[Item 1 - Call to Order]
[Item 2 - Conflict of Interest]
[Item 3a - Mayor's Announcements ]
[Item 3b - City Manager's Announcements]
[Item 3c - City Commission Member Announcements]
[Item 4a - Harlingen Animal Shelter - "Pet of the Week"]
[Item 4b - Presentation of Prociamation — Coach Ashley Moncivaiz]
[Item 5 - Citizen Communication ]
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NO, MA'AM. SOMEBODY ASKED. YEAH, BECAUSE SHE TOLD ME SPECIFICALLY THAT SHE'LL BE
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HERE ON TIME. I DON'T WANT TO START. AND SHE'S LIKE, JUST DOWNSTAIRS. ONE MINUTE. LIKE,[00:15:30]
THERE'S 110 PEOPLE HERE AN HOUR AND A HALF PAST TWO MINUTES APPROACHING THREE HOURS OF LOST[00:15:40]
TIME. YEAH. YES, SIR. DID YOU SEE THE MAYOR DOWNSTAIRS? OKAY. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DANIEL LOPEZ. I'M YOUR MAYOR PRO TEM. THE MAYOR SHOULD BE ON HER WAY. SHE IS ON HER WAY.SHE'LL BE HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES. I'M GOING TO START US GOING. I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO. SO IT IS 531. THIS MEETING WAS DULY POSTED. LET'S CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. WE HAVE EVERYONE HERE MINUS THE MAYOR. BUT WHEN SHE GETS IN, WE'LL PUT IT ON THE RECORD THAT SHE'S ARRIVED. LET'S START WITH OUR INVOCATION BY COMMISSIONER MICHAEL MESMER.
WELL, I WANT TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY. TODAY IS CHRISTMAS FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE BORN AND LIVED ON THE OLD CALENDAR AND WHO STILL LIVE ON THE OLD CALENDAR, SO IN SERBIAN, I WILL GREET YOU. BOURGEOISIE MAS. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. DEAR GOD, THANK YOU TODAY FOR THE BIRTH OF YOUR SON, OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.
IN THE CAVE IN BETHLEHEM IN PRESENT DAY PALESTINE, ISRAEL. HE IS THE ONE WHO HAS DEFEATED DEATH BY DEATH. AND THEN WE HAVE HOPES FOR ETERNAL LIFE. AMEN. AMEN. COMMISSIONER, YOU WANT TO LEAN ON THE PLEDGE? SURE. 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. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A PACKED HOUSE HERE TODAY AND HEARING EVERYONE'S COMMENTS. I KNOW WE HAVE A PRETTY BIG CITIZEN COMMENT PORTION, SO LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM Y'ALL. MARK, WHY DON'T YOU LEAD US IN THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, PLEASE? UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS IF A COMMISSION MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFYING FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM, MEMBERS WITH A CONFLICT OF INTEREST CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION OR VOTE ON THE AGENDA ITEM. ARE THERE ANY KNOWN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST TO DISCLOSE AT THIS TIME? NONE. YES TEN G AS IN GREG, AN. NONE. NONE. NONE. ITEM THREE ANNOUNCEMENTS. WITH RESPECT TO ITEMS NOT LISTED ELSEWHERE IN THIS AGENDA, THE CITY COMMISSION MAY REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, INCLUDING ANNOUNCING COMMUNITY EVENTS, ANNOUNCING EMPLOYEE OR COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS. ITEM THREE A IS MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. MAYOR. WELL, FIRST I WANT TO THANK DANIEL FOR TAKING OVER. I DID HAVE I WAS IN COURT ALL DAY, SO APOLOGIES FOR MY TARDINESS, BUT I DID WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW. IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THE EDC DID ANNOUNCE THAT GARVER IS EXPANDING HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, INVESTING OVER $5 MILLION. GARVER DOES A LOT OF GREAT WORK WITH HCISD, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING OVER ON ON ED CAREY. SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE EDC TEAM FOR WORKING SO HARD TO ENSURE THAT THAT INVESTMENT HAPPENED. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
OKAY. ITEM THREE B IS CITY MANAGER'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. MISTER GONZALEZ NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT. I, I HAD BEEN OUT FOR THREE MONTHS DUE TO A MEDICAL CONDITION, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR STEPPING IN. AND I'VE ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF ON HAVING WHAT WE CALL A HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM. AND DURING THIS TIME, THEY THEY TRULY SHOWED THAT BY NOT MISSING A BEAT, KEEPING UP WITH THE PROJECTS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY, AND I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR BEING SUPPORTIVE, FOR VISITING ME IN THE HOSPITAL, FOR COMING TO MY HOME AND MAKING SURE I WAS OKAY. THIS IS MY FIRST WEEK BACK. IT'S BEEN A LITTLE STRESSFUL BECAUSE I'M NOT USED TO BEING AT A DESK ALL
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DAY, BUT IT'S WORKING. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK. THANK YOU.NOW, ITEM THREE CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS ANNOUNCEMENTS. WE'LL START WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BESIDES HAPPY NEW YEAR. NONE, NONE. THANK YOU. I'M GOOD NOW. OKAY.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR. PROCLAMATION PRESENTATION OF AWARDS. WE HAVE THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER PET OF THE WEEK. ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE GOT BASHFUL. REAL QUICK WHILE THEY'RE WALKING UP. IF I CAN START BY SAYING, WE ARE EXTREMELY THANKFUL TO THE HARLINGEN FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR PUTTING OUT THE CALENDAR THAT THEY DID. AND THOSE CALENDARS ARE CURRENTLY ON SALE. YOU CAN CONTACT ANY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY CAN HELP GET THOSE TO Y'ALL. AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING FROM THEM AND ALL OF THEIR HELP. AND NOW THAT TRUFFLE HAS MADE IT UP TO THE FRONT, WE WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TRUFFLE. HE IS ABOUT A YEAR OLD. HE'S A RED HEELER AND HE WALKS WELL ON A LEASH. HE HE'S WELL BEHAVED. HE'S IN A LARGE CROWD. SO THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR HIM. BUT HE'S NORMALLY VERY WELL BEHAVED.
HE IS YOUNG AT A YEAR, SO, BUT HE IS LOOKING FOR HIS FOREVER HOME. HE HAS BEEN AT THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER SINCE THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER. AND SO HE AND ALL THE ANIMALS AT THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER ARE PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THEIR FOREVER HOMES. ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN TRUFFLE OR ANY OF HIS FRIENDS, WHETHER DOGS OR CATS, ARE WELCOME TO GO BY THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER AT 1106 MARKOWSKI, OR GIVE THEM A CALL AT 956216 5250. ALSO, THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER WILL BE AT PETCO IN WESLACO THIS SATURDAY FROM 10 TO 2. SO WE INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO EITHER THE ANIMAL SHELTER OR PETCO. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WHILE OUR SHELTER MANAGER HAS BROUGHT TRUFFLE WITH US, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE MISS BRANDY, WHO IS A NEW ADOPTION COORDINATOR FOR THE HARLINGEN ANIMAL SHELTER. SO WE ARE THANKFUL TO HAVE HER ON BOARD AND LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT THE ANIMAL SHELTER CONTINUES TO GET DONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH! IT LOOKS LIKE SHE IS SUPER EXCITED, SO IF ANYONE WANTS A COMPANION THAT NEEDS LOTS OF LOVE AND ATTENTION AND LOTS OF FUN ACTIVITIES, I GUESS RIGHT? WE CAN FIND THEM AT MCCARTHY. CAN YOU GIVE THE ADDRESS AGAIN? 1106 MARKOWSKI ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, AND WELCOME ABOARD. BRANDY. OKAY.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR. B PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION FOR COACH ASHLEY VICE. HONORING COACH ASHLEY MUNCIE, VICE COACH MUNCIE VICE IS A PROUD PRODUCT OF HARLINGEN HIGH SCHOOL, HAVING PLAYED FOR LEGENDARY COACH NORMA ZAMARRIPA, LATER SERVING AS HER ASSISTANT AND ULTIMATELY RETURNING TO THE TO LEAD THE LADY CARDINALS BASKETBALL TEAM AS HEAD COACH.
CONTINUING A WINNING TRADITION AND PRESERVING THE LEGACY OF THE PROGRAM SHE ONCE REPRESENTED AS A STUDENT ATHLETE AND WHEREAS SINCE ASSUMING THE ROLE OF HEAD COACH IN 2014, COACH HAS GUIDED THE LADY CARDINALS TO NINE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS, NUMEROUS PLAYOFF APPEARANCES, MULTIPLE 30 WIN SEASONS, AND SUSTAINED COMPETITIVE SUCCESS, SOLIDIFYING THE PROGRAM AS ONE OF THE MOST DOMINANT IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. AND WHEREAS COACH LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT HAVE EARNED HER MULTIPLE HONORS, INCLUDING VMS, VMS COACH OF THE YEAR AND ALL STAR COACH OF THE YEAR, AND THE COMMUNITY PROUDLY CELEBRATES HER OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS, HER POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUTH, AND HER CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO ATHLETIC AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. AND WHEREAS, COACH ASHLEY HAS ACHIEVED AN EXTRAORDINARY MILESTONE BY EARNING HER 300TH CAREER VICTORY, AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT REFLECTS EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP, DEDICATION AND SUSTAINED PREEMINENCE. AND WHEREAS REACHING 300 WINS IS A RARE AND REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS, MADE EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE BY COACH MONCIVAIZ. ACCOMPLISHING THIS MILESTONE WHILE DEDICATING HER ENTIRE HEAD COACHING CAREER TO A SINGLE PROGRAM EXEMPLIFYING LOYALTY, COMMITMENT AND PRIDE IN HARLINGEN HIGH SCHOOL. AND WHEREAS, THIS MILESTONE IS A TESTAMENT NOT ONLY TO HER COACHING SKILL, BUT ALSO TO HER ABILITY TO INSPIRE YOUNG ATHLETES TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL THROUGH HER GUIDANCE, MENTORSHIP, AND UNWAVERING BELIEF IN HER PLAYERS, COACH HAS BUILT A PROGRAM ROOTED IN FOCUS, DISCIPLINE, AND TEAMWORK, AND HER INFLUENCE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE BASKETBALL COURT, SHAPING THE CHARACTER, CONFIDENCE AND FUTURE SUCCESS OF THE YOUNG WOMEN SHE COACHES NOW. THEREFORE, I. NORMA SEPULVEDA, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COMMISSION, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND HONOR
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COACH ASHLEY FOR HER REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF 300 CAREER WINS AND FOR HER LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY, OUR SCHOOLS, AND THE LIVES OF THE ATHLETES SHE HAS LED. IF COACH IS HERE, I NOW INVITE HER UP TO THE FRONT IF SHE'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO HEAR THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE. I'VE ONLY DONE IT IN THE PAST. LIKE WE SAID, IN THE 15 YEARS I'VE BEEN THERE AT HARLINGEN HIGH SCHOOL. BUT I WANT TO THANK THE CITY, HHS ADMINISTRATION AND OUR BOARD FOR ALL THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND ESPECIALLY MY FAMILIES AND MY ATHLETES. THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE AND THEY ALWAYS SUPPORT ME. AND LAST NIGHT, I LOST MY VOICE BECAUSE WE HAD A BIG GAME THAT WE PLAYED AGAINST WESLACO AND WE PULLED IT OUT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT INSPIRES ME IS BECAUSE I ALWAYS SEE THESE KIDS FIGHT THROUGH ALL THESE ADVERSITIES THEY GO THROUGH, AND TO SEE THEM BE SUCCESSFUL ON AND OFF THE COURT, IT HELPS ME. SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THIS AND I THANK THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. THANK YOU. WELL DON'T LEAVE. WE'D LOVE TO TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOU. THANK YOU COACH, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR TEAM AND EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER IS HERE.
I'LL JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT SHE'S WEARING RED AND CARDINAL SPIRIT NEVER DIES. RIGHT. SHE IS A CARDINAL, I LIKE THAT. LITTLE JACKSON. YEAH, YEAH. WE HEAR SO MANY THINGS. I LIKE THAT ONE. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. AND READY? READY. AND THREE, TWO. ONE. ONE MORE AND THREE. TWO AND ONE. GOOD. AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS. GLAD YOU'RE BACK. THIS FEELS WEIRD. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ALONG. MOVING ON OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE 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 TOPICS ADDRESSED TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH RAYMOND REYES. THANK YOU.
JUST WHILE MR. REYES IS IS MAKING HIS WAY TO THE PODIUM, WE ALWAYS WELCOME. MR. REYES IS USUALLY HERE AND WE ALWAYS WELCOME YOU BACK. BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU, THAT IS YOUR FIRST TIME HERE AT THE CITY COMMISSION. WE WELCOME YOU. WE'RE HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE AND YOU WANT TO BE ENGAGED. I JUST I KNOW THAT MYRA JUST MENTIONED IT, BUT JUST KIND OF REITERATE, WE DO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. WE DO ALLOW FOR THREE MINUTES. SO EVERYBODY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP YOUR, YOUR, YOUR REMARKS WITHIN THAT TIME SO WE CAN BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IF IT IS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA. UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, BUT KNOW THAT THIS COMMISSION AND MYSELF WERE AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS OUTSIDE OF THE THE COMMISSION MEETING, AND WE'RE ALL ACCESSIBLE VIA OUR CELL PHONES AND EMAILS. SO KNOW THAT WE ARE LISTENING. WE JUST CAN'T COMMUNICATE BECAUSE IT'S WE'RE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BASED ON RULES. AND I KNOW MR. DIAZ ALREADY KNOWS THIS. AND SO I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM THE FLOOR. RAYMOND REYES, 706 NANTUCKET DRIVE, HARLINGEN. SO I'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH SAYING THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ABOUT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, SUPPOSEDLY DEALS ARE BEING MADE, BUT THERE'S NONDISCLOSURES BEING SIGNED. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S COMES THIS ARTICLE ABOUT THAT WAS IN THE VALLEY MORNING STAR ABOUT WATER USAGE AND STUFF. AND I KIND OF WONDER. YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF RESEARCH IS BEING DONE ON THESE DATA CENTERS? I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THESE PLACES BECAUSE OF THE MY IT BACKGROUND AND THE VERY INTERESTING THINGS I DID ON BEHALF OF OUR GOVERNMENT THAT I ALWAYS SUPPORT NO MATTER WHAT. AND I JUST FEEL PERSONALLY THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED IN HARLINGEN, WE JUST CAN'T SUPPORT IT, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, THERE'S ALREADY A DROUGHT IN TEXAS TO BEGIN WITH. THAT'S AN ONGOING ISSUE. WATER IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND WHAT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE COUNTING ON MEXICO TO FILL IN THERE? THEY'RE PART OF THE BARGAIN AND I DON'T THINK SO. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE CITIZENS OF HARLINGEN THAT ACTUALLY
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VOTED TO HAVE THIS PANEL, THIS COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF US, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE IT IS. YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES. WE MADE A MISTAKE. BE HONEST. BE UPFRONT. ON ANOTHER NOTE, THERE'S OTHER THINGS. LIKE I STATED LAST TIME THAT ARE IN THE BACKDROP THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN, THAT ARE ONGOING. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND OR FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, THE TRUTH IS VERY CLOSE TO COMING OUT ABOUT WHO DID WHAT AND FOR WHAT REASONS.SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE. SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE CHOOSING NOT TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT KNOWLEDGE. BUT LIKE ANYTHING IN LIFE, THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT. WHY? BECAUSE THE TRUTH HAS NO REASON TO HIDE. SO IT'S ALWAYS BETTER THAT WE DO THE RIGHT THINGS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, AND NOT PUT OUR OWN LITTLE PERSONAL TOUCH ON THINGS WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKING HARLINGEN A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW? THAT'S WHY, AS A VETERAN, WE FOUGHT IN FOREIGN LANDS TO DEFEND THOSE RIGHTS FOR EVERYBODY, TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISUSED AND FEEL EMPOWERED, THAT WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT, WHENEVER WE WANT. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN LIKE THAT, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM INSURING AND DOING MY PART TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T OCCUR. SO WITH THAT NOTE, I BEAT THE BUZZER AND I I'M GOING TO SIT DOWN FOR A LITTLE BIT. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, COMMISSIONER. MAYOR.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH GABRIEL LEDESMA AVAILABLE. MR. LEDESMA, GABRIEL LEDESMA OKAY OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO MAX GARZA. GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE.
I'M JUST GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT HE WAS SAYING. TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU, WHEN I HEARD THIS NEWS AND I'VE SEEN IT A LOT IN SOCIAL MEDIA, I WAS PRETTY SHOCKED. I'VE BEEN LIVING IN HARLINGEN FOR 20 YEARS. I THINK MY KIDS HAVE GONE TO SCHOOL HERE. AND WHEN I WHEN I KEEP SEEING THIS ONLINE ABOUT THE AI DATA CENTERS, THE BACK AND FORTH, IT WORRIES ME, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT REALLY WORRIES ME BECAUSE I KNOW AND I, YOU KNOW, SEEN, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH INFORMATION SAYING WHAT THIS DOES TO COMMUNITIES AND HOW IT DESTROYS COMMUNITIES AND IT DEPLETES ALL THE RESOURCES. AND THERE'S REALLY NO GAINS, HONESTLY. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST WORRIED, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE. I'M WORRIED, I'M CONCERNED AND ALL THE BACK AND FORTH. AND WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY CLEAR ANSWERS. RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST ASK, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS TO, LIKE YOU SAID, JUST BE TRANSPARENT WITH US AND JUST SAY IT HOW IT IS. RIGHT. ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS WE SHOULD LEARN FROM BROWNSVILLE, RIGHT? AS WE ALL KNOW, BROWNSVILLE HAS SPACE, RIGHT? VERY FAMOUS SPACE. SO WE HAVE A BILLIONAIRE OLIGARCH THAT BOUGHT LAND IN BROWNSVILLE, AND WE'VE SEEN THE POLLUTION.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS AND HAVE BEEN SINCE SPACE WAS BUILT, BUT NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT THAT MUCH AND OR IGNORES IT, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME THING THAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE IF WE WOULD ALLOW THIS AI DATA CENTER TO BE BUILT HERE IN HARLINGEN, NEXT TO THE AIRPORT. AND A LOT OF THOSE COMPANIES HAVE ALREADY POSTED ONLINE THAT THEY ALREADY BOUGHT LAND, AND THEY'RE ALREADY READY TO BUILD. AND, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTS AND NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING, AND THEY ARE MAKING IT SEEM LIKE IT'S A DONE DEAL. SO THAT MAKES ME EVEN MORE WORRIED, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT? LIKE, DO WE HAVE A VOICE AS CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, DOES IT MATTER? YOU KNOW WHAT? WE YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT? LIKE IF IT'S ARE WE, YOU KNOW, DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, LIKE HARLINGEN, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG, I LOVE HARLINGEN. IT'S VERY UNIQUE AND VERY DIFFERENT FROM MCALLEN AND BROWNSVILLE. AND I LIKE IT. YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE. IT'S IT'S VERY DIFFERENT. AND I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT. WE CAN SEE THAT AND WE CAN SEE HOW SPECIAL HARLINGEN IS. AND WE DON'T ALLOW THIS RICH OLIGARCH BILLIONAIRES TO COME HERE AND DESTROY OUR CITY, YOU KNOW? AND THAT'S JUST ALL I WANTED TO TELL YOU GUYS. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME, AND I HOPE YOU GUYS TAKE THIS TO HEART.
AND, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT GOING TO ONLY IMPACT US, IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR CHILDREN. RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND. MONEY DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, MEAN NOTHING. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IT'LL
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BE HERE, BUT THEN IT WILL BE GONE. AND WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY AND WHAT WE DO AS A COMMUNITY. AND WE CAN SHOW OTHER CITIES THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, THOSE BILLIONAIRE OLIGARCHS COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, PUT IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW. SO THANK YOU. MISTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO E ROSAS. I DON'T WANT TO MISPRONOUNCE THE NAME.DO WE HAVE MISS ROSAS? MR. MR. ROSAS, I THINK, IS MR. ROSAS HERE? YES. NO. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. IT'S MR. JOE MARTINEZ. IS ANYONE OUTSIDE? OKAY. GO AHEAD, JOE MARTINEZ. MR. MARTINEZ. JOE, YOU SIGN UP FOR THE. OKAY. DID YOU GUYS GET COPIES OF WHAT I SENT YOU GUYS? I DID, YES. MR. MARTINEZ, MY NAME IS JOE MARTINEZ. I'M A MULTI-BUSINESS OWNER IN DOWNTOWN HARLINGEN, AND MY MAIN BUSINESS IS 405 WEST VAN BUREN. AND I COME TO YOU OVER SOME ISSUES THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING WITH MY CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR AND SMOKE DETECTORS GOING OFF IN THE BAR THAT WE OWN, CALLED SPACE COWBOY. I ADDRESSED ISSUES WITH THE OWNER, AND HE SAID THAT THERE'S NOTHING HE COULD DO. THEY COULD MOVE THE BARBECUE PIT. APPARENTLY THERE'S A RESTAURANT THAT'S A BARBECUE RESTAURANT THAT OPENED NEXT DOOR, AND THE SMOKE IS GOING INTO THE BUILDING. IT'S ACTUALLY AFFECTED MY THROAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE SPEAK, I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AND THE THING ABOUT IT, DEPARTMENT, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY SENSE OF SMELL. SO IT WASN'T UNTIL I TURN ON THE LIGHTS, LASER LIGHTS IN THE SHOW, THEN THEY COULD SEE THE SMELL, WHICH IS REALLY IRONIC BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A SENSE OF SMELL, ESPECIALLY THIS DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE YOU WALK IN THE BUILDING AND AND THEY DON'T SMELL ANYTHING. THEY COULD JUST LEAVE THEM WHATEVER. IT WOULD BE LIKE A POLICE OFFICER THAT CAN'T HEAR GUNSHOTS. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. WHAT CONCERNS ME THE MOST IS THAT I'VE GOT A LISTING OF ALL THE STUFF THAT I'VE GOT TO DO, AS FAR AS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL, THINGS THAT I HAVE TO DO TO PASS INSPECTION. BUT I SPOKE WITH THE OWNER AND ALSO ONE OF THE LANDLORDS, AND THEY SAID THAT YOU GUYS PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A RESTAURANT WITH NO GREASE TRAP, NO RESTAURANT VENTILATION SYSTEM. AND ALSO, I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE DUMPSTER WITH THE SMELL OF, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S BLOOD OR WHATEVER IT IS. IT'S REALLY IT'S A HEALTH ISSUE. AND I'M I'M HOPING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I'VE CONTACTED THE PLANNING AND ZONING. OF COURSE, NOBODY CAN GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAVE TO APPLY FOR A FOIA REQUEST. BUT IF YOU GUYS DID PASS THEM, I THINK THE CITY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEANUP OF THE SMOKE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE TO MY EQUIPMENT, THE BUILDING CHAIRS, EVERYTHING SMELLS LIKE SMOKE. ONE OF MY CUSTOMERS SAID, JOE, WE'RE NO LONGER GOING TO YOUR BAR. IT TOOK ME. I HAVE TO SHAMPOO MY HAIR THREE TIMES IN ORDER TO GET THAT SMELL OUT. AND IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY DISTURBING THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY HERE IN DOWNTOWN HARLINGEN. AND I THINK EVERYBODY AS FAR AS RULES SHOULD APPLY TO EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY SHOULD APPLY. IF YOU START A BUSINESS, YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR OWN ELECTRIC METER, YOU SHOULD PAY YOUR PROPERTY TAXES AS FAR AS CONTINENTS AND SO FORTH. THAT'S WHAT PAYS EVERYBODY'S BILLS. SO ANYWAYS, THAT'S IT. AND I HOPE YOU GUYS HAD A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON. I WANT TO THANK THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I THINK HE'S ADDRESSED THE ISSUE. AND ALSO THERE'S A LIEUTENANT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL. I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME, BUT HE WAS A GREAT HELP.
THESE TWO GUYS, I THINK THEY DESERVE A HAND IN MY PART. AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME AND ADDRESSING THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. MARTINEZ. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO INGRID GONZALEZ. HELLO. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS GONZALEZ. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU GUYS, MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS.
SO I WANT TO CLEAR THE AIR. I'M NOT A HARLINGEN RESIDENT. I'M FROM BROWNSVILLE. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE IT'S IMPORTANT TO SPEAK ABOUT. I THINK SOMEBODY SAID IT. WE'RE NO STRANGERS OF BILLIONAIRES SAYING THAT THEY WANT TO USE OUR LAND, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BRING JOBS, BUT IN REALITY, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION, A LOT OF MEDIA COVERAGE, A LOT OF, LET'S SAY, MEDIA POSTS REGARDING THIS AI DATA CENTER.
HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT SEEN AND THIS IS A 20 YEAR OLD, I HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF INFORMATION REGARDING WHAT'S BEING DONE. WHERE IS THIS ENERGY GOING TO COME FROM? BESIDES THE THE SIZE,
[00:40:04]
THE AMOUNT OF WATER IS GOING TO NEED. IF YOU LOOK INTO OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HAD DATA CENTERS IMPLEMENTED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, IT'S SUCH A NEGATIVE IMPACT THAT IT HAS BESIDES JUST DRAINING THE WATER, BESIDES THE NOISE, BESIDES THE SMELL, IT'S JUST A BIG NONSTOP MACHINE THAT JUST DRAINS THE ENERGY AND WATER FROM COMMUNITIES. SO MY AND I'M SHAKING. I'M SORRY, I'M NERVOUS. BUT WHAT I WANT TO BRING TO YOU GUYS IS, OF COURSE, AS YOU HAVE SEEN FROM THE PREVIOUS TWO INDIVIDUALS, THERE'S A BIG GAP BETWEEN WHAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS AND WHAT THE CITY COMMISSIONER KNOWS. SO MY ■IDEA IS TO PROPOSE TO YOU THAT TO HAVE A TOWN HALL OR TO HAVE AN EVENT FOR YOU TO LAY OUT, TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT'S GOING ON, THIS IS THE IDEA, THIS IS THE DATA THAT WE HAVE SO THAT YOUR PUBLIC CAN RAISE THEIR CONCERNS, RAISE THEIR QUESTIONS, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT BRIDGE. AND SO IT'S A WAY FOR YOU GUYS TO SAY, OH, WE DIDN'T KNOW OR FOR US TO SAY WE DIDN'T KNOW. SO LET'S JUST BRIDGE THAT GAP OF INFORMATION AND CONNECT MORE WITH YOUR PUBLIC. IT'S NOT FAIR FOR RESIDENTS TO FIND OUT ABOUT THESE PROJECTS THROUGH NEWS OUTLETS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR. I DON'T THINK THIS PROJECT IS GOING ON AND ON AND ON, AND THERE'S NO CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. SO I URGE YOU, WHATEVER PROJECT THERE IS, IF YOU KNOW OR WHAT STAGE THE PROJECT IS, PUT A PAUSE TO IT.ALLOW YOUR CITIZENS TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS, TO HAVE QUESTIONS, TO HAVE DOUBTS, TO ASK YOU TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, TO HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH YOU GUYS.
DON'T ALLOW FOR A MACHINE TO RUIN YOUR CITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GOOD ONE. THANK YOU. MISS MISS GONZALEZ, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY AND GIVING YOUR FEEDBACK. AND I'M SO IMPRESSED THAT YOU ARE 20 YEARS OLD AND YOU'RE HERE ADDRESSING US. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT CITIZEN IS GOING TO BE DONOVAN SALAZAR. HOPEFULLY I SAID IT RIGHT. OH, HELLO. HELLO CITY OF HARLINGEN. HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING? MY NAME IS DONOVAN SALAZAR. I AM A UTRGV GRADUATE AND ALSO LONGTIME RESIDENT OF HARLINGEN. SO I KIND OF WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT THE OTHER FOLKS WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE DATA CENTER THAT WAS RUMORED TO BE BEING BUILT. I HEARD ABOUT IT THROUGH THE RIO GRANDE GUARDIAN, THE CEO, ORLANDO CAMPOS, IS LOOKING INTO PUTTING A DATA CENTER HERE IN HARLINGEN, AND I'M JUST BASICALLY HERE TO CAUTION, ALONG WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, TO CAUTION AGAINST APPROVING ANY FUTURE BUILDING PLANS THAT MIGHT BE PUT FORWARD, BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE A LARGE, A LARGE, EXTENSIVE HISTORY, EVEN THOUGH THE LIKE, THE DATA DATA CENTER LIKE CONSTRUCTION IS PRETTY NEW, THE IMPACTS ARE PROMINENT. RIGHT. SO THEY'VE BEEN PROVEN TO INCREASE UTILITY COSTS LIKE ELECTRICITY AND WATER SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, PUTTING STRAIN ON THE LOCAL POWER GRIDS.
PRETTY SURE WE CAN REMEMBER THE FREEZE THAT HAPPENED IN 2021, RIGHT? SO OUR POWER GRID IS NOT IS NOT ABLE TO DEAL WITH A LARGE THE LARGE CAPACITY THAT DATA CENTERS WOULD LIKELY BE IMPOSING. AND THEY ALSO VERY, VERY THIRSTY DATA CENTERS USE A LOT OF WATER. LARGE DATA CENTERS USE UP TO 5 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, EQUIVALENT TO A TOWN POPULATED BY 50,000 PEOPLE. HARLINGEN HAS A POPULATION OF AROUND 72,000 PEOPLE, SO THAT'S MORE THAN HALF HARLINGEN'S POPULATION. I THINK THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. SO, AND BECAUSE HARLINGEN IS LOCATED IN A DROUGHT PRONE AREA, ALLOCATING THAT MUCH WATER TO A DATA CENTER IS LIKELY TO SHIFT THE COST, LIKE THE BURDEN TO FARMERS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE FEEDING US AND JUST THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW THIS, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, THEY RELY ON A SELF-REPORTING SURVEY. MR. REYES, SORRY, MR. REYES WAS TALKING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
[00:45:01]
WITH THE PRACTICES PUT FORTH BY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. COMPLIANCE IS INCONSISTENT, LIKE ACROSS THE NATION, BUT WITH THE SELF. THE SELF-REPORTING SURVEYS THAT ESTIMATE HOW MUCH THE DATA CENTERS USE. IT'S REALLY HARD FOR THE THE CITY. AND JUST LIKE ANYBODY WHO'S TRYING TO MONITOR THESE DATA CENTERS, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY'RE USING. AND IT'S HARD TO ASSESS WHETHER THE CITY HAS ENOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE WHETHER THEY CAN HOUSE A DATA CENTER WITHOUT IT IMPACTING RESIDENTS. RIGHT. SO THEY ALSO USE A LOT OF COMPUTING POWER, LIKE I TALKED ABOUT, RIGHT? THAT COMPUTING POWER TRANSLATES TO A LOT OF ELECTRICITY USE. RIGHT? SO IN SOME AREAS WHERE DATA CENTERS HAVE. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MR. SALAZAR. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT CITIZEN IS LUIS VALDEZ PINO. ALL RIGHT. I'M LUIS VALDESPINO, 420 EAST AUSTIN AVENUE. A GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS AND MAYOR. RECENTLY, MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN READING AND HEARING ABOUT A FEW CONCERNING ISSUES. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE COMMISSION IF THE COMMISSION IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING DROPPING THE NEIGHBORHOOD SPEED LIMITS FROM 30 TO 20MPH THAT YOU ALL TALK TO THE RESIDENTS, PERHAPS IN TOWN HALLS TO ENSURE THE RESIDENTS SUPPORT THIS. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO GET RESIDENTIAL SPEEDING UNDER CONTROL, BUT I PERSONALLY WOULD SUGGEST BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF CURRENT LAWS AND AND THAT WE NOT MAKE ALL DRIVERS VULNERABLE TO BE TICKETED BECAUSE THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO STAY AT 20MPH. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT SCHOOL ZONES STILL REQUIRE DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR CHILDREN. IF WE TRY TO SAY EVERY ZONE IS A SCHOOL ZONE, PEOPLE WILL NOT LIKELY PAY CLOSER ATTENTION WHEN THEY ARE NEAR SCHOOLS. IT'S LIKE SAYING THAT IF IT'S LIKE THE OLD SAYING THAT IF EVERYTHING IS URGENT, THEN NOTHING BECOMES URGENT. WE NEED TO ENSURE SCHOOL ZONES CONTINUE TO STAND OUT AS AREAS REQUIRING EXTRA DILIGENCE. SECOND, MY FAMILY AND I ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN READING ON THE COMMISSION AND MAYOR POWER GRAB OVER THE AIRPORT BOARD. WE'RE WORRIED THAT THE AIRPORT IN HARLINGEN WILL END UP SUFFERING OVER A PERSONAL INTERESTS. MY IN-LAWS HAVE LIVED IN HARLINGEN FOR THE BETTER PART OF 80 YEARS, AND THEY WERE VERY DISHEARTENED AND DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN ABOUT THE WAY THE DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WERE EFFECTIVELY PUSHED OUT OF THE AIRPORT, AND HOW MR. MCSHAN HAS BEEN TREATED AND TARGETED RECENTLY. THE THING IS, WE SEE A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR HARLINGEN AND THE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. HOWEVER, PUTTING PERSONAL INTERESTS ABOVE THE CITY COULD BECOME IRREVOCABLY DAMAGING, WHICH WOULD BE SAD AND DEVASTATING. WE IMPLORE YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT, HUMBLE AND HONEST WITH HARLINGEN COMMUNITY. TALK WITH AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE SO THAT ACTIONS ARE DONE IN A MANNER THAT TRULY REPRESENTS THE HARLINGEN COMMUNITY, INTERESTS AND DESIRES. AND FINALLY, THERE ARE LOTS OF REPORTS, ACTIONS, AND FACTS THAT DO NOT ALIGN WITH THE MAYOR'S SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS REGARDING POTENTIAL DATA CENTERS. WE ASK FOR TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN COMMUNICATION BEFORE ANY PROCESSES GET FURTHER ALONG, AND SET UP HARLINGEN FOR POTENTIAL LONG TERM RESOURCE RISKS. BASED ON ALL WE HAVE READ, WE DO NOT SUPPORT A DATA CENTER BEING BUILT IN HARLINGEN.THE RISKS ARE TOO GREAT. THE DEMAND FOR WATER, THE THE DEMANDS FOR WATER WOULD BE WORSE THAN THE POTENTIAL WATER USE CONCERNS THAT LED SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR TO ARGUE FOR THE LIMITATIONS OF CAR WASHES IN HARLINGEN, AND THE ELECTRICAL IMPLICATIONS ARE ALSO SEVERE AND ARE NOT SOMETHING THIS COMMUNITY CAN AFFORD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. VALDESPINO. MAYOR. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON WITH MISS ANGELA VALDESPINO. HELLO, MY NAME IS ANGELA VALDESPINO. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN HARLINGEN. I GRADUATED FROM HARLINGEN HIGH SCHOOL. I HAVE ALWAYS AND WILL ALWAYS CALL HARLINGEN HOME. HARLINGEN IS MY HOMETOWN. THIS IS WHERE I LIVE. THIS IS WHERE MY FAMILY HAS LIVED FOR GENERATIONS. BEING BACK HERE NOW, I CAN SEE HOW MUCH THE CITY HAS DECLINED. I BELIEVE THERE ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS ONLY LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL GAIN. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY LOOKING OUT FOR THE SIZE OF THEIR PAYCHECK. DID YOU FORGET HARLINGEN IS ONE OF THE POOREST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY? REGARDING THE NEW BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY ON LOOP 499, WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA? THOUSANDS OF CARS DRIVE BY HERE EVERY WEEK. I AM
[00:50:08]
SURE EVERY ONE OF THOSE DRIVERS ARE FEELING SORRY FOR THE CITY. THIS IS HORRIBLE TO SEE. WHY DID THE CITY LEADERS THINK THIS LOCATION WAS OKAY? WHY DIDN'T CITY LEADERS PICK ANOTHER LOCATION LIKE ACROSS THE STREET FROM TARGET? WHY DIDN'T THE CITY REZONE ALL OF THE LAND THAT RUNS FROM I-69E TO HARRISON ON LOOP 49 499? THIS IS PRIME COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE.REGARDING THE DATA CENTER COMING TO HARLINGEN, WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA, THERE ARE SEVERAL NEWS ARTICLES POSTED ONLINE. ALL OF THESE ARTICLES ARE NOT MISINFORMATION.
THERE IS ALSO THERE'S ALSO AN OFFICIAL RECORDING WITH THE CAMERON COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE DATED JULY 2025, OF LAND BEING PURCHASED BY ENNIS ENERGY. THIS IS NOT MISINFORMATION.
CORPORATIONS LIKE THIS LOOK FOR CHEAP LAND. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE OR THE ENVIRONMENT. I FEAR THIS DEAL IS ALREADY DONE. I CALL ON RESIDENTS OF HARLINGEN TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS. I CALL ON THE RESIDENTS OF HARLINGEN TO START A PETITION AGAINST THIS PROJECT. I KNOW A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE NEEDS APPROVAL FROM CITY MANAGERS, THE MAYOR, THE COMMISSIONERS BEFORE GIVING ENERGY THE GREEN LIGHT TO BUY THE LAND. I FEEL LIKE THE CITY OFFICIALS THINK THEY KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR HARLINGEN. IF THEY DID, THEY WOULD NOT EVEN ENTERTAIN THIS TOPIC. THEY WOULD REALIZE THAT EVERY PLOT OF LAND IN HARLINGEN IS VALUABLE BEYOND MEASURE. THEY WOULD REALIZE THAT EVERY TAX DOLLAR SHOULD GO RIGHT BACK INTO THE CITY. THEY WOULD REALIZE THAT THEY'RE ONLY ONE VOICE. IN A TOWN OF OVER 70,000. MY LAST QUESTION IS HOW MUCH WILL IT COST THE RESIDENTS OF HARLINGEN TO BACK OUT OF THIS DATA CENTER PROJECT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON WITH MISS CAPOTE. HONORABLE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS CAPOTE, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT THE PROPOSED AD HOC PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS COMMITTEE WOULD BE TEMPORARY, LASTING NO MORE THAN ONE YEAR, AND COMPOSED OF THE MAYOR, A CITY COMMISSIONER, THE CITY MANAGER, DEPARTMENT HEADS OR STAFF AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM OTHER BOARDS. THIS PROPOSED MEMBERSHIP HEAVILY OVERLAPS WITH THE SAME LEADERSHIP ALREADY RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND LONG RANGE DECISION MAKING. HARLINGEN ALREADY HAS A PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ESTABLISHED PUBLIC PROCESSES,
[Item 6 - Approval of Minutes]
CREATING A TEMPORARY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF LARGELY THE SAME DECISION MAKERS RISKS DUPLICATING WORK, BLURRING LINES OF AUTHORITY AND UNINTENTIONALLY REDUCING TRANSPARENCY. BECAUSE THIS COMMITTEE INCLUDES ELECTED OFFICIALS, SENIOR STAFF AND SELECTED BOARD REPRESENTATIVES, IT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT BALANCE AND REPRESENTATION. WHO[Item 7 - Consent Agenda]
CHOOSES THE BOARD REPRESENTATIVES? HOW WILL THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT ALL NEIGHBORHOODS AND STAKEHOLDERS HAVE A VOICE? A TEMPORARY COMMITTEE WITH SUCH CONCENTRATED MEMBERSHIP COULD EASILY CREATE THE PERCEPTION OR THE REALITY OF INSIDER DECISION MAKING, RATHER THAN BROAD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. MY GREATEST CONCERN, HOWEVER, IS WHAT THIS COMMITTEE MAY BE EMPOWERED TO RECOMMEND, PARTICULARLY REGARDING MINIMUM LOT SIZES AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. WE HAVE SEEN REPEATED REQUESTS FOR VARIANCES ON MINIMUM LOT SIZES, WIDTHS, AND OTHER BASIC REQUIREMENTS. VARIANCES ARE MEANT TO BE RARE AND BASED ON UNIQUE HARDSHIP. WHEN THE SAME TYPES OF VARIANCES ARE REQUESTED AGAIN AND AGAIN, THAT IS NOT A HARDSHIP. THAT IS A PATTERN. AND INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THAT PATTERN BY ENFORCING THE STANDARDS, THERE IS A REAL RISK THAT THIS TEMPORARY COMMITTEE COULD RECOMMEND REDUCING MINIMUM LOT SIZES CITYWIDE, SO DEVELOPERS NO LONGER NEED VARIANCES AT ALL. THAT WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF HARLINGEN AND OF EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS, INCLUDING MINE. IT WOULD AFFECT DRAINAGE, TRAFFIC, INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY AND PROPERTY VALUES, AND IT WOULD DO SO WITHOUT FULL TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. A TEMPORARY COMMITTEE MADE UP LARGELY OF THE SAME LEADERSHIP THAT ALREADY INFLUENCES DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS, SHOULD NOT BE THE BODY THAT REWRITES THE RULES FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. IF THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE VARIANCE REQUEST, THE SOLUTION IS NOT TO WEAKEN THE STANDARD. THE SOLUTION IS TO ENFORCE THE STANDARD. IF THE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE PLANNING, THE SOLUTION IS TO USE THE PROCESSES. WE ALREADY HAVE PROCESSES THAT ARE[00:55:03]
PUBLIC, BALANCED AND ACCOUNTABLE. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT ANY NEW ADVISORY BODY, TEMPORARY OR NOT, HAS A CLEAR PURPOSE, A TRANSPARENT SELECTION PROCESS, AND NO OVERLAP OR CONFLICT WITH THE ESTABLISHED PLANNING FRAMEWORK THAT RESIDENTS RELY ON. HARLINGEN DESERVES A PROCESS THAT STRENGTHENS PUBLIC TRUST, NOT ONE THAT RISKS CONFUSION OR REDUCES TRANSPARENCY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MISS KOCH. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON WITH ROBERT DRINKARD. HONORABLE MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS ROBERT DRINKARD. I THINK PROBABLY MOST OF YOU ALL KNOW ME. I KNOW MY NAME HAS BEEN IN THE PRESS LATELY, AND I PROMISE I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT ISSUE. I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE TWO EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED TODAY. BY WAY OF QUICK BACKGROUND. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN A GOVERNMENTAL LAWYER FOR 27 YEARS. I'VE REPRESENTED EVERY TYPE OF GOVERNMENT THERE IS CITIES, COUNTIES, WATER DISTRICTS, AIRPORTS, MUDS, YOU NAME IT. PROBABLY EVERY CITY FROM SOUTH PADRE ISLAND TO EL PASO. I HAVE REPRESENTED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IN LITIGATION, AND IT'S NOT A STRETCH TO SAY I'VE PROBABLY HANDLED MORE LITIGATION THAN ANY LAWYER IN THE VALLEY. AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU THIS BECAUSE I'M HERE APPLYING FOR A JOB. I'M HERE TELLING YOU THIS SO THAT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL HEED WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU, WHICH IS THESE TWO ITEMS AS LISTED ON EXECUTIVE SESSION, ARE COMPLETELY NONCOMPLIANT WITH TOMA. TOMA. IT'S PRETTY BASIC.I MEAN, IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY A CLOSE CALL. THE FIRST ONE IS TO TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION. I'VE GONE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF TIMES TO TALK ABOUT LITIGATION, AND I HAVE NEVER ONCE SEEN A POSTING THAT DID NOT IDENTIFY THE LITIGATION, PROBABLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT LEGAL TO NOT IDENTIFY THE LITIGATION.
THE SECOND ITEM IS ACTUALLY WORSE. IT'S TO RECEIVE CONSULTATION ON A MATTER PROTECTED BY THE ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION PRIVILEGE. AND THAT'S IT. I BET NONE OF Y'ALL EVEN KNOW WHY YOU'RE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TALK TO YOUR LAWYER UNDER THAT ITEM, WHICH MEANS THE PUBLIC CERTAINLY DOESN'T KNOW. NOW, YOU MAY LEGAL MAY TAKE YOU INTO THE BACK TODAY INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TALK ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THESE ITEMS. AND IRONICALLY, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE LEGAL. I COULD UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT ANY ADVICE YOU GET THAT THESE ITEMS ARE, IN FACT TOMA COMPLIANT? I JUST STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH, AND I'VE HEARD A LOT OF TALK HERE TODAY FROM THE CITIZENS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CITY TO BE TRANSPARENT IF YOU'RE NOT COMPLYING WITH THE MOST BASIC FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS OF TOMA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DRINKER. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON WITH. SALAS. HELLO. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS ANDY. I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE IN HARLINGEN. I'VE LIVED ALL MY LIFE HERE. I TRULY LOVE HARLINGEN. I THINK THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE IT IN THE COUNTRY.
I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS ABOUT A LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT, WATER USE AND ENERGY DEMAND THAT HAVE PERMANENT CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR FUTURE. IT IS NO SECRET OF WHAT HORRORS COME WITH. DATA CENTERS, SO MANY TOWNS, SO MANY SORRY. SO MANY SMALL TOWN FOLKS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM. IT'S NOT JUST US LITTLE PEOPLE HERE. THERE'S MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE SOUNDING THE ALARMS ACROSS OUR NATION, AND PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE BEING PACTED IN REAL TIME. I AM ASKING THIS COMMISSION TO SLOW DOWN, ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND FULLY INFORM THE PUBLIC BEFORE APPROVALS MOVE FORWARD. I DO PRAY THAT
[Item 8 - Staff Reports and Other Discussion Items]
AND HOPE WITH EVERY OUNCE OF MY BEING THAT NOTHING GOES FORTH. PLEASE KNOW THAT THE THE RECORD THAT CONCERNS WERE DISPLAYED AND RAISED PUBLICLY, CLEARLY AND BEFORE IRREVERSIBLE COMMITMENTS ARE MADE, PLEASE HEED TO HEED TO THE WARNING OF THE PUBLIC. WE DON'T WANT DATA CENTERS HERE. NOT IN HARLINGEN, NOT IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. AND I HAVE STRONG FAITH THAT[Item 9 - Public Hearings]
HARLINGEN WILL GROW WITHOUT HAVING TO SACRIFICE THE PUBLIC'S WELL-BEING AND OUR RESOURCES. HARLINGEN IS SET APART. I LOVE HARLINGEN, LIKE I SAID, AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND BE BETTER AND BE SET APART FROM ANY OTHER PLACE IN OUR NATION.[01:00:01]
SO PLEASE ADHERE TO OUR WARNINGS. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU.THANK YOU. MR. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON WITH ROCHA. ROCHA. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, SIR, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE ANYONE COMMENTING FROM THE AUDIENCE. AND WE DO HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE. BUT THANK YOU. OKAY. LAST PERSON WE HAVE IS ASHTON DE LA CRUZ. HI, MR. DE LA CRUZ. FIRST I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE THE STATEMENT THAT YOU MADE ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS. AND I REALLY LIKE THAT. IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE WAS HAVING FORETHOUGHT TO NOT TAKE THE BAIT OF SAYING THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE 1000 JOBS FOR SOMETHING THAT MAY POISON THE COMMUNITY, AND IT ENDS UP BEING JUST LIKE A DOZEN. IT SEEMED LIKE YOU REALLY CARED.
AND HONESTLY, THAT THAT HELPED ME FEEL LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE. AND I'M KIND OF NEW TO ALL THIS. I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE THINGS THAT ANYBODY CAN ANSWER, BUT YOU'VE CONSTANTLY, LIKE, TOLD US, LIKE WHAT WAS GOING TO BE HAPPENING WITH ALL THAT WHEN YOU KNOW, THIS SORT OF THING, WHAT REASSURANCE DO WE HAVE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULDN'T BE HEADING TO HARLINGEN? I GUESS IT'S LIKE A TWO PART QUESTION. AND IF IT WERE BROUGHT UP TO THE COMMISSION, LIKE, HOW DO WE GET NOTIFIED ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS? I JUST KNEW IF ANYBODY CAN ANSWER NO. SO I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WERE HERE, SIR, BUT WE THE COMMISSION JUST BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SAID YOU'RE NEW TO THIS. WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE. AND PLEASE DON'T TAKE TIME AWAY FROM HIM, FROM ME EXPLAINING THIS. BUT WE CAN'T WE CAN'T ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA. BUT I ROUTINELY MEET WITH PEOPLE HERE AT CITY HALL. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK TO MELINDA HERE AND SHE CAN GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION. I'M HAPPY TO SIT
[Item 10a - Consideration and possible action to approve a n ordinance on first reading for the release from the City o f Harlingen Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ET.J) consisting of 8.30 acres out of the North 9.685 acres out of the South 19.37 acres out of Block 75, Minnesota Texas Land and Irrigation Company Subdivision, located approximately 800 feet south of Tio Cano Lake Cross Rd. between Louisiana Road and F M 506. Applicant: Abby Jo Lopez.]
DOWN AND TALK WITH YOU ABOUT IT. WE JUST CAN'T DO IT HERE. GOTCHA. OKAY. I GUESS I JUST MAKE MORE OF A COMMENTARY. A LOT OF PEOPLE MENTIONED THE THE POWER PROBLEMS, WHICH ARE REALLY GREAT WHEN IT COMES TO THESE. I GUESS DEPENDING ON HOW BIG THEY ARE AND WATER. I KNOW THEY WERE SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO USE DIFFERENT TYPES, THAT WE WEREN'T LIKE NON-POTABLE WATER.BUT THE THING THAT I DON'T HEAR MENTIONED VERY OFTEN IS THE RISING CANCERS THAT ARE LINKED TO DATA CENTERS THAT THEY FOUND RECENTLY. AND TO ME, THAT'S A BIGGER CONCERN, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WILL FEEL IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OR YEAR, WE'LL FEEL LIKE TWO, FIVE, TEN YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WHEN SOMEONE'S KID WHO YOU KNOW, WAKES UP WITH A FORM OF CANCER, JUST SOMETHING TO MENTION. THE OTHER ONE THAT I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, I GUESS I'M NOT GOING TO ANSWER. THAT'S FINE. IF WE HAVE ANY CONTRACTS OR DEALINGS WITH FLOCK SAFETY. IT'S SOMETHING I'VE HEARD ABOUT ONLINE WHERE SOME CITIES WILL HAVE THESE CONTRACTS WITH THIS COMPANY IN CASE ANYBODY KNOWS THEY HAVE THE LICENSE PLATE READING CAMERAS, THAT THEY'LL JOIN THE COPS, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR THEM. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THESE THINGS ARE HOOKED UP TO LIKE AN AI. AN AI THAT IS CONSTANTLY SCANNING. IT'S NOT JUST LOOKING FOR THE LICENSE PLATE THOUGH. IT SCANNING LIKE OUR FACES, SCANNING OUR CARS OR COMINGS AND GOINGS, WHICH CAN BE HELPFUL FOR POLICE. BUT BECAUSE IT IS PART OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING, I THINK UNDER LIKE FOIA REQUESTS, PEOPLE CAN ALSO REQUEST, LIKE THE HISTORY OF A CERTAIN VEHICLE. SO SAY STALKERS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT CAN TRACK ANYBODY DOWN, EVEN LIKE ONE OF YOU GUYS, WHICH WOULD BE CREEPY AND SCARY. SO I JUST WANTED TO VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT IN CASE LIKE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO BE BROUGHT UP LATER ON. JUST
[Item 10b - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for the de-annexation from the City of Harlingen Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) consisting o f 5.50 acres out of Block 41, Briggs & Coleman Subdivision in Surveys 271-272, Cameron County, Texas located along the south side of Bowen Road, 655.42 feet east from the northwest corner of Block 41 (centerline of Ebony Road)]
SOMETHING FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR IN CASE WE HEAR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT YEAH, THAT'S REALLY ALL I GOT. THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING EVERYTHING ONLINE ABOUT IT. AND I, I TRULY HOPE YOU MEAN EVERYTHING YOU SAID BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY WELL WORDED. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MR. DE LA CRUZ. I KNOW THAT THE OTHER TWO ARE FOR THE COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND THAT THEY ARE NOT HERE, BUT ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION TAKES A LOOK AT THOSE TWO COMMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED. I JUST WANT TO BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, WAS THERE A GABRIEL LEDESMA? I THINK. GABRIEL LEDESMA? YEAH.ARE YOU MR. LEDESMA? MR. ROSE OKAY. AT THE END. ROSAS, WOULD YOU APPROACH? WERE YOU OUTSIDE WHEN WE CALLED YOUR NAME, I WAS ARRIVING, YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. STUCK IN TRAFFIC. SO AS I TOLD
[01:05:02]
THEM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, SIR, BUT WE'VE GOT THREE MINUTES. AND SINCE THE ITEM THAT YOU WISH TO ADDRESS IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, THEN THE COMMISSION CANNOT RESPOND. BUT WE'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING MY TIME. SO MY NAME IS DOCTOR ETIENNE ROSAS. I'M A BROWNSVILLE NATIVE AND A CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS IN TEXAS 34TH DISTRICT. AND PART OF THE REASON IS BECAUSE PROJECTS LIKE THE DATA CENTER BEING DISCUSSED KEEP GETTING PROPOSED AND CONSIDERED THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT WITHOUT THE REAL TERM CONSIDERATION. THE REAL LONG TERM CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO END UP PAYING THE PRICE. IN THE END. THESE ARE THE RESIDENTS. HARLINGEN AND OUR ENTIRE REGION IS ALREADY A WATER STRESSED COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT TEXAS. THIS WORKING FAMILIES ARE BEING TOLD TO CONSERVE, FARMERS ARE BEING RATIONED AND RATES KEEP RISING. AND YET WE'RE LOOKING TO ATTRACT THESE MASSIVE DATA CENTERS, ONE OF THE MOST WATER INTENSIVE INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES IN EXISTENCE. AS IF WATER WERE NOT A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT AND A PUBLIC GOOD THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. WE'RE GAMBLING HERE WITH OUR FUTURE. A SINGLE LARGE DATA CENTER CONSUMES 1 TO 5 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY, MOSTLY JUST FOR THE COOLING OVER A YEAR THAT CAN EXCEED 300 MILLION TO OVER 1 BILLION GALLONS ANNUALLY. THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS WATER USE CONCENTRATED INTO ONE PRIVATE FACILITY. SO TAKE THE EXAMPLE FROM BROWNSVILLE AND CORPUS CHRISTI, WHOSE RESOURCES ARE ALREADY BEING DRAINED BY PRIVATE ACTORS UNDER THE PRETEXT OF DEVELOPMENT. THESE PROJECTS ARE NEVER COMMUNITY ASSETS. THEY'RE EXTRACTION SITES. THEY EXTRACT OUR RESOURCES, CONVERT IT INTO PRIVATE PROFIT, AND SHIFT THE VALUE ELSEWHERE. SO WHAT ALL THESE RESIDENTS HERE ARE ASKING THEMSELVES, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, IS WHY IS A COMMUNITY THAT STRUGGLES TO MEET BASIC WATER NEEDS BEING ASKED TO SUBSIDIZE A CORPORATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE? THIS PROJECT CREATES VERY FEW PERMANENT JOBS, OFFERS NO MEANINGFUL LOCAL OWNERSHIP, AND LOCKS HARLINGEN INTO LONG TERM WATER DEMAND THAT DOESN'T DISAPPEAR DURING DROUGHTS, WHICH STAND TO GET WORSE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE WHEN SHORTAGES WORSEN. AND THEY WILL. WHO GETS CUT OFF FIRST? RESIDENTS, SCHOOLS, SMALL BUSINESSES? OR WILL TAXPAYERS BE FORCED TO FUND NEW PIPELINES, TREATMENT PLANTS AND EMERGENCY SUPPLIES JUST TO KEEP A PRIVATE DATA CENTER RUNNING? THE CORPUS CHRISTI EXPERIENCE SUGGESTS THAT COSTS WILL NOT BE BORNE BY INDUSTRY. SO THIS IS A NATIONAL THEME THAT ANIMATED MY OWN GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN THAT PROFITS KEEP GETTING PRIVATIZED AND LOSSES ARE SOCIALIZED.CORPORATIONS GET BAILED OUT, COMMUNITIES KEEP GETTING SACRIFICED THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IF THIS PROJECT WERE TRULY IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, IT WOULDN'T BE PUSHED THROUGH QUIETLY, AND I THINK THERE WOULD BE MUCH MORE DELIBERATION ABOUT IT BEFORE IT'S EVEN SUGGESTED AS A POTENTIAL PROJECT, THAT THE THAT THE CITY WILL ENTERTAIN. THIS FACILITY DOES NOT BELONG IN A WATER STRESSED REGION. THERE'S NO NEED TO CONDITION OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND FUTURE ON INSATIABLE CORPORATE PROFITS. I LOVE MY HOME AND I REFUSE TO GIVE IT UP TO FINANCIAL INTERESTS THAT VIEW OUR COMMUNITIES AS PLUNDERING SITES.
SO THERE'S NO MIDDLE POINT HERE. WE HAVE TO CHOOSE COMMUNITIES OVER CORPORATIONS, WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES, AND PEOPLE OVER PROFITS. WE DO NOT NEED TO ENGAGE IN THIS FALSE DICHOTOMY, THAT WE NEED TO SELL OURSELVES OUT, AND OUR RESOURCES AND OUR FUTURE. IN ORDER TO GET BY, WE HAVE TO PUT WORKERS FIRST. AND IF WE DO THAT, THAT IS THE MEANING OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. OTHERWISE IT'S NOT REALLY DEVELOPMENT AT ALL. SO I URGE YOU TO REJECT THE PROPOSAL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU AGAIN, ALL OF YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO ADDRESS US. WE HOPE THAT YOU COME AND VISIT US ON ALL OF OUR CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS. YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR
[Item 10c - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for the release from the City o f Harlingen Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) consisting o f 7.70 acres of land out of 15.407 acres of land out of Block 247, San Benito Land and Water Company Subdivision, located west of State Highway 345 (North Sam Houston Boulevard). Applicant: Gustavo Alex Flores. ]
YOUR TIME. MOVING ON. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX, APPROVAL OF MINUTES. WE HAVE THE REGULAR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2025. IS THERE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE MINUTES? IF NOT, CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. OKAY. MOVING ON TO ITEM SEVEN. CONSENT AGENDA. NO DISCUSSION IS ANTICIPATED ON ANY OF THE ITEMS IN THIS SECTION BECAUSE THERE ARE ROUTINE BUSINESS, WERE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS, OR HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED AS A STAFF REPORT OR DISCUSSION ITEM. THESE ITEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED COLLECTIVELY BY A SINGLE VOTE, UNLESS A COMMISSION MEMBER REQUESTS AN ITEM BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. IS THERE ANYTHING TO REMOVE? YES, SIR.SEVEN. YES. OKAY. SEVEN A7B7D AS WELL. SEVEN A, B AND D OKAY. SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE
[Item 10d - Consideration and possible action to authorize funding, not to exceed $40,000, for the construction and installation of a new front desk/permitting counter for the Planning and Development Department. ]
ITEM SEVEN C MOTION SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY.MISS. MISS MYRA, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM. SORRY. IT'S OKAY. MAYOR. MY APOLOGIES.
[01:10:06]
IT'S OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO ON WITH ITEM SEVEN, A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE[Item 10e - Consideration and possible action to over hire three (3) firefighters this calendar year.]
ACTION TO APPROVE THE TESTING AND POTENTIAL INSTALLATION OF SPEED HUMPS AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS. THIS ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER CAVAZOS GOMEZ AND MAYOR PRO TEM DANIEL AND LOPEZ. WE HAVE SEVENTH AND 13TH STREET PRIOR TO GETTING TO RIO HONDO STREET FROM MARSHALL, SLASH, GRIMES, RIO HONDO STREET FROM 13TH AND 17TH STREET, GRIMES FROM 77 SUNSHINE STRIP TO 13TH STREET AND WILLIAMSON STREET, 13TH AND SEVENTH. OKAY, COMMISSIONER,[Item 10f - Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the Texas Commission of Fire Protection, the International Association of firefighters and the City of Harlingen Fire Department. ]
DID YOU WANT TO ADD? YES, I'D LIKE TO ADD ONE FOR THE 1300 BLOCK OF SOUTH FIRST STREET.OKAY. ANY ANYTHING ELSE? I HAD ONE TOO. OKAY. I WAS GOING TO PUT GRAHAM ROAD BETWEEN LEWIS LANE AND. DILWORTH. AND STAFF. GOT THAT? YEAH. LEWIS LANE AND DILWORTH. NO, NO, IT'S GRAHAM
[Item 10g - Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to sign the Fire Services agreements between the City of Harlingen with Cameron County Emergency Services District No. 1, City of Combes and the City of Palm Valley for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. ]
ROAD BETWEEN LEWIS LANE AND DILWORTH. ANY ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE ITEMS WITH THE ADDITIONS? OKAY. MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER PEREZ. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MORALES? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. MOVING ON. ITEM SEVEN B READS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING. AMENDING THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PLAN DEVELOPMENT[Item 10h - Discussion and possible action to approve a resolution, creating an Ad Hoc Planning Advisory Committee to review certain adopted plans and to report recommendations to the City Commission. ]
DISTRICT SITE PLAN TO ALLOW FOR 20 FOOT WIDE STREETS WITH 30FT OF RIGHT OF WAY. SMALLER LOT SIZES REDUCE A COMMON AREA AND A FIVE FOOT REAR YARD SETBACK FOR LOTS 59 THROUGH 73 FOR 90 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL LOTS AND ONE COMMERCIAL LOT DEVELOPMENT ON A PROPERTY BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF 12.5 37 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF PORTION OF LOTS ONE, TWO, SEVEN AND OF LOTS. LOT EIGHT BLOCK 146 LAND AND WATER COMPANY SUBDIVISION. THIS IS ON OUR CONSENT, BUT THIS IS A SECOND READING. DID YOU JUST WANT IT TO BE REMOVED? I JUST WANT TO.I'M VOTING AGAINST IT. OKAY. YEAH. I'M. DO WE HAVE A MAP OF THIS? PRESENTATION? THERE YOU GO. WAIT BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE. YEAH. GOT IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE TOOK THIS UP BEFORE, COMMISSIONER. YEAH. DIDN'T THE LAST TIME WASN'T WEREN'T THEY GOING TO MAKE THIS ALL COMMERCIAL OR APARTMENTS? NO, SIR. THIS HAD ALREADY BEEN APPROVED IN THE PAST. AND SO IT WAS A COMBINATION OF TOWNHOUSES AND A COMMERCIAL LOT. OKAY. YEAH. MY MEMORY IS CORRECT. YES.
I THINK WE JUST, I AND I THINK I HAD ASKED LAST TIME IF WE DON'T HAVE A UNANIMOUS NOT TO PUT IT ON CONSENT. SO THAT WAY THE COMMISSION CAN VOTE HOW THEY VOTED PREVIOUSLY. I MEAN, WE'LL MAKE A NOTE OF THAT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. SO DO WE NEED TO READ THE CAPTION AGAIN? MARK, IF IT'S THE SECOND READING. NO, WE'VE ALREADY READ IT. OKAY. SO THEN CAN I GET A MOTION ON ITEM SEVEN B PLEASE. MOTION TO APPROVE. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. SECOND BY MIKE MESMERS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY I OPPOSED. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. AND THEN HE WOULD BE THE SAME. OKAY.
IF WE CAN JUST ON ITEM D, CAN CAN WE GET A MOTION? I'M GOING TO BE MAKING A MOTION TO TABLE IT. THERE WAS THE LANGUAGE WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME. COMMISSIONER PEREZ WASN'T IN THE PACKET THAT WAS PRESENTED. AND THEN TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION MADE SOME MINOR CHANGES THAT UNINCORPORATED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS A COPY OF IT SO THEY CAN REVIEW IT. SO I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS AND THEN BRING IT BACK NEXT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, NOT TO BRING IT BACK FOR A SECOND READING TO BRING IT BACK. OKAY. I'LL SECOND IT. THE TABLE, BUT NOT ON CONSENT. YEAH. THE SECOND READING. CORRECT. COMMISSIONER MORALES VOTED AGAINST THE LAST TIME. OKAY. IT'S BEEN AN ACTION ITEM, SO IT'LL BE BACK FOR A SECOND READING THE WAY THAT IT IS. AND THEN YOU'LL MAKE THOSE CHANGES. WE'LL INCORPORATE IT AND SEND IT TO THE PACKET, BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE WAS A DISCONNECT FROM WHAT ANA HAD INCORPORATED TO WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN OUR PACKAGE. OKAY. SO THERE WAS A MOTION TO TABLE BY COMMISSIONER LOPEZ AND THEN SECOND BY MIKE. YES. MESMER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE.
OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THIS ITEM IS TABLED. WILL BE BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING. COMMISSIONER. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON, MYRA, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT, STAFF REPORTS AND OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS. ITEMS IN THIS SECTION ARE NOT
[01:15:03]
EXPECTED TO REQUIRE ACTION BY THE CITY COMMISSION OR GENERALLY FOR INFORMATION ONLY.HOWEVER, ANY ITEM LISTED IN THIS SECTION MAY BECOME AN ACTION ITEM AT A FUTURE MEETING WITH THE REQUEST OF THE MAYOR, OR AFTER THE REQUEST OF ANY TWO COMMISSION MEMBERS OR THE CITY MANAGER. ITEM EIGHT A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. MR. GONZALEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY? NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY. AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF REPORTS EITHER. STAFF REPORTS. ALL RIGHT. SO IF WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE. PUBLIC HEARINGS. AT THIS TIME, THE MAYOR WILL INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE FILLED OUT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE CITY COMMITTEE 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 ARE SIGNED UP FOR TWO OR MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS, YOU WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES FOR ALL TOPICS. AND AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH THESE QUICKLY. ITEM NINE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, ETJ, CONSISTING OF 8.3 ACRES OUT OF THE NORTH, 9.685 ACRES OUT OF THE SOUTH, 19.37 ACRES OUT OF BLOCK 75 MINNESOTA TEXAS LAND AND IRRIGATION COMPANY SUBDIVISION, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 800FT SOUTH OF THE LAKE CROSS ROAD BETWEEN LOUISIANA ROAD AND FM 506. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NINE A HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THE ITEM, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ITEM NINE B PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, ETJ CONSISTING OF 5.50 ACRES OUT OF BLOCK 41. BRIGGS AND COLEMAN. BRIGGS AND COLEMAN. SUBDIVISION AND SURVEYS 271 TO 272 CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS, LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF OF BOWEN ROAD. 665 .42 EAST FEET EAST FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF BLOCK 41.
AT THIS TIME WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NINE B HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ITEM NINE C PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, ETJ CONSISTING OF 7.7 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF 15.407 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 247 SAN BENITO LAND AND WATER COMPANY SUBDIVISION LOCATED WEST OF STATE HIGHWAY 345. THIS TIME WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NINE C HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST OR SIGNED UP, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NINE C AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A SHORT FIVE MINUTE RECESS. SO. OH. GREAT.
[Item 11 - Board Appointments]
[Item 14 - Adjournment ]
[01:26:06]
WELL. YOU GOT THROUGH SECURITY WITH THAT, SIR. EXACTLY, EXACTLY.[01:26:13]
SOMETHING'S WRONG. YOU GOTTA USE THE BACK DOOR. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS NOW 6:41 P.M. AND WE WERE ON A BRIEF RECESS, AND WE WERE BACK IN SESSION AND MOVING ON. MISS MYRA, WITH ITEM TEN A, PLEASE. TEN A READS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, ETJ CONSISTING OF 8.3 ACRES OUT OF THE NORTH, 9.685 ACRES OUT OF THE SOUTH, 19.37 ACRES OUT OF BLOCK 75 MINNESOTA TEXAS LAND AND IRRIGATION COMPANY SUBDIVISION LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 800FT SOUTH OF THE VOLCANO. LAKE CROSS ROAD BETWEEN LOUISIANA ROAD AND FM 506. GOOD EVENING.LET ME JUST HAVE MARK READ THE CAPTION. TEN A. IN ORDER TO THE CITY OF HARLINGEN PROVIDING FOR THE RELEASE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION ETJ CONSISTING OF 8.30 ACRES OUT OF THE NORTH, 9.685 ACRES OUT OF THE SOUTH, 19.37 ACRES OUT OF BLOCK 75 MINNESOTA TEXAS LAND AND IRRIGATION COMPANY SUBDIVISION, LOCATING APPROXIMATELY 500FT NORTH OF TUCANO LAKE CROSS ROAD BETWEEN LOUISIANA ROAD AND FM 506, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS. RELATED TO THE FOREGOING QUESTION, WHAT'S THE RATIONALE? SO THEY WANT TO SUBDIVIDE? PROBABLY I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR THIS ITEM TO BE TABLED. SO. OH, YOU'RE GOING TO ASK FOR A SPEED TABLE. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ONES. DO YOU WANT THOSE. NO NO NO THEY NEED TO OKAY I HEAR THAT THE RATIONALE IS BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE IN DISTRICT TWO. SO CAN I GET A MOTION TO TABLE ITEM TEN? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE TEN. A I'LL SECOND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY OKAY. ITEM TEN B READS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR THE ANNEXATION FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN. ETJ CONSISTING OF 5.50 ACRES OUT OF BLOCK 41 BRIDGE AND COLEMAN SUBDIVISION AND PHASE 270 1-2 72 CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS, LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF BOWEN ROAD. SIX 55.42FT EAST FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF BLOCK 41 MARK AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN PROVIDING FOR THE RELEASE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN. EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION. ETJ, CONSISTING OF 5.50 ACRES OUT OF BLOCK 41. BRIGGS AND COLEMAN SUBDIVISION AND SURVEYS 271 272 CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF BOWEN ROAD, 6.650 5.42FT EAST FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER BLOCK OF BLOCK 41 CENTERLINE OF EBONY ROAD, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS. RELATED TO THE FOREGOING, I ASK MY QUESTION WHAT'S THE RATIONALE? SO ON ALL OF THESE REQUESTS, THE PETITIONER HAS INDICATED THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO COMPLY WITH THE SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN. SO THEY'D RATHER GO THROUGH THE PROCESS THROUGH CAMERON COUNTY. AND DO THEY HAVE ANY INTENTION OF EVER TRYING TO ANNEX BACK INTO THE CITY? THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ASK, EXCUSE ME, THIS IS WE'RE GOING TO. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? EXCUSE ME, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMEBODY. NO, NO YOU DIDN'T. I'M HEARING THINGS. I NEED SOME AIDS. THIS IS WE'RE GOING TO GET PLENTY OF THESE REQUESTS TO REMOVE BE REMOVED FROM THE ETJ. RIGHT.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE THE LEGISLATORS PASSED THAT LAW. THAT'S CORRECT. THE FUNCTION OF
[01:30:04]
THE CITY COMMISSION UPON RECEIPT OF A VALID PETITION IS REALLY MINISTERIAL. IT'S NOT DISCRETIONARY. SO ONCE YOU GET ONE OF THESE, AS LONG AS IT COMPLIES CITY STAFF'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE IT COMPLIES WITH ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE PETITION. BUT ONCE YOU HAVE THE PETITION AND IT'S A VALID PETITION, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE AS TO ETJ.SO YES, YOU'RE CORRECT, COMMISSIONER. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE GO THROUGH KIND OF THE PROCESS HERE. SO IT'S DONE IN THE PUBLIC, BUT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TO DO IT. AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, THEY ARE NO LONGER THEY NO LONGER NEED TO COMPLY WITH CITY. CORRECT. AND THAT'S A STATE LAW. THAT'S NOT A CITY. CORRECT. OKAY. MOTION TO APPROVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. OPPOSED OKAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. COMMISSIONER MORALES, THIS IS DO YOU I UNDERSTAND OKAY. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE MOVING AWAY FROM THE CITY. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I BROUGHT IT UP TO MR. GONZALEZ A WHILE BACK, ASKING IF OUR LOBBYIST WAS WORKING TO SLOW THIS DOWN. AND I DIDN'T GET A GOOD REPLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS GEARED TOWARD TML WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS. AND HERE WE ARE.
I MY MY GOAL HERE IS NOT TO TELL YOU HOW TO VOTE, COMMISSIONER. I'M JUST REITERATING THAT THIS IS A STATE LAW. THIS WAS ADOPTED IN THE SESSION. THIS COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO OPPOSE THE REQUEST. AND I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT WHEN YOU MADE YOUR VOTE, I UNDERSTAND. OKAY, JUST QUICK QUESTION MARK. I JUST HAPPEN TO LOOK INTO THIS FOR ANOTHER. A FEW MONTHS AGO I THOUGHT YOU COULD VOTE NO ON THIS, BUT IF YOU DID VOTE NO, THEN THE PROPERTY OWNER CAN THEN ASK FOR AN ELECTION OF THE AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE ANNEXED AND THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. AND IN THAT INSTANCE, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT COULD VOTE WOULD BE THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE ANNEXED, THAT WOULD BE THE HOMEOWNERS VOTING IN FAVOR OF IT. BUT THE CITY HAS TO PAY FOR IT. IT'S A PRETTY MUCH AN AUTOMATIC PROCESS. YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S WELL, I MEAN, BUT IS THAT DO WE WANT TO PAY FOR. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. YOU REALLY WANT TO GRANT IT IF IT'S. WELL TO ME IT'S A MANDATE FROM I MEAN WE DON'T I DON'T AGREE WITH ALL THE LAWS THAT PASSED THIS LAST SESSION, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE. YEAH. IF IF YOU LOOK AT IT AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT IN A HISTORIC CONTEXT, THEY TOOK AWAY THE CITY'S ABILITY TO INVOLUNTARILY ANNEX, AND THEN THEY PLACED RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT THE CITY COULD ANNEX. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY SAID, OKAY, IT HAS TO BE COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION. SO THIS IS JUST PART OF A MOVEMENT AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL TO DIMINISH THE AUTHORITY OF CITIES. RIGHT. AND TML DID LOBBY AGAINST THIS.
AND AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT DIDN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND SO HERE, HERE HERE WE ARE. BUT OKAY, SO I JUST WANTED TO ENSURE AND AND MYRA WHERE WERE WE AT. EVERYBODY VOTED. YEAH WE VOTED TO PASS IT OKAY. MOTION PASSES OKAY. MOVING ON TO NEXT ITEM CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, ETJ CONSISTING OF 7.70 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF 15.407 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 247 SAN BENITO LAND AND WATER COMPANY SUBDIVISION LOCATED WEST OF STATE HIGHWAY 345. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN PROVIDING FOR THE RELEASE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN. EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION. ETJ, CONSISTING OF 7.7 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF 15.407 ACRES OUT OF BLOCK 247 SAN BENITO LAND AND WATER COMPANY SUBDIVISION, LOCATED WEST OF STATE HIGHWAY 345 NORTH SAM HOUSTON BOULEVARD, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING MOTION TO APPROVE THE ANNEXATION. SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY.
MOVING ON TO NEXT ITEM IS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE FUNDING NOT TO EXCEED $40,000 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF A NEW FRONT DESK PERMITTING COUNTER FOR THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ITEM TEN E IS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO OVERHIRE THREE FIREFIGHTERS THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
FIRE CHIEF, DO YOU WANT MORE FIREFIGHTERS FOR THE CALENDAR? IS THAT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT. OKAY. SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THE HARLINGEN FIRE DEPARTMENT. I JUST SAID THAT IN GOOD FUN. BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I THINK THEY SHOULD CARRY TWO DOGS EACH. AGREED. AGREED. ITEM TEN F IS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE
[01:35:04]
THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TEXAS COMMISSION OF FIRE PROTECTION AND THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN FIRE DEPARTMENT. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE.OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU BOTH. THANK YOU. OKAY. ITEM TEN G.
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN THE FIRE SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN WITH CAMERON COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES, DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, CITY OF COMBS AND THE CITY OF PALM VALLEY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 2026. OKAY, FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER MAYOR PRO TEM LOPEZ WILL BE ABSTAINING FROM THIS VOTE. CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY WITH AN ABSTENTION FROM LOPEZ. OKAY.
THANK YOU. ITEM TEN H. DISCUSS A POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION CREATING AN AD HOC PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW AND ADOPTED PLANS AND TO REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COMMISSION. THIS ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY MAYOR. MAYOR SEPULVEDA AND MAYOR PRO TEM LOPEZ. AND MOTION TO TABLE THIS. OKAY. TABLE IT. YEAH. MISS A CORRECT POINT IN A COUPLE OF THEM. I NEED TO CLARIFY EXACTLY THE PURPOSE OF THIS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT WHAT SHE THINKS IT IS.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY IF YOU GUYS HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE 20 2014 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, YOU'LL SEE THAT MAYOR BOSWELL, GABE GONZALEZ, DAN AND I DID IT. AND YOU, COMMISSIONER MESSMER, DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF KNOCKING OUT SO MANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAD THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE 2014 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND SO WHAT THE GOAL HERE IS TO WE HAVE THE HISTORIC PLAN, WE HAVE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND WE HAVE THE PARKS PLAN. AND IT ESSENTIALLY IS TO IDENTIFY WHICH PROJECTS WE'RE GOING TO FUND EVERY YEAR OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. AND THEN ALSO ON TOP OF THAT, I'LL BE IDENTIFYING WHICH BOARDS I'M THAT I RECOMMENDED. THAT'LL BE A PART OF THIS. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, BE PUTTING IN FOR MISS POPE AS WELL. HE'LL BE COMING BACK BEFORE THE COMMISSION AT THE 50% MARK AND AT THE 100% MARK, JUST SO THAT THE COMMISSION CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT AGAIN, I'LL I'LL CLEAN IT UP. I'LL PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE CHART. WHAT I'M SEEING IS LIKE YEAR ONE, YEAR TWO THROUGH YEAR TEN, AND THEN IT'LL COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL, BECAUSE A TWO HUMP CAMEL DOES NOT NEED A THIRD HUMP. YOU YOU HAD A THIRD HUMP WHEN YOU WERE IN OFFICE WAY BACK WHEN. BUT BUT BUT WE'LL JUST BUT I BUT I KIND OF AGREE ON THERE BUT I'LL SECOND TABLING. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I KNOW YOU'VE EMAILED US IN THE PAST BEFORE AND IT'S VERY HELPFUL. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN CLARIFY FOR FOR YOU, THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. THIS WAS GOOD. I TOOK NOTES, BUT IF THERE ARE ANYTHING ELSE, AFTER HEARING COMMISSIONER'S POINTS ON THIS AND WE WOULD LOVE TO INCORPORATE, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE PROVIDING ALL THE INFORMATION. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE BY LOPEZ. AND A SECOND A QUICK QUESTION OKAY. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU'RE YOU'RE TALKING KIND OF FAST I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. SO WHAT EXACTLY IS THE GOAL OF THIS. SO EVERY YEAR WE HAVE OUR BUDGET OUR BUDGET CYCLE. RIGHT. AND WHAT I WANT US TO DO AS A COMMISSION IS ALREADY HAVE OUR IDENTIFIED PROJECTS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE FOR THAT YEAR, GOING INTO THE BUDGET TIME SO THAT WE ALREADY KNOW. ALL RIGHT. BUDGET FOR THIS TRAIL. RIGHT. I KNOW COMMISSIONER MORALES AND I, WE DISCUSSED THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A TRAIL FROM VICTOR PARK ALL THE WAY TO LANCE HILL PARK.
RIGHT. AND IT'S BEEN IN THE TRAIL OR TRAIL PLAN FOR YEARS, BUT WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY MADE THE PROGRESS WE MADE ON IT. AND MY CONCERN IS WE HAVE THESE PLANS THAT WE PAY THIS MONEY FOR. SO FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE PAID $300,000 THROUGH STATE FUNDS, BUT WE STILL PAID FOR IT. AND WHAT I WANT US TO DO IS HAVE THAT PLAN MOVING FORWARD, WHATEVER THAT IS. SO WHY INSTEAD OF CREATING, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ME THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX BECAUSE YOU COME UP WITH SOME BRILLIANT IDEAS AND LIKE THE WHOLE REASON WE'RE DOING THE POCKET PARK WAS YOUR IDEA BECAUSE YOU COME UP WITH GREAT IDEAS. SO THE THE WHOLE QUESTION FOR ME THOUGH IS WHY IS IT WHY ARE YOU CREATING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR THAT WITH JUST YOU AND THE MAYOR? WHY COULDN'T IT BE JUST SOMETHING WHERE WE DO TOGETHER, LIKE IN A WORKSHOP OR SOMETHING? BECAUSE I KNOW WE DO BEST WHEN WE'RE LIKE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE'RE BOUNCING IDEAS OFF EACH OTHER, LIKE, I'LL COME UP WITH A HALF DECENT IDEA, AND THEN YOU PUT IN YOUR INPUT AND IT COMES UP INTO SOMETHING LIKE A LOT, LOT BETTER. SO FOR LIKE MY RESERVATION IS THAT IS THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO BE YOU TWO DECIDING, LIKE, I KNOW IT'S NOT DECIDING. BUT THE THING IS, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS YOU GUYS WILL KIND OF LIKE PINPOINT, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
WE SHOULD DO YOU WILL HAVE STAFF AND THEY'LL ALIGN WITH IT. THEY'LL MAKE IT ALL POLISHED.
AND BY THE TIME IT COMES TO US, WE WE'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO HAVE THE INPUT IN THE BEGINNING, THE LITTLE BRAINSTORMING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, BECAUSE I KNOW WITH THE PARKS
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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT HAS TO DO A LOT WITH MY DISTRICT, BECAUSE MY DISTRICT IS THE ONE THAT'S REALLY DEFICIENT IN THE PARKS AREA. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INPUT ON THAT AND GIVE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THE BEGINNING, AND NOT JUST WAIT TILL EVERYTHING AFTER EVERYTHING'S ALREADY BEEN POLISHED AND ALL THAT. SO THAT'S MY CONCERN.LIKE I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE LIKE A WORKSHOP WHERE I KNOW I HAVE MY CONCERNS. I KNOW PROBABLY DALY WOULD HAVE HER CONCERNS FOR WHAT'S GOOD FOR DISTRICT ONE, AND FRANK WOULD HAVE HIS CONCERNS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER. AND I KNOW SOMETIMES IT SEEMS THAT IF WE CREATE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE AND IT'S ONLY A FEW PEOPLE, WE CAN JUST GET THINGS DONE. BUT I THINK WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WITH SOMETHING THIS BIG THAT HAS SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO CHANGE WITH THE ENERGY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IT'S GOOD IF WE HAVE A WORKSHOP WHERE WE ALL CONTRIBUTE TO IT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, LIKE, AND THEN AFTER THAT, ONCE WE'VE ALL HAD OUR SAY OR INPUT IN IT, AND THEN IF YOU GUYS WANT TO CREATE A COMMITTEE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, OKAY, NOW THIS IS WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE, LET'S GO AND JUST DO IT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE BETTER THAN JUST CREATING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE. AND THAT'S FINE, RIGHT? I JUST KNOW THAT I HAVE NO WHAT'S THE WORD ARGUMENT AGAINST THAT? RIGHT. MY JUST THOUGHT PROCESS WAS IF WE GOT MEMBERS OF EACH OF THE BIG BOARDS AND WHAT I WAS THINKING EDC FOR BE AND ALL THAT STUFF, IT WOULD JUST MOVE AND BE MORE EFFICIENT AS WELL AS WE WOULD HAVE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. SO THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT THIS COMMISSION MAY MISS THAT THE FOUR B BOARD, THE FOUR A BOARD, THE PARKS BOARD OR WHATEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT, HEY, MAYBE THAT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA. AND I GO, THE EXAMPLE I USED OR THE CONCERN I HAD WHEN WE, WHEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS WAS I KNOW THAT THERE WAS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AN AMPHITHEATER, RIGHT? AND THEN THERE WAS LIKE PUSHBACK. AND SO IT'S LIKE, I FIGURED THAT IF WE HAD ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER AT ONE MEETING OR AT A GROUP, JUST A WORKING GROUP THAT WOULD THEN PRESENT AT THE 50% MARK AND AT THE 100% MARK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMISSION IS ON BOARD WITH THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING, IT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE PARK PLAN AND THE DOWNTOWN PLAN. WE COULD, LIKE I WOULD SAY, LIKE MAYBE HAVE A WORKSHOP WORKSHOP FOR EACH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND GET ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO THAT. BECAUSE I KNOW GABE, WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, I KNOW WE ALL MET OVER THERE AT THE. DO YOU REMEMBER THE CONVENTION CENTER? YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE DID IT. WE ACTUALLY HAD A CITY COMMISSION MEETING. YEAH. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER IF IF WE HAD PEOPLE FROM THE EDC OR NOT. WE DID. WE DID. YEAH. BECAUSE WE DID. WE WE HAD THE CHAIRMAN AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THERE BECAUSE THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I MET ERIC THERE AT THE THING, BECAUSE I WAS BRAND NEW. I WAS FRESH. YEAH. AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I FIRST MET HIM. AND ALSO ALL THE SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE COMMISSION, FROM THE DIFFERENT BOARDS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS THERE WAS JUST LIKE ONE LITTLE BIG CITY PARTY THERE. AND THEN WE WERE ALL THERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, DISCUSSIONS AND ALL THAT. AND I WAS THINKING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BECAUSE I LOVE THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE TO BRING ALL THE BOARDS TOGETHER OR ANYTHING. IT'S JUST THAT THE WAY I SEE IT, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE WAY I'M JUST YOU'RE JUST LIKE ME. YOU'RE VERY PROTECTIVE OF YOUR DISTRICT AND YOU WANT THE BEST FOR YOUR DISTRICT, JUST LIKE ME. SO WHEN IT COMES TO, LIKE THOSE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, LIKE, I WANT TO HAVE MY SAY IN IT, THIS IS MY DISTRICT, THIS DISTRICT FIVE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE DISTRICT FIVE GETS WHAT THEY WANT. AND I'M SURE THE SAME THING FOR MIKE AND FOR FRANK AND FOR DELIA. NOT TRUE FOR ME. I ROOT FOR THE CITY. YES, BUT ANYWAYS, THAT'S FINE. WE CAN DO IT THAT WAY IF THE STAFF WANTS. YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF EMAILS FROM DISTRICT THREE TONIGHT, SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE TABLING THIS THIS ITEM AND ALL OF THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK. AND MAYBE WE CAN WE CAN INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT TO MAKE IT WORK FOR FOR EVERYBODY. OBVIOUSLY, I THINK THE THE IDEA HERE IS TO ENSURE THAT WE KEEP THE MOMENTUM. WE PUT IN A LOT OF WORK OVER A YEAR TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER. AND WHAT GOOD IS A PLAN IF IT IS SITTING ON A SHELF AND NOT EXECUTED? SO I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. MAYBE MAYBE THIS MAYBE THIS COMMITTEE NEEDS AN ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER AND NOT JUST THE TWO, THE TWO OF US. I KNOW THAT WE COULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE MORE. MAYBE THAT'S HELPFUL. MAYBE WE TACKLE IT IN INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, FIRST, THE FIRST THE COMPREHENSIVE, THEN THE PARKS AND AND THEN THE DOWNTOWN AND MAYBE THE, THE THE COLLABORATION OR THE INPUT OR THE COMMISSIONER THAT IS APPOINTED CAN CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHAT PLAN WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I MEAN, THERE'S THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS TO KIND OF TO GO THROUGH THIS OR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY ISSUE WITH US HAVING A COMMISSION WORKSHOP SO THAT IT LEADS THOSE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMITTEE, SIMILAR TO KIND OF WHAT YOU'VE MENTIONED, HAVING THE ENTIRE COMMISSION PROVIDING THAT FEEDBACK. AND SO THEN THERE'S KIND OF LIKE MARCHING ORDERS, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE COMMITTEE. I MEAN, THAT THAT MIGHT THAT MIGHT WORK. AND THEN COMING BACK TO THE COMMISSION, IF THERE'S ANY, YOU KNOW, DERAILING OR, OR IF THERE'S ANY OTHER INFORMATION TO THAT WAY, THERE'S AUTHORIZATION MOVING, MOVING FORWARD. SO I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF WORK ON THIS. AND SO WE'VE GOT THE THE MOTION TO TABLE. AND UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER CONVERSATION WE CAN GET A VOTE ON THAT. UNLESS. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD COMMISSIONER. NO I'M GOOD. THE
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ONLY THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE THE PUBLIC IN THIS TOWN HALL, THIS WORKSHOP. I WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM AS WELL. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO I THINK EVERYONE'S HOMEWORK. SORRY, MAYOR. JUST TO WRAP THIS UP, EVERYONE'S HOMEWORK THEN IS TO REVIEW THE THREE PLANS, IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS THAT ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART AND SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY THEM. BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I WANT, IS THAT I FEEL THAT SOMETIMES WITH OUR SPECIAL GRANTS DEPARTMENT, LIKE WE KIND OF JUST SAY LAST MINUTE, HEY, WE NEED YOU TO GIVE ME A GRANT FOR WHATEVER. BUT IF SHE KNOWS IN THE NEXT, NEXT YEAR, I NEED TO DO X, Y, Z.SHE CAN ALREADY PLAN OUT THOSE GRANT APPLICATIONS AND MOVE FORWARD. YEAH, JUST TO THE MAYOR'S POINT. I JUST WANT TO KEEP THIS MOMENTUM MOVING FORWARD. I AGREE, IT'S JUST ALL ABOUT BEING INTENTIONAL AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE WORK DONE. OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO TABLE BY YES SIR. TABLE THE ITEM. IT HAS TO COME BACK. IF WE JUST REJECT IT IT WON'T COME BACK AT ALL. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TABLING IT. RIGHT. BUT BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BRING IT BACK, RIGHT. YES WE ARE. OKAY. NEVER MIND. OKAY. SO MOTION TO TABLE. AND THEN A SECOND WAS THAT MIKE. AND THEN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY ON THIS. THEN WE HAVE A MEETING IN TWO WEEKS. WE HAVE IT ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF JANUARY, AM I RIGHT? IF WE CAN ASK THE COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE A WORKSHOP TO START PREPARING A WORKSHOP FOR THE LAST WEDNESDAY OR A DAY IN THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY SO THAT WE CAN SET UP A WORKSHOP? SO AT THAT POINT, EVERYONE WILL THEN PRESENT WHAT YOU ALL THINK. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M HERE, COMMISSIONER, FOR THE LAST MEETING IN WEDNESDAY. SO NOT THE LAST THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY. OKAY, OKAY. YEAH. I DON'T THINK I'M I'M I'M NOT HERE. WELL, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT IF WE CAN START, LIKE, PULLING FOR A DATE. OKAY. MAYBE THE FIRST WEEK IN FEBRUARY OR SOMETHING. THE WHOLE GOAL IS TO GET THIS DONE. I WOULD LIKE, BECAUSE WE START OUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS IN JULY. RIGHT. SO I'D LIKE US TO HAVE SOMETHING PRETTY LOCKED IN IN JUNE. I'M GOOD NEXT WEEK. I MEAN, I JUST NOT NOT THE LAST WEEK. SO IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN OUR TWO MEETINGS, WE CAN DO THAT TO GIVE EVERYONE SUFFICIENT TIME TO READ THROUGH THE. ALL RIGHT, PERFECT. NEXT WEEK, WILL YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND PULL THE COMMISSION AND WHAT WHAT'S GOOD NEXT WEEK? ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON. WE ALREADY DID. WE ALREADY VOTED, RIGHT? YES, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. THEY DIDN'T VOTE ALL OKAY. WE HAD THE FIRST BECAUSE LOPEZ KEPT TALKING. RIGHT. IS THAT. NO IT'S THAT'S OKAY. SO GET A FIRST AND A SECOND ALL THOSE OKAY. AND A SECOND I'M SORRY. THANK YOU FOR FOR HELPING ME. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES OKAY. NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM 11. BOARD APPOINTMENTS SPECIFICALLY APPOINTMENT, APPOINTMENT AND DISCUSSION. AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO INCLUDE APPOINTMENT AND OR REMOVAL OF ANY POSITION, SUBJECT TO APPOINTMENT OR REMOVAL BY STATUTE, ORDINANCE OR BYLAWS. ANYBODY HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS? COMMISSIONER, DO WE ALWAYS START WITH ME? YES, MA'AM. I'D LIKE TO REAPPOINT MR. MICHAEL MIKE GARZA TO UTILITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. OKAY. THAT'S IT. YOU SURE? NONE. AND FOR MINE ON THE. FOR THE PLANNING AND THE PNC BOARD. MR. SERGIO STEPPED DOWN, AND I'D LIKE TO APPOINT DAGOBERTO PENA. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO REAPPOINT STEVEN BREWER FOR THE GOLF COURSE ADVISORY BOARD. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO APPOINT HIM FOR THE CONSTRUCTION BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND APPEALS. AS FAR AS THE CONTRACTOR, ALTERNATE STEVEN BREWER, COMMISSIONER. YES. UPON THE COMPLETION OF MY PREVIOUS APPOINTMENT TO TERM ON THE EDC, I WOULD LIKE TO APPOINT MARCUS CRUZ FOR THE EDC. UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE PREVIOUS MY APPOINTEE. YEAH. SO HE ALREADY MY PREVIOUS APPOINTEE ALREADY HIS TERM EXPIRED. OKAY. I WAS FOLLOWING HIS RIGHT NOW. YES. HIS HIS TERM EXPIRED ALREADY. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO APPOINT SOMEONE NEW. ALL RIGHT. MARCUS CRUZ RUDY. RUDY MARTINEZ. OH, REALLY? YEAH. YEAH. HE SERVED FOUR YEARS. THANKFULLY. IT WAS GOOD. I LIKE RUDY, HE'S A GOOD GUY.
YEAH, YEAH. ME TOO. THE WAY THAT YOU SAID IT, LIKE IS IN THE FUTURE. OH NO NO NO NO.
OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? WAIT. CAN I GET A MOTION? THANK YOU. SECOND. SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT, MISS MYRA, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PASS ON ON ON THAT. SO THAT IS ALL WE HAVE FOR TODAY. AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.