[Item 1 - Call to Order]
[00:00:07]
OUR MEETING HAS BEEN DULY POSTED AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION AS EVERYONE IS PRESENT.
WE ARE CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER, AND I WILL ASK
[Item 1a - Invocation]
EVERYONE TO PLEASE STAND AS MAYOR PRO TEM RENEE PEREZ LEADS US IN THE INDICATION.GRACIOUS LORD, AS WE COME TOGETHER FOR THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING, WE HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR PRESENCE AND GUIDANCE.
GRANT US THE STRENGTH TO LEAD WITH INTEGRITY, THE WISDOM TO MAKE SOUND DECISIONS, AND THE COMPASSION TO CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF ALL THOSE WE SERVE.
MAYOR, DISCUSSIONS BE FRUITFUL.
OUR ACTIONS JUST AND OUR OUTCOMES BENEFICIAL TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
WE OFFER THIS PRAYER IN HOPE OF A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR CITY.
[Item 1b - Pledge of Allegiance]
[Item 1c - Welcome Citizens]
ALLEGIANCE.WE 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.
[Item 2 - Conflict of Interest]
RIGHT.AND MARK, IF YOU COULD READ THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, PLEASE.
UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A COMMISSION MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFYING FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM.
MEMBERS WITH A CONFLICT OF INTEREST CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION NOR VOTE ON THE AGENDA ITEM.
ARE THERE ANY KNOWN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST TO DISCLOSE AT THIS TIME? NONE.
[Item 3 - Announcements]
THREE, ANNOUNCEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO ITEMS THAT LISTED ELSEWHERE ON THIS AGENDA.THE CITY COMMISSION MAY REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, INCLUDING ANNOUNCING COMMUNITY EVENTS, ANNOUNCING EMPLOYER COMMUNITY RECOGNITION.
THREE, A MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[Item 3a - Mayor's Announcements ]
HAVE MANY ANNOUNCEMENTS.UM, I DO WANNA INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO THE HARLAN AND ANIMAL SHELTER ON SUNDAY.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE HAVING AN EVENT, UM, AN ADOPTION EVENT, AND ALSO GIVING OUT FREE EASTER BASKET, UH, EASTER BASKETS AND CANDY AND FUN STUFF FOR THE KIDS.
UM, AND I ALSO, I DON'T SEE JAVI HERE, BUT I WANNA CONGRATULATE JAVI URA OVER AT THE HARLINGEN CONVENTION CENTER AND HIS ENTIRE STAFF FOR AN AMAZING JOB THAT, THAT THAT TEAM DOES.
THEY WERE AWARDED, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD.
IT'S UNDER THE, I DON'T RECALL, BD, WHAT IS IT? UM, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE NAME OF THE, OF THE, THE MANAGING COMPANY, BUT FOR ALL OF THE HILTON, BC BC, BC.
OUT OF ALL OF THE, UM, HILTONS, OURS HERE IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN WAS CHOSEN AND, AND GIVEN THE, THE NUMBER ONE SPOT.
AND SO WE WANNA CONGRATULATE THEM, AND I THINK THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO VISIT THE HILTON CONVENTION CENTER, UM, HILTON GARDEN INN.
[Item 3b - City Manager's Announcements]
MANAGERS ANNOUNCEMENTS.WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING, UH, OPENING A BUSINESS SESSION TO SATURDAY AT THE MOON ROCK FROM NINE TO 12.
UH, ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN OPENING UP A BUSINESS IN HARINGTON, UH, MAKE SURE TO ATTEND AND YOU CAN LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO OPEN UP A BUSINESS.
UM, ALSO, CITY HALL WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY, MARCH 29TH, UH, FOR GOOD FRIDAY.
[Item 3c - City Commission Member's Announcements ]
UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, MEMBERS ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, JUST REAL QUICK, WANNA THANK PUBLIC WORKS AND CO COMPLIANCE FOR ASSISTING AT THE COMMUNITY WIDE AT THE DISTRICT ONE COMMUNITY CLEANUP WE DID LAST SATURDAY, AND THANK EVERYBODY THAT PARTICIPATED AND BROUGHT US YOUR TRASHUM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRESENTATION OF AWARDS.
NO, YOU HAVE ANYTHING, COMMISSIONER? I DO.
I WANTED TO GIVE, UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S TWO HAREN COLLEGIATE HIGH, UM, ROBOTIC TEAMS THAT LEFT, UM, HAREN TODAY.
THEY'RE HEADING TO BELTON, UM, TEXAS TO COMPETE IN THE STATE, UM, TOURNAMENT.
AND I JUST ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION AND THE MAYOR, I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND CONGRAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WISH 'EM THE BEST OF LUCK.
UM, AND THEY ARE THE, UM, THE TWO TEAMS ARE THE DECEPTIVE BOTS AND THE ENCRYPTED, UM, ROBOTIC TEAM.
SO, AGAIN, JUST A SHOUT OUT FROM THE CITY COMMISSION AND WISHING THEM GOOD LUCK AND TO KICK SOME BUTT FOR HAREN.
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THANK YOU.[Item 4 - Presentation of Awards]
[Item 4a - Mayor's Business of the Month - Cafe 406]
PRESENTATION OF AWARDS.UH, A MAYOR'S BUSINESS OF THE MONTH, CAFE 4 0 6, CHRISTINA.
MAYOR COMMISSION CITY MANAGEMENT.
IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO BEGIN OUR CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS BY CELEBRATING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.
TODAY, WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF HAVING ONE SUCH INDIVIDUAL IN OUR AUDIENCE WHO IS BEING HONORED BY THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION AS BUSINESS OF THE MONTH.
THIS INITIATIVE IS ALL ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND BRINGING THEM INTO THE SPOTLIGHT.
THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL RECOGNITION IS GOING TO CAFE 4 0 6.
BEFORE THE AWARD IS PRESENTED, THOUGH, WE DO HAVE A LITTLE TREAT FOR YOU ALL, A VIDEO PRODUCED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE BAYER'S BUSINESS OF THE MONTH.
I'M THE OWNER OF CAFE 4 0 6, CAFE 4 0 6.
UH, FIRST JUST STARTED WITH COFFEE AND COOKIES, UM, BUT NOW WE HAVE A FULL MENU.
WE HAVE FLATBREAD PIZZAS, PANINI SANDWICHES, UH, MAC AND CHEESE.
AND I LIKE TO DO SPECIALS AS WELL.
AND I, I LOVE TO TAKE SUGGESTIONS AND DO THINGS THAT YOU DON'T NORMALLY WOULD SEE HERE IN HARLINGEN.
I'VE LEARNED THAT THE HARLINGEN COMMUNITY IS, IS AMAZING.
A LOT OF OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE HELPED ME OUT AND VICE VERSA, GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE CAFE.
AND I LIKE TO INVITE LOCAL ARTISTS TO DISPLAY THEIR ARTWORK HERE AS WELL.
UM, SO I JUST TRY TO BE REALLY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND FUTURE PLANS.
I WOULD SAY I WOULD LOVE TO OPEN A FULL SERVICE RESTAURANT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST KIND OF LIKE TAKEOUT DRINKS AND FOOD.
BUT, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FULL RESTAURANT ONE DAY.
OUR ADDRESS IS 4 0 6 EAST HARRISON, THUS CAFE 4 0 6.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR FOR SELECTING ME AND ALL THE OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE TO ME, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE BREAK-IN THAT HAD HAPPENED HERE.
SO, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN HELPING ME GET ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T VISITED YET, DOESN'T THAT VIDEO MAKE YOU WANT TO GO HAVE A NICE BEVERAGE, UH, MAYBE AFTER THIS AS WELL.
SO, WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THE RECIPIENT OF THIS MONTH'S BUSINESS OF THE MONTH AS, UM, THE AWARD RECIPIENT TODAY IS ERICA SHAW.
ERICA, CAN YOU PLEASE STAND AND REMAIN STANDING TO BE RECOGNIZED? CAN WE HAVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ERICA? SHE'S THE OWNER OF CAFE 4 0 6.
SO SHE IS THE HEART AND SOUL BEHIND THE CHARMING CAFE RIGHT HERE ON EAST HARRISON AVENUE IN HARLINGEN.
JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, ACTUALLY, IN NOVEMBER, SHE OPENED, SHE TURNED HER DREAM INTO REALITY BY OPENING CAFE 4 0 6, A PLACE WHERE EVERY ITEM TELLS A STORY OF DEDICATION AND LOVE FROM THE SAVORY BREAKFAST BAGELS TO THE PANINIS THAT YOU SAW IN THAT VIDEO.
THERE'S EVEN A LAVENDER LATTE.
SO, UM, EVERY BITE OR SIP TAKES YOU ON A JOURNEY OF A CULINARY DELIGHT.
HER STORY IS JUST NOT ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS.
IT'S ABOUT HER PASSION FOR BAKING AND CREATING A PLACE THAT BRINGS OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN THERE YET, OR DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO GO, THEY ACTUALLY, YOU CAN ORDER ON DOOR DASH TWO.
SO I'LL BE ORDERING THAT AND DELIVERING IT HERE TO CITY HALL.
SO LET'S GIVE ERICA A WARM ROUND OF APPLAUSE AS WE WELCOME HER UP TO THE PODIUM TO SHARE A FEW WORDS.
UM, I'M ERICA SHAW, OWNER OF CAFE 4 0 6.
I'M VERY HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD.
UM, I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR THINKING OF ME FOR THIS, UM, OPENING THE CAFE HAS BEEN A DREAM COME TRUE, AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE IN THE HARLINGEN COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE.
UM, A BIG THANK YOU TO MY STAFF AND, UH, ALSO MY SMALL BUSINESS FRIENDS.
UM, KELLY AND CARLY FROM K'S CLOSET.
LIZA FROM HOME SWEET HARLINGEN, UH, LISA WITH EXPLORER HARLINGEN.
I HAVE NEIGHBORS, UH, ELLA PLANT, LAURA AND MISTY, UM, TERRY AT ATLAS TAX AND SOLEIMANI.
UM, MY FRIENDS ON THE JUNIOR LEAGUE AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS FROM THE CHAMBER.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY.
UM, I'M BLESSED THAT GOD HAS LED ME ON THE PATH TO HARLINGEN, AND I'M GRATEFUL TO BE HERE.
AND I JUST THANK EVERYONE SO MUCH.
WELL, ERICA, WE THINK YOU'RE INCREDIBLE.
AND I LOVE YOUR LITTLE SHOP THERE.
AND NOW THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GROWING AND TO PROVIDE LUNCH, I HAVEN'T HAD THAT YET, SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO STOP BY.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THE
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COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR AT, UM, AT YOUR SHOP.AND SO WE'RE GONNA INVITE EVERYBODY OUT THERE AND CHRISTINA WILL BE SHARING THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I KNOW THAT DISTRICT TWO, DANIEL HAS GONE A COUPLE OF TIMES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS FOR, FOR ERICA.
THAT'S MY SON'S FAVORITE PLACE TO GO FOR COOKIES.
AND SO, AND I'VE GOT COOKIES FOR THE CHAMBER, AND THEY ALL LOVED IT.
AND, UH, WHATEVER WE ALL CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY, WE'LL TRY TO DO TO SUPPORT YOU.
AND SO IF THE COMMISSION CAN JOIN ME FOR A PICTURE, WE, ERICA, I LOVE IT.
AM I CRAMPING UP? YOU'RE WELCOME.
CAN WE CHANGE RIGHT HERE NEXT TO ERICA? I WAS GETTING, OKAY.
READY? ONE, TWO, AND THREE, ONE.
[Item 5 - Citizen Communication]
UM, ON OUR AGENDA IS CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, AND WE DO HAVE A FEW PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.UM, IT WAS UNCLEAR IF SOME OF THESE ARE FOR PUBLIC HEARING OR WANTED TO, UH, TO SPEAK ON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THAT OPTION.
WE HAVE VICTOR AL, MR. AL, PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, MR. PENA, I KNOW YOU'D WANTED TO TALK, YOU CAN SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
YOU DIDN'T NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THAT.
YOU, YOU DO NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I KNOW I WAS TRYING TO FIND YOU AND, AND MISS AMANDA LET US KNOW, AND WE REALLY TRY TO BE STICKLERS FOR THE RULES.
UM, BUT I KNOW THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME.
WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE.
AND SO YOU WANNA SIGN UP, YOU WANNA BE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, IS THAT CORRECT? FOR WHICH ONE? DID YOU WANNA DO THE CAR WASH OR DID YOU WANNA DO PUBLIC? JUST OVERALL GENERAL COMMENTS.
SO WE'LL PUT YOU AT THAT PUBLIC HEARING WITH MR. LEO.
AND THEN WE HAVE, WE HAVE LUNCH, RILEY.
UM, RON LOZANO, YOU WENT OUT THE DOOR WITH HIS PHONE ON THE PHONE.
MR. LOZANO, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK IN THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING OR IN CITIZEN COMMUNICATION? OKAY, THANK YOU DON RAY LEONARD.
AND, UM, FRANK LOZANO PUBLIC HEARING.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
WE'LL RESERVE THOSE FOR NO, THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE WILL CALL OUT RILEY GARZA'S NAME AT THAT TIME TOO.
[Item 6 - Approval of Minutes]
IS, UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.ITEM NUMBER SIX, UH, SPECIAL MEETING OF FEBRUARY 29TH, 2024, AND SPECIAL MEETING OF MARCH 4TH, 2024.
I MADE JUST TWO MINOR, UH, TOPOGRAPHICAL
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CHANGES.AND SO I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE SUBJECT TO THOSE TWO, UH, OR THREE TOPOGRAPHICAL CHANGES.
YOU GAVE THOSE TO MA'AM? CORRECT.
NOW YOU SAY AGAIN, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[Item 7 - Consent Agenda]
SEVEN, CONSENT AGENDAS.NO DISCUSSION IS ANTICIPATED ON ANY OF THE ITEMS IN THIS SECTION BECAUSE THEY ARE ROUTINE BUSINESS OR INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS OR HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED.
UH, AS A STAFF, UH, REPORT OR DISCUSSION ITEM, THESE ITEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED COLLECTIVELY BY A SINGLE VOTE UNLESS A COMMISSIONER MEMBER REQUESTS AN ITEM TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION? WAIT, I HAD, OH, GO AHEAD.
SOMETHING TO REMOVE, COMMISSIONER? YES, THE ITEM NUMBER G.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA? I ALL ITEMS ASIDE FROM G.
SECOND, THE, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES'S MOTION.
AND ITEM NUMBER G IS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE INSTALLATION OF SPEED HUMPS AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION.
UH, THIS ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER DANIEL AND LOPEZ AND COMMISSIONER FRANK MORALE.
UM, THE STREETS ARE LITTLE CREEK STREET, 800 BLOCK OF WEST BUCHANAN, ADAM STREET, UM, PQNR STREET, NORTH ATLAS, PALM PALMAS ROAD FROM THE EXPRESSWAY TO STREET AND SIX ALONG LAKESHORE DRIVE BETWEEN EAST OF LAKESHORE DRIVE THROUGH PROSPERITY DRIVE.
UM, ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS TO ADD ANOTHER STREET TO THAT.
UM, I GOT A REQUEST FOR A SPEED HUMP ON BECKHAM ROAD FROM KING SGO TO EXPRESSWAY 83.
I, I, I, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, BUT I DO REQUEST THAT I GET A STATUS REPORT ON PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED ONES, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE LEGIT, DIDN'T MEET THE CRITERIA, BUT I GOT A LOT HANGING OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT THAT I, I NEED SOME INFO ON DI DITO, WHAT FORD KINSLEY SAID.
AND JUST FOR THE, FOR THOSE THAT ARE TUNING IN AT HOME.
AND FOR THOSE OF, UM, THAT ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH WHEN THE REQUESTS ARE MADE.
WE DON'T JUST GO OUT THERE AND, AND LAY THE SPEED HUMPS.
UM, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT GOES OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS IN FACT A, A NEED FOR IT AND DOES A, A WHOLE STUDY.
AND COMMISSIONERS, YOU'RE REQUESTING SOME FEEDBACK ON WHETHER THOSE WERE APPROVED OR NOT, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
[Item 8 - Staff Reports]
UH, STEPH REPORTS AND OTHER DISCUSSIONS ITEM IN THIS SECTION ARE NOT EXPECTED TO REQUIRE ACTION BY THE CITY COMMISSION, OR ARE GENERALLY FOR INFORMATION ONLY.HOWEVER, ITEM ITEM LISTED IN THIS SECTION MAY BECOME AN ACTION ITEM WITH THE REQUEST OF THE MAYOR, OR AFTER THE REQUEST OF ANY TWO COMMISSION OR MEMBERS OR THE CITY MANAGER,
[Item 8a - City Manager's Report ]
A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT.
[Item 8b -Staff Report - Staff Report - Health Department - Discussion of two (2) programs to implement at the City of Harlingen Animal Shelter Facility.]
B STAFF REPORT HEALTH DEPARTMENT DISCUSSION OF TWO PROGRAMS TO IMPLEMENT AT THE CITY OF HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER FACILITY.UH, ON THIS ITEM, UH, IN CASE THE COMMISSION DECIDES TO PURSUE THE, UH, THE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING, THERE IS AN ACTION ITEM THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION ON LATER TONIGHT.
OTHERWISE WE CAN JUST PASS GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COMMISSION.
UM, THESE TWO ITEMS, ONE IS FOR RESCUE ORGANIZATION APPLICATION.
UM, BASICALLY REVIEWING THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE WILL BE REQUIRING OF RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS WHO WANT TO PULL ANIMALS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, WE WANNA DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE NON-PROFITS, THAT THEY ARE REPUTABLE, THAT YOU KNOW, THE ANIMALS ARE GONNA BE CARED FOR.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THIS DOCUMENT DOES.
THE SECOND DOCUMENT IS A FOSTER AGREEMENT.
WE ALSO WANNA WORK WITH CITIZENS TO TRY TO FOSTER ANIMALS.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS, A LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING, REQUESTING TO ASSIST US IN HELPING TO FOSTER ANIMALS, GET THEM OUT OF THAT SHELTER SETTING, UM, AND, AND HELP WORK WITH THEM IN A HOME SETTING.
AND WE FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE ANIMALS AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE IN THE PAST KNOWN THAT A LOT OF TIMES IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED A FOSTER FAILURE.
SOMEBODY TAKES A FOSTER INTO THEIR HOME AND THEY WIND UP ADOPTING IT, UM, WHICH WE'RE PERFECTLY HAPPY WITH AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT BOTH OF THESE DOCUMENTS BASICALLY REVIEW WITH YOU.
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THEY TALK ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED OF A FOSTER OR OF A RESCUE, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE ANIMALS AND DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN MAKING SURE THE ANIMALS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THESE TWO DOCUMENTS COVER.
AND WE DO HAVE THOSE LATER ON, ON THE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FOSTER PROGRAM OR RESCUE PROGRAM FOR SHANNON? UH, THE ONE QUESTION I HAD IS WHEN YOU GO TO THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE, OR THIRD TO LAST PAGE, TALK ABOUT TRAINING THE FOSTER? YES, MA'AM.
IT'S REGARDING FOSTER DOG SOCIALIZATION AND TRAINING.
WHEN WE OR THE ORGANIZATION, UH, FOSTERS OUT THESE ANIMALS, ARE THEY GONNA BE GIVING THE FOSTERER, UH, ANY LIKE, LITERATURE ON TRAINING? WE WILL BE GATHERING SOME TO GIVE SOME.
UH, A LOT OF IT'S GONNA BE A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT FOSTER'S EXPERIENCE IS.
UM, WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, TAKING INTO FOSTER, UM, QUESTIONS THEY HAVE THERE.
THERE'S GONNA BE A MEETING WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL FOSTER.
UM, AGAIN, WE, WE DON'T WANNA SET ANYBODY UP FOR FAILURE, WHETHER IT'S THE ANIMAL, WHETHER IT'S THE PERSON.
UM, WE WANT AS MUCH SUCCESS AS POSSIBLE.
AND, AND SO EVERY ANIMAL IS GONNA NEED DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL REVIEW WITH THEM AT THAT TIME BASED ON THAT ANIMAL.
BUT WE WILL HAVE LITERATURE TO HAND OUT AS WELL.
SO IN THE SAME LINE ON THAT, IT, UH, WE SAY THEY MUST ADHERE TO ALL STATE AND LOCAL ANIMAL LAWS.
SO I'M ASSUMING IN AWARENESS OF THE STATE LAWS WILL BE HANDLED AT THAT SAME TIME.
WE'LL REVIEW THAT WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, REGARDING THE VETERINARY, UH, CARE FO IT, IT SAYS, UH, FOSTER ANIMALS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN TO ANY VETERINARIAN EN UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY HARINGTON ANIMAL SHELTER IN ADVANCE.
IS THE CITY PAYING FOR THE VETERINARIAN? MORE THAN LIKELY THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
AND, AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO REVIEW THAT AND KNOW THAT AHEAD OF TIME ON WHAT IS NEEDED.
KELLOGG, WHO'S WORKING WITH US A GREAT DEAL.
BUT IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING, SINCE HE'S NOT IN A CLINIC HIMSELF AND IT NEEDS TO GO INTO AN ACTUAL VET CLINIC, THEN WE WANNA BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE FOSTER ON THAT.
KELLOGG WOULD'VE SEEN THE ANIMAL BEFORE HE GOES TO THE FOSTER.
BUT DIFFERENT THINGS CAN HAPPEN WHILE IT'S IN THE HOME.
AND, AND SO IF IT'S SOMETHING MINOR, THEN MAYBE IT WAITS TILL THE NEXT DAY AND, AND IT CAN GO BACK AND SEE DR.
OR IF IT'S SOMETHING MAJOR AND NEEDS TO BE SEEN RIGHT AWAY, THEN WE WOULD TELL THEM, WE WOULD REFER THEM TO WHICH VET WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AND HOW LONG IS A FOSTER PROGRAM TO BE? IT'S GENERALLY A TWO WEEK TO A MONTH PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT AGAIN, IT CAN VARY, UM, DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL, DEPENDING ON THE ANIMAL.
WE ALSO WANT OUR FOSTERS TO BE COMING TO EVENTS THAT WE ATTEND, TRYING TO ADOPT THOSE ANIMALS OUT.
UM, AGAIN, UNLESS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN ADOPTING THE ANIMAL THEMSELVES.
UM, IN REFERENCE TO YOUR 5 0 1 C ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONAL APPLICATION APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS, WHY ARE, WHY ARE YOU ASKING FOR A COPY OF THE IRS PAPERWORK? COULDN'T YOU JUST VERIFY ON THE, WHAT IS IT? THE, UH, SECRETARY OF STATE WEBSITE AND SEE THEIR, THE RA 5 0 1 C3? THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION.
WELL, TO DO THAT, I THINK THE 5 1 2 3 COMES FOR THE IRS, SO THAT'S WHY THEY ASKED FOR THAT.
THOSE ARE STANDARD FORMS AND MOST OF 'EM ARE ONLINE.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE MOST RECENT YEAR.
I THINK IT'S MAYBE A YEAR OR A YEAR OR TWO OFF ON THE IRS PAGE.
BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RESCUES THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH ARE NON-PROFITS AND REGISTERED AND VETTED, AND THIS IS PART OF THAT PROCESS.
AND I'LL JUST ADD, I DID, UM, WAS LUCKY ENOUGH AND I ADOPTED, UM, GOOSE OUT OF, OUT OF THE SHELTER, AND I WORKED WITH, UM, A TRAIN.
I JUST GOT THE REFERENCE LESSON MARICK AND GOOSE, BECAUSE THAT'S MAVERICK.
AND GO, WELL, ERIC IS REALLY UPSET ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE HE SAID, UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIME.
UM, BUT I WORKED WITH DEREK AND HE SAID HE'D LOVE TO WORK WITH THE SHELTER IN BEING ABLE TO HELP AND PROVIDE TRAINING.
SO FOR, FOR THOSE THAT ARE ADOPTING, BUT POTENTIALLY FOR FOSTERS TOO.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT TRAINING, POTENTIALLY HE CAN COME IN, UM, AWESOME.
AND HE CAN DO GROUP TRAININGS, AND
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THEN HE CAN DO ONE-ON-ONE, AND HE'S, HE'S GREAT.I'D RECOMMEND FOLLOWING UP WITH HIM TO SEE ON, TO WORK ON THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR SHANNON? ALL RIGHT.
[Item 8c - South Texas Emergency Care Foundation, Inc. Quarterly Reports]
SOUTH TEXAS EMERGENCY CARE FOUNDATION AND QUARTERLY REPORT.GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UH, RE PEREZ, THE ORIGINAL PEREZ, UH,
I WANTED TO GO, UH, OVER OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS.
THIS WILL REFLECT, THIS IS THE 20, THE LAST QUARTER OF 2023.
JUST KIND OF GO OVER SOME NUMBERS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE THE REPORT IN FRONT OF YOU, SO I DON'T WANNA BE, UH, TOO REDUNDANT ON THAT.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT HAVE OCCURRED AND, UH, JUST KIND OF GO OVER THAT, UH, UH, AS YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICINE HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR NEW, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE STARTED UP RIGHT AROUND THE COVID TIMEFRAME.
WE, UH, WERE VERY CONCERNED INITIALLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, RIGHT? TRYING TO KEEP THE PROGRAM GOING.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, UH, SECURE AN AGREEMENT WITH ONE OF THE MAJOR HEALTHCARE SERVICE PLANS, UH, TO CONTINUE SEEING THEIR PATIENTS.
SO WE'RE GETTING REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THAT, AND THAT'S HELPS IN KEEPING THE PROGRAM, UH, ALIVE AND KICKING.
SO, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, FROM FEBRUARY TO, UH, FROM OCTOBER, 2023 TO, UH, FEBRUARY, 2024, WE SAW APPROXIMATELY 21 PATIENTS AT 200, 270 VISITS.
THESE PATIENTS ARE FOLKS THAT ARE REPETITIVE, UH, 9 1 1 CALLERS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND, AND REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS IN ON IS HOW DO WE, UH, HOW DO WE, UM, UTILIZE OUR, OUR CHP PROGRAM TO, UH, HELP, UH, OR REDUCE THAT NUMBER ON THE 9 1 1 SIDE? SO, UH, WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL ON THAT.
AND ACTUALLY, UH, WE'RE USE WITH THE REDUCTION OF ABOUT 51% OF THE, OF THE, UH, PATIENTS CALLING 9 1 1 FROM THE TIME, UH, FROM THE PRIOR TIMES THAT WE'VE BEEN USING THE PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE SEEING A, A NICE REDUCTION ON THAT.
AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM THAT SENSE, BECAUSE WE HAVE PATIENTS THAT NOW, INSTEAD OF CALLING 9 1 1, THEY'LL SAY, WELL, I REALLY DON'T FEEL THAT BAD, BUT I DON'T FEEL THAT GOOD EITHER.
YOU THINK, UH, COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE COMES CHECK ME OUT.
AND THEN INSTEAD OF SENDING AN AMBULANCE, WE CAN SEND A CHP VEHICLE.
ONE OF THE MEDICS WILL GO AND, AND ASSESS THE PATIENT.
IF THE PATIENT NEEDS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, THEN WE TRANSPORT THE PATIENT TO THE HOSPITAL.
BUT IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THERE, SOME TREATMENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, THEN WE CAN KEEP THE PATIENT THERE.
SO THE PROGRAM'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND I THINK, UH, GOING FORWARD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST TRY TO CONTINUE UTILIZING IT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES TO KEEP THAT PROGRAM ONE GOING AND TWO U UTILIZING IT TO, UH, HELP OFFSET SOME OF THOSE 9 1 1 CALLS THAT WE'RE REPETITIVE, UH, PATIENTS THAT WE CONTINUALLY SEE IN HELPING, UH, REDUCE SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.
UH, THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN REALLY BUSY.
WE, UH, OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, WE DID RAISE UP, UH, ABOUT, WE, WE RECEIVED ABOUT 250 TOYS, AND WE GIFTED THOSE TO THE VALLEY BAPTIST AND THE HARMS OF MEDICAL CENTER PEDIATRIC, UH, UNITS, AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR PATIENTS THAT WE PICK UP IN THE AMBULANCE AND STUFF.
SO WE HAD ON, ON THAT CHRISTMAS, WE WERE GIFTING OUT ANY KIND OF PEDIATRIC PATIENT THAT WE, UH, WOULD, UH, INTRODUCE INTO THE AMBULANCE.
WE WOULD ALSO GIFT THEM A TOY AND WHAT HAVE YOU, JUST KIND OF, UH, MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR 'EM AND STUFF.
SO THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN, UH, THIS IS OUR, UH, SECOND YEAR WITH THAT AND HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
AND AGAIN, WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND THE HOSPITALS ARE GREAT IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE KIDS IN THERE THAT SOMETIMES THEY'LL GET SUB GIFTS, BUT WE REALLY INUNDATED THEM WITH, UH, WITH PRESENTS THIS YEAR.
UH, WE DID THE SAVE A LIFE, AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR AND, UH, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER KINSLEY WERE THERE AND THEY HELPED US KICK OFF THE EVENT.
WE WANTED TO INVITE, UH, THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND REALLY, UH, WORK ON OUR EDUCATION, ON THE HEALTH EDUCATION OF SOME OF THESE FOLKS ON HOW TO ADMINISTER NARCAN.
OF COURSE, WE HAD AN EPIDEMIC A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WITH, UH, UH, SOME FENTANYL OVERDOSES.
NOT TO SAY THAT THAT'S GONE AWAY.
WE'RE STILL SEEING SOME OF THAT, BUT, BUT NOT AS, AS, AS, UM, UH, THE NUMBERS AS BEEN AS HIGH AS THEY, THEY WERE BEFORE.
RIGHT? UH, WE'RE ALSO, UH, WE'RE TEACHING FOLKS HOW TO DO THE STOP THE BLEED.
UH, WE WERE TEACHING CPR AND OF COURSE, THE ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE THAT HPD DID.
AND, UH, UH, HANS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL DID, HELPED US OUT WITH A CPR.
IT, THAT WAS A, IN OUR EYES, WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE ALSO WANT TO THANK CAVEAT AT THE, AT, AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, 'CAUSE HE WAS VERY, UH, UH, WILLING TO ALLOW US TO USE THE FACILITY.
I THINK THE VENUE WAS GREAT, AND PAIRING THAT WITH THE, UM, WITH THE MARATHON.
UH, WHAT, WHAT DID, WE DID VERY WELL IN, IN RECEIVING SOME OF THOSE FOLKS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
ONE OF THE NEW PROJECTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IS, UH, RECEIVED A, UH, UH, GRANT FROM THE TIINA FOUNDATION.
UH, AND THIS IS OUR CAR SEAT INITIATIVE.
SO BASICALLY, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE EDUCATING, UH, UH,
[00:30:01]
FAMILIES ON THE USE OF THE CAR SEATS.AND IN TURN, THEY RECE, ONCE THEY RECEIVE THE TRAINING, THEY'LL RECEIVE CAR SEAT, UH, CAR SEAT AT NO COST TO 'EM.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE WHOLE THING HERE IS TO HELP OUR, OUR CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU'LL LOOK AT A CAR AND YOU SEE KIDS RUNNING AROUND OR JUMPING UP AND DOWN, AND THAT'S VERY UNSAFE.
AND WE SEE, UNFORTUNATELY, PERSONALLY, I'VE SEEN, UH, MANY KIDS DIE FROM, UH, NOT BEING SECURED IN, UM, UM, IN THESE TYPE OF CAR SEATS, UH, BEING EJECTED FROM VEHICLES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO IT'S VERY TRAUMATIC AND IT, AND, AND IT'LL RUIN A FAMILY.
UM, BUT A LOT OF THAT IS, IS STUFF THAT WE CAN STOP.
AND AGAIN, UH, BY ADDING THIS PART OF THE PROGRAM IS GONNA HELP US EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON REALLY KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE OUT THERE.
UH, QUICK REPORT ON OUR, ON OUR VALLEY AIR CARE AND OUR, UH, LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORTS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALSO FLY, UH, FIXED WINGS AS WELL.
UH, WE, UH, HAVE AN AIRCRAFT BASED IN MACALLAN, AND WE FLY THAT AIRCRAFT, UH, HOWEVER WE NEED TO IN OUR FOURTH QUARTER OF 2023, HAD 11 TRANSPORTS.
UNDERSTAND THE FIXED WING TRANSPORTS ARE USUALLY THE CRITICAL, THE MOST CRITICAL PATIENTS.
WE NEED TO GET 'EM QUICKLY FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
HEART TRANSPLANTS, UH, LIVER AND LUNG TRANSPLANTS.
SO THOSE TYPE OF PATIENTS ARE VERY UNSTABLE AND VERY CRITICAL AND, UH, IS DEFINITELY OF THE ESSENCE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THOSE TRANSPORTED ACCORDINGLY.
AND WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF, OF, OF MOVING THOSE PATIENTS.
OUR LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORTS, AGAIN, THOSE ARE GROUND TRANSPORTS GOING TO SAN ANTONIO, HOUSTON, CORPUS CHRISTI, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND OUR NUMBERS TYPICALLY RUN AROUND THAT.
AND I'LL SAY THIS FOR THIS QUARTER COMING UP, OUR NUMBERS ARE, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE A, A BIT HIGHER THAN THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK AS A, AS A CITY IN GENERAL, IF YOU'RE A PARENT, UH, A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, NOWADAYS, UH, THAT ARE SICK AND REALLY SICK ARE HAVING TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
OKAY? SO THE MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS THAT WE'RE MOVING OUT ARE, ARE KIDS PEDIATRICS EITHER GOING TO CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, CHILDREN IN HOUSTON, OR IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S METHODIST OR SANTA ROSA CHILDREN'S IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE'RE SEEING THAT POPULATION KIND OF GETTING MOVED OUT.
SO WHEN WE MOVE A PATIENT LIKE THAT, UM, WE MOVE A FAMILY.
UH, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE PATIENT GOING TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL, BUT WE'RE MOVING A WHOLE FAMILY.
AND IT'S, IT CAN BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND INCONVENIENT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THAT INFORMATION GOING FORWARD, WE REALLY NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR HEALTHCARE IN OUR, IN OUR REGION.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT ONLY HERE IN HARTON, BUT IN THE WHOLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH PEDIATRIC CARE AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO YOU'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR TORONTO REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCILS, AS WELL AS, UH, UH, OUR OTHER, UH, UH, RACKS IN THE STATE TO TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IMPROVING PEDIATRIC CARE, OUR GRANT TRANSPORTS, UH, AGAIN, A LOT OF THE, UH, INFORMATION IS ON YOUR REPORT.
SO I'M, I'M NOT GONNA KIND OF, UH, BEAT YOU UP ON TOO MUCH OF THAT, BUT JUST KIND OF GO OVER THE NUMBERS OR TOTAL RESPONSES FOR THAT SAME PERIOD.
WAS, UH, 4,595 WITH TOTAL EMERGENCY RESPONSES AT 27 32.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I WANT TO, UH, MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND IS SOME OF THOSE, PARTICULARLY THOSE, UH, EMERGENCY RESPONSES, OUR CHP PROGRAM CAN AFFECT THOSE NUMBERS BY, UH, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF THAT REPETITIVE CALLER, WE CAN GO IN AND TAKE CARE OF 'EM FROM A, A NON-EMERGENCY, WE CAN SEND A MEDIC IN AND TAKE CARE OF THOSE PATIENTS.
SO THAT PROGRAM'S, AGAIN, BEEN REALLY EFFECTIVE IN THAT.
AND I HOPE IT CAN DROP NUMBERS DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
I GUESS THE LESS NUMBER OF EMERGENCY RESPONSES THE BETTER.
BUT, UH, IT JUST, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE TIME OF THE SEASON.
IT'S BEEN RAINING, AND WE HAD FIRES TO, UH, CAR ACCIDENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND OF COURSE, JUST, JUST COOL OUT THERE.
SO WE GOT A LOT OF SICK PEOPLE.
ONE THING TO ADD, WE DID ADD A, A NEW AMBULANCE TO THE FLEET, AND 7 24 IS PICTURED THERE.
UH, THAT, THAT'S GONNA ADD ON OUR, OUR, OUR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, UH, UH, CAPABILITIES, RIGHT? SO WE GET MORE OF THOSE TRANSFERS OUT.
UH, AND WE ALSO REPLACED TWO AMBULANCES.
SO WENT FROM THE OLD CHASSIS REPLACED TO THE, INTO, UH, TO A NEW CHASSIS ON A, ON THE SAME BOX.
AND THEN CURRENTLY WE HAVE ONE AMBULANCE BEING REMOUNTED RIGHT NOW.
SO IN, IN TOTAL WE'LL HAVE, UH, FOUR AMBULANCES THAT WE'RE ADDING ON, UH, AS NEW.
SO THAT, AND THAT'S A, A BIG THING IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY UPDATE OUR FLEET.
'CAUSE COVID REALLY DID A, A DAMAGE FOR US BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S STILL, AND STILL BACK ORDERED, AND A LOT OF PARTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO A LOT OF THE AMBULANCES WENT FROM, UH, THE ALMOST, UH, 40% INCREASES IN, IN AMBULANCES AND, AND THE COST OF THEM.
SO IT'S, IT'S BECOME, UH, UM, A LITTLE CRAZY ON THAT SIDE.
I WANTED TO GO OVER NATURE OF CALLS, 'CAUSE I, I, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU, UH, LATER ON AS WELL.
'CAUSE I WANT TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT THAT FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON.
ANYWHERE YOU GO IN THE WORLD, FALL BACK INJURIES ARE YOUR NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF TRAUMA.
WE'RE PARTICULARLY REALLY STRONG HERE IN HARTON.
I THINK THE GRAVITY HERE IN HARTON IS, UH, HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT
[00:35:01]
SEE, UH, A LOT OF FALLS AND UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON BLOOD THINNERS.SO THEY FALL DOWN, HIT THEIR HEAD, AND NOW IT BECOMES A HEAD INJURY, RIGHT? SO, UH, AND IT CAN BE, AND IT CAN BE VERY SERIOUS.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE THO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH.
TRAFFIC, ACCIDENTS, BREATHING, CHEST PAIN, CONVULSIONS.
AS YOU SEE THE NUMBERS THERE, WE, WE, I TALKED TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OVERDOSES.
WE STILL CONTINUE TO SEE OVERDOSES.
WE'RE TYPICALLY SEEING WITHIN EVERY, UH, QUARTER, WE'RE SEEING ABOUT 34 TO 38 OVERDOSES GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE STILL REMAIN ON THE HIGHER SIDE, RIGHT? BUT WE CAN, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OUR POPULATION ABOUT THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS, AND THE REASON I PUT MANY OF THESE ARE PREVENTABLE DEATHS AND INJURIES.
A LOT OF THIS STUFF I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR ALL THE, ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE PUT TOGETHER TO HELP PEOPLE EXERCISE, GET OUTSIDE.
WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE BREATHING PROBLEMS AND CHEST PAIN, A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO ABOUT YOUR HEALTH PREVENTIVE CARE, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR, UH, FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED TO GET OUT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT FARMER'S MARKET IS A REALLY GOOD THING.
I WISH WE HAD IT A COUPLE OF MORE EXTRA DAYS, UH, AND REALLY GO OUT THERE AND, AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT A BETTER LIFESTYLE.
UM, AND THAT WOULD HELPFULLY REDUCE SOME OF THAT.
WE DO SEE A LOT OF, UH, UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF CARDIAC ARREST DUE TO JUST CAR CORONARY ARTERIAL DISEASE THAT WE SEE HOSPITAL DIVERSIONS AND CAUTIONS FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER.
WE HAD, UH, SO UNDERSTAND IN THAT WHOLE QUARTER, IT WAS ROUGHLY ABOUT 2,900 AND, AND 92 HOURS, I THINK, WITHIN THAT PERIOD.
SO HOSPITALS IN OUR AREA WERE ON DIVERSION FOR 1,283 TIMES, UH, HOURS IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO PROBABLY ABOUT A 40 PLUS, UH, PERCENT OF THE TIME THEY WERE ON EITHER DIVERSION OR, OR CAUTION.
WHY? WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE FULL, UH, OR STAFFING, RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SEEING IS WE HAVE PATIENTS THAT USE THE HOSPITAL AS THEIR PRIMARY CARE.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY GET SICK, I HAVE A COLD TODAY.
I'M NOT GONNA GO SEE MY DOCTOR BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ONE.
AND SO 9 1 1 GETS ACTIVATED, PATIENT GETS TRANSPORTED, AND WE CAN'T DENY THE TRANSPORT.
SO THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
SO WE, WE SEE A LOT OF THESE TYPE OF PATIENTS IN THE ERS AND THAT IS CAUSING THAT CONGESTION IN THE ERS.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS IF YOU HAVE A REAL EMERGENCY, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THOSE DELAYS.
SO ON OUR SIDE, WE ALWAYS MONITOR WALL TIMES.
WALL TIMES IS THE TIMES THAT WE ARRIVE ON AT THE HOSPITAL AND HAVE TO WAIT FOR A BED.
UM, IN THAT, IN THAT PERIOD, WE'RE AT 44 MINUTES.
LAST, UH, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, I HAD A NINE HOUR WAIT.
WE HAD TO SIT THERE AND WAIT NINE HOURS TO GET A BED FOR, FOR THAT PATIENT.
I THINK COVID CAME IN AND, AND JUST, JUST REALLY KNOCKED US ON, ON OUR, OUR BEHIND FROM THAT STAND STANDPOINT BECAUSE AT ALL TIMES WENT UP REALLY HIGH AND WE'RE, THEY'RE GETTING BETTER.
BUT OCCASIONALLY OUR ERS ARE JUST SO SATURATED.
ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS IS WE LACK PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DOCTORS THAT JUST DECIDED, I DON'T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE, OR I'M GONNA GO WORK IN THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO PEOPLE CAN'T GO TO THE, THE ER TO THE, TO THEIR DOCTORS ANYMORE 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT THERE ANYMORE.
SO WE HAVE TO BE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
AND AGAIN, THAT AFFECTS OUR CITY AS UH, IN GENERAL BECAUSE THAT AFFECTS THE WELLBEING OF OUR CITIZENS.
I DIDN'T WANT TO AGAIN, GO TOO MUCH IN DEBT.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE INFORMATION IS IN FRONT OF YOU THERE, BUT, UH, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANYTHING.
CAN I ASK A QUICK ONE? YOU, YES SIR.
YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, THE CONTINUANCE OF THE OVERDOSE SITUATION, SIR.
WHAT SIR? ROUGH PERCENTAGE SCHOOL AGE INVOLVEMENT? YEAH.
WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY SEEING, UH, FROM THE AGES OF 18 TO 25, UH, YOU'RE SEEING THAT POPULATION, PROBABLY THE HIGHER POPULATION THAT WE'RE SEEING THERE.
YOU MENTIONED, UH, DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT? NINE HOURS WAITING WAIT TIME.
AND, AND SO I KNOW THAT'S A, IS THAT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT? THAT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, UM, WEEKENDS, NIGHT TIMES YOU DO HAVE EXTENDED, UH, WAIT TIMES.
SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE TWO HOUR WAITS AND YOU'LL HAVE THAT NINE HOUR POP UP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE OR EIGHT HOURS OR SEVEN HOURS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRY TO WORK WITH THE HOSPITALS ON THAT.
SO WE CAN FREE UP THOSE AMBULANCES 'CAUSE YOU GOTTA GO TO OTHER CALLS.
SO IT JUST UNFORTUNATELY IS JUST, UH, THE, THE, THE WAY THE, UH, THE STAFFING IN THE HOSPITALS ARE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, THERE'S DEFINITELY A SHORTAGE OF NURSES AND DOCTORS.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSING A LOT OF THE ISSUES.
AND SO THIS IS AT BOTH, BOTH OF OUR HOSPITALS? YEAH.
WE'RE, WE'RE EXPERIENCING THAT IN BOTH HOSPITALS.
SO IT'S NOT, NOT TO SAY IT'S ONE PARTICULAR HOSPITAL, BUT WE ARE DIFF SEEING, DEFINITELY SEEING THAT WALL TIME DEFINITELY ON THE HIGHER SIDE.
SO, UM, ON THAT AIR CARE WING, UH, FLIGHTS YES SIR.
I KNOW YOU ONLY HAVE 11 AND YOU KEEP YOUR, YOUR PLANE IN MACALLAN, CORRECT? YES SIR.
UH, DO YOU SHARE THAT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE?
[00:40:01]
WE, UH, LEASE THE AIRCRAFT WITH MCCR AVIATION.SO THEY HAVE A DEDICATED, UH, AIR AMBULANCE THAT WE UTILIZE FROM, SIR.
FROM, FROM THE, FROM THE TIME MISSED THAT THE TIME THAT WE ARRIVE TO THE TIME THAT WE GET A BED AND, AND GET THE PATIENT OFFLOADED.
IS TI RIGHT NOW WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 44 MINUTES RIGHT NOW.
AND WE DO RUN THESE REPORTS DAILY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ALL THE TIME.
AND THEN TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK WITH A HOSPITAL PARTICULARLY.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THE TIE UP REALLY AT NIGHTTIME.
AND, AND ON THE WEEKENDS, AND AGAIN, THAT'S A STAFFING ISSUE.
AND THE HOSPITALS ARE TYPICALLY SAYING THAT'S A, THAT'S A STAFFING ISSUE.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH NURSES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A NURSE RATIO, NURSE PATIENT RATIO THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH.
SO A LOT OF THAT IS, IS GEARED RIGHT AT THAT SO THAT YOU, IT JUST TAKES MORE TIME TO SEE THESE PATIENTS.
SO, AND THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE SEEING THE TWO TO THREE HOURS, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE'RE SEEING, WE'RE SEEING LONGER TIMES THAN THAT UNDERST ON THAT SIDE.
WELL, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANNA COMMEND YOU IN ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING.
UM, JUST, IT'S, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW YOU DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY EVENTS AND THAT IS, I KNOW YOU WANT THAT NUMBER TO INCREASE, BUT INCREASING BY OR REDUCING THAT NUMBER BY 51%, Y'ALL SHOULD BE VERY, VERY PROUD.
AND THAT THOSE ARE THE, THE FOLKS, THE VULNERABLE PEOPLE THAT WE WANNA TOUCH.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU GOT THE, UH, PARTNER TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TIME.
WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT Y'ALL PROVIDE.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK OUR CREWS.
'CAUSE REALLY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, IT'S OUR, OUR CREWS, OUR MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING THEY SAY OF, OF COURSE AT ALL TIMES, RIGHT? TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING SEEMS TO BE EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE.
LET'S FLY A PATIENT TO HOUSTON OR SAN ANTONIO.
AND UH, I'VE BEEN ON MANY OF THOSE FLIGHTS WHERE YOU WAKE UP AND OFF YOU GO AND, AND YOU DON'T COME BACK FOR, UH, ANOTHER EIGHT TO AN HOUR.
SO, UH, I REALLY WANT TO THANK THEM.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOLKS FOR ALLOWING US TO, TO, AND RANDY, BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU GO, IF YOU COULD HAVE YOUR COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE FOLKS IN THE BACK THAT STAND UP TO GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING.
[Item 9 - Public Hearings]
ON.NINE A UH, UM, NINE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AT THIS TIME, THE MAYOR WILL INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE FILLED OUT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE CITIZEN COMM COMMUNICATION FORM.
TO ADDRESS EACH ITEM LISTED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE TOPIC OF THAT PUBLIC HEARING.
IF MORE THAN ONE PUBLIC HEARING IS BEING HELD, YOU'LL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK DURING EACH TOPIC, PROVIDED YOU HAVE FILLED OUT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND CITIZEN COMMUNICATION FORM FOR THE APPROPRIATE TOPIC.
IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP FOR TWO OR MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS, YOU'LL BE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES FOR ALL TOPICS
[Item 9a - Public hearing for a rezoning request from Residential, Duplex ("R-2") District to Residential, Multi-Family ("M-2") District for a 0.572-acre tract, being all of Lot 6 and 0.113 acres out of Lot 7, West Subdivision, located at 1605 N. 7th Street. Applicant: Mario and Norma Linan]
NINE.A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY M TWO DISTRICT FOR A 0.572 ACRE TRACK BEING ALL OF LOT SIX AND 0.113 ACRES OUT OF LOT SEVEN WEST, UH, SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1605 NORTH SEVEN STREET, APPLICANT MARIO AND NORMA LEON.
AND IS THERE, THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC.
I'M SORRY FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THAT CORRECT? NOT ON THIS ONE, MAYOR.
SO AT THIS TIME WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND HAVING NO ONE HAVING SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[Item 9b - Public hearing for a rezoning request from Residential, Single-Family (“R-1”) District to Residential, Duplex (“R-2”) District for a property located at 301 West Filmore Avenue, bearing a legal description of Lot 6, Block 130, Harlingen Original Townsite. Applicant: Juan Ramon]
B PUBLIC HEARING FOR A REZONING REQUEST FOR RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY R ONE DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WESTVILLE LAMORE AVENUE BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT SIX BLOCK BLOCK ONE 30 HARLINGEN ORIGINAL TOWNSIDE APPLICANT JUAN RAMON ATTACHMENT PLANNING AND ZONING.HAVING NO ONE HERE, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[Item 9c - Public hearing for a rezoning request from Residential, Single Family (“R-1”) to Residential, Duplex (“R-2”) District for Lots 136 and 137, Block 2, Avondale Subdivision, located at 2113 and 2115 Barcelona Avenue. Applicant: Homero D. Guerra.]
UH, PUBLIC HEARING FOR A REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY R ONE TO RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT FOR LOTS.BLOCK TWO EVANDALE SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 2113 AND 2115 BARCELONA AVENUE APPLICANT ROMERO D GARZA.
[00:45:01]
OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS ITEM, BUT HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC HEARING OR HAVING ANYONE SIGN UP FOR THIS ITEM, WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING[Item 9d - Public hearing for the voluntary annexation of an 18.788-acre tract of land out of Block 33, David and Stephenson Subdivision, located along the east side of Crossett Road approximately 3,260 feet north of Loop 499. Applicant: River Creek Management, LLC.]
ITEM D NINE D PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 18.788 ACRES TRACK OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 33, DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION LOCATED ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF CROSS CROSS STATE ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 3,260 FEET NORTH OF LOOP 4 99, APPLICANT RIVER CREEK MANAGEMENT, LLC.AND SAME WITH THIS, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING BY HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK, UM, OR HAVING ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
[Item 9e - Public Hearing amending the City of Harlingen Code of Ordinances Chapter 111, Article Xlll, Section 111-62, Use Chart, by establishing the boundaries of the major commercial corridors, and prohibiting the car wash use in the said major corridors due to safety.]
E PUBLIC HEARING AMENDING THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER ONE 11, ARTICLE 13, SECTION ONE 11 DASH 62 USED CARDS BY ESTABLISHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MAJOR, UH, COMMERCIAL COURTERS AND PROHIBITING THE CAR WASH, USE AND SET MAJOR QUARTERS DUE TO SAFETY APPLICANT CITY OF HARLINGEN.ALRIGHT, AND WE DO HAVE SEVERAL FOLKS SIGNED UP ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND WE WILL START WITH MR. FRANK LOZANO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, HARLINGEN AND MY FELLOW HARLINGEN KNIGHTS.
THIS ISSUE REALLY ISN'T ABOUT CAR WASHES, IT'S ABOUT WHETHER HARLINGEN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS OR NOT, OR IF THE CITY THINKS IT CAN BAN COMMERCE ON STREETS LIKE COMMERCE.
I DROVE AROUND TO SEVERAL OF THESE SUPPOSED CAR WASH LOCATIONS THAT ARE BEING BUILT.
THEY'RE ALL BEING BUILT ON EMPTY LOTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE ON THE CORNER OF P AND TYLER STREET, IT WAS AN ABANDONED MOTEL FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
WHAT'S TO SAY IF WE BAN CAR WASHES THAT SOME OTHER BUSINESS IS GONNA COME AND FILL THE VOID? THIS IS WHAT THE POPULATION DEMANDS.
THAT'S WHAT THE FREE MARKET DEMANDS.
I'VE WAITED INTO THE CESSPOOL THAT'S KNOWN AS THE FACEBOOK COMMENTS SECTION AND I'VE SEEN WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR.
THEY'RE NOT ASKING, UH, NECESSARILY FOR A BAN OF ON CAR WASHES.
THEY WANT OTHER BUSINESSES LIKE BARNES AND NOBLE, LIKE TOPGOLF, WHO DOESN'T WANT THAT TO COME HERE.
BUT IF WE BAN CAR WASHES, DOES THAT MAGICALLY MEAN A MORTON STEAKHOUSE FRANCHISE IS GONNA POP OUT OF THE THE GROUND? NO, IT'S A NON-SEQUITUR.
THERE IS AN ARGUMENT THAT THE CAR WASHES CAN JUST COME IN OTHER LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS.
WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY HAS ZONING REGULATIONS.
OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY ARE ZONED FOR RESIDENTIAL USE.
IF YOU BAN THE CAR WASHES ON THE AREAS SUCH AS ED CAREY AND TERRACE AND TYLER, WHERE ALL THE OTHER BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY A BAN ON ANY OTHER PLACE FOR THEM TO COME.
AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER MYSELF, IT GIVES ME PAUSE THAT THE CITY WOULD EVEN CONSIDER WHETHER TO PLACE A BLANKET BAN ON ANY BUSINESS TYPE JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SUPPOSEDLY TOO MANY.
WELL, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S TOO MANY IS A DECISION FOR THE FREE MARKET TO DECIDE FINALLY, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
NOW THAT'S A RHETORICAL QUESTION.
YOU NEITHER CAN NOR ARE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
WHAT WE NEED FOR MORE BUSINESSES TO FLOURISH IS LOWER TAXES, FEWER REGULATIONS SUCH AS THIS ONE PROPOSED ONE AND MORE GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY.
I DON'T WANT ANY BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO COME TO HARLINGEN TO THINK THAT THEY CAN'T SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY OF LIKE KIND.
I WANT THERE TO BE MORE COMPETITION, MORE CHOICES FOR CONSUMERS.
THAT'S WHAT LOWERS PRICES AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, MAKES THE CITY THRIVE.
THIS SETS A BAD PRESIDENT FOR OTHER BUSINESSES, DOESN'T, UH, ALLOW THE CITY TO BE BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
AND FRANK LAZANO THINKS THAT TAR LICHEN SHOULD BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
THE NEXT ONE? MAY YOU WANT ME TO CALL HIM UP? JUST ONE SECOND.
AND NEXT WE HAVE DON RAY LEONARD.
IT'S CALLED FREE MARKET CAPITALISM.
IF SOMEONE HAS THE MONEY AND IS WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUT THEIR NEW BUSINESS ON WHATEVER ROAD THEY CHOOSE WITHIN THE PROPER ZONING REQUIREMENTS.
IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL, EVERYBODY WINS.
IT'S TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
IT APPEARS WE HAVE A PROBLEM PRIORITIZING GROWTH.
LET'S FOCUS ON STOPPING THE INDUSTRIES AND COMPANIES WE ARE LOSING IN HARLINGEN, ULA LOST A HUNDRED AEROSPACE JOBS, IMMIGRATION SERVICES, FIELD OFFICES.
MOVING TO EDINBURGH, WE HAVE A FAILING MALL.
LET'S FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPERS TRYING TO GET THEIR PROJECTS OFF THE GROUND AND COMPLETED IN HARLINGEN.
DEVELOPERS REPORTING THEY HAVE DIFFICULTIES WITH INSPECTIONS.
THEY'RE NOT UNIFORM, THEY'RE NOT GETTING 'EM FINISHED IN A TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER.
THIS COSTS THE DEVELOPERS PRECIOUS TIME AND MONEY.
LET'S FOCUS ON HOW TO RESOLVE AND MANAGE PROPOSED WATER AND SEWER RATE IN INCREASES FOR OUR CITY'S CUSTOMERS.
[00:50:01]
OUR ENERGY ON THESE ISSUES.SOME CITY FACEBOOK POSTS RALLYING THE PUBLIC TO FOCUS ON OUR RELEVANT NEEDS.
THE CARWASH CONTROVERSY IS A NEN BURGER.
AND PLEASE ENOUGH WITH THE SPEED BUMPS.
ALRIGHT, UM, RON LOZANO, AN ORDINANCE THAT PROHIBITS CAR WASHES FROM THE MOST HEAVILY TRAFFICKED COUNT AREAS SO FAR BECAUSE, UM, I HAVE A LIST OF WHAT THE COUNT IS HERE IN THE CITY OF HARDEN.
AND THE MOST HEAVILY TRAVERSED ON A LENGTH BASIS IS NOT EVEN ON ONE OF THE MAJOR CORRIDORS, WHICH IS 77 SUNSHINE STRIP.
BUT AS I WAS SAYING, A PROHIBITION IS A BAN.
A QUEST POSED IS WHETHER RENEE PARIS SEEKS TO OPPOSE FREE ENTERPRISE.
I TEND TO DOUBT THAT, BUT ON OCCASION ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.
THE WHOLE THING HINGES ON THIS COMMISSION ASKED TO BAN NEW CAR WATCHES AND YOU CANNOT REPLACE THEM.
THEY'RE DOOMED BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE INNOVATION AS IN A COUNTRY AS SHE JUST DESCRIBED.
AND THAT'LL HAPPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND LIKE ANY BUSINESS, I AGREE, FAILURE MIGHT ARISE.
ARLINGTON DOESN'T WANT TO BE KNOWN AS A BONAFIDE HAMMER AND SICKLE TYPE OF COMMUNITY.
LET EVEN MOM AND POP ENTERPRISES FLOURISH WITH THE MOST MINIMAL INTRUSION BY HEAVY HAND OF BUREAUCRATS OR BIG BROTHER OPENING UP THIS PANDORA'S BOX AT A TIME WHEN EVEN THE MOST CASUAL OBSERVER CAN NOTE, OUR POLITICS IS BECOMING ABRASIVE.
AND NOW YOU'RE ABOUT TO JOIN THE EDC AS ARBITERS OF WHO SUCCEEDS ARE NOT IN A CAPITALIST WORLD WE INHABIT.
SO IF CONCERNED CITIZENS ARE GENERATING TRACTION ONLINE, HOW CAN THE MAYOR SAY, REMEMBER, CHANGE DOESN'T HAPPEN BEHIND, BEHIND A KEYBOARD.
AT THE LAST MEETING WHEN THIS WAS PUT UP FOR ACTION, NO ONE KNEW SOMETHING IS RELEVANT AS HOW MANY CAR WASHES DOES HARLINGEN HAVE? AND IF WE KNOW NOW, ARE ANY OF 'EM OUTSIDE THE PROPOSED BOUNDARIES? AS THE VIDEO SHOWS, THE MAYOR WANTS TO ADD COMMERCE IN DISTRICT TWO.
ADHERING TO A HABIT I ACQUIRED AT BIRTH, SUBSTANTIAL LEADING.
I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE ANY FACTUAL BASIS WAS DONE TO SAY NINE OUT OF 10 PEOPLE WANT A NEW RESTAURANT.
AND BY IMPLICATION, THOSE SAME PEOPLE DON'T WANT A CAR WASH.
HARLAN KNIGHTS AND OTHER VISITORS WANT DELICIOUS QUALITY FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
SOME WANT TO ARRIVE AT THE DESTINATION IN A CLEAN VEHICLE.
SO JUST A LITTLE SHORT WHILE AGO, WE JUST GAVE SOMEBODY AN AWARD, CAFE 4 0 6, AND MAYOR, YOU'VE BEEN VERY, VERY WONDERFUL ABOUT RECOGNIZING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY.
AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
I COLLECT SALES TAX, I PAY SALES TAX TO THE STATE.
AND SO I WANT Y'ALL TO REMEMBER SOMETHING THAT RUNNING A BUSINESS, TURNING THE KEY, MAKING PAYROLL, COLLECTING THOSE TAXES IS VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
SO THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE HAVE CAR WASH LIMITATION? THE SHORT ANSWER, NO.
WE DON'T NEED ANY ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION INTO OUR BUSINESSES.
HARLAN GENTY HAS A BAD REPUTATION OF NOT BEING BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
AND IF YOU WANT ME TO EXPOSE SOME OF THE RECENT PEOPLE THAT TRIED TO OPEN IN OUR CITY AND WHAT IT TOOK FOR THEM, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
IF YOUR FEAR IS BEING KNOWN AS CAR WASH CITY, LET'S TRY COFFEE SHOP CITY AND SPEED BUMP CITY.
OKAY, A LOCAL NEWS AGENCY THIS MORNING REPORTED THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS REALLY ABOUT SAFETY.
AND IF YOU READ THAT AGENDA, WHAT DOES IT SAY? SAFETY.
LET'S GET TO THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM.
LET'S BAN ALL BUSINESSES THAT INVOLVE A DRIVE-THROUGH DINE-IN HAS GONE AWAY SINCE COVID AND MOBILE APPS HAVE TAKEN OVER.
AND IT'S ALL TOO CONVENIENT TO GO THROUGH THAT DRIVE THROUGH.
JUST IN THIS ROOM ALONE, IF YOU GO OUT AND LOOK, WE PROBABLY HAVE ONE PERSON FOR EVERY CAR PARKED OUT IN THE PARKING LOT, JUST GO OUT THERE AND CHECK.
I WAS IN THE AUTO PARTS BUSINESS FOR 25 YEARS AND HOW MANY AUTO PARTS STORES
[00:55:01]
DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE NOW COUNT ALL THE AUTO REPAIR SHOPS, BOTH WITH A PLACARD AND WORKING OUT OF A GARAGE AND ADD THE NUMBER OF DEALERSHIPS WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR COMING AND ALL THE OTHER SUPPORTING BUSINESSES TO THESE VEHICLES THAT WE LOVE TO HAVE.THEY'RE A BIG INVESTMENT TODAY.
THAT CAR COST ME MORE THAN MY HOME COST ME IN 1984.
THIS CITY HAS 70,000 PEOPLE AND PROBABLY 30,000 AUTOMOBILES.
NO WONDER WE NOW HAVE MORE TRAFFIC THAN EVER BEFORE.
AND DO WE HAVE ABOUT A A AND DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH AUTOMOBILES WAITING IN LINE AT DRIVE-THROUGHS? I KNOW AT LEAST TWO LOCATIONS.
SO WHY NOT START TICKETING THOSE PEOPLE THAT PULL INTO THOSE DRIVE-THROUGHS AND ARE PARKED OUT ON SUNSHINE STRIP OR ED CAREY DRIVE? THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM COMES FROM, NOT FROM A CAR WASH.
WHAT WE NEED IS TO HELP KEEP OUR BUSINESS OPEN AND OPERATING.
NOT A MESS OF HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH, WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER WHO SEEMS TO SPEARHEAD THIS ACTION.
THIS COMMISSIONER RAN ON A PLATFORM OF MAKING ORIGIN PLACE.
MOVING ON TO, UH, ROBBIE CRUZ.
IS THAT NOT THE RIGHT TIME, AMANDA? YEAH, WE PUT THE TIME FOR THREE MINUTES.
I STARTED THREE MINUTES WHEN HE ALL, ALRIGHT, WE JUST WANT, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU AS MUCH AS YOU'D LIKE VICTOR.
UH, AFTER THE MEETING, MR. LEO TO FINISH, I HAD TWO LINES TO READ.
I AM YOUR COMMISSIONER, UH, SO I'LL BE MORE THAN WILLING TO TALK TO YOU AFTER THE MEETING, SIR.
ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S, BOTH OF YOU GENTLEMEN KNOW THE RULES OF DECOR.
IS HE PRESENT? I CALLED HIM EARLY.
AND SIR, UH, YOU'RE NOT RILEY GARZA OR ROBBIE CRUZ, BUT YOU ARE.
SORRY FOR NOT, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE RULES EARLIER.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
AND, UH, I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M NEW TO THE COMMUNITY, HOWEVER, I'VE BEEN HERE 14 YEARS AND I WAS READING THE ARTICLE ON THE, ON THE CAR WASHES AND SEEING IT THROUGH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
UH, I'M MORE FOCUSED ON THE BEAUTY OF THE, OF THE CITY, WHICH SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD FROM THE CAR WASHES.
PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF LOVE A CLEAN CAR.
SECOND BIGGEST INVESTMENT THAT WE HAVE, FIRST INVESTMENTS ARE HOMES.
FIRST INVESTMENT FOR YOU GUYS IS THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
ONE THING THAT I LOOK AS I DRIVE EVERY DAY THROUGH THESE CITIES IN THE VALLEY, NOW THAT I LIVE HERE IN HARLINGEN, I'M LOOKING FOR BEAUTIFICATION.
I'M LOOKING FOR A TOWN THAT'S PRETTY, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S FOR SOMEONE TO BE PROUD OF AS I DRIVE DOWN THESE STREETS, UNFORTUNATELY.
I SEE, AND I DON'T WANNA SAY IT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT JUST NOT AN ATTRACTIVE CITY TO COME TO.
SIDEWALKS ARE DIRTY WEEDS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UNKEPT TREES, DEAD TREES, TREES THAT ARE SICKLY THAT ARE NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF, BROUGHT DOWN.
THOSE ARE SAFETY ISSUES PROBABLY DOWN THE ROAD.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FIREMEN PROBABLY HAVE, HAVE BEEN TO SOME OF THESE, UH, SITES.
LAW ENFORCEMENT DOESN'T NEED THAT KIND OF ATTRACTION AS WELL.
NOW, WHEN I, UH, SPEAK ABOUT THE APPEARANCE OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS WANNA SEE WHAT AM I BRINGING TO PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN TO COME TO HARLINGEN FOR, TO VISIT ME.
WHAT, WHAT'S MY FOCUS POINT? I SAID, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ONE.
IT'S EITHER PICKING 'EM UP AND AT THE AIRPORT AND TAKING 'EM STRAIGHT TO SOUTH HYDRO ISLAND.
OR IF I WANT TO GO TO A BIG CITY, I, IT'S, IT'S MCALLEN OR BROWNSVILLE.
YOU KNOW, IF I WANNA GO INTERNATIONAL, I GO TO RESO.
ONE OF THE SAFEST, YOU KNOW, PLACES HERE.
BUT FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, I, I HAVE A, A BIG CONCERN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE 14 YEARS AND I WANNA, I WANNA SEE HARLINGEN THRIVE.
GENTRIFICATION IS A TRUE THING THAT'S GONNA BE COMING PRETTY SOON.
CITY OF HARLINGEN IS A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE REST OF THE AVAIL, UH, CITIES IN, IN THE VALLEY.
THE OTHER ONES HAVE TAKEN OFF AND THEY'VE GROWN.
BROWNSVILLE, EDBURG, MCALLEN, HAREN IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCALE.
AND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE IN AN ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SLOW GROWTH.
BUT IN THE PROCESS, THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BRING GOOD COMPANIES IN, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD PRESENTATION FOR THE CITY.
[01:00:01]
I COME IN RIGHT THROUGH HAREN BY SAM'S CLUB AND JUST UNDER, UNDERNEATH UNDERPASS, THE PALM TREES AREN'T KEPT, DOESN'T LOOK CLEAN, DOESN'T LOOK REALLY? WOW.LOOK, AND I'M LOOKING FOR THAT.
YOU'RE GONNA TAKE TAX DOLLARS FROM MY POCKET.
I WANNA SEE SOMETHING IN RETURN.
THE PRETTIER THE CITY LOOKS, THE MORE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO COME.
I KNOW THAT BIG, IT DOESN'T SOUND GOOD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT, IT, YOU DON'T PROBABLY SEE IT COMING.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT I'M TALKING IN GENERAL.
BUT IT'S GONNA COME, IF IT COMES WHEN WE'RE NOT EXPECTING IT, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE DISPLACED.
IF PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO PICK UP THEIR HOMES AND THE, AND TO FIX THEIR HOMES, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT WHEN THE PRICE GOES UP.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH, WITH THAT ISSUE OF GENTRIFICATION.
ANYWAY, I, UH, I HAD A LOT MORE TO SAY.
I PROBABLY GOT CAUGHT UP IN, SO, MS. MR. PENA, DO YOU LIVE, YOU LIVE HERE IN HARLAN FOR 14 YEARS.
IF YOU WANNA GIVE YOUR INFORMATION TO AMANDA, I MIGHT HAVE A SPOT ON THE KEEP HARLINGEN BEAUTIFUL BOARD AND MAYBE YOU CAN, I'M WILLING, I'M WILLING TO DO THAT.
SO IF YOU GIVE IT TO MISS AMANDA, AND MAYBE YOU SIR.
YEAH, I FEEL LIKE NOW WE'RE ON THE VOICE.
I WANTED TO SAY REAL QUICK, I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC THAT YOU CAME OUT.
I GOT, I'M LOOKING AT THE STUDENTS AND I'M LOOKING AT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I'M A LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND.
THESE KIDS THAT ARE LIVING IN THIS AREA FROM HONDO, SANTO, HARLINGEN, LAFA, OR ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN.
THERE'S SO MANY KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE JOBS.
THERE'S NO EXCUSE NOT TO HAVE WORKERS FROM WORK IN THE STREETS.
YES, I'VE WORKED AT, I'VE WORKED AT JUVENILE.
I, I WORKED IN, IN THE JUVENILE.
I HATE TO CUT YOU OFF MR. PENA, BUT I CUT OFF MR. LEON AND WANNA BE FAIR, FOLLOW THE RULES.
CAN I TAKE, CAN I TAKE US 25 SECONDS? BUT, BUT I, I THINK WE GAVE YOU MORE.
WELL, I THINK WE GAVE YOU AN ADDITIONAL 25 SECONDS.
IF YOU GIVE YOUR INFORMATION TO AMANDA, THAT WOULD HELP US.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM 10.
I'LL, I'LL GO ON YOU IF YOU WANNA, I'LL DO THE FIRST ONE SO THAT WAY YOU CAN.
[Item 10 - Action Items]
[Item 10a - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on first reading for a rezoning request from Residential, Duplex ("R-2") District to Residential, Multi-Family ("M-2") District for a 0.572-acre tract, being all of Lot 6 and 0.113 acres out of Lot 7, West Subdivision, located at 1605 N. 7th Street. Applicant: Mario and Norma Linan.]
SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE ITEM 10, A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR A REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY M TWO DISTRICT FOUR, A 0.57, TWO ACRE TRACK BEING ALL OF LOT SIX AND 0.113 ACRES OUT OF LOT SEVEN WEST SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1605 NORTH SEVENTH STREET.THIS IS THE PROPERTY ON SEVENTH STREET THAT CLOSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL.
AT THE CORNER WITH THE, WITH THE ER.
UH, YOU HAD APPROVED A RESORTING TO DUPLEX BACK IN 2022.
THIS USED TO HAVE, UH, DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS.
THE APPLICANTS RESTORED THE BUILDING AND HAVE, UH, TWO BEAUTIFUL DUPLEXES ON SITE.
THESE ARE THE UPDATED PHOTOS OF THE RENOVATED BUILDING.
SO YOU HAVE TWO, TWO DWELLING UNITS AND HE, THE APPLICANT HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB FIXING THE BUILDINGS, BUT THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO ADD MORE UNITS.
HE HAS THE SPACE TO, TO BUILD MORE APARTMENTS.
SO HE'S, UH, REQUESTING AN UPGRADE ON THE ZONING TO MULTIFAMILY ZONING TO ALLOW HIM TO BUILD MORE DWELLING UNITS IN THE PROPERTY.
THERE WAS NO OPPOSITION FROM THE SURROUNDING PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO DEPENDING ON ZONING, COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL UNANIMOUSLY DEFINE MORE UNITS.
WELL, WITH THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING, IT COULD BE THREE FOUR, AS LONG AS THEY COMPLY WITH THE LANDSCAPING AND THE PARKING, UH, IT COULD BE A TWO STORY BUILDING, EVEN A THREE STORY.
SO DID THEY NEED TO PUT IN PAVEMENT FOR PARKING? YES.
ON YOUR PHOTO, I JUST SAW DIFFERENT SHORT DRIVEWAY WITH ONE AUTOMOBILE.
THEY WILL HAVE TO BUILD A PARKING LOT.
AND THEN WILL THEY HAVE TO PLAN FOR DRAINAGE? NOT FOR, NOT FOR DRAINAGE, BECAUSE IT'S AN EXISTING DIVISION ABOUT PARKING AND LANDSCAPING.
IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JAVIER? IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION APPROVE.
[Item 10b - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on first reading for a rezoning request from Residential, Single-Family (“R-1”) District to Residential, Duplex (“R-2”) District for a property located at 301 West Filmore Avenue, bearing a legal description of Lot 6, Block 130, Harlingen Original Townsite. Applicant: Juan Ramon.]
10 B.UM, CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ELECTION.
OH, HERE WE NEED TO READ THE CAPTION ON THE ORDINANCE.
UM, MARK IN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN REZONING FROM RESIDENTIAL
[01:05:01]
DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY M TWO DISTRICT FOR A 0.0 FOR A 0.572 ACRE TRACT BEING ALL OF LOT SIX AND LOT 0 1 1 3 ACRES OUT OF LOT SEVEN JH WEST SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 1605 NORTH SEVENTH STREET.APPLICANTS MARIO AND NORMA LEON.
ITEM B CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ELECTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR A REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY R ONE DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX, R TWO DISTRICT FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST PHILMORE AVENUE, BEARING THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT SIX, BLOCK ONE 30 HARLING AND ORIGINAL TOWN SITE APPLICANT.
UH, THIS PROPERTY IS AT THE CORNER OF PHILMORE AND B UH, IN THIS CASE, THE APPLICANT, THE PROPERTY OWNER BUILT A, A SECOND DWELLING UNIT, UH, WITHOUT PROPER PERMITS.
UH, SO HE HAS A ALREADY A SECOND DWELLING, UH, SECOND UNIT IN THE PROPERTY.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE MAIN HOUSE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A BACK BUILDING, WHICH IS THE SECOND UNIT, AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM B STREET.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ON THE LEFT IS THE MAIN HOUSE.
AND THEN ON, ON THE RIGHT IS THE, THE UNIT THAT WAS BUILT WITH A PROPER PERMITS.
UH, IT HAS PLUMBING, IT HAS, UH, RESTROOMS. IT HAS A, A KITCHEN AND A, AND A BEDROOM.
WHAT SIZE IS THAT? IT'S ABOUT 800 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S A SMALL BUILDING, BUT IT HAS, AND IT'S UP ON BLOCKS? YES.
OR YOU COULD SAY A GUEST HOUSE.
UM, SO THE APPLICANT IS WILLING TO HIRE AN ENGINEER TO DO THE UPGRADES ON THE ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, A WINDSTORM, AND, AND DOING ALL EVERYTHING THAT HE NEEDS TO DO TO BRING THE BUILDING UP TO CODE.
BUT THE, THE ZONING IS, IS ESSENTIAL.
SO THIS WAS BACKYARD CARPENTRY? YOU CAN, YOU CAN SAY THAT NO, NO PLANS DRAWN UP.
NO, THEY, NO, NO ENGINEERING, NO, NO, NOTHING.
BUT HE IS WILLING TO BACK UP, RIGHT? I MEAN, BACKTRACK.
SO HE'S WILLING, IF THE ZONING IS APPROVED, HE ALREADY CONTACTED AN ENGINEER TO HELP HIM WITH THE PLANS AND IS WILLING TO MAKE ALL THE UPGRADES TO BRING THE BUILDING UP TO CODE AND, AND BE IN COMPLIANCE.
AND HOW WILL WE KNOW, HOW WILL WE ENFORCE THAT? SO WE, HE, HE HAS A CITATIONS IN MUNICIPAL COURT.
HE ALREADY HAS A FEW OF THOSE.
UH, BUT HE'S READY TO SUBMIT PLANS.
HE HAS AN ENGINEER READY TO GO.
WE JUST, HE JUST NEEDS THIS RESIGNING TO BE APPROVED.
UH, SO YOU SAID CITATIONS, PLURAL? YEAH.
HE HAS LIKE THREE OR FOUR CITATIONS.
WHY, WHY MORE THAN ONE? BECAUSE WE HAVE SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO MORE TO, TO GET THE APPLICANT TO, TO RESPOND.
IT'S JUST, UM, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T RESPOND.
SO YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH ANOTHER ONE UNTIL, YEAH.
FINALLY IN MUNICIPAL COURT IT BECOMES A, A MAJOR ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED.
AND NEW BUILDINGS NEED WINDSTORM.
SO THE, THE ENGINEER WILL HAVE TO DO AN ASSESSMENT.
UH, SO THE BUILDING MAY NEED SOME REINFORCEMENT SO THAT IT COMPLIES WITH THE, THE 140 MILES.
WILL THIS HAVE ITS OWN WATER METER? IT'S, IT'S ALREADY CONNECTED TO PLUMBING.
UM, BUT WILL IT HAVE ITS OWN WATER METER? NO.
ONE WATER, ONE METER FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE WHOLE PROPERTY.
AND THAT DOESN'T A DUPLEX, YOU CAN HAVE, YEAH, YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE PROPERTIES ON ONE LOT.
AND, BUT IF IT'S GENERAL, IF IT'S A RESIDE, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE METER.
UH, THAT WAY IT PREVENTS YOU FROM RENTING IT OUT.
I DO, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY HE DIDN'T GO THE TAKE THE STEPS THAT WE WOULD'VE LIKED, BUT WE'D LIKE FOR HIM TO DO THAT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING WITH THIS REZONING, SO THAT WAY, AND YOU'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE IT GETS DONE.
WELL, YES, BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE CITATIONS PENDING IN MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPAL COURT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JAVIER? IS THERE A MOTION? UH, WE, WE HAVE TO READ THE CAPTION.
IN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN REZONING FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY R ONE DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT FOR OUR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST FILLMORE AVENUE, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT SIX BLOCK ONE 30 HARLAN AND ORIGINAL TOWN SITE.
IS THERE MOTION? MOTION SECOND.
[Item 10c - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on first reading for a rezoning request from Residential, Single Family (“R-1”) to Residential, Duplex (“R-2”) District for Lots 136 and 137, Block 2, Avondale Subdivision, located at 2113 and 2115 Barcelona Avenue. Applicant: Homero D. Guerra.]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE OF FIRST READING FOR A REZONING FROM A RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY.[01:10:01]
THE RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT FOR LOTS.BLOCK TWO EVANDALE SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 2113 AND 2115 BARCELONA AVENUE.
SO THIS IS ON BARCELONA, JUST LIST OF GREEN 77.
ON THIS PROPERTY, NO CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN DONE THERE DOING EVERYTHING THE CORRECT WAY.
AND SO THERE'S AN EXISTING HOUSE IN ONE OF THE LOT, ONE OF THE PROPERTIES.
IF THE ZONING IS APPROVED, THEY WANT TO MAKE AN ADDITION TO THE BACK TO MAKE A SECOND UNIT AND THEN A NEW DUPLEX IN THE OTHER LOT THAT IS VACANT.
THERE ARE SEVERAL DUPLEXES ACROSS THE STREET.
SO THAT'S THE PROPERTY WITH THE EXISTING HOUSE ON THE LEFT AND THEN THE VACANT LOT ON THE RIGHT.
AND THEN THESE ARE THE EXISTING DUPLEXES, UH, ACROSS THE STREET.
UH, SO IT'S KIND OF IN LINE WITH WHAT WAS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NO, NO OPPOSITION AND PLANNING.
AND SONY COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL UNANIMOUSLY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MARK, IF YOU READ THE CAPTION IN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN REZONING FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY R ONE DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX R TWO DISTRICT FOR LOTS.
BLOCK TWO AVONDALE SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 2 1 1 3 AND 2 1 1 5 BARCELONA AVENUE.
[Item 10d - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on second and final reading for the voluntary annexation of an 18.788-acre tract of land out of Block 33, David and Stephenson Subdivision, located along the east side of Crossett Road approximately 3,260 feet north of Loop 499. Applicant: River Creek Management, LLC.]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 18.788 AC ACRES, TRACK OF LAND OUTER BLOCK 33.DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION LOCATED ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF CROSSETT ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 3,260 FEET NORTH OF LOOP 4 99.
APPLICANT RIVER CREEK MANAGEMENT, LLC.
SO THIS COM THIS SUBDIVISION WILL BE IN COMMISSIONER LOPEZ DISTRICT.
IS, UM, IS THIS ONE THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOT NOWHERE? THE, THE QUESTION THAT'S, IS THIS BETWEEN, UH, IS THIS SUBDIVISION HALF OF IT IN S AND THE OTHER HALF IN, CORRECT? YES.
YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE THE, THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE WHOLE SUBDIVISION.
UH, ON THE SCREEN, THE HIGHLIGHTED, THE ONE HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE IS IN RTJ.
THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH IS COMMS AS CITY LIMIT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A STRANGE SITUATION, BUT THE, THE SECTION IN RTJ, THE DEVELOPER WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO BE, UH, IN HARINGTON CITY LIMITS AND GET THE CITY SERVICES.
CAN YOU HAVE SOME OF THAT ALREADY IN YOUR, IN YOUR DISTRICT? THAT'S THE ONE RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
THEY, THEY WOULD'VE TO, YOU KNOW, MARK WOULD'VE TO DO IT THROUGH LEGAL.
SO THAT WOULD'VE TO DNX THEY WOULD'VE TO DNX AND THEN WE WOULD'VE TO ANNEX IT.
AND BASED ON CONVERSATIONS I HAD, AT LEAST WITH THE PREVIOUS MAYOR, UH, THERE WAS NO APPETITE FOR IT.
I HAVEN'T TALKED TO THE CURRENT MAYOR, UH, UH, SILVER.
RIGHT? I THINK HE'S THE CURRENT MAYOR.
I HAVEN'T TALKED TO HIM ABOUT.
I THINK IT'S WORTH A TRY TO ASK.
YOU KNOW, MARK WOULD BE NICE IF THE WHOLE THING WAS INSIDE HARING.
GABE, COULD YOU REACH OUT TO SILVER TO SEE IF HE'S WILLING, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE MAYOR OF COMMS AND THEIR COMMISSION TO SEE IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO, TO DE ANNEX IT AREA? YEAH.
ALL WE CAN DO IS ASK, RIGHT? I CAN ASK.
AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE IF THAT IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO DO.
ALSO, I THINK HARLING AND WATERWORKS WOULD LIKE TO WEIGH IN ON PROBABLY THAT ORANGE AND WATERWORKS IS ALREADY GONNA BE THE ONE THAT GIVES THIS WHOLE AREA WATER.
WELL THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD DEPEND ON WHO HAS THE CCC.
MARK, WILL YOU READ THE CAPTION IN ORDER TO EXTENDING THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN BY ANNEXING FOR FULL PURPOSE, AN 18.788 ACRE TRACT OF LAND AT A BLOCK 33.
DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF CROSSETT ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 3,260 FEET NORTH OF LOOP 4 99, BINDING THE LAND TO ALL OF THE ACTS, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND REGULATIONS OF THE CITY APPROVING AN ANNEXATION SERVICES AGREEMENT, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
[Item 10e - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on first reading amending the City of Harlingen Code of Ordinances Chapter 111, Article XIII, Section 111-62, Use Chart, by establishing the boundaries of the major commercial corridors, and prohibiting the car wash use in the said major corridors due to safety. Applicant: City of Harlingen.]
ITEM E CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE OF FIRST READING, AMENDING THE CITY OF HAREN.CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER ONE 11.
ARTICLE 13, SECTION ONE 11 DASH 62 USED, CHARGED BY ESTABLISHING
[01:15:01]
THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MAJOR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND PROHIBITING THE CAR WASH SHOES IN THE SAID MAJOR COURT DUE TO SAFETY.I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE FROM TABLE AND BRING IT ON.
IT IS NOW REMOVED FROM THE TABLE AND OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
MAY I SPEAK? UH, SHOULD WE, DO YOU HAVE, LET'S LET SURE.
UH, SO WE MAPPED WHAT WE DID SINCE THE LAST MEETING.
WE MAPPED THE EXISTING CAR WASHES, WHICH ARE THE ONES IN YELLOW, AND THEN THE ONES UNDER CONSTRUCTION ARE IN BLUE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKET AN ALTERNATIVE, UH, ORDINANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO LISTED THE ALL THE CAR WASHES.
CAN YOU REPEAT? HOW MANY CAR WASHES DO WE HAVE ALREADY? ABOUT 20 TOTAL.
CAN YOU GET, I KNOW YOU SAW THERE'S A LIST THERE OF OTHER CAR WASHES.
CAN YOU PUT THAT UP THERE? HERE THEY ARE.
AND I'M SORRY, MIKE, YOU WERE GONNA SAY SOMETHING? YES.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING, I DON'T KNOW WHO BROUGHT THIS BEFORE PLANNING AND ZONING, UM, BUT IT'S VERY SUSPICIOUS THAT SOMEONE OR SOME PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO STOP COMMERCE IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
BUT THE PLANNING AND ZONING SAID, NO WAY ON THIS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU UP HERE HAVE READ THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO? THE TWO GUYS TO ME, TO THE, TO MY LEFT.
JUST GROANED THE PROBLEM, MIKE.
IS THAT ONE? WE'RE IN THE S OF A TWO.
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I'M GONNA VOTE BECAUSE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DO BELIEVE IN THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM.
I HAVE WORKED IN THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY, IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTION.
I'M BRINGING UP THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTA BY CARL MARX.
I'VE READ IT THREE OR FOUR TIMES TO LEARN FROM IT.
AND THERE'S ONLY ONE VALID POINT IN THERE.
CAPITALISM IS A ROUGH SYSTEM, BUT I'LL ADD THAT.
IT'S THE FINEST ECONOMIC SYSTEM EVER INVENTED.
AND THEN THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO, THEY TALK ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLLING THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION.
THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO CONTROL THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION ON CAR WASHES.
I HATE SOCIALISM IN ALL OF ITS FLAVORS.
IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO SUCCEED AND ALLOWS PEOPLE TO FAIL, BUT THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR OWN MONEY OR BORROWED MONEY UP FOR THIS TO TAKE A BUSINESS RISK.
AND IF SOME OF THESE FAIL, SO BE IT.
IF THEY ALL SUCCEED, SO BE IT.
BUT WHAT THIS COMES DOWN TO IS ALLOWING THE BELLS OF ECONOMIC FREEDOM TO RING.
AND I ROOT, YOU KNOW, I'M A CHAMBER AMBASSADOR.
I CUT RIBBONS ALL THE TIME, ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND I WANT EVERY BUSINESS TO SUCCEED.
AND I KNOW SOME OF THEM WILL FAIL, BUT THEY'RE TAKING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL RISK TO TRY TO MAKE A BUCK AND TRY TO SUCCEED.
AS WE HAD WITH, UM, ERICA FROM, UH, CAFE 4 0 9.
AND THERE'S ONLY TWO BUSINESS OWNERS UP HERE, MAYOR NORMAN, MYSELF.
IF YOU'RE GONNA SELL DONUTS OR CAR WASHES OR ANY GOODS, IF YOU'RE GONNA SELL, SELL COFFEE, YOU NEED TO BE ON MAIN ROADS.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE TRAFFIC IS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE SET ASIDE TO SOME OBSCURE STREET WHERE NOBODY WILL DRIVE BY AND KNOW OF YOUR EXISTENCE.
WHERE GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES A BUSINESSES FAILURE.
YOU LET THE ECONOMIC BELLS OF RE FREEDOM RING, I REPEAT MYSELF.
SO WHAT IF WE'RE CAR WASH CITY? IT'S BETTER TO BE KNOWN THAT THAN ANY OTHER, OTHER THINGS.
AND HAVING CAR WASHES IN YOUR TOWN IS NOT A NEGATIVE THING.
PEOPLE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THEY GET THEIR CAR WASHED HERE OR THERE OR NOT AT ALL.
THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS WILL DRIVE THE ECONOMY OF CAR WASHES, DO NOT GET IN A CITIZEN'S WAY TO SPEND THEIR MONEY AS THEY WANT IT.
AND CAR WASHES ARE VERY SAFE AND VERY WATER
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EFFICIENT.THEY HAVE FILTRATION SYSTEMS, THEY GATHER THE WATER, THEY FILTER IT OUT, AND THEY REUSE IT.
IT'S WAY MORE EFFICIENT THAN YOU AND I GOING OUT ON OUR DRIVEWAY WASHING A CAR WITH THE HOSE RUNNING.
AND AS FOR SALES TAX DOLLARS, WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, THE LEGAL COMMUNITY, THE FINANCIAL COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE, WE DON'T, AND THE HEALTHCARE FACILITIES, AND YOU ALREADY HEARD RENEE, UH, FROM STACK SAY WE'RE LOSING NURSES AND WE'RE LOSING DOCTORS IN THIS TOWN, BUT THEY DON'T PAY ANY SALES TAX.
SO WE SHOULD GET RID OF 'EM ALL.
YOU EVER TRIED TO DRIVE DOWN ED CAREY AND PULL AND DRIVE BY STARBUCKS? THE TRAFFIC'S BACKED OUT ON ED CAREY YOU EVER TRY IN THE MORNING TO DRIVE DOWN, DOWN ED CAREY? AND, AND YOU SEE, UH, WHATABURGER AND THEY'RE LINED UP ON THE RIGHT LANE TO GET IN THE WHATABURGER.
WE DON'T WANNA PROHIBIT THOSE BUSINESSES.
WE WANT ALL BUSINESSES TO THRIVE.
AND THE CITY DOES NOT ATTRACT BUSINESSES.
THIS OUR JOB IS TO MAKE A CITY A LOWER TAX BASE AND A PLEASANT LOOKING PLACE IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN LIVE AND WORK.
AND SO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL SORTS OF COMMERCE IN THIS CITY.
SO I TAKE IT YOU'RE AGAINST
COMMISSIONER, UM, COMMENTS? NO, I'M READY TO VOTE COMMENTS.
UM, FIRST OFF, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, UH, MIKE.
UM, BUT I WOULD DISAGREE WITH SAYING THAT, UM, THIS IS, FIRST OFF, THIS IS NOT A BAND ON CAR WASHES.
IT'S NOT A BAND CAR WASHES WILL BE, WOULD BE FREE TO, UM, TO COME INTO HAREN.
ALL WE'RE ASKING IS THAT THEY NOT BE IN THE MAJOR CORRIDORS OF OUR CITY.
BECAUSE MY BIGGEST FEAR, UM, FOR THESE CAR WASHES, 'CAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE FREE SYSTEM, FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM, JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO.
ACTUALLY, I FOUGHT FOR THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM JUST LIKE YOU AND FORT KINGSLEY DID.
SO SAYING THAT WE'RE COMMUNISTS AND ALL THAT, THAT DOESN'T WORK.
BUT GOING BACK TO THE ISSUE AT HAND, UM, MY BIGGEST FEAR WHEN IT COMES TO THESE CAR WASHES IS THAT, UM, YOU ARE RIGHT FREE ENTERPRISE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DICTATES WHO'S GOING TO WIN AND WHO'S GOING TO FAIL, WHICH IS GOOD.
THAT'S HOW IT'S THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
THAT'S WHAT OUR, THAT'S HOW THE, THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES IS.
BUT MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY OF THESE CAR WASHES THAT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE 22, 22 CAR WASHES FOR A POPULATION OF ABOUT, WHAT, 74,000? I THINK THAT'S THE LAST TIME I CHECKED.
SO WE HAVE 22, UM, CAR WASHES.
SO MY BIG ISSUE IS, YOU KNOW, SUPPLY AND DEMAND THAT'S GONNA WORK.
AND SOME ARE GOING TO WIN, SOME ARE GOING TO LOSE.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS EVENTUALLY THIS LITTLE BOOM OF CAR WASHES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW MIGHT EVENTUALLY GO AWAY.
AND IF IT DOES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL THESE EYE SOURCE OF CAR WASHES ON SOME OF THESE MAJOR CORRIDORS.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO SEE.
I DON'T WANNA SEE THESE EYE SOURCE, BECAUSE REMEMBER SOME PEOPLE WERE SAYING, OKAY, WE HAVE TOO MANY C UH, UM, COFFEE SHOPS, WE HAVE TOO MANY, UM, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANT OR, YOU KNOW, COFFEE SHOPS IS AN EXAMPLE PEOPLE TEND TO USE.
THE THING IS WITH COFFEE SHOPS, THAT BUILDING THAT THE COFFEE SHOP USES CAN BE REPURPOSED FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
IT COULD BE USED AS A RESTAURANT, IT COULD BE USED FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT, THAT, UM, THAT BUILDING CAN BE USED FOR.
A CAR WASH HAS A SPECIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT IS, YOU CANNOT REPURPOSE IT FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO IMAGINE JUST RIGHT HERE ON TYLER, THINK ABOUT THE CAR WASHES WE JUST HAVE IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA.
IN FOUR BLOCKS, YOU ENTER HARLINGEN, THE FIRST THING YOU SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE BLUE WAVE.
OKAY? AND THEN YOU GO, MAY NOT EVEN HALF A BLOCK FURTHER, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT NEW ONE THAT'S GOING TO BE BUILT RIGHT THERE.
AND THEN IF YOU MOVE ONE BLOCK, UH, TO THE, TO THE RIGHT TO THE SOUTH, YOU'RE GONNA SEE ANOTHER CAR WASH THAT'S IN THE CORNER RIGHT NEXT TO THE MOVIES.
AND THEN RIGHT ON THE FOLLOWING, UM, BLOCK RIGHT THERE ON LINCOLN, YOU SEE ANOTHER CAR WASH THAT'S RIGHT THERE GOING TO BE RIGHT ACROSS FROM HEB.
THAT'S NOT EVEN INCLUDING THE NEW ONE THAT THEY HAVE ON SAM'S, WHICH IS IN THAT SAME SMALL RADIUS.
SO IMAGINE THESE CAR BUSINESS, THESE CAR WASHES GO OUT OF BUSINESS.
WHAT HAPPENS? YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THESE EYES SOURCE.
SO WHEN PEOPLE DRIVE INTO HARING AND WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO SEE? THESE ABANDONED CAR WASHES THAT NOBODY'S USING.
AND THE THING IS, WE HAVE, UM, THERE, THERE, THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE ON GRIMES, WE HAD A CAR WASH THAT FAILED IN ON GRIMES AND IT WAS LEFT, UM, BASICALLY ABANDONED FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
IT WASN'T JUST UNTIL RECENTLY THAT THEY, THEY SOME CAP SOME INVESTORS CAME IN AND HAD THE CAPITAL TO BULLDOZE THE, UM, THE CAR WASH.
AND NOW THEY'RE, I BELIEVE THEY'RE BUILDING APARTMENTS THERE.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK THEY'RE DOING NOW.
SO THINK ABOUT IT, THESE CAR WASHES ARE GONNA BE UNDER MAJOR CORRIDORS, POSSIBLY ABANDONED, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, UM, THEY GO OUTTA BUSINESS.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE WITH A LOT OF MONEY TO COME IN AND HOPEFULLY BULLDOZE IT AND BUILD SOMETHING ELSE.
THAT IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO PREVENT.
I DON'T WANT US, MIKE MAY BE OKAY WITH HARINGTON BEING KNOWN AS THE CAPITAL OF CAR WASHES.
I THINK HARGENS BETTER THAN THAT.
I THINK HARINGTON DESERVES BETTER THAN THAT.
WE HAVE SO MANY MORE BUSINESSES, UM, HERE IN HARINGTON THAT WE SHOULD BE KNOWN FOR.
AND CAR WASHES SHOULD NOT BE ONE OF 'EM.
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IS JUST THAT WE, WE, WE CAN DO BETTER.AND I KNOW THERE'S ANOTHER, UM, UM, UH, THERE WAS A COMPROMISE KIND OF, SORT OF, UM, ORDINANCE THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE SHOULD KEEP ANOTHER POINT THAT I WANNA BRING UP.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NO SAY WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESSES, MIKE, BUT WE DO THAT ALREADY.
WE LITERALLY SAY, OKAY, THIS BUSINESS CAN BE HERE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A BAN ON CAR WASHES.
AND THE THING IS THAT YOU SAY CONSISTENT, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS IT A YEAR AGO IN APRIL, WE HAD A YOUNG BUSINESS WOMAN THAT CAME HERE.
SHE WAS A YOUNG BUSINESSWOMAN THAT HAD A BUSINESS IN SAN ANTONIO.
SHE CAME OVER HERE TO HARLINGEN AND SHE WANTED TO OPEN UP A BUSINESS IN ON, ON TYLER RIGHT THERE.
SHE WANTED TO OPEN A BUSINESS.
AND THAT BUSINESS, SHE WAS THERE WAS, SHE WAS GOING TO BE SELLING WHAT SOME PEOPLE MAY CONSIDER TABOO, BUT SHE WAS SELLING ADULT LINGERIE.
AND SHE CAME HOME, SHE CAME TO OUR MEETING.
UM, SHE, UM, GAVE US A PASSIONATE SPEECH, HOW THIS WAS HER DREAM TO OPEN UP HERE IN HAREN AND THAT SHE HAD FINALLY SAVED ENOUGH CAPITAL TO INVEST IN THIS.
AND SHE, THIS IS WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO.
THESE EVERYBODY HERE ON HERE WAS HERE ON THAT COMMISSION.
AND THAT HAPPENED APRIL OF LAST YEAR.
AND, UM, MOST OF YOU RIGHT NOW ARE GONNA SAY THAT, OH, I'M FOR BUSINESS.
BUT THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT VOTED FOR THIS YOUNG LADY TO ACTUALLY HAVE HER BUSINESS WAS MYSELF AND MIKE.
EVERYBODY ELSE SAID, NO, WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO HAVE THIS BUSINESS.
ALL BECAUSE SHE SOLD, UM, LINGERIE, ADULT LINGERIE, UM, ON HER BUSINESS.
SO YOU'RE IN ESSENCE, YOU, YOU GUYS ARE PICKING AND CHOOSING.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT YOUNG LOCAL, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND THESE COMPANIES, THESE COMPANIES ARE COMING INTO HARNESS AND BUILDING UP THESE CAR WASHES? I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THE DIFFERENCE.
YOU'RE NOT BEING, UM, HOW'S IT CALLED? YOU'RE NOT BEING CONSISTENT.
YOU'RE REGULATING WHEN YOU WANT TO JUST BECAUSE IT GOES AGAINST YOUR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH, UM, I DON'T KNOW, WITH ADULT, ADULT LINGERIE OR SOMETHING, BUT YOU'RE NOT BEING CONSISTENT.
ALL I'M ASKING IS IT'S NOT GOING TO BE BANNED.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A BAN ON CAR WASH.
ALL WE'RE ASKING IS THAT THEY GET RELOCATED SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UM, OTHER THAN THE MAJOR CORRIDORS.
AND ANYBODY IN REAL ESTATE OR ANYBODY THAT'S OPENED THE BUSINESS WILL TELL YOU LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
AND YOU WANNA HAVE AS MANY CARS DRIVE BY YOUR BUSINESS.
'CAUSE SOONER OR LATER, ONE OF THOSE CARS WILL TURN INTO YOUR PARKING LOT AND PURCHASE SOMETHING FROM YOU.
IF A, IF WE'RE TALKING PRIME LOCATION ON THESE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES, ONE OF THESE CAR WASHES GOES DOWN, THE REAL ESTATE UNDER IT IS WORTH A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
AND SOMEBODY WILL COME ALONG AND TEAR THE PLACE DOWN AND BUILD SOMETHING ELSE IN 10 YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED ON GRIMES.
SO YOU'RE DRAWING AN INFERENCE ON ONE INSTANCE.
AND THAT'S NOT A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE.
AND IT'S A MINOR THOROUGHFARE.
AND IT'S NOT MANY BUSINESSES ON THAT PART OF GRIMES.
AND SO LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
AND IF YOU PUT THESE OFF IN OTHER PLACES, THEY WON'T BE SEEN.
SO ONCE AGAIN, GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO CONTROL THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION AND THAT IS WRONG.
I'M GOING JUST TO INTERJECT HERE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I WANNA PUT ON THE RECORD THAT THERE IS ONLY ADULT LINGERIE.
'CAUSE YOU KEPT EMPHASIZING ADULT, BUT THERE'S ONLY ADULT, THERE'S OTHER TYPE OF LINGERIE.
AND I DO REMEMBER THAT THAT LADY THAT CAME HERE AND I ATTEND AND, AND I, I DO RECALL THAT MIKE VOTED IN FAVOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER YEAH.
BECAUSE WHAT I SAID WAS, IT'S NOT MY CUP OF TEA, BUT IT'S LEGAL BUSINESS.
RIGHT? AND I THINK I AGREED WITH YOU THEN AND, AND I'M AGREEING WITH YOU NOW.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, ONE OF THE THINGS, AT LEAST IIII, I TRULY BELIEVE THIS ENTIRE COMMISSION IS IN SUPPORT OF SMALL BUSINESS, ALL BUSINESS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HARLINGEN AND EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I SAY THIS EVERYWHERE I GO, WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT MESSAGE IS DRIVEN HOME NO MATTER WHAT INDUSTRY IT IS.
BUT YOU CAN'T, UM, IGNORE THAT WE ARE ALSO PUBLIC SERVANTS AND WE ARE HERE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE A VOICE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO I DO WANNA COMMEND COMMISSIONER PEREZ FOR, FOR GOING OUT THERE AND BEING ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND, AND GETTING PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS.
UM, SOMEBODY HERE, I DON'T KNOW, WHICH I DON'T REMEMBER WHO QUOTED ME SAYING THAT WE DON'T GOVERN BASED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE GOVERN AND WE MAKE DECISIONS HERE IN CITY HALL.
AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT NO ONE IS HERE PRESENT.
AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T JUST BE LISTENING TO FOLKS THAT ARE UPSET AND THAT ARE UNHAPPY AND THEY ARE VENTING ON A, ON ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT WHERE WE MAKE DECISIONS.
AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE FOLKS HERE SO THAT THEY CAN
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PROVIDE THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY.UM, NONETHELESS, I DID NOTICE THAT THERE WAS SOME DIVISION WITHIN THE COMMISSION.
AND SO I ASKED JAVIER TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOME FORM OF A COMPROMISE IN, IN TERMS OF CAR WASHES.
I HONESTLY, IT, MY PERSONAL VIEW IS WE HAVE 70,000 PEOPLE, 71,000 PEOPLE, 20 CAR WASHES.
UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN, RIGHT? HOWEVER, THERE IS, UH, A RECENT, UH, SURGE, IF YOU WILL, AND NOT JUST ISOLATED TO HARLINGEN, IT'S ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
BUT MAYBE WE DO NEED TO ENSURE FOR FUTURE, THE FUTURE OF HARLINGEN THAT THERE IS A CONSERVATION COMPONENT IN THESE CAR WASHES.
AND LIKE MIKE SAID, LOOKED INTO A FEW OF THESE AND THEY DO, THEY REALLY DO.
I KNOW THAT BLUE WAVE DOES HAVE A RECYCLING COMPONENT.
THEY USE MUCH LESS WATER THAN FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT ARE VOICING CONCERNS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ENSURING THAT ALL CAR WASHES MOVING FORWARD ALSO HAVE A CONSERVATION, UM, BUSINESS PLAN.
AND SO PROVIDING WHAT'S IN THE PACKET AS AN SUP WOULD GIVE THE CITY, GIVE THE COMMISSION AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN THE NEXT CAR WASH WANTS TO OPEN UP.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT LOCATION.
I DO AGREE LOCATION, LOCATION IS IMPORTANT, WHICH IS WHY WHEN I CAME TO HARLINGEN, I WANTED TO BE ON HARRISON, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WHEN PEOPLE DRIVE BY, THEY'LL SEE YOU.
HOWEVER, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, ISSUES WITH TRAFFIC AND IT IS A CONCERN.
AND, AND SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT THERE'S BACKUP AT CERTAIN RE RESTAURANTS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT BECAUSE WHEN TXDOT COMES KNOCKING AND WANTING TO BUILD MEDIANS IN, IN CERTAIN STREETS, THAT WE ARE ALSO NOT IN FAVOR BECAUSE IT HURTS BUSINESSES.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO DRIVE AROUND THE MEDIAN TO GET BACK TO THE BUSINESS.
THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE THERE ARE FATALITIES.
SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO COME AND TO UNDERSTAND IF A BUSINESS IS GOING TO OPEN, ESPECIALLY ANOTHER CAR WASH, THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH SPACE ON THEIR LOT.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE AND THAT IS GOING TO BE THE REASON WHY FOLKS ARE OUT ON THE STREET.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION IF WE ADD THEM TO THE SUP PROCESS, JUST LIKE THE YOUNG LADY THAT CAME HERE AND BEFORE US, IT WAS AN SUP AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, SHE WASN'T ABLE TO TO OPEN HER HER BUSINESS.
UM, BUT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION DECIDED.
BUT MOVING FORWARD, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALLOW FOR BUSINESS TO CONTINUE TO OPENED HERE IN HARLINGEN, WHETHER IT BE CAR WASHES OR ANY OTHER BUSINESS, BUT FOR THEM TO HAVE TO GO, TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION PRESENT AND FOR THIS COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND AND WEIGH IN ON THAT DECISION.
AND ALSO ALLOWS THE NEIGHBORING, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENCES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO, TO COME AND VOICE THEIR CONCERNS.
YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE A CAR WASH IN YOUR BACKYARD IF YOU'RE IN A, AT YOUR HOME.
AND I KNOW JAVIT AND I TALKED ABOUT IN SOME COMMUNITIES IN THE VALLEY, THAT IS EXACTLY THE CASE.
AND LUCKILY, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE HERE, BUT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE WITHOUT ANY SAFEGUARDS.
SO I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADOPT AS IS.
THERE'S JAVI CAN, CAN WORK ON IT, BUT IT'S NOT LIMITING WHATSOEVER.
BUT IT IS MAKING SURE THAT, THAT THERE IS, UM, CONSERVATION EFFORTS, THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT PARKING, THAT TRAFFIC IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AESTHETICALLY.
UM, WE DO THAT WITH OTHER BUSINESSES, UH, MAKING SURE, UM, WE JUST HAD THE BATTERY STORAGE THAT, THAT WE HAD SEVERAL OF THOSE COME INTO TOWN.
THEY HAVE PROVEN TO BE GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNERS HELPING THE SOCCER COMPLEX, HELPING OTHER AREAS IN, IN TOWN.
AND THAT'S A WAY THAT MAYBE CAR WASHES CAN, CAN DO THE SAME.
AND THEN MAYBE THE COMMUNITY WILL FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THEM.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S AN ALTERNATIVE THAT YOU SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER.
AND I THINK THAT'S A, IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
BUT ULTIMATELY YOU GENTLEMEN GET TO DECIDE.
WELL, KEEP IN MIND, UM, THE CAR WASHES THAT ARE COMING IN, EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS DROPPED SOME MONEY FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP.
AND WE MUST ADHERE TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY'RE NOT OUT HERE JUST TO SAY, OH, I'M GONNA OPEN ONE CAR WASH HERE.
THEY HAVE INVESTED SOME MONEY BEFORE THEY LAY DOWN ANY TYPE
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OF FOUNDATION.SO THEY'RE NOT COMING IN HERE LIGHTLY.
AND WE START PERTAINING THESE, THESE CAR WASHES RIGHT NOW.
WHEN AND WHEN, WHEN IS IT GONNA STOP? IT WAS BROUGHT UP, AND I KNOW THIS, WE HAVE SOME BUSINESSES THAT ARE MOVING AWAY AND WE HAVE A BIG ISSUE.
WATER CONSERVATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT VERY, VERY CLOSELY.
WE WERE GIVEN WHAT A PACKET OF 170 MILLION BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2022, THANKS TO INFLATION.
DO WE NEED REVENUES? OF COURSE WE DO.
AND IF THEY'RE WILLING TO COME IN AND DROP SOME MONEY ON A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND THEY FEEL THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, I'M ALL FOR IT.
I'M NOT GONNA BE ONE THAT'S GONNA ASK 'EM NOT TO COME IN.
I THINK EVERY, I MEAN THE, THESE BIG CAR WASHES, MOST OF THEM.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO DO, TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO FIND OUT THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE OPENING IN HARLINGEN.
UM, THAT THAT'S WHY THEY'RE OPENING ALL, ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT'S A WAY FOR PASSIVE INCOME FOR FOLKS AND EQUITY FUNDS AND PEOPLE THAT JUST KNOW THAT THEY NEED A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN SEE THEIR MONEY CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
SO I, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, IS MARK IS THERE IF RIGHT NOW THE, THE, THE CAPTION IS FOR THIS ORDINANCE TO LIMIT IN SPECIFIC CORRIDORS, RIGHT? BUT I ALSO HAVE ON HERE THIS POTENTIAL FOR AN SUP.
HOW DO I, HOW DO WE WORK ON THAT? OKAY, SO WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA RIGHT NOW AND WHAT THE PUBLIC WAS GIVEN NOTICE ON WAS THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRED OR THAT LIMITED THE PLACEMENT OF NEW CAR WASHES ALONG EXISTING CORRIDORS.
AND THERE'S A SUBSTITUTE ORDINANCE THAT DOES SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IT, IT ADDRESSES THE SAME GENERAL SUBJECT, BUT IT REALLY ADDRESSES SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST AN AMENDMENT OF THIS ORDINANCE, CORRECT? IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ORDINANCE, RIGHT? WE'D HAVE TO SET THAT ORDINANCE FOR FIRST READING, IF THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSION AND ANOTHER MEETING TIME.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THAT, THAT BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
AND WE DON'T NEED TO DISCUSS IT NOW.
EVERYONE CAN THINK ABOUT IT, BUT THEN WE CAN READ THE CAPTION FOR WHAT WAS POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
IS THAT RIGHT? UM, UNLESS, OR IF YOU'RE JUST GONNA WELL, I, I'M NOT, I'M ASKING, I'M ASKING YOU FOR YOUR OPINION.
I I MEAN YOU CAN, IT JUST DEPENDS WHAT ACTION YOU'RE GONNA TAKE ON THE I LIKE TO VOTE'S POSTED.
DO YOU WANNA VOTE IT UP OR DOWN? YES, I WILL.
I I WANNA SAY I'M NOT DONE WITH DISCUSSION THOUGH.
UH, MIKE SAID THAT HE'S COMFORTABLE WITH BEING KNOWN AS THE, AS THE CAPITAL CITY OF CAR WASHES.
SO I WOULD ASK DANIEL AND I WOULD ASK FORD, I WOULD ASK, UM, UM, UM, UM, FRANK, FRANK, UM, TO SEE IF YOU GUYS WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY.
DO YOU FEEL AS MIKE DOES THAT A IT'S OKAY FOR US TO BE KNOWN AS THE CAPITAL OF CAR WASHES HERE IN THE RG AND IN WHAT STATISTICAL ANALYSIS HAVE YOU DONE, AGAIN, TO DETERMINE WE'RE THE CAPITAL OF CAR WASHES IN THE VALLEY OR THE STATE OF TEXAS? I'M, I'M ASKING A SIMPLE QUESTION AND THEN NO, IT'S NOT A SIMPLE QUESTION.
MIKE, WHAT'S YOUR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS? MIKE, I DON'T INTERRUPT YOU.
UM, BECAUSE THE REASON I'M ASKING 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T SHOW UP.
THE THING IS, THE REASON WHY I THINK SOME OF THESE PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP IS BECAUSE THEY'RE CYNICAL.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF, THAT'S A, BECAUSE I'M ON SOCIAL MEDIA A LOT AND I THINK THAT THERE'S, I MISHEARD YOU.
YOU THINK THAT THEY'RE WHAT? CYNICAL.
THEY'RE CYNICAL BECAUSE I HEARD SINGLE.
I BELIEVE A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE, AND THAT'S WHAT I GET FRUSTRATED.
THAT'S WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CYNICAL, UM, WITH GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THEIR LEADERS DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO 'EM AND DON'T, UM, YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO THEM.
AND, AND I FIND THAT'S WHY EVERY TIME WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE THAT COME TO OUR MEETINGS, THAT'S WHY I GO OUTTA MY WAY TO SHAKE THEIR HANDS AND TELL 'EM, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR COMING BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO FEEL WELCOME.
I WANT THEM TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS.
UM, BUT I THINK LIKE A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THAT, THAT I SAW ONLINE THAT WERE STRONGLY ADVOCATING AGAINST THIS, THEY FEEL THAT THEIR VOICES ARE NOT BEING HEARD.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT WE, I KNOW I'M NOT ASKING US TO, YOU KNOW, RULE FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
LIKE, LIKE SOME PEOPLE SUGGEST.
WHAT I'M JUST SAYING IS TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION BECAUSE WHY I WOULD PREFER THEM TO COME OVER HERE TO THE MEETING.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS TELL MY STUDENTS AS A TEACHER.
I WAS LIKE, HEY, YOU NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
YOU NEED TO SHOW UP AND DO ALL THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, NOWADAYS, THAT THAT IS A, A FORM OF COMMUNICATION THAT PEOPLE USE.
THEY USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO, UM, TO, UM, TO, TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
AND SOME OF IT'S BAD, OF COURSE, AND SOME OF IT'S GOOD.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMENTS, THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMENTS IS CAUTIOUS ENOUGH.
SO I I, I WALKED IN HERE KNOWING TODAY THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE DEAD.
I KNEW THAT I, IN FACT, MIKE JUST PUT IT ON LIFE SUPPORT LAST WEEK.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS WANTED TO KILL IT LAST TIME.
[01:40:01]
I KNEW THIS WASN'T GOOD, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT ON ON THERE THAT, THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE.WE'RE LISTENING TO PEOPLE, WE'RE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION.
I DON'T WANT US TO JUST GO AROUND AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE KILLING IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO EVEN CONSIDER IT.
AND SO I'M GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION.
SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, WOULD YOU GUYS, ARE YOU GUYS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT? I I'M PREPARED TO VOTE.
MY VOTE WILL INDICATE WHAT I THINK.
YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH FORD HERE, BUT RENEE, I REALLY HAVE TO COMMEND YOU, MAN.
YOU, I THINK OUT OF ALL OF US, YOU'RE THE BEST IN TUNED WITH WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
YOU DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF, OF REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE TO GET DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW ON THIS.
AND THE WAY I AM INTERPRETING THE SOCIAL MEDIA IS THAT THAT PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON US, WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE EDC THAT PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON US TO, UH, PROMOTE OTHER BUSINESSES TO COME INTO TOWN.
UH, AND SO I, I APPRECIATE THEIR FRUSTRATIONS AND IT MAKES ME WORK THAT MUCH HARDER WITH OUR A DC MAKES US MUCH WORK THAT MUCH HARDER, UH, TO BRING IN THIS INDUSTRY SO THAT THEN WE CAN SUPPORT, UH, UM, THE RETAIL THAT PEOPLE WANT.
I WOULD LOVE, JUST LIKE MR. PENA SAID FOR ONE DAY, HARRISON AND TYLER TO LOOK LIKE RODEO DRIVE.
UH, BUT I, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.
I DO, BUT I'M READY TO VOTE AS WELL.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION,
SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY? UM, SAYING NO, THAT WE CAN'T HAVE ANY RE WE DON'T WANT ANY RESTRICTIONS ON CAR WASHES AND WE, WE DON'T WANT IT.
WE WANT IT TO GO AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LET THEM COME.
AND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW TO WHAT WE DID IN APRIL? I MEAN, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? IS IT BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE WAS SELLING OR WHAT, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? I DON'T SEE IT FOR ME BECAUSE, BECAUSE LAST TIME YOU GUYS WERE ALL FOR REGULATING AND THEN RIGHT NOW YOU'RE ALL AGAINST IT.
SO I JUST DUNNO WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
I TELL YOU WHAT, FOR ME IT WAS A DISTANCE BETWEEN THAT LOCATION AND THE CHURCH.
AND I DID GET, AND I DID GET CALLS, OKAY? SO I ALSO LISTENED TO MY CONSTITUENTS.
OKAY? SO FOR ME, THAT WAS MY CALL.
THAT'S WHY I WENT AGAINST THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS AT THAT LOCATION.
GRANTED, AS A KID, THERE WAS PLENTY OF BARS DOWN THAT STREET, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL OF THAT AS THERE WERE PLENTY OF, UH, POOL HALLS.
OKAY? I DIDN'T HAVE A CONTROL OF THAT.
BUT TODAY, YES, PEOPLE CALL AND SAY, HEY COMMISH, KEEP THIS IN MIND.
AND I DO LISTEN AND NO, I'M NOT MR. FACEBOOK, I'LL TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW.
OKAY? BUT THAT'S MY REASONING.
REI, WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR CAR WASHED? IT'S CALLED HIS, HIS NAME IS REI PETS JR.
WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO LESA ON HARRISON? I HAPPEN TO USE GOV DOWN ON, UM, ED CARE.
MAKE A MOTION TO DENY THIS ORDINANCE.
SECOND, DO WE HAVE TO RECAPTURE READ IT? YEAH.
IN ORDINANCE, AMENDING THE CITY OF HARLO AND CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 1 1, 1 ZONING ARTICLE, UH, 13 SECTION, UH, A HUNDRED ELEVEN SIXTY TWO.
USE CHART BY ESTABLISHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MAJOR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND PROHIBITING THE CAR WASH, USE, AND THE SAID MAJOR CORRIDORS DUE TO SAFETY, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION IN ORDER TO ANY OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING, MAKE A MOTION TO REJECT THIS ORDINANCE.
OKAY,
WELL, THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR THAT LIVELY DISCUSSION.
[Item 10f - Consideration and possible action to approve the preliminary construction plans and final plat with conditions of the proposed East Treasure Haven Phase II Subdivision, located at the northeast corner of Haine Drive and Whalen Road, being 25.33 acres compromised of 10.0 acres out of Lot 9, 9.99 acres out of Lot 10, 2.67 acres out of Lot 15, and 2.57 acres out of Lot 16, Block 146, San Benito Land and Water Company Subdivision. Applicant: Scheibe Consulting.]
F, CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ELECTION TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND FINAL PLAN WITH THE CONDITIONS PROPOSED.UH, EAST TREASURE HAVEN, PHASE TWO SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF HAYNES DRIVE AND WAYLAND ROAD BEING 25.33 ACRES COMPRISED OF 10.0 ACRES OUT OF LOT NINE, 9.99 ACRES OUT OF LOT 10, 2.67 ACRES OUT OF LOT 15 AND 2.57 ACRES OUT OF LOT.
1 46 SAN BENITO LAND AND WATER COMPANY SUBDIVISION APPLICANT CHIEF'S CONSULTING, UM, CONSULTING COMPANY.
I GUESS THIS IS, UH, MR. ES, UH, SUBDIVISION THAT WAS MENTIONED, UH, LAST WEEK, THAT HE'S HAVING TO PAY, UH, ADDITIONAL FEES TO HAR WATERWORKS.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY REASON WHY THIS IS COMING BEFORE YOU.
THEY'RE PROPOSING TO WIDEN THIS DITCH, UH, FOR THE DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS.
OKAY, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? THERE'S,
[01:45:01]
THIS IS NOT AN ORDINANCE, IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND.[Item 10g - Consideration and possible action to authorize the closing, vacating, transferring, and abandonment of a 0.05 acre tract of land located between Lot 27, Block 2, L & L Subdivision and Lot D, Southwest Harlingen Addition, located on the west side of “K” Street approximately 48 feet north of Filmore Avenue, and authorizing the City Manager to execute all documents for the conveyance and release of alley right-of-way and convey to James DeLeon. Applicant: James DeLeon]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CLOSING, VACATING, TRANSFERRING AND ABANDONMENT OF A 0.05 ACRE TRACK OF LAND LOCATED BETWEEN LAW 27, BLOCK TWO L AND L SUBDIVISION AND LOT DD SOUTHWEST HARLINGEN EDITION, LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF K STREET, APPROXIMATELY 48 FEET NORTH OF PHILMORE AVENUE, AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS FOR THE CONVEYANCE AND RELEASE OF ELLIE RIGHT AWAY AND CONVEY TO JAMES DE LEON, APPLICANT JAMES THE LEON.SO ON FILLMORE AND K STREET, THERE'S A, AN AN ALLEY THAT GOT DEDICATED A HUNDRED YEARS AGO THAT DOESN'T CONNECT TO ANYTHING.
WE CHECK WITH ALL THE UTILITY COMPANIES.
NOBODY HAS, UH, ANY OBJECTIONS.
THE PROPERTY OWNER TO THE SOUTH IS VERY INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THE PROPERTY.
HEY, MARK, YOU WANNA JUST READ THE ORDINANCE PLEASE? JUST REAL QUICK.
WE WOULD HAVE TO APPRAISE A PROPERTY, YES.
AND THEN, AND THEN GET THE APPRAISED VALUE.
AND THAT WILL BE THE NEXT STEP IS, UH, FOR AN APPRAISAL TO BE DONE, THAT HAS TO BE PAID BY THE, THE INTERESTED OWNER.
AND THEN WHATEVER VALUE HE COMES OUT TO, HE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.
SO JUST A MOTION, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, DETERMINES THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.
SO THE, THE APPRAISAL APPRAISAL, A LICENSED APPRAISAL COMPANY IS HIRED BY THE CITY, AND, UH, AND WHATEVER THAT VALUE COMES OUT TO, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY TO PURCHASE THE LAND FROM THE CITY.
YEAH, THAT WAS, LET ME TAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
SO, WHICH, LOOKING WE'RE, WE GOT A LOT OF VETERANS HERE, RIGHT? THE VETERANS PROBABLY WANNA GO HOME.
WELL, YOU, YOU MAY I SEE DANNY OVER THERE,
AND MARISELA, I JUST WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR TIME AFTER ALL.
I MEAN, YOU FOUGHT FOR US AND ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S SWITCH ONE P, P, ITEM P.
[Item 10p - Consideration and possible action authorizing City Manager to purchase a canopy, a table, and chairs for the Veterans Advisory Board to be used during Market Days Events.]
TAKE ITEM P.SO THAT WAY, IF YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY, BUT IF YOU WANNA GO HOME, YOU CAN.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT EVERY SUNDOWN, EVERY, UH, MARKET DAYS AND FARMER'S MARKET.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WE CAN GO BACK.
[Item 10h - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading amending Chapter 38 (Solid Waste), Master Fee Schedule of the Harlingen Code of Ordinances, establishing fees for commercial trash containers, provided by the City of Harlingen as they relate to Chapter 38-69.]
H, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING CHAPTER 38, SOLID WASTE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE OF THE HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, ESTABLISHING FEES FOR COMMERCIAL TRASH CONTAINERS PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AS THEY RELATE TO CHAPTER 38 DASH 69 ATTACHMENT PUBLIC WORKS.THIS ITEM WAS TABLED DURING THE MEETING OF MARCH THE SIXTH, 2024.
CAN WE GET A MOTION TO TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE? TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE.
SECOND, SECOND, SECOND ES ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
SO THIS ITEM, BASICALLY IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO EDUCATE, UH, THE CITIZENS, RIGHT? ON OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE.
IT, IT ONLY STATES THAT WE HAVE A THREE CUBIC CARD SIZE OF CONTAINER FOR TRASH.
WE ARE ADDING ALL THE OTHER DIFFERENT SIZES AND FEES THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS A FOUR CUBIC CARD, SIX, EIGHT, AND A CUBIC CARD.
AND SO IT, IT'S BA BASICALLY, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE ALL THOSE FEES IN OUR ORDINANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS KNOW WHAT, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR FEES ARE.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S ONLY FOR THE THREE CUBIC YARD.
MAYOR, WE WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE THIS AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT WE WERE MISSING THE ORDINANCE, SO IT'S IN YOUR PACKET NOW, SO, OKAY.
SO CAN WE READ THE CAPTION IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS AMENDING CHAPTER 18, MASTER FEE SCHEDULE OF THE HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, ESTABLISHING FEES FOR COMMERCIAL TRASH CONTAINERS, COLLECTION AND DISPOSABLE LAW, GARBAGE BRUSH, YARD WASTE, AND TRASH WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS RELATED TO CHAPTERS 38 69, SERVICE CHARGES.
[Item 10i - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading amending Chapter 18, Master Fee schedule of the Harlingen Code of Ordinances, adding the microchip fee for domestic dogs and cats to the services already provided by the City of Harlingen, related to Chapter 6 Animals.]
ITEM I.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING AMENDING
[01:50:01]
CHAPTER 18, MASTER FEE SCHEDULE OF THE HARLING AND CODE OF ORDINANCES, ADDING THE MICROCHIP FEE FOR DOMESTIC DOGS AND CATS TO THE SERVICES ALLOWED, PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF HARLINGEN RELATED TO CHAPTER SIX ANIMALS.I HAVE A QUESTION JUST REAL QUICK FOR, FOR MARK.
UM, DO THEY NEED TO COME AND EVERY TIME THEY'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS? I, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING LIKE THE GOLF COURSE, UM, WE DON'T TELL 'EM HOW MUCH TO SELL THEIR BURGERS FOR OR THEIR, THE BEER AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
UM, IS THIS NECESSARY? UM, WELL, I MEAN, IF IT'S, ONCE YOU PUT IT IN THE CODE OF, ONCE YOU PUT IT IN THE SCHEDULE, YOU, YOU HAVE TO AMEND THE SCHEDULE TO CHANGE IT.
DIDN'T WE ALREADY PUT IT IN THERE? I THINK IT IS, YEAH.
THIS WOULD BE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THIS IS MICROCHIPS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND LET'S MOVE THIS ONE, PLEASE.
I'M SORRY, I'M JUST TRYING TO SAVE.
IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 18, MASTER FEE SCHEDULE OF THE HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, ADDING THE MICROCHIP FEE FOR DOMESTIC DOGS AND CATS TO THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AS THEY RELATE TO CHAPTER SIX, ANIMALS PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OR ORDAINING.
OTHER MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE FOREGOING QUESTION.
IS THIS A COST TO THE CITY OR IT'S A COST TO THE PEOPLE ADOPTING THE DOGS? SO THIS WOULD BE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO THE CITY PAYS A COST FOR THE, FOR THE MICROCHIPS THEMSELVES, AND THEN WE WOULD PASS THAT COST ALONG.
WE, WE PAY ABOUT $7 AND 85 CENTS PER MICROCHIP.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING TO CHARGE $10.
[Item 10j - Consideration and possible action to authorize the city manager to purchase software for the Animal Shelter to be able to enter the animal's data during intakes, update and gather information from microchips and create reports as needed.]
CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO PURCHASE SOFTWARE FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER TO BE ABLE TO ENTER THE ANIMAL'S DATA DURING INTAKES UPDATES, GATHER INFORMATION FROM MICRO SHIPS AND CREATE REPORTS AS NEEDED.IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? JUST QUICK QUESTION.
THE INITIAL COST AND ANNUAL COST.
UH, THE INITIAL COST IS $900 AND THERE IS NO REOCCURRING COST.
HOW LONG IS THAT? 900 BUCKS IS GONNA BE WORTH FOR FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS, 20 AT THIS POINT WE'VE BEEN TOLD THERE IS NO REOCCURRING COST.
SO IT'S JUST THE $900 INITIAL COST.
AS LONG AS THE SOFTWARE KEEPS WORKING.
WE'RE WE, AS LONG AS THE SOFTWARE KEEPS WORKING, WE CAN KEEP USING IT.
AND THERE'S $2 FOR ADOPTION? NO, THAT WOULD, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S SHELTER LOVE, WHICH WOULD BE $2 PER ADOPTION.
UM, THEY REQUIRE A CREDIT CARD TO BE, WE'RE NOT BUYING THAT ONE.
UM, MY RECOMMENDATION IS THE, THE PET POINT.
UM, THAT ONE IS THE FLAT $900, REGARDLESS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ONE WE'RE BUYING
[Item 10k - Consideration and possible action to approve the Animal Rescue Organization Application and the Harlingen Animal Shelter Foster Agreement, which will assist in finding homes for animals at the shelter.]
YES.UH, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION APPLICATION AND THE HARLAND AND ANIMAL SHELTER FOSTER AGREEMENT, WHICH WILL ASSIST IN FINDING HOMES FOR ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER.
THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD ABOUT EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION.
IS THERE A MOTION? MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
SUBJECT TO, UH, GABE, GIVEN IT ONE FINAL READ OVER.
[Item 10l - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading amending the Harlingen Code of Ordinances, No. 08-14, Section II (A), Penalty Fee for false alarms.]
I MAY THANK YOU, SHANNON.UH, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE OF FIRST READING, AMENDING THE HARLING AND CODE OF ORDINANCES.
NUMBER ZERO EIGHT DASH 14 SECTION TWO.
A PENALTY PENALTY FEE FOR FALSE ALARMS. IS THERE A MOTION FOR RELEASE? WE NEED TO READ THE ORDINANCE FIRST.
IS THERE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2008 14, SECTION TWO A RELATING TO FALSE ALARM FEES CHARGED AND CHANGING THE FEES TO $50 EACH.
WHAT DID I GO TOO FAST? YEAH, NO, NO, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
THREE TO FIVE FALSE ALARMS. $75 EACH FOR SIX, SEVEN FALSE ALARMS AND A HUNDRED HOURS EACH FOR EIGHT OR MORE FALSE ALARMS. ALL EFFECTIVE.
BLANK 2024, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE FOREGOING.
UH, MAYOR ON M JUST PLEASE NOTE MY ABSTENTION.
[Item 10m - Consideration and possible action to approve a request from Remi Garza, Elections Administrator of Cameron County, to use the Harlingen Cultural Arts Center, 575 "76" Drive., as an early voting site for the May 4, 2024, General and Special Elections on the dates and times listed below. Monday, April 22nd thru Friday, April 26th 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, April 27th 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 29th thru Tuesday, April 30th 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.]
THANK YOU.[01:55:01]
CONSIDERATION, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.UH, TO APPROVE A REQUEST FROM REMY GARZA, ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR OF CAMERON COUNTY, TO USE THE HARLINGEN CULTURE ARTS CENTER, 5 75 76 DRIVE AS AN EARLY VOTING SITE FOR THE MAY 4TH, 2024, GENERAL ELECTION AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS ON THE DATES AND TIMES LISTED BELOW.
MONDAY, APRIL 22ND THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH FROM NINE TO SEVEN.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 5:00 PM MONDAY, APRIL 20, THE NINTH THROUGH TUESDAY, APRIL 30TH, 9:00 AM TO 7:00 PM MOTION APPROVED.
AND JUST FOR FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER LOPEZ HAS ABSTAINED FROM THIS VOTE.
OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES ITEM, AMEND
[Item 10n - Consideration and possible action to approve a resolution of the City of Harlingen 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 (PUC); 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]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ARLINGTON.SUSPENDING THE APRIL 4TH, 2024 EFFECTIVE DATE OF A EP TEXAS INC.
REQUESTED RATE CHANGE TO PERMIT THE CITY TIME TO STUDY THE REQUEST AND TO ESTABLISH REASONABLE RATES.
APPROVING CORPORATION WITH THE CITY'S SERVICE BY A EP TEXAS AND AUTHORIZING INTERVENTION IN A EP TEXAS INC'S REQUESTED RATE CHANGE PROCEEDING WITH THE COMMISSION.
PPUC, HIRING LLOYD GUS, SLINK ATTORNEYS AND APPEALING REQUIRED REIMBURSEMENTS OF CITY 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.
SECOND JU, JUST TO REINFORCE, GABE, THIS IS OUR ANNUAL BIANNUAL.
SECOND BI COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER PEREZ.
WHOEVER PUT THE AGENDA TOGETHER, LET'S MAKE THOSE LIKE THINGS SHORTER.
POOR FOR, UH, AMANDA WAS READING LIKE A TOLKIEN BOOK.
THIS ONE WAS, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THE WAY WE HAD TO HAVE IT BECAUSE OF THE, UH,
[Item 10o - Consideration and possible action to re-schedule the City Commission Meeting of April 3, 2024, to a future date.]
O CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ELECTION TO RESCHEDULE A CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF APRIL THE THIRD, 2024 TO A FUTURE DATE.UH, MAY I SUGGEST THAT WE MOVE IT TO TUESDAY? TUESDAY BEFORE.
IS THAT'S GONNA BE APRIL 2ND IS YES.
ALL THOSE, OR IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION SECOND.
[Item 10q - Discussion on water and sewer rate discounts for Harlingen Affordable Housing Customers.]
ON WITH ITEM Q, DISCUSSION ON WATER AND SEWER RATES.DISCOUNTS FOR THE HARLINGEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CUSTOMERS.
POWERPOINT, MAYOR TIM IS GONNA MAKE A PRESENTATION UNDECIDED, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU DO HAVE TO TALK TO THEM.
SO WE, WE HAVE A, AN UPDATED PRESENTATION, BUT THE ONLY UPDATE THERE REALLY IS A REDEFINITION OF WHAT THE RATE COMPARISON IS.
I THINK THE MAIN ISSUE THAT WE'VE GOT HERE IS THE REQUEST THAT'S BEEN MADE TO CONSIDER A DISCOUNT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CUSTOMERS IN HARLINGEN, OF WHICH 1000, 1002, UH, WOULD POTENTIALLY BE BENEFICIARIES OF THAT PLAN.
UH, I DID PROVIDE TO THE CITY MANAGER AND I BELIEVE THE COMMISSION SOME OPTIONS FOR THAT.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION FOR ME, I WOULD SUGGEST CONSIDERING JUST A FIXED DOLLAR DISCOUNT, UH, THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT SOME OTHER, THE THREE OTHER ENTITIES, UH, IN THE VALLEY DO.
AND THEY, WITH REGARD TO VETERANS AND SENIORS AND SO FORTH, ADMINISTRATIVELY, IT'S VERY SIMPLE TO DO.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE FROM THE COMMISSION IN TERMS OF WHICH VERSION OR WHAT LEVEL OF DISCOUNT, UH, WOULD THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER.
AND WITH THAT, THEN WE CAN GO AND RECOMPUTE THE RATE PLAN, WHATEVER THAT ANALYSIS WOULD BE.
IT WOULD BE A VERY MINOR TWEAK TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED AND, UM, RECOMMENDED TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH.
I DO HAVE SOME DATA, UH, THAT WAS REQUESTED.
UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS IN, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, THERE ARE ABOUT 29% OF THE 1,338 OF THOSE TOTAL CUSTOMERS WHO ARE 65 AND OLDER, WHO TWO PER 2.3% ARE VETERANS AND 25%, UH, TOTALING A NUMBER OF 330 ARE DISABLED.
SO I THINK THE POINT THERE, UH, THAT WE WOULD MAKE IS THAT THERE IS A CROSS SECTION OF THOSE, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE REPRESENTED IN ANY POTENTIAL DISCOUNT THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD WANT TO OFFER TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING CUSTOMERS.
UM, TAMMY, JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN WE MENTION AFFORDABLE HOUSING CUSTOMERS, WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE RECIPIENTS OF
[02:00:01]
HOUSING AUTHORITY SUBSIDIES.WHETHER IT BE HOUSING AUTHORITY OWNED PROPERTIES OR THE SECTION EIGHT OR SECTION YES.
THAT THEY PROVIDE BENEFITS FOR.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS 'CAUSE WE'RE FAVORING SOME POOR PEOPLE VERSUS OTHER POOR PEOPLE.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO TREAT PEOPLE, YOU SHOULD TREAT 'EM EQUALLY.
AND I KNOW THAT MATHEMATICALLY WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PROVE IN THE CITY WHO'S POOR AND WHO QUALIFIES.
AND THIS IS EASY TO DO BECAUSE THEY'RE IN PUBLIC HOUSING, BUT IT'S NOT, YOU'RE NOT TREATING EVERYBODY EQUALLY.
SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST, COMMISSIONER? I HAVE NO SUGGESTION.
AND I COULD SEE PEOPLE SAYING, OH YEAH, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
YOU DON'T WANNA PIT PEOPLE AGAINST EACH OTHER.
WELL, I THINK, AND IT'S A NOBLE IDEA.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, FOR US TO, I THINK THAT THE DISCUSSION STARTED, AS YOU MENTIONED, I WOULDN'T SAY, UM, I WOULDN'T PUT EVERYBODY IN IN A AND CALL THEM, YOU KNOW, POOR, POOR PEOPLE.
BUT OKAY, LOWER INCOME PEOPLE, UH, I'M POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
UM, NONETHELESS THERE, I THINK THAT THE REASON WHY WE PROPOSED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, 'CAUSE IT WOULD BE EASY TO IDENTIFY FOLKS AND TO CONFIRM THAT THEY IN FACT NEEDED THE ASSISTANCE AND IT, THE BURDEN THAT IT WOULD PLACE, UM, ON ADMINISTRATION OR STAFF AT THE HARLINGEN WATERWORKS.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE ON THE COMMISSION THAT IS CONCERNED.
I KNOW YOU, COMMISSIONER MORALES HAS HAVE EXPRESSED, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT RATES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE IN FIXED INCOME AS WELL AS, AS YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER LOPEZ.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE, IN THE COMMANDED MEETING.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO, TO HELP FOLKS, BUT IT'S JUST HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DO THAT, UM, IN A FAIR AND EQUITABLE WAY? UM, THOSE NUMBERS, I DID GET ALSO FROM HILDA, THAT 65 PLUS, THERE'S 384 PEOPLE.
THERE ARE 32 VETERANS AND 330 DISABLED.
UM, WOULD YOU GIMME THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN PLEASE? MM-HMM,
65 OR OLDER, 32 THAT ARE VETERANS AND 330 DISABLED.
SO WE ARE TOUCHING DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, AS YOU MENTIONED.
UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I, YOU KNOW, IF THIS COMMISSION DOES NOT WANT TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, UM, THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE.
BUT REMEMBER, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE, THIS IS THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S GIVING THEM A SLIGHT DISCOUNT.
THEY ARE STILL GOING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN, IN THEIR BILL, EVEN ON ALL OF THEM AT, AT SOME POINT, SOME EARLIER THAN THAN OTHERS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE LARGER, THE DISCOUNT, THE BIG MORE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IMMEDIATELY.
BUT COME 20, 28, 20 27, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE YEARS, YOU'RE STILL, THERE'S THERE.
EVERYBODY'S BILL IS GOING, IS GOING UP.
AND THIS JUST IS AN EFFORT TO HELP THEM TRANSITION OUT OF HOUSING AND NOT HAVE ADDITIONAL, UM, FINANCIAL BURDENS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL THERE IS THE CONCERN FOR OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I SHARE WITH YOU, BUT I WELCOME IDEAS ON HOW WE WOULD ABLE, WE'D BE ABLE TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
I WOULD RATHER HELP SOME, UM, THAN NONE AT ALL.
I WANNA CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, FIRST THINGS FIRST, I'M TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT AVENUES TO FUND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THAT'S MY NUMBER ONE OBJECTIVE.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER, BUT THIS SPECIFICALLY, JUST SO THAT WAY WE STAY ON TASK.
THIS IS TO, THIS IS JUST DISCUSSION ON THE WATER AND SEWER RATE DISCOUNTS FOR HARLINGEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CUSTOMERS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S, IT'S IT'S WRITTEN THAT WAY.
IT SHOULDN'T BE WRITTEN THAT WAY, BUT HOUSING AUTHORITY, RIGHT.
UM, CUSTOMERS AND POTENTIALLY ANY OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE SIMILARLY SITUATED.
UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, BUT THAT'S NOT WHY TIM IS HERE.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT'S ON THE, ON THE AGENDA.
SO WHAT I WOULD, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME JUST JUMPING IN, WE ALREADY HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT'S KIND OF BEEN PUT TOGETHER WITH COMMISSIONER LES AND COMMISSIONER KINSLEY.
UM, TIM DID ME A, A SOLID LAST NIGHT AND GOT ME THE OTHER TOWNS THAT DO OFFER, UH, DISCOUNTS, WHICH IS FAR WESTCO MERCEDES OUT OF THE THREE WESTCO LOOKS THE BEST TO ME.
BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH THE OTHER, WITH THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
[02:05:01]
TO US IN TWO WEEKS WITH THE RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO PROCEED FORWARD AND THEN WE GO WITH IT.SO THAT COMMITTEE IS NOT FOR THAT.
BUT WE CAN EXPAND THE, THE PURPOSE OF THAT COMMITTEE.
I KNOW RIGHT NOW YOU GUYS ARE, UH, MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, BUT YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES WORKING THE CLOSE MOST CLOSELY WITH WATERWORKS.
I THINK WE JUST EXPAND YOU GUYS.
SO YOU WANT TO, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
SO, BUT LET ME LEMME JUST AHEAD BEFORE YOU NEED THIS SO THAT WAY YOU CAN START WORKING, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
THE CONSULTANT NEEDS THE, THE FINAL PLAN SO THAT WHAT WE CAN, UH, PLACE THAT INTO THE ORDINANCE AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A CERTAIN SCHEDULE, UH, PERHAPS IN APRIL.
I THINK IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DELAY OF TWO WEEKS, THEN WE'RE TALKING MORE OR LESS A MONTH, UH, OF DEFERRAL OF WHEN DECISIONS MIGHT BE MADE ON THE RATE PLAN.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE CONSEQUENCE OF, OF TAKING THAT, UH, ANOTHER STEP AND, AND REVISITING THAT.
IF THE COMMISSION HAD AN IDEA OF WHAT DISCOUNT THEY MIGHT SUGGEST TONIGHT, THEN WE COULD MOVE FORWARD.
WELL, I THINK WE GET AWAY THE OTHER NIGHT PRETTY MUCH IN AGREEMENT ON THE FIXED DOLLAR.
SO IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF DETERMINING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
I MEAN, THE OTHER TWO WERE, THIS IS THE EASIEST AND I THINK THE EASIEST FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND.
SO I THINK IT'D BE EASIER TO, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT AN ADOPTION, UH, TO SAY, OKAY, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT WE'RE GOING WITH $10 OR $20.
IT'S JUST, OKAY, WE, WE LIKE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
MAYBE YOU INCLUDE OTHER PEOPLE OR OTHER SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION, BUT THAT IS WHAT THE GUIDANCE IS.
SO THAT WAY HE CAN DO HIS TOWN HALL AND HE CAN, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK.
SO WE DON'T WANNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME INPUT IN TERMS OF YES, THERE WILL.
SO WE'RE HERE TO PICK THE OPTION.
AND I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE, THE FIXED DOLLAR DISCOUNT AT WHICH DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WAS.
DO WE WANT, WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THAT
NO, I, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, THE REASON I LIKE WESLACO IS 'CAUSE IT OFFERS, THE WAY WESLACO DOES IT IS IT OFFERS DISCOUNTS TO SENIORS, VETERANS, AND DISABLED CITIZENS.
AND I LIKE, I THINK THAT'S A, A LITTLE BIT BROADER, BUT AS I TOLD YOU, MAYOR, AND I'VE TOLD THIS COMMISSION BEFORE, I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT THAT DON'T HAVE SECTION EIGHT HOUSING, BUT THEIR HOUSES ARE SO DILAPIDATED OR THEY'RE IN SUCH FOR FINANCIAL DIRE STRAIT, THEY'RE A LOT VERY ELDERLY.
IT SEEMS TO BE THE, THE GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT I SAW WAS IT WAS ELDERLY COUPLES THAT, UH, ONE OF THE CHILDREN MOVED AWAY OR WHATNOT.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE ONES I WANNA REALLY MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF.
WHICH, WHICH IS WHY I BRING UP EQUALITY.
WE CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE YEAH.
WHO WINS AND WHO, WHO GETS IGNORED BY GOVERNMENT.
YOU HAVE TO TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME, EVEN IF IT'S COST, EVEN IF IT'S COSTLY TO DETERMINE.
SO I'M NOT FOLLOWING, ARE YOU WHAT YOU'RE SAYING COMMISSIONER IS YOU WOULD BE, UM, YOU WOULD AGREE TO PROVIDE THE DISCOUNT TO SENIOR CITIZENS, VETERANS, UM, WHAT ELSE? DISABLED.
AS LONG AS EVERYBODY IN THAT GROUP IS TREATED EQUALLY.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE EXPRESSED.
AND SO WHAT TIM NEEDS IS, IF THAT'S THE CASE, DOES EVERYONE ON THIS COMMISSION OR MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION FEEL, UM, THAT WE WANNA PROVIDE THAT DISCOUNT TO THE COMMUNITY? 'CAUSE THEN TIM HAS TO GO BACK AND CRUNCH THOSE NUMBERS AND THEN EXPLAIN HOW THAT IMPACTS THE, UH, ANALYSIS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE, AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING AND IN THIS COMMITTEE MEETING, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
IF WE WERE TO EXPAND IT BEYOND HOUSING, THEN WE HAVE A MUCH LARGER POOL, WHICH THEN COULD HAVE, UH, BIGGER IMPACTS ON THE OVERALL RATE PLAN.
AND THEN I, I THINK THERE'S, WE, WE DON'T ADMIN, WE DO NOT KNOW ADMINISTRATIVELY HOW YOU GO AND YOU IDENTIFY VETERANS, DISABLED SENIOR CITIZENS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ABUSED.
BUT THEN THOSE CUSTOMERS WOULD HAVE TO COME TO US AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH A VERIFICATION PROCESS FOR SIMPLICITY'S SAKE.
IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT.
HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES AN EXTENSIVE PROCESS WHERE THEY LOOK AT THOSE METRICS.
BUT I THINK WAYS WE, BUT I THINK THE COMMISSIONER IS SAYING IS THAT OTHER CITIES DO IT, WE CAN DO IT ALSO.
SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THAT DONE.
WE DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EFFECTIVENESS OR TO WHAT COST THAT THAT ENTAILS.
UM, WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT IN, IN EARNEST, BUT I THINK THERE'S IMPLICATIONS, IMPLICATIONS TO DOING THAT, THAT ARE, THAT IT MAY NOT BE WORKING WELL FOR WESLEY CO.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE COMMISSION'S DESIRE IS THAT WE EXPLORE THAT, THEN I THINK THEN I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT.
AND, AND I THINK ONE THING JUST TO CON UH, CONSIDER AND KEEP IN MIND IS THAT THIS IS NOT SETTING THE RATE CORRECT.
[02:10:01]
GIVING YOU A PARAMETER TO USE WHEN YOU GO OUT TO YOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS BECAUSE THE RATE STILL HAS TO BE SET BY ORDINANCE.AND SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE WOULD, THE GUIDANCE THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE TONIGHT, UH, IF IF TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT FOR THAT, WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THAT INTO, UH, OR WE WOULD WORK OUT THAT RATE PLAN PRESENTED AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THE ORDINANCE, THAT WOULD BE THE BASIS OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER.
BUT, BUT IT CAN STILL BE TWEAKED IN FUTURE MEETINGS.
THE ONLY THING I THINK IS THAT ISSUE WOULD BE AN ARBITRARY NUMBER THAT YOU WOULD BE USING SINCE THERE'S NO WAY FOR YOU TO KNOW FOR SURE HOW MANY FOLKS THAT YOU SERVE ARE WITHIN THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, DEMOGRAPHICS.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S PROBABLY CHALLENGING AT THIS POINT.
BUT IT SEEMS THAT, THAT, THAT IS WHAT THE COMMISSION IS ASKING OF YOU.
UNLESS I'M READING, I'M NOT READING THE COMMISSION CORRECTLY, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE.
AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION AND FOR TIM, WHEN YOU SAY VETERANS, IS THIS ALL VETERANS OR VETERANS THAT ARE, THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THE DISABLED AND UM, LOWER INCOME? I'M JUST FOLLOWING BASED ON THE THREE OPTIONS I WAS GIVEN WESCO, THE WESCO ALSO HAD, UH, THE 35% DISCOUNT WHERE OTHER ONES HAD LIKE 61%, OTHERS HAD 32%.
I THINK THAT ONE IS A CLEANER STRAIGHTER SHOT.
THE, THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS WE HAVE NO DATA ON THE NUMBER OF VETERAN CUSTOMERS, DISABLED CUSTOMERS, UH, SENIORS IS BECAUSE AGE IS, UH, A METRIC OR SOME DATA THAT I, I THINK IS COLLECTED WHEN A CUSTOMER COMES IN, THAT'S EASY FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT DATA IN HOUSE.
THE OTHERS ARE GOING TO BE VERY ROUGH ESTIMATES THAT COULD BE MADE BASED OFF OF CENSUS DATA PERHAPS.
AND SO THE IMPACTS OF WHAT THAT WOULD BE ON THE OVERALL RATE PLAN INTRODUCES A LOT MORE VARIABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY WITH WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THE COMMISSION WOULD WANNA LOOK.
COMMISSIONER, MY, I, I'M OFF FOR THE VETERANS, BUT, UM, I, I THINK WE SHOULD HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
BUT MY, MY CONCERN IS JUST THE, THE TIMING.
I WANT TO HURRY UP AND GET THIS DONE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING THIS ABOUT, ABOUT THIS FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND WE JUST NEED TO GET THIS DONE.
UM, BUT I, I'LL GO WITH YOU GUYS.
LIKE, I, I, I LIKE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IDEA, UM, BECAUSE I THINK I, I MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONE HERE, BUT I'M THE ONLY ONE.
UH, BUT I GREW UP IN HOUSING AND I KNOW MY, MY MOM, UM, GROWING UP HAVING TO PAY THE WATER BILL, I KNOW ANY LITTLE BIT OF HELP THAT SHE COULD THAT SHE RECEIVED HELPED.
SO I, I, AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD METRIC TO USE.
I COMMEND DANIEL FOR THINKING ABOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VETERANS AND THE DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY AS WELL.
BUT I, I'M, I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE TIMING, HOW LONG THIS IS GOING TO TAKE.
AND I'M ALSO WORRIED ABOUT, UM, THE PRACTICALITY OF IT, OF BEING ABLE TO DO THAT, LIKE YOU SAID.
BUT I, I'M, I'M, THE POINT IS WE'RE GOING THE DIRECTION I WANT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE HELPING, WE'RE HELPING AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN.
SO WHATEVER YOU THE CONSENSUS IS, I'M, I'M FOR YOU.
AS LONG AS WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE, I'M DOWN.
I THINK THE EASIER WAY TO DO, SORRY, I DON'T KNOW.
NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, AS LONG AS GATHERING THE DATA IS, AS LONG AS WE HAVE A MEANS OF DOING THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING.
I MEAN THAT'S WHY THE HOUSING, IT WAS EASY BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THOSE STATS.
IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT CITYWIDE, I MEAN, EVERY TIME WE BRING TIM IN, WE THROW A NEW WRENCH AT HIM AND SEND HIM BACK OUT FROM PEG ONE AGAIN.
AND I LIKE, LUCY, WE JUST KEEP TAKING THE FOOTBALL FROM YOU EVERY TIME YOU'RE ABOUT TO KICK.
WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO RUN THE SCENARIOS.
LIKE AT, SO MAYBE, SO MAYBE WHAT I MEAN A, A SOLUTION POTENTIALLY WOULD BE BECAUSE WE'RE WANTING TO DO THIS, UM, RATHER QUICKLY, IS TO GO WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AS AN INITIAL FIRST STEP.
AND HE HAS THAT INFORMATION AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AND THEN THIS OTHER, UH, INITIATIVE TO HELP THE OTHERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT, UM, I THINK THE, THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT IT TO KIND OF GO TO BACK TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, SO UNDER IN TEXAS WE HAVE AVALOR TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THERE'S THREE, THERE'S FIVE OF 'EM, RIGHT? RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
BUT THE THREE I THINK THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO WHAT I SAID IS THE SENIOR OR DISABLED EXEMPTION, THE DISABLED VETERANS AND SURVIVING SPOUSES AND CHILDREN EXEMPTION, AND THE ARMED SERVICES MEMBERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS KILLED AN ACTION EXEMPTION.
SO, SO YOU SAID THE DATA IS ALREADY THERE BECAUSE YOU, WHAT HAPPENS IS I WOULD HAVE TO FILE THE EXEMPTION WITH A CAD WITH THE CAMERON COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE COULD RELY ON.
THERE'S A LOT OF VETERANS THAT AREN'T DISABLED.
AND THEN THOSE WOULD HAVE TO APPLY RIGHT THEN WOULD WOULD'VE TO HAVE AN APPLICATION PROCESS A SHOW US THE PAPERWORK AND YOU GUYS, YOU THREE WOULD KNOW WHAT PAPERWORK VETERANS WOULD NEED TO SHOW TO SAY, HEY, I'M A VETERAN, OR I'M DISABLED.
WELL, I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN THEY, THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE A T WHAT IS IT? THE DSS TWO SEE TO YOUR EXPERTISE, D TWO 14, ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS.
[02:15:01]
BUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INITIATIVE, BUT WE GIVE TIM SOME TIME TO PUT TOGETHER HOW HE'S GOING TO DO THAT.AND MAYBE THAT'S EFFECTIVE FOR THE NEXT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HAVING SIGNUPS MAYBE.
SO IF THEY'RE GONNA SIGN UP, MAYBE THAT'S TOWARDS, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE A YEAR OR I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, BUT IT'S NOT, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY GIVES HIM THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH HILTON AND SAY, THESE ARE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE, THE CUSTOMERS THAT QUALIFY.
AND SO THAT'S JUST AN EASY PROCESS FOR THEM TO GET STARTED.
UH, AND THEN AS HE GATHERS THAT INFORMATION, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING HE, WE CAN BRING BACK TO THE COMMISSION ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO TO DO THAT.
BUT AT LEAST HE CAN GO ON THURSDAY AND, AND WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR TOWN HALL, SAY THAT THE COMMISSION IS ENTERTAINING, UM, OR NOT ENTERTAINING, BUT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING AND WILL ADOPT SOME MEASURE TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO VETERANS, UM, TO FOLKS THAT ARE LOW INCOME THAT ARE NOT IN HOUSING AND THAT ARE, UM, DISABLED.
THE SENIOR DISABLED EXEMPTION, DISABLED VETERANS AND SURVIVING SPOUSES AND CHILDREN EXEMPTION AND ARMED SERVICE MEMBERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS KILLED AN ACTION EXEMPTION.
AND SO THAT, THAT, UH, THAT WAY OF, OF, OF QUALIFYING THOSE FOLKS, UH, MAKES IT MUCH EASIER FOR US TO DETERMINE WHO REALLY IS, UH, DESERVING OF THAT.
UH, THE ONLY, THE, THE ONLY PART THAT'S MORE DIFFICULT IS THAT THE DATA IN TERMS OF HOW MANY OF THOSE CUSTOMERS WOULD ACTUALLY BE APPLYING AND WHAT THE IMPACTS THAT WOULD HAVE ON OUR RATES.
THERE'S GONNA BE SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT DISTURBS AN ENGINEER.
UH, YOU HAVE A STARTING, STARTING POINT WORK FROM THERE.
I WOULD TEACH ME TO SAY, PLEASE, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO HAVE, UH, AN INDICATION OF THE DOLLAR DISCOUNT AND WOULD IT BE THE COMMISSION'S DESIRE MORE BROADLY FOR DISABLED SENIORS AND VETERANS TO RECEIVE THAT SAME DISCOUNT OR SOME OTHER DISCOUNT? BECAUSE WE CAN WORK, WE CAN DO WORK, UM, BASED OFF OF THE INDICATION ON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND WHEN WE COME BACK TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ORDINANCE, WE CAN PRESENT THAT ALTERNATIVE OR THAT ADDITIONAL, UH, COMPONENT WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE OTHER THREE DEMOGRAPHICS.
BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO PUT IN A RATE PLAN TO CALCULATE A RATE PLAN IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TARGET OF DISCOUNT YOU WOULD WANT.
SO IS TONIGHT THAT NIGHT OR I SAID 25% WHATEVER THE DOLLAR, 25% OF THE BASE THE BASE FEES ARE.
AND WOULD THAT STILL BE IF YOU CONSUME LESS THAN 5,000 GALLONS, WHATEVER THE DOLLAR PER MONTH? THE WAY, THE WAY WE WOULD RECOMMEND IT, REGARDLESS OF YOUR CONSUMPTION, THAT WOULD BE WHAT WE WOULD LOOK AT IS THE DISCOUNT.
WE, YOU, THE CONSULTANT HAS GIVEN US A 5,000 AND THERE'S REALLY ALMOST AN INFINITE NUMBER OF INCREMENTS THERE.
BUT, UM, I THINK THE WAY TO IMPLEMENT THAT WOULD BE JUST REGARDLESS OF CONSUMPTION, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD IMPLEMENT A FIXED DISCOUNT DOLLAR AMOUNT AND THEN WE WOULD APPORTION THAT BETWEEN WATER AND SEWER FUNDS.
AND, UM, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE EASY ENOUGH TO PROCEED WITH.
I I JUST WANNA VERIFY, LIKE I, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION AND THIS SAY THEY, YOU GET THIS DISCOUNT LIKE SAY VETERANS OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THIS WOULD ONLY BE FOR RESIDENTIAL, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THERE, WELL, THERE ARE, THERE IS ONE ENTITY ON THAT LIST OF THREE THAT SOMEHOW DOES THAT FOR COMMERCIAL, BUT I THINK THAT'S A MUCH MORE COMPLICATED YEAH, YEAH.
RESIDENTIAL FOR PEOPLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
BUT I DO, UM, I THINK, WELL, I'M GONNA FOLLOW MY OWN RULES 'CAUSE I'M GOING TO GO OFF TOPIC, SO I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT.
AND I, WHAT I, WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD FROM THE TWO OF YOU IS THAT YOU SAID 25 TO 30%, BUT WHAT IS THAT IN A DOLLAR AMOUNT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WANNA USE A DOLLAR FIGURE.
I SAID 25, I JUST THROWN THEM 25% OF THE BASE CHARGES, WHICH ARE THE STANDARD CHARGES, RIGHT? SO WHATEVER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WE HAVE IS OUR BASE CHARGES, IT WOULD BE 25% OFF OFFENSE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER 25% ON THE TOTAL BILL USING 5,000 BASE CHARGE, THE GALLONS AS A REFERENCE, THAT WOULD TRANSLATE TO DRUM ROLL PLEASE.
$20? THE 25% ON THE TOTAL BILL WOULD BE ABOUT $20.
WHEN THE RATE PLAN IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED, I, I WOULD STILL GO THE $25.
SO THAT I'M FINE WITH FORGE THAN 25%.
[02:20:01]
THANK YOU, TIM.IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY? ALL RIGHT.
UH, R WAS THERE A MOTION OR NO, THERE'S NO DISCUSSION.
SO THEN, UM, MOVING ON TO ITEM
[Item 10r - Discussion and first reading Ordinances amending Harlingen City Code, Article VII, Boards Commissions and Authorities.]
R, UH, DISCUSSION AND FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE AMENDING HARTON CITY CODE, ARTICLE SEVEN BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND AUTHORITIES.WHEN, WHEN DID WE RECEIVE THIS? UM, TODAY, SIR, TODAY THERE WAS ONE IN THE COMMISSIONER.
THERE WAS ONE IN THE PACKET, BUT THERE WAS SOME REVISIONS KIND OF WORK IN PROGRESS.
IT'S 52 PAGES, RIGHT? SO YOU JUST GOT THAT TODAY? THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO READ THIS.
OH, NO, I, I KNOW, I, I WAS GONNA, THAT'S THE FIRST THING I WAS GONNA SAY IS IT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU TO READ IT.
UH, WHAT WHAT WE DID IS WE, UH, WE, THIS IS, UH, BASICALLY THE IDEA WAS TO PUT TO, TO AMEND CITY CODE TO PROVIDE FOR ONE UNIFORM PLACE WHERE YOU COULD HAVE, UH, ALL THE, ALL THE RULES REGARDING APPOINTMENT, MEMBERSHIP REMOVAL AND DUTIES FOR ALL COMMITTEES OF ONE PLACE.
SO, UH, WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS PLACE IT ON THE AGENDA, GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT, INVITE YOUR COMMENTS, AND BRING IT BACK TO FOR ANOTHER, FOR OUR FIRST READING AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ACTUALLY, NO, I, I TOTALLY REALIZE THERE'S NO WAY VOTE.
SO 40, 50, SO DO YOU RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO COME TO YOU? I HAVE A FEW
I MEAN, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU WANT TO HANDLE THAT? IF YOU COULD SEND 'EM DIRECTLY TO ME, UH, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT.
SOME OF THE CHANGES, I MEAN, A LOT OF 'EM ARE JUST PEN CHANGES.
BUT, UH, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THERE'S WAS SOME CUT AND PASTE ONE ON AND THIS AND SO ON AND SURE.
LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW HERE THAT I THINK GOT CUT AND PASTE IN THE WRONG AREAS.
SO YEAH, I KNOW I'VE MADE THE CHANGES IN THE MOST RECENT ONE.
AND, AND, UM, ONE THAT SAYS IF I'M ON THE GOLF ADVISORY BOARD, THAT MY WIFE HAS TO OWN A BUSINESS IN TOWN.
A LOT OF IT WAS WORDED LIKE IF YOUR WIFE, I WAS, IF YOUR WIFE OWNS PROPERTY OR IF YOU'RE A WIFE IS A RESIDENT, YEAH.
SOME OF THOSE WERE CUT AND PASTED FROM OTHER PARTS OF CITY CODE.
I WAS LIKE, I KNOW I'M ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, BUT IN THESE BOARDS IT'S LIKE IF YOU ONLY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WIFE AND SHE HAS TO OWN A BUSINESS.
YOU GOTTA GO OUT AND BUY A SHOPPING CART HERE.
BUT MY ONLY QUESTION IS, IS THIS THE FINAL ONE FOR US TO LOOK AT? YEAH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT AND INVITE YOUR COMMENTS FROM THAT, FROM THIS PACKAGE.
BUT I'LL, I'LL TAKE ANY COMMENTS YOU HAVE LIKE RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND I WILL JUST SAY THAT THERE'S SOME UM, BOARDS ON HERE THAT HONESTLY I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED.
AND SO WE GOTTA LOOK AT THAT, WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION WANTS.
THAT'S EXACTLY, AND THEN THERE'S SOME ON THERE THAT, UM, ARE NO LONGER IN OPERATION THAT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK AT.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A CORPORATION.
WHAT IS THAT? HOUSING FINANCE? YES.
SO THAT ONE NEEDS TO BE FINANCE CORPORATION LOOKED AT.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A CORPORATION TO DISSOLVE THAT BECAUSE HALF OF THE MEMBERS ARE PASSED AWAY AND I I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THAT STUFF.
THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE COAST.
WE CAN LOOK AT, AT THOSE BOARDS WITH MARK MARKETING, UH, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON WHICH ONES TO DISSOLVE.
I THINK BECAUSE OF THE BREADTH OF THIS AND HOW I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE THAN ONE MEETING TO DO THIS.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
STAFF JUST MAKES RECOMMENDATION.
ALL WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHICH BOARDS WE'RE GONNA CUT.
THAT'S ALL WE DO IS WHICH BOARDS GONNA CUT.
THEN WE CUT THOSE, GO FROM THERE AND THEN FROM THERE THEN WE START, WE, WE BREAK UP THIS ELEPHANT ONE BITE AT A TIME RATHER THAN I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
WE CAN TIME LIMIT BIT ON THIS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
THE WHOLE CONCEPT WAS JUST TO ORGANIZE AND CLEAN IT UP AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
UM, ONE, ONE THING ROBERT, UH, ON THAT, UH, HARTON FINANCE CORPORATION.
YEAH, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT ONE.
DOES THAT HAVE ANY MONEY IN THE BANK? NO.
AND WHICH IS WHAT MARK WILL DO AND HE'LL GET WITH, WITH ROBERT AND MAKE, AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THAT I POINTED THAT ONE OUT BECAUSE LIKE HARLINGEN, KEEP HARLINGEN BEAUTIFUL THERE.
YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, SAY I DON'T WANT IT TOMORROW.
THERE, THERE'S STEPS YOU HAVE TO TAKE AND DEFINITELY IF THERE'S MONEY IN IT, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY, FROM THE, WHEN I, WE DID HAVE A MEETING WITH ALL THE CHAIRS OF THE BOARDS.
THEY, I DON'T KNOW, A WHILE BACK, BUT THAT ONE WAS NOT THERE.
BUT WE DISCUSSED IT AND I THINK I ASKED AT THAT TIME IF THERE WAS ANY MONEY AND I WAS TOLD NO I THINK BY JOSH.
SO, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY CONFIRM.
AND SO WE WOULD NEED TO TABLE THIS PEN.
PEN, UH, YEAH, WE JUST TABLE, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS AND BRING IT BACK NEXT MEETING JUST TO DISCUSS
[02:25:01]
YES SIR, WHICH BOARDS ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TO KEEP AND WHICH BOARDS ARE TO SECOND.THE NEXT ONE IS, UM, DISCUSSION
[Item 10s - Discussion and possible action to approve a resolution authorizing city staff to proceed with the filing of Articles of Incorporation of a Non-Profit Animal Welfare Corporation to support the Harlingen Animal Shelter.]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY STAFF TO PROCEED WITH THE FILING ARTICLES OF, OF INCORPORATION OF A NON-PROFIT ANIMAL WELFARE CORPORATION TO SUPPORT THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER.AND SO, UM, I DID HAVE MARK KIND OF HELP ME AND WORK ON THIS, BUT I DID REALIZE I LOOKED AT, AT THE, UM, RESOLUTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S READY JUST YET.
I THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF FLESH OUT SOME THINGS, BUT JUST SO THAT, AND WE CAN POTENTIALLY BRING IT BACK ALONG WITH THE OTHER ORDINANCES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, BUT WHAT THIS, WHAT WE, UH, ARE TRYING TO DO HERE IS WE DO HAVE PEOPLE GOING TO THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER AND THEY WANNA, THEY'RE GREAT WANTING TO DONATE AND PROVIDE, UM, ASSISTANCE.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A WAY TO, TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT, THOSE FUNDS AND FOR FUNDRAISING COMPONENT FOR THE SHELTER SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO THIS WOULD NOT BE AN ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD OPERATE THE SHELTER CITY STAFF, UM, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SHANNON AND JASMINE AND, UH, WOULD, WOULD CONTINUE THE OPERATION.
THIS IS STRICTLY SO THAT WAY WHEN A, UM, A RESIDENT WANTS TO COME IN AND PROVIDE, WRITE A CHECK TO THE SHELTER, IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE NONPROFIT AND THEY WOULD HAVE A, UH, TREASURER AND, AND AN ACCOUNTING.
AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE, UM, PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, BE TRANSPARENT TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHERE THIS MONEY WENT AND THERE'D BE AN ACCOUNTING OF THAT.
AND IDEALLY WE'D LIKE THAT TO BE ONLINE SO THAT WAY THE CITIZENS OF HARLEEN ARE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THAT MONEY IS GOING.
UM, AND I DID ASK MARK TO SEE WE HAVE A SIMILAR, UM, ORGANIZATION FROM THE LIBRARY FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
I WANTED TO SEE HOW, HOW THEY GOT STARTED.
MAYBE WE CAN KIND OF FOLLOW, UM, WHATEVER PROCEDURE THEY DID.
I THINK THAT WE WOULD WANT, UM, THE COMMISSION TO APPOINT THOSE MEMBERS AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE WE WANT THAT IN THE RESOLUTION.
IS THERE TERMS, UM, CRITERIA, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO, UM, WELCOME SUGGESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION.
MAYBE SHOOT THOSE OVER TO MARK ALSO, UH, IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA ON, ON HOW TO MAKE THAT BETTER.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THE WAY THAT IT IS IS READY YET.
BUT ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION ALSO, ACTUALLY, MARY, YOU COULD, YOU COULD TECHNICALLY SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION AND THEN ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CAN BE JUST PART OF THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OR PART OF THE BYLAWS NOT ACTUALLY PUT IN THE RESOLUTION.
I MEAN, I, WE COULD I FOLLOW YOUR, YOUR, WE COULD DO THAT LEAD.
I THINK IT'S BEST THAT WHEN WE VOTE ON IT, WE KIND OF GO IN WITH OUR EYES WIDE OPEN AND WE JUST, EVERYONE SHOOTS YOU OUR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS AND THEN WHEN WE COME BACK NEXT MEETING, EVERYONE KIND OF KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE EVERYTHING'S GOING.
SO YOU WANNA TABLE THIS? YEAH.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? NO, NO, NO.
[Item 11 - Board Appointments]
NEXT ITEM.OKAY, WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER A.
UH, FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, I'M GONNA APPOINT MICHAEL GARZA FOR THE MUSEUM ADVISORY BOARD.
I'M GONNA APPOINT DANIEL VI NONE.
UM, FOR THE, UH, TAX INTERMENT, THE REINVESTMENT BOARD, I'LL UH, HAVE, UH, RA FLORE UH, TAKE OVER FOR ROBERT RODRIGUEZ.
THAT'S FOR ONE, TWO, AND THREE COMMISSIONER, CORRECT? YES.
IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION? SECOND.
[Item 12 - Executive Session]
[Item 12a - Consultation with City Attorney pursuant to Texas Government Code 551.071 (1) and (2) attorney consultation; Section 551.072 regarding Bass Pro Shop.]
NUMBER 12, EXECUTIVE SESSION.ALL ITEMS LISTED IN THIS SECTION WILL BE DELIBERATED.
A CLOSED SESSION MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT GENERALLY PERMITTED TO ATTEND A CLOSED SESSION.
EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS MAY BE CONSIDERED AS AN ACTION ITEM AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MAYOR, HOWEVER, CITY COMMISSION WILL NOT TAKE ANY ACTION IN CLOSED SESSION.
ITEM 12, A CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 5 51 0.07, ONE INSTANCE ONE AND PRINCESS TWO ATTORNEY CONSULTATION SECTION 5 5 1 0.072.
REGARDING BEST PRO SHOP, UM, MAKE A MOTION.
IS THERE MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION? SECOND.
THE TIME IS NOW 8 0 1 AND WE WILL RETIRE TO
[02:30:05]
THE[Item 13 - Action on Executive Session Items:]
[Item 14 - Adjournment]
TIME IS NOW 8:21 PM AND WE ARE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE DID HAVE TWO ITEMS, BUT WE HAVE NO ACTION, SO WE ARE ADJOURNED.