[00:00:06]
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION MEETING.
[Item 1 - Call to Order]
WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.IT HAS BEEN POSTED AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION AS EVERYONE IS PRESENT.
IF Y'ALL WILL, PLEASE JOIN ME IN STANDING WHILE COMMISSIONER KINSLEY LEADS US IN OUR INVOCATION AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND WISDOM.
GRANT US THE STRENGTH TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT ALL RESIDENTS AND UPHOLD THE VALUES OF BIND US TOGETHER, MAYOR.
OUR ACTIONS BE JUST, AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE WELLBEING OF THIS CITY.
NOW, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR, UH, MARK
[Item 2 - Conflict of Interest]
UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS OF A COMMISSION MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY.AS 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? UH, YES, I WOULD.
ON ITEM SEVEN L IN THE CONSENT AGENDA, NONE, NONE, NONE, NONE.
MR. UM, IT'S FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT JUST FOR CLOSING STREETS, BUT IT'S SEVEN A.
MOVING ON TO ITEM THREE ANNOUNCEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO ITEMS NOT LISTED ELSEWHERE ON THIS AGENDA, THE CITY COMMISSION MAY REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, INCLUDING ANNOUNCING COMMUNITY EVENTS, ANNOUNCING EMPLOYEE OR COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS ITEMS THREE, A MAYOR'S
[Item 3a - Mayor's Announcements]
ANNOUNCEMENTS.MAYOR, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ANNOUNCE? NO, I DON'T.
[Item 3b - City Manager's Announcements]
MOVING ON TO ITEM THREE B, CITY MANAGER'S ANNOUNCEMENTS.MR. GONZALEZ, YOU ANYTHING TO DISCLOSE? UM, YES.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR PUTTING ON, UM, A GREAT EVENT AT LUCHA LIBRE AND THE FIESTA DE PINATAS.
WE HAD THE FIESTA ON SATURDAY, WHICH WAS GREAT BECAUSE SUNDAY THE SKIES OPENED UP AND IT POURED ALMOST ALL DAY.
SO GREAT WORK TO, UH, ALEXIS, THE DID AND PARKS AND PUBLIC WORKS THAT HELP WITH THAT EVENT ALSO.
[Item 3c - City Commission Member's Announcements]
MOVING ON TO ITEM THREE C, CITY COMMISSION MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS.COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ANNOUNCE? UH, YES.
UH, TODAY, ALONG WITH COMMISSIONER MORALES AND THE CITY MANAGEMENT TEAM, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND A PROMOTION CEREMONY AT HARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, WHERE WE GOT TO SEE, UH, MARTINA RODRIGUEZ, PROMOTED TO SERGEANT, UH, GUILLERMO CSOS TO COMMANDER, AND CHARLES FECHNER TO DEPUTY CHIEF.
AND BEING SOMEONE WHO SPENT 30 YEARS OF MY LIFE IN SERVICE, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO AS WELL AS ALL OUR GUYS IN BLUE BACK THERE ALONG THE BACK WALL, AND OUR STACK FOLKS AND SO ON.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
I'LL JUST ECHO COMMISSIONER KIN, UH, FORD.
THIS GUY, THIS GUY RIGHT THERE.
OKAY, UN TO ITEM FOUR, PROCLAMATION.
PRESENTATION OF AWARDS WILL BEGIN WITH
[Item 4a - Animal Shelter-Pet of the Week]
ITEM FOUR, A HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER, PET OF THE WEEK.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR CITY COMMISSION.
UM, WE HAVE WITH US TONIGHT LADY.
UM, SHE IS ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD.
SHE IS CURRENT ON HER VACCINES.
SHE'S BEEN AROUND KIDS FIVE AND OLDER, SO SHE'S GREAT WITH KIDS.
UM, AND SHE'S GREAT AROUND OTHER DOGS.
SHE'S IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING SOME COMMANDS.
SHE ALREADY KNOWS HOW TO SIT, BUT THERE, THE SHELTER STAFF IS WORKING ON ADDITIONAL COMMANDS.
UM, SHE CAME TO US VERY EMACIATED, VERY SKINNY, AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING TO PUT SOME WEIGHT ON HER.
SHE'S BEEN WITH US SINCE JUNE, AND SHE IS UP FOR ADOPTION.
SO ANYBODY WHO IS INTERESTED IN LADY IS WELCOME TO COME BY THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER AT 1106 MARKOWSKI.
UM, THEY'RE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND THEY'RE OPEN FROM ONE TO SIX IN THE EVENING.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAPPILY REPORT THAT MONTY FROM TWO WEEKS AGO GOT ADOPTED AS WELL.
SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED, BUT THIS IS LADY.
THANK YOU, MS. TAKE A PICTURE.
NO, SHE'S NOT, BUT, UH, I THINK JOSH IS GONNA DO IT.
[00:05:01]
STAFF[Item 4b - USTA Outstanding Facility Award to H.E.B. Tennis Center]
FOUR, B-U-S-T-A OUTSTANDING FACILITY AWARD TO HEB TENNIS CENTER.UM, THE, UM, WE'RE VERY PROUD, UM, ONE OF COURSE TO HAVE RAMO ON OUR STAFF, UM, BE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO, TO GET THIS RECOGNITION, UH, THROUGH USTA.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 41, UH, PARTICIPANTS THAT GOT AWARDS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE US.
UM, THERE WAS TWO FACILITIES IN TEXAS, AND WE WERE ONE OF 'EM.
UM, THE FACILITIES WERE JUDGED ON, UM, THE, UH, THE LAYOUT, THE ADAPTION TO THE SITE, UM, THE EXCELLENT COURT SURFACES, THE LIGHT, UH, EASE AND MAINTENANCE, UM, ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PLAYERS, UM, THE SPECTATOR AND PRESS OFFICE, UH, OFFICIALS, UH, AESTHETICS, THE GRAPHICS, UM, AND IT GOES ON AND ON, RIGHT.
BUT THERE, THEY, UM, THERE WAS, UH, WE WERE NOMINATED FOR THE, UM, PUBLIC COURTS, WHICH WAS A LARGE TENNIS CENTER.
UM, AND SO RAMO AND I WERE LUCKY TO, UH, FLY UP TO NEW YORK, UH, TO RECEIVE THE, UM, THE AWARD.
UM, WE HAVE THE AWARD WITH US, THE, UH, PLAQUE MAYOR, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WANT TO PRESENT IT TO RAMO.
UH, WE CAN TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE CITY COMMISSION, BUT AGAIN, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT RAMIRO'S DONE OUT THERE AT THE, AT THE FACILITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT, UH, WE HEAR ALL POSITIVE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON OUT THERE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE FAMILIES, THE KIDS, UM, THEIR, THEIR, UM, UH, THEIR RECEPTION TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN.
AND SO, UM, A AGAIN, I'M JUST VERY, VERY PROUD OF, OF THE WORK THAT RAMIRO, UH, HAS DONE OUT THERE.
DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? I CAN, SURE.
UH, SO WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU.
WE HAD A GREAT TIME IN NEW YORK JUST REPRESENTING, UH, HARLINGEN.
YEAH, IT WAS SO, BUT, UH, I THINK, I MEAN, THERE WERE SOME REALLY GREAT FACILITIES UP THERE.
THERE WAS ONE FACILITY THAT ONE THAT SPENT $33 MILLION ON THE FACILITY, AND WE WERE IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, SO IN THE SAME REALM.
THAT WAS GREAT TO, TO FIND OUT.
BUT, UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK, UH, THE CITY FOR ALLOWING US TO, TO GET OUT THERE AND REPRESENT HARLINGEN OVER THERE, PARKS AND REC, UH, JUST A TON OF SUPPORT FROM JAVIER AND ALL THE STAFF, THE, ALL THE MAINTENANCE CREWS.
THAT'S WHY IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS IT DOES OUT THERE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THEM.
AND THE STAFF OVER AT THE TENNIS CENTER, ALL THE PROS AND, UH, THE STAFF HERE ON THE COUNTER, UH, ALL OF THE REASONS THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, THE PUBLIC IS SAYING ABOUT, UH, THE FACILITY AND HOW WELCOMING IT IS.
IT'S BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU, ALL OF THEM, AND ALL THE STAFF AT THE FACILITY.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY JUST TO REPRESENT HARLINGEN.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH, RAMIRO.
I KNOW YOU'RE THANKING US, BUT REALLY YOU ARE THE ROCK STAR HERE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, WHEN WE HEARD ABOUT IT, I KNOW GABE TOLD ME AND THEN HAVE, HAVE YET, AND WE WERE JUST OVER THE MOON.
AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR HARLINGEN AND FOR THE KIDS THAT ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY, KNOWING, JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT HARLINGEN IS ON THE MAP AND, AND REPRESENTING US SO WELL.
IF THE, UM, COMMISSION CAN JOIN ME SO WE CAN PROVIDE THE PROJECT, LET MEDO, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN.
YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, UH, FROM DAY ONE, YOU'VE BEEN, UH, AMAZING TO THE CITY AND IT WAS A GREAT CHOICE TO HIRE YOU AND BRING YOU ON BOARD, SO THANK YOU.
NOW, THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO SAY IS THAT THE TENNIS BALLS IS OUR PURCHASED CENTER.
SO I, I NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
WE'LL GET YOU A NEW CAN FOR SURE.
WHERE'S, WHERE'S THE YOU INVITE? ALRIGHT.
SO THIS IS THE 2024 OUTSTANDING TENNIS FACILITY AWARD, GOES TO THE HUB TENNIS CENTER FROM HARTON, TEXAS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND FOR REPRESENTS.
[00:10:12]
MAYOR CITY COMMISSION? BEFORE I SIT DOWN, I WANNA RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY.UM, WE, UM, WE REPLACED THE, UH, OUR ASSISTANT PARKS DIRECTOR.
AND SO OUR NEW PARKS DIRECTOR IS, UH, JUAN MANOLA THE THIRD, AND HE COMES FROM US, COMES FROM THE CITY OF MACALLAN.
UM, AND HE'S BEEN WITH US FOR A WEEK TODAY.
UM, AND SO HE'S KIND OF HIT THE GROUND, RU RUN, RUNNING AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUT THERE AND, AND MEETING WITH THE GUYS, MEETING WITH THE STAFF.
AND SO, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM.
UM, AND I'M GLAD HE CAME TO WORK FOR CITY OF HARLINGEN, THE BEST CITY IN THE VALLEY.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF HARLINGEN FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU TO OUR LEADERSHIP, TO JAVI, UM, GREAT TEAM, GREAT STAFF.
ONE-ON-ONE, AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE.
AND, UM, I WANNA THANK THE CITIZENS OF HARLINGEN ALSO, UH, CAN'T WAIT TO IMPROVE AND, AND GROW.
[Item 4c - Mayors Business of the Month -Gulf Aviation]
UP WE HAVE FOUR C UH, MAYOR'S.BUSINESS OF THE MONTH GOES TO GULF AVIATION, AND THE RECIPIENT IS MS. ARLENE GARZA.
OKAY, SO DO WE HAVE A VIDEO? WE SHOULD, UM, CAN WE CUE UP THE VIDEO? GOLF AVIATION IS A FIXED BASE OPERATOR, OR ALSO KNOWN AS AN FBO.
WE ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT WOMAN-OWNED MINORITY SMALL BUSINESS HERE IN HARLINGEN.
WE ARE PARTNERS ON THE AIRFIELD WITH VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HERE TO PROVIDE ROUND THE CLOCK SUPPORT IN THE NEED OF WHETHER IT'S A DIVERTED FLIGHT, STORMS THAT WE ARE PREPARING FOR, UH, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS.
WHATEVER IT IS THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE, OUR TEAM IS HERE TO GET IT DONE.
MY FATHER STARTED THE COMPANY 45 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR.
I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN IN MY BLOOD, YOU KNOW, AFTER GOING TO COLLEGE, HAVING FAMILY COMING BACK TO THE RGV, UH, IT WAS JUST AN UNDERSTOOD AND, AND SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO DO TO CONTINUE THE FAMILY LEGACY.
AND FOR THAT, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR MY PARENTS FOR ALLOWING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN US AND ALLOWING US TO SERVICE YOUR AVIATION NEEDS AT HARLINGEN YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT FOR OVER THE LAST 45 YEARS.
MY HUSBAND, WHO IS, YOU KNOW, MY, MY PARTNER, UH, IN LIFE, HE IS CERTAINLY MY PARTNER IN, IN BUSINESS AS WELL.
AND, UM, WITH HIS HELP AND HIS SUPPORT, UM, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO BECOME VERY SUCCESSFUL AT WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
AND LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO MAYOR SEPULVEDA, HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSIONERS, THE CITY OF HARLINGEN VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS FOR THEIR CONTINUOUS EFFORTS TO SUPPORT GROWTH ON THE AIRFIELD AND FOR ALLOTTING OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESS.
SO I, I DIDN'T SEE MISS ARLENE THERE YOU ARE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE GOING, I'LL LET YOU SAY A FEW WORDS, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE HERE AND THAT YOU HAVE BOTH CHOSEN HARLINGEN, THAT THE FAMILY HAS CHOSEN, CHOSEN HARLINGEN.
AND TO SEE A WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS, UH, CELEBRATING THEIR 45TH YEAR RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN MAKING THROUGH, MAKING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND EVERY OTHER OBSTACLE AND CHALLENGE THAT YOU HAD ALONG THE WAY, AND COMING OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND, AND PROVIDING THIS SERVICE ON THE AIRFIELD.
WE ARE JUST SO EXCITED FOR, FOR THE FUTURE OF GULF AVIATION AND OBVIOUSLY FOR VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
I DID GET A MESSAGE FROM MARVIN SAID HE WANTED TO REALLY BE HERE, BUT HE HAD, I THINK HE WAS GOING OUT OF TOWN OR THERE.
I HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO READ ALL OF IT, BUT HE WANTED ME TO EXTEND HIS CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AS WELL.
AND LIKE I SAID IN, IN THE VIDEO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY, IT'S, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT.
UM, AND WE REALLY ARE A PARTNER ON THE AIRFIELD.
AND, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO CONTINUE OPERATING.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUATION OF OUR OPERATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS JUST, UH, THANK YOU, UH, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART.
[00:15:01]
MEANS THE WORLD TO OUR FAMILY.IF I CAN GET THE COMMISSION AND WE'D LOVE TO TAKE A PHOTO AND GIVE YOU YOUR AWARD, SIR.
[Item 4d - Proclaiming the Week of October 6-12 , 2024 as "Fire Prevention Week"]
MOVING ON ALONG TO ITEM FOUR D PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 6TH THROUGH THE 12TH 2024 AS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK.UM, BEFORE WE CALL SHE EZ AND HIS TEAM UP, WE DO HAVE A PROCLAMATION TO READ AND IT READ AS FOLLOWS, WHEREAS THE CITY OF HAREN IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF ALL LIVING IN AND VISITING OUR STATE.
FIRE IS A SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
HOMES ARE THE LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE ARE AT GREATEST RISK FROM FIRE, AND WHEREAS HOME FIRES KILLED MORE THAN 2,700 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2 20 22, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, NFPA AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES RESPONDED TO 360,000 HOME FIRES.
AND ROUGHLY THREE OUT OF FIVE FIRE DEATHS HAPPEN IN HOMES WITH EITHER NO SMOKE ALARMS OR WITH NO WORKING SMOKE ALARMS. AND WORKING SMOKE ALARMS CUT THE RISK OF DYING IN REPORTED HOME FIRES ALMOST IN HALF.
AND WHEREAS SMOKE ALARMS SEND SMOKE WELL BEFORE YOU CAN ALERTING YOU TO DANGER IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE IN WHICH YOU MAY HAVE AS LITTLE AS TWO MINUTES TO ESCAPE SAFELY.
AND HARLINGEN RESIDENTS SHOULD INSTALL SMOKE ALARMS IN EVERY SLEEPING ROOM OUTSIDE EACH SEPARATE SLEEPING AREA, AND ON EVERY LEVEL OF THE HOME.
AND WHEREAS HARLINGEN RESIDENTS WILL ENSURE THAT THEIR SMOKE ALARMS MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH SENSORY OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, AND THEY SHOULD TEST THEIR SMOKE ALARMS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.
AND WHEREAS RESIDENTS WHO HAVE PLANNED AND PRACTICE A HOME FIRE ESCAPE PLANT ARE MORE PREPARED AND WILL THEREFORE BE MORE LIKELY TO SURVIVE A FIRE.
AND THE HARLINGEN FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE DEDICATED TO REDUCING THE OCCURRENCE OF HOME FIRES AND HOME FIRE INJURIES THROUGHOUT PREVENTION AND PROTECTION EDUCATION.
AND HARLINGEN RESIDENTS ARE RESPONSIVE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION MEASURES AND CAN TAKE PERSONAL STEPS TO INCREASE THEIR SAFETY FROM FIRE, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR HOMES.
WHEREAS THE 2024 FIRE PREVENTION WEAK THEME, SMOKE ALARMS, MAKE THEM WORK, MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU.
REMIND US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING WORKING SMOKE ALARMS IN THE HOME.
THEREFORE, I, NORMA MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN DUE HEREBY CO CLAIM OCTOBER 6TH THROUGH THE 12TH, 2024 AS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND I URGE ALL THE PEOPLE OF HARLINGEN TO MAKE SURE THEIR HOMES HAVE WORKING SMOKE ALARMS AND TO SUPPORT THE MANY PUBLIC SAFETY ACTIVITIES AND EFFORTS OF THE HARLINGEN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
[00:20:01]
EVENING, MAYOR.WE'RE GETTING READY FOR OCTOBER, BUT BEFORE THAT, EVERY JUNE NFPA KEEPS US WAITING AS TO WHAT THE THEME'S GONNA BE.
AND WHEN IT DID COME OUT, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING THAT IT'D BE TALKING ABOUT SMOKE ALARMS. SMOKE ALARMS ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED.
WE ALWAYS ASSUME THEY SHOULD BE WORKING, BUT SOMETIMES WE DON'T TEST THEM, THE BATTERIES ARE NOT WORKING.
SO WITH THAT REMINDER FOR US TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE WORKING FOR US IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PREACH AND REMIND PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, NOT JUST DURING FIRE PREVENTION WEEK, IS THAT WE REALLY NEED FOR THE DEVICES TO DO WHAT THEY WERE INTENDED TO DO AND TO SURVIVE A STRUCTURE FIRE BECAUSE THEY DID GO OFF, IS SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THAT ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY IS THERE FOR PEOPLE TO USE TO THEIR BENEFIT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THROUGH MAINTENANCE AND TESTING, IT CAN BE DONE.
UH, AND NOTHING SAD THAN HEARING THE NEWS THAT PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE WORKING SMOKE ALARMS IN THEIR, IN THEIR HOME DURING A FIRE THAT'S VERY DETRIMENTAL.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO OUT IN OCTOBER DURING FIRE PREVENTION WEEK, EDUCATE THE SCHOOLS, THE KIDDOS, WHICH IS A GREAT TIME, UH, BASED THE FACT THAT THE SCHOOL IS SO LARGE AND THE DEMAND IS SO HIGH, IT'S MORE A FIRE PREVENTION MONTH THAN IT IS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK.
AND THERE'S ALSO THAT, UH, UH, AUTUMN BREAK FOR THE SCHOOLS.
SO WE, WE GOTTA WORK WITH THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GONE FOR A WHOLE WEEK IN OCTOBER TOO.
BUT AS FAR AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE READY FOR IT.
IT'S CHALLENGING, BUT WE'RE EXCITED, UM, NOW THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET BACK TO NORMAL, UH, COVID DID REALLY STOP US FROM BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT NOW BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, THE DEMAND IS HIGH, AND WE'RE BEING ABLE TO GO TO THESE AND PROVIDE OUR EDUCATION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SO EXCITING AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE AS A TEAM DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND PREACH SAFETY YEAR ROUND.
IT'S NOT JUST DURING ONE WEEK, ONE MONTH, IT'S YEAR ROUND.
AND I WOULD JUST WANNA SAY THAT OUR TEAM, OUR DEPARTMENT, THROUGH OUR GREAT LEADERSHIP, DOES A GREAT JOB OF REMINDING US WHAT OUR TRUE JOB IS, AND THAT IS TO BE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND TO BE THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COMMISSION.
UH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE DID BRING SPARKY, BUT HE'S NOT UP FOR ADOPTION.
AH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I DIDN'T SEE HIM WHEN I, WHEN Y'ALL WERE HIDING HIM BACK THERE.
I SAID WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR? YOU DIDN'T BRING HIM
HOW ABOUT THAT? UM, DO I HAVE TO WEAR THE CAP? YES.
CAN WE HAVE ANOTHER ROUND FOR THE, OKAY.
[Item 5 - Citizen Communication]
ON TO ITEM FIVE, CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.AT THIS TIME, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ADDRESS THE CITY COMMISSION AND SPEAK ON ANY MATTER NOT SPECIFICALLY LISTED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ELSEWHERE IN THIS AGENDA.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS MAY NOT RESPOND TO COMMENTS OR DELIBERATE ON ANY TOPICS ADDRESSED.
MAYOR, WE HAVE SEVEN SIGN ONS FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH, UH, MR. RAYMOND REYES, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS, RAYMOND REYES, EXCUSE ME, 7 0 6 NANTUCKET DRIVE.
[00:25:01]
WE CAN TELL, AND I'VE SAID BEFORE, WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD THINGS GOING ON IN HARINGTON.UM, OF COURSE, AS ANYTHING, AND I'VE STATED MANY TIMES, WE GOTTA TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD.
UM, SOMETIMES WE MAKE DECISIONS BECAUSE WE GET AN IMPULSE, WE THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, OR WE SOMEHOW THINK WE'RE GONNA BE GLORIFIED OR WE'RE GONNA BE REMEMBERED.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT I WOULD, UH, SAY IS TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE, UH, ON THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE.
UM, JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND, MOTHER NATURE REMINDED US THAT SHE'S GONNA DO WHAT SHE DOES.
AND, UH, I MYSELF, BECAUSE I OWN SOME PROPERTY IN DOWNTOWN JACKSON, WENT OUT THERE WHERE, UH, THERE WAS SOME WORK DONE TO PREVENT AKA, YOU KNOW, FLOODING AND STUFF, WHICH WAS QUITE INTERESTING.
WELL, BUT I KNOW WHY, BECAUSE I HAD NOTIFIED SOME DEPARTMENTS ABOUT IT.
MY SIDE THAT I OWN, WHERE THE SPOT IS, UM, USED TO BE KNOWN AS THE FOX LADY SALOON WAS WORKING PERFECTLY AS FAR AS THE DRAINAGE.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE LUNA IS, UH, AND THAT OTHER RESTAURANT, I HAD NOTIFIED SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT THERE WAS PALM TREES AND DEBRIS AND EVERYTHING IN THERE AND STUFF.
AND SURE ENOUGH, I WAS ABLE TO POST VIDEO WHERE THAT SIDE WAS COMPLETELY FLOODED AND STUFF.
AND GOING ON PAST G STREET ON JACKSON, SOME OTHER STREETS, THEY WERE COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE HAVE OUR MODERN TECHNOLOGY, I POSTED SOME NICE VIDEOS SO WE CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE AREAS AND MAKE SURE IT GETS ADDRESSED.
UM, YOU KNOW, PROPER UTILIZATION OF THE TAX DOLLARS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A TAX INCREASE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES A LONG TIME.
UH, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING BEHIND THE INCREASE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THE MONEY'S NOT BEING UTILIZED CORRECTLY, AND WE WANT TO GIVE OURSELVES KUDOS BECAUSE WE GOT X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN A RESERVE IF SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
AND I LOOK AT IT FROM THE MILITARY STANDPOINT, UM, YOU KNOW, DO YOU REALLY THINK IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, THERE'S GONNA BE MEETINGS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE IF THINGS GO WRONG, AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S AMISS AND, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY'S NOT DOING THAT GOOD.
I KNOW OF EIGHT BUSINESSES THAT SHUT DOWN, UH, AND I KNOW OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAVING PROBLEMS, A LOT OF CITIZENS ARE STRUGGLING.
A LOT OF MY EMPLOYEES ARE HAVING PROBLEMS, UH, THAT I GIVE 'EM A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA SO THEY CAN SURVIVE.
UM, SO WE NEED TO TAKE ALL THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
THAT'S Y'ALL'S JOB, NOT MINE AND STUFF, BUT I GET BOMBARDED ALL THE TIME BECAUSE I'M NOT ONE TO SIT ASIDE AND NOT SPEAK UP.
I'M DEFINITELY GONNA SAY SOMETHING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST GOTTA DO THE RIGHT THINGS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS AND, UM, WITH TIME.
AND IF WE DO THE RIGHT THINGS, WE'LL BE REMEMBERED FOR THE TYPE OF PERSON WE ARE.
BUZZER BEAT ME THIS TIME, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT, OH, WELL, IT'S A CONSTANT BATTLE.
Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT UP WE HAVE MR. RAKESH PATEL.
UM, DEAR YOU, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSED USE OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE COSTA DELE PROPERTY.
WHILE REVITALIZING OUR CITY IS ESSENTIAL, I BELIEVE THAT THIS PARTICULAR EXPENDITURE LACKS SUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THE FUNDS ALLOCATED FROM THE HOT FUND SHOULD BE USED IN WAYS THAT DIRECTLY ENHANCES TOURISM AND BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN HOW THIS SPENDING ON COSTA DEL SO WILL YIELD MEASURABLE BENEFITS OR ATTRACT VISITORS.
THE LACK OF CLEAR METRICS TO VERIFY THE EFFECT EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS IN INVESTMENT RAISES SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
MOREOVER, THERE ARE NUMEROUS ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES THAT COULD MAKE MORE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY.
FROM ENHANCING PUBLIC SPACES TO SUPPORTING LOCAL EVENTS, THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO UTILIZE THESE FUNDS THAT WOULD PROVIDE TANGIBLE BENEFITS FOR HARLINGEN RE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER THIS ALLOCATION AND EXPLORE OPTIONS THAT WILL ENSURE OUR RESOURCES ARE USED WISELY AND TRANSPARENTLY.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE ATTENTION ON THIS MATTER.
OKAY, UP NEXT WE HAVE MR. R FRANK LOZANO.
I RISE AGAIN TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ITEM 10 H
[00:30:01]
ON THE AGENDA, THE TAX INCREASE.ONCE AGAIN, THE CITY COMMISSION DOES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THIS LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS 24 20 24 TAX YEAR TO LOWER HOUSING COSTS FOR HARDWORKING FAMILIES HERE IN THE CITY TO LOWER HOUSING COSTS FOR RETIRED FIXED INCOME INDIVIDUALS HERE WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD INCREASED, UH, MORTGAGE RATES TO LOWER THE COST FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS WHO MIGHT BE STRUGGLING TO MAKE THAT EXTRA, UH, AMOUNT OF MONEY TO PAY FOR THE HOUSING.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE CITIZENS OF HARLINGEN AND WHY WE NEED TO ADOPT INSTEAD OF THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, THE HIGHEST TAX RATE THAT THIS COMMISSION COULD ADOPT BY LAW WITHOUT A REFERENDUM TO ADOPT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WHICH WOULD BE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS WAS SPENT IN THE PRIOR YEAR.
NOW, I DON'T WANNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THIS LIMITED TIME JUST TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE LAST CITY COMMISSION.
UM, THERE WAS BUZZWORDS THROWN AROUND LIKE LIVING WAGE OR DEFUND CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, THE LIVING WAGE.
IF THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE ALLOWS THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS WAS SPENT LAST YEAR THIS YEAR, IF YOU WEREN'T PAYING THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY A LIVING WAGE LAST YEAR, IF, IF YOU NEED MORE MONEY TO PAY THEM MORE THIS YEAR IN ORDER TO GET A LIVING WAGE, DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU WERE NOT PAYING THEM THE LIVING WAGE LAST YEAR? THAT'S THE QUESTION.
AS FAR AS DEFUNDING CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS ALWAYS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK FIRST WHEN THERE'S PLENTY OF OTHER PLACES THAT CAN BE, UH, LOOKED AT NOW THERE'S 21 NEW POSITIONS THAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO IMPLEMENT.
SOME, THE CITY COMMISSION HAS BEEN VERY QUICK TO POINT OUT THE, THE MOST BENEFICIAL ONES, WHICH IS THE PAVING ROAD CREW FOR THE STREETS.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER POSITIONS, THREE OPEN POSITIONS FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA OR PROPAGANDISTS AS I WOULD CALL THEM.
AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARY FOR THE CITY TO FUNCTION.
OTHER PLACES THAT COULD BE CUT, I MEAN, THE CITY COMMISSION JUST THIS PAST YEAR DECIDED TO BRING IN THE RGB HUMANE SOCIETY IN-HOUSE, INCREASING COSTS.
NOW YOU'RE GONNA TAKE 200,000 MORE DOLLARS FROM THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD IN ORDER TO COVER THE COST.
THIS, THIS IS MORE MONEY FOR LESS SERVICES FOR, UH, A LESS HUMANE, UH, HARLINGEN THAT HAVE MORE DEATHS OF ANIMALS.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY COMMISSION COULD ADDRESS, BUT I DON'T THINK THE QUESTION SHOULD BE, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN CUT FROM THE BUDGET? THE QUESTION SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN A BUDGET.
WHY IS IT THAT WE NEED THIS ITEM FROM LAST YEAR IF YOU'RE JUST ADOPTING THE SAME, UH, BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR WITHOUT REVIEWING IT? AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S BEEN NO REVIEW.
HOWEVER, ANY BUSINESS WOULD TELL YOU THAT YOU GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE AND SAY, WHAT IS THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THIS ITEM? AND IF THERE ISN'T SUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION, THEN THAT ITEM SHOULD BE REMOVED.
NOW THOSE ARE THE, UH, REASONS THAT I COME TO SPEAK OUT ONCE MORE AGAINST THE ITEM 10 H AND I HUMBLY AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE CITY COMMISSION TO CONSIDER THE HARDWORKING NATURE OF THE CITIZENS OF HARLINGEN AND PUTTING, KEEPING THOSE DOLLARS IN THEIR POCKETS.
OKAY, NEXT UP IS MR. RUDY CORONADO.
RUDY CORONADO, ANIMAL ADVOCATE AND RESIDENT OF, UH, DISTRICT THREE.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS A DEEPLY DISTURBING ISSUE, THE ALARMINGLY HIGH RATE OF EUTHANASIA AT YOUR HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER, LOCATED AT 1106 EAST MARKOWSKI ON AUGUST 29TH.
UNDER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, I SUBMITTED A, UM, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION TO YOUR CITY SECRETARY HOUSED HERE AT, AT THIS BUILDING.
I OBTAINED A DATA ON ANIMAL INTAKE SUCH AS, UH, ADOPTIONS, UM, RESCUES, EUTHANASIA AND KEY STATS LIKE THAT.
WHAT I FOUND WAS DEVASTATING SINCE THE CITY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF, OF THE MAYOR, NORMA URA AND COMMISSIONER RENEE PEREZ TOOK CONTROL OF THE SHELTER.
THE RATE OF EUTHANASIA HAS, HAS SKYROCKETED TO AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE.
IN JULY, 2024 ALONE, OUT OF, OUT OF 244 ANIMALS TAKEN INTO YOUR SHELTER, 203 WERE EUTHANIZED.
THAT'S RIGHT OUT OF 2 44, YOU ALL EUTHANIZED 203 ANIMALS.
AND THOSE AREN'T UNIQUE NUMBERS.
JUNE AND THE PREVIOUS MONTHS UP UNTIL JANUARY, IT'S ALL LIKE THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S DISTURBING AND THAT'S HEARTBREAKING, BETIS.
YOU MADE A PROMISE TO ME AND TO EVERY CITIZEN THAT ONCE YOU TOOK OVER THAT SHELTER THAT YOU WERE GONNA FIND EVERY VERY LITTLE ANIMAL THERE A HOME, DID YOU NOT? YOU DID.
UH, THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS, THESE ARE LIVES, OKAY? VERY LITTLE ANIMALS WITH HEARTBEATS THAT YOU ALL EUTHANIZED AND, UM, THAT'S JUST, YEAH.
WHAT MAKES THIS SITUATION EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING IS
[00:35:01]
THAT $200,000 IS SUPPOSEDLY SECURED FOR SPAY AND N SERVICES.MEANWHILE, 203 ANIMALS WERE PUT DOWN IN A SINGLE MONTH.
HOW CAN WE JUSTIFY NEEDING THAT MONEY FOR SPAY AND NEUTER WHEN YOU HAVE NO ANIMALS? OKAY, YOU KEEP ABOUT WHAT, SIX TO 15 ANIMALS A MONTH? OKAY? THESE ARE YOUR NUMBERS THAT CAME OUT OF THIS BUILDING FROM, FROM YOUR CITY SECRETARY, OKAY? THIS IS NOT MISINFORMATION PET.
WHEN YOU ALL TOOK OVER, I WAS EXPECTING SPAY NEUTER CLINICS, VACCINE CLINICS, HIGH ADOPTION NUMBERS, HIGH RESCUE NUMBERS, OKAY? WE GOT THE TOTAL OPPOSITE OF ANY OF THAT.
OKAY? AND I WAS, I STAYED OUTTA HERE HERE, AND, UM, I WAS HOPING FOR NUMBERS LIKE THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND PALM VALLEY ANIMAL SHELTER.
OKAY? W THEY'RE, THEY DO WHAT, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE FOR THE CITIZENS AND FOR THE ANIMALS? THANK YOU.
NEXT WE HAVE DESI MARTINEZ CARD LINE TO FOLLOW.
ANYWAY, UH, I WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU.
UM, MMA AND BRANDING, UH, HARLINGEN AND ALL THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND AS MARATHONS, BRINGING IN PEOPLE TO RUN FROM MEXICO INTERNATIONALLY, FROM THE CONGO THROUGHOUT TEXAS HERE.
AND REAL FAST, I KNOW IT RAINS.
I COME FROM ONE OF MY COMMUNITIES.
I WORK FOR, UH,
LET ME JUST, I DON'T WANNA, I'M SORRY.
BEFORE YOU GET WE GET STARTED, I DON'T WANT, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
I WAS NOTICING HERE, YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WELL, THESE ARE, UH, THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID I COULDN'T DO, DO YOU HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS? THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT.
I, I JUST WANTED, IT'S TWO PUB.
IT'S, THEY CLARIFIED IT WAS, UH, ACTION, ACTION ITEMS VERSUS PUBLIC HEARING.
NO, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE PUBLIC.
NO, IT WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH OF MY, YOUR TIME.
WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INTERRUPTION.
THE MMA PROMOTION IS TREMENDOUS.
YOU BRING INTERNATIONAL AS WELL FAMILIES INTO THIS ORGANIZATION WE HAVE AND OTHERS I PROPOSE, AND IT TAKES IT TO THE NEXT NOTE, WHICH IS THE CONSIDERATION OF WHAT MR. PATEL WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I'M NOT AGAINST USING TOURISM FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.
I WORK IN THE BUSINESS AS A GENERALIST, AS AN ECONOMIST, BUT HOW MUCH AND WHERE CAN WE TAP DIFFERENT SOURCES TO GET THERE? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? AND YOU BUILT BUILDINGS OR NOT BUILT BUILDINGS AND WORK WITH TECHNICAL TEAMS. WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU? THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING REVITALIZATION, INCLUDING THIS COMMITTEE.
YOU'RE SETTING UP THE NATIONAL REVITALIZATION PROJECT TO DEVELOP AND BRING BACK TRAFFIC INTO DOWNTOWN AND BUILT UP THE COMMUNITY AGAIN ALONG WITH HUD PROGRAMS, ALONG WITH EDA, IF WE COULD BRING $6 MILLION TO MATCH THE $3 MILLION THAT G WAS PROPOSING.
NOW, THERE'S THREE OPTIONS AS A BUILDER.
AND YET, AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA OPEN UP YOUR EYES, AND I HOPE YOU DO, BOTH OF YOU THAT BRING THIS REVITALIZATION CONCEPT TO THE TABLE DEMOLISHED.
RECONSTRUCT AS GABRIEL SAYING FOR 3 MILLION.
AND WE STILL HAVE A BUILDING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS TO DO.
LIKE, UH, MR. PATEL SAID, OR MAYBE CONSIDER THE STRUCTURE, SUPER STRUCTURE AND MAKING A PAVILION FOR NEW STARTUP BUSINESSES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES INTERNATIONALLY.
INVITE RE SAN ANTONIO HOUSTON, THAT WE ARE THE I 69 CONNECTION TO THOSE INDUSTRIES FROM MEXICO AS WELL.
SO THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WE COULD DO, BUT TO TAKE ACTION TODAY ON A ALPHA HIP TYPE DEAL ISN'T JUSTIFIED.
I AGREE WITH PATEL, BUT THEY ARE ALL THE SOURCES AND WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER, SET UP THE COMMITTEE, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO HELP ASSIST YOU VOLUNTEERING ON IT FOR THAT.
AND WITHIN 90 DAYS, WE'LL GIVE YOU A TURNKEY PROJECT.
I BROUGHT YOU SOME THINGS, MAYOR, ON MORE PROMOTIONS.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE ROBERT LEWI.
ROBERT LEWI, 9 0 9 EAST PART, BUT I JUST, I'M BACK HERE AGAIN.
[00:40:01]
MR. MR. LEFTWICH, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION OR THE PUBLIC HEARING? THERE'S NO PUBLIC HEARING.PUBLIC HEARING, WE'VE ALREADY, IT'S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED.
I, I HOPE YOU ADD THAT TIME BACK ON TO MINE.
THE FACT IS THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS TAX NOTICE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? 2.5 MILLION.
IT'S, UH, $350,000 OF THAT IS NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO NOT ALL OF THAT IS ON NEW IS IS NEW CONSTRUCTION, 2.15 MILLION IS ON EXISTING TAXPAYERS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP SOMETHING, UH, THE, THE TAX LEVY YIELD CURVE OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS BECAUSE THERE'S THREE PEOPLE UP FOR REELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
AND WHEN Y'ALL GOT INTO OFFICE, EXCUSE ME, ROBERT, COULD YOU START AGAIN PLEASE? JUST, IT'S, IT, WE, WE CAN ALL HEAR IT'S FINE.
WE'RE TALK ABOUT THE YIELD CURVE ON THE, UH, THE LEVY, THE LEVY AMOUNT, WHICH IS WHAT EVERYBODY PAYS, WAS 21,385,000.
NOW THIS YEAR AFTER THIS 2.5 MILLION PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, IT'S GONNA BE 27,000,547.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OVER Y'ALL'S TERM.
AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER MORALES HAS VOTED AGAINST THESE INCREASES OF $6.12 MILLION.
AND ALL WE HEAR IS THAT Y'ALL ARE LOWERING THE RATE.
YEAH, YOU'RE LOWERING THE RATE, BUT THE LEVY'S GOING UP, THE CERTIFIED TAX TOTALS ARE GOING UP.
THE CERTIFIED TAX TOTAL WAS $3.4 BILLION.
LET'S LOOK AT SOME COMPARISONS BECAUSE WE HEARD COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, YOU SAID LAST TIME, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT IF WE DIDN'T LIKE THE TAX INCREASE, WE COULD GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS KIND OF UNPROFESSIONAL AND NOT A VERY GOOD STATEMENT FROM A PUBLIC SERVANT.
SO I DID, I WENT AND LOOKED AT ANOTHER CITY AND, UH, YOU, YOU OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT MCALLEN IS A PRETTY NICE PLACE TO GO LIVE.
WELL, THEIR TAX RATE IS 10 CENTS LOWER, LOWER THAN OURS, AND THEIR BUDGET IS NOT 27 MILLION.
IT'S 57 MILLION AND THEIR TAX INCREASE WAS ONLY $1.7 MILLION.
HOW CAN THE CITY OF MCALLEN HAVE A SMALLER TAX INCREASE THAN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN? WELL, WHAT IT IS, IT'S WASTED MISMANAGEMENT.
THE FACT THAT Y'ALL TOOK OVER THE SHELTER INSTEAD OF LEVERAGING WITH A NONPROFIT THAT ALREADY HAD A $600,000 A YEAR CONTRIBUTION.
NOW Y'ALL ARE, WE, WE HAVE NO LONGER HAVE A A FOSTER FOCUS.
DO YOU NEED THE SAME STAFFING LEVELS? IF ALL YOU'RE GONNA DO IS EUTHANIZE THOSE ANIMALS? I DON'T THINK SO.
Y'ALL ARE DOING IT ON THE TAX INCREASE.
YOU DID IT WHEN YOU TOOK OVER THE HUMANE SOCIETY.
TURN IT INTO A, A BUREAUCRATIC CITY SHELTER.
THERE'S NO NEED WHEN THE CITY OF MCALLEN ONLY NEEDS $1.7 MILLION.
THEY'VE GOT A $653 BILLION, A MILLION DOLLAR OVER OVERALL BUDGET.
THAT'S WAY MORE INCREASE THAN WE NEED.
AND Y'ALL NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT.
HELLO? UM, SORRY, MY NAME IS L ZA AND I RESIDE IN DISTRICT ONE.
SO I'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH QUOTING NORMA, WHAT YOU POSTED ON NEXTDOOR APP.
AND IF THOSE OF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT.
I'M GOING TO READ I QUOTE UNQUOTE WHAT SHE WROTE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS CITY ON SUNDAY.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG POST, BUT AN IMPORTANT ONE.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO STICK WITH ME ON SUNDAY.
HARLINGEN EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT RECEIVING NEARLY SIX INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST TWO HOURS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHEN YOU GET THAT MUCH RAIN IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WATER IS NATURALLY GOING TO COLLECT ON THE STREETS.
DON'T BE ALARMED, THAT'S EXPECTED.
WHAT'S CRITICAL IS THAT THE WATER RECEDED QUICKLY AND THAT IT DOESN'T GO OVER THE CURB.
AS YOUR MAYOR AND A RESIDENT WHO LIVED THROUGH THE FLOODS OF 2018 AND 2019, I UNDERSTAND FIRSTHAND THE CHALLENGES FLOODING BRINGS.
THAT'S WHY SINCE TAKING OFFICE A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO, THE CITY COMMISSION HAS MADE DRAINAGE A TOP PRIORITY.
IF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED IN READING THE REST OF HER QUOTE UNQUOTE STATEMENT, LIKE I SAID, GOING TO NEXTDOOR APP, WELL, I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU,
[00:45:01]
MS. MAYOR, TO DOWN TO LINDA AVENUE.'CAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU WERE OUT OF TOWN ON A TRIP.
I WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO BRING YOUR PLUNGER WITH YOU BECAUSE ALL THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT ONE, WE COMMUNICATE SINCE I OVERSEE THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH AND ALL OF US HAD TO BE GETTING PLUMBERS TO GO, UM, CLOG OUR TOILETS.
FORTUNATELY, I DID A SERVICE REQUEST TO THE HARLING AND WATERWORKS AND THEY REMEDIED THE SITUATION THAT EVENING.
UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD TO PAY FOR PLUMBERS.
THIS WE'RE IN A TIME OF INFLATION.
MAYOR, THIS, I'M NOT BUYING ANY OF THOSE QUOTES.
YOU'RE PUTTING, YOU CAN TRY TO SUGARCOAT IT TO OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I'M SURE IF ANYBODY WENT ON THERE, THEY WILL SEE THE VIDEOS AND ALL THE, ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD.
NOT TO MENTION, I HAD ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS BOARD, THIS COMMISSION IN REFERENCE TO THE FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY AS FAR AS WHEN YOU ALL THE CITY SELLS A HOUSE, YOU ALL HAVE NOT UPDATED THE FLOOD CODES SINCE THE 1970S.
HOW IS IT THAT YOU DID THREE TAX INCREASES IN TWO YEARS, BUT FLOODING IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY, I THINK, NOT MAYOR.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION MAYOR.
[Item 6 - Approval of Minutes]
ON TO ITEM SIX, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.ITEM SIX, A SPECIAL MEETING OF JUNE 28TH, 2024.
AND ITEM SIX B, REGULAR MEETING OF JULY 17TH, 2024.
OKAY, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS IS OR ARE THERE ANY AMENDMENTS? MOTION.
[Item 7 - Consent Agenda]
SEVEN, CONSENT AGENDA.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 AS A STAFF REPORT OR DISCUSSION ITEM.
THIS ITEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED COLLECTIVELY BY A SINGLE VOTE UNLESS A COMMISSION MEMBER REQUESTS AN ITEM BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I ASK TO PULL SEVEN A AND SEVEN L AND THEN I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
OKAY, LET'S ALSO DO OO SO WE A, L, AND O.
UH,
A, L AND O, DO YOU HAVE ONE YOU WANNA APPROVE? UM, OKAY.
ITEM SEVEN, A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A REQUEST FROM THE HARLINGEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL TO CLOSE THE FOLLOWING STREETS.
900 BLOCK OF MARSHALL AVENUE INTERSECTION OF SEVENTH AND NINTH STREETS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 2024 FROM 6:00 PM TO 7:30 PM FOR THEIR HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING PARADE RELEASE.
AND COMMISSIONER AB ABSTAINING.
AND THEN EL, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A REQUEST FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO CLOSE THE FOLLOWING STREETS.
JUST L YOU COULD READ L FIRST.
I SAID I AS IN A YE OH, I THOUGHT THE SAME THING.
ON THE TOP, THE FACE CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE MARINE MILITARY ACADEMY FOR THE USE OF THE HOTEL MOTEL FUNDS TO PROMOTE TOURISM BY MAINTAINING THAT I IWO JIMA MONUMENT ATTACHMENT.
ABSTENTION FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER KINSLEY.
ITEM O CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE INSTALLATION OF SPEED HUNTS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS.
EAST WASHINGTON, NORTHEAST STREET, 1200 WEST MONROE STREET, AND 1600 EAST VAN BUREN.
I JUST, I I RECEIVED IT FROM A, A RESIDENT ON, I'M NOT SURE I I DON'T THINK THIS IS YOU.
1202 WEST MONROE OR ON, ON WEST MONROE STREET? UM, IT'S YOU'RE EAST? YEAH, I'M EAST.
[00:50:01]
DISTRICT FOUR.UM, CAN WE ADD THAT TO THE STUDY? YES, SIR.
AND THEN IF, UM, THE CHIEF IS HERE, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY ACCIDENTS ON THAT STREET.
WHAT WAS THAT ADDRESS AGAIN? MAYOR? UM, WELL I DON'T WANNA GIVE THE SPECIFIC ADDRESS, BUT IN THE 1200 BLOCK OF WEST MONROE.
1200 WELL THAT'S WHAT THIS SAYS.
YOU TOLD ME, RIGHT? OH, WELL I'M SORRY.
I THOUGHT IT SO YOU ADDED THAT.
THAT, BUT SEE, IN SPEAKING OF TALKING ABOUT ACCIDENTS REFERENCING, UH, ACCIDENTS, THERE WAS ONE IF FOUND A MISTAKE, THE 500 BLOCK OF WEST MONROE.
I THINK IT'S THE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THIS SPECIFIC, IT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING IF YOU CAN ASSIST IN TELLING US.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE ALONG THERE THEY'LL NEED TO BE THE SPEED HUMPS, BUT IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO HAVE, UM, ACCIDENT REPORT TO SEE, SO THAT WAY WHAT THEY'RE PLACED IN, IN THE LOCATIONS WHERE IT'S MOST NEEDED.
DID YOU SEE OF THE ANSWER? I I DIDN'T GET THOSE PICTURES.
OKAY, SO LET ME ASK OSCAR, I GUESS YOU KNOW THE ANSWER MAN ON THIS.
SO THIS HAS ALL BEEN APPROVED BY THE ENGINEERING? NO, THIS IS TO START THE PROCESS.
IT SAYS INSTALLATION TO APPROVE THE INSTALLATION, BUT THAT INVOLVES, UH, THE ENGINEER CONDUCTING HIS ANALYSIS.
SO NO ANALYSIS HAS BEEN DONE YET? NO, THIS, THIS WILL START THE PROCESS.
I HAD, WE'LL ONLY DO THEM IF IT'S NEEDED, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
YEAH, I HAD, I WAS GONNA ADD ONE TOO.
I GOT A CALL FROM CONSTITUENT.
UH, NORTH VISTA DESEO BETWEEN WELL BASS BOULEVARD AND NORTH VISTA DESEO DRIVE.
AND I GUESS CHIEF, IF, IF YOUR OFFICE CAN SEND IT TO BOTH, UM, TO THE CITY COMMISSION AND THEN TO TO STAFF.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION? APPROVE.
SUBJECT TO THE SUPPLEMENT BY COMMISSIONER PEREZ.
MOVING ON ITEM EIGHT, STAFF REPORTS AND OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS, ITEMS IN THIS SECTION ARE NOT EXPECTED TO REQUIRE ACTION BY THE CITY COMMISSION AND ARE GENERALLY FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
HOWEVER, ANY ITEM LISTED IN THIS SECTION MAY BECOME AN ACTION ITEM WITH THE REQUEST OF THE MAYOR OR AFTER THE REQUEST OF ANY TWO COMMISSION MEMBERS OR THE CITY MANAGER.
[Item 8a - City Manager's Report]
A CITY MANAGERS REPORT.I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, JOIN IT REPORT AT THE NEXT MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES, UH, REGARDING THE RECENT RAIN ACTIVITY ACTIVITY THAT WE HAD, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND STAFF.
WHEN IS THAT? UH, THAT MEETING.
AND I DO WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO COMMEND, UM, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF CHRIS IS HERE.
CHRIS AND, AND OSCAR AND, AND CITY MANAGEMENT.
I KNOW THAT THIS ENTIRE COMMISSION, UM, AND MYSELF WERE ON THE PHONE, UM, AND THROUGH PHONE CALLS AND MESSAGES AND, AND REACHING OUT TO YOU SO THAT WAY YOU CAN TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT RAIN, ALMOST SIX INCHES OF RAIN.
AND TO SEE ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN, IN THE MAINTENANCE AND IN THE IMPROVEMENTS AND ESPECIALLY IN THE DETENTION OVER IN LOZANO POND AND SEEING THAT RISE TO THREE FEET AND TAKING THAT, KEEPING THAT WATER OFF THE STREETS WAS, WAS REALLY INSTRUMENTAL.
SO I APPLAUD YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU GUYS AS WELL 'CAUSE I GOT A LOT OF, UM, SOME CALLS FROM MY CONSTITUENTS AND THEY WERE IMPRESSED WITH THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE DRAINAGE IN OUR AREA.
AND I GIVE YOU GUYS ALL THE CREDIT 'CAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE ROCK STARS.
UM, CHRISTOPHER RUTH, AND, UM, OSCAR, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME.
IT REALLY MEANS, IT REALLY MEANS A LOT.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT IN EVERYBODY'S DISTRICT REALLY, AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS DEFINITELY HELPFUL, SO THANK YOU.
[Item 8b - Staff Reports]
B STAFF REPORTS.THERE ARE NONE TO DISCLOSE, MAYOR.
[Item 9 - Public Hearings]
ITEM NINE, PUBLIC HEARINGS.AT THIS TIME, THE MAYOR WILL INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE FILLED OUT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE CITIZEN 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 WILL 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'RE SIGNED UP FOR TWO OR MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS, YOU WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES FOR ALL TOPICS.
WE, THERE WERE NO SIGNUPS FOR A PUBLIC HEARING TODAY.
OKAY, WELL THEN LET ME JUST DO THIS REAL QUICKLY.
[00:55:01]
OKAY.ITEM NINE, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR AN SUP TO ALLOW AN ADULT BUSINESS IN A GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT LOCATED AT ONE 17 EASTPORT COURT, SUITE ONE BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT FIVE BLOCK ONE ESPORT CENTER SUBDIVISION.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST OR HAVING SIGNED UP, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ITEM NINE B PUBLIC HEARING FOR REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICT TO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DISTRICT FOR 1.73 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK SIX.
SECTION 2 97 STEWART PLACE RE SUBDIVISION LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF STEWART PLACE IN BRENHAM ROADS.
THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST.
WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
ITEM NINE C PUBLIC HEARING AMENDING THE CITY OF HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 34, OFFENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISION.
ARTICLE FIVE OFFENSES INVOLVING PUBLIC PEACE AND ORDER SECTION 34 DASH ONE 15 NOISE DISTURBANCES BY ADDING A PROVISION WHICH EXEMPTS PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN INDUSTRIAL ZONE OR LAND USE FROM THE NOISE REGULATIONS.
THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST OR SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
ITEM NINE D PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION REQUEST OF AN 8.36 ACRE TRACK OF LAND LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS LOT ONE BLOCK TWO GEORGETTE SUBDIVISION, LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BASS BOULEVARD AND JOHNSON LANE.
AT THIS TIME WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ITEM NINE E PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION REQUEST OF 56.45 ACRE TRACK OF LAND OUT OF SURVEY 2 95 STEWART PLACE SUBDIVISION LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF GARRETT ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 650 THE EAST OF SAMA ROAD.
THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM.
WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ITEM NINE F PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF HARLAN'S.
ONE YEAR ACTION PLAN IN THE AMOUNT OF 39,000 FROM VESTO PARK LIGHTING, PHASE THREE TO VESTO PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, HAVING NO TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM OR HAVING SIGNED UP.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
ACTION ITEMS CITY COMMISSION WILL DISCUSS, CONSIDER AND TAKE ANY ACTION DEEMED NECESSARY ON ITEMS LISTED IN THIS SECTION, INCLUDING THE ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION OR AN ORDINANCE.
[Item 10a - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on first reading for a Special Use Permit ("SUP") to allow an adult business (tattoo studio) in a General Reta il (" GR") District located at 117 E. Porte Court, Suite #1, bearing a legal description of Lot 5, Block 1, East Porte Center Subdivision. Applicant: Gabriel Vargas.]
10, A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.SUP TO ALLOW AN ADULT BUSINESS TATTOO STUDIO IN A GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT LOCATED AT ONE 17 EAST PORTE COURT, SUITE NUMBER ONE, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT FIVE BLOCK ONE EAST PORTES CENTER SUBDIVISION APPLICANT GABRIEL VARGAS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
MAYOR COMMISSION IS A PROPOSED TATTOO TATTOO STUDIO ON FOURTH AVENUES, KIND OF BEHIND THE DAIRY QUEEN ON LUKE 4 99.
AND THAT'S THE BUILDING WHERE THEY'RE PROPOSING TO LOCATE.
WE HAVE NO OPPOSITION OF THE PLANNING AS ZONING COMMISSION ARE RECOMMENDED.
IN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, ORDINANCE NUMBER 16 DASH EIGHT OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN TO ISSUE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT SUP TO ALLOW AN ADULT BUSINESS TATTOO STUDIO IN THE GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT.
UH, LOCATED AT 117 EACH PORT E EASTPORT COURT, SUITE ONE BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT FIVE BLOCK ONE EASTPORT COURT SUBDIVISION APPLICANT GABRIELLE VARGAS.
[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 Neighborhood Services (" NS ") District for 1.73 acres of land out of Block 6, Section 297, Stuart Place Subdivision, located on the southeast corner of Stuart Place and Brennaman Roads. Applicant: Moore La nd Surveying, LLC c/o Zarate Home Designs, LLC.]
B, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR A REZONING REQUEST FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY R ONE DISTRICT TO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES NS DISTRICT FOR 1.73 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK SIX.SECTION 2 97 STEWART PLACE RE SUBDIVISION LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF STEWART PLACE AND BRENNAMAN ROADS APPLICANT MOORELAND SURVEYING OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
THIS ITEM WAS WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT.
AND HE WILL APPLY AGAIN LATE THIS YEAR OR EARLY NEXT YEAR.
[Item 10c -Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on first reading to amend the City of Harlingen Code of Ordinances, Chapter 34, Offenses and Miscellaneous Provision, Article V, Offenses involving public peace and order, Section 34-114, Noise Disturbances, by adding a provision which exempts properties located within an industrial zone or land use from the noise regulations. Applicant: City of Harlingen]
C, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING TO AMEND THE CITY OF HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 34, OFFENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISION.ARTICLE FIVE, OFFENSES INVOLVING PUBLIC PEACE AND ORDER SECTION 34 DASH ONE 14 NOISE DIS DISBURSE DISTURBANCES, EXCUSE ME, BY ADDING A PROVISION WHICH EXEMPTS PROPERTIES LOCATED WITH AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE OR LAND USE FROM THE NOISE REGULATIONS APPLICANT CITY OF HARINGTON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
MARK, CAN YOU READ THE CAPTION? YEAH.
IN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF
[01:00:01]
HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 34, OFFENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISION, ARTICLE FIVE, OFFENSES INVOLVING PUBLIC PEACE AND ORDER SECTION THIRTY FOUR A HUNDRED FOURTEEN NOISE DISTURBANCES BY ADDING A PROVISION WHICH EXEMPTS PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE WERE INDUSTRIAL LAND USES FROM THE NOISE REGULATIONS PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING.OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING.
[Item 10d - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on second and final reading for the voluntary annexation request of an 8.36-acre tract of land legally described as Lot 1, Block 2, Georgette Subdivision, located at the southwest corner of Bass Boulevard and Johnston Lane. Applicant: Georgina and Saul Gonzalez.]
D, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION REQUEST OF AN 8.36 ACRES TRACT OF LAND LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS LOT ONE BLOCK TWO GEORGETTE SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BASS BOULEVARD IN JOHNSTON LANE.APPLICANT GEORGINA AND SAUL GONZALEZ.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, MARK AN ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN BY ANNEXING FOR FULL PURPOSE.
AN 8.36 ACRE TRACT LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS LOT ONE BLOCK TWO GEORGIA SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BASS BOULEVARD ON JOHNSON LANE, 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 AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
[Item 10e - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on second and final reading for the voluntary annexation request of a 56.45-acre tract of land out of Survey 295, Stuart Place Subdivision, located along the South side of Garrett Road approximately 650 feet east of Altas Palmas Road . Applicant: Javier Hinojosa c/o Carlos Snavely.]
10 E CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION REQUEST OF A 56.45 ACRE TRACK OF LAND OUT OF SURVEY 2 95 STEWART PLACE SUBDIVISION LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF GARRETT ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 650 FEET EAST OF ALTA PALMAS ROAD.APPLICANT JOSA CARE OF CARLOS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
ALRIGHT, IN ORDER IT'S EXTENDING THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN BY ANNEXING FOR FULL PURPOSE.
A 56.45 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF SURVEY 2 95 STEWART PLACE SUBDIVISION LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF GARRETT ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 650 FEET EAST OF ALTUS PROMISE ROAD, 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 AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
J IT SEEMS LIKE OVER THE PAST YEAR WE'VE HAD A BUNCH OF ANNEXATIONS.
WHAT ARE WE LIKE 200 ACRES BIGGER THAN WE WERE A YEAR AGO.
IT'S A WORK, SOMETIMES GOOD STUFF WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND CONVINCING THEM TO, TO COME IN.
SO SOMETIMES THEY WANNA COME IN FROM THE BEGINNING AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES WORK IN CONVINCING THEM OR SELLING THE CITY.
IT'S TOTALLY A LOT EASIER WHEN IT'S VOLUNTARY.
BUT I THINK THE ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THE ANNEXATION SHE JUST MENTIONED IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF 'EM ARE SUBDIVISIONS, RIGHT? SO IT BRINGS IN HOUSING UNITS, ADDITIONAL PROPERTY VALUES, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY POPULATION.
SO, SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE SAYING DISTRICT FIVE IS BOOMING?
THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT I SAID, BUT I I, I, I OKAY.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY AND WE WELCOME EVERYONE BACK INTO HARLINGEN.
[Item 10f - Consideration and possible action to adopt an ordinance on second and final reading amending the City of Harlingen Code of Ordinances, Chapter 38, Solid Waste, Article II, Collection and Disposal, Section 38-29 Heavy Bulky Waste Collections, by clarifying the date and location to place bulky items for collection Section 38-31, Duty to Provide Receptacles; Specifications, by clarifying the size of the receptacle for single family residential; Section 38-33, Receptacles to be Accessible to Collectors, by clarifying the accessibility of the placement of the garbage container; and Section 38-39 Tree Limbs, Brush Trimmings, and the Like; Collection; by clarifying the date and location for brush to be placed on city right-of-way for collection services. Applicant: City of Harlingen.]
10 F CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING, AMENDING THE CITY OF HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 38, SOLID WASTE.ARTICLE TWO, SELECTION AND DISPOSAL SECTION 38 DASH 29 HEAVY BULKY WASTE COLLECTIONS BY CLARIFYING THE DATE AND LOCATION TO PLACE BULKY ITEMS FOR COLLECTION.
SECTION 38 DASH 31 DUTY TO PROVIDE RES PROVIDE RECEPTACLES SPECIFICATIONS BY CLARIFYING THE SIZE OF THE RECEPTACLE FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SECTION 38 DASH 33 RECEPTACLES TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO COLLECTORS BY CLARIFYING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE GARBAGE CONTAINER.
AND SECTION 38 DASH 39 TREE LIMBS.
BRUSH TRIMMINGS AND THE LIGHT COLLECTION BY CLARIFYING THE DATE AND LOCATION FOR BRUSH TO BE PLACED ON CITY RIGHT OF WEIGHT FOR COLLECTION SERVICES APPLICANT, CITY OF HARLINGEN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, MARK IN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES.
CHAPTER 38, SOLACE SOLID WASTE ARTICLE TWO, COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL SECTION 38 29 HEAVY BULK WASTE COLLECTIONS BY CLARIFYING THE DATE AND LOCATION TO PLACE BULKY ITEMS FOR COLLECTION.
SECTION 38 31 DUTY TO PROVIDE RECEPTACLES SPECIFICATIONS FOR CLARIFYING THE SIZE OF THE RECEPTACLE FOR SIGLER FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SECTION 38 33 RECEPTACLES TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO COLLECTORS BY CLARIFYING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE GARBAGE CONTAINER.
AND SECTION 38 39 TREE LIMBS, BRUSH TRIMMINGS AND THE LIKE COLLECTION BY CLARIFYING THE DATE AND LOCATION FOR BRUSH TO BE PLACED ON CITY, UH, RIGHT OF WAY FOR COLLECTION SERVICES PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING.
OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FORGOING.
[01:05:01]
I HAVE A QUESTION.HOW WILL THE CITIZENS OF HARON KNOW THIS CHANGE? SO IT WAS, THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT THE LAST MEETING, RIGHT? THERE WILL BE SOME, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THE DOOR HANGERS AND THEN, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF COURTESY NOTICES TO GET, TO GET THE PEOPLE TO COMPLY.
ANY MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND.
ITEM 10, JEAN, JUST ONE SECOND.
I'M GOING TO MOVE A LITTLE AROUND
I KNOW YOU'RE REALLY FAST, ROBERT, BUT I SEE GERALD HERE.
GOT, HE IS HE IS BEEN, UM, WORKING HARD AND, AND ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK YOU DO AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
WE WON'T HAVE YOU STAY AND WAIT ALL DAY FOR US TO DO THIS.
SO LET'S JUST MOVE, UM, OVER TO ITEM.
LET'S SEE, 10 R, 10 RR OH Q, NO, 10 Q.
LET'S GO TO 10 Q AND THEN 10 R.
[Item 10q - Consideration and possible action to approve a contract with the Boy's and Girl's Club ofHarlingen for Fiscal Year 2025 for $145,757. 00 for Teen Service Programs and authorize the City Manager to sign the contract.]
YOU.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A CONTRACT WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HARLINGEN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR ONE 145,757 FOR 10 SERVICE PROGRAMS. AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN THE CONTRACT, PARKS AND RECREATION THERE.
[Item 10r - Consideration and possible act io n to approve a contract with the Boy's and Girl's Club of Harlingen for Fiscal Year 2025 for $140,104.00 for Youth Service Programs and authorize the City Manager to sign the contract. ]
R, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A CONTRACT WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HARLINGEN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR 140,104 FOR YOUTH SERVICE PROGRAMS. AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN THE CONTRACT, PARKS AND RECREATION.AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE WONDERFUL WORK YOU DO FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF THE CITY OF PAREN.
AND I THINK MR. PATEL IS HERE ALL TOO.
SO WHY DON'T WE MOVE OVER TO CONS.
[Item 10w - Consideration and possible action to allocate $1,000,000 from the HOT Fund Balance to the Casa Del Sol Renovation Project. ]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ALLOCATE 1 MILLION FROM THE HOT FUND BALANCE TO THE CAA DEL RENOVATION PROJECT.MEMBERS COMMISSIONER, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, SCOTT JOS LAW, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOTEL MOTEL ASSOCIATION FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS HERE, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND ONE OF THE, UM, DURING HIS PRESENTATION, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED HIM WAS IF WE COULD USE HOT FUNDS TO, UH, ADDRESS THE ISSUES WITH CA SOLD.
AND HE SAID, MOST DEFINITELY, THAT IT, WE COULD, WE'D HAVE TO, UH, TRACK THE HOTEL, UH, STAYS THAT WE ANTICIPATED WOULD GENERATE.
AND SO BASED WITH THAT, WE HAD, UH, JOHN PEARCY VOLUNTEER HER SERVICES TO COME IN AND GIVE US AN ANALYSIS ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED, UH, TO THE CASA DEL AND WHAT THE, UH, IMPLICATIONS ARE.
SO WHAT WE DID IMMEDIATELY WAS WE CANCELED ALL EVENTS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, IT IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR NOW.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT IT'LL BE CLOSED THROUGH JUNE OF NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND HE ALSO GAVE US A PROJECT ESTIMATE ON WHAT HE WOULD TAKE TO RENOVATE THAT FACILITY TO BRING IT BACK TO ITS, UH, ORIGINAL GLORY.
AND THAT COST IN TODAY'S DOLLARS WAS ABOUT $3 MILLION.
SO IN ORDER TO START THE PROCESS, WE NEED TO GET ENGINEERING DESIGN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS TO GIVE US THEIR OPINION OF THE WORK THAT'S GONNA NEED TO BE DONE TO THE, UH, TO THE FACILITY, AND THEN GET THAT IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY GO OUT FOR BIDS, TO GET SOMEONE TO GIVE US A QUOTE, UH, FOR THE RENOVATION.
SO THIS WOULD START THE PROCESS.
THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO HIRE, UM, AN ENGINEER, AN ARCHITECT, AND ANY OTHER TYPE OF PROFESSIONAL THAT WE WOULD NEED, AS BEST AS, AND LEAD BASE, ALL THAT, UM, TO GET A TRUE PICTURE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO, TO THE FACILITY.
SO WHERE WILL THE OTHER $2 MILLION COME FROM? WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, APPLY FOR GRANTS, UM, AND, UH, PERHAPS ASK SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDING AGENCIES, UH, THAT ARE PART OF THE CITY, UM, TO ACTUALLY HELP WITH SOME OF THOSE COSTS.
COULD BE THE FOUR A, THE FOUR B, UH, COULD BE, UM, THE CITY FUNDING PART OF IT OURSELVES.
WE HAVEN'T MADE THAT DECISION YET.
THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS BECAUSE OF FACILITY IS SHUT DOWN, COME UP WITH SOME PLANS ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO ACTUALLY BRING IT BACK.
SO, AND THIS FACILITY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEAR, WELL EXCLUDE COVID, BUT IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS,
[01:10:01]
WHO USES THIS FACILITY AND FOR WHAT? UM, IT DOES GET A LOT OF USE, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS.UM, A LOT OF FAMILIES USE IT FOR QUINCEANERAS BANQUETS.
UM, IT'S RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE TO RENT.
WHEN YOU COMPARE THE COST OF RENTING THAT FACILITY, IT'S ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, COMPARED TO THE, SAY, THE COST OF RENTING THE CONVENT CENTER TO RENT, ALL OF IT WOULD BE ABOUT $8,000.
AND SO A LOT OF PEOPLE LOCALLY DO RENT IT, UM, FOR VARIOUS EVENTS.
UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, IN THE PAST WE USED TO HAVE THE, UH, THE FEAST OF SHARING, UH, PART OF THAT IN THAT, IN THAT BUILDING.
BUT THEY'VE SINCE MOVED TO THE, UH, CONVENT CENTER.
SO WITH REGARDS TO MR. PATEL'S QUESTION, DO ALL TOWNERS USE IT? DO ALL THE TOWNERS COME HERE AND DO ALL THE TOWNERS? STAY HERE OUT OF TOWNERS, COME TO LOOK AT THE FACILITY BECAUSE OF, UH, THE PEDIGREE OF HOW IT WAS DESIGNED AND CREATED.
UH, THE ARCHITECT THAT DESIGNED THAT FACILITY IS VERY FAMOUS.
SO IS THERE A HISTORICAL MARKER THERE? NO, IT'S, IT'S NOT A HISTORICAL STRUCTURE YET, BUT IT, IT COULD BE.
UM, BUT IS IS THE, MY THING IS, I, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S COMING FROM THE HOT FUND, BUT, UM, LIKE THE AMOUNT OF TOURISM THAT IT'S GONNA GENERATE, IS IT, DOES IT GENERATE LIKE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF TOURISM? UH, WE HAVEN'T DONE AN ANALYSIS FOR THAT COMMISSIONER.
UM, WE DID HAVE RECENTLY, UH, A GROUP OF ARCHITECTS THAT ACTUALLY WENT INSIDE THE BUILDING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S CLOSED, UM, TO LOOK AT IT.
AND SO THE MAJORITY OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE FROM OUT OF TOWN.
I THINK IT WAS A GROUP OF ABOUT 20 THAT WERE VISITING.
AND SO THEY STAYED IN HOTELS HERE.
AND SO IT DOES GENERATE REVENUE, BUT WHETHER IT GENERATES A MILLION DOLLAR MARK, UH, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW.
JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ANA TO LOOK AT GRANTS ON THIS.
ANA SENT ME AN EMAIL, I'M WILLING TO SHARE IT WITH YOU GUYS.
IT WAS, UH, SLIM PICKINGS OUT THERE FOR GRANTS.
THE GRANTS WERE LIKE $10,000, $5,000, $15,000 FOR HISTORICAL RENOVATION.
UH, FOR YOU TO START GETTING INTO LIKE THE BIG TICKET HISTORICAL RENOVATIONS WE WOULD HAVE TO GET.
AND IF ANNA'S HERE OR, OR, UH, OSCAR CAN SPEAK TO IT, WE HAVE TO GET A SPECIAL DESIGNATION.
REMEMBER HOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AT ONE POINT LIKE THAT, LIKE THAT LIKE FILM FRIENDLY DESIGNATION OR THAT CITY FRIEND OR THAT MUSIC FRIENDLY, IT HAS TO GO THAT ROUTE.
AND BECAUSE OF LIKE THE, THE RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENT, SHE RECOMMENDED THAT WE WOULD END UP HAVING TO HIRE SOMEONE TO DO IT.
AND THEN IT, IT JUST BECAME, UH, BURDENSOME JUST ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL SIDE OF IT.
AND SO, IF YOU GUYS RECALL, WE HAD THE GUY COME AND SPEAK TO US FROM THE HOT TAX.
THAT'S WHERE I GOT THE IDEA THAT THIS MONEY CAN BE USED FOR THIS.
IT IS GONNA TAKE ABOUT $3 MILLION TOTAL.
BUT I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH JOSH DOING RESEARCH ON HOW WE CAN CREATE A WHOLE, WHAT I'M CALLING HARLINGEN ARCHITECTURAL SLASH ARTS TOURISM INDUSTRY BASED ON NOT ONLY THIS BUILDING, BUT NUMEROUS BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE, I LOOKED LAST NIGHT, I, I GAVE AN EMAIL TO MR. PATEL IF HE RECALLS OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD.
I THINK THERE'S LIKE 20 BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND HARLINGEN THAT HAVE ARCHITECTURAL, UH, SIGN SIGNIFICANCE.
THAT INCLUDES THE CY HILL BUILDING THAT WE HAVE, THE OLD PUBLIC LIBRARY THAT WAS DESIGNED BY JOHN YORK.
AND THEN WE HAVE A BUNCH THAT WAS, THAT ARE IN PARK PLACE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY ONE DOWN THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE.
I JUST FOUND OUT LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS DOING THE RESEARCH.
IT'S ON THE CORNER OF PIERCE AND 13TH STREET.
IT'S A PRETTY COOL HOUSE IF YOU DRIVE BY IT.
UM, AND SO THE OPPORTUNITIES, THE FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES ARE A LITTLE SLIMMER THAN I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS KNOW, I ALWAYS GO FOR GRANTS ON THIS TYPE OF STUFF.
UH, BUT THIS IS ONE METHOD WE CAN DO IT.
UH, WE WE GOT ANY INPUT FROM THE, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
UH, WE GOT ANY INPUT FROM THE CV BOARD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? 'CAUSE I KNOW THOSE ARE THE GUYS THAT YOU KNOW, CORRECT? NO, WE HAVE NOT.
UH, AND I'M GOING AT THE TABLE.
THIS, I HAD TALKED TO MR. PATEL ABOUT IT, UH, EARLIER, AND I KNOW SIR RANG, UH, REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT BRINGING IT BEFORE THE CVB BOARD.
WHAT I LEARNED TODAY, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THIS, IS THAT UNLIKE THE FOUR B BOARD, THE FOUR A BOARD, THEY DON'T REALLY NECESSARILY APPROVE THE SPEAKING ON THIS.
BUT I AGREE WITH MR. SARANG THAT IF WE'RE GONNA GO THIS ROUTE ON THE HOT TEXT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORDING METHOD OR THE METRIC METHOD, UH, MEETS ALL STATE STANDARDS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE, IF WE COULD TABLE THIS FOR TWO WEEKS, HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING, AND MR. PATEL SAID HE WOULD WORK ON SETTING ONE UP BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MEETING FOR THEM TO GET ON BOARD, LEARN ABOUT IT, ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
UH, AND THEN ALSO FOR US, UH, TO TALK TO THE GENTLEMAN WHO CAME IN AND DID THE PRESENTATION, THE ONE FROM AUSTIN, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE METRICS HE GIVES US IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
THE THINGS I'M LOOKING AT, LIKE THE $15,000 GRANT I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO ANNE ABOUT APPLYING FOR, IS I WANT
[01:15:01]
TO DO AN AUDIO TOUR, UH, FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY NEAT, UH, AVENUES WE CAN GO ON THIS TO REALLY BUILD IT UP.UH, AND I TOLD MR. PATEL, I'D LOVE HIS INPUT, SARANG, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS, BUT APPARENTLY HE WENT TO COLLEGE ARCHITECTURE FOR ARCHITECTURE, RIGHT? SO, MM-HMM.
ANY OF YOU GUYS WANT TO BE ON BOARD WITH THIS MUSEUM, UH, SO ON SO FORTH.
SO THAT AS WE DEVELOP THIS, UH, ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY IN HARLINGEN, WE GET THE BEST FEEDBACK.
WE GET THE BEST INPUT TO MAKE IT AS SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE.
SO I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
AND I WAS GONNA SUGGEST TO POTENTIALLY, UM, TABLE IT.
I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO MR. PATEL, BUT I DID SPEAK TO ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER THAT HAD, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR RESERVATIONS.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS MAYBE MR. PEARCY COULD PRESENT TO THEM AS WELL.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND, YOU KNOW, OUR CBB BOARD, I THINK IS, IS VERY UNIQUE IN THAT IT REALLY DOES HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE, IN THE INDUSTRY HOTEL, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD, AND THEN THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO GIVE INPUT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT EITHER, THAT THEY DON'T MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA.
WELL, TO, TO CLARIFY THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATION TO THE CVB STAFF ON THE USE OF THEIR FUNDS.
BUT FOR THE CVB, THIS IS COMING OUTTA THE HOT, UH, FUND BALANCE.
SO THEY WOULDN'T NORMALLY MAKE A PRESENTATION ON HOW TO USE THE FUND BALANCE PORTION OR USING FUNDS FOR THE MMA, FOR H HPA, FOR THE BIRD FESTIVAL.
THOSE ARE OUTSIDE OF THEIR, THEIR PURVIEW.
'CAUSE IT'S COMING FROM, UH, FUNDS, HOT FUNDS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH THEM TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION ON, ON THIS.
UH, JUST A REMINDER, WE, THE 24TH, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A JOINT MEETING WITH THE EDC, SO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION HOPEFULLY CAN MAKE IT TO THAT MEETING.
I'LL WORK WITH MR. PATEL TO FIGURE OUT A DATE, UH, THAT YOU CAN GET A QUORUM WITH YOUR MEMBERS.
AND THEN IF YOU CAN GIMME LIKE TWO OR THREE DATES, I'LL WORK WITH MR. PEARCY TO SEE IF WE CAN GET 'EM IN TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE.
SO GABE, THEY DON'T, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE CONTROL.
UM, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO THIS IS THE, THE HOT TAX MONEY, BUT BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN THE FUND, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THAT THEY NO, THE, THE ORDINANCE THAT CREATED THE CVB HAS A MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CVB BOARD ON STRATEGIES FOR MARKETING FOR THE CVB.
WELL, MAYBE WE SHOULD REVISIT THAT JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR, THEIR, UM, INPUT, I THINK IS, IS, IS VALUABLE TO, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM IN THE CONVERSATION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT COMES TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL SO THAT WAY, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING FORWARD AND TRYING TO REALLY MAXIMIZE AFTER WE HAD THAT PRESENTATION, AND I THINK THAT WAY WE'RE NOT WASTING, UM, ANY TIME, RIGHT.
WHEN THINGS COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION, THEY'VE ALREADY, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
SO MAYBE WE CAN REVISIT THAT, THAT ORDINANCE IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, SO DID YOU, WAS THAT A MOTION TO TABLE? YEAH, I TAKE A MOTION TO TABLE SECOND.
THANK YOU MR. PATEL, FOR YOUR TIME.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THESE CAN GO REALLY LONG.
AND THEN I ALSO TELL DAVID FROM BORBA.
SO, UM, JAVIER
AM I MISSING ANYTHING ELSE? UM, I DON'T THINK SO.
[Item 10p - Consideration and possible action to approve a request from the Harlingen Parks and Recreation Department to close portions of the following trails: Arroyo Colorado Hike and Bike Trail, Henry Roberts Loop, Arroyo Delta, Coma! and Olmos Trail and a portion of the Frank Boggus Memorial Trail for the "Showdown at the Arroyo", October 12th and 13th, 2024.]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A REQUEST FROM THE HARDING AND PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO CLOSE PORTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING TRAILS AR, COLORADO, HIKE, HIKE, AND BIKE TRAIL, HENRY ROBERTS LOOP AR, DELTA CUOMO AND OMO TRAIL AND PORTION OF THE FRANK BOGUS MEMORIAL TRAIL FOR THE SHOWDOWN AT THE ARROYO, OCTOBER 12TH AND 13TH, 2024.UM, THIS REQUEST HERE IS TO CLOSE DOWN, UM, THESE PORTIONS OF, OF, UM, THE TRAIL AT THE, UM, UH, OF COURSE THE ROYAL COLORADO, THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, AND THEN THE, THE THICKET.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA BE HOSTING THE, UM, THE ACTUAL RACE AT ROYAL PARK.
UM, AND SO DAVID IS HERE WITH BORBA.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE HIM, YOU KNOW, UM, PICKING HAREN TO HOST THESE, THIS, UH, RACE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, UH, THE, I GUESS THE, THE ONLY RACE SOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, ON THIS SERIES.
AND SO AGAIN, WE REALLY APPRECIATE HIM, UM, HELPING US BUILD THE TRAILS.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, BRINGING THIS, THIS, UH, MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE, UH, SERIES DOWN HERE TO HARINGTON.
UM, HE'S HERE TO SPEAK TO Y'ALL, I GUESS, UH, MAKE THE REQUEST.
UH, MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
[01:20:01]
ANNUAL, UH, SHOWDOWN AT THEROS, WHICH WE'RE CALLING SHOWDOWN AT THE, UH, FOR THIS YEAR.IT'LL TAKE PLACE THE WEEKEND OF OCTOBER 12TH AND 13TH AT ROYAL PARK.
WE'RE EXPECTING ANYWHERE BETWEEN TWO TO 300 RACERS FROM AROUND THE STATE, FROM MEXICO, FROM SURROUNDING STATES TO COME DOWN FOR THIS RACE.
I WAS JUST IN SUGARLAND THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND THEY HAD OVER 400 RACERS, SO WE COULD HAVE A VERY BIG TURNOUT THIS YEAR AS DEMAND AND PARTICIPATION INCREASES.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH LOCAL HOTELS AND, UH, REALLY PROMOTING THE CITY OF HARLINGEN FOR THIS EVENT.
UH, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED, UH, TO ONCE AGAIN HAVE IT.
AND, UH, WE, WE CREATED A PROMO VIDEO THIS YEAR AND, UH, ONE OF THE NEW THINGS WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR, AS WELL AS WE'RE GONNA LIVE STREAM IT USING REAL SPORTS LIVE, WHICH TYPICALLY DOES LIKE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS EVENT HAS EVER BEEN STREAMED AND, UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN STREAMED IN OVER A DECADE, UH, HERE IN THE STATE.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME OUT AND BE OUT IN THE HEAT.
UH, HOPEFULLY WE GOT GOOD WEATHER THAT WEEKEND.
UH, YOU CAN WATCH FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR LIVING ROOM, UH, ON TV.
SO, SO DAVID, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW ASIDE FROM THIS, Y'ALL DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEER WORK AND I I WAS ALSO TELLING THE FOLKS FROM BICYCLE WORLD LAST TIME WHEN WE RECOGNIZED THEM THAT Y'ALL WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER AND DO A LOT OF CLEANUPS OUT ON THE TRAILS.
AND NO ONE PAYS YOU TO DO THAT, BUT YOU DO IT OUTTA THE LOVE OF OUR TRAILS AND MAKING THEM BEAUTIFUL AND BRINGING PEOPLE HERE AND SHINING A LIGHT ON THE CITY OF HARLINGEN IS AMAZING.
I KNOW THAT THIS YEAR'S GONNA BE EVEN BETTER.
I KNOW I'VE BEEN TALKING TO VISIT HARLINGEN ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE NEXT YEAR'S, 'CAUSE YOU'RE COMING BACK NEXT YEAR, UM, EVEN, EVEN BIGGER.
AND WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ON THE HOT TAX ALSO WHEN WE HAD SCOTT COME AND TALK TO US.
AND YOUR TYPE OF EVENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOU AND TO ENSURE THAT IT CAN JUST GROW AND BECOME BIGGER AND BIGGER.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS THERE LAST YEAR, THERE WAS FOLKS FROM CANADA AND FROM MEXICO AND FROM ALL OVER, AND THEY JUST, RIGHT JAVIER, THEY KEPT SAYING, OH, YOUR TRAILS ARE AMAZING.
AND SO WE HOPE THAT OBVIOUSLY THEY ALL COME BACK AND, AND MORE, MORE, MORE WANNA JOIN TOO.
AND SO I JUST COMMEND YOU FOR ALL THE AMAZING WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.
WE WILL KNOW THAT THE COMMISSION AND OBVIOUSLY CITY STAFF AND MANAGEMENT, I KNOW YOU, YOU'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH JAVI, BUT LET US BE A RESOURCE FOR YOU.
SEE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU IN THESE, IN THESE EFFORTS.
UM, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THANK YOU AND I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES WAITING ON YOU.
[Item 10g - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on second and final reading adopting the City of Harlingen's Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 by record vote. ]
WE'LL GO BACK TO ITEM 10 G.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING.
ADOPTING THE CITY OF ORANGE'S BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 BY RECORD.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UH, THIS IS THE, UH, SECOND READ, SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET.
UH, JUST TO RECAP, UH, TOTAL PROPOSED REVENUES ARE 114,385,000 185 180, WHERE? AND OUR PROPOSED EXPENDITURES ARE 115,585,034.
AND THIS DOES INCLUDE ALL OF THE FUNDS OF THE CITY.
THIS DOES HAVE TO BE A RECORD VOTE.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU BACK THERE.
LOAVES AND FISHES IS GONNA BE ABLE TO GO, GO HOME TO
SO EVERYBODY HAS THEIR, YEAH, IF, IF I COULD JUST SAY SOMETHING.
MORE OF OUR TAXES THAT WE RECEIVE ARE FROM SALES TAX.
WHEN WE VOTE TO LOWER THE TAX RATE, EVERYBODY'S CITY TAXES, CITY PROPERTY TAXES GO DOWN.
UNLESS THE CAMERON COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT RAISES THE VALUE OF THOSE PROPERTIES.
AND THEN WE GET MORE MONEY, AND THEN WE OFFSET OUR GAINS BY LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
AND IF YOU WANNA KEEP LAST YEAR'S NUMBER, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FORGET.
WE LIVE IN AN INFLATIONARY WORLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO WALMART THIS WEEK, MY ONCE A MONTH VISIT, IT WAS LIKE 300 AND SOME DOLLARS.
I NEARLY CHOKED, RIGHT? BUT THE PRICE OF ASPHALT, THE PRICE OF CONCRETE, THE PRICE OF MACHINES, EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP.
AND IF YOU WANT TO PUT FINANCIAL STRESS ON THE CITY, IF YOU WANT TO DESTROY THE CITY'S AA RATING WAITING, GO AHEAD.
[01:25:01]
GOING TO SIT HERE AND DESTROY OUR FINANCIAL STATUS.WELL, I'LL JUST ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT NEXT ITEM WILL BE TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE, BUT IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, I KNOW THAT YOU WORKED REALLY HARD AND, AND, AND GABE WORKED REALLY HARD TO, TO REALLY TAKE IT DOWN AS, AS FAR AS IT COULD.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT THE ADOPTION OF A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT NO NEW REVENUE MEANS IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME REVENUE THAT YOU HAD THE YEAR BEFORE, THEN YOU CAN DO NOTHING DIFFERENT THAN YOU DID THE YEAR BEFORE.
AND SO THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR COMMUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO, TO GROW AND TO PROVIDE THE EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES THAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE.
YOU KNOW, HAVING TO FUND, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, HAVING TO DIP INTO THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH I THINK TYPICALLY, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T REMEMBER HARLINGEN DOING THAT IN THE PAST.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR 21, 21 YEARS.
UM, ACTUALLY GOING INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO MAKE THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT EXP UH, YOU KNOW, UM, PURCHASES SO THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE A, A DRAINAGE CREW SO WE CAN HAVE A STREETS CREW IS, HAS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST? WE, WE HAVE, UH, DIPPED INTO THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE BEFORE, BUT ONLY FOR CAPITAL COSTS, NOT, UH, FOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES BECAUSE THOSE ARE REOCCURRING, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT WE DID OUT OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE DID GO INTO THE FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, BUT ONLY FOR CAPITAL ITEMS TO CREATE THE STREET CREW TO PAY FOR SOME CONSTRUCT, UM, CAPITAL EQUIPMENT FOR SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE NEEDED.
UM, OTHERS WERE PAID FOR OUT OF THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GENERATE.
BUT ALL THE, UH, ALL THE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE CREATING ARE COMING FROM THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE CREATING OUTSIDE OF THE FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE BEING RESPONSIBLE IN ENSURING THAT WE ARE NOT, THERE'S NO WASTEFUL SPENDING HERE, THOSE 21 POSITIONS.
I THINK, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE, THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE HAVE THE ONE POSITION AND IT'S TO FILL THE POSITION THAT WAS ALREADY, UM, ON OUR, OUR BOOKS, RIGHT? AND NOW WE'RE REPLACING THAT POSITION WITH A NEW PO WITH A NEW PERSON TO FILL THAT SPOT.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE MORE GROUNDSKEEPERS, WE HAVE MORE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN PARKS, PEOPLE, UM, IN, IN, IN PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THOSE ARE PLACES WHERE IT'S ESSENTIAL.
AND I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT PEOPLE IN PARKS.
UM, HAVING SPOKEN TO JAVIER AND TO PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AND TO CHRIS AND EVEN MANNY OVER IN, IN CODE ENFORCEMENT, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE, BUT WE CAN'T GROW THAT FAST.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT RESPONSIBLY.
BUT NO NEW REVENUE MEANS NO NEW, NO NEW POSITIONS, NO NEW EQUIPMENT, NO NEW ANYTHING.
AND, AND, AND DOING WHAT WE DID JUST LAST YEAR KEEPS US AT THE STATUS QUO.
I THINK THAT THE CITY WANTS MORE.
THE CITY WANTS, UH, MORE, UH, PLACES FOR, UH, TO TAKE THEIR KIDS OUT TO THE, TO THE PARKS.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE RECREATION IN YOUR DISTRICT AND, AND ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN VESTO PARK AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS IN DISTRICT TWO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, A PARK AND WALKING DISTANCE FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN DISTRICT FIVE, SO THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN GO OUT ALSO TO THE PARKS, THE TRAILS IN YOUR DISTRICT, UM, PARKS IN, IN IN DISTRICT FOUR.
IT JUST, ALL THAT TAKES TAKES MONEY.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, WE ARE REDUCING THE TAX RATE AGAIN THIS YEAR.
WE REDUCED IT LAST YEAR BY 10%.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BE MAKING COMPARISONS.
I DON'T CARE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MACALLAN.
I DON'T CARE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BROWNSVILLE.
I JUST CARE ABOUT HARLINGEN AND TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE IN HARLINGEN.
SO IF 1.7 MILLION OR 2 MILLION OR 3 MILLION IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, I CAN'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.
I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN HARLINGEN.
AND SO WE JUST HEARD ABOUT ALL THAT ANNEXATION AND I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
YOU SAID HOW MUCH, I THINK IT'S 200 ACRES, MORE OR LESS 200 ACRES.
SO YOU BETTER BELIEVE ONCE THOSE SUBDIVISIONS ARE, UM, CONSTRUCTED AND MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING INTO THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? MORE SERVICES, MORE GARBAGE TO BE PICKED UP.
I MEAN, ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE HAVING, AND WE ARE DOING SIMULTANEOUSLY GROWING THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AND WORKING ON THESE, UH, CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THOSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES ON THOSE HOMES, WHICH IS GOING TO INCREASE THE LEVY.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THERE'S ALL THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT LEVY AND, AND, AND THAT THE LEVY IS GOING UP.
IN AN ECONOMY, IN A GROWING ECONOMY, IT'S GONNA CONSISTENTLY GO UP.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY, MORE TAXES THAT ARE GONNA BE COLLECTED FOR MORE PEOPLE, MORE BUSINESSES.
[01:30:01]
PERMITS THAT WE HAD? UM, AS OF LAST MONTH? LAST LAST YEAR, UH, LAST YEAR WAS 176 MILLION.AS OF LAST MONTH IT WAS 119 MILLION.
SO 176 MILLION LAST YEAR ALONE.
THIS, IS THAT WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW? NO, I THINK FOR NOW IT'S 119, JAVIER, IS THAT CORRECT? 119 MILLION FOR BILLING PERMITS THROUGH LAST MONTH.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MEET WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
SO LAST YEAR, FIRST FISCAL, YOU KNOW, LAST FISCAL YEAR I THINK WAS NEW FOR THIS ENTIRE COMMISSION.
UM, AND WE HAD RECORD NUMBERS.
SO LAST TIME IT WAS IN 2012, WHICH WAS THE, AND WHAT WAS 118 MILLION IN, UH, CONSTRUCTION VALUE.
AND WE SURPASSED THAT WITH THOSE NUMBERS LAST YEAR.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY SURPASSED THAT 2012, UM, FIGURE THIS YEAR.
AND WE HOPE TO SURPASS THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
AND SO WITH THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S MORE FOLKS COMING IN.
AND I KNOW I DON'T SEE KAREEM HERE, BUT HE DID A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION THERE HE IS.
AND HE DID A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION LAST, UM, CITY COMMISSION MEETING IN TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT LEVY, THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS AREN'T JUST COMING FROM SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
THEY'RE COMING FROM THE RAILROAD, FROM, UH, CO-OPS AND, AND SO MANY MORE, UH, TAXING PROPERTIES AND NOT JUST THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
AND SO IT IS, IT IS MISLEADING TO SAY THAT THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND SO I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION REALLY CONSIDERS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE GIVEN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER THAT IT SITS ON THIS DAIS TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY WASTEFUL SPENDING.
AND I HEARD FROM EACH AND EVERY PERSON ON THIS COMMISSION THAT THERE WAS NO WASTEFUL SPENDING AND THERE WAS NOWHERE TO CUT.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE CRAFTED TOGETHER AFTER WEEKS AND WEEKS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS OF, OF, OF WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS AND SEPARATE MEETINGS THAT EACH OF, EACH OF YOU DO ON YOUR TIME OFF TO MEET WITH FINANCE AS WELL.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE SHARING THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE THAT IS FACTUAL INFORMATION.
IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO HEAR WHEN FOLKS COME UP HERE AND, AND SAY THINGS IN, IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
BECAUSE PUBLIC COMMENT IS JUST THAT IT'S COMMENTARY.
IT, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT'S TRUE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S FALSE, IT JUST MEANS THAT THAT'S A PERSON'S OPINION OR PERSPECTIVE.
BUT WHAT WE DO HERE, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN A TRANSPARENT WAY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT WE ARE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF, OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
NOW, MAY, MAY I MENTION ABOUT TODAY'S ECONOMIC NEWS? SURE.
SO PEOPLE HAVE MOCKED THE CITY OF HAREN.
'CAUSE LAST YEAR WE MADE A MILLION DOLLARS ON OUR SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS.
UH, INTEREST RATES A FEW YEARS AGO WERE 0.1, 0.2.
AND WE MADE CHUMP CHANGE TODAY.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE REDUCED INTEREST RATES BY 50 BASIS POINTS.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS BY A HALF A PERCENT, THEY REDUCED INTEREST RATES BY 10%.
THEY CAN ONLY CONTROL THE SHORT END OF THE YIELD CURVE.
SO THAT MEANS ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, WE'RE ONLY GONNA MAKE 900,000 OR LESS THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
AND IF WE ARE HEADING INTO A RECESSION, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER INTEREST RATES, WHICH MEANS LESS MONEY TO THE CITY.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO PLAN THIS, WHETHER IT'S YOUR BUSINESS OR YOUR HOUSEHOLD OR YOUR CITY, YOU HAVE TO PLAN FOR RAINY DAYS.
AND WE KNOW SOME OF OUR INCOME SOURCES GOING TO FALL GUARANTEED.
AND ANOTHER THING I WOULD JUST ADD IS THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN VERY, UM, FOCUSED ON WHERE WE ARE.
WE ARE SPENDING OUR MONEY AND WHERE MONEY WAS SPENT IN THE PAST, AND I KNOW THAT WE REVIEWED CONTRACTS, REVIEWED LEASES, DID EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANY WASTEFUL SPENDING.
AND WE CAN'T FORGET THAT BECAUSE THE CITY WAS IN A GREAT FINANCIAL SITUATION.
WE WERE ABLE TO, AND I THINK YOU ELOQUENTLY, UM, EXPLAINED IN DETAIL WHERE WE HAD TO, TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND AND THE EDC FUND TO, TO PAY OFF A LOAN THAT THE CITY HAD ENTERED INTO YEARS AND YEARS AGO THAT WAS JUST ACCRUING INTEREST AND WAS REALLY GOING TO BE ON THE BACKS OF TAXPAYERS FOR DECADES TO COME, PROBABLY 20, 30, 40 YEARS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THAT DEBT AND WHAT DOES THAT DO THAT LOWERS OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT DEBT WAS GOING TO BE EXTINGUISHED AND THE REMAINING SMALL INTEREST, YOU KNOW, INTEREST THAT WAS LEFT OVER WAS GONNA BE FROZEN IN TIME, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMISSION DID UNANIMOUSLY ALSO.
[01:35:01]
FORGET THAT THAT WAS ALMOST A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION THAT WE HAD TO TAKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE REALLY CONSIDER AND THEY DON'T, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT SO ENGAGED OR DON'T, DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE DID.
SO THE WORK HERE IN THE DIOCESE ISN'T JUST DONE EVERY FIRST AND THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.
IT HAP IT'S, IT'S REALLY ALL THE TIME, 24 7 IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S A RAIN EVENT, RIGHT?
SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DONE AND WE HAVE CAREFULLY REVIEWED EVERYTHING.
AND LIKE I SAID, NO ONE ON THIS COMMISSION HAS EXPRESSED IN IT TO ME OR IN IN ANY OF OUR MEETINGS THAT THERE'S ANYWHERE THAT WE CAN CUT ON THIS BUDGET.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WHAT YOU'VE PROVIDED HAS IS, IS, IS REALLY THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO AT THIS TIME.
AND, AND WE HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE AN EVEN, UM, A BUDGET WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THESE EXPENSES, THESE ONE TIME EXPENSES ARE NOT GONNA BE ON THE BUDGET.
SO WE'LL ALL BE IN A BETTER SITUATION, BUT MAKING THE INVESTMENTS IN OUR PEOPLE AND IN THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED IS REALLY GOING TO HELP THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD.
SO IS THERE ANY OTHER, UM, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FOR ROBERT? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? YES.
ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE? UM, THE CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO, UH, ON THIS BUDGET WE'RE SHORT OF MILLION AND CHANGE TWO WEEKS AGO.
HOW WERE WE GONNA BALANCE THIS ONE OUT? OKAY, THAT'S A, THIS IS A BALANCED BUDGET COMMISSIONER.
BECAUSE WHEN I HAVE A PROPOSED REVENUES AT ONE POINT, UH, 114, UH, MILLION PROPOSED EXPENDITURES OF 115, THAT'S BECAUSE WE CAN'T COUNT THE, UM, WE, WE TRANSFERRED ABOUT 3 MILLION FROM THE FUND BALANCE, THREE TO THREE AND A HALF.
WE CAN'T COUNT THAT AS NEW REVENUE BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT, SO TO SPEAK.
AND PLUS WE ARE DOING ONE TIME PURCHASES FOR, UH, ONE TIME ITEMS, RIGHT? THE CAPITAL ITEMS. AND WE DISCUSSED THIS AT THE LAST YEAH.
AT THE LAST MEETING, RIGHT? FOR A FUTURE REFERENCE, CAN WE REALLY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION LEASE TO BUY? WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LEASING SOME OF OUR POLICE CARS NOW, COMMISSIONER AND RELEASING SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE GOLF CARTS THAT ARE GONNA BE DELIVERED PRETTY SOON.
I'M REFERRING TO THE BIG TIME PURCHASES FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND SO ON.
I DON'T KNOW, CAN YOU LEASE LIKE A MAINTAINER OR YOU CAN, BUT AT THE END OF THE TERM, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY AND, AND LEASE, AND THEN YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO GO, UH, LOOK FOR MORE EQUIPMENT BECAUSE EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED HERE.
I MEAN, AS, AS YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE, UH, WE'RE IN DIRE NEED OF EQUIPMENT AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
THE CITIZENS KEEP ASKING FOR MORE, WHICH THEY SHOULD.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO PRODUCE WITH, UH, WITH MORE, WITH LESS.
AND IT'S, IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS GROWN FROM, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER 105 EMPLOYEES TO CLOSE TO 130.
AND WE'RE STILL SHORT ON, ON, ON MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS THAT WE SET FOR OURSELVES.
WE NEED CONSTANTLY NEED EQUIPMENT HERE.
IF, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, IS THERE A MOTION? MAYOR, DO WE NEED A READING? THIS IS AN ORDINANCE.
IN ORDINANCE, ADOPTING THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF HARLEEN, TEXAS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OF THE CAPTION OF THIS ORDINANCE AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING.
IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? AND THIS, THIS WILL BE A RECORD VOTE.
THIS IS THE SECOND ONE, RIGHT? UH, THEY, THEY DO REQUIRE, UH, UH, A RECORD VOTE ON THE RIGHT, BUT, BUT THERE'S NOT A SCRIPT.
STILL NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.
SO IS THERE A MOTION? YOU MADE A MOTION? YEAH, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
THEN WE'LL START WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER KIN.
[Item 10h - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on second and final reading adopting the Tax Year 2024 Ad Valorem Tax Rate for Maintenance and Operations (M&O) together with the Interest and Sinking (I&S) Rate for Fiscal Year 2025 by record vote.]
TO EACH CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING, ADOPTING THE TAX YEAR 2024, ADD VALIUM TAX RATE FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS M AND L TOGETHER WITH AN INTEREST IN SINKING IS RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 BY RECORD VOTE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE, UH, SECOND AND FINAL READING OF OUR, OF OUR TAX RATE.
UH, OUR M AND O TAX RATE IS, UH, PROPOSED AT 0.4 5 3 6 2 8.
AND OUR INTEREST IN SYNCING IS 0.0 7 3 8 9 6
[01:40:01]
FOR A TOTAL RATE OF 0.5 2 7 5 2 4.THIS IS, THIS IS A, THIS IS A LOWER RATE THAN LAST YEAR.
AND ONCE, ONCE AGAIN, DESPITE IT BEING A LOWER RATE, WE HAVE MORE TAX REVENUE.
AND SO THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE THREE MOTIONS.
AND SO CAN I GET THE FIRST MOTION? WELL, MAYOR, I THINK THE ATTORNEY NEEDS TO READ CAPTION.
OH, YOU DIDN'T READ THE CAPTION.
IN OR IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HARINGTON, TEXAS LEVYING ALOR, TEXAS FOR USE IN SUPPORT OF THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGIN OCTOBER 1ST, 2024, FOR AND TERMINATING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025.
PROVIDING FOR A PORTION OF EACH EACH LEVY FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, PROVIDING WHEN TAXES SHALL BECOME DUE, WHEN SAME SHALL BECOME DELINQUENT, IF NOT PAID, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OR AN EFFECTIVE DATE IN ORDAINING.
OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING.
SO BEFORE WE DO THAT, I JUST WANNA, I WANT A REMINDER BECAUSE YOU, I DIDN'T BRING IT WITH ME TODAY, BUT AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I KNOW THAT MORE OTHERS WILL BE, UH, TUNING IN AT HOME.
UM, THERE WAS MENTION EARLIER THAT THERE WAS ONE CITY WITHIN ONE CITY IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THAT WAS LOWER THAN US, UM, IN THE TAX RATE.
BUT DO YOU REMEMBER SOME OF THOSE THAT WERE NOT? I DO ACTUALLY, I DUNNO IF YOU HAVE THAT WITH YOU, BUT IT, SO, UH, OTHER ONES INCLUDE, UH, PRIMEA, PALM VALLEY, LA JOLLA, ALAMO, BROWNSVILLE, EDINBURG, DONNA SAN JUAN, LOS FRESNOS, UH, WESCO, PORT ISABEL PROGRESSO, SAN MANTO COMBS, LA FARIA, TOWN OF, UH, INDIAN LAKE, FAR MERCEDES, ELSA, LAVIA HONDO, SANTA ROSA ED COUCH.
AND THOSE ALL HAVE HIGHER AND SOME HAVE MUCH HIGHER.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WAS REALLY TRYING TO LOOK, AND I KNOW YOU AND I TRIED LOOKING AND I COULDN'T FIND A SINGLE CITY THAT ADOPTED THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
UM, YEAH, NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO FIND.
THEY, THEY PRETTY MUCH GO, UH, VOTER APPROVAL OR JUST BELOW THE VOTER APPROVAL.
UM, JUST WANTED THAT FOR SOME CLARIFICATION.
AND SO WE DO NEED THE, I'LL DO IT FIRST MOTION I MOVE THE, OH, I'M SORRY.
OH, WHAT YOU WANT ME, I MOVE THAT THE MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS TAX RATE BE FIXED AT 0.4 5 3 6 2 8 FOR 100.
AND THEN, UM, WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER.
I MOVE THAT THE INTEREST IN SINKING TAX RATE BE FIXED AT 0.0 7 3 8 9 6 PER 100.
I MOVE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF 0.5 2 7 5 2 4 PER HUNDRED DOLLARS, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 5.57 INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE.
KINLEY, SORRY, HERE'S WHAT I FOUND.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR TEAM
I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU ALSO TO THE COMMISSION FOR, FOR DOING THAT.
CAN WE, UM, MOVE AROUND AGAIN? UM, MELINDA, AND LET'S TAKE UP THE LOAVES AND FISHES.
UM, THAT IS, OH, WHICH I, I THINK THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IN CONSENT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT TWO CONSENT.
IT WAS THE TWO CONTRACTS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THEY WERE DONE IN CONSENT, CORRECT.
YEAH, WE READY TO PUT THOSE? OKAY.
WE'RE MOVING AROUND ALL WELL, FOR THE RECORD COMM, COMMISSIONER MIKE, REALLY WANTED TO GET THAT OUT, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THANK YOU.
OKAY, THEN LET'S KEEP ON GOING.
[Item 10i - Consideration and possible action to approve a resolution adopting the Harlingen Community Improvement Board Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.]
10, AYE, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE HARLINGEN COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR[01:45:01]
2024.GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS.
UH, THIS IS THE, A RESOLUTION FOR THE 2025 BUDGET FOR THE HAR, UH, FOUR B, THE HARLINGEN COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD.
UH, WE HAVE TOTAL REVENUES OF 2,510,000 AND TOTAL EXPENDITURES OF 2 MILLION 449, 428.
UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, FOUR B BOARD DID MEET ON THE FIFTH TO, UH, REVIEW AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS BUDGET.
IS THERE ANY, ANY QUESTION TO APPROVE? I, UH, SECOND I HAVE A QUESTION.
ACTUALLY, I HAVE A SUGGESTION.
UM, FIRST THINGS FIRST, I'M NOT IN AGREEMENT OF, UH, DROPPING 200,000 ON THE SPAY AND NEUTERING SERVICES.
MY SUGGESTION, BECAUSE IT'LL, IT'S IN THE BUDGET.
AND YOU WERE SAYING, MY SUGGESTION, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO REALLY CONSIDER AND HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION WITH THE PEOPLE FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY.
'CAUSE AS WE STAND TWO YEARS AGO, THEY GOT 400,000.
I'M SURE BY NOW WE'VE DOUBLED IN EXPENDITURES OVER THAT 400,000 AND IT'S JUST GONNA KEEP ON INCREASING.
SO NOW YOU KNOW WHY I'M NOT, I I DISAPPROVE OF THIS.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS, WE'RE TALKING, WE'RE GIVING 200,000 TO THE SHELTER FOR SPAY AND NEUTER? YES.
SHANNON, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, PLEASE.
I KNOW MALES AND FEMALES DIFFERENT COST TO NEUTER.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO NEUTER AN ANIMAL? CATS ARE, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH VET YOU GO TO.
UM, BECAUSE THEY ALL CHARGE VARYING PRICES.
I WOULD SAY MALES ARE BETWEEN 80 AND A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A CAT AND FEMALES ARE ABOUT ONE 20 TO ONE 40.
AND DOGS, DOGS VARY ON SIZE, ZERO TO 25 POUNDS, 26 TO 50, AND THEN 50 AND ABOVE.
APPROXIMATE COST, I WOULD SAY ANYWHERE FROM ONE 50 TO ABOUT 300 DEPENDING ON THE SIZE.
SO $200,000 WOULD NEUTER ABOUT, WHAT AM I, RIGHT.
I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO DO THAT MATH IN MY HEAD.
I THINK APPROXIMATE, I THINK TO DO.
WE GOT A REDUCTION IN THE RATE BECAUSE OF WHAT? REDUCTION IN, IN THE, THE COST FOR THE SPAY AND N OKAY.
YOU KNOW, THE SHELTER'S BECOMING A MONEY PIT.
IT'S BECOMING A BLACK HOLE IN WHICH WE TOSS MONEY.
AND THIS IS CDBG MONEY, WHICH WOULD GO TO HELP OUT CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO GOT IN LINE AND GOTTEN TO GET THEIR ANIMALS NEUTERED.
IT'S NOT FOR THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE CITY.
IT'S NOT OH, OH, WHERE, WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM? IT'S FOR QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECT.
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT, QUALITY OF LIFE IS FIXING THE POOLS.
QUALITY OF LIFE IS ADDING TO PARKS.
AS I RECALL, WE NEEDED LIKE $34 MILLION IN A PERFECT WORLD TO MAKE ALL OF OUR PARKS PERFECT.
UM, WE'RE NOT, IT'S AN IMPROPER USE OF THE MONEY.
WHEN THAT BOARD MET, WAS THAT THE ONLY THING THEY LOOKED AT AND CONSIDERED? I MEAN, IT, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO APPROVE THE BUDGET FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
UM, SO THEY MET TO CONSIDER TO APPROVE THAT THEY'D ACTUALLY APPROVED FUNDING THIS ABOUT, UM, EIGHT, NINE MONTHS AGO.
BUT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING, ADVERTISE A NEWSPAPER FOR 60 DAYS AND THEN ADVERTISE AGAIN FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO WHEN THEY MET, THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET, WHICH IS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, WHICH ALSO SETS ASIDE FUNDING FOR SOME OF THE UP UPCOMING OBLIGATIONS.
AND THEN THEY APPROVED, THIS WAS THE ONLY PROJECT, THE NEW PROJECT THEY APPROVED.
SO JUST TO KIND OF PUT THINGS IN, IN, IN PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
I THINK, AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, BUT THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD, AND THIS WAS RUN BY MARK TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS AN APPROPRIATE EXPENSE.
AND IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
[01:50:02]
THE OTHER, OTHER COMMITTED FUNDS ON HERE ON THE BUDGET IS THE DESTINATION PARK.UH, PHASE TRAILS, PHASE TWO, AND THE TRAILS.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MILLION ON THERE.
ALL THE MONEY, THE SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE'VE SPENT ON THE, ON THE GOLF COURSE FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS CAME FROM, FROM THIS, UH, FROM THIS BOARD AS WELL.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN, OBVIOUSLY THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER COMES IN HERE.
THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND THAT GOES INTO THAT.
SO THIS IS, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE, UM, THESE TOTAL ADOPTED EXPENDITURES OF $2.5 MILLION, YOU'RE GETTING 200,000 THAT'S DEDICATED TO SPAY AND NEUTER OF PETS.
AND I KNOW IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT SEEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S STILL THIS CONSTANT CONVERSATION.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU MENTIONED THAT COMMISSIONER MORALES, WHEN EVERYBODY, IT WAS UNANIMOUS FOR THE CITY TO CON MOVE FORWARD AND TO MOVE PAST WHERE WE WERE IN THE PAST AND TO HAVE THE HARLING AND ANIMAL SHELTER THAT WAS UNANIMOUS.
IT WAS NOT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE PERSON OR TWO, OR CITY MANAGEMENT OR CITY STAFF OR ANY, THAT WAS AN ENTIRE, IT WAS A DECISION THAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY MADE.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO SAY OTHERWISE IS JUST NOT TRUE.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, COMMISSIONER MESMER, IF THAT IS, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, A MONEY PIT.
THIS IS NOT MONEY THAT WE'RE THROWING AT THE SHELTER.
UM, THE MONEY THAT IS THIS IS GOING TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES.
IT IT, IT REALLY BOGGLES MY MIND THAT ANYONE WOULD BE OPPOSED TO SPAY AND NEUTER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE ANIMALS THAT NEED TO BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED TO CONTROL THE PO OVERPOPULATION OF PETS.
IT WAS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HOW I MENTIONED EARLIER, SOMETIMES YOU CAN COME UP HERE AND SAY THINGS IN PUBLIC COMMENT AND, AND PEOPLE TAKE THAT AS TRUTHS.
AND I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUES THAT THE SHELTER HAS BEEN HA HAD BEEN, UH, TASKED AND CHALLENGED WITH, WITH DISTEMPER.
DISTEMPER IS SOMETHING THAT IF IT IS GONE, IF IT GOES THROUGH THE SHELTER, IT'S HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS.
AND WHAT HAPPENS TO ANIMALS THAT ARE, THAT END UP WITH DISTEMPER AND IT SPREADS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SHELTER, THERE IS GOING TO BE EUTHANASIA.
AND THAT IS, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S UNIQUE TO THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
SO, SO TAKING, YOU KNOW, A AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND THEN MAKING IT AS IF THAT IS THE GOAL OF THE SHELTER IS, IS JUST ABSURD.
AND AND DID YOU KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER, THAT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED? BECAUSE IF NOT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO, IS THAT, IS THAT WHY WE'RE INTO THAT WHY WE HAVE 200 AND SOME ODD, UH, EUTHANASIAS UH, ANIMALS? THAT IS, IS THAT IS, THAT'S THE REASON BEHIND IT.
I'M NOT SURE THAT EXACT NUMBER IS ACCURATE, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS, AND I SPOKE WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WITH CITY MANAGEMENT AND WITH JOSH AND WITH OUR VET THAT WE HAVE, AND IT WAS THE VET'S DECISION TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS ON THE PETS THAT HAD DISTEMPER.
THEY WORK REALLY HARD, THAT STAFF THERE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REALLY SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT WORKING HARD OR THERE IS NO FOSTER PROGRAM OR THEY'RE NOT DOING ADOPTIONS.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEND TIME HAVE, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO THE SHELTER TO GO SEE THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO, THEN I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WORKS IN A SHELTER, NO MATTER WHETHER IT'S THE CITY OF HARLINGEN OR ANY OTHER SHELTER ANYWHERE ACROSS THE REGION, ACROSS THE STATE, THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE.
AND SO WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS THAT WORK THERE.
THEY'RE DOING HARD WORK AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
THIS, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE VERY, UH, YOU HAVE A SOFT SPOT IN YOUR HEART FOR CATS.
WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE AND DOGS AND PARROTS,
WE HAVE, I I KNOW THAT E EVERYBODY HERE GETS THE CALLS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE THAT I THINK YOU PUSHED THROUGH WHEN I WASN'T HERE ON THIS COMMISSION, UM, FOR, YOU VOTED FOR FRANK AND YOU VOTED FOR FOR THAT TOO.
AND IT WAS TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WHEN THEY CAPTURE THE, THE FERAL CATS TO BRING THEM INTO, UM, THE, THE, THE SHELTER AND TO EITHER DO THE SPAY OR NEUTER AND THEN PUT THEM BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, THAT IS AN ORDINANCE THAT'S IN OUR BOOKS.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REALLY LIVE UP TO, TO, TO WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING UNDER THAT ORDINANCE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
AND IT WAS NOT HAPPENING BEFORE.
I KNOW PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THAT IT WAS HAPPENING BEFORE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE IF YOU TALK TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT IT WASN'T HAPPENING AND THERE WAS NO ACCESS TO, TO THE SHELTER.
PEOPLE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING IN ANIMALS INTO THE SHELTER.
IT WAS, AND AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS AND I DON'T WANNA RE YOU KNOW, RELIVE IT.
BUT YOU KNOW THAT THAT IS, THAT IS ACCURATE.
THIS 200,000 WILL GO TO EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL THAT IS ADOPTED OUTTA THE SHELTER WILL BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED, WHICH WILL MINIMIZE THE OVERPOPULATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOCAL VET AND SHE IS DOING ALL SHE CAN TO HELP
[01:55:01]
US.AND WHEN WE HAVE THOSE LONGER TERM STAYS, 'CAUSE WE DO RIGHT, WE HAVE LONG TERM STAY PETS AND THOSE GET SPAYED OR NEUTERED SO THEY CAN BE MORE DESIRABLE FOR ADOPTION AND THEY ARE ADOPTED AND IT BECOMES BENEFICIAL FOR THE PERSON TO ADOPT THESE LONGER STAYS BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
NOW ALL PETS THAT ARE ADOPTED.
SO THAT WAY WE HAVE MORE CONTROL AND WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WAIT FOR THEM TO, TO COME BACK TO BE A SPAYED OR NEUTER.
IT'LL BE, THAT WILL PROVIDE US THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE FERAL CATS WILL BE ABLE TO SPAY OR NEUTER THEM, PUT THEM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THOSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN HARLINGEN, AND IT'S NOT JUST HARLINGEN IF WE'RE BEING HONEST, IT'S ALL ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, ALL ACROSS THE STATE.
SO THIS HELPS THAT IS IT A QUALITY OF LIFE? YES.
AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY THIS COMMISSION WAS CONCERNED PREVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE STRAY POPULATION YOU HAD THAT YOU ALMOST GOT ATTACKED BY A DOG, JUST THE OTHER, THE OTHER DAY.
WE WANNA BE ABLE TO, TO, TO CONTROL WHAT WE CAN.
AND THIS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
THIS MONEY IS, IS COMING FROM THE, THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD.
AND IF I I I WOULD, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD NOT SUPPORT SPAY AND NEUTER.
HOW MUCH DO YOU WANNA SPEND ON WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW? HOW MUCH, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA SAY WE HAVE SPENT ENOUGH MONEY ON OUR ANIMAL SHELTER BEFORE YOU CAN SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK I MADE A MISTAKE.
BECAUSE IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH A QA SOCIETY, A LOT OF THIS CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF IF WE WORK IN CONJUNCTION, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I I'M SURE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO GO BACK, BUT THE, AT THE END OF LOOK, OKAY, I TAKE THAT BACK.
LET ME, LET ME, LEMME JUST, I TAKE THAT BACK.
LEMME JUST TELL YOU THE STORY.
OKAY, LET ME, LET ME, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND IF YOU, IF YOU REGRET YOUR DECISION THAT YOU MADE, THEN I CAN RESPECT THAT.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU MADE A MISTAKE AND THAT YOU VOTED INCORRECTLY AND THAT YOU MADE A DECISION TO MOVE WITH THE HARLAN AND ANIMAL SHELTER AND MOVE AWAY FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY, THEN I CAN RESPECT THAT AND I ACCEPT THAT.
BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE ARE HERE WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND, AND WE, AND AND I AND WE NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND DO THE THINGS, DO WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE PET POPULATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
REMEMBER, IT WAS A CONSENSUS VOTE BACK IN THERE.
WE WE CAN SAY POTATOES, POTATOES, IT DOESN'T MATTER AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M OPPOSED TO THIS.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT YOU KEEP SAYING THAT WE SHOULD GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE RGV HUMANE SOCIETY, BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE DID HAVE AN RF AN RFP OUT AND IT WAS FOR A NONPROFIT TO RUN THE SHELTER AND IT, AND IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I MADE SURE THROUGH, THROUGH OUR CITY STAFF THAT THE RGB HUMANE SOCIETY KNEW THAT THEY COULD APPLY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE CITY.
AND DID THEY APPLY? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO.
DID THEY DO A PROPOSAL? THEY DID NOT.
AND THE REASON WHY IT, I'M SORRY.
SO YOU KEEP SAYING WE SHOULD WORK WITH THEM.
THEY HAVEN'T EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
WE DID NOT TERMINATE THEIR CONTRACT.
WE DIDN'T RENEW THEIR CONTRACT.
AND SO WHEN WE, WHEN THEIR CONTRACT EXPIRED, WE WENT OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS BEST FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES.
AND, AND YOU ARE CONVENIENTLY, YOU KNOW, FORGETTING THE ISSUES THAT WERE PRESENT, THERE WERE A LOT OF THEM.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA FORGIVE ALL OF THAT AND JUST FOCUS ON, ON ONE ISSUE.
BUT THAT'S, THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THERE WERE PROBLEMS. WE ADDRESSED THEM, WE GAVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WAS GOING TO BE TRANSPARENT AND THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WHERE EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR OF OUR TAX DOLLARS OF OUR COMMUNITIES TAX DOLLARS WERE GOING TO GO.
SO YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE SAYING, LET'S GO WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HERE ASKING FOR THIS CONTRACT.
THEY, THEY ARE NOT SERVICING THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, CITY OF HARLINGEN ANIMALS ARE AT THE CITY OF HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER PERIOD.
AND SO WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION NOW IF YOU WANNA VOTE AGAINST SPAY AND NEUTER, I'M TAKING THAT IS THAT YOU DON'T CARE THAT THERE ARE ANIMALS THAT NEED SPAY AND NEUTER BECAUSE THOSE FOLKS THAT MAY POTENTIALLY NOT
[02:00:01]
BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILL THAT VOID.AND IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE ARE GOING TO ASK THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD POTENTIALLY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO HELP EVEN MORE PEOPLE AS MORE SO THAT WAY WE CAN T TACKLE THE PROBLEM.
EVERY SINGLE VET AND EVERY ANIMAL ADVOCATE WILL TELL YOU THAT THE WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS THROUGH SPAY AND NEUTER.
AND NOW YOU DON'T WANT TO GET ON BOARD WITH A SOLUTION BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL UPSET THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU MADE THE WRONG DECISION.
THIS, THIS IS NOT THE SOLUTION.
OKAY, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? TELL ME THANK YOU, BUT NO THANK YOU.
NOW WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO HEAR ME OUT? WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPAY AND NEUTER 2000 TOPS ANIMALS.
IF THEY'RE AT, IF THEY'RE AT A HUNDRED, IS THAT GONNA TURN THE TIDE? I DON'T THINK SO.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT 200,000 AT A HUNDRED DOLLARS A, A, A SERVICE.
THAT'S WHAT, 2000, 2000 ANIMALS THAT YOU, IS THAT GONNA TURN THE TIDE? IS THAT GONNA CLEAR, CLEAR UP A LOT OF, UH, THE, THE STRAYS OUT THERE? GIMME A SECOND.
YOU'RE A VERY INTELLIGENT MAN.
IF A CAT, IF A CAT PRODUCES HOW MANY TIMES IN YOUR LIVES, YOU ASK THE SIMPLE QUESTION.
I THINK IT WAS FIBONACCI WHO, WHO LOOKED AT THE REPRODUCTION OF BUNNY RABBITS AND UM, BACK IN THE WHATEVER, 16, 17 HUNDREDS AND CATS GO INTO HEAT, WHAT, TWO, THREE TIMES A YEAR MAYBE.
AND ONE FEMALE CAT IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR.
AND YOU MULTIPLY THAT TIMES A COUPLE OF CATS, YOU'RE TALKING 10, 15, 18, 20,000 CATS IN A YEAR.
UH, DOGS TEND NOT TO HAVE AS BIG LITTER AS CATS, BUT THE NUMBERS ARE OUTSTANDING TOO.
AND YOU BROUGHT THAT PIT BULL, WHICH I DON'T LIKE.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PUPPIES IT HAD.
BUT DOGS AND CATS REPRODUCING.
SO ONE CAT, AND I DO, AND I DO UNDERSTAND ONE CAT, ONE CAT CAN HAVE HOW MANY CATS? KITTENS, UH, 24.
AND THAT FIRST LITTER BY THE END OF THE YEAR CAN PRODUCE HUNDREDS MORE FROM ONE.
IT'S, IT'S NOT ARITHMATIC, IT'S GEOMETRIC.
BUT 2000 IS GONNA GO LONG WAY.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES.
I DO UNDERSTAND ALL THE DISEASE AND THE VECTORS TRUSTING ME.
AT MY ROTARY CLUB, WHAT, 12, 15 YEARS AGO BEFORE, UH, THE HUMANE SOCIETY CAME AND ASKED US FOR $50,000 ONLY TO NEUTER FEMALE CATS.
'CAUSE IT'S SENSELESS TO NEUTER MALE CATS.
MALE CATS WILL KILL EACH OTHER OFF.
AND IF YOU WANT TO CURB A POPULATION, YOU HAVE TO NTER THE FEMALES.
I THINK THIS IS THE GOAL IS TO, FOR THE BUT, BUT GIVEN ALL OF THIS, YEAH.
SO AGAIN, I ASK YOU, COMMISSIONER MORALES, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? I DON'T HAVE THE SOLUTION THAT'LL SATISFY YOU.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE I, WE'VE DONE BEFORE, WE'LL TAKE THE VOTE, I'LL BE THE NEIGHBOR, AND YOU WON'T HAVE A REASON FOR YOUR NAVO.
BUT WHAT I WILL DO, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WILL REACH OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE, UH, HUMANE SOCIETY AND SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO COME TO THE TABLE.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY? YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO WHAT YOU WILL, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THEY DECLINED THE PROPER PROCESS, AND I AM GOING TO GIVE A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORT TO OUR STAFF AND THE SHELTER.
BUT AGAIN, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO WHAT YOU, SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT YOU'RE VOTING AGAINST IT.
YOU HAVE NO SOLUTION OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT YOU REGRET YOUR DECISION IN THE PAST AND YOU WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO OPERATE THE SHELTER.
KEEP IN MIND, YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY.
SO WE'LL JUST MOVE FORWARD, PLEASE.
AND YOU'RE A COMMISSIONER AND YOU SHOULD HAVE ANSWERS TO THESE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I I'M ALREADY GIVING YOU AN OPTION.
[02:05:01]
I WILL BE EXPLORING MYSELF.OKAY? SO LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN, IN TWO WEEKS.
MAYBE THEY'LL COME, MAYBE THEY'LL COME TO THEIR CENSUS THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S PUT BYGONES, BYGONES, LET BYGONES BE BYGONES.
BUT I DO REALIZE, UH, WE STILL HAVE SOME HURT FEELINGS HERE AND THERE.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT FEELINGS, COMMISSIONER.
OKAY? IT'S, IT'S ABOUT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.
AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL I'M HEARING IS THAT YOU HAVE NO SOLUTIONS.
YOU DON'T WANNA SUPPORT THE SHELTER, AND YOU'RE NOT SUPPORTING CITY STAFF.
AND, AND, AND THAT IS JUST DISHEARTENING.
BUT I, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION.
UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UM, MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST, UH, COMMISSIONER KINSLEY, WE DID HAVE, UM, A PLACE HOLD OF HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT FINANCE RECOMMENDS.
WE DO, UH, EVERY BUDGET, THAT MONEY IS NOT ALLOCATED.
IT'S JUST PUT OUT THERE IN CASE SOMEBODY ASKS, DO YOU HAVE FUNDING FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT? SO THAT 500,000 THAT'S IN THE, THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW IS NOT ALLOCATED TO, TO ANYTHING.
AND THIS IS A QUALIFYING EXPENSE.
AND IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE, BY THE BOARD.
[Item 10j - Consideration and possible action to approve a resolution ratifying the property tax reflected in the adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2025.]
10 J.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE PROPERTY TAX REFLECTED IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.
SO NOW THAT THE, THE BUDGET HAS BEEN ADOPTED, WE, WE DO NEED TO RATIFY THE TAX RATE INTO THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE.
[Item 10k - Consideration and possible action to declare the itemized list of Non-Real Estate Personal Property as Surplus Personal Property, as recommended by staff, and authorize City personnel to conduct a virtual online pubic auction of said property, Saturday, October 12, 2024]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO DECLARE THE ITEMIZED LIST OF NON-REAL ESTATE, PERSONAL PROPERTY AS SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF AND AUTHORIZED CITY PERSONNEL TO CONDUCT A VIRTUAL ONLINE PUBLIC AUCTION OF SET PROPERTY.[Item 10l - Consideration and possible action to establish a Steering Ad-Hoc Committee for the Comprehensive Parks and Downtown Master Plans.]
ITEM 10 L, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ESTABLISH A STEERING AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PARKS AND DOWNTOWN MASTER PLANS.THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND PARKS MASTER PLAN AND DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN PROJECT HAS COMMENCED WITH THE CONSULTANTS.
UH, WE NEED A STEERING COMMITTEE TO, UH, MEET AND GUIDE, UH, THE PROCESS.
UH, THE PROPOSAL IS TO HAVE TWO MEMBERS FROM THIS CITY COMMISSION.
TWO MEMBERS FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
TWO MEMBERS FROM THE PARK BOARD, AND TWO MEMBERS FROM THE DOWNTOWN BOARD.
I'D LIKE TO BE ON THIS STEERING COMMITTEE.
THAT IS WHAT I, SO CAN I JUST ATTEND? YES.
IS THIS, IS THAT, IS THAT GONNA BE AN ISSUE WITH THE QUORUM? I THINK THREE IS FINE.
ACCORDING TO THE CHARTER, UH, WE WON'T HAVE ISSUES WITH QUORUM ON THIS ONE.
WELL THEN I THINK THEN THAT'S GOOD.
AND THEN I, I DID INCLUDE THAT STAFF SHOULD BE PART OF, UH, THIS AS AN EXOFICIAL CAPACITY, INCLUDING YOURSELF.
UH, THE DID MANAGER, UM, THE PARKS, MENDEZ.
AND, UH, AND THE CITY MANAGER.
SO THEN CAN IT BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THREE SO THAT I CAN BE ON THERE IF I'M NOT THE EX OFFICIO? YOU CAN JUST APPROVE IT WITH THAT CHANGE.
AND THERE'S NO ISSUES WITH QUORUM? NO.
WE WOULD PROBABLY, UM, IT'S NOT A COMMITTEE, BUT LIKE WE DID WITH THE CHARTER, WE POSTED AND ATTENDED PARTICIPATING IN CASE WE GOT A QUORUM WITH THE COMMISSION.
BECAUSE THEN IT BECOMES A PROBLEM WHEN YOU DO HAVE A QUORUM AND YOU START DISCUSSING THIS, BECAUSE THIS EVENTUALLY WILL COME BACK TO THE CITY COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO POST AND ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE ANYWAY.
SO IS THAT FINE? CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THAT? MOTION TO APPROVE EXCUSE POSITION.
I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING YOU.
UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE STEERING COMMITTEE WITH COMMISSIONER KINSLEY, COMMISSIONER LOPEZ AND MARY SALUDA REPRESENTING THE CITY COMMISSION.
[Item 10m - Consideration and possible action to approve a substantial amendment to the City of Harlingen 2023-2024 One Year Action Plan for $39,000.00 from Vestal Park Lighting Phase Ill ( an existing activity ) to Vestal Park Improvements (a new activity ). ]
10, 10 M, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMEN SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF HARINGTON.ONE YEAR ACTION PLAN FOR FOUR 39,000 FROM VISTA PARK LIGHTING.
[02:10:01]
THREE, AN EXISTING ACTIVITY TO VEST PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND NEW ACTIVITIES.[Item 10n - Consideration and possible action to approve the recommendations of the Community Development Advisory Board to fund the HOME-ARP Supportive Services.]
ITEM 10, N CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD TO FUND THE HOME.[Item 10o - Consideration and possible action to execute a renewal Service Agreement with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to implement the " Tu Salud Si Cuenta" Program, aimed to promote healthy lifestyles and health changing lifestyle courses for city residents and authorize the City Manager to sign the contract.]
10, OH, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EXECUTE A RENEWAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOS AT HOUSTON.TO IMPLEMENT THE QUINTA PROGRAM.
AIM TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND HEALTH CHANGING LIFESTYLES COURSES FOR CITY RESIDENTS.
AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN THE CONTRACT, PARKS AND RECREATION.
[Item 10s - Consideration and possible action to accept or deny the donation offered by TXU Energy for twenty (30-gallon) sized native trees to be planted within the City of Harlingen.]
10 S.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ACCEPT OR DENY THE DONATION OFFERED BY TXU ENERGY FOR 2030 GALLON IZED NATIVE TREES TO BE PLANTED WITHIN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN PARKS AND RECREATION.
MOTION APPROVED TO PUT 'EM AT VEST PARK.
I, I I, I I MOTION NEEDS TO BE GRANTED.
YOU DON'T MESSING UP THAT TRANSCRIPT.
YOU LIKE THAT? THAT WAS, LET'S MOVE IT ALONG.
CAN WE GET A REAL MOTION COMMISSIONER? MOTION TO APPROVE.
PLEASE THANK THEM VERY MUCH FOR US.
OH, AND IF YOU CAN THANK, UM, SLU, THE PADDLE BATTLE WAS PHENOMENAL, SO, OH, YES.
I ALSO, I, I SENT Y'ALL A, UM, A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, YEAR TO DATE.
UM, I EMAILED IT TO Y ALL, SO JUST, Y'ALL CAN, WE JUST THINK SHE'S INCREDIBLE.
SHE'S A GREAT ADDITION TO, TO THE TEAM AND EVERYTHING Y'ALL ARE DOING.
I KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY'S EXCITED AND, UM, JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE OF THESE TYPES EVENTS BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO GO TO BEAT COMMISSIONER LOPEZ AND SO I REALLY WANT US TO HAVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER EVENT.
SHE COULD EVEN HIT THE BALL SOMETIMES.
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM,
[Item 10t - Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to award a construction contract with RGV Asphalt, LLC for the Los Vecinos Street Improvements Project Bid 2024-15, designed by staff and funded by the Harlingen Housing Authority .]
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO AWARD A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH RGB ASPHALT LLC FOR THE EINO STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BID 2024 DASH 15 DESIGNED BY STAFF AND FUNDED BY THE HARLINGEN HOUSING AUTHORITY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION.
I'M THE CITY ENGINEER FOR THE RECORD.
ARE YOU, UH, DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHO, UH, GOT THE TOP, UH, WHO CAME IN AT THE TOP BID? YES.
COMMISSIONER, DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THEY'LL DO A GOOD JOB? WE WON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES, UH, LATER DOWN THE ROAD? I DO.
[Item 10u - Consideration and possible action to authorize the Environmental Health Director to purchase a vehicle via TIPS-USA to replace unit 194 which was assigned to a Health Inspector.]
AND CAN YOU CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE VIA TIPS USSA TO REPLACE UNIT ONE 94TH, WHICH WAS ASSIGNED TO A HEALTH INSPECTOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.[Item 10v - Consideration and possible action to implement a Neighborhood Revitalization Project.]
B, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO IMPLEMENT A NATIONAL REVITALIZATION PROJECT.IT WAS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROJECT.
UM, I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS NATIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD? AND THEN I GOT THROWN OFF.
UM, SO, UH, FORD AND I, UH, TALKED WHEN WE FIRST GOT ELECTED ABOUT MAKING SURE TO KEEP EACH OTHER HONEST ABOUT BEING AND GOING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GIVE THEM, UH, THE BEST SERVICES WE POSSIBLY CAN.
I WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT AN, AN OPERATION, WHAT I'LL CALL OPERATION BONITO, WHERE I WOULD GO AND EACH OF US WOULD GO WITH STAFF, UH, THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO, UH, SEE WHICH IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY NEED.
AND OVER THE NEXT MONTH, THE FOLLOWING MONTH IS OSCAR, UH, DREW THE SHORT STRAW ON THIS ONE WITH ME.
UH, SO WE WOULD GO, LET'S SAY THE FIRST WEEKEND OF THE MONTH, OSCAR AND I WOULD WALK THROUGH CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS.
I WOULD BREAK UP MY DISTRICT AND YOU GUYS WOULD BREAK UP YOUR DISTRICT IN CERTAIN, I WOULD CALL 'EM, LET'S SAY PRECINCTS, FOR LACK OF BETTER TERM.
AND THEN WE WOULD HANDLE ALL THOSE LITTLE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN HANDLE, UH, OVER THE FALL, THE REST OF THAT MONTH.
SO, UH, THE, I BROUGHT IT UP TO THE MAYOR.
THE MAYOR RECOMMENDED I BRING IT UP TO YOU GUYS SO THAT WE HAVE EVERYONE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME PROJECT.
I KNOW A LOT OF US ALREADY DRIVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH, UH, AND,
[02:15:01]
YOU KNOW, DO POTHOLES AND HAVING THEM OUT WITH US ON THE SPOT, I MEAN, TO IDENTIFY IT.MY ONLY, MY ONLY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT THIS WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS THEMSELVES GO WITH THE STAFF.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE LIKE, 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT JUST THE STAFF, UM, GOING OUT THERE.
I THINK WE AS COMMISSION SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE HANDS ON AND BE THERE WITH THE STAFF IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES.
SO MY OWN, MY OTHER, I'VE BEEN KIND OF REFLECTING ON THIS SINCE, UM, AND I, AND I REALLY WANNA COMMEND Y'ALL FOR, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
I KNOW THAT, UM, SOMETIMES IT GOES UNNOTICED.
AND SO I THANK YOU EACH AND EVERY, EVERY ONE OF YOU BECAUSE I'M NOT THE ONE GOING THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS AND, UM, FINDING ALL OF THE ISSUES.
I KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW, STUFF AT THE PARK AT PENDLETON, YOU'RE ALWAYS KIND OF ON TOP OF THAT AND ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, IN DISTRICT ONE.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT YOU DO DO YOUR DRIVE-THROUGHS AND I KNOW THAT YOU EVEN CONSIDERED DOING THEM IN THE DAYTIME TO HAVE BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE, CAPTURE THINGS.
AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS, ALWAYS DO THAT TOO.
AND I CAN REACH OUT TO YOU TO TALK TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND IS, AND SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A, UH, PROACTIVE, UM, COMMISSION.
BUT HAVING, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS AND STAFF AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW, HOW OFTEN THESE ARE GOING TO OCCUR, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT FREQUENCY, AND THEN I'M CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL OVERTIME FOR HOURLY STAFF.
UM, IF IT'S GONNA BE ON THE WEEKEND, LIKE WHAT DO YOU ENVISION HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK? 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO OVERBURDEN.
ALSO, I KNOW THAT CITY MANAGERS, THAT THEIR TIME IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND, AND IF THEY'RE WITH YOU IN A CAR KIND OF DRIVING AROUND THAT TAKES 'EM AWAY FROM THINGS THAT THEY ARE DOING.
SO WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF TIME? SO THE WAY I ENVISIONED IT, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION IS IT'LL BE OSCAR AND I
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT DOES THE TREE TRIMMING.
SO OSCAR AND I WOULD GO THROUGH IT, WE WOULD MAKE ALL OUR NOTATIONS MONDAY MORNING, WE WOULD TURN IT OVER TO STAFF TO DO IT DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE THE REST OF THAT MONTH TO KNOCK IT OUT.
SO IF WE DO IT THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, SATURDAY, AND THEN WE, THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO KNOCK OUT ALL THOSE PROJECTS DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, EIGHT TO FIVE, THE, THE REST OF THAT MONTH.
AND THEN WE MOVE TO THE NEXT, THE NEXT PRECINCT AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
I THINK COMMISSIONER, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PRIORITIZE WHAT'S GONNA GET DONE.
BECAUSE AS IT IS NOW, STAFF HAS A LIST OF THINGS THEY'RE WORKING ON.
AND SO WE NEED TO INCORPORATE WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING INTO THAT SCHEDULE ALREADY.
AND SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE LIST IS REALISTIC, THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IT WITHIN THE TIME SPAN THAT STAFF HAVE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO I'D, I'D LIKE TO BE CON TO BE CONSIDERATE OF STAFF'S TIME ON THE WEEKEND IS NOT, NOT GO MORE THAN FOUR HOURS ON A, ON A, ON A, YEAH.
AND GENERALLY ON A SATURDAY, NOT SUNDAY.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY STAFF HAS RELIGIOUS, UH, UH, OBLIGATIONS.
AND SO, UM, I COMPLETELY, I THINK WE CAN DO THIS WITHOUT MAKING IT HARD.
I MEAN, I THINK WE JUST, WE'LL WAR GAME IT OBVIOUSLY WITH EVERYBODY CONCERNED.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT TO BE PAYING PEOPLE OVERTIME, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WILL FEED OSCAR WHEN I TAKE IT.
JOSH IS OFF LIMITS ON SUNDAYS.
SO
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU GOT ANOTHER CAR.
SO, SO I THINK IT'S GONNA, I MEAN, I, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY DOING IT AND I, I, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ASKING LIKE, WHY DO WE HAVE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS? AND INSTEAD OF THE, UM, AT LARGE, AND I THINK THIS IS THE BENEFIT OF IT, RIGHT? THE SINGLE MEMBER, BECAUSE YOU ARE INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND YOU'RE WALKING THEM, YOU'RE WITH YOUR FAMILIES GOING TO THOSE PARKS AND YOU KNOW, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE, IS THIS GONNA BE ONCE A MONTH AND SO IT'LL BE, UM, IN, UH, DISTRICT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5? OR IS IT GONNA BE MORE THAN ONCE? LIKE IS IT GONNA BE EVERY WEEKEND? WELL, I THINK SOMETHING WE CAN TIE INTO WHAT THE COMMUNITY CLEANUPS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT DOES NOW THAT WE CAN KIND OF PARTNER UP DURING, WHEN WE DO THOSE MM-HMM.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD PROBABLY WAR GAME.
SO SPEAKING OF THAT, I HAD, I WAS TALKING TO, TO, AND WE HAVEN'T KIND OF HAD A FOLLOW UP
[02:20:01]
CONVERSATION.I WAS TALKING TO, UM, JAVIER MENDEZ ABOUT DOING POTENTIAL, UM, GETTING VOLUNTEERS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, CLEANUPS AND, AND PARK CLEANUPS.
UM, BUT HAVING A, A SCHEDULE AND MAYBE IF WE CAN, I JUST THINK WE KIND OF NEED TO FLUSH IT OUT A LITTLE MORE SO THAT WAY THEY KNOW KIND OF WHAT'S EXPECTED, WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THEM.
BECAUSE I, WHAT I DON'T WANT IS THAT EVERY SATURDAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ONE OF THESE THREE GUYS, UM, WORKING AND, AND, AND IF WE SAY YES, LET'S DO IT, THEN THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN.
BUT, UM, IT DOESN'T, YOU NEVER KNOW.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING RESPECTFUL OF THEIR, OF THEIR TIME.
AND I THINK THE BEST WAY WE CAN DO IT IS INSTEAD OF OSCAR COMING OUT WITH ME, I'LL HAVE THE PRINCIPAL COME OUT WITH ME
AND HE CAN TELL ME IF I'M GETTING TOO CRAZY.
SO GABE, YOU'RE WITH ME WALKING EVERY SATURDAY.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING, TELLING YOU THAT, UH, YOU'RE, YOU JUST WANNA KNOW FOR EVERYTHING.
BUT I THINK, UH, FORD'S CORRECT.
WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE PUT IT TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT, UH, EVERYONE'S COMFORTABLE AND YOU GUYS WILL WORK WITH US ON THIS.
JUST, YOU JUST CAN'T COME INTO MY OFFICE AND ASK MORE MONEY TO DO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT YOU WANNA GET DONE.
I'LL ASK FOR YOU, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD DONATED, COULD PUT, PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER LIKE MEMORIALIZE HOW YOU WANNA GET IT DONE AND THEN JUST SHARE IT, SHARE IT WITH ALL OF US SO THAT WAY THEY KNOW, UM, WHAT'S EXPECTED OF, OF, 'CAUSE I'M ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA DO IT, RIGHT? LIKE THAT'S THE GOAL.
I DO IT ALREADY, BUT, BUT I JUST WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO PARTICIPATE.
BUT WHAT I MEAN IS I DON'T WANT THIS TO BECOME, 'CAUSE MY WHOLE THING IS I WANT, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IN THE PAST IT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE, NOT YOU GUYS, BUT JUST IN THE PAST, UM, THAT IT, THEY WEREN'T ALWAYS HANDS ON.
AND I JUST DON'T WANT THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE LATER ON JUST DELEGATED TO STAFF, HEY, GO SEARCH MY THROUGH MY DISTRICT AND SEE WHAT YOU FIND.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE THE COMMISSIONER HAS TO BE THERE, PRESENT WITH STAFF AND BE ON HANDS.
WELL, THE WAY, THE WAY I SEE IT, COMMISSIONER IS IT'S, IT'S COMMISSIONER ORIENTED AND DRIVEN, RIGHT? SO STAFF'S NOT GONNA JUST GO OUT AND WALK.
UH, UNLESS, AND I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE HOLDING MY HAND, I'M HOLDING THEIR HAND.
NO, THEY, THEY DRIVE THE CITY.
BUT THEY MAY BE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT THINGS THAN, THAN, THAN YOU ARE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS I'VE GOT IN SOME OF THE OLDER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT, ONE IS, IS THE ALLEYS.
AND I MEAN, TO BE ABLE TO WALK THAT ALLEY WITH SOMEBODY AND SEE WHAT'S REALISTIC ON GETTING DONE, AS AN EXAMPLE.
'CAUSE I SEE IT WHEN I WALK ON THE WEEKENDS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOT ALLEYS THEY GOTTA DEAL WITH.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX IT WITHOUT BREAKING THE BUDGET? CORRECT.
SO LIKE, I KINDA AGREE WITH NORMA.
CAN WE HAVE SOMETHING WRITTEN DOWN SO WE CAN LIKE NARROW IT DOWN? 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE JUST, YOU'RE JUST WINGING EVERYTHING.
BECAUSE MY THING IS I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS ARE INVOLVED BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE PA WE'RE DOING THIS SO THAT I DON'T WANT IT TO LATER ON, YOU KNOW, CHANGE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO IS THERE SOMETHING TO GET WRITTEN DOWN OR SOMETHING? OR WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? WELL, I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR WHO'S GONNA BE YOUR, YOUR REPLACEMENT SOMEDAY OR HIS REPLACEMENT SOMEDAY.
BUT I THINK, I MEAN, I'M GOOD FOR IT, OBVIOUSLY.
YEAH, BUT I'M, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE.
I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I'D, I DO THINK PERSONALLY THAT THE COMMISSIONERS SHOULD BE DOING THIS, UM, THEMSELVES.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT Y'ALL 'CAUSE Y'ALL ARE DOING IT, BUT LIKE IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT IF WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING KIND OF A, A, A ROADMAP OF, OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING, MAYBE WE CAN FORMALIZE IT SOMEHOW.
SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WHEN, WHEN WE'RE NOT HERE, PEOPLE WANNA CONTINUE IT BECAUSE IT'S SUCCESSFUL, WELL THEN LET'S TABLE IT.
AND UNTIL WE CAN BACK UP WITH A PLAN, I MEAN, I THINK IN THEORY EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD WITH IT.
I WAS GONNA SAY, WE PUSH FORWARD WITH IT.
YOU AND I ARE THE GUINEA PIGS AND THEN WE PUT FORTH THE BEST PRACTICES AND THE PLAN THAT WE'VE COME TOGETHER AND GIVE YOU GUYS A PLAYBOOK ON WHAT WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR US, WHAT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL FOR US, AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
WELL I REALLY THINK THAT, I THINK THIS IS GOOD.
I THINK IT'S, UM, I LIKE THAT YOU'RE BEING, UM, PROACTIVE IN, AND, AND LIKE I SAID, THIS COMMISSION DOES THAT ALREADY, BUT I DON'T WANT THE COMMUNITY TO FEEL LIKE THERE'S A DISSERVICE.
LIKE, OH, WELL THIS IS ONLY HAPPENING IN DISTRICT ONE.
UM, THIS IS ONLY HAPPENING IN DISTRICT TWO AND THESE GUYS ARE JUST WAITING TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS.
I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE AN IDEA OF SOME KIND OF SCHEDULE, LIKE THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN.
AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT.
LIKE, IF WE'RE GONNA ASK THEM TO DO IT.
SO IS THAT LIKE EVERY WEEK OR YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S SEP WHAT ARE WE, SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER.
OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN.
SO THAT WAY THEY'RE KIND OF EXPECTING LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE FOR EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO, TO GET THAT PARTICIPATION FROM EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
NOW IF, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT
[02:25:01]
IT'S IN ORDINANCE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.BUT, UM, WE'D LIKE THEM TO DO, WE'D LIKE EVERYBODY TO DO IT.
AND IF EVERYBODY HAS THEIR SCHEDULE, KIND OF LIKE WHEN WE DID THE, UM, THAT'S WHY I SAID TO TIE IT IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS IT CODE I SETS UP.
I'D BE, I I I'D BE ON BOARD WITH THAT BECAUSE THEN THERE'S A SCHEDULE AND THERE'S SOME, AN EXPECTATION.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW EVERYBODY HERE EVEN GOES TO THOSE ALREADY.
AND I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL GO TO EACH OTHER'S AND STUFF, SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
BUT THAT WAY THE COMMUNITY, WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE VIDEO AND THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO? WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? AND THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF A PILOT PROGRAM.
KNOW WE HAVE AN IDEA AND THEN THE COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT BECAUSE LIKE, I THINK THEY'RE GONNA GET EXCITED ABOUT IT.
LIKE, I LOVE THE IDEA, I THIS IDEA.
BUT THE THING IS, THE WAY I ENVISION, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE DID WITH, WITH THE TOWN, WITH THE, WITH THE TOWN HALLS.
'CAUSE LIKE I THINK WE AS COMMISSIONERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO THIS BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS PART OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
WE ARE DRIVING AROUND IN OUR DISTRICT SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, SO I, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.
SO I, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE DID WITH THE TOWN HALLS WHERE WE MANDATED LIKE, YOU KNOW, A COMMISSIONER HAS TO GO AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, ONCE A QUARTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN HIS DISTRICT DRIVE AROUND WITH STAFF TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S NEEDED AND ALL THAT.
SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
'CAUSE I WANNA, I WANNA PUT THIS IN THE BOOKS SO THAT WAY THIS IS MANDATED.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT A COMMISSIONER WANTS TO DO OR NOT, BUT THIS IS EXPECTED.
THIS IS WHAT THE, THE, THE PEOPLE OF ARLINGTON SHOULD EXPECT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND IT'S WRITTEN DOWN WHERE LIKE, HEY, WE EXPECT YOU TO DO THIS, UM, EVERY QUARTER.
WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE IT? THAT'S WHAT I ENVISION I WANTED, LIKE THE TOWN HALL, THE TOWN HALL THING THAT WE, WE PASSED, UH, ABOUT A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO.
'CAUSE I LOVE THE IDEA OF WHAT YOU GUYS CAME UP WITH IS IT'S BRILLIANT, I LOVE IT, BUT I WANT TO PUT IT ON PAPER.
SO THEN THAT WAY IT'LL BE MANDATED THAT COMMISSIONERS DO IT.
I'M HAPPY TO CRAFT ANOTHER ONE IF YOU WANT.
I JUST DIDN'T WANNA IMPOSE ON.
I MEAN, I, I THINK IT DOESN'T HAVE TO.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS WHAT YOU WERE GETTING AT WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT, UM, BUT THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
TO Y'ALL'S POINT THEN LET'S BRING IT BACK NEXT WEEK, STEPH, OR OR NEXT, UM, NEXT MEETING.
NEXT MEETING, UH, OSCAR, UH, FORD AND I AND GABE, WE CAN GET TOGETHER KIND OF JUST UH, PUT PEN TO PAPER, HAVE LIKE A ONE PAGE MEMO.
AND JOSH, I WANT JOSH TO PLAN JOSH TOO.
PLAN ON, BECAUSE IT'S MONDAY TO FRIDAY NOW I'M NOT HITTING YOU ON THE, NOT ON SUNDAY
UM, AND THEN WE CAN JUST KINDA PUT PEN TO PAPER AND UH, GET A GENERAL PLAN.
GIVE WITH CODE, GET THEIR SCHEDULE CORRECT.
IN THE MEANTIME WE CAN GET THE CLEAN UP THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED.
WE'LL GET YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
AND THEN THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR US TO START THOSE OTHERS, UM, AT THE PARKS.
UM, BECAUSE I JUST FELT LIKE, 'CAUSE PEOPLE WERE, WERE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE US THEIR FEEDBACK ON WHATEVER PARK SAID, WELL IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THEM KIND OF HELP IN THE PARKS THEMSELVES SO THAT WAY THEY GET AN IDEA OF, OF WHAT IT TAKES RIGHT.
IN TERMS OF UM, THE CLEANUPS AND, AND SEEING.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT ONE TIME I WENT OVER TO VESTO, I WAS, I THINK IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD EVER BEEN AND I MET YOU OUT THERE AND I WAS LIKE, THIS IS PRISTINE, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
AND I HAD SEEN SOME COMMENTS, UM, ABOUT THE AREA, WHICH IS WHY I WANTED TO GO OUT.
BUT WHEN I GOT THERE I WAS, YOU KNOW, NOT SURPRISED, BUT I WAS HAPPY TO SEE RIGHT.
THAT IT WAS SO NICE AND CLEAN AND CUT AND EVERYTHING.
BUT IT COULD BE THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT GOES, YOU KNOW, ON ANOTHER TIME WHEN SOMEBODY HAS, YOU KNOW, LEFT STUFF ALL OVER THE PARK OR WHATEVER AND DIDN'T GET THE SAME EXPERIENCE.
SO I THINK IT'S GOOD TO GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED.
AND, AND FRANK THAT GOES BACK TO, I HAD TALKED WITH YOU ABOUT CITY CEMETERY DOWN THERE ON F STREET.
AND I'VE ALREADY GOT MY NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY LOCKED UP.
SO IN OCTOBER WE'RE GONNA COME AND DO THAT AND I'LL GET WITH YOU TO GET THE DATE TO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.
SO IS THERE, THERE'S A MOTION TO TABLE.
YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE SECOND.
BEFORE WE MOVE OFF REAL QUICK, IF SET'S AVAILABLE FOR, UH, EACH COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR DISTRICTS, IF HE CAN CUT IT UP INTO DIFFERENT PRECINCTS OR DIFFERENT LITTLE, UH, SECTIONS, SLICES, RIGHT.
AS LITTLE SLICES AND SO THAT WE CAN ALREADY SEE IT AND JUST BREAK IT UP BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WALK IN.
SO DON'T MAKE ME WALK FROM ONE SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY IN LIKE ONE DAY.
HAVE YOU WALKING IT? I GOT BRO.
THAT'S WHY WE SAID WE'RE GONNA FEED OSCAR AND THEN WE'RE GONNA WALK RIGHT OFF.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT EACH AND EVERY ONE LATER.
ALL I GOT MY CAP FOR THE HEAT.
AND SO WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN, WE'VE TABLED THE, THE FOLLOWING ITEM.
[Item 11 - Board Appointments]
OKAY.ITEM 11, BOARD APPOINTMENTS, SPECIFICALLY APPOINTMENT OR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO INCLUDE APPOINTMENT AND OR REMOVAL OF ANY POSITION SUBJECT TO APPOINTMENT OR REMOVAL BY STATUTE, ORDINANCE OR BYLAWS.
[02:30:01]
ON TRACK TO DIMINISH THE SIZE OF KEY FARMS ARE BEAUTIFUL.CORRECT? WE'RE GOING TO THROUGH NATURAL ATTRITION, GET THAT DOWN TO A MANAGEABLE SIZE.
SO I HAVE NOTHING, UH, I'M GONNA BE REAPPOINTING PAUL J DURANT, UH, TO THE HARLANS AND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD AND REAPPOINTING, UH, JUNE LOMO REMO, UH, TO THE HEALTHY HARLANS AND ADVISORY BOARD.
DOES THAT BOARD MEET JOSH? WELL, KIND OF MAYBE.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, RIGHT? WE NEED THE HEALTHY HAREN.
WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE A, UM, SO I KNOW THAT IT'S KIND OF CONFUSING ON HOW IT WORKS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDING FOR IT.
AND SO THE FUNDING DOESN'T COME FROM THE CITY.
AND SO THERE WAS MONEY THAT WE WERE GETTING, UM, IN FROM THE LEGACY FOUNDATION AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY THIS TIME AROUND, SO IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DO ANYTHING.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS ON, ON HOW WE NEED TO, TO MOVE FORWARD, MAYBE KIND OF, UM, TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA DO AND SEE IF THERE'S GONNA BE ANY POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS, RIGHT? FOR A FUTURE GRANT.
AND IF NOT, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO CONSIDER ABOUT HAVING A CITY, A CITY BOARD, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF, UH, ONE THAT, 'CAUSE THIS IS ONE THAT WAS, UM, CREATED RIGHT? WHEN, YOU KNOW, NONE OF US, NONE OF US WERE HERE.
AND THEN THERE'S A, A NONPROFIT ATTACHED TO IT AND THERE'S OTHER KIND OF LAYERS OF, OF, UH, CHALLENGES.
AND SO WE CAN MAYBE WE CAN WORK ON THAT NEXT WEEK AND, OR, OR THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
SO WE, WE SUBMITTED A, WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT A GRANT AT THE END OF THIS WEEK TO BYPASS PASSES FOR, UH, SO FUNDING THE, RIGHT.
SO IT IS REALLY GONNA BE CONTINGENT UPON THIS AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS.
AND I MEAN, I HOPE IT AND, AND THEN IF SO, THEN IT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT, UM, IT KIND OF LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO, TO DO ANYTHING ON THAT.
WE'RE ALSO ALSO SUBMITTING ANOTHER GRANT FOR OUR ROYAL PARK.
YEAH, FOR THE, THE, UH, EXERCISE AREA.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT GETS FUNDED.
OH, THAT'S THE, UH, FIT CAMPAIGN OR THE, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE GREAT.
I, I DON'T HAVE ANY APPOINTMENTS, MIKE? NONE.
IS THERE MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE.
OH, IF WE COULD GO BACK, I'M SORRY, ONE LAST THING.
PROJECT, UH, I'VE WORKED ON, I'M WORKING WITH OSCAR.
I HAVE Y'ALL'S PROJECT LIST UP AND RUNNING.
I'M PUTTING IN SOME DIFFERENT COLUMNS.
UH, OSCAR AND I ARE WORKING ON.
YOU SHOULD HOPEFULLY GET IT IN THE NEXT WEEK SO THAT PLEASE READ IT WHEN YOU GET IT.
MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECTS THAT YOU WANT ARE IN THE APPROPRIATE AREAS.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET THAT UP AND RUNNING IN THE, THE MEETING AFTER THAT.
OKAY? SO I'LL SEND IT TO YOU, WORK WITH OSCAR TO MAKE SURE OSCAR, JAVIER, THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR PROJECTS IN THERE AND THEN WE CAN, UH, MOVE FORWARD TO UM, PUBLISHING.
WHAT ABOUT THE OMNIBUS BILL? WHERE WERE WE AT WITH THAT? YEAH, I MEAN, COORDINATES.
YOU'RE, I NEED TO GET ON THAT.
SO I'VE JUST BEEN SLAMMED, BUT LEMME KNOCK THIS OUT.
LEMME KNOCK OUT THIS CAA THIS WHOLE THING.
LEMME LOCK OUT THIS PAPERWORK YOU GUYS WANT AND THEN I CAN GET TO THAT ON UM, I JUST SAID, 'CAUSE I THINK YOU HAD ASKED FOR IT TO BE REOCCURRING KNOW HOW I FEEL NOW.
ALRIGHT, SO WE ALREADY DID THIS, UH, APPROVAL OF THE BOARD.
[Item 12 - Executive Session]
EXECUTIVE SESSION.ALL ITEMS LISTED IN THIS SECTION WILL BE DELIBERATED IN 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 PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5, 1 0.0 7, 1 1 AND TWO.
ATTORNEY CONSULTATION SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REGARDING LAND ISSUE.
MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION.
THE TIME IS NOW 8:10 PM AND WE WILL BE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BE OUT SHORTLY.
THANK YOU BILL, YOU SHOULD GIMME A HIGH FIVE FOR MY KEEPING MY TALKING TO THE TIME IS NOW 8:34 PM AND WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION.
[Item 13a - Consideration and possible action on Item 12(a) as discussed in executive session.]
13, ACTION ON EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS, THE CITY COMMISSION WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION AND MAY TAKE ACTION ON ANY ITEM LISTED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION SECTION OF THIS AGENDA.[02:35:01]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ITEM 12 A AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.UH, MOTION TO PROCEED IS DISCUSSED TO GIVE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER THE FINAL AUTHORITY TO RESOLVE ALL ISSUES, UH, WITH THIS ONE ISSUE.
MEETING ADJOURNED AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
ALRIGHT, I THOUGHT YOU'RE DOING.