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I MEAN, HE LOOKS COOL. YOU TELL HIM I SAID, MAN, LOOK. QUIT WASTING YOUR NOTHING. YEAH, I
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THINK HE'S DONE FOR, LIKE, 300. 200? SO I'M DOING WELL. OH, YEAH. I'M. GOOD AFTERNOON[00:11:47]
EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WELCOME TO THE HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION. IT'S ALWAYS A NICE TO HAVE A FULL TOWN HALL.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY. THE TIME IS 5:32 P.M. WE'RE CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER. IT HAS BEEN DULY POSTED AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. WE HAVE A FULL QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION. AS EVERYONE IS PRESENT AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK FOR EVERYONE TO PLEASE RISE.
THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE IN YOUR SEATS RISE AS WE BEGIN THE INVOCATION. LET US PRAY. FATHER, LET UNDERSTANDING GUIDE OUR RESPONSES AND EMPATHY SHAPE OUR DECISIONS. HELP US REMEMBER THAT EACH PERSON HERE SEEKS SAFETY AND STABILITY FOR THE SAME STREETS WE ALL CALL HOME. MAY WE REPLACE BLAME WITH COLLABORATION, FEAR WITH RESOLVE AND DIVISION WITH SOLIDARITY.
GRANT THIS COMMISSION THE WISDOM TO ACT WITH INTEGRITY, THE COURAGE TO PURSUE THE COMMON GOOD, AND THE GRACE TO UPLIFT EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE SERVE. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY.
AMEN. AMEN. NOW THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. AND TO GET IT. ALL RIGHT. AND, MARK, UNDER STATE LAW, CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A COMMISSION MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFYING FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM, MEMBERS WITH THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION OR VOTE ON THE AGENDA ITEM. ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST TO DISCLOSE AT THIS TIME? NONE NONE NONE. NONE. NONE. NONE. 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. ITEM THREE A MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. MAYOR, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS TO DISCLOSE? WELL, I DO, WE DON'T HAVE THEM HERE TODAY, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE MR. JAVIER SEGURA IN THE BACK. HE HAS GRACIOUSLY OPENED THE DOORS TO THE JROTC, THE ROTC, THE JROTC OF THE HARLINGEN HIGH SCHOOL, AND HAS GIVEN THEM THIS NICE BREAKFAST TO FILL THEIR BELLIES ON THEIR WAY TO COMPETE, AND HAS DONE THAT FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. AND THIS YEAR, THEY WENT OFF FROM THE HARLINGEN CONVENTION CENTER AND THEN CAME BACK AS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. THEY REPRESENTED HARLINGEN IN FLORIDA AND BROUGHT HOME THE FIRST PLACE TROPHY. SO WE WANT TO GIVE THEM ALL. I KNOW THEY'RE NOT HERE, BUT THEY'RE WATCHING AT HOME. I'M SURE TO GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. ALSO, WE HAVE THIS WEEKEND. ON FRIDAY, WE HAVE THE SECOND ANNUAL MOTHER'S DAY EVENT, A SERENADE FOR THE MOTHERS AND THE GRANDMOTHERS AND THE TIAS AND
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THE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE THAT SERVES IN THE CAPACITY OF SERVING AND RAISING CHILDREN. WE ARE ASKING THEM TO COME AND JOIN US AT THE HARLINGEN AUDITORIUM. AND THAT IS GOING TO BE AT 5 P.M, FIVE 3530 AT THE HARLINGEN AUDITORIUM. LAST YEAR WAS WONDERFUL. WE HAVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS GOING TO BE PRESENT PROVIDING ROSES TO THE FIRST. HOW MANY GIRLS FIRST 300.FIRST 300 MOMS THAT WALK THROUGH THE DOOR WILL BE GREETED WITH A ROSE. AND SO WE ENJOY. WE HOPE TO SEE ALL OF Y'ALL OUT THERE. IN ADDITION, HCISD IS PARTNERING WITH US AGAIN THIS YEAR AND THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PRESENTATIONS AS WELL. SO THAT IS ALL I HAVE. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE. B CITY MANAGER'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. MR. GONZALEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ANNOUNCE? YES I DO THIS SATURDAY ALSO AT THE HARLINGEN CONVENTION CENTER. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SECOND. LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. THIRD, I'M SORRY. LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS EVENT FROM 10 TO 2. SO THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WANTING TO OPEN UP A BUSINESS HAVE QUESTIONS. MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND 10 TO 2 AT THE HARLINGEN CONVENTION CENTER. THANK YOU.
ITEM THREE. CITY COMMISSION MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS. COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ANNOUNCE? I JUST WANT TO THANK CODE COMPLIANCE, PUBLIC WORKS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER JOSH RAMIREZ FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AT MY COMMUNITY CLEANUP WE DID LAST SATURDAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY POUNDS OF GARBAGE AND TRASH WAS TURNED IN, BUT ONE OF THE BIG THINGS OVER 140 TIRES WERE TURNED IN, AND THAT'S 140 TIRES THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE LAYING AROUND YOUR ALLEY OR ON A CANAL BANK SOMEWHERE. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU IF WHEN YOUR DISTRICT OR YOUR AREA HAS ONE OF THESE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. THANK YOU. NONE, NONE NONE. OKAY. ITEM FOUR PROCLAMATION PRESENTATION OF AWARDS. WE'RE GOING TO MIX IT UP A LITTLE BIT MAYOR. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE PROCLAMATION FOR THE FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK.
ALRIGHTY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SO OUR FIRST PROCLAMATION IS RECOGNIZING FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK 2025. AND I WILL READ THE PROCLAMATION AS FOLLOWS. BEFORE I INVITE SABINA PUENTE TO COME UP AND RECEIVE. WHEREAS FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK WAS ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO WERE IMPACTED BY FOOD ALLERGIES AND TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THIS SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. AND WHEREAS, APPROXIMATELY 32 MILLION AMERICANS, INCLUDING 6 MILLION CHILDREN, LIVE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES, WITH THE PREVALENCE OF FOOD ALLERGIES INCREASING, PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY TWO STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM. AND WHEREAS, ACCORDING TO THE CENTER OF DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, BETWEEN 1997 AND 2011, THE PREVALENCE OF FOOD ALLERGIES ROSE TO 50%. THE NINE FOODS THAT ACCOUNT FOR 90% OF ALL FOOD ALLERGY REACTIONS ARE PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, MILK, EGGS, WHEAT, SOY, FISH, SHELLFISH, AND SESAME. AND WHEREAS THE FOOD ALLERGY IS AN IMMUNE SYSTEM, RESPONSE TO THE FOOD THE BODY MISTAKENLY BELIEVES IS HARMFUL, THERE IS CURRENTLY NO CURE FOR FOOD ALLERGIES. STRICT AVOIDANCE IS THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT AN ALLERGIC REACTION, AND IT IS A AND. IS A SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION THAT COMES ON QUICKLY AND HAS A POTENTIAL TO BECOME LIFE THREATENING. AND NOW, THEREFORE, I. NORMA SEPULVEDA, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COMMISSION, HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 11TH THROUGH THE 17TH, 2025 AS FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS OF HARLINGEN TO INCREASE THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND AWARENESS OF THIS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITION.
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE. OF THE 3232 MILLION AMERICANS AFFECTED BY FOOD ALLERGIES.
SABINA. IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP. HI. DID YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? ALL RIGHT. WELL, IT'S OKAY, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY GO AHEAD. SHOWING UP IS THE HARDEST PART, I PROMISE. THANK YOU FOR OFFICIALLY PROCLAMATION THE FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK AND SUPPORTING ME ON MY GOLD AWARD.
AWESOME. WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU IN IN ANY, ANY POSSIBLE WAY. AND AS A MOM OF A CHILD THAT HAD SEVERE ALLERGIES UNTIL HE WAS ABOUT FIVE, HE HAD AN EGG ALLERGY. I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR WORKING MOMS THAT HAVE THEIR KIDS IN DAYCARE, AND THE CONSTANT STRESS OF, YOU KNOW, IS EVERYTHING GOING TO BE OKAY? AND ARE WE GOING TO RESPECT EVERYBODY, INDIVIDUALS,
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ALLERGIES. AND SO IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS AWARENESS. AND WHAT AN INCREDIBLE INITIATIVE FOR YOU TO GET BEHIND. SO THANK YOU. WILL THE COMMISSION JOIN ME FOR MAY I SAY YES YOU MAY YOU. WE ALWAYS MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF PEOPLE GETTING EAGLE SCOUT AND THAT IS HUGE. THAT IS HUGE. BUT BEING THE GRANDFATHER OF YOUNG LADY WHO GOT HER GOLD AWARD AND SEEING YOU, I MEAN, IT IS JUST AS BIG A DEAL THAT WE DON'T RECOGNIZE OFTEN ENOUGH. SO GOD BLESS YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS! THAT IS HUGE. WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. ABSOLUTELY. WHAT WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? I'M A SOPHOMORE. YOU'RE A SOPHOMORE? ARE YOU IN HIS CLASS? NO, SHE'S MY LITTLE COUSIN. OH, OKAY. I WAS LIKE, I'M SORRY. I'M ON THE CARDINAL CAMPUS. OH, I DON'T KNOW. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I LOVE YOU JUST THAT MUCH MORE. YOU'RE OUTNUMBERED RIGHT NOW. I WAS JUST KIDDING ABOUT THAT. ALL RIGHT, IF WE CAN JOIN FOR A PHOTO WITH THE COMMISSION.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.