* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:42] GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE HARLINGEN, UM, CITY COMMISSION MEETING. THE TIME IS NOW FIVE 30. IT IS 5:32 PM WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. IT HAS BEEN DULY POSTED AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. WE HAVE A QUORUM AS EVERYONE IS HERE. WE HAVE ALL COMMISSIONERS PRESENT WITH COMMISSIONER KINSLEY, UM, JOINING US VIA ZOOM. AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE RISE AS COMMISSIONER MORALES LEADS US IN THE INVOCATION. OKAY? THE FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. AMEN. LORD, MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE WHERE THERE IS HATRED. LET ME SOW LOVE WHERE THERE'S INJURY. PARDON? WHERE THERE'S DOUBT. FAITH, WHERE THERE'S DESPAIR. HOPE WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS, LIGHT, AND WHERE THERE IS SADNESS IN HIS JOY. OH, DIVINE MASTER GRANT, THAT I'M MY NUDGE, NOT GRANT, THAT I MAY NOT SO MUCH SEEK TO BE CONSOLED AS TO CONSOLE, TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS TO UNDERSTAND, TO BE LOVED AS TO LOVE FOR IT IS IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE PARDONED AND IT IS IN DYING, THAT WE ARE BORN TO ETERNAL LIFE. AMEN. AMEN. NOW, THE PLEDGE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. WHO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT SAYS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL RIGHT. AND YOU CAN READ THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. YES. UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A COUNCIL MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFYING FINANCIAL INTEREST AND AN AGENDA ITEM. MEMBERS WITH A CONFLICT OF INTEREST CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION NOR VOTE ON THE AGENDA ITEM. ARE THERE ANY KNOWN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST TO DISCLOSE AT THIS TIME? NONE. NONE. NONE. NONE. NONE, NONE. NO CONFLICTS WITH MAYOR. FANTASTIC. MOVING ON. CITIZENS 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 ON THIS AGENDA. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS MAY NOT RESPOND TO COMMENTS OR DELIBERATE ON TOPICS ADDRESSED IN THE CITIZENS. OKAY. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE NO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SIGNED UP. I HAVE NONE. WE'LL CLOSE THIS ITEM AND MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR. UH, NUMBER FOUR WOULD BE CONSIDERATION A POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE DECEMBER 14TH, 2024 SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION FOR A COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICTS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE. MR. REMY GARZA IN THE AUDIENCE, YOU PRESENT THE ITEM. MAYOR, BEFORE WE START, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, REMY WAS ON VACATION TODAY, BUT HE CAME IN JUST FOR THIS MEETING, SO I WANNA THANK YOU RENNY REMY, FOR, FOR DOING THAT FOR US. THANK YOU. NO, IT'S, IT IS MY PLEASURE. UM, ON DECEMBER 14TH, UH, THE CITY OF HARINGTON HELD A RUNOFF FOR THE THREE CITY COMMISSION SPOTS. UM, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF THREE EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS AND FOUR ELECTION DAY LOCATIONS. UH, THERE WERE 25,367 REGISTERED VOTERS THAT WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, OF WHICH 1,828 DID. SO, UH, FOR A TURNOUT PERCENTAGE OF 7.21%, WHICH FOR A RUNOFF, I MUST TELL YOU, IF FOR A CITY IS NOT A VERY BAD TURNOUT, I KNOW COMPARED TO NOVEMBER, IT LOOKS SMALL. BUT FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION IN THE CITY, THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE. UH, FOR COMMISSIONER DISTRICT THREE, MIKE MESMER RECEIVED 337 VOTES. UH, OUR FRANK OSANO RECEIVED 312 VOTES. A TOTAL VOTES CAST WAS 649. IN COMMISSIONER DISTRICT FOUR, FRANK LES RECEIVED 156 VOTES, AND BETHEL PANIER RECEIVED 123 FOR A TOTAL VOTES CAST OF 279. IN COMMISSIONER DISTRICT FIVE, RENEE PEREZ RECEIVED 474 VOTES, AND NIKKI ALVAREZ, DANIELLE RECEIVED 426 VOTES, TOTAL VOTES CAST OF 900, UH, BEFORE YOU, I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE THE PACKET THAT INCLUDES THE PRECINCT BY PRECINCT BREAKDOWN, UH, AS WELL AS THE, UH, INDIVIDUAL BREAKDOWNS [00:05:01] FOR BY MAIL, EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, THOUGH, FOR THIS IS THE, THE, THIS ELECTION, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY RUNOFF, UH, AND BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF ELECTION DAY LOCATIONS, WE ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO CONDUCT WHAT'S CALLED A PARTIAL MANUAL COUNT. AND ESSENTIALLY IT'S TO, TO VERIFY THAT THE MACHINES ARE READING THE BALLOTS PROPERLY BY DOING A, A MAN, UH, A HAND COUNT OF USUALLY JUST THREE PRECINCTS AND USUALLY JUST ONE RACE. BUT GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS, WE ACTUALLY RECOUNTED BY HAND ALL FOUR, UH, OF THE, THE ELECTION DAY PRECINCTS, THE EARLY VOTE, AND BY MAIL WE DID COUNT ALL THREE OF THE RACES AND THE, THE TOTALS CAME OUT EXACTLY THE SAME. FANTASTIC. ALRIGHT, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE HAND COUNTING, SO THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A TASK. SO THANK YOU AND, AND, UH, YOUR STAFF. AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO FOR, FOR THE CITY OF HARLAN. AND I THINK SINCE THE COUNTY HAS TAKEN OVER THE ELECTIONS, IT HAS PROVIDED MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE. AND SO WE, WE, UM, WE VALUE OUR PARTNERSHIP. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR REMY. DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION? I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UH, A GREAT DEAL OF THANKS TO THE CITY STAFF AND LEADERSHIP. UH, THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL IN ACCOMMODATING US, UH, OPENING THE CENTRAL COUNT HERE ON THAT SATURDAY. MM-HMM . UH, AND SO PLEASE, UH, WE THANK THEM, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, THE LEADERSHIP. AND WE ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK AMANDA ELIZONDO FOR ALL HER, UH, COOPERATION AND WORK, UH, DURING THIS PROCESS. WE, WE GREATLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH HER. REMY, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION, JUST, JUST FOR MY OWN CURIOSITY ON, UM, PAGE TWO OF FOUR, WHERE YOU HAVE THE PRECINCTS, YOU HAVE PARTS 80 AND 96, AND IT SAYS VOTER TURNOUT, 8.45%. ARE THOSE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT COULD HAVE VOTED IN THE ELECTION AND JUST THOSE THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR DISTRICT FIVE? OR IS THAT ALL THE ENTIRE PRECINCTS ON THE, ON ON PAGE TWO OF FOUR. I'M SORRY. YEAH, TWO OF FOUR WHERE IT SAYS PARTS 80 96, LIKE THE DIFFERENT BY THE PRECINCTS. YES, YES. IS THAT THE TOTAL VOTERS FOR THE ENTIRE PRECINCT OR WAS THIS JUST THE ONES THAT WERE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE FOR THAT ELECTION? FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE PARTS OF THE PRECINCTS THAT FALL WITHIN THE, THE DISTRICT, UH, THE CITY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT. OKAY, COOL. 8.54. OKAY. YEAH, I THINK, UM, YEAH, BOTH OF THOSE PRECINCTS ARE KIND OF CUT IN HALF. UH, SO IT WAS 8.45, UH, PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ELIGIBLE THERE WERE 4,369 THAT WERE ELIGIBLE. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, MOTION TO ACCEPT, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RESULTS OF DECEMBER 14TH, 2024 SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION. ALL SECOND THAT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. A. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ENJOY YOUR VACATION. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA STAND FOR THE SWEARING AGAINST TERM, RIGHT. UH, I NUMBER FIVE. SO IN AN OATH OF OFFICE TO NEWLY ELECTED CITY COMMISSIONERS FOR DISTRICTS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE. AND THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, . OKAY. FANTASTIC. THREE. YES. AND CAN WE WILL YOU, I I BELIEVE YOU'LL BE CONDUCTING THAT OATH. YES. UHHUH. SO SWEAR SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL, FAITHFULLY, THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE, EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF CITY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT THREE OF, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL DO THE BEST, THE BEST OF MY ABILITY TO PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. THE CONSTITUTION. AND THE LAWS. AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. OF THE STATE. OF THE STATE. SO HELP ME GOD. THE NEXT ONE ON THE LIST IS COMMISSIONER MORALES. [00:10:04] IT IS SAID THAT YOU RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND TO TAKE A NOTE. 'CAUSE YOU'RE ASKING GOD TO BE YOUR WITNESS. I BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE. THAT'S WHY THE BIBLE IS HERE. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, SIR. I, I FRANK MORALE DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM OR AFFIRM THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE, THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE, THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE. CITY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT, DISTRICT FOUR CITY, PLEASE. CITY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT FOUR, CITY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT FOUR. THE STATE OF TEXAS. OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND WE DO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WE'LL DO THE, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, OF THIS STATE AND OF THIS STATE. SO HELP ME GOD. SO HELP ME GOD. CONGRATULATIONS SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. AYE. AYE. STATE YOUR NAME, REINI PEREZ. DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR? DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM OR AFFIRM THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE, I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF CITY COMMISSIONER OF DISTRICT FIVE, CITY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT FIVE, THE STATE OF TEXAS. OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE WILL, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE OR PROTECT THE DEFENSE, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND CONSTITUTION AND LAWS, THE CONSTITUTIONS AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. OF THE UNITED STATES. AND OF THIS STATE. AND OF THIS STATE. SO HELP ME, GOD. SO HELP ME GOD. SO CAN WE GET A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS? PLEASE. ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY, IF THE FAMILIES WANNA TAKE A PHOTO WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND OBVIOUSLY JUDGES, WE APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOU, UH, FOR, FOR JOINING US. AND SO IF YOU WANNA TAKE THE TIME TO DO THAT NOW, DON'T BE SHY. YOU WANT US TO STEP AWAY SO THAT THEY HAVE US IN THE BACK OF, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE. IF THEY'RE GONNA BE OVER THERE, I'M ASSUMING. YEAH. SO SIDE SOME SATURDAY. AND SO THE CAME WITH ME AND HE LOVED YOU. HE'S LIKE JUST KEPT GOING IN, LIKE, DON'T GO INTO YOUR OFFICE. AND HE'S LIKE GOING FOR THE LIGHTS, SEES LIKE, NO BROTHER. YEAH. NOT THAT ONE. AND HE'S LIKE, IS THAT YOUR BIG FIREMAN HAT? YOU LIKE LOVE IT. HE'S LIKE, KIDS LOVE IT. MY FIRE'S HERE. CITY HALL. RIGHT. NOT OUT THERE, BUT IN THE YEAR. ALRIGHT, SO HE WAS LOVING IT. RIGHT. SITTING AT YOUR DESK AND ALL THAT STUFF. SO I WOULD'VE CLEANED IT UP A LITTLE BIT IF I KNEW, KNEW HE WAS COMING . AND THEN HE KEPT LIKE JUST RUNNING AROUND, LIKE RUNNING AROUND BECAUSE YOU HAD THE TWO DOORS, RIGHT. SO HE JUST KEPT RUNNING AND RUNNING. IT WAS FUNNY. YEAH. AND THEN HE ALSO TOOK ME ALL THE WAY BACK HERE. HE TOOK ME UPSTAIRS. YEAH. NO, THE MEN'S BATHROOM'S RIGHT HERE, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER DOOR. YEAH. THE DOORS LOCKED AROUND. NO, HE GOT ME IN THERE, LIKE WENT ALL TO THE BACK AND LIKE, WHAT IS IN THERE? DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THE LIKE TWO STORAGE UNITS, BUT TWO STORAGE ROOMS AND THEN IT'S LIKE THE, THE ATTIC. SO EVERYONE BACK HERE IS PRETTY CLOSE. HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON? IT'S OF COURSE ALL OF US. YEAH. OKAY. READY? ONE, TWO, AND THREE. AND THEN WE GET ONE FOR THE CITY. READY? ONE, TWO, AND THREE. GO. GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OF COURSE. [00:15:01] ARE Y'ALL TAKING ANY TRIPS OR JUST NO, WE'RE JUST SPINING IT. WHAT PICTURE? ME, YOU AND JV. WE, UH, I HAD, I HAD TOLD MY WIFE WHAT WE DO IS, OH, NO, NO. I JUST NEED TO WRITE DOWN MY NUMBER. OH, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A RUNOFF. YEAH. YEAH. I, I'VE ALREADY PUT THAT OUT IN THE UNIVERSITY. YEAH. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT. . YEAH, I DON'T HAVE DANIEL. YEAH. FOR RUNOFF ONE. SHE KNOW WHAT SHE DOES. SHE DOES. YOU GONNA CHECK, CHECK THAT THEORY, HUH? THIS TIME LIKE SEPTEMBER. I HAVE LICENSE. NICE TO SEE YOU FROM ME. OKAY. OH MY GOODNESS. WELL, WE DON'T WANT THAT. WELL COME VISIT ME. YOU, YOU WE MET HERE. WHEN WAS IT? A MONTH, TWO MONTHS AGO. YOU CAN CALL MISS AMANDA. YEAH. YEAH. MISS AMEN. AFTER THE NEW YEAR. OKAY. , I'LL SEE YOU AFTER THIS. . ALL RIGHT. OKAY, MOVING ON. I WANT TO ALSO JUST EXTEND ONCE AGAIN, UH, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO DISTRICT THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE, UM, FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTIONS. I THINK THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE INCUMBENTS HAVE RETURNED TO THE COMMISSION IS A GOOD SIGN THAT THE CITY IS IN THE, GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO I COMMEND YOU THREE FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE, UM, AND WISH YOU SUCCESS IN THIS NEXT TERM. AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON SIX CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ELECTION TO APPOINT A MAYO PRO 10. AND SO I THINK IN OUR CHARTER, WE'VE MOVED THIS TO, UH, ENSURE THAT IT ALIGNS WITH THE ELECTIONS. AND SO NOW WE WON'T BE DOING THAT IN MAY. WE'LL DO IT IN NOVEMBER. AND THEN WE HAD THE, THE, THE RUNOFF. AND SO I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UM, OUR MAYOR, PRO TEM AND COMMISSIONER PEREZ FOR HIS, I THINK IT WAS TWO AND A HALF YEARS, OR YES, THREE YEARS. UH, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO TO, TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL THAT YOU DID TO HELP ME. UH, IN TERMS OF EVENTS AND ALL THINGS THAT, UH, THAT YOU HAD TO DO WHILE I WAS OUT OF TOWN. I KNOW THAT YOU ENSURE THAT THE CITY DIDN'T BURN DOWN. I THINK YOU TOLD ME A COUPLE TIMES. , MY SHOULDERS WERE STARTING TO HURT AFTER A WHILE. SAID THE BURDEN WAS, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH. BUT, UH, TRULY RING'S, UH, MEETINGS RAN PRETTY QUICK WHEN HE, UH, RAN THEM. SO HE, HE TOLD ME THAT, THAT HE WAS VERY EFFICIENT EFFICIENCY. SO WHAT HE DOESN'T KNOW IS THAT GABE AND I MADE SURE THAT THOSE MEETINGS WERE NOT GOING TO BE VERY LONG. NOT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE FULL FAITH IN, IN THIS ENTIRE COMMISSION. UM, HAVING SAID THAT, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT COMMISSIONER PEREZ HAS DONE, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY. BUT I, I DO WANT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND SINCE NOW THAT THE MAYOR DOES HAVE THE RIGHT, UH, TO MAKE MOTIONS AND TO VOTE, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FITTING FOR MY FIRST MOTION TO BE A MOTION FOR OUR PRO TEM. AND I SPOKE WITH COMMISSIONER KINSLEY BECAUSE WHEN COMMISSIONER BETIS IS NOT AVAILABLE, I REACH OUT TO COMMISSIONER KINSLEY AND HE'S ALWAYS BEEN SO GENEROUS AND, UM, ATTENDED EVENTS AND HAS HELPED WHEN, WHEN I'M NOT ABLE TO. AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, UNLESS THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION, UH, AMONGST THE COMMISSION, I'D LIKE MY FIRST MOTION AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN TO MOVE FOR COMMISSIONER KINSLEY TO BE OUR NEW MAYOR, PRO TEM. SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BETIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. AND NOW WE PASS THE TORCH. I THINK. COMMISSIONER BETIS TO COMMISSIONER KINSLEY. GOOD LUCK FORD , WHO WILL BABY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. I'M HONORED. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? NO. OKAY. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MISS A MEETING? FORD . I, I LEARNED THAT IN THE MARINE CORPS A LONG TIME AGO. [00:20:01] , I WASN'T PAYING, WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO THE CALENDAR. . ALRIGHT, UM, MOVING ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, BOARD APPOINTMENTS. UM, SPECIFICALLY APPOINTMENTS OR DISCUSSIONS AND POSSIBLE APPOINTMENT AND OR REMOVAL OF ANY POSITION SUBJECT TO APPOINTMENT OR REMOVAL BY STATUTE, ORDINANCE OR VIOLENCE. OKAY. AND NONE, NONE, NONE, NONE. NONE YET. ALRIGHT. OKAY. AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE. OKAY. HAVING NO BOARD APPOINTMENTS, WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR HOLIDAY AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.