[00:00:53] THE HONORABLE MAYOR PRO TEM. WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY BOOKS RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT. IT IS BY MY WATCH, 708. I WILL CALL THE EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL. MEETING TO ORDER A SPECIAL MEETING THIS EVENING. I DO SEE ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ARE PRESENT. AND SO WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO CERTIFICATION PUBLIC NOTICE. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE MEETING WAS CLOSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON APRIL 19TH, 2024 AT 6:35 P.M.. SIR. ALRIGHTY. ITEM THREE. DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST. YOU DID RIGHT. SORRY. I FEEL LIKE GROUNDHOG DAY. I'M DOING THIS AGAIN. SO 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 MEMBER CAN'T PARTICIPATE OR VOTE ON THE ITEM. ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS TO DISCLOSE? NO, SIR. NO, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. VERY WELL. WE'RE GOING TO WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM COUNCIL ON EXECUTIVE SESSION. CAN I GET A MOTION TO CONVENE. SO MOVED. MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM EIGHT CONSULTATION WITH CITY ATTORNEY AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS. 551071 CONSULTATION WITH CITY ATTORNEY. DAVID. [00:07:44] ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER OF THE JOINT WORK SESSION OF THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL. IT'S APRIL 24TH, AND BY MY WATCH IT IS 601. I DO SEE WE HAVE A QUORUM. WE HAVE ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PRESENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER DE LEON. HE'LL JOIN US HERE IN A LITTLE BIT. AND BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR PRAYER THIS IS A JOINT WORK SESSION, A MEETING WITH OTHER BOARDS THAT ARE HERE. SO I THINK I'M GOING TO RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR EACH OF THE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEES, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COMING TO THE PODIUM JUST SO THAT YOU'RE YOU CAN BE HEARD FOR THE RECORD, OPENING UP THOSE MEETINGS. AND I'LL START WITH PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND STEPPING UP AND JUST OPENING YOUR MEETING, BECAUSE THIS IS A JOINT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. WE NEED A BIGGER COUNCIL CHAMBER SO WE CAN FIT EVERYBODY. BUT THIS IS HOW WE'RE SET UP RIGHT NOW. BUT IF YOU COULD JUST OPEN UP THE MEETING FOR PLANNING AND ZONING. ABSOLUTELY. I'D LIKE TO CALL THAT MEETING TO ORDER AS WELL. WE WE HAVE A QUORUM AS WELL MR. CHAIRMAN, BUT I'M THE VICE CHAIR. GREAT. ELIAS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND NEXT BY NO PARTICULAR ORDER, WE HAVE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, AND I THINK THE CHAIR IS HERE ALSO, MR. MORAN, IF YOU ALL COULD JUST BEAR WITH US. I DON'T RECALL EVER DOING THIS LIKE THIS, BUT THIS IS GREAT. I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY. AND THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. MARK MORAN, CHAIR FOR THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT. EVERYBODY'S HERE. WE HAVE QUORUM. QUORUM. GREAT. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. AND THEN NEXT WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT STEERING COMMITTEE. THIS IS ACTUALLY A NEW COMMITTEE. DO THEY HAVE A PRESIDING OFFICER? ALL RIGHT, NICK THANK YOU. WE JUST. IT'S IMPORTANT. WE JUST FORMALITY, WE GET EVERYTHING OPENED UP. ABSOLUTELY. NICK CANTU REPRESENTING THE DOWNTOWN COMMITTEE. AND I DO SEE THE MAJORITY OF OUR PEOPLE HERE. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, NICK, I APPRECIATE IT. AND THEN NEXT WE HAVE 20, 20, 24 CITY OF EDINBURGH EDINBURG COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. AND I WILL JUST OPEN THAT ONE UP BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS ALL THE CHAIRS. IS THAT CORRECT? OF THE EDINBURG 2040 COMMITTEES. AND I, I DO SEE SOME OF THE CHAIRS HERE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. [00:10:02] IF YOU'RE ON THE 2040 COMMITTEE. SO WITH THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED WITH OUR AGENDA. PROMISE TO JUST KEEP YOU ALL HERE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION. BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT WE HAVE A PRAYER THAT WE'RE GOING TO START. WE ALWAYS DO. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE RISE. OUR MAYOR PRO TEM DAN DIAZ, CAN LEAD US IN PRAYER. THANK YOU. LET US PRAY BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING THIS EVENING, LET US TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE LORD GOD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD THE COMMON GOAL OF ENRICHING OUR CITY AND ALL WHO LIVE AND WORK HERE. LORD, WE PRAISE YOU AND ASK YOU TO GUIDE US IN THIS MEETING, THAT WE MAY BE UNITED IN SPIRIT OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND THE HEALTHY EXCHANGE OF OUR IDEAS. HELP US WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AND GOD WE TRUST. AMEN. 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. YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE MEETINGS WERE POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON APRIL 19TH, 2024 AT 6:35 P.M.. SIR. THANK YOU. AND MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE. YES, SIR. UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A 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, EITHER BY THE CITY COUNCIL OR ANY OF THE OTHER BOARDS IN THE ROOM? NO, SIR. NO, SIR. NO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR. PUBLIC COMMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? PUBLIC COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. VERY WELL. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THIS EVENING BY GARY MITCHELL AND KEN DICKEY'S COLLABORATIVE ON OUR CITY OF EDINBURGH'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALL OF OUR VISITORS. THIS IS AWESOME. AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WE'VE SPOKEN WITH IN RECENT MONTHS. SO GLAD TO REPORT BACK TO THEM. WE'RE AT THE POINT IN OUR PROCESS WHERE WE'RE ABOUT SATURATED. IT'S. WE'VE BEEN GETTING THE FIRE HOSE OF INFORMATION AND LEARNING ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY. AND SO IT'S TIME TO REPORT BACK TO YOU ON WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED TO THIS POINT AND WHERE WE'RE GOING FROM HERE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE. SO ONCE AGAIN MYSELF AND JENNIFER MACK IS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM. JENNIFER IS ALSO SPOKEN WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM. BUT THIS IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO FOCUS ON TONIGHT. WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OF OUR BACKGROUND WORK, OUR DATA WORK ABOUT WHERE EDINBURGH IS TODAY, FACTS AND FIGURES THAT WAS IN THE PACKET, BUT ALSO SIX THEMES THAT WE'VE ARRIVED AT BASED ON THAT INFORMATION AND EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD TO THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS. SO WHAT WE RECOMMEND THAT THE PLAN FOCUS ON GOING FORWARD, AND THEN NEXT STEPS IN OUR PROCESS TO WRAP UP SO I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE 2005 PLAN. THIS IS ACTUALLY A QUOTE FROM THE INTRODUCTION. AT THAT TIME EDINBURGH WAS IN THE 50,000 60,000 POPULATION RANGE. INTERESTING WORDS THERE. YOU'VE BEEN ON A GROWTH SURGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, SO SOME THINGS DON'T CHANGE. BUT THAT WAS THE FOCUS ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO. BASIC SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THIS IS ANOTHER POINT IN TIME OF REVISITING KEY ISSUES THAT WILL SHAPE YOUR FUTURE AS A COMMUNITY. AND THESE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED AS PRIORITIES IN THE 2005 PLAN. THERE SHOULD BE A LOT OF FAMILIAR WORDS THERE. AGAIN, FROM OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, YOUR COMMITTEES, THE 2040 COMMITTEES. YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH ON THESE ITEMS, BUT THEY'RE THEY'RE ONGOING THINGS FOR ANY COMMUNITY. YOU'RE ALWAYS CHIPPING AWAY AND TAKING NEXT STEPS TO IMPROVE. SO I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO FLIP THE SCRIPT A LITTLE BIT AND PUT THE SIX THEMES OUT THERE FIRST. SO THE FIRST ONE THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS TO LEVERAGE YOUR MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE. WE ARE TELLING THIS TO CITIES ACROSS THE STATE THAT WE WORK WITH, ESPECIALLY AS THE LEGISLATURE LIMITED ANNEXATION CAPABILITIES IN RECENT YEARS AND SOME HOME RULE AUTHORITIES. YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER. ONE OF THE KEY THINGS, CERTAINLY FROM A GROWTH MANAGEMENT STANDPOINT, HOW YOU GROW IN THE FUTURE AND BUT ALSO CERTAINLY FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT. SO WE PUT THAT FRONT AND CENTER. AND AS WE GO THROUGH THESE, THIS YOU SHOULD SEE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS AND OUR 2040 COMMITTEES TO THE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS EVEN HIGHER LEVEL, BROADER BIG PICTURE OF WHERE YOU'RE HEADED THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES. THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2040 COMMITTEES HAVE LITERALLY BEEN GETTING DOWN TO VERY SPECIFIC ACTIONS AND ACTIONS THAT THIS COUNCIL FUNDED IN SOME CASES ALREADY. [00:15:03] SO THIS WILL KIND OF CREATE AN UMBRELLA OVER THAT PLAN AND ALL THE OTHER SPECIALIZED PLANS. THE CITY DOES UTILITY PLANNING, PARKS AND RECREATION, ALL THOSE MORE SPECIALIZED PLANS. SO THAT'S THE FIRST ONE TO PUT OUT THERE. SECOND ONE, WE'VE HEARD THIS IN A LOT OF WAYS, AND I'LL PREFACE THIS AND LET ME STATE IT. IT'S EMBRACE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A UNIVERSITY AND THE DESIRE TO BE MORE OF A UNIVERSITY TOWN. WE'VE GOT THE PHOTO OF THE HAVING DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL COMING UP SOON. THAT'S CERTAINLY PART OF IT. SO THE POINTS UP THERE WAS PARTLY THAT IN ANY UNIVERSITY TOWN WE WORK IN, JUST TO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. AND WHEN IT IS SOMEWHAT MAYBE A COMMUTER SCHOOL, NOT FULLY FULL TIME STUDENTS. THAT CONNECTION TO THE UNIVERSITY AND JUST THE SPIRIT THAT BEING A UNIVERSITY TOWN CAN BRING I USE THE WORD THE TERM RESEARCH COMMERCIALIZATION, BUT IN GENERAL JUST THE ECONOMIC POSSIBILITIES. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A MAJOR UNIVERSITY IN YOUR CITY AND WHAT CAN SPIN OFF FROM WORK THAT'S DONE ON CAMPUS. ALSO HAVING A UNIVERSITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY, JUST ALL THE OUTREACH AS PART OF A STATE UNIVERSITY MISSION SERVICES AND THINGS THAT THEY DO AGAIN, THAT TIE INTO THE 2040 PRIORITIES AND COMMITTEES. AND CERTAINLY WE'VE HEARD, AS WE DO IN SO MANY PLACES, WANTING TO RETAIN NOT ONLY YOUR YOUTH, BUT PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME HERE FOR SCHOOL OR THAT STAYED HERE TO GO INTO COLLEGE, HOW TO KEEP THAT TALENT HERE LONG TERM AND BUILD THAT INTO YOUR ECONOMY. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS AND WE HEARD THIS, AS I SAY IN A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS, JUST REALLY DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT ASSET THAT'S LITERALLY RIGHT DOWN THE STREET HERE FROM US. NUMBER THREE OF THE SIX GO ALL IN ON ASSET PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE. THAT'S PARTLY INFRASTRUCTURE. AND MAYOR, I'VE GOT TO SAY, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT WAS YOU IN OUR FIRST WORKSHOP WHO SAID IT MENTIONED PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TRACKING YOUR ROAD LIFE CYCLES AND MAINTENANCE. THAT'S USUALLY A STAFF CONVERSATION. SO IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THAT. BUT WHEN WE'VE WORKED WITH RAPIDLY GROWING CITIES, WHAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IS WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES, ROADS, AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE GOING TO COME DUE AT THE SAME TIME IN SEVERAL DECADES. SO ALWAYS HAVING THAT MAINTENANCE MINDSET AND TRACKING YOUR ASSETS, YOUR PHYSICAL PLANT AS A CITY. BUT THEN AS THESE POINTS SHOW, SO MANY OTHER ASSETS AS A COMMUNITY, YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT WAS CERTAINLY A THEME OF THE 2005 PLAN. ALL THE DISCUSSION ABOUT DOWNTOWN ENHANCEMENT AND TO THE POINT OF FORMING THE NEW COMMITTEE. AND I MENTIONED THERE IN OUR CONVERSATIONS, IT WAS ALSO THE DISCUSSION OF THE EAST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN AND KIND OF COMING FROM THE FREEWAY AND THAT ENTRY INTO THE CITY, AND THEN CERTAINLY ALL ASPECTS OF AS, AGAIN, I SAY YOUR PHYSICAL PLANT, BUT YOUR PARKS, YOUR TRAILS, ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE NEW INVESTMENTS. AND I HAVE TO MENTION TO COUNCIL AND MAYOR THAT IMAGE THAT DECIDED TO PUT ON THIS SLIDE I WAS ASKED TO REPEAT SOMETHING I SAID IN A STAFF GROUP TODAY. WHEN I FIRST SAW STAFF TODAY, I SAID THIS CITY, THE MORE WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT EDINBURG AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU'RE KILLING IT. THIS CITY IS DOING SOME AMAZING THINGS, EVEN AMID THIS GROWTH SURGE. AND THAT IMAGE RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE WE TELL SO MANY OF OUR CITIES WHEN THERE'S KIND OF A FEELING MAYBE FROM CITIZENS OF WHAT IS THE CITY DOING WANTING TO SEE MORE COMMUNICATION. YOU GUYS DO THAT? I TELL OUR CITIES I'D HAVE A GROUNDBREAKING EVERY DAY OF RIBBON CUTTING, CONSTANTLY BE HIGHLIGHTING THE THINGS THAT THE CITY IS DOING. SO, SO VERY GOOD TO SEE ALL THE NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING. SO THE THEME THERE BEING WE'RE MAKING THESE NEW INVESTMENTS MAINTENANCE, LONG TERM AND TRACKING AS WE GO. ONE THING THAT STRUCK US AS WE CERTAINLY ABSORBED AND INTERACTED WITH THE 2040 COMMITTEES, THIS IS WHAT STRUCK ME, IS THE COMMON THEME OF EVERYTHING WAS IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S THEIR ECONOMIC SITUATION, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, SAFETY, WALKING, BIKING CERTAINLY. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THE EQUITY THEME, TRANSPARENCY, BUT JUST A GOOD LIFE. AND JUST I MENTIONED IN OUR FIRST WORKSHOP JUST HOW IMPRESSED WE ARE BY THE EVENTS THAT YOU DO THROUGH YOUR LIBRARY PROGRAM. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT IN ANOTHER CITY. SO SO THIS IS ONE OF OUR SIX THEMES. ALSO IS WHATEVER WE END UP FOCUSING ON IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IT NEEDS TO BE ABOUT PEOPLE AND ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE THAT FEEDS INTO QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS ONE NEEDS A LITTLE MORE EXPLANATION. PURSUE OPPORTUNITY AND SCARCITY ON THE ONE [00:20:02] HAND, AND ABUNDANCE. AND THIS ACTUALLY SPUN PARTLY FROM A CONVERSATION I HAD IN OUR MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO. MAYOR WITH ONE OF THE PROFESSORS FROM UT, RGV, WHO SPENDS A LOT OF HIS RESEARCH TIME ON THESE TOPICS. BUT ON THE ONE HAND, SCARCITY IS OUR OBVIOUS WATER SITUATION BEYOND, YOU KNOW, OUR INTERACTION WITH MEXICO, THE REGIONAL ASPECT OF THAT. IN OUR EXPERIENCE IN TEXAS, ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, CERTAINLY AROUND THE WORLD, PLACES THAT HAVE SCARCE WATER ARE HUBS OF INNOVATION ON HOW TO STRETCH THAT LIMITED SUPPLY, HOW TO ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGY. SO WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS AGAIN IN OUR EARLY INTERACTIONS TO THIS POINT. SO ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A KEY REGIONAL LANDFILL AND THE AMOUNT OF WASTE STREAM THAT IS COMING HERE AGAIN, THE OPPORTUNITIES SEEN ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD OF REUSING, RECYCLING, THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY OF WASTE AND COUNTRIES THAT DON'T GENERATE A LOT OF WASTE, THEY THEY MAKE USE OF THEIR RESOURCES. SO AND WE HIGHLIGHTED CERTAINLY THE THINGS YOU'RE ALREADY DOING AT THE LANDFILL AND MAKING ECONOMIC USE OF THAT FACILITY WITH THE BTU PROJECT. SO SO AGAIN, THAT THAT WAS PARTLY FROM THAT UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR CONVERSATION. BUT THERE'S ALSO THE FINAL POINT THERE ABOUT BEING A LEADER IN WHAT'S AHEAD, APPARENTLY WITH TRENDS IN CLIMATE. AND SO CERTAINLY HAD THAT DISCUSSION IN OUR ECON DEVELOPMENT 2040 COMMITTEE GROUP. SO. NUMBER SIX OF THE SIX. AND I KNOW THIS IS DEAR TO THE MAYOR, SOMETHING HE'S PROMOTED IN THE CENTER OF THAT PHOTO AS A LEADER OF THIS. BUT PROMOTING REGIONALISM. AND THE LIST IS THERE. IT COULD GO ON BEYOND THAT, BUT CERTAINLY FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT. BUT ALL THESE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE ENTIRE VALLEY HAS THAT REGIONAL APPROACH YOU HAVE SO MANY PARTNERS, NOT JUST CITY TO CITY, BUT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, YOUR NONPROFIT SECTORS THAT WE'VE INTERACTED WITH TO THIS POINT. SO MAYOR, I KNOW YOU HAD TO LEAVE EARLY WHEN WE HAD OUR MEETING WITH THE 2040 GROUP A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. BUT AT THE END OF THAT MEETING, I HAD SOME CARDS FOR EVERYONE. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THEY'VE HAD THESE DEEP DISCUSSIONS. BUT ASK THEM, EVEN AT THIS POINT, SEVERAL A YEAR OR TWO LATER, WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER ONE HOPE AS YOU THINK ABOUT EDINBURGH 20 YEARS FROM NOW? WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN? AND EVERYBODY WROTE SOME THINGS SOME, YOU KNOW, EXPECTED THINGS, CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC, THINGS LIKE THAT AND HAD MIXED OPINIONS ON THERE. YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOUSING NEEDS THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT SO HERE'S A COUPLE OF QUOTES THAT STRUCK ME. AGAIN, COULD QUOTE A NUMBER OF THEM. BUT SO HERE'S A COUPLE OF THE HOPE ITEMS. THAT FIRST ONE CAPTURES A LOT. AND AGAIN, KIND OF A CROSS SECTION OF WHAT SO MANY OF THE 2040 COMMITTEES ARE WORKING ON. AND THERE'S THAT DOWNTOWN FOCUS DOWNTOWN AND THAT DESIRE TO, AGAIN, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE UT RGB CONNECTION ON THE CONCERN SIDE THE ONE AT THE BOTTOM, CERTAINLY THAT'S WE KNOW AS YOU'RE A RAPIDLY GROWING CITY, IT'S THAT NEED TO KEEP UP FROM A SERVICE STANDPOINT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC SERVICES. THE ONE ON THE LEFT. INTERESTING THAT. DON'T DON'T THINK TOO SMALL. CONTINUE TO REACH FOR THE NEXT BIG THINGS AND DON'T MAKE EXCUSES. AND SO AS I SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE 2040 PROCESS, THE CITY HAS ALREADY MADE SOME FUNDING COMMITMENTS THROUGH ITS BUDGETING. SO SO THOSE WERE SOME ITEMS THAT KIND OF CAPTURED AS WELL, SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT. SO HERE ARE THE SIX ITEMS WE BASICALLY CAN SPIN OFF IN A NUMBER OF DIRECTIONS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FROM THESE THEMES. WHAT I WAS HOPING TONIGHT IS THAT THESE RESONATE WITH YOU AND THAT WE CAN PROCEED BASED ON THESE. WE CAN TIE LAND USE TO THIS TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. CERTAINLY PARKS AND RECREATION, ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO I'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE AND ACTUALLY CAN PAUSE HERE, BECAUSE FROM HERE I WAS GOING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE DATA ITEMS FROM THE TODAY REPORT. OKAY. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IF IT'S OKAY WITH EVERYONE. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RESPECT FOR EVERYBODY'S TIME. BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT THAT WE GET FEEDBACK YOU KNOW, FROM EVERYONE THAT IS HERE AND TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY. SO AGAIN, NO PARTICULAR ORDER. I'LL JUST CALL THE COMMITTEES, THE CHAIR OR ANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEES. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE DETAILED INFORMATION, BUT BASED ON WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED, THIS IS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THIS IS GOING TO BE USED TO THEN DIVE IN DEEPER TO FINALIZE THE PLAN. [00:25:02] AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE THE COMMITTEES OR RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE. THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING. ARE WE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? DO WE ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING? I KNOW PART OF WHAT I KNOW AS A COUNCIL, WHEN WE AGREED TO PURSUE THIS, IT WAS TO, TO MAKE SURE WE GOT EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK. SO AS WE'RE GROWING, WE KEEP IN MIND CERTAIN THINGS. YOU KNOW, ONE IS I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP AT OUR EVERY ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF REZONINGS, A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS. AND I THINK THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO AT LEAST HAVE A WAY TO TO FOLLOW SOMETHING AS A GUIDE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FUTURE. SO I JUST AT THIS TIME WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO ALL THE COMMITTEES, YOU KNOW, AND KIND OF GET EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK REAL QUICKLY ON, ON SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADD SOMETHING. ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING? BEFORE WE PURSUE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. SO, AND TO YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR, THIS WOULD DRIVE GOALS. YEAH. ULTIMATELY, ACTIONS THAT END UP IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, RIGHT? SO WITHOUT PUTTING ANYBODY ON THE SPOT PLANNING AND ZONING, IS THERE ANYTHING I KNOW? WE'VE BEEN LOOKING TO HAVE A JOINT MEETING SOON BECAUSE YOU ALL GET. Y'ALL ARE OUR FRONT LINE IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, REQUESTS, RIGHT, FOR DIFFERENT THINGS. RIGHT. HAVING TO DO WITH, WITH DEVELOPMENTS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE THINGS HERE THAT, THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THEM IN THE PLAN. BECAUSE JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, I MEAN, ALL OF US UP HERE IN THE COUNCIL WE'RE HERE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE TERM LIMITED. WE MAY RUN AGAIN. WE MAY NOT RUN AGAIN. MY POINT IS, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO STAY HERE. WHETHER ANY OF US ARE HERE OR NOT. SO THAT AS A COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO GROW IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. SO THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS. THANK YOU. MAYOR. ON THE AS FAR AS PLANNING ZONING GOES, I THINK IT'S IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OR HAVE BEEN TOUCHED ON TONIGHT ARE ALL KEY. I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE I REMEMBER FROM THE OTHER MEETING WERE SAFETY AND HEALTH WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BRING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO THIS COMMUNITY. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO OFFER AS A, AS A CITY TO, TO ANYONE THAT'S, THAT'S WANTING TO RELOCATE. I REMEMBER MENTIONING THE, THE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WANTING TO DO MORE, MORE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS, MORE THINGS FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT I DIDN'T COME UP. BUT AT THAT TIME I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THE BICYCLISTS THAT DON'T FEEL SAFE ON THE HIGHWAY. I'M A CYCLIST. AND IT'S IT'S A IT'S A DIFFICULT THING TO TO RIDE BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A SAFE, PASSING ORDINANCE. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE, MAKE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE AWARE OF. JUST FOR THOSE INSTANCES. BUT I THINK WE'RE TOUCHING ALL ON ALL THE RIGHT SPOTS AND ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. I THINK WE JUST NEED TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OF THE, THE JEWELS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THE COURTHOUSE, THE UNIVERSITY. AND I THINK THAT THAT THOSE THINGS ARE ALL VERY OBVIOUS. BUT BUT THERE ARE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE STILL NEED TO LOOK AT. AND THE AND THE FUTURE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE, OF THE, OUR CORRIDOR, WHICH WOULD BE THE EXPRESSWAY AND, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. SO JUST AS A BRIEF THANK YOU. ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, DO WE IS THERE ANY ANYBODY WANTS TO ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT'S BEING SAID? I THINK WE'RE COVERING OUR BASES. I KNOW YOU ALL MEET ON PARTICULAR ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE YOU THAT DO NOT MEET OUR CODE. RIGHT. AND SO YOU'RE HAVING TO MAKE DECISIONS ON WHETHER TO GRANT THOSE VARIANCES OR NOT. SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD, PLEASE FEEL FREE. AND IF YOU DON'T, A LITTLE BIT SHY, DON'T WANT TO SHARE TONIGHT. THIS IS A PROCESS, EVERYONE. OKAY. SO WE'LL PROVIDE EVERYBODY'S CONTACT INFO. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING PROCESS. BUT WE JUST THOUGHT TONIGHT WAS IMPORTANT. SO WE CAN KIND OF PAUSE A LITTLE BIT. AND BASED ON WHAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THAT FEEDBACK. SO IF THEY'RE NOT I'LL MOVE ON. WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. NICK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS AT THIS TIME RELATED TO THAT? YES, SIR. YES, PLEASE. LIKE I SAID, I ECHO A LOT OF THE MAJOR POINTS ARE BEING TOUCHED ON. ONE THING I JUST WANT TO PUT ON OUR RADAR IS A RETENTION. RIGHT. THAT VERBIAGE OF RETENTION YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A UNIQUE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT COMES INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA BEING THE LEGAL COMMUNITY YOU KNOW, WHAT ITEMS ARE WE PUTTING OUT TO RETAIN RETAINED SOME OF THAT MONIES AND INVESTMENT IN THE AREA ALONG WITH THE UNIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES CAN WE PUT OUT TO RETAIN THAT TALENT? SO RETENTION IS JUST THE ONLY THING I DIDN'T SEE ON THAT LIST THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO KIND OF KEEP ON THE RADAR BECAUSE IT IS UNIQUE VERSUS OTHER CITIES. AND I THINK IT'S RETENTION WOULD GO ALSO OUR ASSETS THAT WE HAVE HERE. RIGHT? WE HAVE A GREAT ASSETS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME CROWN JEWELS, LIKE I THINK ELIAS IS MENTIONING. IT'S ALSO THAT IN ITSELF. BUT YES, THANK YOU. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. SO AND THEN WE HAVE THE A LOT OF 20, 40 COMMITTEES HERE. [00:30:05] I SEE BYRON, I SEE OTHERS IF YOU GUYS ARE I KNOW YOU'VE MET WITH THE CONSULTANT AND EVERYTHING, BUT AT THIS POINT, BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON SOME OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES I WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK AS WELL. YOU KNOW, IF YOU CARE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THIS, THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS, FOR THIS PLAN. YES, MA'AM. YOU COULD COME UP, PLEASE. I'M SORRY. JUST SO WE CAN GET ALL THIS ON THE RECORD. SO. YES. DIANE TEETER, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'VE INCLUDED THE UNIVERSITY TOWN ADVANTAGE, BUT I SEE ALL THESE ROOFS AND HAPPENING AND THE BUILDINGS. ARE WE ACTUALLY COORDINATING AND COLLABORATING WITH OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS? AS FAR AS WHERE THE SUBDIVISIONS ARE GOING? IS THAT WHERE THE SCHOOLS ARE OR EVEN DOWNTOWN WHEN WE'RE ADDING APARTMENTS WHERE THERE USED TO BE SINGLE FAMILY? THAT'S GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CROWD SCHOOLS. SO I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD COMMENT. YEAH, WE DO HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT IS THAT CORRECT SCHOOL SYSTEMS? HERE IN OUR CITY. ECISD. VANGUARD, IDEA AND SOUTH TEXAS ISD. AND YES. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO COMMENT AT THIS TIME? WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE, BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME UP ANYTIME AND PROVIDE US ANY FEEDBACK. THIS IS A PLAN THAT'S GOING TO HELP THE CITY GUIDE US HERE FOR THE FUTURE. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT WE DO THIS. AND THE LAST THING WE DID WAS IN ZERO FIVE. SO IT WAS TIME WE UPDATED IT. I SEE RUDY RAMIREZ HERE NOT TO PUT ANYBODY ON THE SPOT, BUT ANYTHING ON HOUSING. I KNOW I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING HERE. YOU WANT TO CARE? ANYTHING, COMMENT ON THAT? YEAH. RUDY RAMIREZ, I'M PART OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD, BUT, YEAH, I WOULD THINK AS WE MEET AS A COMMITTEE TO ADVISE Y'ALL HOUSING, ESPECIALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THERE'S A BIG DEMAND. AND WITH INTEREST RATES GOING UP AND JUST THE AFFORDABILITY, PEOPLE ARE TENDING TO RENT MORE OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE SEEN A HUGE GROWTH IN MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS. AND AGAIN, IT'S ALWAYS ON THE AFFORDABILITY SIDE. AND AS A LEADER IN PUBLIC HOUSING THERE'S A GAP, RIGHT? WHAT ARE WE DOING? I THINK YOU GUYS ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AS FAR AS ADDRESSING THESE THINGS AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL SYSTEMS, ETC.. BUT THE AVERAGE PERSON THAT LIVES IN PUBLIC HOUSING RIGHT NOW EARNS ABOUT 20,000. OUR AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME FOR HIDALGO COUNTY IS AT 57. AND I'M PART OF AFFORDABLE HOMES OF SOUTH TEXAS, WHICH IS ANOTHER HUGE NONPROFIT THAT DOES PROVIDE KEYS AND THAT HOMEOWNERSHIP PROCESS. BUT FOR YOU TO QUALIFY FOR THAT, YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE AT LEAST 40,000. SO SO I'M ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THE GAP AND HOW DO WE CLOSE IT. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST FOUNDATIONS IN MY OPINION, AND WE'RE HERE WITH THE UNIVERSITY IS IS EDUCATION. RIGHT. INCLUDING SOUTH TEXAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, EDINBURG CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND ALL THESE OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS. RIGHT. SO, SO A LOT, OF LOT A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENING IN EDINBURG. AND I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT THAT WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE AND WORK AS A REGION. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY FROM BEING ON THESE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES WITH DIFFERENT CITIES. THE TAKEAWAY MAYBE AT THE END AND WE HAVE AN EXPERT COVERING THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ADDRESSING DRAINAGE, RIGHT. SO, SO YEAH, IT'S IT'S WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. AND I COMMEND Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR THANK YOU. GO AHEAD SIR. MAYOR. IF ALL THE COMMITTEES ARE DONE A COUPLE A COUPLE COMMENTS I HAVE MISTER MITCHELL. MISS TEETER KIND OF TRIGGERED A LITTLE MEMORY I HAD WITH ALL OUR GROWTH, OUR EXPLOSIVENESS. EVERY TIME I HAVE A CHANCE AND I SEE A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, I ASK THEM WHO IS IN TOUCH WITH THE CITY, KNOWING HOW MANY ROOFTOPS WE GOT GOING ON, WHAT OUR POPULATION INCREASES ARE LOOKING LIKE, WHAT THE FAMILY SITUATION IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. ARE YOU GUYS READY WITH SCHOOLS? I ALWAYS ASK THAT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING KIND OF REFERRING TO THAT GROWTH VERSUS LIKE MISS TEETER SAID, PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND AND NUMBER OF SCHOOLS NEEDED FOR THE FOR THE THE NUMBERS. THAT'S SOMETHING BIG FOR ME. THE OTHER I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, MR. MITCHELL, THE QUESTION I POSED TO YOU AND [00:35:01] YOU SAID NO ONE'S EVER ASKED ME THAT QUESTION BEFORE. BUT I SEE TROOPER JOHNNY IN THE BACK. HE'S PART OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. EVERY PART OF OUR CITY IS IS IS THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS FOR POPULATION, FOR SAFETY. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF GREEN SPACES TO HAVE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY. AND THE QUESTION THAT I POSED AND THE TERM I WANT TO USE IS RESPONSIBLE GROWTH. HOW DO WE ASSURE RESPONSIBLE GROWTH? BY THAT I MEAN SPECIFICALLY NOT TO PICK ON ANY BUSINESSES, BUT I SPECIFICALLY REFER TO CAR WASHES AND COFFEE SHOPS, RIGHT? HOW MANY SHOULD WE HAVE IN A CERTAIN AREA BASED ON ROOFTOPS POPULATIONS? THERE'S A CERTAIN THERE'S GOT TO BE A NUMBER WHERE IT'S TOO MANY FOR THAT AREA. AND I REMEMBER YOU SAYING, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT. AND ALL THE MEETINGS I'VE HAD, I'VE LEARNED THAT OTHER CITIES KIND OF CURBED WHATEVER IT IS, WHETHER IT'S TOO MANY APARTMENTS IN AN AREA OR TOO MANY CAR WASHES. THEY STARTED DOING IMPACT FEES, WHICH KIND OF SLOW DOWN. BUT RECENTLY THERE WAS AN ARTICLE THAT I THINK THAT WAS I THINK THE MAYOR SHARED IT WITH ME. I THINK IT WAS EITHER UNCONSTITUTIONAL OR SOMETHING. THEY FROWNED UPON ANY SORT OF IMPACT FEES. BUT IN YOUR WORKINGS AND IN DEALING WITH THE CITY. HAVE YOU FOUND ANY SORT OF FORMULA ON HOW TO RESPONSIBLY GROW IN AN AREA AND NOT INUNDATE AN AREA WITH TOO MANY OF ANYTHING? YES. I MEAN, CERTAINLY FROM A ZONING STANDPOINT, THERE ARE CITIES THAT HAVE DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN CERTAIN USES, INCLUDING MULTIFAMILY IN ANOTHER CITY WE'RE WORKING WITH, SO THEY DON'T PROLIFERATE TO A CERTAIN POINT. YOU KNOW, LIMITING HOW MANY IN A DISTRICT, A ZONING DISTRICT, THERE CAN BE DIFFERENT WAYS TO TACKLE THAT. SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THE CAR WASH ISSUE IN OUR FIRST MEETING STILL DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS ON THAT, BUT THERE WAS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT THAT'S AN INVESTMENT SECTOR. THAT IS CORRECT. CORRECT. QUICK RETURN. YEAH, I HAD READ THAT ONE. AND EVERY TIME THE DISCUSSION COMES UP, SAY, HEY DAN, YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST GROWTH. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'M NOT I'M NOT AGAINST GROWTH, BUT I'M FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH SO THAT WE. MY FRIEND IS SAD FOR NOT GIVING THE FORESTER WHO MADE THE NEWS ALL HE WANTED WAS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. ALL RIGHT, IT IS 744 ON MY WATCH AND WE'RE NOW BACK FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION. CAN I GET A MOTION TO RECONVENE? SO MOVED. A MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. JUST WANT THE RECORD. REFLECT. THERE WAS NO ACTION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED ACTION. HERE IN OPEN SESSION. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MAYOR, BASED ON THE DISCUSSION, I WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE TWO PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS ON THE TERMS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SECOND MOTION, AND SECOND I THINK THERE WAS A THIRD ONE, BUT YOU'LL COME BACK TO US ON THAT ONE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? WE'RE ADJOURNED. IT IS 745. HEY! * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.