON OR WHATEVER TO KEEP DOING THIS, INSTEAD OF HAVING ANOTHER BOARD THAT IS GOING TO I LIKE I SAY, I KNOW THE THE WHAT IS IT, P AND Z BOARD. YOU HAVE TO BOW DOWN TO THEM AND THEY ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH. SO IT'S NOT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. SO I DON'T THINK THIS ONE EITHER IS EITHER. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW IS DO THE PEOPLE GET TO VOTE FOR THE THE BOARD? BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY TRUST A LITTLE MORE. AND THE ADVANTAGES. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING THIS COMPARED TO HAVING THE CITY AS [04:00:05] WE'VE GOT IT NOW AND ANOTHER AGENCY, ALL WE SEE IS THAT THIS ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO RAISE TAXES, RAISE THE AMOUNTS ON THE ON THE PEOPLE, WHICH Y'ALL JUST DID. SO AND PEOPLE ARE CALLING AND THEY'RE HURTING. SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE AGAIN JUST MORE PAPERWORK, MORE GOVERNMENT, ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE TO BOW DOWN TO. WE HAVE Y'ALL TO BOW DOWN TO. SO WE'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE'RE CHANGING IT. I UNDERSTAND WHAT Y'ALL WERE SAYING JUST NOW, BUT THE PEOPLE ARE ARE LIKE I SAID, I DON'T LIKE THE GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB AND NEITHER DO THEY. AND THEY WOULD TRUST THEMSELVES AT VOTING. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAD A WATER DISTRICT OR SOMETHING NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT WE HAD A COUNTY COMMISSIONER. I THINK HE'S IN THE IN THE PEN FOR THINGS HAPPENING. SO THIS IS WHAT WE WORRY ABOUT IS THE POWER IN THINGS THAT GO INTO STUFF LIKE THIS. SO PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. WELL, IF Y'ALL CAN HELP US GATHER THAT INFORMATION, THAT'D BE GREAT. AND THIS IS FERN. WE'RE JUST EVALUATING THIS RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S INITIAL DISCUSSION. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME BACK AND NEXT MONTH AND GET SOME MORE INFORMATION. SO. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON COUNCIL TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ITEM SEVEN. AND WE HAVE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F AND G. SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ALL THESE ITEMS. AND WELCOME ANY COMMENTS BY ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F, AND G. THE HEARING IS NOW OPEN, SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND MAKE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL WILL TAKE THEM ITEM ONE BY ONE. ITEM A. GO AHEAD MA'AM. CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM AGRICULTURE AND OPEN SPACE DISTRICT TO COMMERCIAL GENERAL CG DISTRICT. BEING A 0.45 ACRE TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS BEING OUT OF 20 ACRE TRACT, OUT OF LOT EIGHT, BLOCK FOUR, LOT ONE, BLOCK FIVE, AND LOT ONE, BLOCK 17. JOHN CLOSNER SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 5522 SOUTH VETERANS BOULEVARD, AS REQUESTED BY NOVAC, LLC. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND ANY DISCUSSION, IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY PX DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL FAMILY MW DISTRICT BEING LOT SIX. LOT 241 EDINBURG. ORIGINAL TOWN SITE LOCATED AT 121 NORTH 21ST AVENUE, AS REQUESTED BY BENITO. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION PASSES. ITEM C CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FOR RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY PX DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL, URBAN AND TOWNHOME RUE DISTRICT BEING A 0.88 GROSS TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS OUT OF THE NORTH. TEN ACRES OF LOT FIVE, SECTION 274 TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1210 SOUTH JACKSON ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY SHERIFF AERIAL ON BEHALF OF YOLANDA AND JAIME MOLINA RAMIREZ. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THIS ONE. JAIME. THERE'S A THERE WAS ANOTHER ITEM JUST ADJACENT TO THIS. DID THAT GET PASSED OR WAS THAT TOWNHOMES AS WELL OR. YES. MAYOR, PLANNING AND ZONING DIRECTOR FOR THE RECORD. THEY'VE ALREADY ACQUIRED THREE ACRES THEY'RE ACQUIRING. SO IS IT THE SAME GROUP? IT'S THE SAME GROUP. THEY'VE ALREADY PURCHASED THREE ACRES. THEY'RE PURCHASING THIS 0.80 ACRE TRACT OF LAND JUST SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE A BIGGER TOWNHOME DEVELOPMENT. SO IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT HAD BEEN APPROVED BEFORE FOR THE NEIGHBORING TRACK. CORRECT. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT BY OMAR PERALEZ FURTHER EAST. THAT'S RESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. THEY'RE KIND OF WORKING BOTH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS SIDE BY SIDE. AND WE SHOULD SEE A LOT OF ROOFTOPS THERE SHORTLY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. WE HAD TWO PARTIES AGAINST THEIR CONCERNS. THERE WAS TWO PARTIES THAT SUBMITTED A PETITION OR A WRITTEN STATEMENT AGAINST HOWEVER, AT THE PNC MEETING, NOBODY SHOWED UP TO VOICE ANY OPINIONS, AND IT PASSED FIVE ZERO AT PNC. FANCY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION PASSES. ITEM D, CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL SUBURBAN R DISTRICT TO COMMERCIAL GENERAL CG DISTRICT. BEING 10.505 ACRES OUT OF LOT 12, SECTION 276 SIX. [04:05:04] TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY LOCATED AT 3406 WEST UNIVERSITY DRIVE, AS REQUESTED BY MELDON AND HUNT. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM E CONSIDER THE VARIANCE REQUEST TO THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE. ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION 5.207 EASEMENTS FOR A SIGN BEING DUTCH BROS. ADDITION SUBDIVISION LOT ONE, BLOCK A, LOCATED AT 4108 SOUTH BUSINESS HIGHWAY 281, AS REQUESTED BY A-1 SKYLIGHT SIGNS. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. I HAD A QUESTION, MR. ESSER. SO DO WE NOT ALLOW ANY OF THOSE PYLON SIGNS ALONG KLAUSNER? WE DO, MAYOR, BUT THERE'S A 25 FOOT ACCESS EASEMENT, SO THIS IS FIVE FEET HIGHER. OKAY. GOT IT. I WILL SAY THAT THE DRIVEWAY ON THAT ACCESS EASEMENT IS IS BEING RESPECTED. THE SIGN IS OUTSIDE OF THAT 25 FOOT OR IT'S WITHIN THE 25FT, BUT OUTSIDE OF THE PROPOSED DRIVEWAY BECAUSE I DO SEE THERE'S OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THERE. ARE THEY THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME AND REQUEST SAME SIZE OF PYLON. HAVE YOU ALL GOT ANY REQUESTS ON THAT, OR THERE'S GOING TO BE A BANK THAT'S GOING TO BE BUILT ON THE NORTH SIDE. SO THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE A SIMILAR REQUEST IF THAT ACCESS EASEMENT EXTENDS TO THEIR PROPERTY AS WELL. SO I JUST I MEAN, I DON'T PARTICULARLY HAVE A PROBLEM, COUNSEL, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT BECAUSE THAT ONCE WE APPROVE ONE, I WILL SET THE PRECEDENT. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM F. CONSIDER THE PETITION PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 199 .997 ACRES, BEING ALL OF LOTS 38 AND 39 ACRES. SUBDIVISION OF THE TRACT. ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN VOLUME TWO, PAGE 46. MAPS OF RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED AT 8601 NORTH JASMINE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. CAN WE VOTE ON THIS ITEM SINCE WE'RE THE APPLICANTS? I KNOW IT'S SOUNDS, BUT I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW. THIS IS THE CITY OF EDINBURG REQUESTING THIS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. SO, YES, THE ANSWER IS YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM EIGHT VARIANCE. WE HAVE ITEM A MAYOR. CAN I JUST GO BACK REAL QUICK? ON, ON. GO AHEAD. LAST ONE ON E! IS THAT A VARIANCE? SHOULD IT BE WITH VARIANCES OR SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN PUBLIC HEARINGS? NO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ITEM G, SIR. NO E THAT'S THE ONE WITH THE SIGN. THE ONE WITH THE SIGN? YES, SIR. IT WAS A PUBLIC HEARING OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER VARIANCES. IT WAS UNDER VARIANCES. BUT IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE ANY ANY SIGN VARIANCES REQUIRED SIGNS DO REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. YEAH YEAH I JUST. NO PROBLEM. GO AHEAD. VARIANCE. ITEM G CONSIDER THE PETITION PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF ALL OF SR FOUR CONTAINING ONE 25.17 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF MUTUAL PARTITION OF TRACT 158 SAN SALVADOR DEL TULE. GRANT AS PER MAP OR PLETHORA RECORDED. VOLUME 16, PAGE 11. MAPS OF RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK OF HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED 8601 NORTH JASMINE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. JUST FOR THE RECORD, I'M NOT SURE IF I SAID ITEM F OR G. THIS IS ITEM G. YES. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM EIGHT IS VARIANCE ITEM A CONSIDER VARIANCE REQUEST TO THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION 5.203-1 RIGHT OF WAY AND PAVING WIDTH BENEATH THIS RANCH SUBDIVISION BEING 4.98 ACRES OUT OF LOT 14, SECTION 233 TEX-MEX RAILWAY COMPANY SURVEY SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1013 NORTH DEPOT ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY MAULDIN AND HUNT. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM NINE. ORDINANCES. WE HAVE ITEM EIGHT. CONSIDER ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 12.79 ACRES BEING A PART A PORTION OF LOT 12 AND ALL OF LOT 13, BLOCK SEVEN, SANTA CRUZ GARDENS, UNIT NUMBER THREE, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME NINE, PAGE THREE. MAP RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK OF HIDALGO, TEXAS, BEING LOCATED AT 4009 18 NORTH DOOLITTLE ROAD, AS REQUESTED BY RIO DELTA ENGINEERING ON BEHALF OF COPPER COVE SUBDIVISION. SO MOVED. SECOND. I HAD A QUESTION ON THIS. SO HAVE THEY SUBMITTED A PLOT TO THE CITY TO DEVELOP THIS? AND IF SO, WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO DO? YES, MAYOR. THEY'VE SUBMITTED A PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR 58 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. SO IT'S NOT MULTIFAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY LOTS. AND IS THERE A SEWER IN THIS AREA? THE SEWER IS BY THE CITY OF EDINBURG. THE WATER IS NORTH ALAMO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. [04:10:02] ITEM B, CONSIDER REVIEWING AND APPROVING THE ORDINANCE. AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE 2023 2024 FISCAL YEAR. CARRYOVERS REAPPROPRIATIONS TO THE GENERAL FUND, GOVERNMENTAL GRANT FUND, CDBG FUND, TXA FUND, MUNICIPAL COURT, SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT FUND, PARKLAND DEDICATION FUND, UTILITY FUND, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FUND, SOUTH TEXAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT EDINBURG FUND, EBONY HILLS GOLF COURSE FUND, LOS LAGOS GOLF CLUB FUND AND STATE OF EMERGENCY FUND. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION. IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM TEN RESOLUTIONS. ITEM A CONSIDER RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION'S UNIVERSAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPANY UNDER THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025. E-RATE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE EXTENSION OF INTERNET ACCESS AND SERVICES, AND TO EXECUTE ALL GRANT DOCUMENTS RELATING THERETO. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. JUST A QUESTION. YES, SIR. GO AHEAD. WHY ARE WE RATIFYING? WHY ARE WE LATE? GOOD EVENING. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD. DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY AND CULTURAL ARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS ON ME. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR, JUST LIKE, LIKE EASTER, EVERYTHING CAME A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. AND WHILE WE WERE FOCUSING ON SOMETHING, THAT DAY CAME ALONG BY THE TIME I REALIZED. BUT GOOD THING WE WERE JUST IN TIME TO SUBMIT OUR. I DID CONSULT WITH OUR GRANT DIRECTOR AND SHE SAID I COULD GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT IT AND THEN COME UP BEFORE YOU ALL FOR RATIFICATION. SO WE DID FOLLOW THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND WE JUST WE JUST TRY TO AVOID IT. WHAT WE TRY TO DO. SO YES MAKE SURE EVERYBODY AND I AND I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED ALSO WAS THAT THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN DATE. SO THAT KIND OF THREW ME OFF A LITTLE BIT. BUT YES, DEFINITELY. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 25 YEARS. AND THIS THIS YEAR WAS THE YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO AS WE GET THE FUNDS, WE'LL BE GOOD. THANK YOU. 90%. SO THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B, CONSIDER RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF EDINBURG SUSPENDING THE APRIL 4TH, 2024 EFFECTIVE DATE OF AEP TEXAS REQUESTED RATE CHANGE TO PERMIT THE CITY TIME TO STUDY THE REQUEST AND TO ESTABLISH REASONABLE RATES. APPROVING COOPERATION WITH THE CITY SERVED BY AEP TEXAS AND AUTHORIZING INTERVENTION IN AEP TEXAS REQUESTED RATE CHANGE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION, HIRING LLOYD GOSLING ATTORNEYS AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE COMPANY AND DIRECT ANY NECESSARY LITIGATION AND APPEALS REQUIRING REIMBURSEMENT OF CITY'S RATE CASE EXPENSES. FINDING THAT THE MEETING AT WHICH THE RESOLUTION IS PASSED IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, REQUIRING NOTICE OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE COMPANY AND LEGAL COUNSEL, SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THIS IS THIS IS VOTED ON. THIS IS FOR US TO FIGHT THE RATE INCREASES PROPOSED BY AEP. AND I DID ATTEND THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING, AND MOST OF THE CITIES HAVE JOINED IN THIS EFFORT. SO I JUST WANT TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW AND THE PUBLIC. SO THERE'S A LAW FIRM OUT OF AUSTIN, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WILL WORK ON BEHALF OF THE. YES THAT'S CORRECT. THE WHERE THEY ARE WORKING ON BEHALF OF CITIES TO OPEN UP THIS ACTION WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE RATE CHANGE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM C, CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. ARPA CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS PROGRAM BUDGET AMENDMENT. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. A MOTION AND A SECOND. I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT I THINK. MISS FRED, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MA'AM? YES, SIR. BE BEHIND YOU. GO AHEAD. WELL, THERE'S. YEAH. WELL, THIS IS THE CORONAVIRUS, RIGHT? COVID 19. AND WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THIS FOR? AND HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I KNOW IT'S A GRANT. AND MY THING IS EVERYONE IS STILL GRABBING AND GOING, AND I BELIEVE THE COVID IS JUST ABOUT OVER OR IS OVER. SO I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY WE'RE STILL GRABBING MONEY. JUST BECAUSE IT'S THERE DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. TOM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I'LL BE FILLING IN FOR MISS CLAUDIA FARIAS. SHE'S OUT ON A TRAINING, BUT. YES, SIR. THIS WAS THE SAME ONE THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU LAST WEEK. THERE WAS MAKING CHANGES. YES, SIR. THE THE STANDBY GENERATORS WERE CLASSIFIED ON ONE OF THEM'S FOR THE DOWNTOWN WATER PLANT. AND THE OTHER ONE WAS FOR THE SEWER PLANT. SO THEY WERE FLIPPED ON LAST BUDGET. SO WE'RE MAKING THE CORRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT AREA. [04:15:03] BASICALLY. SO IT'S THE SAME LIST THAT WE PROVIDED LAST MEETING. THIS WOULD JUST BE CORRECTING THOSE FROM WASTEWATER. SO THERE'S NO NEW FUNDS THAT WE'RE JUST HAVING TO ADHERE TO THAT CHANGE. CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. IT'S COVID. IT'S COVID MONEY DUE THAT WE WERE ALREADY AWARDED THAT WE'VE BEEN STEWARDS OF AND WE'RE JUST SPENDING AS WE FIND THAT THE NEEDS ARISE. SO IT'S ALREADY WE HAVEN'T. THAT'S NOT NEW. MONEY'S CORRECT. MONEY'S FROM 21. YES, SIR. 21. THESE ARE THE SAME MONTHS. YES, SIR. 21, 22 AND 23. AS WE FEEL AS GOOD STEWARDS AS WE CAN AS WE START SPENDING. YEAH. AND I THINK I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE QUESTION. IT IS, AND I THINK AND THERE'S A LIST OF WHAT WE SUBMITTED, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE THE FUNDS FOR. AND SO IF WE DEVIATE FROM THAT WE GOT TO SHOW WHY WE DID THAT. AND THAT IS CORRECT. MAKE SURE IT COMPLIES. SO ANYWAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 11. AWARDING A BID. ITEM A CONSIDER AWARDING BID NUMBER 2023 DASH 19. INSTALLATION OF A NEW 750 KW STANDBY GENERATOR FOR THE DOWNTOWN PLANT. HIGH SERVICE PUMPS TO MCDONALD MUNICIPAL INDUSTRIAL AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO NOT TO EXCEED 1,009,469 AND AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY DOCUMENTS RELATED THERETO. TWO. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. WAS THIS ONE ALSO? IS THERE A QUESTION ON THAT? GO AHEAD MA'AM. I HAD A QUESTION AND I COULDN'T ANSWER IT FOR THE PUBLIC. THEY HAD WHERE IS THIS GENERATOR? WHAT IS IT USED FOR? AND I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE IT. I STAND BY GENERATOR THAT'S NOT TO EXCEED $1 MILLION. SO WE WERE JUST WONDERING WHERE IS THE SAYS HI PLANT HIGH SERVICE. PUMPS TO MCDONALD MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL. SO THEY JUST KIND OF IF YOU'LL EXPLAIN THAT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, GERARDO CARMONA DIRECTOR, UTILITIES. SO THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE A GENERATOR. WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN EXISTING GENERATOR THERE AT THE DOWNTOWN PLANT, WHICH IS LOCATED ON MALL. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT GENERATOR IS TOO SMALL. WE DO HAVE SEVERAL HIGH SERVICE PUMPS THAT THAT WITH THIS GENERAL WOULD BE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BACKUP POWER. AND SO BASICALLY THE HIGH SERVICE PUMPS IS BASICALLY AFTER IS THE PUMPS AFTER THE WATER HAS ALREADY BEEN TREATED. IT GOES INTO A WELL. AND THEN FROM THERE, THOSE HIGH SERVICE PUMP PUMP IT OUT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHERE THE, WHERE THE INTO THE PIPING. AND SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMERS GET THE WATER FROM. SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT GENERATOR BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME KIND OF LOSS OF POWER MAYBE DURING THE HURRICANE OR SOMETHING. IT'S GOING TO REALLY HINDER OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE WATER TO THE NORTH PART OF TOWN. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, WHEN WE LOSE POWER, YOU CAN STILL FLUSH YOUR TOILET BECAUSE OF THIS GENERATOR? WELL, YEAH. TECHNICALLY, YEAH. SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO PUT IN LAYMAN'S TERM, I CAN STILL TURN ON THE FAUCET AND BRUSH MY TEETH, BUT NOT HAVE ANY LIGHTS IN THE HOUSE. BUT THAT'S WHAT PART OF THIS PUMP IS. EITHER WE'RE BRINGING IN RAW WATER IN OR FRESH FRESHWATER OUT. YES, YES. SO WE WE WE CAN'T WE DO LOSE POWER. THEN WE WON'T BE ABLE TO WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE, THE DEMAND WITH THE WEST PLANT. SO WE ACTUALLY NEED THAT, THAT DOWNTIME TO, TO ALSO PUSH THAT WATER OUT AS WELL SIR. THINKING LIKE AN ENGINEER. THINK LIKE A LAYMAN. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT PUSHES THE WATER. YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH WHEN THE POWER GO OUT. ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM 12. APPOINTMENTS. WE'VE GOT QUITE A NUMBER OF THEM. SO DO YOU WANT TO GO DOWN THE LIST? AND THAT WAY WE DON'T CONFUSE WHICH ITEM WE'RE LOOKING AT. OKAY. CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING CITY ADVISORY BOARDS, COUNCILS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES. THE FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. TWO MEMBERS. IT SAYS THREE HERE. EXCUSE ME. IT SAYS THREE MEMBERS ON OUR PACKET. THREE MEMBERS. SORRY. IS IT 2 OR 3? IT SHOULD BE TWO, I THINK. WELL, THERE'S. OH, THERE IS THREE. THERE WAS A VACANCY. SO THERE'S A MISTAKE. IT'S THREE MEMBERS. THERE'S A NORMA, CATALINA OLIVARES, LEIA VARGAS AND A VACANCY. WHO ARE YOU MOVING OR. NO, THEIR TERMS ARE. THEIR TERMS ARE UP. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, ALL THESE ARE THEIR TERMS ARE UP FOR OBVIOUSLY SERVING. RIGHT. SO. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. MOLLY QUESTION HERE ALSO IS DO THEY DON'T THEY FALL BY DISTRICTS. THIS ONE. NO THEY DON'T. THIS ONE DOESN'T. OKAY. SO COUNCIL IS THERE ANY MOTIONS TO REAPPOINT NORMA OLIVARES LEO VARGAS. AND THEN WE HAVE VACANCY. SO THERE'S SOME APPLICANTS THERE ON THE ON THE LIST? [04:20:04] YES. SINCE IT'S LISTED, YOU CAN ONLY APPOINT TWO, NOT THE THREE. IT'S INCORRECT ON THE ON THE SHEET. ON THE CAPSULE? YES, ON THE CAPTION. OH, OKAY, SO WE GOT TO GO. BASED ON THE CAPTION. YES. WHAT WAS POSTED? OKAY, SO COUNCIL CAN IS THERE A MOTION TO JUST REAPPOINT THOSE? THE TERMS I THINK NORMA OLIVARES AND LEAH VARGAS AND THEY LEAVE THE VACANCY FOR THE NEXT MEETING. YES. I GUESS I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO REAPPOINT THEM. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO REAPPOINT NORMA OLIVARES AND LEAH VARGAS. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS EDINBURG. GULFPORT FOR MEMBERS. QUICK QUESTION ON THAT. ISN'T ALREADY DAVE ALREADY ON? HE WAS JUST NEWLY APPOINTED LAST MONTH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. YEAH. YOU HAVE AN APPLICANT. OKAY. HE MIGHT BE FOR THE VACANCY IS. YEAH, BUT DID WE JUST APPOINT. WE JUST APPOINTED HIM LAST MONTH. CAN WE CONFIRM THAT? YES. YEAH, BECAUSE IF HE'S ALREADY IN THERE, THEN IT SHOWS FOR YES. SO WE DO HAVE BILL CARLSON, JUAN GARCIA AND DONATO AMAYA THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REAPPOINTED. AND THEN YOU'LL CHECK ON THE. YES, I WILL CHECK WITH ON DAVID. IS THERE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT THOSE MEMBERS? SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IF YOU COULD JUST CONFIRM THAT. AND IF THERE'S A VACANCY THAT THAT WE APPOINT NEXT MONTH. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. THE NEXT ONE IS THE EDINBURG LITTLE LEAGUE. ONE MEMBER. THAT WOULD BE ARMANDO. I'LL APPOINT SALVADOR. SO I MOVE. WE HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. MR.. SORRY. MR. SUTHERLAND CANNOT SERVE AGAIN. HE ALREADY SERVED HIS THIRD AND FINAL TERM. OKAY. CAN WE MAKE HIM AN HONORARY? ALL RIGHT, LET'S TABLE THAT AND COME BACK NEXT MEETING. OKAY, LET'S TABLE THAT ITEM. THAT'S OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD. NEXT ONE. THE NEXT ONE IS ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY BOARD. TWO MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL, WE HAVE A MEMBER, DALIA ROBLEDO. AND THEN WE HAVE VACANCY. YES. IS THERE ANY MOTIONS? MOTION TO REAPPOINT. OKAY. SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND TO REAPPOINT ROBLEDO. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. IS THERE ANYBODY COUNCIL YOU WANT TO NOMINATE FOR THE OTHER VACANCY? YOU WANT TO COME BACK WITH THAT? OKAY. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. ONE MEMBER. IS THERE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT JORGE SOTELO? SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. THE NEXT ONE IS RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD THREE MEMBERS. THE THREE MEMBERS ARE MONICA SOTO, GILBERT SANCHEZ, AND FERNANDO DELGADO. COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY MOTIONS? THERE'S NOBODY YOU GUYS LIKE. AND WE'LL JUST GO WITH THE THREE THAT WE HAVE THREE MEMBERS. JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO. HOLD ON. WAS THAT YOUR MOTION, CHIEF, OR ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE. I REALLY DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. NO. I'LL MOVE TO APPOINT THE THREE. ALL RIGHT. SOTO SIGNS. SANCHEZ. SANCHEZ. OKAY. AND. DELGADO. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND NEXT ITEM. THE NEXT ONE IS BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF EDINBURG RGV. ONE MEMBER. MOTION TO REAPPOINT EDDIE VAN WEBER. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND THE LAST ONE IS EDINBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY. TWO MEMBERS. AND THESE ARE MAYOR APPOINTED. WE HAVE PRESENT MEMBERS, ARMANDO BARRERA AND JOSE RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL WILL BE REAPPOINTING ARMANDO BARRERA AND JOSE RODRIGUEZ FOR HOUSING AUTHORITY. OKAY. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, SIR. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM 13, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEM A, CONSIDER APPROVING THE EDC BOARD SELECTED RECIPIENTS OF THE FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO MOVED. SECOND. A MOTION AND A SECOND. [04:25:01] WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SHARE? THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THIS. I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, BUT JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED FOR EDINBURG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. THIS PROGRAM STARTED AS KIND OF A RETENTION, JOB RETENTION AND A BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM, AND IT'S TURNED OUT TO BE A LOT MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE SELECTING ARE HIRING PEOPLE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL. FIRST OF ALL, OF THE THE 40, WE HAVE 248 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES. IN THOSE 40 BUSINESSES. WE HAVE 214 PART TIME EMPLOYEES IN THOSE 40 BUSINESSES. THEY'RE CURRENTLY HIRING. OF THOSE 40 BUSINESSES TRYING TO HIRE AT LEAST 50 EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY AND 83 WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. SO WE STARTED ASKING THEM A FEW QUESTIONS AND TRYING TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE AT. AND WE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT ON AVERAGE, THEY AVERAGED UNDER $1 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUES. MOST OF THEM ARE SMALLER BUSINESSES AND MOST OF THEM ARE SIX EMPLOYEES OR LESS. AND SO THAT'S THE TARGET THAT WE WERE TRYING TO HIT. THE 40 ARE IN YOUR PACKET AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PUSHING THIS PROJECT OUT. AND THEN ANY FUNDS THAT ARE LEFT OVER, WE'RE GOING TO REALLOCATE INTO SOME OF THE OTHER APPLICANTS. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS? WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THE EDC HAS ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES, EXISTING BUSINESSES? WELL, THERE WAS A SPARK 4.0, WHICH WAS A ARPA FUNDS PROJECT, WHICH DID PROVIDE SOME FUNDING FOR, FOR FOR SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES. BUT THOSE WERE FEDERAL FUNDS. THIS IS LOCAL TAX DOLLARS. THIS IS THE SALES TAX THAT'S BEING GENERATED. SO WHAT THE RECORD TO REFLECT. COUNCILMEMBER DIAZ JUST JOINED THE MEETING. GO AHEAD. SO I THINK SO THE LAST TIME WAS WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO WHERE THE BUSINESS IS EXCITED, WHERE THEY GIVE ME SOMETHING, YOU KNOW? YEAH. NO, THEY'RE ALL EXCITED. THEY ALREADY KNOW, THOUGH. OR ACTUALLY, AFTER YOU ALL TAKE ACTION. I MEAN, IT'S IN THE PACKET, BUT THAT'S REALLY IT. I'D BE GLAD TO READ THE 40 NAMES IF YOU ALL WANT ME TO. NO. THAT'S FINE. WELL, THEY'RE IN THE PACKET, BUT MY QUESTION IS, HOW MANY MORE DO WE HAVE APPLY? WE HAD 25. OTHERS APPLY. WOW. SO THERE MAY BE AROUND TWO. THERE MAY BE AROUND TWO LATER ON. YEAH. SO. WELL, WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE BOARD. AND I KNOW OUR MAYOR PRO TEM SITS ON THE BOARD, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HELPING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THIS IS A PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER WAYS TO DO IT. AND IT'S REALLY ALL OVER TOWN, THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND THE EAST SIDE. AND I KNOW SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY SHOW THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE ARE, ARE GREAT. SO AND I DO ALSO SEE THAT THEY'RE INVESTING MORE THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE GRANTS THEY'RE GETTING. YEAH. AM I READING THIS CORRECT? THERE'S ABOUT 600, SOME THOUSAND. THAT IS 29,000. YES. AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SO, YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD LEVERAGE FOR US. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. AND IF I CAN ADD, I KNOW I JUST GOT HERE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DID OR DIDN'T SAY, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO MAKE THIS PART OF THE BUDGET WITH THE COUNCIL SUPPORT. SOMETHING WE CAN DO MORE THAN JUST ONCE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. THE OTHER DIFFERENCE IS THAT SOMETIMES THESE BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT AND THEN GET REIMBURSED. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HELPING THEM WITH THAT. OR WE CAN POSSIBLY PAY THE CONTRACTOR DIRECTLY. SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, WE CANNOT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH THAT. WHAT ELSE HAVE WE DISCUSSED? JUST JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER PROGRAMS. AND I HAVE TO COMMEND RANDALL. HE'S GOOD AT ACRONYMS. PHILIP. WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR? RANDALL. FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. CORRECT. FACADE AND LOT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO THERE'S A LOT OF LEEWAY WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO. BUT IT'S IT'S MOSTLY TO HELP THE BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES. AND WE ALSO REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE REALLY LIKE TO HELP OUT DIDN'T EVEN APPLY. SO HOPEFULLY THE NEXT TIME AROUND WE'RE GOING TO HELP THEM APPLY, SEND PEOPLE, SEND STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY THEY GET IN ON IT. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 14. COUNCIL'S CONSENT AGENDA. WE HAVE ITEMS A, B, C, D, E, F AND G. IS THERE ANY ITEMS YOU WANT TO TAKE OUT OR YOU WANT A MOTION TO DE. ITEM DE. SO IS THAT YOUR MOTION, SIR? TO APPROVE EVERYTHING ELSE, APPROVE EVERYTHING ELSE AND REMOVE AND BRING DE UP. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR TO APPROVE? A, B, C, E, F AND G, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM D. CAN YOU READ IT. IS THERE A MOTION? YES. CAN YOU READ IT? CONSIDER RESCHEDULING THE TUESDAY, MAY 21ST, 2020 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO THURSDAY, MAY 23RD, 2020 FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE. [04:30:02] OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. JUST TO DISCUSS. GO AHEAD. THE ONLY REASON I BROUGHT IT UP IS I THINK THIS IS PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHEN OUR NEXT MEETING IS. SO IF WE IT SHOULDN'T BE. WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT. YEAH, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT. SO THAT WAY YOU KNOW THAT. YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT DATE AND NOBODY CAN SAY WE HID IT SOMEWHERE. SO THAT'S ALL. SO THAT'LL BE THURSDAY MAY 23RD. THIS CARRIES ON OUR MEETING INSTEAD OF TUESDAY THE 21ST FOR THE FUTURE I GUESS. JUST PULL IT OUT AND JUST PUT IT THERE. WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE. THE MEETING WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU. YEAH. GOOD POINT. OKAY. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THIS IS GOING TO BE WHERE I SEE US. ALL RIGHT. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 15. COUNCIL. OTHER BUSINESS. THERE ANY ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO REQUEST FROM CITY MANAGER? NOT. YOU CAN'T SAY YOU WEREN'T ASKED. SO TILL NEXT MEETING. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX. EXCUSE ME. 16 EXECUTIVE SESSION. CAN I GET A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE. SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS 7:12 P.M.. [05:17:04] ALL RIGHT. IT IS 1115 ON MY WATCH. [05:17:09] CAN I GET A MOTION TO RECONVENE FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION? [05:17:13] SECOND MOTION. SECOND. [05:17:14] ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL RIGHT. [05:17:18] MOTION CARRIES. I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT. [05:17:20] THERE WAS NO ACTION TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. [05:17:23] I BELIEVE COUNCIL. THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT DO REQUIRE ACTION. [05:17:27] YES, MAYOR. BASED ON THE DISCUSSION FOR ITEM A I WOULD RECOMMEND A MOTION AUTHORIZING [A. Discussion and Possible Action Regarding the Economic Development Incentive Agreement with Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Ltd. (§551.071 Consultation with Attorney; §551.087 Deliberation Regarding Economic Development Negotiations; Closed Meeting.)] [05:17:33] AMENDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH DOCTORS HOSPITAL AT RENAISSANCE LIMITED ON THE TERMS AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. THEN WE HAVE ITEM D. [D. Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Projects Faucet, Hospitality, and Born Again. (§551.071 Consultation with Attorney; §551.072 Deliberation Regarding Real Property; Closed Meeting.; §551.087 Deliberation Regarding Economic Development Negotiations; Closed Meeting.)] YES, MAYOR. ITEM D, BASED ON THE DISCUSSION, I WOULD RECOMMEND A MOTION RATIFYING THE EDC'S AGREEMENT RELATED TO PROJECT FAUCET. SO MOVED. VERY WELL. WE HAVE A MOTION SECOND. ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES AND NO OTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED AT THIS TIME. MAYOR. BASED ON THE DISCUSSION. VERY WELL. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. 1117. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.