* 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. [00:00:06] ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION MEETING. I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. THE TIME [Item 1 - Call to Order] IS NOW 5:41 PM WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION AS EVERYONE IS PRESENT AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK FOR EVERYONE TO PLEASE RISE AS COMMISSIONER, UH, DELIO VASOS GEZ LEADS US IN OUR INVOCATION. LET US TAKE A MOMENT OF REFLECTION AS WE BEGIN THIS EVENING'S PROCEEDINGS. WE GATHER TODAY WITH A SHARED PURPOSE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF OUR CITY WITH INTEGRITY, HUMILITY, AND FORESIGHT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND TRUST IT TO US AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DECISIONS WE MAKE. WE MAY BE GRANTED. MAY WE BE GRANTED THE WISDOM TO LISTEN WITH OPEN MINDS, THE CLARITY TO ACT WITH HONESTY, AND THE COURAGE TO REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF HARLINGEN. MAY OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS THIS EVENING REFLECT THE VERY BEST OF PUBLIC SERVICE, ALWAYS GUIDED BY RESPECT, UNITY, AND STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY. AMEN. AMEN. NOW, THE PLEDGE PANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES AMERICA AND THE TWO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDERGONE INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, JUSTICE . UH, [Item 2 - Conflict of Interest] MARK, IF YOU WOULD DO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, PLEASE. UNDER STATE LAW, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS OF 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. NONE. NONE. NO. COMMISSIONER MORALES COMMISSIONER? YES. YOU HAVE A CONFLICT? UH, NO, BUT I'M GLAD I'M OFF MUTE THOUGH. THANK YOU. OKAY. NO CONFLICT FOR THE COMMISSIONER. NONE. ALL RIGHT. MOVING FORWARD. ALRIGHT, UH, MOVING [Item 3a - Mayor's Announcements] ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR MAYOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. UH, I JUST WANNA INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO LANA PLAZA ON AUGUST THE 14TH, WE'LL BE HAVING A CELEBRATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UH, TO, IN THIS IS FOR OUR ALL AMERICA CITY RECOGNITION. WE INVITE THE COMMUNITY OUT FROM 6:00 PM TO 9:00 PM THE TEAM IS STILL WORKING ON SOME OF THE DETAILS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, FOOD AND, AND DRINKS AND, UH, DRINKS THAT ARE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, JUST, UH, A GOOD TIME FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED AND TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ALL AMERICA CITY. SO WE INVITE YOU TO THAT. ALSO, WE HAVE SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL SPOTS ON THE BLUE ZONE. IF YOU TRIED SIGNING UP FOR THE INFORMATIONAL SESSION AND YOU SAW THAT THEY WERE AT CAPACITY, H-C-I-S-D WAS VERY GRACIOUS TO GIVE US A LARGER SPACE. AND SO WE'VE OPENED UP, UH, ADDITIONAL OPENINGS THERE. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS ON THE 28TH. IS THAT RIGHT? 27TH. 27TH. 27TH. AND IT'LL BE AT THE PACK. SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE, REGISTER. 'CAUSE I'M SURE THAT THOSE SPOTS ARE GOING TO GET FILLED UP AS WELL. UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. UH, MR. GONZALEZ, [Item 3b - City Manager's Announcements] DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? UH, YES. WE'D LIKE TO SCHEDULE BUDGET WORKSHOPS SO THE COMMISSION COULD CHECK THEIR CALENDARS FOR AUGUST THE 13TH. THAT'S, UH, NEXT THURSDAY AND AUGUST THE 17TH. THAT'S THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. UH, FOR BUDGET WORKSHOPS, UH, MYRA WILL BE SENDING OUT CALENDAR INVITES FOR EVERYONE. UH, SO IF YOU CAN'T, IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT, PLEASE LET HER KNOW. UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAD. OKAY. [Item 3c - City Commission Member Announcements] AND WE'LL START WITH DISTRICT ONE. NONE, NONE. TWO. YEAH. TOMORROW AT TREASURE HILLS ELEMENTARY, UH, AT FIVE 30, I'M HAVING A, UH, TOWN HALL FORUM. YOU ALL ARE INVITED. WONDERFUL. UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES? YES. ON, UH, THE EIGHTH, WHICH IS SATURDAY, THERE'LL BE A TRASH PICKUP. YOU CAN DROP OFF YOUR TIRES AND OLD FURNITURE AT THE, UH, VILLE PARK. I BELIEVE THE HOURS ARE FROM EIGHT TO 12. I UNFORTUNATELY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND OR BE THERE. OBVIOUSLY, COVID IS GONNA TAKE ITS TOLL. AND, UH, THEN WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. UH, EZ UH, NO. I JUST WANTED TO WELCOME BACK ALL THE TEACHERS FROM HISD. I KNOW WE ALL CAME BACK THIS WEEK, SO I'M WISHING EACH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF 'EM A A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR. AND ALSO NEXT WEEK, STUDENTS WILL BE BACK AT SCHOOL. SO AGAIN, I WISH EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF 'EM A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR AND TO HAVE FUN. YES, UNFORTUNATELY, I COULD NOT BE AT MEET THE TEACHER 'CAUSE I AM HERE. BUT TO ALL THE TEACHERS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TEACHING OUR LITTLE ONES. [Item 4a - Harlingen Animal Shelter "Pet of the Week"] UM, NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS. [00:05:01] WE'LL START WITH THE HARLAN AND ANIMAL SHELTER PET OF THE WEEK. MS. SHANNON. OH, GOOD EVENING. MAYOR CITY COMMISSION TONIGHT, KAYLA HAS BROUGHT OLIVE. OLIVE IS JUST OVER A YEAR OLD. SHE'S A JACK RUSSELL TERRIER MIX. SHE IS CURRENT ON ALL OF HER VACCINE. SHE'S HEARTWORM NEGATIVE, AND SHE HAS HER, UH, SHE'S SCHEDULED TO BE SPAYED ON FRIDAY, SO THAT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF AS OF FRIDAY. UM, SHE'S BEEN WITH THE, SHE, SHE'S BEEN AT THE SHELTER FOR A LITTLE OVER A MONTH. AND SO SHE AND ALL OF HER FRIENDS AT THE HARLING AND ANIMAL SHELTER ARE WAITING FOR THEIR, THEIR SECOND CHANCE AT A HOME. AND SO ANYBODY CAN GO BY THE ANIMAL SHELTER AT 1106 MARKOWSKI, OR GIVE THEM A CALL AT NINE FIVE SIX FIVE TWO FIVE ZERO. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THIS WEEKEND THEY WILL BE HAVING FOR NATIONAL CAT DAY, THEY WILL BE HAVING FREE CAT ADOPTIONS AT THE SHELTER AND AT PETSMART HAR. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF ANYBODY WANTS TO TAKE ALL OF HOME, UH, WE [Item 4b - Certificate of Recognition - Friends of the Library] NOW HAVE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR THE VERY DESERVING FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COMMISSION. I'LL BE READING THE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO FRIENDS OF THE HARLINGEN PUBLIC LIBRARY. IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF YOUR OUTSTANDING SERVICE, DEDICATION, AND COMMITMENT TO THE HARLINGEN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE COMMUNITY ORIGINALLY ORGANIZED IN 1965 AND INCORPORATED AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN 1983. THE FRIENDS HAVE DEVOTED DECADES TO ADVANCING THEIR MISSION OF RAISING FUNDS THAT ENHANCE LIBRARY PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND RESOURCES FOR RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES. THROUGH INNOVATIVE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, INCLUDING THE EXPANSION OF BEVERAGE SALES, THE FRIENDS HAVE INCREASED THEIR ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LIBRARY, HELPING PROVIDE MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING LITERACY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT HAS MADE POSSIBLE SIGNATURE EVENTS, INCLUDING NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, AND THE LIBRARY WINTER EVENT, WHILE ALSO FUNDING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, CRAFTS AND PROGRAM GIVEAWAYS FOR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, TEENS AND ADULTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BY CONTINUING TO OPERATE THE LIBRARY'S USED BOOKSTORE AND PROVIDING CONVENIENT SUPPLIES FOR LIBRARY PATRONS WITH ALL PROCEEDS BENEFITING THE HARLINGEN PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE FRIENDS HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO STRENGTHENING LIBRARY SERVICES AND PROMOTING LIFELONG LEARNING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN EXTEND THEIR SINCERE GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TO THE FRIENDS OF THE HARLINGEN PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERISM, GENEROUS SUPPORT, AND LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND CIVIC VITALITY OF THE CITY OF HARTON. PRESENTED THIS FIFTH DAY OF AUGUST, 2026, AND WE NOW INVITE THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY TO COME TO THE FRONT AND ACCEPT THEIR AWARD. DONNA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS TO SAY. WELL, I DON'T WANNA OUTSHINE THEM. I JUST WANNA THANK THEM FOR ALL THEY, YOU. THIS IS THEIR MOMENT. OKAY. , CAN I SAY A FEW WORDS? YES, ABSOLUTELY. THE FLOOR IS YOURS. EVEN THOUGH FOLLOWING THE DOG, IT'S A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW. , I, MY NAME IS LINDA BERG AND I HAVE HAD THE, UH, PLEASURE OF SERVING ON THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR OVER 20 YEARS. WOW. IT'S MY HONOR TO SPEAK TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD TONIGHT. WE ALL WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOGNITION. THE MAYOR, THE COMMISSIONERS, AND ESPECIALLY COMMISSIONER PEREZ. UM, UH, WE WANNA TELL YOU THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY RAISING ABOUT $1,500 A MONTH. UH, THAT'S PRIMARILY FROM OUR BOOKSTORE AND OUR BEVERAGE SALES, BUT WE ALSO SELL SUPPLIES TO OUR PATRONS. ALL OF OUR FUNDS GO DIRECTLY BACK TO THE LIBRARY. AND SINCE, UH, UH, WELL, WE HAVE DONATED ALMOST $111,000 IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. UH, AND YOU ALREADY HEARD ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE SUPPORT. OUR SUCCESS IS DUE IN LARGE PART TO OUR DEDICATED BOARD. UH, WE ARE A VERY SMALL BUT HARDWORKING GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS, AND WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE GETS DONE. WE MAINTAIN THE BOOKSTORE, WE KEEP THE BEVERAGES, UH, STOCKED UP. WE MAKE RAFFLE BASKETS. WE ORDER SUPPLIES TO SELL TO THE PATRONS. UM, AND WE ALSO ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS TO RAISE EVEN MORE MONEY. UH, BUT WHAT WE DO, WE COULD NOT DO WITHOUT [00:10:01] A LOT OF HELP. AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY HAS A LOT OF FRIENDS AT THE LIBRARY. . UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE THE LIBRARY ITSELF. THE ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF HELP US EVERY DAY IN SO MANY WAYS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THEY DO FOR US IS THEY COLLECT THE MONEY. UH, ALL OF THE PURCHASES ARE PAID FOR AT THE CIRCULATION DESK. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WHEN THE LIBRARY IS OPEN, THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. UH, PATRONS CAN PURCHASE THINGS AT ANY TIME THAT THEY'RE IN THE LIBRARY. THAT'S VERY CONVENIENT AND IT'S A HUGE BENEFIT FOR BOTH US AND THE PATRONS. WHICH BRINGS ME TO OUR SECOND GROUP OF FRIENDS AT THE LIBRARY, AND THAT IS OUR PATRONS WHO DONATE BOOKS TO THE BOOKSTORE. THEY PURCHASE BOOKS FROM THE BOOKSTORE. THEY BUY RAFFLE TICKETS, THEY BUY SUPPLIES, THEY BUY LOTS OF BEVERAGES, AND THEY MAKE CASH CONTRIBUTIONS TO US. ULTIMATELY, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO RELIES ON THE PATRONS, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY WE HAPPILY RETURN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FUNDS WE'VE RAISED TO THE LIBRARY TO MAKE THE PATRONS LIBRARY EXPERIENCE THE BEST ONE POSSIBLE. UH, THE, THE ALL OF US AT FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REALLY APPRECIATE THIS RECOGNITION. WE WILL DISPLAY IT PROUDLY AND WE WILL SHARE IT WITH ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AT THE HARLINGEN PUBLIC LIBRARY. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR, WELL, DON'T LEAVE. WE DO HAVE A RECOGNITION TO GIVE YOU, AND WE'D LOVE TO TAKE A PHOTO. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SELFLESS WORK, YOU KNOW, OVER DECADES. THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU'RE DOING ALL THE TIME. I KNOW THAT THE LIBRARY STAFF IS JUST LOVES Y'ALL. AND, AND, AND TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION, YOU, YOU PROVIDE THIS EXPERIENCE FOR OUR KIDS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND FOR FAMILIES AS WELL. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR DEDICATION. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY WORDS, BETIS? UM, NO. WELL, JUST, I HAD THE PLEASURE A FEW WEEKS AGO TO, TO MEET SOME OF THE MEMBERS AT THE LIBRARY. AND THE ONE THING THAT HIT ME RIGHT OFF THE BAT WAS THAT THESE LADIES, UM, HAVE THAT PASSION TO HELP THE LIBRARY AND ABOVE ALSO THE LOVE THAT THEY HAVE FOR HARLINGEN. SO, ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. IT'S, IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. WELL, WE ALL ENJOY IT VERY MUCH. I LOVE IT. ALL RIGHT. WE'D LOVE TO TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOU. THANK YOU. AT LEAST THREE, TWO. [Item 5 - Citizen Communication] ALL RIGHT. MOVING RIGHT ALONG. WE DO HAVE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, AND AT THIS TIME, I WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN ORDER AND PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND WE WILL START. AND, AND WHEN YOU COME TO THE PODIUM, UH, JUST MAKE SURE YOU STATE YOUR, YOUR NAME AND THE DISTRICT THAT YOU LIVE IN OR YOUR ADDRESS, WHICHEVER YOU FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE. UH, FIRST WE'LL START WITH MR. UH, RUBEN MARTINEZ CANTO. GOOD EVENING MAYOR COMMISSIONERS. I'M, UH, RUB CANTU. I'M THE PAST COMMANDER OF THE DISABLED CHAPTER 1 21, PAST COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 2 0 5, ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIETNAM VETERANS CHAPTER 8 56 IN VETERANS ALLIANCE. I'M ADDRESSING THE [00:15:01] ISSUE ABOUT RULES AND REGULATIONS BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE DON'T NEED THEM. WE NEVER HAD 'EM, AND PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK. I WAS A SUPERVISOR FOR SHERMAN WILLIAMS FOR MANY YEARS IN GARLAND. I HAD 562 EMPLOYEES UNDER ME, AND I WOULD LIST, I HAD A MEETING WITH THEM EVERY DAY. Y'ALL PROBABLY HAD MEETINGS TWICE A MONTH OR WITH SPECIAL MEETINGS, MAYBE FOUR. I HAVE 'EM EVERY DAY. AND I WOULD LISTEN TO WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO SAY, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY. I WOULD LET THEM EXPRESS THEMSELF. I WOULD LISTEN TO THEIR OPINIONS OR THEY COMPLAINTS. AND I THINK THE CITY OF HARLINGEN SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM TOO, AND NOT PUT RULES OR REGULATIONS ON THEM. THE COUNTRY'S ALREADY DIVIDED. AND Y'ALL DON'T NEED TO DIVIDE YOURSELF FROM THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY IS THE ONES THAT PAYS YOUR SALARIES. AND WE ARE HERE AS I AM, AS A LEADER TO SERVE THEM. AND SO, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT'S THE FIRST STEP IN, IN PUSHING RULES AND REGULATIONS AS THE AMENDMENT, THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO, BUT WE NEED, WE NEED NOT TO GO THERE. THANK YOU. AND ONE MORE THING. I WANNA THANK ALL THE VETERANS FOR YOUR SERVICE, YOUR SACRIFICE, AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND MAKE GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. UH, MARTINEZ , AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. UH, MOVING ON, WE'VE GOT DON LA UH, DON RAY LEONARD. JOHN RAY LEONARD DISTRICT THREE SPEAKERS SHALL DIRECT ALL COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO THE INDIVIDUAL CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, OR MEMBERS OF CITY STAFF. I TAKE THIS TO MEAN THAT THE CITIZENS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO IDENTIFY OR CRITICIZE AN INDIVIDUAL OFFICIAL. THIS RAISES STRONG CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS. PUBLIC COMMENT EXISTS TOO. CITIZENS CAN PETITION THEIR GOVERNMENT. CITIZENS CAN HOLD INDIVIDUAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF. A RULE THAT PREVENTS NAMING OR CRITICIZING SPECIFIC OFFICIALS CAN BE CHALLENGED AS RESTRICTING CORE POLITICAL SPEECH. SPEECH. CRITICIZING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IS AT THE HEART OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT. THIS COMMISSION CANNOT ADOPT DECORUM RULES SIMPLY TO SHIELD THEMSELVES FROM CRITICISM. I SUPPORT MAINTAINING ORDER AND CIVILITY. HOWEVER, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REQUIRING SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS THE CHAIR AND PROHIBITING CITIZENS FROM IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL ELECTED OFFICIALS. PUBLIC COMMENT IS ONE OF THE FEW OPPORTUNITIES CITIZENS HAVE TO HOLD PUBLIC SERVANTS ACCOUNTABLE. ANY RULE THAT PREVENTS CITIZENS FROM DIRECTING THEIR CONCERNS TO SPECIFIC OFFICIALS, RISKS, CHILLING POLITICAL SPEECH, WHICH RECEIVES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTION. AS A VETERAN, I NEVER IMAGINED THAT ONE DAY I WOULD HAVE TO STAND BEFORE MY OWN LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO ASK THEM NOT TO RESTRICT THE WAY CITIZENS ADDRESS THEIR LOCAL OFFICIALS. I FIND THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE OFFENSIVE BECAUSE IT PLACES BARRIERS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THOSE WHO SERVE THEM. PUBLIC OFFICIALS WORK FOR THE PEOPLE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. RESPECT IS EARNED THROUGH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, NOT BY LIMITING HOW CITIZENS MAY ADDRESS THEIR GOVERNMENT. I WORE THE UNIFORM OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND SWORN NOTE TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. THAT OATH DID NOT STOP WHEN I TOOK OFF MY UNIFORM. THE FIRST AMENDMENT EXISTS TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO SPEAK QUESTION AND CRITICIZE THEIR GOVERNMENT. WHEN YOU PROPOSE RULES THAT TELL CITIZENS THEY MAY NOT ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL ELECTED OFFICIALS OR STAFF DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, IT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE. GOVERNMENT SHOULD NEVER APPEAR TO BE INSULTING IN INSULATING ITSELF FROM THE PEOPLE IT SERVES. I URGE THIS COMMISSION TO STRONGLY REJECT THIS PROPOSED DECORUM ORDINANCE. MY SPEECH IS MY RIGHT AND THIS IS MY PROTEST. THANK YOU, MS. LEONARD. MOVING ON, WE'VE GOT MR. ISAAC NEWMAN. MR. NEWMAN? [00:20:05] NO. OKAY. UM, MS. SANDRA GONZALEZ CONEZ. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS AND HARLINGEN RESIDENTS. MY NAME IS SANDRA GONZALEZ GOMEZ, DISTRICT TWO COMMISSIONER, MR. DANIEL LOPEZ. I'M FOLLOWING UP ON THE AUDIT AND COMPLAINTS REVIEW REQUESTS WE DISCUSSED DURING OUR MEETING ON JULY 15TH, 2026. I'LL BE SHARING INFORMATION WITH OTHERS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, I HAVE FILED MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS REGARDING OFFICER ALLEN, DEANS BEER, AND JUAN CARLOS RIVERA. THESE OFFICERS PROVIDED FALSE INFORMATION AND REPORTS, AND WHEN THEY TESTIFIED IN COURT COMMITTING PERJURY AND AGGRAVATED PERJURY, WHICH LED MY TO MY HUSBAND'S CONVICTION. RECORDS MANAGER MONICA MESA, WITHHELD FROM DEFENSE SUBPOENAED RECORDS, DISCIPLINARY REPORTS ON OFFICERS AND OTHER RECORDS. MORE THAN 10 DAYS UNTIL YEARS LATER, SERGEANT MICHAEL BROOKS TAMPERED WITH EVIDENCE INTERNAL AFFAIRS SERGEANT EMILIO WEAVER FALSIFIED TWO LETTERS. PREVIOUS CHIEF, UH, POLICE, KESNER AND DA SIGNS INVOLVEMENT IS ALSO IN QUESTION. CITY MANAGER AND ASSOCI, UH, ASSOCIATES HAVE HAD THEIR HAND IN THIS FAR TOO LONG. I HAVE MET WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, ALFREDO AL, TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE IA REPORT THAT JUST EMERGED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RESULTS FROM THE PROMISE OF FOLLOW UP SINCE MARCH, 2026. IN TEXAS. THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS REPORT IS A PART OF PUBLIC RECORD, DEPENDING STRICTLY ON WHETHER THE INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN FORMAL DISCIPLINARY ACTION. I SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION, CASE NUMBER 17 DASH 0 1 2 IA. I REQUESTED REPORT THROUGH OPEN RECORDS AND FOLLOWED UP WITH EMAILS SEVERAL TIMES. NOT LONG AFTER THE INVESTIGATION HAD CONCLUDED, IA SERGEANT EMILIO WEAVER TRIED TO DETER ME FROM THE IA REPORT BY FALSIFYING TWO LETTERS STATING OFFICERS ACTED WITHIN THE SCOPE OF POLICY AND PROCEDURE AND ANY ALLEGATION OF MISCONDUCT IS UNSUSTAINED, WHICH IS A FALSE STATEMENT. IA REPORT WAS NOT GIVEN TO ME UNTIL APRIL 30TH, 2025. NINE YEARS LATER, AFTER COMPLAINT WAS MADE TO THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL RECORDS MANAGER, MONICA MESA CALLED ME A SHORT TIME LATER AFTER IA REPORT WAS RECEIVED AND STATED ON A RECORDED CALL, SHE WAS SORRY. THEY DID NOT WANT ME TO GIVE IT TO YOU ON IA REPORT. IT INDICATES OFFICERS PROVIDED FALSE STATEMENT AMONG OTHER THINGS. ALAN DEANS BEER RESIGNED BEFORE THE INVESTIGATION WAS CONCLUDED. AND JUAN CARLOS RIVERA WAS SANCTIONED FOR ARREST VIOLATION. THE INVESTIGATION OUTCOME WAS SUSTAINED, NOT LIKE I, SERGEANT WEAVER STATED ON THE LETTERS JUAN CARLOS AND SERGEANT BOOK, BROOKS AUDIO UNIT AUDIO WAS NEVER HANDED OVER TO DEFENSE. IA. RECORDS SHOULD BE RETAINED 15 YEARS. I REQUEST THIS ISSUE BE RECTIFIED, AND IF THIS CONCERN CONTINUES NOT TO BE ADDRESSED AGAIN BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, I WILL CONTINUE TO ELABORATE ON OTHERS INVOLVED AS WELL. THANK YOU. UM, MS. GONZALEZ, MOVING ON TO LUIS SINO. LUIS SINO, DISTRICT THREE. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AND MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR FOR WITHDRAWING YOUR LETTER OF SUPPORT TO A EP SUPPORTING THE BUILDING OF A DATA CENTER ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. IT WOULD, HOWEVER, HAVE BEEN MORE MEANINGFUL HAD YOU DONE SO BACK IN FEBRUARY WHEN YOU POSTED THAT YOU DO NOT SEE A DIRECT BENEFIT TO OUR CITY. IF YOU AND COMMISSIONER PEREZ TRULY MEAN WHAT YOU HAVE PUBLICLY SAID ABOUT THIS, I WOULD EXPECT THAT YOU WILL VOTE TODAY TO NULLIFY THE AGREEMENT. WATERWORKS SIGNED WITH RGV PROPERTIES, AKA AND S ENERGY COMMISSIONER, MESMER, YOU WERE LIED TO NULLIFYING THE AGREEMENT WILL SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO LIE TO THE COMMISSION ABOUT SUCH IMPORTANT INFORMATION. PLEASE VOTE TO NULLIFY. BY THE WAY, EVEN ONE OF OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND ATTORNEY REVIEWED THE CONTRACT AND SAID IT IS BAD FOR HARLINGEN. IT GIVES NS ENERGY SEVERAL OPTIONS TO EXIT, BUT IT DOES NOT DO THE SAME FOR WATERWORKS TO ALL OF YOU. PLEASE DON'T PLAY GAMES AND LOOK FOR WAYS TO DRAG THIS ON. IT HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR ALMOST A YEAR. ON THAT NOTE, I ASK THAT YOU MOVE THE ITEM TO THE BEGINNING OF THE ACTION ITEMS INSTEAD OF LAST. JUST AS YOU FREQUENTLY DO FOR OTHERS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENDA ITEMS. AFTER YOU NULLIFY THE AGREEMENT, YOU CAN FIND WAYS TO PROTECT HARLINGEN WATER AND OTHER RESOURCES. KEEP THE COMMUNITY IN THE LOOP AND HAVE OPEN DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO GROW HARLINGEN INDUSTRIES WITHOUT JUMPING INTO 50 [00:25:01] YEAR CONTRACTS THAT ONLY BENEFIT CORPORATIONS. YOU CAN PROACTIVELY HOLD TOWN HALLS ON THIS TOPIC AND HEAR THE PUBLIC'S IDEAS ON THE DECORUM ORDINANCE. IT SURE SEEMS TO BE ALL ABOUT THE POWER. IT BEGAN AS A MEANS TO CURB INCONVENIENCES, BROUGHT ON BY A COUPLE CITIZEN BEHAVIORS THAT SOME DIDN'T APPRECIATE, BUT IT IS NOW A VINDICTIVE, A VINDICTIVE TOOL TO KEEP CITIZENS FROM TALKING ABOUT TOPICS THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION DON'T WANT TO HEAR. TALK ABOUT MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLE HILL. IT'S A 13 PAGE ORDINANCE FULL OF WAYS TO KEEP THE CITIZENS QUIET AND IN CHECK TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION CAN CONTROL US. THIS ORDINANCE IS RIPE FOR ABUSE. INSTEAD, MAYBE FOCUS ON FOLLOWING TOMA AND HOW YOU LIST ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AS YOU CONTEMPLATE THIS SO-CALLED DECORUM POLICY. I WILL PARAPHRASE JAMES MADISON AND REMIND YOU ALL THAT FREEDOMS ARE NOT USUALLY LOST SUDDENLY, BUT SLOWLY AND GRADUALLY THROUGH ACTIONS SUCH AS THIS LAW. AND AS FREDERICK DOUGLASS ONCE SAID, THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS THE DREAD OF TYRANTS. IT IS THE RIGHT WHICH THEY FIRST OF ALL, STRIKE DOWN, DON'T BE A TYRANT. LAST OF ALL, REGARDING THE HERB KELLEHER MURAL, I ASK THAT YOU DO NOT VOTE TO REMOVE IT. AND I PRAY THAT THE CITY HAS NOT ILLEGALLY COERCED THE ARTIST INTO SIGNING A WAIVER TO HIS RIGHTS UNDER THE VISUAL ARTIST RIGHTS ACT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SINO. THANKS. WE HAVE ANGELA VALINO. ANGELA VALINO, DISTRICT THREE. FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE MAYOR. YOUR LETTER OF SUPPORT TO A EP FOR A 7 6 5 TRANSMISSION LINE HAS RESULTED IN R-G-V-P-G, THE DATA CENTER BUILDER EXTENDING THEIR PURCHASE CONTRACT. THE AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM OF REAL ESTATE PURCHASE OPTION WAS RECORDED IN CAMERON COUNTY ON APRIL THE 14TH. THIS NEW CONTRACT WILL NOT EXPIRE UNTIL JULY 3RD, 2027. ALSO, CONGRATULATIONS. YOUR LETTER OF SUPPORT RESULTED IN A MEMORANDUM OF LIMITED WAIVER OF SURFACE RIGHTS AND DRILL SITE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN R-G-V-P-G AND THE PROPERTY'S MINERAL RIGHTS OWNERS. THIS WAS RECORDED IN CAMERON COUNTY ON JULY 21ST. LET ME EXPLAIN WHY THIS AGREEMENT IS IMPORTANT. THIS AGREEMENT LIMITS THE MINERAL RIGHTS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES OF MINERAL RIGHTS ODOR OWNERS ON THE LAND SO THAT THE SURFACE OPTION E, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS R-G-B-P-G, MAY FULLY DEVELOP ITS INTEREST IN THE LAND DATA CENTER. DEVELOPERS BUY THESE AGREEMENTS TO LEGALLY BLOCK MINERAL RIGHTS OWNERS FROM DRILLING, FROM DIGGING, ET CETERA. SUBSURFACE MINERAL RIGHTS OFTEN LEGALLY OVERRIDE SURFACE OWNERSHIP. PLUS LENDERS ENTITLED, COMPANIES OFTEN REFUSE TO FINANCE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS WITHOUT PROOF THAT MINERAL ACCESS IS SECURE. SECONDLY, LET'S TALK ABOUT WATER. WATERWORKS IS IN ITS OWN DEPARTMENT, BUT IT IS STILL WHOLLY OWNED BY THE CITY. WATERWORKS IS NOT TAXPAYER FUNDED, BUT ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF HARLEEN PAY FOR THIS UTILITY AND SEVERAL OTHER TOWNS PURCHASE IT. WE ARE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE OUR OWN WATER SYSTEM. THIS DATA CENTER HAS BROUGHT EVERYTHING TO LIGHT. WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR RESOURCE FROM COR CORPORATIONS THAT ONLY WANT TO WASTE IT. EVERY MONTH WE PAY FOR SEWER SERVICE. WE PAY WATERWORKS TO HAVE OUR WASTEWATER CLEANED TO MEET THE STRICT REGULATIONS SET BY TEXAS COMMISSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. THIS IS WHERE WASTEWATER BECOMES EFFLUENT. WATER EFFLUENT IS FULLY TREATED WASTEWATER. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE WHERE OUR EFFLUENT WATER GOES AND WHO IT GOES TO. RECLAIMED WATER IS HIGHLY TREATED EFFLUENT WATER. IF WATER WORKS, WILL CONVERT OUR EFFLUENT WATER INTO TYPE ONE RECLAIMED WATER. THEN THIS COULD BE USED TO WATER, PUBLIC PARKS, GOLF COURSES, SCHOOL YARDS, AND ATHLETIC FIELDS, JUST TO NAME A FEW HAVE YOU DRIVEN AROUND TOWN. WE WOULD RATHER HAVE OUR EFFLUENT WATER CONVERTED INTO RECLAIMED WATER INSTEAD OF OUR EFFLUENT WATER BEING SOLD TO DATA CENTERS. FINALLY, THE PROPOSED DECOR ORDINANCE. YOU WANT TO REDUCE THE TIME WE HAVE FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. YOU WANT TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. YOU WANT TO STOP PEOPLE FROM HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND FROM USING CELL PHONES. SO BASICALLY YOU WANT TO CONTROL THE PUBLIC AND THEIR COMMENTS. IF YOU WERE ON THIS SIDE OF THE PODIUM, IS THIS HOW YOU WOULD WANNA BE TREATED? THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. BO. NEXT WE HAVE RAYMONDS, RAYMOND REYES, 7 0 6 NANTUCKET DRIVE. SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S VERY CONCERNING. A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN CARNAGEN. YES, IT'S GREAT. THERE'S A LOT OF FACETS INVOLVED WITH THE CITY. WE [00:30:01] GOT A LOT OF GOOD CITIZENS DOING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS. THE THINGS THAT THAT WORRY, UH, ME, ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE BACKDROP IN THE BACKGROUND. THE THINGS THAT, THAT CREEP UP, THAT TRY TO STAY HIDDEN. KEYWORD IS TRY THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT. UH, I SPOKE TO SOME INDIVIDUALS ON THE COMMISSION YESTERDAY ABOUT, UH, ONE CERTAIN THING. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT JUST NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME THAT, UH, YOU THINK WE WOULD KNOW BETTER. AND THIS IS WHY I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT OVERSIGHT, ESPECIALLY IF THE CITY WANTS TO BE RUN AS A BUSINESS. THERE'S GOTTA BE OVERSIGHT. UH, I KNOW THIS 'CAUSE I'M A BUSINESS OWNER. I'VE BEEN DOING BUSINESS A VERY LONG TIME, FOLLOWED MY FATHER'S LEAD. HE DID VERY WELL BEFORE HE PASSED. UM, THIS THING WITH TRYING TO TO LIMIT CERTAIN, CERTAIN, UH, ASPECTS OF CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. FOR ME PERSONALLY AS A VETERAN, AS OTHER VETERANS FEEL THE SAME, I WOULD IMAGINE IT DOESN'T WORK FOR, FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT DOESN'T WORK FOR, FOR VETERANS IN GENERAL, FOR THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TO HAVE THE RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY WHERE INADVERTENTLY UH, WELL, IT HAPPENED TO ME WHEN WE WERE HAVING A MEETING IN ANOTHER PART OF CARNAGEN AND I GOT INTERRUPTED. AND THEN IT TURNED OUT, UH, MY LEGAL COUNSEL WENT BACK AND REVIEWED THAT AND SAID THAT, NO, THAT THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT. OF COURSE, THEY'RE GOT REAL EXCITED BECAUSE THEY'RE ATTORNEYS AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO, ? I WAS LIKE, I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET CLARIFICATION. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY RIGHT AS A CITIZEN TO ADDRESS THE GOVERNMENT AND MAKE COMMENTS OF WHATEVER I FEEL IS IMPORTANT. NOT TO BE TOLD WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THIS OR YOU CAN'T MENTION THAT. SO TO ME, THAT'S VERY CRITICAL. IT GOES BACK TO OUR CORE VALUES. UM, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, YOU WANT TO DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED OUT ON SOMETHING THAT'S VERY, VERY SIMPLE, PLAYED BY THE RULES, DO THINGS, WHAT'S RIGHT. UH, AGAIN, AS I STATED BEFORE, WE'RE ALL GENERALLY AROUND THE SAME AGE. WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. YOU KNOW, WE WERE BROUGHT UP CORRECTLY. WE'RE OF THAT ERA, AS THEY SAY. SO AS LONG AS WE REMEMBER THAT, AND REMEMBER, WE'RE ELECTED TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, THEN WE'RE GONNA BE FINE. IF NOT, I CAN TELL YOU NOW THERE'S GONNA BE PROBLEMS DOWN THE LINE. AND I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE MEETINGS A LONG TIME, AND AS I STATED LAST TIME, I'VE NEVER SEEN CITIZENS OVER 30 YEARS HAVE BEEN COMING TO THESE THINGS, GET OUTTA CONTROL OR, YOU KNOW, BE OUT OF ORDER. UH, SO JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. NOW WE HAVE MR. RON LOZANO. RON LOZANO. UH, GOOD EVENING. THE CITY CHARTER STATES IN SECTION TEN FOUR THAT THE CITY HAS EXCLUSIVITY TO RUN HARINGTON WATER WORK SYSTEM. AND THIS EXCLUSIVITY RELATES TO OUR CITY'S SOLE WATER WORK SYSTEM. OUR CITY CHARTER, AS WE'VE BEEN NOTING SEVERAL TIMES THIS YEAR, IS AIKEN TO A CONSTITUTION, IN OTHER WORDS, IN THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR GUIDANCE TO LEGALLY CONDUCT OUR CITY'S AFFAIRS. WELL, IN REGARD TO THIS ISSUE, THERE'S A MENTION OF WHOLESALE CONTRACTS. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU, IF WE DON'T EVEN GET UP TO 6 MILLION GALLONS ON A DAILY BASIS, 4.6 MILLION OF THAT 6 MILLION BEING UTILIZED FOR ONE COMPANY THAT HAS EIGHT EMPLOYEES AND OVER 13 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, EIGHT EMPLOYEES. AND THAT IS A WHOLESALE CONTRACT THAT FALLS ON YOUR SHOULDERS. YOU HAVE NEVER RATIFIED THAT CONTRACT OF LAST YEAR, SEPTEMBER 22ND, AND THE FOLLOWING DAY. AS WE ALL KNOW, THE MAYOR HAD MOMENTARILY ACKNOWLEDGED HER LIE, BUT NOW SHE'S RETRENCHED TO A POSITION THAT IT WAS ONLY ONE LETTER HOGWASH. A CONDEMNED EXECUTION DOCUMENT IS ALSO ONLY ONE LETTER. THE OTHER ITEM THAT STARTED AS A TRIFLE HAS CASCADED INTO WAY MORE THAN A MOLE HILL. UH, IT'S FUNNY HOW A LOT OF US ARE USING THE SAME TURNS, THOUGH THERE'S BEEN NO COLLUSION ON THE LANGUAGE. UM, AND ACTUALLY THERE'S ABOUT THREE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN A ONE BLOCK AREA HERE TONIGHT IN THIS ROOM, OR FOUR PEOPLE I SHOULD SAY. I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST AMENDMENT, AS I'VE SPOKEN TO AT LEAST ONE OR TWO OF YOU THAT ALSO HAS THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION WITHIN THE FIRST [00:35:01] AMENDMENT. SO I THINK SOME OF US ARE GONNA CONTEND, LIKE WE STARTED OUT THIS MEETING, THAT WE TRY TO STAY CLOSE TO OUR LORD. SO I ASK YOU TO RISE TO YOUR BETTER SELVES. IF YOU DON'T RUSH, OUR CITY CAN HAVE SOME DIALOGUE ON THE CONTOURS OF LIMITED SPEECH SO THAT WE MAKE ALL REASON TOGETHER, LIKE IN A WORKSHOP SUPPLEMENTED BY OUR DIGITAL WORLD THAT SOME OF Y'ALL LOVE. WE CAN HAVE OTHER CITIZENS GET INVOLVED AND WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THE PROPOSAL THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS GOT IN FRONT OF US. ONCE YOU STEPPED ONTO THIS PODIUM, YOU'VE LAUNCHED YOURSELF PERMANENTLY INTO SOME SERVER AS WE FOUND OUT, UH, DURING THE CLINTON TERM. AND FOREMOST, YOU ARE AN AMERICAN WHO DISCARDED THEIR PRIVACY SO THAT YOU CAN SHARE YOUR WISDOM. SO LET'S GET TOGETHER BEFORE THE HOUR GETS LATER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. LOZADO. NEXT WE HAVE ROBERT LEFTWICH. ROBERT LEFTWICH, UH, DISTRICT THREE. OBVIOUSLY THE BIG ISSUE TONIGHT IS GONNA BE THE DECORUM THAT IS ON THE AGENDA. AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN FOLLOWING THIS, TWO, TWO MEETINGS AGO, THIS DECORUM OR MAYBE LAST MEETING WAS FIVE. THE PROPOSAL WAS FIVE PAGES. FIVE PAGES OF NEW RULES TO FOLLOW FOR CITIZENS WHO WANT TO COME UP HERE AND EXPRESS THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. TONIGHT, IT'S 15 PAGES. IF ANYBODY DOESN'T THINK THAT THERE'S AN EROSION OF OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN BY THIS MAYOR AND THIS COMMISSION WITH THEIR CONSIDERATION FOR A 15 PAGE RULES AND REGULATIONS, THERE ARE STUFF IN THERE WHERE YOU CANNOT STAND UP DURING THERE. YOU CAN'T SPEAK IF, IF YOU'RE OBSERVED WITH YOUR PHONE IN THE WRONG POSITION ON YOUR BODY. YOU CAN BE, YOU CAN BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE ROOM. THAT'S HOW STRICT THIS NEW DECORUM IS. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A COMPLETE DISASTER IN TERMS OF OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN THE CITY OF ORANGE. THE FIRST AMENDMENT. IT DOES, IT PROTECTS US. IT PROHIBITS THE GOVERNMENT FROM IMPEDING INTIMIDATING OPPRESSION, SUPPRESSING OUR FIRST AMENDMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE CITY OF HARLINGEN WEBSITE HAS AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART. A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S NOT COMMISSIONER MEMER OR COMMISSIONER PEREZ OR MAYOR OLIVA OR OUR CITY MANAGER THAT'S ON THE TOP OF THIS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART. IT'S THE CITIZENS OF HARLINGEN. THAT MEANS THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE AS PUBLIC SERVANTS, AND Y'ALL ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PUSHING A 15 PAGE DECORUM ON OUR CIVIL RIGHTS, OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT WE HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT A TYRANT. LET'S, LET'S LOOK AT THE DEFINITION. A LEADER DRIVEN BY AN INSATIABLE DESIRE TO ACQUIRE, CONSOLIDATE, AND HOARD CONTROL. THESE FIGURES PRIORITIZE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OVER THE WELLBEING OF THEIR FOLLOWERS OR ORGANIZATIONS, OFTEN RULING THROUGH COERCION, MANIPULATION, AND THE SUPPRESSION OF OPPOSITION. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. LEWI. WE'VE GOT, UH, JAZZY MARTINEZ, MR. MARTINEZ. OH, THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THE DIGITAL PLOT. MY NAME IS DESI MARTINEZ, 18 18 0 6 HAVERFORD BOULEVARD. UH, IT CHANGES A LITTLE BIT OF THE DISCUSSION. I AM A FORMER WATER BOARD MEMBER AND IT WAS ALWAYS MY OPINION THAT YOU ALL ARE THE OWNERS. THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, THE CITIZENS OF HARLINGEN OWNED THE WATER, WATER BOARD, OWNED THE AIRPORT ON ALL THE FACILITIES ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS. I'M HERE BECAUSE ROY AT THE IS LEAVING AND THE NEW LADY'S COMING IN, AND HE ANNOUNCED AND HAD AN INTERVIEW VALLEY MORNING STAR THAT THEY WERE GONNA DOUBLE THE, THE RATES BECAUSE OF SURGES WE HAVE, ET CETERA. I HAVE FOUR YEARS IN THE WATERBOARD, AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THAT'S INCORRECT. IT'S NOT JUST SURGES THE LIFT [00:40:01] STATIONS OF WHICH WE NEED MORE FOR THE WEST SIDE. LIFT STATIONS IS THE ONES THAT CREATE THIS. AND ALL THE PEOPLE, ALL THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE, 12 OF THEM, THAT THEY'RE DURING STORMS, THE WATER GETS INTO THE SYSTEM. WE'RE, WE HAVE 280 MILLION THAT HE IS PROPOSING TO SPEND THAT YOU'VE APPROVED. BUT YOU DON'T NEED THAT MUCH BECAUSE 140,000, UH, 40 MILLION IS FOR A SYSTEM ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SOTO HARTON CITY LIMITS, DOWN TO WILSON ROAD, DOWN TO THE WATER PLANT AT DIXIELAND. YOU DON'T NEED IT. HAS, UH, YOUR FAMILY HAD A PROBLEM FLUSHING THE TOILET? NO. WE NEED TO FIX WHAT WE NEED AND BE RESILIENT, INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENT, STRONG, AND GET THE JOB DONE. YOU'VE BEEN FED A PLAN THAT IS DEVELOPER FRIENDLY FROM THE FIRST GUY THAT STARTED THIS, AND THAT'S, WE'RE NOW THE FOUR MANAGERS. AND I WANT YOU TO TAKE, GIVE US TIME. I'M ASKING YOU PLEA, PLEASE GIVE US SIX ONE MONTH WITH A NEW DIRECTOR TO COME UP WITH A MORE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURES THAT'S NOT GONNA COST THEM IT'S TIME THAT YOU GIVE US THIS TIME TO WORK WITH HER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. MARTINEZ. NEXT WE HAVE MS. UM, ELIZABETH BUTLER. ELIZABETH BUTLER, DISTRICT ONE. UM, SO MY FAMILY AND I RECENTLY MOVED TO THE VALLEY, UM, COUPLE YEARS AGO. WE'VE BEEN REALLY HAPPY OVER BY THE, THE AIRPORT DISTRICT ONE. UH, WE'VE BEEN SEEING A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS. TSCC, CAMPUS, HEB REMODELED, UH, NEW PRESCHOOLS COMING UP. SO ALL GOOD AND WELL. UM, HOWEVER, LIKE MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS DATA CENTER POSSIBILITY IS JUST LOOMING ABOVE US. WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE? UM, SO BASICALLY, UH, WE'VE BEEN LEARNING ALONG WITH MANY OF YOU GUYS, RIGHT? EVERYBODY, THE WHOLE COUNTRY HAS BEEN LEARNING AT THE SAME TIME HOW THIS AFFECTS OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS DID MOVE, UH, FORWARD WITH THE MORATORIUM EVEN BEFORE THE GOVERNOR DID. UH, SO IN THIS TIME, WE JUST, UH, I'M JUST HERE TO KIND OF JUST HOPE AND REMIND YOU GUYS THAT YOU KEEP, KEEP TALKING TO US. LIKE WE KEEP, UH, WE ARE RESEARCHING, WE ARE READING, UH, AND I KNOW OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS ARE TOO. SO JUST KEEP TALKING TO US ABOUT WHAT, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN KNOW THAT YOU REALLY ARE FIGHTING FOR US. UH, YOU, UH, MAYOR ADVOCATED FOR NO TAX, UM, NO TAX BREAK, RIGHT? THAT IS A VERY POWERFUL TOOL, UH, COMMUNITY HAS. UH, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS, UM, NOT SCARED, BUT UH, CHANGED MINDS, RIGHT? FOR OTHER PROJECTS BEING BUILT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, WE WANNA KNOW THAT THEY ARE BEING DONE. [Item 6 - Approval of Minutes] UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA, UH, FROM CAMERON COUNTY SENT ME A RESOLUTION, UM, WHERE THEY WERE ADVOCATING, OR ACTUALLY THEY, UH, ALL AGREED THAT THEY WOULD WANT, SO THEY WOULD WANNA SEE A PROJECT WHERE THEY ARE USING RECYCLED WATER AND THERE'S A CLOSE LOOP COOLING SYSTEM. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE LIKE VERY CONCRETE, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, FROM YOU GUYS, NOT ONLY ON SOCIAL AS LIKE IDEAS, BUT ALSO ON, YOU KNOW, FORMAL RESOLUTIONS LIKE, UH, MR. GARZA DID, JUST SO THAT WE KNOW THAT YOU GUYS, UH, AT LEAST DID THE BEST TO HAVE THE BEST PROTECTIONS FROM US. SO, I KNOW A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS KIND OF OUT OF MANY OF OUR, OUR HANDS, RIGHT? LIKE LAND IS BOUGHT OR WHATEVER. BUT THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT, THAT OUR COMMUNITIES CAN DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND PEOPLE FIND OUT OR, OR THINK THEY FIND OUT, RIGHT? AND THEN IT LEADS, IT LEAVES A LOT OF ROOM FOR SKEPTICISM AND LEAVES A LOT OF ROOM FOR MISTRUST. SO JUST KEEP TALKING TO US, KEEP TALKING TO US ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS FIND, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS ALSO RESPOND TO US. UH, YEAH, NO TAX BREAKS AND, UH, RECYCLED WATER AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER THING GARZA SAID, CLOSE LOOP, RIGHT? THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE KEEP HEARING. AND ALSO CORRECT US IF YOU'RE WRONG, IF THERE'S ANY NEW RESEARCH THAT YOU GUYS FIND, LET US KNOW SO THAT WE CAN TALK AND SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. BUTLER. NEXT [00:45:01] WE HAVE, UH, RICHARD URIBE. GOOD EVENING. I USE MY GLASSES. I USUALLY DON'T, UH, WRITE THINGS DOWN, BUT I WANTED TO STAY ON TOPIC. GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. UM, RICHARD EBERT, 28 22 NORTH 13TH STREET. UH, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO COME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK DUE TO WHAT'S BEEN TAKING PLACE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS DURING THESE CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS. AND THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT I FOUND WERE INAPPROPRIATE, DISRESPECTFUL, AND FALSE SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS SEEMED TO CONSISTENTLY USE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION TO HARASS OUR MAYOR AND COMMISSION. FULLY AWARE THAT THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION AREN'T ALLOWED TO RESPOND TO CORRECT ANY MISINFORMATION THAT'S BEING STATED. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE TO OUR STREETS. DRAINAGE, OUR CITY EFFICIENCY, OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES, UH, WHILE ALSO BEING TRANSPARENT, UH, ALL WHICH HAVE LED TO RECOGNITION OF BEING AWARDED IN AMERICAN CITY, WHICH HASN'T HAPPENED OVER 30 YEARS. OKAY? AND THAT'S NOT ONLY DUE TO OUR AMERICAN COMMISSION, BUT IT'S, IT IS TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND STAFF WHO ARE THE TRUE REASON, UH, FOR OUR CITY'S UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESSES. THIS ALL WORK. UH, THEY ALL WORK COUNTLESS HOURS AND HAVE DONE PHENOMENAL JOB IN THE CITY'S RECORD BREAKING GROWTH THAT HAS CONTINUED TO SEE A RISE. COMMENTS MADE, SUCH AS THESE ARE BUSINESS MEETINGS AND THAT CITY STAFF AND BUSINESSES AND OUR CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY SHOULDN'T BE RECOGNIZED DURING THESE, THESE MEETINGS IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO ARE ACCOMPLISHED AND GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, ABOVE AND BEYOND IN OUR COMMUNITY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CHILDREN OF THIS COMMUNITY WILL ALWAYS DESERVE RECOGNITION FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FUTURE LEADERS THAT ONE DAY MAY SIT IN THOSE SAME SEATS. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE, UH, DIFFERENCES IN OPINION AND MAY NOT AGREE, BUT WE SHOULD ALL SUPPORT THE CITY BECAUSE THIS IS OUR CITY. AND LIKELY OR NOT, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS HARN AND GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. OKAY? I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL IT CONTINUES TO DO. AND, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO, TO COMMENTS AND STUFF, I WANT TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, PLEASE LOOK UP THE PREVIOUS DECORUM OR THE CURRENT DECORUM THAT'S IN PLACE, WHICH IS MUCH MORE RESTRICTIVE. AND I THINK THE, THE ONE THAT JACK, I THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO AMEND, IF I'M SERIOUS CORRECTING IS, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, TRANSPARENT. AND I THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO CORRECT SOMETHING. SO I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU LOOK AT WHO WAS IN PLACE WHEN THAT WAS SET. WHEN IT WAS SET, AND HOW IT WAS USED. OKAY? THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU, MR. REBA. ALRIGHT. UM, THAT CONCLUDES OUR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. OKAY? AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON, UH, QUICKLY OVER TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES. WE HAVE ITEM SIX, A REGULAR MEETING OF MAY 20TH, 2026, AND ITEM B, REGULAR MEETING OF JUNE 17TH, 2026. ARE THERE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THESE MINUTES? YES, WE DID THE DIRECTIONS. I FOUND TWO TO TWO, UH, MINOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. OKAY. I'VE ALREADY SENT THEM TO, UH, CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THEY'VE ALREADY FIXED THEM. CAN I GET A MOTION? YES. MOTION APPROVED. SECOND CONDITIONED UPON THE, A CONDITION ON THE, UH, CORRECTIONS SENT. OKAY, I GOT A, A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER LOPEZ AND A SECOND BY, WHO IS THAT? YEAH, EZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY ST. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. MOVING [Item 7 - Consent Agenda] ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA. WE, ONE LAST THING, SORRY, JUST A POINT OF ORDER ON THIS ISSUE. INSTEAD OF ALWAYS HAVING TO DO, UH, AMENDMENTS ON TYPOGRAPHICAL THINGS, CAN WE AS A BODY AGREE THAT THAT SHOULD JUST BE FIXED AUTOMATICALLY BY THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THE ONLY TIME WE WOULD MAKE AN AN ORAL AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO MAKE SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE? I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE. IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. IT'S NOT CHANGING THE SUBSTANCE OF, OF THE, OF THE MINUTES. I WOULD THINK THAT, UM, IS THE COMMISSION FINE GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, TYPOS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO BE DONE BEFORE THEY COME TO THE COMMISSION? IS THAT AGREEABLE? YEAH. YES. YES. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UM, MOVING ON TO ITEM CONSENT. AGENDA ITEMS SEVEN A THROUGH I, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PULLED? YES. UM, I PLEASE I, ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE COMMISSION? A? YEAH. CAN THE, A, CAN WE PULL OUT? I, WE, WE HAVE SIR. UH, BUT MORALE, DID YOU SAY A? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? YES. B, B, B, B. [00:50:01] OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE COMMISSION? OKAY. HEARING NONE. CAN WE GET A MOTION FOR CONSENT? AGENDA ITEMS C THROUGH H. MOTION. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOMEZ. IS THERE A SECOND BY PEREZ? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. UH, UNANIMOUSLY ITEM SEVEN, A CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE HARTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ENTER INTO AN MOU BETWEEN VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE HARLINGEN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH PROTOCOLS FOR THE EFFICIENT INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF CRIMES OCCURRING ON THE PREMISES OF THE VIA AND TO ENSURE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE COMMUNITY AND TRAVELING PUBLIC. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ITEM, AND I KNOW WE HAVE OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR HERE THAT DRAFTED THIS WITH THE PD. IS THERE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? AND FOR WHOM, UH, HAS THIS BEEN APPROVED BY THE AIRPORT BOARD? I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING. OKAY. THIS WAS, UM, PUT FORWARD BY OUR, UH, PAUL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA, UH, HOP ON OVER HERE, UH, BY OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR AND THROUGH THE HARLINGEN POLICE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES, UH, DID NOT GO, UH, IN FRONT OF THE BOARD. AND THE REASON IT DIDN'T GO IN FRONT OF THE BOARD IS BECAUSE WE WERE ADOPTING THE SAME APPROVAL PATH OF THE PREVIOUS MOU, WHICH WAS SIGNED BETWEEN, UH, THE PREVIOUS AIRPORT DIRECTOR AND, UH, THE PREVIOUS POLICE CHIEF. SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHY CAN'T WE JUST EXTEND THE ONE FROM YEARS BACK? IT HAS THE WRONG PEOPLE AND IT HAS THE WRONG PROTOCOLS IN IT. WE ADJUSTED SOME OF THOSE AND MADE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. UH, IN OTHER WORDS, SHAPED TO THE FORCE THAT WE HAVE TODAY. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WE HAVE SOME OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROTOCOLS THAT'LL GET ADVANCED THAT, THAT MATCH THE LAW AND CASE LAW AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE, WE GROOMED IT FOR. I, I UNDERSTAND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, AS THINGS HAVE, UH, TRANSPIRED IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS OR SO, UM, I CANNOT TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. SO I, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PREVIOUS ONE TO COMPARE TO THIS ONE. UH, THINGS HAVE MOVED FORWARD TO WHERE IT, IT'S VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AT TIMES TO JUST GO ALONG AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S ACCEPTED. AND THAT'S WHAT HAS HAPPENED A LOT MORE OFTEN THAN I WANT TO ADMIT. SO FOR THAT REASON, I PERSONALLY, I LIKE TO SEE THE FIRST ONE AND COMPARE IT BEFORE I CAN GIVE YOU A YAY ON THIS. ALRIGHT. CAN WE TABLE THIS? IS THAT A MOTION TO TABLE, SIR? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? NO. UM, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. I KNOW I'VE GOT, UM, MR. GALLAGA HERE. SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, SAY GOOD MORNING. IT IS A LONG DAY. UH, IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY. UH, MR. GALLAGA, I JUST WANNA KNOW, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, MR. PAUL BROUGHT THIS TO THE COMMISSION. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO GO BEFORE THE AIRPORT BOARD FIRST OR ARE YOU COMFORTABLE AS PRESENTED? YOUR HONOR, I'M NOT SURE I CAN DISCUSS IT HERE. WE TECHNICALLY HAVE A QUORUM FOR THE AIRPORT BOARD. NO, JUST YOUR, YES. SPECIFICALLY YOU. BUT I'M TALKING TODAY, FROM TODAY PRESENT AT THE MEETING. WE HAVE, HAVE THE FORUM. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EVEN DISCUSS OR GIVE INPUT ON. UM, IF IT WOULD GO IN FRONT OF THE BOARD. AMAZING. I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY IN THE PAST. I'LL DEFER TO THE JUDGMENT OF THE CITY. UM, OKAY. IF IT COMES TO THE BOARD, WE'D BE HAPPY TO REVIEW. OKAY. UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED. THERE A OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT TABLING THE ITEM. ANOTHER, UM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE GIVEN ON REPRESENTATIONS THAT THIS DID NOT COME FROM THE CITY, IT CAME FROM VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MET WITH, UM, HPD, THEY'RE THE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE, UM, BOARD WOULD DEFER TO THEIR JUDGMENT AS WELL. AND SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND. SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED. WAIT, WAIT. OPPOSED? WE ARE HERE ON, UM, A OH, YES. OKAY. AYE. OKAY. AYE. ALL RIGHT. MOTION PASSES. MOVING ON TO B CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE MAYOR NORMA VID ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, TO ENTER INTO A MASTER MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AS FURTHER SET OUT IN THE ATTACHED AGREEMENT. AND THIS WAS PULLED, UM, IS THAT BY YOU? OH, GOMEZ? YES. QUESTIONS? I'D JUST LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON IT, WHAT IT IS, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. AND [00:55:01] DO WE HAVE, UH, THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA CHIME IN GABE, OR WE CAN WAIT. THERE WE GO. I'M DEPUTY CHIEF . TURN THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. YES, I CAN YOU GIMME SOME MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT IT IS, PLEASE? WHAT'S A MUTUAL AID FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRANSPARENCY WITH THE AUDIENCE? YEAH, IT'S A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT. UH, THERE'S A DISASTER DECLARATION, UH, ACROSS ANY OF THE AREA FROM THE LOWER, LOWER RE GRAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AREAS THAT THEY WILL ASK US FOR HELP WITH EITHER MANPOWER OR, UH, RESOURCES. AND IT'S TO GO BACK AND FORTH. AND THE LOWER RO GRANDE VALLEY AREA COVERS WHAT, UH, THE THREE COUNTY, FOUR COUNTIES. THE, FROM EVERYWHERE FROM, UH, FROM, UH, HIDALGO, CAMERON, AND PARK STAR COUNTY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE. CAN I GET A MOTION? MAKE MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION BY LOPEZ. SECOND BY GO MS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. YOU'RE FINE. ALL RIGHT. UM, NOW, AYE. CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE TESTING AND POTENTIAL INSTALLATION SPEED PUMPS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS. CAMELOT DRIVE 21ST STREET BETWEEN, UM, BOWIE AND CROCKETT COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? NO, NO. THERE WAS COMMISSIONER PETERSON. I DON'T REMEMBER WHO, MIKE AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, MESMER. SO WHAT SPEED HUMPS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT? I GONNA TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THESE. SPEED HUMPS. YEAH. OKAY, GO AHEAD. DE YEAH. YOU'RE AN LVN. HAVE YOU DONE ANY CODES? I HAVE. OKAY. I'VE DONE MAYBE 40 CODES AS AN RN AND A NURSE PRACTITIONER. OKAY. LITERALLY EVERY SECOND COUNTS. AND I'VE LOST MANY OF PEOPLE UNDER THESE HANDS DESPITE DOING EVERYTHING I COULD. AND SHOULD CAMELOT AND 21ST STREET ARE MAYOR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES. CORRECT. THEY ARE WIDE AND WE DO KNOW PEOPLE SPEED ON THOSE. THE SOLUTION IS NOT SPEED HUMPS. THE SOLUTION IS ASK THE POLICE CHIEF TO HAVE MORE POLICE PRESENCE OUT THERE TO TICKET PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR. WHEN YOU PUT A SPEED HUMP, WHETHER IT'S A RESIDENTIAL STREET OR ANOTHER RESIDENTIAL STREET, AN AMBULANCE HAS TO HIT THE BRAKES AND SLOW DOWN SO AS NOT TO RIP THE UNDERBELLY OR THE CARRIAGE ITSELF. AND AN AMBULANCE, A NEW AMBULANCE OUTFITTED IS $660,000. AND WHEN THEY HAVE TO HIT THE BRAKES AND EXTREMELY SLOWED DOWN, SECONDS ARE TICKING. AND PEOPLE LIVES COULD BE IN DANGER, WHETHER THEY'RE STILL AT THE PARK OR AT THE HOUSE, OR WHETHER THEY'RE ON, BEEN PICKED UP AND ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, IF YOU'RE COMING SOUTH FROM SAN BENITO, THE INTERSTATE, YOU EXIT AND YOU TAKE CAMELOT DRIVE AND YOU ZOOM RIGHT TO THE HOSPITALS, THIS WILL SLOW THAT DOWN AND CAN CAUSE PEOPLE TO DIE. 21ST STREET. SAME STORY. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH AMBULANCE TRAFFIC IS THERE, BUT DO NOT DELAY AN AMBULANCE, ASK FOR POLICE PRESENCE TO ISSUE TICKETS. MAYOR, MAY I? YES, MA'AM. MIKE, YOU'RE A NURSE PRACTITIONER. OH, YOU WERE, YOU WERE A NURSE PRACTITIONER? YES. OKAY. SO WITH THE SPEED HUMPS THAT WE HAVE PUT AROUND HARLINGEN, AND I'M SPEAKING A LITTLE LOUDER, MAYOR ONLY SO THAT HE CAN HEAR ME. UM, WE CANNOT TELL HOW MANY LIVES WE HAVE SAVED BECAUSE OF SPEED HUMPS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE ASKED FOR THEM AND HAVE GOTTEN THEM HAVE FIRST ASKED FOR A STUDY FROM OUR ENGINEERS. NONE OF US ARE ENGINEERS. COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, HAVE YOU ASKED FOR SOME BEFORE? CORRECT. I HAVE NOT EVER ASKED. I I'VE NEVER ASKED FOR AN APPEAL TO APPEAL A SPEED HUMP THAT AN ENGINEER HAS NOT REQUESTED ONE FIRST. SO I HAVE NEVER ASKED FOR A SPEED HUMP WHERE AN ENGINEER DID NOT REQUEST IT FIRST. SO I WILL NEVER SAY THAT. I JUST SAID, WE'LL PUT A SPEED HUMP HERE BECAUSE OF MY OATH AS A NURSE, WHAT I DISCUSSED HERE, AND WHEN I MADE THIS DETERMINATION, I SAID, DO A STUDY FOR [01:00:01] THIS. HERE I HAVE HAVE RE I HAVE HAD RETURNS WHERE A STUDY HAS TOLD ME THIS STREET IS TOO WIDE. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE EXCEEDED THE AMOUNT OF PERCENTAGE AND SPEEDING PEOPLE, THEY, THE STREET IS TOO WIDE PER ORDINANCE TO PUT A SPEED HUMP HERE. NOW, I COULD APPEAL THAT, BUT I HAVEN'T, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GONNA GO AGAINST AN ENGINEER BECAUSE I'M AN LVN AND I THINK IT SHOULD GO THERE. SO MY, MY CAREER AS A NURSE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHERE I WANNA SPEED HIM HERE. I DO NOT THINK THAT WE ARE LOSING ANYTHING. AND THEY, AND DOING A STUDY THERE, LIKE I DON'T, I HAVE SPOKEN TO, UH, COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, COMMISSIONER MORALES AND COMMISSIONER PEREZ SPECIFICALLY IN THIS ONE MYSELF. I, WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS ONE AND WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE SHOULD DO AN, A STUDY CANNOT GO WRONG. ALL WE CAN DO IS DO A STUDY. IF IT'S A NO, IT'S A NO. IF IT'S A YES, WE CAN GO THERE AND THEN WE WOULD GO TO YOU AND SEE IF YOU WANTED TO APPEAL IT. IF IT'S, YOU DON'T WANT TO, IT'S, IT'S A NO, IT'S IN YOUR DISTRICT. MAY I? YES. I JUST ASK Y'ALL TO PLEASE BE BRIEF WITH YOUR, IF WE CAN ALL JUST BE BRIEF WITH OUR COMMENTS AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY. I'M ALL FOR STUDYING. I'M ALSO ON THE AMBULANCE BOARD, STUCK BOARD. GOOD. AND THIS IS WHERE I GET MY INFORMATION AND THEY HATE SPEAK BUMPS BECAUSE IT GETS IN THE WAY OF THEIR, THEIR WORK. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU BOTH. DID YOU HAVE, UH, SOMETHING ELSE? I'LL COME, I'LL COME BACK TO YOU. EZ YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? YES. I WANTED TO ADD, UM, VTA EZ CIRCLE WEST, I'M SORRY, VEES CIRCLE WEST BETWEEN THE CROSS STREETS OF LINDA VISTA AND BAYVIEW. OKAY. AND COMMISSIONER, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? NO. NO. OKAY. SO, UM, I'M JUST GONNA, I'M GONNA JUST CHIME IN. UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A SECRET THAT I'M NOT A A FAN OF THE SPEED HUMPS AT ALL. UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY AESTHETICALLY GO WITH OUR CITY AND THERE'S COM YOU KNOW, PROS AND CONS TO THEM. BUT I KNOW THAT EACH COMMISSIONER HAS DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND ARE REPRESENTING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. SO I THINK THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SPEED HUMPS AND THEY ARE IN LOCATIONS WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR THEM. AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UM, HOWEVER, I DO SHARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT COMMISSIONER MESMER HAS PUT ON, ESPECIALLY FOR CAMELOT DRIVE. A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT I'VE HAD ELDERLY PARENTS THAT HAVE, UM, NEEDED TO SEEK HEALTHCARE AND TREATMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. AND I HAVE HAD, UM, BOTH OF MY PARENTS, MY DAD MOST RECENTLY ON CAMELOT DRIVE, AND I HAD NOT GIVEN THAT MUCH THOUGHT. AND SO FOR THOSE REASONS, UM, I I I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A SPEED HUMP ON CAMELOT DRIVE. I RESPECT THAT THE ENGINEERS WILL DO THEIR, UH, DUE DILIGENCE AND THEY WILL DO THE STUDY AND THEY'RE POTENTIALLY THE, YOU KNOW, THE STUDY, ALL IT'S GOING TO SAY IS THAT WE'VE GOT PEOPLE SPEEDING AND, AND THERE'S PEOPLE SPEEDING A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT. AND FOR THOSE REASONS, LET'S PUT A SPEED HUMP. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO USE COMMON SENSE SOMETIMES AND IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS IF IT IS GOING TO CAUSE DELAY, WHETHER THAT BE 30 SECONDS, ONE MINUTE, TWO MINUTES, UM, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE LOCATIONS. AND I DO KNOW THAT MIKE SITS ON THE, ON THE STEP BOARD. AND IF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK, THERE'LL BE A TIME THAT MAYBE SOME OF YOUR FAMILY WILL BE ON CAMELOT. AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE STUDY OF ALL OF THEM, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CAMELOT DRIVE. AND THAT'S MY MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? YOU'RE ASKING FOR A SECOND? YES. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED. OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. AND IS THERE ANOTHER MOTION? MAKE A MOTION TO DO THE STUDY ON ALL OF THEM. UH, IF I MAY JUST JUMP IN. SURE. I I DON'T THINK THESE STREETS 21ST STREET OR, UH, TIME A LOT ARE GONNA BE, I THINK THEY'RE TOO WIDE. I THINK SO TOO. RIGHT? NEVERTHELESS, I THINK THAT THE DATA THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BRING FORTH IS POSITIVE AND CAN HELP WITH PD. UH, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU SAW THE EMAIL. UM, MAYOR AND I, I APOLOGIZE IF I DIDN'T SEND IT TO YOU, BUT I DID ASK THAT ENGINEERING, WHEN WE HAVE THESE ISSUES, WHEN THEY'RE WIDE, TOO WIDE FOR SPEED ON, BUT WE DO HAVE, UH, DATA OF SPEEDERS THAT THAT WOULD THEN PIVOT PD TO GO DO MORE PATROLS THERE. OKAY. SO I THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET WHAT YOU WANT IN THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE SPEED UP HERE, BUT COMMISSIONER GOMEZ IS GONNA GET WHAT SHE WANTS IN THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE [01:05:01] THE DATA TO SUPPORT MORE, UH, ENFORCEMENT ON THAT ROAD ON THESE 21ST STREET AND CAMELOT. OKAY. YEAH. I, I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT. I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I'M REALLY HESITANT TO, TO DELAY ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND NO MATTER WHERE THAT IS. UH, AND SO MAYBE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GETTING AND WITH THE ANALYSIS IS TO INCORPORATE NOT ONLY JUST WHAT THE REPORT SHOWS, BUT WHAT OUR PD SAYS AND, AND WHAT STEP HAS TO SAY IN TERMS OF HOW THAT MAY IMPACT. I'M SURE EVERYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION IS EQUALLY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S, UH, ADEQUATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE. AND TO YOUR POINT, WHAT WE MAY CONSIDER IN, IN THE FUTURE, UH, WITH ANA AND SPECIAL GRANTS DEPARTMENT OR SPECIAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT, IS THAT WE GET A FEW MORE OF THOSE SPEECH TRAILERS THAT PD WHEN WE GET THESE COMPLAINTS OR CONCERNS, PD CAN SET UP THE TRAILER AND THEY ALSO COLLECT INFORMATION FROM THE TRAILERS. PLUS IT TELLS YOU, HEY, YOU'RE SPEEDING. SLOW DOWN. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I MAKE THAT MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE LIST AS AMENDED OR SUPPLEMENTED BY COMMISSIONER PERS SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? AYE. OPPOSED? ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST, FOR OR AGAINST THE SPEED HUMP? MUCH THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE 21ST. YES. YEAH, I'LL APPROVE THAT. OKAY. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S BOTH OF THEM, RIGHT? HMM? IT'S BOTH STREETS. OH, IT'S BOTH STREETS. YES. COMMISSIONER, I THOUGHT WE VOTED. I, BUT THAT DID NOT PASS. OH, OKAY. NO, I'LL OPPOSE THIS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. UM, [Item 8 - Reports and Other Discussion Items] MOVING ON TO OUR REPORTS. UM, MR. GONZALEZ, UH, ITEM EIGHT A, DO YOU HAVE ANY REPORTS? UH, NO, I DO NOT. UH, AND MAYOR, WE DID REMOVE THE STACK REPORT, UH, FROM TONIGHT'S AGENDA SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A LONG AGENDA. SO WE'LL BE BRINGING IT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING. OKAY. MAYBE YOU CAN TALK WITH BILL AND, AND HAVE HIM CHIME IN ON, ON HOW THESE SPEED HUMPS, UM, IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO, UM, DELIVER SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. ALL RIGHT. AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF REPORTS, BUT I AM JUST GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER. UM, WE DO HAVE A REPORT, BUT IT'S SOMEHOW ENDED UP ON ITEM O PRESENTATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION BY SCOTT GIBBS ON HEALTH INSURANCE. MAYOR. I DID SEE HIM COME IN, DIDN'T I? YES, HE'S HERE. UH, BUT MAYOR, BEFORE WE DO THAT, COULD WE GO TO ITEM NN? YES. OH, YES. I MEANT TO DO THAT FIRST. OKAY, SURE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. [Item 10n - Consideration and possible action to appoint Juan Antonio Nevarez as the Director of Aviation for the Valley International Airport.] ITEM N CONSIDERATION. CAN YOU HEAR ME? ITEM N IS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPOINT JUAN ANTONIO NEVAREZ AS THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION FOR THE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. I HAVE A QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. UM, UH, MR. GALLAGA, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR CITY COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. I NEED TALKING TO THE MIC. SORRY. YEAH. UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. WE ARE, ARE SUPER EXCITED TO GET TO THIS CHAPTER IN THE AIRPORT'S LIFE. LET'S SAY IN OUR ERA, UH, IT HAS BEEN A JOURNEY SEEKING A NEW DIRECTOR. WE'VE HAD THE HELP OF THE CITY, WE'VE HAD THE HELP OF A DK, WHO'S THE COMPANY THAT WE USE TO CONDUCT OUR SEARCH. UH, MR. KENNETH GWYNN WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING. WE WERE IN CONTACT ON ALMOST A WEEKLY BASIS, GOING OVER CANDIDATES, GOING OVER THE PROCESS. AND, UH, IT TRULY WAS A VERY EASY PROCESS. HONESTLY. HE MADE IT GREAT FOR US. HE GAVE US ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEEDED. ULTIMATELY, AFTER A SEARCH AND COUNTLESS HOURS OF DELIBERATION, THE BOARD HAS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO RECOMMEND MR. JUAN ANTONIO NOVARTIS AS OUR NEW AIRPORT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. UH, HE COMES WITH, I MEAN, 20 PLUS YEARS, ALMOST MORE YEARS THAN I'VE BEEN ALIVE, , IN TERMS OF AN AIRPORT EXECUTIVE. UH, AND HE'S A, HE'S GOT A WONDERFUL RESUME. I COULD STAND UP HERE FOR HOURS AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT, BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE A, A LONG DOCKET AHEAD OF YOU. UM, SO I'LL TURN OVER TO THE MAN HIMSELF IF YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. NEVAREZ. HE'S HERE. HE, HE CAME DOWN FROM EL PASO TO JOIN US, AND SO WE WOULD, UH, PROBABLY ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL ON THIS RECOMMENDATION. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING. UH, IT'S, I, I FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE HERE. UH, NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS FROM ALL OF YOU WHO I'VE MET THE CITIZENS, UH, E EVEN TODAY. SO, UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. VARS? NO. YES, MR. MORALES. UH, MR. NEVAREZ, THIS IS FRANK MORALES, DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR, THE ONE WHO'S ABSENT RIGHT NOW. I UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T, UM, PARTICIPATE IN YOUR INTERVIEW, BUT, UH, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE, UH, EL PASO AIRPORT HAD ITS CONFLICTS WITH THE, UH, FAA WE AS WELL HAS HAD OUR, OUR CONFLICTS AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, OURS HAVE BEEN, UH, [01:10:01] SELF-INFLICTED. MY QUESTION IS VERY SIMPLE. ARE YOU PREPARED TO, UH, NAVIGATE THESE WATERS AGAIN? UH, YES, SIR. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I HAVE, UH, I FEEL VERY, UM, PROUD TO HAVE THE, UH, RELATIONSHIP THAT I HAVE WITH THE FAA, UH, I CAN, UH, EXPECT TO CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP. I HAVE, UH, ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THE TOWER, FROM THE INSPECTORS, FROM THE A DO, THE, THE DISTRICT OFFICE, ALL THE WAY TO THE UAS TEAM. AND EVEN ON THE DAY OF, UM, THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN EL PASO WITH THEIR PROPOSED 10 DAY SHUTDOWN, I HAD LEADERS FROM THE FAA CALLING ME ON MY PERSONAL CELL PHONE. AND I, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT MOVING FORWARD THAT I CAN CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND BRING THAT TO HARLINGEN AS WELL. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. NOVARTIS? HOW OLD ARE YOU? I MEAN, ALEX, JUST, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION. , ALEX. I WAS JUST KIDDING. IS A BIG BOY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, AND, AND, AND MR. GAGA, NOT ONLY IS HE THE CHAIR OF OUR, OF OUR BOARD, BUT ALSO A PRACTICING ATTORNEY HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND, UM, I JUST WANNA COMMEND THE AIRPORT BOARD. AND, YOU KNOW, IN, IN GETTING THROUGH ALL OF THE INTERVIEWS, UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL, WE WERE VERY BLESSED THAT THERE WERE, UH, I THINK MAYBE 30 TO 40 APPLICANTS. IT WAS REALLY HARD. IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE TO, TO, TO, TO HAVE A SMALL POOL OF CANDIDATES OF SUCH, YOU KNOW, CALIBER AND, AND YOU REALLY ROSE TO, TO THE TOP. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS FROM THE ENTIRE BOARD IN ENSURING THAT THE RIGHT PERSON WAS CHOSEN. UM, I, I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC THAT WE'VE GOT, UH, YOU'VE GOT MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF EXPERIENCE. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU'RE IN A BORDER TOWN. WE'RE ON A BORDER TOWN, THERE'S LOTS OF SIMILARITIES. AND SO, LOOKING FORWARD, UM, TO THIS NEXT CHAPTER AT VALLEY INTERNATIONAL, UM, UH, I THINK WITH THAT, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UM, APPOINTMENT OF MR. JUAN ANTONIO NEVAR AS THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION FOR VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY PETTIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. UM, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ IS NOT PRESENT. UM, MAYOR, I COULD ASK FOR THE START DATE THAT YOU PLAN TO BE AT VIA A, IT'S THE MONDAY AFTER LABOR DAY. MONDAY AFTER LABOR DAY. OKAY, THANK YOU. WELL, WELCOME TO HARLINGEN. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY SOME, UH, REALLY GOOD FOOD WHILE YOU'RE HERE, AND WE CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO, UH, MAKE HARLINGEN YOUR HOME. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE OF VIA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [Item 10o - Presentation and possible action by Scott Gibbs on Health Insurance] MOVING ON TO ITEM O, PRESENTATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION BY SCOTT GIBBS ON HEALTH INSURANCE. MR. GIBBS, SCOTT, IF WE COULD JUST SKIP TO THE RECOMMENDATION , I, I, I ASKED GABE TO, TO KIND OF LET YOU KNOW, WE HAD A VERY, VERY LONG MEETING. UM, WE HAD SOME, WE HAD SOME DIRECTIVES LAST TIME, UM, BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS INTEREST, UH, I THINK UNANIMOUSLY OF, OF GOING SELF-FUNDED. UM, WHERE ARE YOU WITH THAT? GIVE US YOUR UPDATE SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UM, MOVE FORWARD. YEAH, SO I'LL MAKE IT, UH, MAKE IT QUICK. MAYOR, UM, COMMISSIONERS, UM, CITY MANAGER. THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WHEN WE SECURED THE RENEWAL, UM, YOU KNOW, BLUE CROSS DID GIVE US A RATE CAP, UH, THIS YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE FULLY INSURED WORLD HAS TIGHTENED UP. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOKED LAST YEAR, WE WERE REAL CLOSE TO BEING WHERE WE NEEDED, UH, TO GO SELF-FUNDED. UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER AND I, I DISCUSSED IT, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW BY GOING PARTIALLY SELF-FUNDED, STAYING WITH BLUE CROSS, I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS MOVED. THERE IT GOES. UM, STAYING WITH BLUE CROSS, KEEPING THE PLANS THE SAME, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING REINSURANCE, UH, ULTIMATELY, UM, BY DOING THAT, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP THE PLAN THE SAME. UM, NO CHANGE TO THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS OR THE BENEFITS. UM, THE DELTA BETWEEN STAYING SELF-FUNDED WITH BLUE CROSS AND, UM, A FULLY INSURED MATURE, SELF-FUNDED PLAN, UM, WAS A DIFFERENCE OF ABOUT $600,000. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IN THE FIRST YEAR, UM, YOU WILL BENEFIT, UM, THE FIRST THREE MONTHS FROM, UH, FROM IMMATURE CLAIMS. NOW, UM, THE SAVINGS I HAVE PRESENTED ARE TRULY MATURE CLAIMS, BUT THIS BUDGET YEAR, YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE SAVINGS. UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY NO CHANGES TO, [01:15:01] UM, TO THE PLAN OTHER THAN MOVING SELF-FUNDED. UM, WE'LL WORK WITH STAFF. MY TEAM WILL WORK WITH STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT SET UP, UM, GET IT SET UP APPROPRIATELY. UM, AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, UM, A FEW OTHER RENEWALS, BUT THE OTHER RENEWALS FOR DENTAL, VISION DENTAL ACTUALLY WAS A DECREASE. UH, THE VISION AND THE LIFE AND DISABILITY WERE ALL A RATE PASS. SO, UM, REALLY NO, UM, NO EFFECTS TO THE EMPLOYEES ON THEIR BENEFITS OR THEIR RATES, UM, THIS YEAR, AND FOR SOME REASON, THIS THING IS STRUGGLING WITH ME, BUT, UM, SO THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, WOULD BE TO, UM, RENEW THE INSURANCE, THE RENEW THE, UM, HEALTH PLAN WITH, UM, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD MOVED TO PARTIALLY SELF-FUNDED, WHICH MEANS WE WOULD PURCHASE SPECIFIC STOP LOSS. UM, WE WOULD DO THAT AT THE $225,000 DEDUCTIBLE. THAT MEANS THE CITY WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR CLAIMS UP TO $225,000. WE WOULD TAKE AGGREGATE REINSURANCE, UM, ON 125% OF, UM, EXPECTED CLAIMS. SO JUST IN CASE THE CLAIMS RAN REALLY POORLY, WE WOULD HAVE HAVE THAT. UM, DID, I DID DO AN ANALYSIS ON THE DEDUCTIBLES. I LOOKED AT 200, 2 50, 200, 2 25, AND TWO 70, UM, AND, UM, REALLY LOOKED AT A THREE OR LOOK BACK ON THOSE. AND THE 2 25 IS WHAT, UM, WHAT REALLY MADE SENSE. AND THEN, UM, THE SECOND OPTION AGAIN, IS JUST TO RENEW THE DENTAL WITH AETNA, THE VISION WITH DAVID VISION AND LIFE, AND A D AND DLTD, AND THE ANCILLARY WITH UNUM. UH, WITH THAT, I WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE, UM, ANY QUESTIONS, MAYOR. SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND IS THAT WE GO WITH THE ANCILLARY, UH, INSURANCES. WE DON'T PAY FOR THOSE. IT'S ONLY RIGHT. AN EMPLOYEE PAID, UH, INSURANCE. SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, EDNA DAVIS VISION AND UNUM. AND THEN TO GIVE US AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED WITH SELF-FUNDED, UH, IF WE STAY FULLY INSURED THERE, IT'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $900,000 TO THE GENERAL FUND. AND IF WE GO PARTIALLY SELF-FUNDED, IT'S ABOUT A $300,000 INCREASE. AND I THINK, UM, THE CITY MANAGER TOLD ME THAT, UH, IT BUILT IN ABOUT A HALF A MILLION FOR THE BUDGET. AND I THINK, UM, I THINK THAT 300,000, I THINK IS ACTUALLY, IT'S A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE NUMBER. UM, I THINK YOU GUYS, I THINK WE'LL DO BETTER THAN THAT. OKAY. UH, I, I, THE ONLY THING, UM, I REMEMBER FROM THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, I DID HAVE JUST A, A CONCERN, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COVERAGE THAT WE HAVE FOR STAFF COVERS MD ANDERSON. MM-HMM . UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THAT I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM. YEP. IT WAS MY CONCERN BACK THEN. I THINK YOU SAID YOU LOOKED INTO THAT AND YEP, THEY ARE, THEY'RE IN NETWORK WITH BLUE CROSS. OKAY. UM, SO WE ARE NOT CHANGING ANY NETWORK, ANYTHING. THE ONLY THING THAT WE'LL BE CHANGING IS THE VEHICLE ON THE FUNDING AND HOW WE OKAY. HOW WE PAY BLUE CROSS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER MESMER? YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THE LOSS RATIO, WE'RE NOT DONE YET, BUT A LOSS RATIO OF 83.65% IS STUPENDOUS. IT, IT IS. NOW YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THAT. AND, AND, AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL, YEAH, A LOSS RATIO UNDER 90% IS OUTSTANDING. AND LAST YEAR WE WERE 91%, WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD FOR PIGEON SHOOTING, BUT, UH, 83.65 STUNNING. MAY IT CONTINUE FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS, KNOCK ON WOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MR. GIBBS FROM THE COMMISSION? I JUST WANT TO, YES. UH, WILL IT RECOGNIZE, UH, COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE. COMM UH, MR. GIBBS? YES, SIR. NOTHING FINANCIALLY IS GOING UP FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, CORRECT? THEY'RE NO. OKAY. NO, SIR. ONE, TWO, THEY'RE NOT LOSING ANY BENEFITS THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE. NO, SIR. OKAY. AND THREE, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE COST SAVINGS, BUT IMPROVE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ON HEALTH INSURANCE WISE? AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST OF US, IT'S ONCE A, YOU KNOW, YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL, YOU, MAYBE YOU GET THE COUGH, BUT IT'S THOSE DEVASTATING ONES THAT I WANNA REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE COVERED ON. YEAH. THEY, THEY ARE. UM, THE COVERAGE, UH, IS THE SAME. I WOULD, I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, THE COVERAGE IS STILL A VERY, YOU GUYS HAVE A VERY, UM, GOOD PLAN. UM, IT, IT PAYS, UM, GOOD BENEFITS FOR THE EMPLOYEES. AND, UM, IT'S, UH, SO YES, SIR, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S STILL GOOD. AND, AND WE WILL CONTINUE IT TO, AT RENEWALS AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE BENEFITS AND LOWER COSTS, UH, WITH NEW PROGRAMS THAT, UH, THAT BLUE CROSS IS ROLLING OUT, OR THAT WE SEE. WE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. YOU BET. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MAYOR, I JUST HAVE A [01:20:01] COMMENT. UH, SCOTT, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH ALL MY CALLS. OH, NO. TO YOU, . UH, BECAUSE THIS WAS A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GAVE A, YOU AND I GAVE A GOOD RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL. NO, AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE RIGHT DECISION. I THINK MOST, MOST GROUPS AT YOUR SIZE, UM, ARE PARTIALLY SELF-FUNDED. I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE BENEFITED, I THINK THE VALLEY'S BEEN HAD A COMPETITIVE, FULLY INSURED MARKET. UM, I THINK FOR THE CARRIERS, UH, THEY HAVE, UM, STRUGGLED. I THINK YOU'VE READ IN THE, IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE MEDIA THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE STRUGGLED WITH, UM, WITH THE COST FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID. UM, AND, UM, I THINK, I THINK WHERE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, SOMETIMES THEY'RE PASSING ON THAT COST TO EMPLOYERS. SO, UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, MONITOR IT AND KEEP YOU ABREAST OF HOW THE PLAN'S RUNNING. UH, THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MORALES? YES. UH, SCOTT, I KNOW I'M THE ONE WHO, I'M THE LITTLE PEBBLE IN YOUR SHOES SOMETIMES. . NO, SIR. NO. HERE'S THE, UH, UH, SOME OF THE MATERIAL THAT YOU GAVE US LAST YEAR. THERE'S SOMETHING THAT STOOD OUT. ONE IS ON SELF-INSURED, YOU EXPECTED, OR THE, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS A STRONG, UH, RISK MANAGER. AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE'RE GOING THROUGH NUMBER FOUR RIGHT NOW. AND THE SAME THING IS WITH OUR HR DIRECTOR. HOW IS THAT GOING TO IMPACT THE SELF-INSURANCE? UH, AND SECONDLY, WHICH IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN, AND THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE GONNA CORRECT ME RIGHT OFF THE BAT, IF WE WERE TO HAVE, LET'S SAY, A, A SHOOTING, UH, SOME TYPE OF, AND A PEDESTRIAN OR, OR A, A RESIDENT GETS HIT, A BYSTANDER, YOUR MEDICAL, WILL THAT COVER THAT, THAT LOSS? UH, THAT WOULD NOT, UM, A AGAIN, I, I'M, I'M NOT A, I'M NOT A PROPERTY CASUALTY EXPERT. I'M, I'M AN EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT EXPERT. UM, IF THAT PEDESTRIAN WAS NOT, UM, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, IT WOULD NOT FALL UNDER THE CITY'S HEALTH PLAN. UM, IF THAT PERSON WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, UM, TYPICALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THAT IS THE PLAN WOULD PAY AND THEN, UM, AND THEN THERE COULD BE A SUBROGATION ISSUE. UM, IF THERE'S ANY TYPE OF, UH, LIABILITY CLAIM THAT THAT'S, THAT'S PAID OUTSIDE THAT, OKAY. ANY POTENTIAL LAWSUITS AGAINST THE CITY? OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS REDUNDANT. I HAVE TO, I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I STILL GOTTA ASK, WILL NOT COME BACK TO BITE US BY GOING SELF-INSURED WITH YOU OR YOUR, UH, YOUR INSURANCE CLAIMS. UH, NO, SIR. IT, UM, UH, BLUE CROSS WILL CONTINUE TO BE, UM, THE FIDUCIARY, UH, ON THE PLAN. SO, UM, THEY WILL HAVE, UH, ULTIMATE LIABILITY. WHO WOULD'VE THE ULTIMATE LIABILITY AGAIN? UM, I, YOU, YOU CAN CHOOSE, UM, WHO THE FIDUCIARY IS. UM, MOST OF, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY 90% OF MY CLIENTS CHOOSE FOR, UH, THE CARRIER, SUCH AS BLUE CROSS TO BE THE FIDUCIARY, MEANING THAT THEY WOULD HANDLE THE APPEALS PROCEDURES, UM, THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD APPEALS PROCEDURES, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR YOU GUYS VERSUS, UM, VERSUS HAVING STAFF GET INVOLVED IN, IN THOSE TYPE OF APPEAL PROCEDURES. OKAY. I'M, I'M STILL UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO PROCEED WITH THE, UH, WITH THE VOTE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? NO. ALL RIGHT. UM, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. THIS DOES REQUIRE ACTION. CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION BY MESMER? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY BETIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, MR. GIBBS. THANK YOU. YOU BET. HAVE A GREAT, UH, GREAT EVENING. LIKEWISE. I HOPE IT GOES SWIMMING LIKE . SAFE TRAVELS. ALRIGHT, UM, [Item 9 - Public Hearings] MOVING ON TO PUBLIC HEARINGS. UM, AT THIS TIME, WE WILL, WE DO HAVE A FEW OF YOU SIGNED UP, SO I WILL CALL YOU ONCE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO, NINE, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW AN ADULT BUSINESS BAR IN A GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT, LOCATED AT ONE 12 EAST JACKSON STREET, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT SIX BLOCK 58 HARLINGEN ORIGINAL TOWN SITE. THE APPLICANT IS VERONICA ROSA. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, AND I WILL INVITE, UH, MR. JESUS ROSAS TO THE PODIUM. [01:25:03] GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME'S JESUS ROSA. I AM, UH, HERE ON BEHALF OF, UH, MY BROTHER, VALLEN ROSAS, WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING AND MY SISTER-IN-LAW, LEONARD ROSAS IS GONNA BE THE ONE ACTUALLY, UH, RUNNING THE BAR IF APPROVED. UM, I WANNA BEGIN BY SAYING THAT, UH, EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS. I RESPECT THAT. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE MAKING A DECISION HERE, UH, HEAR FROM US WHO KNOW MY BROTHER JUST AS A BUSINESS, NOT JUST AS A BUSINESS OWNER, BUT AS A MAN OF CHARACTER. UH, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE BOTH DEDICATED, UH, ACTUALLY ME AND MY TWO, MY TWO BROTHERS HAVE DEDICATED OUR, UM, OUR CAREERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR DECADES. OUR PROFESSION HAS BEEN BUILT ON ONE SIMPLE PRINCIPLE, AND THAT'S, UH, PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES. I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF THE, UH, MAIN CONCERNS OF, UH, SOME PEOPLE THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY'S GONNA SOMEHOW SUFFER. UM, EVERY DAY THAT WE WORE THE BADGE, WE WERE, WE, WE ARE HELD TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PROFESSIONALISM. WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR REPUTATION IS EARNED ONE DECISION AT A TIME. UM, AND THOSE VALUES DON'T DISAPPEAR WHEN YOU RETIRE OR PURSUE A NEW CHAPTER IN LIFE. I RETIRED FOUR MONTHS AGO. I STILL LIVE BY THAT SAME ETHOS. UM, THEY JUST BECOME A PART WHO, WHO WE ARE. UH, I'M THE OLDEST OF THE BROTHERS. UH, OF COURSE, I'VE KNOWN MY BROTHERS MY ENTIRE LIFE. I HAVE SEEN, UH, HOW THEY TREAT PEOPLE, HOW MY BROTHER CONDUCTS HIMSELF, HOW HE SERIOUSLY TAKES RESPONSIBILITY. IF THERE IS ONE THING I CAN SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE, IT IS THAT HE WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY CREATE OR OPERATE A BUSINESS THAT WOULD BECOME A NUISANCE TO THE COMMUNITY, OR COMPROMISE THE REPUTATION HE HAS SPENT A LIFETIME BUILDING. UH, HE UNDERSTANDS BETTER THAN MOST THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISORDER, EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL ABUSE, AND UNSAFE ENVIRONMENTS. UH, THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE'S RESPONDED TO THOSE VERY SITUATIONS. WHY WOULD SOMEONE WHO SPENT DECADES PROTECT, PROTECTING THE PUBLIC SUDDENLY CHOOSE TO CREATE THE VERY PROBLEMS HE WORKS SO HARD TO PREVENT? IT SIMPLY DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THE MAN I KNOW. THIS IS, THIS ISN'T JUST ANOTHER INVESTMENT FOR HIM. IT'S A REFLECTION OF HIS NAME, HIS FAMILY, AND THE VALUES HE HAS LIVED BY THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. HE KNOWS THAT A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS ISN'T MEASURED BY HOW BUSY IT IS ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. UH, IT'S MEASURED BY WHETHER CUSTOMERS FEEL WELCOME, NEIGHBORS FEEL RESPECTED, AND THE COMMUNITY VIEWS VIEWS IT AS A POSITIVE ADDITION. I, UM, I ASK THAT YOU JUDGE HIM BASED ON HIS CHARACTER, HIS RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE, AND HIS DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO DOING THE RIGHT THING. A LIFETIME OF HONORABLE SERVICE SHOULD CARRY WEIGHT. HIS ACTIONS OVER THE YEARS TELL A MUCH MORE ACCURATE STORIES, THAT SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF THIS BAR OPENS. UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I GOT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I HAVE COMPLETE CONFIDENCE THAT MY BROTHER WILL OPERATE A BUSINESS THAT REFLECTS THE SAME INTEGRITY, PROFESSIONALISM, AND RESPECT FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT HE DEMONSTRATED THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. JOSEPH. NEXT WE HAVE MR. NOAH TINO. I'M SORRY. TOMMY. NOAH. TINO, MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. UM, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY. IN THE FEW MINUTES I HAVE, I WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHO THEY ARE. YOU'LL OFTEN HEAR ME REFER TO THEM AS MY BROTHERS, MY FAMILY. UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY HEIGHT, UH, I'M THE ADOPTED ONE. SO , JUST TO LET Y'ALL KNOW, UH, I'M SHARING THIS MOMENT WITH Y'ALL TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT INTO THE FAMILY THAT TOOK ME IN AS AN 11-YEAR-OLD KID OFF THE STREETS. AND BLESS ME WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A PATH THAT LED ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY. THE FAMILY THAT TOOK ME IN INSTILLED THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE. THEY PLANTED THAT SEED OF HUMILITY AND KINDNESS IN MY HEART. UH, THESE VALUES GUIDED OUR STEPS AND HELPED US TREAT EVERYONE WITH GRACE AND RESPECT. OUR FAMILY VALUES ARE IMPORTANT TO US IN, UH, OUR EARLY YEARS. THE CHAPTERS, MY BROTHERS AND I SERVED OUR COUNTRY BY ENLISTING IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, WE HOLD STRONG TO OUR CORE VALUES, HONOR, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE VALUE AND HONOR THE SACRIFICE OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US. AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW THAT CHAPTER IN OUR LIFE WAS CRUCIAL IN SHAPING OUR CAREERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT WAS A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE THAT GAVE US A STRONG SENSE OF DUTY AND COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY. THE LESSONS AND VALUES WE'VE LEARNED INSPIRED US TO CHOOSE PATH THAT WE COULD MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. NOW, AS A DEDICATED LAW LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, WE WORK HARD TO UPHOLD JUSTICE AND ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY, DRIVEN BY THE PASSION AND PURPOSE THAT THAT CHAPTER SPARKED IN US. IN MY 20 YEAR CAREER, I HAVE DEVOTED NEARLY 16 YEARS OF SERVICE TO HARLINGEN ITSELF. SO IT SADDENS ME THAT A FEW PEOPLE WOULD JUDGE SOMEONE'S CHARACTER WITHOUT MERIT AND FORM A NEGATIVE OPINION OR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THEIR [01:30:01] MORAL AND PERSONALITY WITHOUT VALID REASON. IT IS DISHEARTENING THAT ONE'S PERCEPTION CAN BE DRIVEN BY BIAS OR RUMORS RATHER THAN ACTUAL BEHAVIOR. IN CLOSING, I RECOGNIZE THAT CHANGE CAN BE OVERWHELMING BECAUSE WE TEND TO SEEK FAMILIAR ROUTINES OVER CERTAIN ON FUTURES AS WE COME TOGETHER BEFORE GOD. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FUTURE IS UNPREDICTABLE AND NO ONE CAN CONTROL SOMEONE'S ACTIONS, YET WE CAN STRIVE TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS WE LOVE OURSELVES. SPEAKING OF LENTE AND VERONICA, TO INDIVIDUALS WHO I'VE DEDICATED MOST OF THEIR LIVES TO IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY, I PASSIONATELY URGE YOU GRANT THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THEIR VISION TO LIFE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION. THANK YOU, MR. VINNO. NEXT WE HAVE MR. VALENTI. ROSA. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND, UH, COMMISSIONERS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, UH, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPOSITION TO THIS. UH, AND I THINK 'CAUSE PEOPLE HAVE NOT GIVEN US THE, OR WE HAVE NOT INTRODUCED OURSELVES TO A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY. A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO THIS DO NOT DON'T, DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE. AND, UH, I THINK IF THEY WERE TO GET TO KNOW US AND REALIZE WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS WE ARE TRYING TO OPEN, THEY WOULD, UH, THEY MIGHT BE SWAYED RIGHT? TO, TO AGREE WITH US. WE, UH, WE BOUGHT, I HAVE, I PURCHASED THE BUILDING THERE IN, UH, IN DOWNTOWN. AND, UH, MY WIFE IS THE ONE THAT IS PLANNING TO, UH, RUN THE BUSINESS. WE PLAN TO BE THERE, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE 'CAUSE IT'S OUR, OUR BUSINESS. I'M PLANNING TO RETIRE IN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, AND THIS IS PART OF MY IDEA OF RETIREMENT. UH, I THINK THAT IF I, I HAVE SOME PHOTOS HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD SHOW 'EM TO YOU OF IDEAS OF WHAT WE HAVE IN MIND. WE PLAN TO IMPROVE THE BUILDING, UH, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT A VERY NICE ESTABLISHMENT WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME TO SOCIALIZE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ROSA. IF YOU WANT, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING, IF YOU WOULD LEAVE IT WITH THE CITY SECRETARY AND SHE'LL DISTRIBUTE. DO YOU NEED THEM BACK? NO. OKAY. ALRIGHT. BELIEVE THAT'S ALL WE HAVE IN TERMS OF CITIZENS SIGNED UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. HAVING NO ONE ELSE, UM, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NINE. A ITEM NINE B PUBLIC HEARING FOR REQUEST TO REZONE FROM NOT DESIGNATED DISTRICT TO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DISTRICT FOUR, A 0.05 ACRE TRACK OF LAND LOCATED BETWEEN LOT 27, BLOCK TWO AND L SUBDIVISION AND LOT D BLOCK FOUR, SOUTHWEST HARLING IN EDITION SUBDIVISION LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF K STREET, APPROXIMATELY 48 FEET NORTH OF FILLMORE AVENUE. THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST, OR SIGNED UP. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. MOVING ON TO ITEM NINE C. PUBLIC HEARING FOR REQUEST TO REZONE FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICT TO PLANNING DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT TO ALLOW FOR A RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT WITH SMALLER LOT SIZES FOR A 5.06 ACRE TRACK OF LAND, MORE OR LESS OUT OF BLOCK 16, SURVEY 42, STEWART PLACE SUBDIVISION LOCATED WEST OF PALOMA LANE, APPROXIMATELY 1060 9.84 FEET SOUTH OF US BUSINESS 83. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, HAVING NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST. WE WILL CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING. ITEM 90 D PUBLIC HEARING FOR REQUEST FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 35.32 ACRES, MORE OR LESS TRACK OF LAND SITUATED IN AND BEING 7.4 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 39, 8 0.08 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 52, 17 0.68 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 53, 1 0.45 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK. 54, 0 POINT 39 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK. 55 0 0.17, ONE ACRES OF MONTEZUMA ROAD RIDE OF WAY AND 0.170 ACRES OF BREED LOVE, ROAD RIDE OF WAY, ALL OF THE DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION AND REQUEST FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF INITIAL ZONING AS RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY DISTRICT UPON ANNEXATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 3.536 ACRES, MORE OR LESS BEING, AND PART OF 25 POINT 24 ACRE TRACK LAND LOCATED IN BLOCK 53. DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION SAID 3.56 ACRES BEING 2.912 ACRES OF SAID BLOCK 53 AND 0.624 ACRES OF EXISTING MONTEZUMA ROAD RIGHT OF WAY, LINE SOUTH OF AN ADJACENT TO SAID 2.912 ACRES [01:35:01] LOCATED ON MONTEZUMA ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 684 FEET WEST OF BRIGGS COLEMAN ROAD. THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THE ITEM, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ITEM NINE E PUBLIC HEARING OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 1 0 5, FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, AMENDING DEFINITIONS, UPDATING FLOOD HAZARD DATA AND FLOOD PAINT PLANE MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, CLARIFYING THE AUTHORITY DUTIES AND ADMINISTRATION OF FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS. REVISITING, REVISING, SORRY, FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT PERMIT REVIEW AND VARIANCE PROCEDURES, ESTABLISHING COMPENSATORY STORAGE REQUIREMENTS AND NO ADVERSE IMPACT. FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, REVISING FLOOD HAZARD REDUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL NON-RESIDENTIAL CRITICAL FACILITY MANUFACTURED HOMES, RECREATIONAL VEHICLE AND SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENT, ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL ELEVATION, FOUNDATION FLOOD PROOFING AND FLOODPLAIN ENCROACHMENT STANDARDS, ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN FLOOD HAZARD AREAS, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THE APPLICANT IS THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AT THIS TIME. WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL. UM, MS. MYRA, HOW MANY MINUTES, UM, MR. ROBERT LEWI WILL GET THREE MINUTES ON THIS ITEM? ON THIS ITEM? OR DOESN'T HE, ISN'T HE SIGNED UP FOR, HE SIGNED UP FOR TWO. SO HE'S GONNA PUT THREE MINUTES ON THIS ITEM AND TWO ON THE OTHER ONE. . IS THAT CORRECT, MR. LEWI? THREE AND TWO. OKAY. UM, YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES. UH, FIRST OFF, I JUST, UH, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT, UH, THE FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION, IT SHOULD BE IN POLICY. IT SHOULD BE A COMPREHENSIVE, IT SHOULD BE EXTENSIVE. THE FACT IS, IS THAT I THINK THE CITY CAN GO A STEP FURTHER. AND I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE FLOODED IN THE CITY, AND WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING DOLLARS TAX DOLLARS THAT CAN BE SPENT ON FLOOD PREVENTION, BUT WE'RE SPENDING THEM ON PARKS. WE'RE SPENDING THEM ON PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT FLOOD. THIS POLICY SHOULD REFLECT THE PROHIBITION OF SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY ON A PARK THAT'S, THAT'S IN A, A FLOODPLAIN OR A FLOOD KNOWN AREA. WE HAVE LCY HILL. THAT PARK IS, Y'ALL SPENT $10 MILLION ON THAT PARK OVER THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS THAT, THAT AREA BY THE POLICE STATION FLOODS. EVERY TIME THERE'S A MAJOR FLOOD, WE'RE SPENDING FLOOD MONEY ON PARKS WHEN WE COULD BE SPENDING IT. THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE FOUR B COULD BE USED FOR FLOODS, FOR, FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS. WE KNOW THAT. WE KNOW THAT, THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE HAD, UH, BALLOT REFERENDUMS TO DIVERT THAT MONEY FROM OTHER QUALITY OF LIFE THINGS. I MEAN, I THINK IF IT CAME DOWN TO BUYING A PARK BENCH OR SOMEBODY NOT GETTING FLOOD WATER IN THEIR HOUSES, I BELIEVE THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE A VOTE THAT THE, THE CITIZENS OF HARLINGEN WOULD, WOULD GO FOR EVERY TIME. YES, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO USE THAT MONEY, BUT TO, TO ARBITRARILY JUST USE IT FOR PET POLITICAL PROJECTS. MR. LEWI, IF WE CAN, I, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH LEEWAY AS POSSIBLE. I APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULDN'T VIOLATE MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING, IF WE COULD JUST STAY TOPIC. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, UH, YOU NEED TO RESET MY TIME BECAUSE I'M, I'M TALKING POLICY. I'M TALKING DRAINAGE. AND THAT IS WHAT THIS ISSUE IS. SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULDN'T, AGAIN, VIOLATE MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, JUST LIKE YOU DID UNDER COMMENTS WHEN YOU TOOK A FAVORABLE COMMENTER OUT OF ORDER AND PLACED THEM LAST SO THAT THEY COULD SPEAK OF WHAT YOU FAVORED. MR. YOU ARE STILL OUT OF ORDER. I ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY TO LOOK INTO THAT. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT'S A VIOLATION. YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER, MR. I'M NOT OUT OF ORDER. POLICE COULD FIND YOURSELF TO THE ORDINANCE. THAT'S A PUBLIC HEARING ARGUMENT. I WAS INTERRUPTED. I WAS TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE. PLEASE ADDRESS, PLEASE ADDRESS THE PUBLIC. OH, GO BACK TO IT. NOW THAT I HAVE BEEN VIOLATED, Y'ALL ARE GONNA VIOLATE MY CIVIL RIGHTS. AND THEN WHEN I GO AND DEFEND MYSELF, Y'ALL ARE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO ME. YOU'RE GONNA CALL ME OUTTA ORDER. YOU'RE IN OUT OF ORDER. YOU WERE OUT OF ORDER. I WAS TALKING ABOUT SPENDING DRAINAGE MONEY. PLEASE HAVE A SEAT TO LEFTBRIDGE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE PUT. I STILL HAVE 41 SECONDS OF MY PUBLIC HEARING MATTER. IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR COMMENTS, THE MATTER IS TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. UM, ALL I'M ASKING AND THE PUBLIC HEARING KNOWS, TAKE QUIT SPENDING THE EDC MONEY ON PARKS WHEN IT CAN BE USED FOR DRAINAGE SO PEOPLE DON'T GET FLOOD WATER IN THEIR HOMES. AND I'LL REST WITH THAT. THANK YOU MR. LEWI. HAVING NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. MOVING ON TO NINE F PUBLIC HEARING FOR REQUEST FOR AN SUP TO [01:40:01] ALLOW A STORAGE CONTAINER AND GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT AT 6 0 2 AND 6 0 6 WEST VAN BUREN AVENUE, VARYING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOTS 13 THROUGH 16 BLOCK 64 HARLAN AND ORIGINAL TOWN SITE SUBDIVISION. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. MOVING ON TO ITEM NINE G PUBLIC HEARING FOR REQUEST FOR AN SUP TO ALLOW FOOD TRUCK PARK IN A GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT, LOCATED AT TWO 15 EAST MONROE AVENUE, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT NINE BLOCK 35 HARLAN GEN ORIGINAL TOWN SITE SUBDIVISION. THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ITEM NINE H PUBLIC HEARING FOR AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN. IT'S ETJ CONSISTING OF ALL BLOCK 54 9 0.92 ACRE TRACK, MIC LOAD HOOD PROPERTIES, NUMBER ONE, LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF FM 5 0 8, APPROXIMATELY 4,000 FEET EAST OF FM 5 0 9. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, HAVING NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC PUBLIC HEARING. ITEM NINE I PUBLIC HEARING FOR A REQUEST, UH, FOR A REQUEST AND ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, AMENDING THE HARLINGEN HORIZON, A CITY OF ON THE RISE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, CHAPTER TWO, LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT MAP FIVE, FUTURE LAND USE MAP BY CHANGING THE DESIGNATION OF THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP FROM NOT DESIGNATED TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR THE FOLLOWING PARCELS. PARCELS LOCATED FROM FM 5 0 9, NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HANSON ROAD PARCELS, LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH DILWORTH ROAD AND COUNTY LANE PARCELS LOCATED NEAR SOUTH PALM COURT DRIVE PARCELS WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION LOCATED NEAR PARK LANE, WEST AND LEXINGTON AVENUE AREA AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF WEST LAFAYETTE STREET AND CHESTER PARK ROAD AND AREA NEAR WILSON ROAD AND STONEGATE DRIVE. AND CHANGING THE DESIGNATION FROM NOT DESIGNATED TO MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF WILSON ROAD AND RAMSEY ROAD. AND UPDATING PROPERTIES LOCATED ALONG WILSON ROAD NEAR ITS INTERSECTION WITH INTERSTATE 69 E TO REFLECT INSTITUTIONAL MEDIUM DENSITY, RESIDENTIAL AND RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACE, FUTURE LAND USES, AND ADDITIONAL FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION REVISIONS THROUGHOUT THE MAP, REFLECTING DATA UPDATES. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. WE DO HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC HEARING. MR. LEWI, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES ON THIS ITEM. PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS WITHIN THE PUBLIC HEARING ITEM. UH, THAT'S A VERY, UH, OUT OF ORDER TO MAKE THAT COMMENT. CONSIDERING I WAS TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE UNDER THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT IT APPEARS THAT YOU, THE, THE PROPOSAL IS TO BENEFIT A SPECIAL INTEREST, PROBABLY A SPECIAL INTEREST THAT HAS DONATED TO YOUR CAMPAIGN, UH, CHANGING THE LAND USE, UH, PREEMPTIVELY INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR A DEVELOPER TO COME IN THERE AND REQUEST THAT, THAT USE MAKES IT A LOT LESS POLITICALLY UNFAVORABLE. UH, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, OBJECT TO THIS BASED ON THE FACT THAT IT'S, IT IS PROBABLY GOT SOME HIDDEN AGENDA BEHIND IT, AND I'LL SETTLE WITH THAT. THANK YOU, MR. LEFTWICH. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, HAVING NO ONE ELSE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THE ITEM. MOVING [Item 10a - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for a request for a Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow an adult business (bar) in a General Retail ("GR") District located at 112 E. Jackson Street, bearing a legal description of Lot 6, Block 58, Harlingen Original Townsite. Applicant: Veronica Rosas] ON TO ACTION ITEMS. ITEM 10, A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO PROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR REQUEST FOR AN SUP TO ALLOW AN ADULT BUSINESS BAR IN A GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT LOCATED AT ONE 12 EAST JACKSON STREET, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOT SIX BLOCK 58 HARLINGEN ORIGINAL TOWN SITE. THE APPLICANT IS VERONICA ROSAS. UM, AND MS. ANA, I BELIEVE THAT COMMISSIONER MESMER HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU. GO AHEAD. YES. UM, IF YOU COULD SPEAK LOUDER, , I HAVEN'T NOT SAID ANYTHING. YEAH, I KNOW. OKAY. UH, WHAT WAS THIS BUSINESS PRIOR? IT WAS A, A RETAIL, IT WAS A, IT WAS QUELL BOUTIQUE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE CORRECT ONE. IT WAS A WHAT? A BOUTIQUE. IT WAS LIKE A, A CLOTHING STORE. OKAY. YES. OKAY. MM-HMM . I BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WHO PRESENTED THAT, YOUR MIGHTY FINE PEOPLE AND A MIGHTY FINE FAMILY. I GOT A CALL FROM A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNER, SAID 14 PEOPLE WERE AGAINST THIS. MM-HMM . BUT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THEY HAD TO SIGN UP BY A CERTAIN TIME TO VOICE THEIR OPINION. AND THE DOWNTOWN, THE FAMILY'S FINE, BUT WE DON'T NEED MORE BARFLIES AND BARRACHOS DOWNTOWN. [01:45:03] I'M DONE. WE DID RECEIVE A PETITION, UH, IN OP, UM, TO OPPOSE THE, UH, THE SUP, UH, HOWEVER, IT WASN'T, UH, IT DIDN'T MEET THE THRESHOLD TO QUALIFY AS A PROTESTED, UM, YOU KNOW, CASE. SO, UM, LET'S SEE. ANNA, DID YOU NOTIFY THE INDIVIDUALS AT THE PNZ MEETING THAT THIS WOULD COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION? YES. AND THEY'D NEED TO SIGN UP BY A CERTAIN TIME? YES. I DID NOT ADVISE THEM ON THE, UH, TIME OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THEY WERE AWARE THAT THIS ITEM WAS GONNA COME TO COMMISSION, AND SO THEY ACTUALLY SUBMITTED THE PETITION DURING THE, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, PUBLIC HEARING. AND SO WE STILL ACCEPT IT AND PROCESS IT. OKAY. SO THIS IS THE OPPOSITION MAP. UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, BUT I'LL JUST OPEN IT UP FOR THE COMMISSION FIRST. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANA, UM, OR FOR THE APPLICANT WHO IS HERE TODAY. I'LL START WITH YOU. UM, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ. UM, I TOO RECEIVED SOME, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I DO HAVE COMMENT. I RECEIVED A COUPLE OF, OF STATEMENTS FROM NEIGHBORS, UH, IN, IN OPPOSITION OF THIS. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. OKAY. DO YOU WANT ME TO PASS ON YOU FOR NOW? MAY I SEE WHAT WAS PASSED OUT EARLIER? THE, UH, PICTURES? Y'ALL CAN CONTINUE WHILE I, OKAY. UM, AND I'LL, I'LL CIRCLE, I'LL CIRCLE BACK, BUT, UM, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I ENDED UP, UH, I TOO GOT A PHONE CALL OR TWO IN OPPOSITION AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MINUTE. THEY WERE NOT AWARE THAT THIS WAS GONNA HIT TILL EARLIER TODAY. THAT'S IT AGAIN, ANA, YOU DID NOTIFY THEM? YES. AND IT'S POSTED ON THE AGENDA, THE PUBLIC NOTICE, UM, THE MAIL OUT OR THE LEGAL NOTICE THAT WE SENT TO ALL OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS, IT INDICATES BOTH THE, THE DATES FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IN THIS PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. UM, BEES, YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE OCCUPANCY? DO YOU KNOW, OR WE DON'T KNOW YET. YOU DON'T KNOW. THIS IS JUST, UH, ALLOWING THE USE. OKAY. UM, I, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT THING. UM, THEY'RE BRINGING SOME DIVERSIFICATION THERE TO DOWNTOWN. UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS FROM THE FAMILY. THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THEY'VE SERVED OUR COUNTRY. THEY HAVE ALSO SERVED THEIR COMMUNITIES. THIS IS THE RETIREMENT PLAN OF ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS, AND THIS IS THEIR DREAM. SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THEIR DREAM. UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF STIPULATIONS. I MEAN, THEY DO COME FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY. I DO NOT SEE IN ANY WAY HOW THIS IS GOING TO LEAD TO POCHOS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN THE STREETS. UM, I, I UNDERSTAND HOW SOME OF THE PEOPLE MAY BE, UM, UM, ADVERSE TO THE CHANGE, OR THEY MAY THINK BACK TO LIKE, BACK IN THE 1990S WHEN WE HAD THE PLACEA DISTRICT AND THINGS GOT OUT OF HAND. UM, BUT I THINK, UM, HAREN HAS CHANGED. AND I KNOW OUR POLICE OFFICERS DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND POLICING THE AREA. AND I KNOW THEY WOULD, THEY KEEP THINGS IN CONTROL. AND I KNOW I WAS READING THE COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE LAST PNZ MEETING, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY ACTUAL FIGHTS OR ANYTHING. 'CAUSE YOU GUYS OWN A BAR SOMEWHERE ELSE. CORRECT. SO WE HAD A, JUST AT THE MIC, MR. UH, ROSAS. SO WE, WE WERE RELEASING A BUILDING FOR TWO YEARS, FROM 2000, UH, MARCH, 2004 TO MARCH, UH, I'M SORRY, TO 2024. IT'S, UH, 2026. UH, HAD NO ISSUES. UH, IT WAS ON, UH, COMMERCE, UH, 10 15 NORTH COMMERCE WE'RE LEASING THE BUILDING. UH, AT THE END OF THE, OUR LEASE THAT WE HAD DONE A TWO YEAR LEASE, THE, UH, BUILDING OWNER DECIDED THAT HE WASN'T GONNA RENEW OUR LEASE. 'CAUSE I THINK HE WANTED TO OPEN THE BAR BACK UP THERE. SO, SO YOU, SO, SO JUST TO CORRECT ME, SO YOU ALREADY HAVE A HISTORY WHERE YOU'VE OWNED A BAR. YOU NEVER HAD ANY SITUATIONS WITH FIGHTS OR DRUNKS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NO. SO YOU'RE, YOU CAME OVER HERE, YOU BOUGHT A PROPERTY. UM, THIS IS YOUR DREAM FOR AFTER YOU RETIRE? YES, SIR. AND YOU ALREADY HAVE A ESTABLISHED RECORD OF SHOWING THAT YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS. YES. UH, AND LIKE I SAID, IT, WE'RE, WE'RE THERE DAY TO DAY. UH, AND WE DON'T TOLERATE, YOU KNOW, UH, DRUNK AT THIS OR PEOPLE GETTING OUTTA CONTROL. NONE OF THAT. I MEAN, WE WE'RE VERY STRICT. AND IF WE TELL YOU TO LEAVE AND YOU LEAVE, YOU CANNOT COME BACK EVER. SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY STRICT ON THAT. WE WANT A, A GOOD, CLEAN BUSINESS. AND I'M LOOKING AT THE PICTURES THAT YOU PROVIDED, AND I THINK, I THINK THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL. THEY REMIND ME KIND OF, OF, KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE, LIKE AT SIRS. YES. UM, IT'S VERY NICE. IT'S CLASSY. I DON'T SEE, UM, THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD WANT TO, TO GO HERE WOULD PROBABLY BE, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONALS. AND THESE ARE NOT THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA GO GET DRUNK AND WANT TO, YOU KNOW, UM, ENDANGER THEIR CAREERS BY DOING CRAZY THINGS DOWNTOWN. SO I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO DOWNTOWN. AND, UM, YOU HAVE MY VOTE. I [01:50:01] THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION. SO YOU'RE GOOD. THANK COMMISSIONER. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY A, A FEW THINGS AND THEN I'LL, I'LL CIRCLE BACK TO, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, I DID GO THROUGH ALL OF THE NOTES IN FROM THE P AND Z. AND SO I DO WANNA COMMEND THE P AND Z BOARD, UM, THE COMMISSION 'CAUSE THEY REALLY MAKE OUR JOB EASIER. WE GO THROUGH THAT, SEE WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION WAS ABOUT. AND YOU HAVE A VERY, UH, ROBUST TYPE OF, OF, UH, DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE. LOTS OF, UH, IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. AND SO IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR US. 'CAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND THINKING, HOW ARE THEY GOING THROUGH THIS SO QUICKLY? IT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, STAFF, UH, DOES THEIR, DOES THEIR HOMEWORK, DOES THEIR DUE DILIGENCE, AND THE BOARD DOES A, A PHENOM A PHENOMENAL JOB. UM, I DID GET, YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, MESSAGES AND MINE WERE DIFFERENT THAN, THAN, THAN THE OTHER COMMISSION THAT THE, UH, IS EXPRESSED FROM THE COMMISSIONERS IN TERMS OF OPPOSITION. UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT KNOW, WE DO HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD. AND SO WHAT THEY DO IS THEY ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GIVE US THE PULSE ON THE SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THEY REALLY TRY TO EMPOWER SMALL BUSINESSES. UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM EVEN WENT WITH US TO, UH, COLORADO TO REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW HARLINGEN IS WELCOMING TO SMALL BUSINESSES. AND THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UM, WE WERE AWARDED THIS AWARD IS BECAUSE OF FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGING ENTREPRENEURS TO, TO, TO, UM, REALLY TRY TO REALIZE THEIR DREAMS. AND SO I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT. I GOT A MESSAGE FROM KELLY, UM, CABREA FROM, SHE IS ONE OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS, UM, AMBASSADORS AND IS ON THAT COMMITTEE. AND SHE'S ALSO DOWNTOWN VERY CLOSE TO THE LOCATION, WHICH I THINK IS MAYBE ONE OR TWO, UM, BUSINESSES. AND SO SHE, YOU KNOW, MUCH LIKE MANY PARENTS TODAY ARE AT MEET THE TEACHER. AND SO COULDN'T BE HERE PERSONALLY, BUT SHE WANTED TO KNOW, UH, SHE WANTED ME TO KNOW THAT SHE HAS NO ISSUES, THAT SHE HAS MET, UM, THE OWNERS AND THAT THEY'RE VERY NICE PEOPLE, THAT SHE'S IN FULL SUPPORT OF THEM OPENING. SHE HAS NO ISSUES AND WANTED TO KNOW FOR THIS COMMISSION TO KNOW THAT SHE FULLY SUPPORTS THEM AS A NEIGHBOR DOWNTOWN. AND I KNOW THAT, UM, MS. CABERA IS NEW TO DOWNTOWN, HAS MADE THAT SPACE, UH, A REALLY, UM, SHE'S JUST REIMAGINED THAT SPACE. AND WHEN YOU WALK IN, IT'S BEAUTIFUL. AND IT'S A BOUTIQUE THAT, THAT CATERS TO THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF, UH, FASHION. I THINK NOW THEY'VE EXTENDED TO MEN TOO, WHICH IS GREAT. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SO SHE MENTIONED, AND THEN I KNOW WE'VE GOT, UM, JACOB ALVO. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY I, I'VE, I'VE ASKED THEM TO COME BECAUSE HE IS A BUSINESS OWNER ALSO DOWNTOWN AND EXPRESSED SUPPORT. DO YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS THAT YOU COULD SHARE? SURE. ABSOLUTELY. HELLO, MAYOR COMMISSION. JACOB VO, UH, 1220 EAST, EAST JACKSON. UM, YEAH, SO, UH, WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT JUST CHARACTER AND, UM, I JUST WANNA LET YOU GUYS KNOW, UM, I AM THE OWNER OF THE HARLINGEN JIUJITSU CLUB, A BUSINESS FOR 22 YEARS HERE IN HARLINGEN, TEXAS. AND VERY PROUD OF IT. I WEAR MY HARLING, IF YOU GUYS, UH, FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I'LL WEAR MY HARLINGEN HAT EVERYWHERE I GO THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. AND, UM, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN DAY TO DAY WITH VALENTI ROSAS RIGHT HERE. HE'S A, ONE OF MY JUUJITSU BLACK BELTS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HE HAS GOING ON WITH HIM, UH, IN HIS LIFE. AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT HIM A HUNDRED PERCENT THE WAY HE'S SHOWN, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE HARLAN JI JUUJITSU CLUB AND THE CITY ITSELF. SO I HOPE YOU GUYS TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND, UM, GIVE HIM THAT APPROVAL TO LIVE HIS DREAM OUT. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. ALBO. AND I ALSO ASKED, UM, THE CHAIR OF THE PNZ BECAUSE THERE WERE MANY PAGES OF NOTES. AND, UH, IF YOU'VE READ THROUGH YOUR, YOUR, UM, THROUGH YOUR PACKET AND THROUGH THOSE NOTES, I KNOW MR. CONSIGLIO ASKED LOTS OF POINTED AND DIRECT QUESTIONS TO ELICIT INFORMATION. AND SO WHY IS IT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SUPPORT THIS PROJECT? WELL, I THINK I FOLLOWED THE SAME DELIBERATION AS COMMISSIONER PEREZ DID, UM, OF UNDERSTANDING THE APPLICANT, UH, THEIR, THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, UM, THEIR, THEIR RECORD OF WHAT THEY RAN TWO YEARS FOR TWO YEARS. SO, UM, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER PEREZ THAT WE SHOULD GIVE, ALLOW THE OPPORTUNITY, AS YOU KNOW, THE SEP HAS THE SIX RECOMMENDATIONS. THERE'S MORE THAT CAN BE ADDED. THERE IS A ONE YEAR TIME LIMIT AS WELL THAT, UM, WE CAN KEEP AN EYE ON IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DOING WHAT, WHAT THEY PROMISE. UM, AND IT CAN ALWAYS BE PULLED OR IT CAN BE MODIFIED, RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE THAT ABILITY [01:55:01] TO, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A BUSINESS THAT I IMPACTS OUR COMMUNITY, UH, POSITIVELY. SO I THINK IT WAS JUST THOSE DELIBERATE, THOSE SAME DELIBERATIONS OF CHARACTER OF THE APPLICANT RECORD THEY HAVE AND THE INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS THAT. AND MR. RUSSOS, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY PURCHASED THE BUILDING, IS WHAT WE HEARD. AND I THINK I'VE READ IN, IN THE NOTES, DID THAT GO, DID THAT FACTOR INTO ANY OF THE CONVERSATION, UM, OR IN LEANING TOWARDS SUPPORTING OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT? 'CAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALREADY PUT THE INVESTMENT IN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS BUILDING WOULD BECOME IF IT'S NOT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY ENVISION FOR RETIREMENT. CERTAINLY. AND I THINK ANOTHER THING IS WE, WE DID SEE THE RENDERINGS THAT THEY PROVIDED, UM, THEIR VISION FOR IT. AND SO YOU ADD IN THE PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING, UM, THEY STILL HAVE A, A, I THINK, A, A HILL TO CLIMB, UH, FINANCIALLY ON THAT. UH, I THINK A QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT OCCUPANCY. UM, I KIND OF, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S MAYBE AROUND 70 I THINK MIGHT BE THE OCCUPANCY, BUT YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY DO THEIR BUILD OUT, UM, WITH RESTROOMS, ET CETERA, THAT WILL PROBABLY, UM, COME INTO MORE FOCUS. UH, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST STEP FOR THEM TO, TO FIGURE THAT OUT. AND, UM, THEY NEED THE SUP BEFORE THEY CAN INVEST ANOTHER DOLLAR, I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, AND I KNOW THAT IN OUR MEETING, AND I APPRECIATE THE COMPLIMENT, MAYOR, ON, ON THE, ON THE MEETING AND THE, THE MINUTES, YOU KNOW, WE EVEN GOT DOWN TO THE NAME MM-HMM . AND, AND WHAT THAT MEANT. AND FOR THEM, IT'S, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE BA MOVIE AND THE YEAH. RICHIE. AND, AND SO IT, IT, THAT'S WHERE SLEEPWALKS COMES FROM. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. SO, UM, I LOVE THE MOVIE AND, UM, . SO, SO ANYHOW, THAT, THAT, SO WE, SO WE DO, WE, WE TRY TO DRILL DOWN ON THE, ON THOSE LITTLE TIDBITS AND THAT INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND THOSE THINGS. I, I KNOW THE HOURS WERE A STICKING POINT AS WELL FOR SOME OF THE, THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE, UM, AND, AND THEIR CONCERNS. AND I THINK THEY'RE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS. YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, AND I KNOW THEM AND, AND LOVE THEM. UM, AND SO I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MAYBE CAN BE DELIBERATED AMONGST YOURSELVES AND FIGURE OUT IF, IF THOSE HOURS CAN BE TWEAKED. UM, WE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE MACHINES. UM, OUR BOARD SAID NO, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE LISTED IT SPECIFICALLY, UM, ON, ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL CAN CONSIDER AS WELL. UH, SEEMS LIKE THOSE ARE POPPING UP MAYBE WITHIN THE BARS. SO THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ON A, JUST A, A QUICK QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE SUP, SINCE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN BE REVISITED AS, AS, UH, NICK JUST MENTIONED. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE, THE RENEWAL COMES AFTER THAT ONE YEAR, WHAT, WHAT DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT DO OR, OR HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT REVISITING THESE LOCATIONS? WELL, WE WILL HAVE TO EVALUATE WHETHER THERE WERE ANY COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT. I MEAN, I'M HOPE WE'RE HOPING THAT WE DON'T ACT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY STAY ON IT. IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS THAT WE ARE KEEPING TRACK OF THOSE MM-HMM . AND SO AS FAR AS RENEWAL, IT'S GONNA HELP HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU AS WELL AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UM, AND SO, OKAY. SO I THINK YOU'LL GET THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY IF SOMETHING HAPPENS. OKAY. AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS PRELIMINARY SINCE IT'S JUST THE SUP STAGE. EXACTLY. CORRECT. YES. JUST TO ALLOW THE USE. ALRIGHT. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE REASONS, YOU KNOW, I, I DID READ THROUGH ALL OF THE OPPOSITION AND I WANTED TO BE THOUGHTFUL IN, IN, IN MY DECISION. AND I, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID THIS AND I'LL CONTINUE TO SAY THIS, THAT HARLINGEN NEEDS TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE ALLOW, UM, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO TRY TO REALIZE THEIR DREAMS, UH, IF WE'RE CLOSING THE DOOR BEFORE THEY EVEN GET STARTED. YOU KNOW, IS THAT, ARE WE TRULY A REFLECTION OF WHAT WE PRESENTED WHEN WE WENT TO COLORADO SAYING WE'RE AN ALL AMERICA CITY BECAUSE WE INVEST IN OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, THAT WE'VE GOT SOME BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE REALLY NEARBY THAT ARE SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF IT. I, I GONNA SAY I KIND OF LIKE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND, UH, TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO ENSURE THAT, THAT THEY ARE, UH, OPERATING WITHIN THE LIMITS OF, OF THE LAW. AND WE'VE GOT THE WONDERFUL HARLAN AND POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THAT IS, IS BEING DONE. AND I DID SEE THAT THERE'LL BE SECURITY AT THE LOCATION. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. OKAY. UM, DID YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTS? JUST A COUPLE. OKAY. MR. UH, ROSALES, WOULD YOU POP UP HERE PLEASE? OR MRS I'M SORRY. SHE'S THE ONE, ONE RUNNING THE PLACE. BOTH OF Y'ALL, IF YOU LIKE. HELLO? HELLO. MY NAME, MY NAME'S DANIEL LOPEZ. I'M THE CITY COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT TWO, WHICH IN INCORPORATES DOWNTOWN AS WELL. UH, Y'ALL LIVE IN HARTON? NO, WE DO NOT. WE LIVE IN LYFORD. OH, I LOVE LYFORD. LOVE WILLIS COUNTY. I'M A BIG, BIG FAN FAN. YOU WERE GONNA SAY THAT. I JUST WILL. I LIKE YOU GUYS MORE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU'RE FROM WILLESEE COUNTY, Y'ALL GOOD PEOPLE. UM, [02:00:01] AS YOU ALL HAVE PROBABLY SEEN, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN ELECTED IN 2022, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING IN A LOT OF FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN AND NOT HOW TO IMPROVEMENT, IMPROVE IT. YOU SAW WHAT WE'VE DONE AT LOZANO PLAZA. YOU'VE SEEN THE IMPROVEMENTS, THE NEW STAGE, THE NEW BATHROOMS PUTTING IN LIGHTS. UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT REPLACING THE, THE, THE PALM TREES AND ALL THAT. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO DOING A BIG PUSH ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT OUR DOWNTOWN TO BE THE BEST DOWNTOWN IT POSSIBLY CAN BE. RIGHT? I KNOW, I BELIEVE BEING A DPS TROOPER, YOU'VE BEEN THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE STATE, BOTH OF Y'ALL PROBABLY AND, AND HAVE SEEN THE POTENTIAL A A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN CAN HAVE. BUT YOU ALSO, BEING IN LIFER GREW UP AROUND HERE, SAW HOW BAD HE CAN GET THE DOWNTOWN CAN GET. RIGHT. AND SO I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE SITUATION Y'ALL ARE STEPPING IN, AS YOU SAW AT YOUR P AND Z MEETING IS THAT YOUR NEIGHBORS, BECAUSE THEY CARE SO MUCH, BECAUSE THEY LIVED THROUGH, UH, THE DILAPIDATED, THE, THE, THE TERRIBLE NINETIES AND EIGHTIES OR WHATNOT ARE GONNA BE ALL OVER Y'ALL. Y'ALL RECOGNIZE THAT, RIGHT? AND YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU GUYS STEP OUTTA LINE, THEY'RE GONNA BE THE FIRST ONES TO AND YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT? ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE OF MY JOB, I CONSTANTLY LIVE UNDER SCRUTINY. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOTHING NEW. I THINK THE PHOTOS THAT Y'ALL PRESENTED IS THE EXACT TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT WE WANT. MM-HMM . UH, AND I DID HAVE HESITANCY COMING INTO THIS BECAUSE YOU HEAR BAR, UH, AND TRUST ME, I LOVE DIVES JUST AS MUCH AS EVERYONE ELSE DOES, RIGHT? BUT BECAUSE OF THE VISION WE HAVE FOR DOWNTOWN, I THINK IF YOU PROCEED FORWARD WITH THE VISION THAT YOU PRESENTED TODAY, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA FIT RIGHT IN. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE ALREADY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, MAYBE AFTER THIS, A CELEBRATORY, UH, GLASS OF WINE AT THE OTHER ROOM, WINE BAR, UH, TO SEE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND YOU SEE SIRS MARTINEZ, JESUS PENA, AND HIS SISTER ADO OUTSTANDING JOB. MM-HMM . WITH THEIR FACILITY, UH, AND THEIR LOCATION. UH, MR. RAYMOND REYES DOES A VERY GOOD JOB AS WELL. AND SO I JUST, I WANT YOU TO COME INTO THIS EYES WIDE OPEN. WE, WE WILL BE CIRCLING BACK TO THIS IN A YEAR. UH, BUT I WISH YOU THE BEST OF YOUR SUCCESS, AND I HOPE THAT THE VISION YOU PRESENTED TODAY IS A VISION THAT COMES TO BE A REALITY. AND THAT IN A YEAR OR TWO, WE'RE GONNA BE HIGHLIGHTING YOU TO THE ALL DOWNTOWNS THROUGHOUT THE STATE ABOUT YOU GUYS BEING THE GYM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? UH, ONE LAST THING, MARK, YOU AND I SPOKE WHEN, WHEN THIS, UH, THIS P AND Z MEETING CAME UP. I GOT PHONE CALLS THAT DAY FROM PNZ BOARD MEMBERS AND ALL THAT. AND WE DISCUSSED THAT THE CONCERNS I HAVE WITH DISTRICTS LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN MACALLAN, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN BROWNSVILLE. AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, IF YOU CAN, TO PRESENT SOMETHING TO START CUTTING OFF THOSE AVENUES OF CONCERN THAT THE OTHER CITIES ARE RUNNING INTO ALREADY. MM-HMM . UH, SO THAT WE CAN BE PROACTIVE AND THAT WHEN THEY COME BACK, THEY'LL SEE WHAT WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT. YES. COMMISSIONER, YOU RAISED THAT ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO AND I'M ALREADY STARTED WORKING ON IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. FANTASTIC. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS OUTLINED BY THE P AND Z BOARD AND P AND Z STAFF. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED, OPPOSED. THREE, THREE. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THE MOTION FAILS. OKAY. SO MR. ROSA, UH, I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS YOU JUST FOR A MINUTE. UM, I TYPICALLY DON'T DO THIS, BUT I I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE DON'T ALWAYS GET WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANT. AND, YOU KNOW, AS MAYOR OF, OF THIS COMMISSION, I AM ONLY ONE OF SIX VOICES AS, AS YOU SAW HERE TODAY. UM, IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING FOR ME THAT THIS IS THE, THE OUTCOME. UM, MY HOPE IS THAT POTENTIALLY YOU CAN, AND YOU CAN TALK WITH ANA, WE'VE HAD THESE ISSUES COME, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST TO BE ABLE TO REAPPLY AND MAYBE IT CAN, UM, CALM SOME OF THE CONCERNS OR ISSUES FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS. UH, I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN. BUT [Item 10d - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for a request for the voluntary annexation of 35.32 acres, more or less, tract of land situated in and being 7.40 acres of land out of Block 39, 8.08 acres of land out of Block 52, 17.68 acres of land out of Block 53, 1.45 acres of land out of Block 54, 0.39 acres of land out of Block 55, 0.171 acres of Montezuma Road right-of-way and 0.170 acres of Breedlove Road right-of-way, all of the David and Stephenson Subdivision and request for the voluntary annexation and establishment of initial zoning as Residential, Multi-Family ("M-2) District upon annexation for approximately 3.536 acres, more or less, being and part of a 25.24-acre tract located in Block 53, David and Stephenson Subdivision, said 3.56 acres being 2.912 acres of said Block 53 and 0.624 acres of existing Montezuma Road right-of-way lying south of and adjacent to said 2.912 acres, located on Montezuma Road approximately 684 feet west of Briggs Coleman Road. Applicants: Cameron County Drainage District #5 and Luis H. Villarreal.] I DON'T WANT YOU TO COMPLETELY CLOSE THE DOOR ON, ON HARLINGEN. I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE A, A, A GREAT ADDITION. UH, WE HAVE A DOWNTOWN PLAN, AND LOOKING AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND LISTENING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT YOU, IT SEEMS TO BE IN LINE WITH OUR DOWNTOWN PLAN. I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, UM, THIS WAS PROBABLY A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION FOR HIM BECAUSE HE WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH THE, WITH THE OWNERS OF ALL OF BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN AND DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. UM, YOU KNOW, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO A YES AT SOME POINT. UH, I'M SORRY THAT THIS IS THE CASE FOR TODAY, BUT LET'S CONTINUE WORK FORWARD. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT [02:05:01] YOU, AND IF THIS COMES BACK, YOU GUYS PROCEED FORWARD ON THIS, THAT Y'ALL DO A PRESENTATION AND SHOW THE PUBLIC WHAT YOUR VISION IS SO THAT IT CAN, UH, DISABUSE THE PUBLIC OF THE CONCERNS THAT THEY MAY ALREADY HAVE. OKAY? UH, AND I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT, THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT WILLING TO EVEN LISTEN TO US ABOUT IT. SO, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, UH, UNFORTUNATE THAT DOWNTOWN IS JUST GONNA HAVE AN EMPTY BUILDING NOW. YEAH, I AGREE. THANK YOU, MR. DOCE. NO. [Item 10b - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for a request to rezone from Not Designated ("N") District to Neighborhood Services ("NS") District for a 0.05- acre tract of land located between Lot 27, Block 2, L and L Subdivision and Lot D, Block 4, Southwest Harlingen Addition Subdivision, located on the west side of K Street, approximately 48 feet north of Filmore Avenue. Applicant: James De Leon.] ALL RIGHT. UM, MOVING ON TO ITEM 10 B, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR A REQUEST TO REZONE FROM NOT DESIGNATED DISTRICT TO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES. LET WAIT. LET ME JUST CIRCLE BACK. MARK. I, I, WE DIDN'T READ THE CAPTION. IS, IS THAT NECESSARY? WELL, THE ORDINANCE FAILED. OKAY. SO WE'RE FINE. ALL RIGHT. UM, THE CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO PROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR REQUEST TO REZONE FROM A NOT DESIGNATED DISTRICT TO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DISTRICT FOR 0.5 ACRE TRACK OF LAND LOCATED LOT 27 BLOCK TWO L AND L SUBDIVISION IN LOT D BLOCK FOUR, SOUTHWEST HARLINGEN EDITION SUBDIVISION, LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF K STREET, APPROXIMATELY 48 FEET NORTH OF FILLMORE AVENUE. UM, MARK IN ORDINANCE MANY, THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN REZONING FROM NOT DESIGNATED AND DISTRICT TO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE. NS FOUR A 0.05 ACRE TRACT OF LAND LOCATED BETWEEN LOT 27 BLOCK TWO L AND L SUBDIVISION, AND LOT D BLOCK FOUR SOUTHWEST HARLING, IN ADDITION, LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF K STREET, APPROXIMATELY 48 FEET NORTH OF FILLMORE AVENUE. ALL RIGHT. UM, COMMISSIONER MESMER HAS A BRIEF QUESTION. HOW MANY SQUARE FEET IS THIS SUB DECIMAL POINT FOR THE ACTUAL TRACT OF LEFT OR THE WHOLE TRACT? YEAH. YEAH. IT'S 0.05 ACRES. THAT'S, OH, IT'S ABOUT 2000 SQUARE FEET. 2000 SQUARE FEET. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET? ALL OF THE INFORMATION BEFORE YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANA? HEARING NONE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MAKE MOTION. MOTION. SECOND. MOTION TO APPROVE. UH, MORALES. YES. OKAY. SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM NINE [Item 10c - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for a request to rezone from Residential, Single Family ("R-1") District to Planned Development ("PD") District to allow for a Residential, Single-Family development with smaller lot sizes for a 5.06-acre tract of land, more or less, out of Block 16, Survey 42, Stuart Place Subdivision located west of Paloma Lane, approximately 1,069.84 feet south of U.S. Business 83. Applicant: M2 Engineering c/o Mobeen Ahmed] 10 C. CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO PROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR A REQUEST TO REZONE FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICT TO PLAN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT TO ALLOW FOR RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT WITH SMALLER LOT SIZES FOR A 5.0 ACRE TRACK OF LAND, MORE OR LESS. OUT OF BLOCK 16, SURVEY 42, STEWART PLACE SUBDIVISION LOCATED WEST OF PALOMA LANE, APPROXIMATELY 1069 POINT 84 FEET SOUTH OF US BUSINESS 83, UH, MARK IN ORDINANCE SUBMITTING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN REZONING FROM RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY R ONE DISTRICT TO PLAN DEVELOPMENT PD DISTRICT TO SMALLER LOT SIZES FOR A 5.06 ACRE TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS AT A BLOCK. 16. SURVEY 42 STEWART PLACE SUBDIVISION LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF PALOMA LANE, APPROXIMATELY 1060 9.84 FEET SOUTH OF US BUSINESS 83. ALRIGHT. PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OR ANY OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING . ALRIGHT. OKAY. UM, GENTLEMEN OR COMMISSION YOU HAVE IN, IN YOUR PACKET, UH, ALL OF THE INFORMATION, ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR ANA? MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND MOTION BY PEREZ, SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. A. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. DID YOU VOTE? DID YOU VOTE? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM 10 D, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR REQUEST FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 35.32 ACRES, MORE OR LESS TRACK OF LAND SITUATED IN AND BEING 7.40 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 39 8 0.08 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 52. 17 POINT 68 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 53. 1.45 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 54 0 0.39 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 55 0 0.1 71 ACRES OUT OF MONTEZUMA ROAD RIDE OF WAY AND 0.170 ACRES OF BREED LOVE ROAD RIGHT AWAY. ALL OF THE DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION AND REQUEST FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION [Item 10f - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for a request for a Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow a storage container in a General Retail ("GR") District located at 602 and 606 W. Van Buren Avenue, bearing a legal description of Lots 13 through 16, Block 64, Harlingen Original Townsite Subdivision. Applicant: Javier Rodriguez c/o Logos Community Church.] AND ESTABLISHMENT OF INITIAL ZONING AS RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY DISTRICT UPON ANNEXATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 3.536 ACRES, MORE OR LESS BEING, AND PART OF 25 POINT 24 ACRE TRACK LOCATED IN BLOCK 53, DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION SAID THREE POINT 56 ACRES BEING 2.9 12 ACRES OF SAID BLOCK 53 AND 0.624 ACRES OF EXISTING ONE TO ZUMA ROAD RIGHT AWAY, LINE SOUTH OF, AND [02:10:01] THE ADJACENT TWO SAID 2.912 ACRES LOCATED ON THE MONTEZUMA ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 6 684 FEET WEST OF BRIGGS COLEMAN ROAD. TALK ABOUT A RUN ON SENTENCE THERE, . ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. LEMME TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS NOW. CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTION. WE APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR REQUEST FOR VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF 35.32 ACRES, MORE OR LESS AT TRACT LAND. SITUATED AND BEING 7.40 LAND ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 39 8 0.08 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 52, 17 0.68 ACRES OF LAND THAT ARE BLOCK 53, 1 0.45 ACRES OF LAND THAT ARE BLOCK 54 0 0.39 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BLOCK 55 0 0.17, ONE ACRES OF MONTEZUMA ROAD RIGHT OF WAY AND 0.170 ACRES OF BREEDLOVE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY, ALL OF DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION AND REQUEST FOR THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF INITIAL ZONING AS RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY M TWO DISTRICT, UPON ANNEXATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 3.536 ACRES, MORE OR LESS BEING IN PART OF A 2 25 0.24 ACRE TRACT LOCATED IN BLOCK 53. DAVID AND STEVENSON SUBDIVISION SAID 3.56 ACRES BEING 2.912 ACRES OF SAID BLOCK 53 AND 0.624 ACRES OF EXISTING MONTEZUMA ROAD RIGHT OF WAY, LYING SOUTH OF AND ADJACENT TO SAID 2.912 ACRES LOCATED ON MONTEZUMA ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 685 FEET WEST OF BRIGGS COLEMAN ROAD. I NEED AIR AND A GLASS OF WATER. UH, IS THERE MOTION TO SO MOVED. OKAY. MOTION APPROVED BY MESMER. IS THERE SECOND, SECOND, SECOND. SECOND BY GO. IS ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM NINE [Item 10e - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Harlingen, Texas, amending Chapter 105, "Flood Damage Prevention", of the Code of Ordinances; amending definitions; updating flood hazard data and floodplain management standards; clarifying the authority, duties, and administration of floodplain regulations; revising floodplain development permit, review, and variance procedures; establishing compensatory storage requirements and no-adverse-impact floodplain management standards; revising flood hazard reduction requirements for residential, nonresidential, critical facility, manufactured home, recreational vehicle, and subdivision development; establishing additional elevation, foundation, floodproofing, and floodplain encroachment standards, establishing additional regulations for development within flood hazard areas; providing for severability; providing for codification; providing for conflicts; and providing an effective date. Applicant: City of Harlingen] E CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 1 0 5, FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, AMENDING DEFINITIONS, UPDATING FLOOD HAZARD DATA AND FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, CLARIFYING THE AUTHORITY DUTIES AND ADMINISTRATION OF FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS, REVISING FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT PERMIT REVIEW AND VARIANCE PROCEDURES, ESTABLISHING COMPENSATORY STORAGE REQUIREMENTS AND NO ADVERSE IMPACT. FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, REVISING FLOOD HAZARD REDUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL NON-RESIDENTIAL CRITICAL FAMILY MANUFACTURED HOME RECREATIONAL VEHICLE AND SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENT, ESTABLISHING ADDITION ELEVATION FOUNDATION, FLOOD PROOFING AND FLOODPLAIN ENCROACHMENT STANDARDS, ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE FLOOD HAZARD AREAS, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. UH, MARK IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY, COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF HAULAGE IN TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 1 0 5, FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, AMENDING DEFINITIONS, UPDATING FLOOD HAZARD DATA AND FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, CLARIFYING THE AUTHORITY DUTIES AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS, REVISING FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT PERMIT REVIEW AND VARIANCE PROCEDURES, ESTABLISHING COMPENSATORY STORAGE REQUIREMENTS AND NO ADVERSE IMPACT. FLOOD PLAN MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, REVISING FLOOD HAZARD REDUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL NON-RESIDENTIAL CRITICAL FACILITY, MANUFACTURED HOME RECREATIONAL VEHICLE AND SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENT, ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL ELEVATION, FOUNDATION FLOOD PROOFING AND FLOODPLAIN ENCROACHMENT STANDARDS, ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN FLOOD HAZARD AREAS, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MAYOR, FOR THIS ITEM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FRIES AND NICHOLS, WHO IS OUR CONSULTANT. UH, HIS NAME IS EVAN, AND SO THE PRESENTATION SHOULD BE RATHER, YOU KNOW, QUICK. I THINK EVERYTHING'S IN FRONT OF US. YES, I WE'RE JUST UPDATING EVERYTHING. RIGHT? RIGHT. OKAY. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, UH, MOTION BY LOPEZ. SECOND BY BETIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. UNANIM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I APOLOGIZE, MAYOR, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU. THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND THE PRESENTATION. MOVING ON TO F CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR REQUEST FOR AN SUP TO ALLOW A STORAGE CONTAINER IN A GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT LOCATED AT 6 0 2 AND 6 0 6 WEST BEND BUREN AVENUE, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOTS 13 THROUGH 16 BLOCK 6 64 HARLINGEN ORIGINAL TOWN SITE SUBDIVISION. UH, MARK AN ORDINANCE SUBMITTING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT ISSUED TO JAVIER RODRIGUEZ, CARE OF LO COMMUNITY CHURCH TO ALLOW A STORAGE CONTAINER IN A GENERAL RETAIL DISTRICT LOCATED AT 6 0 2 AND 6 0 6 WEST VAN BUREAU AVENUE, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LOTS 13 THROUGH 16 BLOCK 64 HARLINGEN ORIGINAL TOWN SITE SUBDIVISION, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING. OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING MOTION TO APPROVE QUESTION. QUICK ONE. OKAY. UH, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF HURRICANE SEASON. I KNOW THIS IS ONLY FOR 90 DAYS. MM-HMM . IF WE GET A HURRICANE, IS THIS THING STRAPPED DOWN? NO, IT'S NOT. [02:15:01] THAT WAS TEMPORARY. I GET THAT AS TEMPORARY AND THEY SHOULD NOT STRAP IT DOWN, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN WITH THE WIND. THAT WAS A CONCERN IN THE NOTES IS WHAT I WAS SAYING. YES. MM-HMM . YOU WANT A CONDITION OR WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO? I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE IS A CONDITION. JUST EVERYONE LIGHT A CANDLE, PLEASE. I MEAN, IT'S FOR MORE REASONS THAN ONE. I'LL MAKE, I'LL SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER BEES' MOTION TO APPROVE. THERE'S NO WAY TO SECURE. UM, I MEAN THEY, WE CAN TRY ASKING FROM THE APPLICANT, BUT IT'S ONLY TEMPORARY. IT'S ONLY 90 DAYS. IT'S JUST THE 90 DAY WINDOW IN WHICH IT'S IN, RIGHT? YEAH. UH, LET'S JUST ASK THEM IF THEY CAN DO A, UH, GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO MM-HMM . LOOK AT STABILIZING IT. OKAY. MAY, I MEAN, UNLESS DO WANNA, WE CAN ALSO ADD TO, UH, REMOVE THE ITEM IN CASE THERE'S HURRICANE COMING. BRILLIANT. YES. IF WE COULD JUST, SO IS THAT THE CONDITION? YES. IF WE'RE CAN ADD THAT CONDITION, THEN I SHARE THE CONCERNS JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WATER CAN COME, UM, WITHOUT NOTICE. AND SO THAT'S A CONCERN. SO WE JUST, WHATEVER PROACTIVE MEASURES CAN BE CAN BE TAKEN. WE UNDER, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR IT, BUT MM-HMM . OKAY. SO WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE TIS AND A SECOND BY LOPEZ CONDITIONED ON, UM, LOPEZ'S REQUEST FOR ANA TO REACH OUT TO THE APPLICANT AND, AND, AND TAKE PROACTIVE MEASURES AND THEN ALSO TO BE REMOVED SHOULD THERE BE A HURRICANE IN THE FORECAST AND ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WEATHER, CORRECT? YES. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE OR AYE. OPPOSED? AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. UM, WE ARE GOING TO PASS ON NINE G. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO PASS. MOVING ON. WE DID DO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT MARK, JUST FOR YOUR NOTES. OKAY. [Item 10h - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for the release from the City of Harlingen Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ET J), consisting of all of Block 54 (9.92 acre tract}, McLeod Hood Properties No. 1, located on the south side of FM 508 approximately 4,000 feet east of FM 509. Applicant: Ezekiel Robles on behalf of Sandra Robles.] ITEM H, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF HARKEN'S, ETJ CONSISTING OF ALL BLOCK 54, UH, HOOD HOOD PROPERTIES. NUMBER ONE, LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF FM. 5 0 8, APPROXIMATELY 4,000 FEET OF FM 5 0 9. IS THERE MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION BY BEEZ READING. UM, I'M SORRY, MARK. ALL RIGHT. IN ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, PROVIDING FOR THE RELEASE OF CERTAIN RURAL PROPERTY FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION CONSISTING OF ALL BLOCK 54, 9 0.92 ACRE TRACK, MCLEOD HOOD SUBDIVISION, MCLE HOOD PROPERTIES, NUMBER ONE, LOC LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF FM 8 5 0 8, APPROXIMATELY 4,000 FEET EAST OF FM 5 0 9, PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING. OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING. ALRIGHT, WE HAD A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BEEZ. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND. SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. [Item 10i - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for a request for an ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Harlingen, Texas amending the Harlingen Horizon - A City on the Rise Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 2, Land Use and Development, Map 5, Future Land Use Map, by changing the designation of the Future Land Use Map from Not Designated to Low-Density Residential for the following parcels: Parcels located from FM 509 near the intersection of Hanson Road; parcels located near the intersection of South Dilworth Road and Country Lane; parcels located near South Palm Court Drive; parcels within the Subdivision located near Park Lane West and Lexington Avenue; area around the intersection of West Lafayette Street and Chester Park Road; and area near Wilson Road and Stonegate Drive, and changing the designation from Not Designated to Medium Density Residential for a property located near the intersection of Wilson Road and Ramsey Road; and updating properties located along Wilson Road near its intersection with Interstate 69E to reflect institutional, medium density residential, and recreational/open space future land uses; and additional future land use designation revisions throughout the map reflecting data updates. Applicant: City of Harlingen] ITEM I CONSIDERATION. IMPOSSIBLE. ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR REQUEST FOR AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS AMENDING THE HARLINGEN HORIZON, A CITY ON THE RISE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. CHAPTER TWO, LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT MAP FIVE. FUTURE LAND USE MAP BY CHANGING THE DESIGNATION OF THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP FROM NOT DESIGNATED TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR THE FOLLOWING PARCELS. PARCELS LOCATED FROM FM 5 0 9 NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HANSON ROAD PARCELS LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH DILWORTH ROAD AND CA AND COUNTRY LANE PARCELS LOCATED NORTH, LOCATED NEAR SOUTH PALM COURT DRIVE PARCELS WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION LOCATED NEAR PARK LANE, WEST AND LEXINGTON AVENUE AREA AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF WEST LAFAYETTE STREET AND CHESTER PARK ROAD. AN AREA NEAR WILSON ROAD AND STONEGATE DRIVE. AND CHANGING THE DESIGNATION FROM NOT DESIGNATED TO MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR PROPERTY. LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF WILSON ROAD AND RAMSEY ROAD. AND UPDATING PROPERTIES ALONG WILSON ROAD NEAR ITS INTERSECTION WITH INTERSTATE 69 E TO REFLECT INSTITUTIONAL MEDIUM DENSITY, RESIDENTIAL AND RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACE, FUTURE LAND USES AND ADDITIONAL FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION REVISION THROUGHOUT THE MAP, REFLECTING DATA UPDATES. MARK IN ORDINANCE, SUBMITTING THE HARLE HORIZON, A CITY ON THE RISE. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. CHAPTER TWO, LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT MAP. FIVE. FUTURE LAND USE MAP BY CHANGING THE DESIGNATION OF OF THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP FROM NOT DESIGNATED TO LOW DESIGN, LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR THE FOLLOWING PARCELS PAR, UH, PARCEL LOCATED AT FM 5 0 9 NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HANSON ROAD. A PARCEL LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH DILWORTH ROAD AND COUNTY LINE COUNTRY LANE PARCELS LOCATED NEAR SOUTH PALM COURT DRIVE PARCELS WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION LOCATED NEAR PARK LANE, WEST AND LEXINGTON AVENUE AREA AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF WEST LAFAYETTE STREET AND CHESTER PARK ROAD, AN AREA NEAR WILSON ROAD AND STONEGATE DRIVE AND CHANGING THE DESIGNATION FROM NOT DESIGNATED TO MEDIUM DESIGN DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF WILSON ROAD AND RAMSEY ROAD AND UPDATING PARCELS TO REFLECT INSTITUTIONAL MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AND RECRE RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACE, FUTURE LAND USES AND ADDITIONAL FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION REVISIONS THROUGHOUT THE MAP REFLECTING DATA UPDATES, PROVIDING [02:20:01] FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING. OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FOREGOING. SO, ANA, JUST BECAUSE YOU KNOW, SOME SOMETIMES COMMENTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, HOW YOU CAN KIND OF SAY WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE ON, UM, CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, WHEN THERE'S COMMENTS MADE AS WE HEARD EARLIER TODAY, JUST FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY AND FOR THE RECORD, UM, DID, DID I REACH OUT TO YOU OR YOUR DEPARTMENT TO MAKE THESE CHANGES? NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. OKAY. AND IN FACT, I HADN'T HAD, HAD ANY COMMUNICATION WITH YOU IN REGARDS TO THIS ITEM, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. THIS IS A PURELY ADMINISTRATIVE ITEM AND THOSE THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT, UM, EARLY ON WHEN THE, UH, THE SHAPE FILES FOR THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP WERE SHARED WITH THE CONSULTANT AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS. SO THIS IS YOU DOING YOUR JOB? YES. AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THINGS THAT WAY. THAT THEY SHOULD BE DONE. THEY SHOULD BE, MM-HMM . OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, ANY OTHER, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANNA? YOU HAVE EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU? NOPE. OKAY. CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION BY BETAS. SECOND. SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. IS MORALES STILL THERE? YES, I'M STILL HERE. YAY. OKAY. . I THINK HE'S HAVING THAT MUCH FUN. THAT'S WHY HE SAID YAY . I KNOW. YAY FOR COVID. YEAH. OKAY. UM, JAY, [Item 10j - Consideration and possible action to approve the preliminary construction plans and final plat with conditions of the proposed Altas Palmas Subdivision Phase II, bearing a legal description of 41 .72 acres of land comprised of 39.59 acres out of Survey 140, LL. Adams Subdivsion, 1.58 acres out of Lot "A" and 0.55 acres out of Lot "B" of a Re-subdivision of Blocks 2 & 3, Survey 139 of Stuart Place Subdivision, located north of Beckham Road, approximately 882 feet east of Rodeo Drive. Applicant: Moore Land Surveying, LLC c/o Zarate Management, LLC.] CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND FINAL PLAT WITH CONTI CONDITIONS OF THE PROPOSED ATMA SUBDIVISION. PHASE TWO BEARING ILLEGAL DESCRIPTION OF 41.72 ACRES OF LAND COM COMPRISED OF 35 39 POINT 59 ACRES OUT OF SURVEY ONE 40 LL ADAM SUBDIVISION 1.5 ACRES OUT OF LOT A AND 0.55 ACRES OUT OF LOT B OF A RE SUBDIVISION OF BLOCKS TWO AND THREE. SURVEY 1 39 OF STEWART PLACE SUBDIVISION LOCATED NORTH OF BECKHAM ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 882 FEET EAST OF RODEO DRIVE. UM, AND WE JUST NEED A MOTION ON THIS, NOT AN ORDINANCE I MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, UH, MOTION BY LO LOPEZ TO APPROVE SECOND BY EZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM [Item 10k - Consideration and possible action to approve the preliminary construction plans and final plat with conditions of the proposed Dixieland Crossing Subdivision Replat, bearing a legal description of 1.62 acres of land out of, Dixieland Crossing Subdivision , located south of Garrett Road, approximately 752.11 feet west of Dixieland Road. Applicant: Moore Land Surveying, LLC c/o CJE Construction.] K CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND PLAT WITH CONDITIONS OF THE PROPOSED DIXIELAND CROSSING SUBDIVISION REPL BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF ONE POINT 62 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF DIXIE LAND CROSSING SUBDIVISION LOCATED SOUTH OF GARRETT ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 752 POINT 11 FEET WEST OF DIXIELAND ROAD. IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION BY TIS SECOND. SECOND BY GOMEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. L [Item 10l - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading for a request for a variance to Chapter 109, Section 109-124(c)(9) of the City of Harlingen Code of Ordinances, to allow a reduced separation distance between two proposed access points for Paso Real Coves Subdivision, Phases IV and V, located north of East Treasure Hills Boulevard, approximately 839.52 feet west of FM 509. Applicant: Melden & Hunt, Inc., on behalf of Noblemen Investments, LLC.] CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING FOR REQUEST OF VARIANCE TO CHAPTER 1 0 9, SECTION 1 0 9 DASH 1 24 C NINE OF THE CITY OF HARLAN AND CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ALLOW A REDUCED SEPARATION DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO PROPOSED ACCESS POINTS FOR PA COVE SUBDIVISION PHASES FOUR AND FIVE LOCATED NORTH OF EAST TREASURE HILLS BOULEVARD, APPROXIMATELY EIGHT POINT 39 POINT 52 FEET WEST OF FM 5 0 9. IS THERE A MOTION, MOTION TO READING? THIS HAS AN ORDINANCE, MAYOR, I'M SORRY. UH, MARK. THANK YOU. THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, IT'S, UH, LLLL. WE'RE ALMOST DONE. YEAH. IF WE COULD JUST PUT THE MOVING QUICKLY ORDINANCES ALL TOGETHER ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. I'M SORRY. DIDN'T CATCH THAT. MAYOR. UM, IS THERE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN ORDINANCE ATTACHED TO THIS. IT SAYS HERE TO PROVE AN ORDINANCE. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT REQUIRES AN ORDINANCE, BUT IT SAYS HERE WE HAVE ONE I IS THERE AN ORDINANCE IN THE PACKET? YEAH, THERE'S NO ORDINANCE. I THINK THERE'S, IIII AM AWARE OF THAT, BUT ON THE AGENDA, YES, IT WAS. I PROPERLY AWARDED. SO IT'S NOT AN ORDINANCE YOU DON'T NEED? NO. OKAY. OKAY. CAN WE TAKE ACTION IF IT'S, IF IT STATES THAT IT'S AN ORDINANCE AND IT'S NOT YEAH. BECAUSE IT GIVES ENOUGH NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC AS TO WHAT ACTION IS GONNA BE TAKEN. ALRIGHT. GREAT. CAN WE GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION TO APPROVE BY BETIS. SECOND BY LOPEZ. LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU MA'AM. UM, [Item 10m - Consideration and possible action to approve an ordinance on first reading to adopt regulations that ensure that meetings of the City Commission are conducted in a way that allows the business of the City to be undertaken effectively and efficiently; providing savings, repealing and severability clauses and providing an effective date] M CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING TO ADOPT REGULATIONS AND ENSURE THE MEETINGS OF THE CITY COMMISSION ARE CONDUCTED IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY TO BE UNDERTAKEN EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY, PROVIDING SAVINGS, REPEALING AND SEVERABILITY CLAUSES AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THIS MOTION, THIS, UH, ITEM WAS TABLED. I NEED A MOTION TO TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE PLEASE. MOTION. MOTION BY GOMEZ. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES [02:25:01] UNANIMOUSLY. THIS ITEM HAS NOW BEEN OFF THE TABLE. AND, UM, YES. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES. YES. MAY I ASK SOME MORE QUESTIONS? UM, YES, BUT LET ME JUST GET WITH COMMISSIONER GOMEZ FIRST. OKAY. OKAY, GO AHEAD. YES. SO DO YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH, UM, EACH ITEM THAT I HAVE A DISCUSSION ON, OR DO YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH, UM, DISCUSSION AND THEN GO THROUGH EVERYBODY AT FIRST OR JUST GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING THAT I HAVE DISCUSSION. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? SO YOU HAVE CONCERNS? UM, I HAVE QUESTIONS. YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? MM-HMM . OKAY. UM, BUT IF IT'S, IF IT'S MY QUESTION AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT HAVE IT. DO YOU WANT ME TO WAIT TILL EVERYBODY ELSE HAS IT? SO WHY DON'T WE JUST, INSTEAD OF STARTING WITH YOU, UM, LET'S START ON THIS OTHER END AND THEN MAYBE YOUR QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED AND YOU CAN LIMIT IT TO THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE STILL REMAINING. OKAY? OKAY. UM, EZ ANY QUESTIONS? NO. NO. OKAY. MORALES, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? I THINK I CAN WAIT TILL, UH, , UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, EZ HAS TO SAY. OKAY. UM, MIKE . SORRY. YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR OUR ATTORNEY. UM, KEN PAXTON HAS RECENTLY MADE SOME RULINGS AND DOES THIS FOLLOW KEN PAXTON'S RULINGS? I'M NOT SURE WHICH RULINGS YOU'RE REFERRING TO. I'M NOT SURE WHICH RULINGS YOU'RE REFERRING TO. OKAY. THIS, THIS DOESN'T VIOLATE ANY, THIS IS PUBLIC MEETING, CORRECT? YEAH. AND ARE WE TAKING AWAY ANYBODY'S FIRST AMENDMENT? ABSOLUTELY NOT. AND ARE WE PROHIBITING ANYBODY TO SPEAK? NO. IN FACT, THERE ARE SPECIFIC PORTIONS IN THIS ORDINANCE THAT SPECIFICALLY AT ANY, ANYBODY, ANY PEOPLE CAN CRITICIZE ANY POLICY, PRETTY PEOPLE CAN CRITICIZE CITY COMMISSION. SO PEOPLE CAN SIT CRITICIZE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION, UM, INDIVIDUALLY. UM, ACTUALLY WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES, IT REMOVES THE PREVIOUS PROHIBITIONS THAT WERE IN EXISTENCE AND HAVE BEEN EXISTENCE FOR QUITE A WHILE. AND SO THERE WAS CURRENTLY AN ORDINANCE ON THESE TYPES OF THINGS. CORRECT. AND AND THE PURPOSE, THIS IS JUST A REDEFINE AND CLARIFICATION, CORRECT? CORRECT. THE CITY HAS HAD A DECORUM ORDINANCE FOR YEARS. OKAY. AND, AND SO ACTUALLY WHAT THIS DOES, AND, AND, AND I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT NUMBER THREE HERE, IT, IT SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT'S DIRECTED TOWARD DECORUM, BUT NOT TOWARD CONTENT OF SPEECH AT ALL. UH, IT SAYS SPEAKERS MAY, MAY NOT ENGAGE IN SPEECH THAT DISRUPTS, DISTURBS OR IMPEDES THE MEETING. OKAY. BUT, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, AND IT CITES AS EXAMPLES, TRUE THREATS INCITEMENT TO IMMINENT LAWLESS ACTION OR OBSCENITY. AND THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY, CRITICISM OF THE CITY COMMISSION OR ANY MEMBER THEREOF OR OF ANY ACTUAL MISSION POLICY, PROCEDURE, PROGRAM, OR SERVICE OF THE CITY DOES NOT VIOLATE THESE RULES AND SHALL NOT BE A BASIS FOR RULING A SPEAKER OUT OF ORDER. SO THE EARLIER CRITICISMS THAT WE HEARD, THAT THIS ORDINANCE REGULATES THE CONTENT OF SPEECH OR SOMEHOW PROHIBITS PEOPLE FROM CRITICIZING THE CITY COMMISSION OR FROM EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. I I, IT MAY BE MISGUIDED, BUT IT'S INCORRECT ACTUALLY. THIS, THIS POLICY DOES EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF THAT. OKAY. AND SO THIS DOES NOT VIOLATE ANY TEXAS LAWS? ABSOLUTELY NOT. AND THIS DOESN'T VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION. NO, OF COURSE NOT. AND THIS IS JUST BRINGING DECORUM INTO A BUSINESS MEETING. EXACTLY. COMMISSIONER, YOU, YOU CAN'T DISRUPT A MEETING. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE PUBLIC BUSINESSES CONDUCTED. WE HAVE, UH, THE FORUM IS A LIMITED PURPOSE PUBLIC FORUM FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING CITY BUSINESS. AND YOU CAN'T DISRUPT OTHER SPEAKERS, WHICH INTERFERES WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO SPEAK. YOU CAN'T DISRUPT THE CITY COMMISSION'S ORDERLY PROCESS OF BUSINESS. BUT IT DOES NOT IN ANY WAY, IT DOES NOT IN ANY WAY PROHIBIT CRITICIZING THE CITY COMMISSION COMMISSION MEMBERS, UH, OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT, IT DOES JUST THE OPPOSITE. IT'S THE SAME RULES YOU WOULD BE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW IN A COURT OF LAW OR ANYTHING ELSE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, IN FACT, MARK ISN'T THESE, UM, FOUND IN CAMERON COUNTY, THE SAN CITY OF SAN BENITO, CITY OF BROWNSVILLE HAVE SIMILAR, UM, JUST MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN, THAN THE HARBOR COUNTY MAYOR? I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THESE RULES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS RESTRICTIVE THAN ANYTHING AROUND RIGHT. UM, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS RESTRICTIVE THAN WHAT THE CITY OF HARLINGEN HAD [02:30:01] IN THE PAST. BUT WE NEVER ENFORCED BECAUSE WE DON'T, UH, REGULATE CONTENT. RIGHT. AND JUST TO CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD, I THINK THAT WAS A RESOLUTION, NOT SO MUCH IN ORDINANCE, BUT THOSE WERE ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION BY MAYOR, UM, CONNIE, CONNIE DE LA GARZA. AND IT SPECIFICALLY SAID, YOU CANNOT SAY THIS, YOU CANNOT DO THIS. YOU CANNOT DO THAT. YOU CANNOT CRITICIZE, YOU CANNOT EMBARRASS OR SHAME AND SOME KIND OF RIDICULOUS THINGS. AND IN TURN, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, NO SMOKING IN THE LOBBY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. BUT YOU STARTED, UM, 'CAUSE THERE WAS SOME COMMENTARY ABOUT HOW IT'S CHANGED AND EVOLVED. IT STARTED WITH A ALMOST, UM, A COPY PASTE, IF YOU WILL, OF BROWN BROWNSVILLE AND SAN BENITO WHO HAVE THE SAME, UH, DECORUM POLICY VERBATIM WORD, WORD, I'M SORRY, WORD FOR WORD. UM, AND THIS IS A, IT STARTED WITH THAT TO TO TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THOSE, UH, DECORUM POLICIES LOOK LIKE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, EXCEPT YOURS. UM, SPECIFICALLY INDICATES HERE THE THINGS THAT, UH, WERE CONCERNS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THERE IS STILL THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE, ARE, ARE BEING RESPECTED AND REALLY PUTTING IT IN BLACK AND WHITE. THAT YOU CAN DO THOSE, THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER POLICIES WERE KIND OF BORDERLINE IN TERMS. CORRECT. OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WE'VE HAD A PROCESS OF STRIPPING OUT ANYTHING THAT WE THOUGHT WAS IMPROPER FROM OTHER ORDINANCE, FROM, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE ORDINANCES THAT WE, WE BASED IT ON ORIGINALLY. RIGHT. OKAY. AND, UM, MYRA, YOU, YOU DID A KIND OF A, YOU WENT THROUGH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CITIES THROUGHOUT THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, AND DID YOU FIND ANY THAT HAD NO RULES? BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A, A REQUEST, LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE NO RULES. IS THERE ANY CITY THAT HAD NO RULES? NO. UM, EVERYBODY HAS RULES. THAT'S WHY I EVEN SAID EVEN, UM, MM-HMM . I EVEN WENT TO WILLESEE COUNTY TO SEE, 'CAUSE THEY'RE SMALLER. RIGHT. UM, TO SEE IF THEY DO. AND THEY DO, THEY HAVE RULES AS WELL. ALRIGHT. UM, I ALREADY WENT THROUGH, UM, LOPEZ, UM, MUCH LIKE COMMISSIONER GOMEZ. I HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS I JUST KINDA WANT TO TOUCH UP AND DISCUSS. OKAY. SO, HOWEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IT, I LEAVE IT TO YOUR DISCRETION. OKAY. UM, SO GIVEN THAT Y'ALL HAVE, YOU WANNA GO LINE BY LINE, LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS SO I CAN, SO WE CAN ALL TAKE A LITTLE BREAK AND THEN WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK IN FIVE MINUTES. AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ. TIME IS NOW 8:20 PM WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION AFTER TAKING A SHORT RECESS. WE ARE BACK NOW IN OPEN SESSION AND WE ARE GONNA START WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, DISTRICT ONE. ARE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR MARK? NO, THEY'RE, I'M GONNA ADDRESS THEM THROUGH YOU, BUT WHOEVER WANTS TO ANSWER THEM CAN ANSWER THEM. SO, UM, ON PAGE TWO, MY FIRST, AND IT MAY BE JUST VAGUE, BUT WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT IT GOES FROM PAGE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE VERY TOP, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS RECEIVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE CITY COMMISSION. COMMISSIONER, I APOLOGIZE. UM, WOULD YOU MIND DOING ME A FAVOR AND JUST SAY LIKE, THE PAGE AND PARAGRAPH? YES. THE PARAGRAPH, LIKE, SO IT SAYS LIKE, 2.24 A OR? YES. JUST SO I CAN MAKE SURE I'M TRACKING PLEASE. I THINK, IS THAT MY, CAN GET IT? IS IT, IS THIS THE UPTODATE VERSION? YES. YES IT IS. EXCEPT THAT MINE WERE, WERE ON THE, THE PREVIOUS ONE AND THEN WE GOT A NEW ONE. AND SO, OKAY. JUST GIMME ONE SECOND. OH, IF, IF YOU'RE WORKING OFF THE, THE LAST ONE. I APOLOGIZE. I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. YEAH, I'LL FIND IT REAL QUICK. PLEASE CONTINUE AS SECOND. NO, I'LL FIND IT REAL QUICK. GIMME JUST A SECOND. THAT MAKES IT EASIER ON, UM, DO YOU WANNA TAKE ONE WHILE I GET THIS REAL QUICK? SURE. I CAN HOP ON. HOP IN. HOP IN. SO WE HAVE, IT'S PAGE THREE 11 OF THE WHOLE PACKET. IT'S AT THE TOP. IT'S ONE LIMITED PUBLIC FORM, ESTABLISHED SCOPE. IT'S ONE A. UM, I DIDN'T BRING MY IPAD WITH ME AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONE THAT IS IN MY, UH, [02:35:01] IN MY, IN MY IN MY BINDER IS NOT UP TO DATE. JUST ONE SECOND. WHERE YOU SAY LIMITED PER LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM ESTABLISHED SEMICOLON SCOPE. YES, SIR. ONE A. OKAY. I SEE IT. SO IT TALKS ABOUT THE, THE LAST, THE DECORUM POLICY, LAST SIX LINES. MARK, CAN YOU JUST CLEAN THAT UP? IT'S JUST A LITTLE HARD TO UNDERSTAND. THAT'S ALL. NOT YET. OKAY. IT STARTS WITH THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY COMMISSION TO ADOPT A NON-BINDING RESOLUTION, EXPRESSING AN OPINION OF OR POSITION DOES NOT STAND ALONE. BRING A MATTER WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION. PROVIDED HOWEVER THAT ANY MATTER ACTUALLY POSTED ON THE AGENDA FORUM MEETING, INCLUDING A PROPOSED NON-BINDING RESOLUTION IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE FORUM AND MAYBE ADDRESSED DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. IF YOU CAN JUST CLEAN THAT UP. CAN I EX OKAY. CAN I EXPLAIN WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, UM, MY APOLOGIES, CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE AT? SO IT'S PAGE THREE 11 OF OUR WHOLE PACKET AT THE TOP. IT'S ONE AND ONE IS LIMITED PUBLIC FORM. ESTABLISHED SEMI SCOPE. CORRECT. ONE A I FOUND IT. OKAY. AND IT ONLY SAYS VOTING MATTERS. RIGHT? GO AHEAD. OKAY. SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO PRONGS, RIGHT? UH, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE LIMITED PURPOSE, UH, LIMITED, UH, PUBLIC FORUM IS TO BRING MATTERS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION INVOLVING CITY BUSINESS OR WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY. THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES, WELL, WHAT IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY AND WHAT WE PROCEED TO DEFINE IT. OKAY. AND THEN WHAT WE SAY IS THAT, OKAY, UH, SOMETIMES THE CITY COMMISSION HAS RESOLUTIONS, WHICH ARE DECLARATORY OR CEREMONIAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT REALLY DON'T ARE MORE COM COMMUNITY BASED. WELL, JUST BECAUSE THE CITY COMMISSION MAY OPEN THE DOOR ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NECESSARILY CITY BUSINESS OR, OR SOMETHING WITHIN THE SCOPE. YEAH. AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT. I JUST, IF WE CAN CLEAN UP THAT SECTION, CLEAN IT UP. SURE. JUST SO IT'S EASIER TO READ AND COMPREHEND. I HAD TO READ IT LIKE FIVE TIMES AND I'M LIKE, BEFORE YOU UNDERSTOOD IT. OKAY. RIGHT. COULD YOU ADDRESS THIS SPECIFIC? SURE. OKAY. BUT BEFORE YOU DO THAT, MARK, LET'S FINISH WITH, UH, LOPEZ. OKAY. LET'S FINISH. YEAH, LET'S FINISH WITH LOPEZ FIRST. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO TWO PAGES LATER. OKAY. WHAT SAYS CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, SIR. SO IT'S THREE A ONE. ANY PERSON? IT'S YES SIR. IT'S JUST THAT FIRST SENTENCE. CORRECT. ANY PERSON WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THE CITY COMMISSION MUST REGISTER WITH THE CITY SECRETARY BEFORE THE START OF THE SCHEDULED CITY COMMISSION MEETING. I WOULD LIKE US TO DEFINE AND INCORPORATE, LIKE, WHAT TIME ARE WE GONNA PUT IT ON? LIKE, I KNOW WE DID A CHANGE RECENTLY, I THINK BEFORE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BASED ON PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU USED TO JUST BE ABLE TO SHOW UP, SIGN UP, LIKE WITHIN MINUTES OF ARRIVING, AND THEN IT WOULD, UH, IT WOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST. MM-HMM . THEN IT WAS CHANGED TO, I KNOW LIKE 3:00 PM 3:00 PM AND THEN IT WAS CHANGED TO LIKE 12. WHATEVER, WHATEVER TIME WE STICK WITH, I WANT IT IN THE, IN THE ORDINANCE SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS. RIGHT. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD THE ISSUE JUST TODAY WHERE PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW, UH, ABOUT PUBLIC HEARING WHEN TO SIGN UP. I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO POINT TO AN ORDINANCE AND SAY, THIS IS THE TIME EVERY, IT'S JUST CODIFIED. THAT'S ALL. I THINK THE CONCERN WAS THAT MORE IS LIKE POLICY AND TO KIND OF GIVE THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO, TO CHANGE THAT. UM, WHICH KIND OF GOES TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. UM, AND FOR IT NOT TO BE ON THE ORDINANCE WHERE YOU'D HAVE TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THAT WAY THAT CAN BE KIND OF AN ADMINISTRATION DECISION. UM, THE ONE OF THE THING, IF WE ARE GOING TO SET A TIME, UH, I DID TALK WITH, WITH MYRA AND TO GABE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, IF THIS IS ADOPTED, UM, A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE HAS TO DO IN TERMS OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE ON OUR, ON THE DAAS PACKETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT NO LONGER WILL BE ON THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE. SO IF SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMISSION, THEY'LL HAVE AMPLE COPIES FOR EVERYBODY, WHICH IN TURN, IF WE DO THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO A LATER HOUR, GIVING PEOPLE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND TO SIGN UP. BECAUSE NOW CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE ISN'T MAKING COPIES OF, YOU KNOW, COPIES FOR 10 PEOPLE, 20 PEOPLE. AND IT IS GONNA BE IN THE ORDINANCE TO SAY, OKAY, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHATEVER THAT COP CUTOFF TIME IS, SIGN UP, GIVE IT TO CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND INSTEAD OF DISTRIBUTING HERE, WE'D HAVE IT ALL READY. AND IF THERE IS, UM, [02:40:01] UH, JUST ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS MAYBE PAST THE THREE MINUTES, THEN THEY'D ALSO HAVE ENOUGH COPIES FOR EVERYONE. SO IF WE ARE GONNA PUT A TIME THERE, UM, I WOULD URGE, UM, TO CHANGE THE TIME TO, FROM, FROM 12:00 PM TO SOMETHING WHERE WE HAD IT BEFORE, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS THREE O'CLOCK OR, UH, BECAUSE NOW BASED ON THE READING THAT I SEE FROM HERE, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU'LL BE PROVIDING, UM, THE COMMISSION IS A LIST, A LIST OF, OF SPEAKERS. AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE TOO DIFFICULT OR BURDENSOME. YOU CAN'T ON THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE. SO I WOULD, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST URGE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TIME IT NOT BE 12 BECAUSE WE, WE, I MEAN THAT'S, THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY NO NEED FOR IT IN, IN MY VIEW, BASED ON THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE BEFORE AS, UM, FROM SASI. SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS AND, AND I'M ON BOARD WITH THAT. I JUST WANT IT STANDARDIZED. OKAY. AND I DON'T, I DON'T LIKE HOW THINGS CAN AND DO NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN. RIGHT. YEAH. IT JUST, THINGS HAVE MOVED AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE'S KIND OF CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND IT JUST CAUSES UNNECESSARY HEADACHES. SO IF YOU WANNA DO THE 3:00 PM WE GO BACK TO 3:00 PM I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT. THAT'S FINE. OKAY. SO YOU CAN ADD 3:00 PM TO THAT, UM, MARK. AND THAT WOULD BE ON THREE A ONE, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, YES MA'AM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THREE A ONE. THREE A ONE. AND SO INSTEAD OF IT JUST SAYING, UH, BEFORE THE START OF THE SCHEDULED CITY COMMISSION MEETING, WE WOULD, UM, KIND OF AS, AS, UM, HAVE A 3:00 PM SIGN AT, AT A 3:00 PM UH, CUTOFF TIME INSTEAD OF WHAT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED. THE, THE 12:00 PM OKAY. AND IF WE COULD DO, YEAH. 3:00 PM ON THE CITY WEBSITE SO THAT WE DIRECT PEOPLE WHERE IT'S GONNA GO. YES. 3:00 PM ON CITY WEBSITE. RIGHT. AND THIS IS GONNA KIND OF STREAMLINE THE PROCESS FOR THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE. 'CAUSE I MEAN, LOOK AT THESE BINDERS. UH, THERE, THERE'S PROBABLY LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, A THOUSAND PAGES HERE OR SO, SO IT, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR THEM. OKAY. THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. OKAY. IT'S AT THE VERY BOTTOM. SO IT'S C FOUR, TWO PAGES LATER. THREE SPEAKER. SO, OKAY. SPEAKER SHALL DIRECT ALL COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS, THE CITY MANAGER OR STAFF OF CITY STAFF, OR MEMBERS OF CITY STAFF AS PROVIDED. UM, THE RULE GOVERNS NOT ONLY WHOM REMARKS ARE ADDRESSED, IT DOES NOT LIMIT THE CONTENT OF ANY SPEAKER'S REMARKS. RIGHT. THAT'S FINE. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIRST PART. UH, IT WAS MY IMPRESSION MARK ON READING THE TEXAS OPEN MEANS ACT HANDBOOK THROUGH THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE SOMETHING THAT NARROW, AND I THINK IT'S FINE. WE'LL OPEN IT UP. 'CAUSE IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CORRECT ME, ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS WANTS TO PUBLICLY COME AND CORRECT ME, I'M FINE WITH BEING PUBLICLY CORRECTED. IT'S, WHICH, WHICH, WHICH PORTION OF THAT, UM, SO IT'D BE SPEAKER SHALL DIRECT ALL COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS. SO WHAT I'M JUST SAYING IS WE GET RID OF THAT. WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN TAKE OUT THE WORDS INDIVIDUAL CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS AND LEAVE THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE LIMITED PURPOSE PUBLIC FORUM IS TO INFORM THE CITY COMMISSION AS A BODY. RIGHT. SO I I I THINK DIRECTING IT TO THE COMMISSION AND TO THE MAYOR IS APPROPRIATE BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE LIMITED PURPOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. RIGHT. UM, LI LIMITED PURPOSE PUBLIC FORUM. NOW, IN TERMS OF DIRECTING THINGS TO STAFF, IF YOU'RE TALKING AT STAFF, YOU CAN REFER TO STAFF. BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING TO STAFF, YOU'RE NOT TALKING TO THE COMMISSION AND YOU'RE NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMMISSION. RIGHT. SO I, I THINK, I THINK THE PURPOSE THERE WAS YOU CAN COME TO THE CITY COMMISSION, YOU CAN ADDRESS ISSUES OF PUBLIC CONCERN. UH, YOU CAN ADDRESS CITY BUSINESS. YOU CAN, YOU CAN, UH, TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUALS, STAFF MEMBERS. RIGHT. BUT YOU CAN'T COME OVER THERE AND QUESTION THEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE NOT, NOW YOU'RE QUESTIONING AS AN EMPLOYEE, YOU'RE NOT ENGAGING IN DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY COMMISSION AS A WHOLE, WHICH IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT. THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE THOUGHT OF THE RATE OF, OF THAT PROVISION. MM-HMM . BUT IT'S UP TO THE CITY COMMISSION AS A BODY TO DECIDE WHERE, WHERE THE POLICY SHOULD BE. YEAH. IN MY MIND, I THINK THAT PARAGRAPH SHOULD BE STRUCK. SO THEN WE MOVE ON TO FIVE, WHICH IS THE NEXT PAGE NOW, YOU KNOW, SO CAN CAN WE JUST CIRCLE BACK TO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS ONE. UM, SO IN HERE, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS CAME FROM ENSURING THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME TO SPEAK, UM, AND ADDRESS THE COMMISSION AND THAT THEY'RE ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION AND, AND THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE ADDRESSING [02:45:02] CITY MANAGER DIRECTORS. YOU WANNA ALLOW THAT. CORRECT. 'CAUSE IT'S MY READ IS THAT THEY CAN COME AND CRITICIZE WHEN I READ THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT HANDBOOK. AND SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. I, IT'S, I DON'T, I UNDERSTAND. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. OKAY. SO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SOMEONE COULD COME UP HERE AND SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, UH, HAVE CONCERNS WITH, UH, DIRECTOR SO AND SO, AND, AND THAT IS OKAY. WHAT YOU CAN'T DO IS SAY, UH, ROBERTO, I AM UNHAPPY WITH, UH, HOW YOU PROCEEDED IN THE ANALYSIS OF THIS SPEED HUMP. THAT'S THERE'S DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. SO, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, UM, DO YOU WANT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BE ADDRESSING STAFF DIRECTLY? 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT MARK IS DOING HERE TO ENSURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. CORRECT. COMMISSIONER, AND THE LAST SENTENCE IN THAT PARAGRAPH SAYS, THIS RULE GOVERNS ONLY, GOVERNS ONLY TO WHOM REMARKS ARE ADDRESSED. IT DOES NOT LIMIT THE CONTENT OF ANY SPEAKER'S REMARKS, INCLUDING CRITICISM PROTECTED BY SECTION 5 5 1 0 0 7 E. SO YOU CAN CRITICIZE STAFF MEMBERS, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE DIRECTING YOUR COMMENTS TO THE COMMISSION, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE LIMITED PURPOSE PUBLIC FORUM. YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND SAY, HEY, YOU SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE HALL, I GOT A PROBLEM WITH YOU, . NOW YOU'RE NOT ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION, YOU'RE JUST TALKING TO A, A MEMBER STAFF. AND, AND THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE LIMITED PURPOSE PUBLIC FORUM. SO IT, IT'S NOT, THAT PARAGRAPH DOES NOT, IT IS NOT INTENDED TO ADDRESS CONTENT. IT'S NOT INTENDED TO PROHIBIT PEOPLE FROM BRINGING THINGS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COMMISSION IN TERMS OF A STAFF MEMBER. IT'S, IT'S INTENDED TO PROHIBIT THEM FROM DIRECTING THE, HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE STAFF MEMBER INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION. THAT'S WHAT IT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS. CAN WE AGREE TO TIGHTEN UP THAT LANGUAGE SO IT'S SPECIFIC TO THAT? I THINK WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT LANGUAGE. WE CAN FINESSE IT. OKAY. BECAUSE I, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THAT, THEN THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE DYNAMIC. BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF TOWN HALLS WHERE WE BRING ALL OF OUR DIRECTORS, WE BRING PD, WE BRING FIRE, WE BRING EVERYONE. SO THAT WAY THEY HAVE QUESTIONS THEY CAN SPECIFICALLY ASK THE DIRECTORS AT THAT TIME. UM, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH, THROUGH THE COMMISSION. BUT WE HAVE A LIMIT. I MEAN, WE SPENT, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN MAYBE ALMOST AN HOUR IN, IN COMMENT TODAY. AND SO IF THOSE ARE GONNA BE ADDRESSED TO STAFF, WE'RE THE ELECTED BODY. WE'RE THE ONES HELD ACCOUNTABLE, THEY EXECUTE THE POLICY OF THE COMMISSION. SO IF THERE'S ISSUES AND THOSE SHOULD BE COME, THEY SHOULD COME TO US. NOW, THEY CAN ADDRESS INDIVIDUALLY. WE HEARD SOME OF THAT TODAY, UH, AND INDIVIDUAL, UM, STAFF MEMBERS. BUT, UH, I, I COULDN'T SUPPORT THAT. WE'D HAVE SOMEONE HERE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD BE POSITIVE CRITICISM. UM, THEY COULD BE NEGATIVE CRITICISM, BUT I DON'T WANT ANYBODY BERATING STAFF, UM, DIRECTLY. I THINK THAT THAT SETS UP, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB AND WE JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, GONNA KIND OF, UM, SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT MY COMMISSIONER FRIEND HERE. WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH EVERYTHING. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HE MADE SOME COMMENTS TO, TO STAFF THE OTHER DAY AND I TOLD HIM, HEY, DON'T, DON'T DO THAT. UM, THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN. ESPECIALLY FROM, FROM THE PODIUM OR FROM THE COMMISSION. MM-HMM . UH, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CARRY OURSELVES IN A WAY WHERE WE'RE TREATING STAFF WITH RESPECT. AND, AND I'D SAY I'D, I'D ASK THE SAME FROM PEOPLE STANDING HERE AT THE PODIUM. THEY CAN SAY ALL THEY WANT ABOUT US, UH, BUT IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE, UH, DIRECTING, UH, DIRECTLY TO, TO STAFF MEMBERS. EVEN THOUGH I THINK NO ONE WILL SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT ROBERTO. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, HE'S AMAZING AND IT'S GOT INCREDIBLE STYLES. SO, , I THINK WE CAN FINESSE THE LANGUAGE ON FOUR TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS I HAVE. SURE. OKAY. AND I'LL WORK ON IT IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. OKAY. THEN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH FIVE, IT, IT SAYS, IF THE MAYOR DOES NOT ACT PROMPTLY, ANY MEMBER OF THE CITY COMMISSION MAY REQUIRE THE MAYOR TO IMMEDIATELY RULE THE SPEAKER OUT OF ORDER. IF AFTER BEING RECOGNIZED AND MAKING A MOTION THAT IS SECOND, A MAJORITY OF THE CITY COMMISSION VOTES AFFIRMATIVELY TO FIND THE OFFENDING SPEAKER TO BE OUT OF ORDER UNDER THESE RULES. UH, I BELIEVE THE OTHER PERSON OR THE, THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE TAKING, UH, A MORE DIRECT ROLE IN THIS WOULD BE THE CITY ATTORNEY. AND I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY SHOULD BE ACTING MORE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRAINED IN ON. THESE TYPES OF MEETINGS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. I THINK THEY SHOULD BE ACTING MORE LIKE, IS THE SERGEANT OF ARMS COMMISSIONER, WHICH SECTION ARE YOU REFERRING TO NEXT? LITERALLY THE NEXT PAGE, PARAGRAPH FIVE. IT SAYS THAT IF THE MAYOR DOESN'T ACT PROMPTLY TO CALL SOMEONE OUT OF ORDER, THAT THE COMMISSION, UM, AS A, AS A WHOLE CAN KIND OF MAKE ME, OR MAKE THE, THE MAYOR, THE PERSON IN THIS SEAT, UH, TO, TO, TO RULE SOMEONE OUT OF ORDER. UM, [02:50:02] EITHER, EITHER, EITHER I, I DON'T THAT MATTER TO ME. YEAH. UM, SO WHAT HE'S SAYING IS THAT INSTEAD OF, UM, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ADDRESSING TO I'LL ADDRESS THE PARAGRAPH THAT YEAH. THEN IT WOULD BE, UM, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY. IF YOU, IF THE CITY ATTORNEY SEES THAT THE MAYOR IS NOT RULING SOMEONE OUT OF ORDER, AND THEY SHOULD BE THAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO DO? INTERVENE. THE BRING, BRING I, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ORDER YOU'D ADDRESS IT. CORRECT. THE CITY ATTORNEY WOULD ADDRESS IT. WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA HAVE A MAYOR AND OR MAYOR PRO TEM WHO'S AN ATTORNEY OR ANYONE. NOT ONLY ATTORNEYS, BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA HAVE THE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ASPECT AND THE, THE NUANCES OF IT AS SUCH. I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY IS THE BEST, THE BEST SUITED TO BE THE ONE THAT JUMPS IN. OKAY. THAT'S IT. SO, SO YOUR REQUEST IS TO AMEND THIS WITH, UM, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY. I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN INTERVENE AT ANY TIME, SO, CORRECT. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARY. THEN YOU WANNA, YOU WANNA, UH, JUST DO AWAY WITH IT. 'CAUSE I MEAN, HE CAN DO THAT AT ANY TIME. THAT'S HIS PURPOSE. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S, AGAIN, CODIFIED IN HERE THAT'S, THIS GIVES, I THINK JUST THE COMMISSION MORE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT, SO IF YOU WANNA JUST INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE THERE TO REFLECT, UH, AND THAT'S DEPENDING ON, THESE ARE COMMISSIONER LOPEZ'S, UM, SUGGESTIONS AT THIS POINT THAT IT WOULD BE, THE LANGUAGE WOULD BE CITY, CITY ATTORNEY. AND I'M SURE THAT THE TWO OF YOU CAN KIND OF FIGURE SOMETHING OUT FOR THAT LANGUAGE. YES. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. MOVING, MOVING ON. UH, THEN WE GO TO THE NEXT PAGE. D FIVE, SAME THING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW. THAT'D BE THE CITY, THE ATTORNEY. OKAY. SO YOU GOT THAT MARKED. IT'S THE, WE JUST WENT OVER THIS ONE. RIGHT NOW. IT'S THE SAME, UM, ITEM G FIVE. UH, NUMBER FIVE, WHERE IT SAYS, UH, AGAIN, THAT THE, IT'S THE SAME LANGUAGE, BUT IT'S JUST ON THE NEXT SECTION. OKAY. CITY. SO THAT LANGUAGE WOULD REFLECT THE COMMISSION NOT REQUIRING THE MAYOR TO RULE THE SPEAKER OUT OF ORDER, BUT THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, WOULD BE EXPECTED TO DO SO. AND, AND I GUESS THAT LANGUAGE CAN COME ON THE SECOND READING. CORRECT. OKAY. OKAY. MOVING, MOVING ON. THEN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, UH, SIX, IT JUST SAYS CHAIR, THIS IS THE LAST, UH, WORD OF THE FIRST. IF WE CAN JUST CLEAN IT UP JUST SO THAT THERE'S CONSISTENCY, WHETHER IT'S MAYOR, PRO, MAYOR OR MAYOR PRO TEM, OR CHAIR. RIGHT. THAT'S IT. OKAY. I THINK, UM, IT, MY THINGS, I GUESS MY THOUGHT WAS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE MAYOR OR MAYOR PRO TEM WHO'S CHAIRING THE MEETING. WHOEVER'S, THEN MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WE DO, IS WE JUST SAY THE CHAIR THROUGHOUT THE I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY BEST BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENS. I'M NOT HERE. YOU'RE NOT HERE, THEN NO ONE CAN RUN, YOU KNOW. CORRECT. THEN IT WOULD BE THE CHAIR RIGHT. TO THE STRONGEST, AS ALEXANDER WAS SAYING, THE PRESIDING CHAIR OF THE MEETING. CORRECT. PRESIDING. AND THEN THAT MAY BE THE BEST WAY TO SAY IT. THE RESIDING CHAIR. OKAY. THAT'S IT. AND THAT WOULD BE THROUGHOUT MARK, WHAT I'LL, WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL DEFINE PRESIDING CHAIR IN THE BEGINNING OF THE DEFINITIONS TO INCLUDE THE MAYOR OF THE MAYOR, PRO TE OR THE CITY COMMISSIONER WHO'S RUNNING THE MEETING AT THE TIME. YES. THAT WORKS EVEN BETTER. OKAY. AND ANY, THAT'S IT. YOU'RE DONE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, HAVING HEARD THE, UM, THE CONCERNS AND SUGGESTED CHANGES, UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, DOES THAT, UH, IS, WERE THOSE THE SAME CONCERNS THAT YOU HAD? OKAY, THEN WE, THAT IS, UM, OH, I'M SORRY. HOLD ON. UH, MESMER WAS NEXT. SURE, SURE. THAT'S OKAY. I'M STILL AT IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, I, I SEE NOTHING. I, I MEAN, I'M, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE REASONABLE SUGGESTIONS AND CHANGES. YEAH. AND SO IF WE CAN KIND OF HOLD ONTO THAT FOR, FOR YOUR MOTION. MM-HMM . UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HOP ON OVER TO, UH, YOUR NEXT FOUR. HE HAD SOME CONCERNS, PLEASE. HE'S ADDRESS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. NEVERMIND. UM, THAT IS, IS FINE. YOU'RE, YOU, YOU'VE GOT THE FLOOR. OKAY. SO I'LL GO TO ON PAGE ONE WHERE IT SAYS CITY ORDINANCES, ORDINANCE, WHERE IT HAS, UM, FOUR AS SECTION 5, 5 1. WELL, THEY ALL SAVE 5 5 1 0 0 7. WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSLATOR. IT'S 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 PARAGRAPH, OR WHO DOES NOT REQUIRE THE ASSISTANCE OF A TRANSLATOR MM-HMM . TO ENSURE THAT NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS ANYWHERE THERE. DO WE SAY WHO IS TO PROVIDE A TRANSLATOR? I TALKED TO GABE ABOUT THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FELT WAS LACKING, I, AND I DON'T, I DIDN'T SEE, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THIS LANGUAGE HERE CAME TO BE, UM, BUT [02:55:01] I DID WANT TO ADDRESS, AND MAYBE WE NEED TO, TO YOUR POINT, KIND OF ELABORATE ON IT. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE FOUND IS THAT HERE IN, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY HAPPENED ONE TIME, UM, WHERE WE HAD SPANISH SPEAKERS. AND I THINK MOST OF US HERE ON, OR ALL OF US UNDERSTAND SPANISH. SO IT'S NOT AN ISSUE. UM, BUT WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING TRANSLATORS FOR THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE, THAT DON'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. UM, IT WAS ONE, AND I REMEMBER THE MEETING VERY VIVIDLY BECAUSE IT WAS A CONCERN IN DISTRICT FOUR IN'S, UM, DISTRICT, THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON, ON, ON COLORADO ROAD, I THINK, OR LOUISIANA, I'M NOT SURE. UH, BUT WE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF, UH, RESIDENTS THAT CAME AND THEY, SOME OF 'EM SPOKE SPANISH, AND SO I DIDN'T WANT TO, UM, NOT ALLOW THEM TO SPEAK. SO WE DID, AND I THINK I MAY HAVE SPOKEN IN, IN SPANISH AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, REFLECTING ON THAT, I, I THOUGHT IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT SPANISH SPEAKERS ARE GIVEN THE SAME, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. AND SO WE PROVIDE A TRANSLATOR, AND I DID TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT. I HAD SOME HERE, YOU HAD SOME COMMENTS. MM-HMM . WE, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING STAFF FROM THE CITY THAT ARE FLUENT IN SPANISH AND HAVING THEM HERE, PERHAPS ALTERNATING. SO THAT COULD BE THE OFFICIAL TRANSLATOR. UM, SHOULD THAT BE NOTED? YEAH. WELL, NO, WE'RE JUST GONNA PROVIDE IT. UH, 'CAUSE THE CITY HAS TO PROVIDE 'EM ANYWAY, SO, OKAY. WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO THAT PERSON'S GONNA BE. AND SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS HAVE THEM INVITED TO SAY THAT IF THEY WANTED TO, THERE'D BE SOMEBODY HERE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR THEM, NOT HAVE TO BRING THEIR OWN. AND THAT MIGHT DETER THEM FROM COMING. SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS SAYS, RIGHT? THEY PROVIDE A TRANSLATOR. THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS FOR. AND SO WHEN THEY GO ON, UM, AND IT'S SIMILAR TO BROWNSVILLE, I THINK IN SAN BENITO HAVE IT, UM, WHERE YOU CAN ELECT THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED A TRANSLATOR. AND SO WHEN THEY SIGN UP, THEN THE CITY'S ON NOTICE THAT A TRANSLATOR IS GOING TO BE NEEDED BECAUSE WHEN THEY SIGN UP, THEY'RE ELECTING FOR THAT. SO THEY'LL BE ON NOTICE THAT IT'S AVAILABLE. AND THEN IN TURN, THE CITY, UM, I TALKED TO GABE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WHOEVER IS HERE IS COMPENSATED. SO IT'S NOT PART OF THEIR DUTIES, UM, AT, AT THEIR EIGHT TO FIVE JOB. SO IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE HERE, THEN THEY'LL, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY GABE WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT COMPENSATION LOOKS LIKE. BUT THIS PUTS THE PUBLIC ON NOTICE THAT WE WILL PROVIDE A TRANSLATOR. AND THEN, BECAUSE THE TRANSLATION TAKES TIME, UM, JUST LIKE WE DO IN IN COURT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WANNA GIVE THEM MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEIR POINT. SO IF WE'RE, THEY'RE TALKING AND INSTEAD OF THE THREE MINUTES, THEY SHOULD GET SIX MINUTES BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOSING THE TIME. YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES. THE TRANSLATION, THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED BLE OR NO, BLE. YES, MA'AM. , IT HAPPENS IN EVERY, IN EVERY, UM, IN EVERY CAREER. NOT JUST IN COURT, IN ANY INDUSTRY, WHATEVER YOUR INDUSTRY MAY BE. AND, AND WHETHER IT BE TEACHING OR IN FINANCE OR NURSING OR ANYTHING, IT'S, IT'S WHEN EVERYTHING, BUT YEAH. IN YOUR FIELD IT WOULD BE , RIGHT? BUT, OR NO COUPON. BUT TO YOUR POINT, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. I THINK WE SHOULD PUT IN, IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THE CITY WILL BE PROVIDING THE TRANSLATOR. YES. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY IT, IT DOES NOT SAY IT. SO I THINK OKAY. CODIFY. SO IF YOU CAN JUST, UM, CORRECT. THAT'S ALL I WAS GONNA SAY, ELABORATE ON THAT SECTION MARK. WHEREAS SECTION 5, 5, 5 5 1 0.07 D OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE REQUIRES THAT A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ADDRESSES THE CITY COMMISSION. DO A TRANSLATOR BE GIVEN AT LEAST TWICE THE AMOUNT OF TIME AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, WHICH DOES, DOES NOT REQUIRE THE ASSISTANCE OF A TRANSLATOR TO ENSURE THE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS RECEIVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE CITY COMMISSION. THERE, YOU WOULD SAY THE CITY OF HARLINGEN WOULD PROVIDE TRANSLATOR, AND IT'S ALSO CORRECT. AND IT'S ALSO UNDER SECTION THREE ASSISTANCE PARTICIPATION EVERY EVERYWHERE. CORRECT? YES. YES, MA'AM. SO IF WE CAN KIND OF MAKE THAT THROUGHOUT, UM, JUST ELABORATING ON THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO, TO DO THAT. UM, AND THEN I, I'D ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, GABE, THAT YOU, YOU GET ON THAT IMMEDIATELY. SO AFTER OUR SECOND READING, UM, THAT THE, UH, CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE HAS WORKED WITH IT TO ENSURE THAT THAT ELECTION IS, UM, PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC, SO THAT WAY WE CAN BE ON NOTICE. THE LAST THING I WANT IS SOMEONE TO COME AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE. CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, AND SO THAT IS ON, ON PAGE ONE, MARK, AND THEN THROUGHOUT WHERE APPLICABLE. UH, OKAY. MOVING ON. AND THEN ON SECOND PAGE, UH, WHEREAS WHAT'S CONSIDERED ON BLANK AND BLANK, THAT'S, THAT WILL BE NOTED WHENEVER WE HAVE THE FIRST READING AND SECOND READING. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. CORRECT. OKAY. MAYOR, WERE YOU GONNA, I'M SORRY. EXTEND THE SIX FROM THREE TO SIX MINUTES FOR NOTES. IT JUST SAYS THAT THEY WOULD GET THE, THE, THE DOUBLE THE TIME OF THE, THAT THEY WOULD GENERALLY GET, SO THAT STAYS, THAT STAYS THE ONLY THING THAT WE WANT IS FOR IT TO BE [03:00:01] CLEAR THAT THE CITY IS GOING, THEY DON'T NEED TO BRING THEIR OWN TRANSLATOR. RIGHT. THAT WE WILL HAVE A TRANSLATOR FOR THEM. RIGHT. AND MARK'S GOT THAT RIGHT. OKAY. SURE. QUESTION. IT'S NEVER HAPPENED THAT I'VE SEEN, BUT I REMEMBER ONE TIME, UH, WHEN I WAS CLERKING WITH, UH, UH, ONE OF THE MAGISTRATES, WE HAD A GUY FROM LIKE SWEDEN, RIGHT. AND TRYING TO GET A TRANSLATOR FOR SOMEONE. MM-HMM . I DON'T EVEN KNOW. JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT. IF SOMEONE I CAN HELP WITH THAT. SWEDEN, UH, IF WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM AND SOMEONE WANTS TO SPEAK ON THE AGENDA ITEM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A TRANSLATOR FOR THEM. MM-HMM . WHAT THE FALLBACK IS JUST AN INTERNAL, SO IN IMMIGRATION COURT, WE'VE GOT ALL LANGUAGES, AND SO THERE'S SPECIFIC, UM, PROVIDERS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN CONTRACT WITH FOR THAT SPECIFIC PURPOSE. SO IF SOMEBODY WE, THAT RAISES A GOOD POINT THAT WE JUST FEEL THAT THE DEFAULT IS SPANISH. MM-HMM . UM, WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK AND THEN WE CAN GET A, A TRANSLATOR. AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION AFTER. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MEETING OF THE CONTRACTOR, THERE'S A COUPLE THAT DO THAT, AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT SPEAK LANGUAGES ALL OVER THE, ALL OVER THE WORLD. AND THEN THEY'RE, THEY, THEY TUNE IN TELEPHONICALLY. OH, NO WORRIES. I'M SORRY. OH, NO, THAT'S OKAY. IT'S GOOD. UM, AND THEN AFTER WE, AFTER IT IS AFTER THE FIRST AND SECOND READING, THIS IS, UH, JUST A NOTATION. CAN WE COUNT ON THE POSTING OF THIS ORDINANCE, IT BE UNDER PUBLIC HEARING, WHETHER IT IS OR IT'S NOT REQUIRED BY TOMA AND OR OUR CITY CHARTER? CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? SURE. CAN WE, UM, CAN WE COUNT ON THE POSTING OF THIS ORDINANCE BE UNDER PUBLIC HEARING SECTION, WHETHER IT IS OR IT IS NOT REQUIRED BY TOMA OR THE CITY CHARTER? I DON'T THINK THAT THIS REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? NO, IT IS. IT DOES REQUIRE, RIGHT? NO, I MEAN, IT DOES REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE TWO HEARINGS. WE HAVE TWO MEETINGS. TWO MEETINGS, TWO MEETINGS. BUT CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE PUT IT UNDER PUBLIC HEARING, UM, SECTION, WHETHER IT IS OR IT IS NOT UNDER TOOMA OR PUB OR CITY CHARTER. THERE'S NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT. THERE'S, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU IF YOU CAN, BUT IT'S, IT, YES, I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTANDS. I THINK THAT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT REQUIRED. RIGHT. THIS IS THE FIRST READING. MM-HMM . SO WE'LL HAVE A SECOND READING. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE, UM, ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE AGENDA ITEM THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH WE HEARD TODAY, AND THEY WILL GET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AT THE SECOND HEARING. IF YOUR QUESTION IS, IF IT COULD BE A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, THAT I GUESS YOU COULD HAVE, IT'S NOT REQUIRED. UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ALL THINGS CAN BE PUBLIC HEARING IF THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED. THAT'S A, THAT'S A MARKED QUESTION. WELL, THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON IT BEFORE THE AGENDA ITEM, JUST LIKE THEY DO AT, AT THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. SO THERE IS, THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY. OKAY. BUT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT. MARK. VOTE ON, ON THAT OR JUST AS WE'LL HAVE IT AS A PUBLIC HEARING. IS THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID? I DIDN'T QY DO YOU? NO, NO. I SAID, I SAID EVERY ITEM THAT'S ON THE AGENDA, PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THAT AGENDA ITEM AND AT PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. SO THEY'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE THE MATTER IS CONSIDERED BY THE COMMISSION, JUST BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND CITIZEN COMMENT. IS THAT WHAT YOU UNDERSTOOD? I SAID WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS YOU WANT THIS ORDINANCE TO ALSO HAVE ITS OWN PUBLIC HEARING PORTION, EVEN THOUGH BY LAW, YOU, YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO IT. YES. CORRECT. YES. YES. AND WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, THEIR POSITION IS, IT'S, YES, YOU CAN DO IT, BUT IT'S NOT REQUIRED. THERE'S NOT NE ONE, IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO, AND TWO, IT'S WHAT, WHAT IS THE VAL I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S MY POSITION. I'M JUST SAYING WHAT YOUR POSITION IS. THEY ALREADY GET THE, THE PUBLIC ALREADY GETS THE COMMENT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE ORDINANCE OR THIS YEAH. THIS, UH, ORDINANCE BASED ON THE EXISTENCE OF PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE PUBLIC DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMMENT ON IT. CORRECT. CORRECT. THERE, BECAUSE IF IT WOULD'VE BEEN A PUBLIC HEARING, THE COMMENTARY THAT WE WOULD'VE HEARD TODAY WOULD'VE BEEN THE SAME THEN IF IT'S UP ON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE, UH, THERE WAS NOTICE AND INDIVIDUALS COMMENTED TODAY. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN ANY DIFFERENT. IT'S NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED TO DO IT. UM, SO I, I, I WOULD AGREE THAT I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THE, THE PURPOSE BEHIND THAT, BUT I THINK MAYBE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF, UM, CITY MANAGER OR CITY ATTORNEY BEFOREHAND TO SAY, IN DRAFTING THIS AGENDA, MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AS A, AS A PUBLIC HEARING. I'M NOT SURE IF THE COMMISSION HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT IN TERMS OF REQUESTING A PUBLIC HEARING. BUT THAT, UM, I GUESS I WOULD SAY NO, BECAUSE IT'S A, YOU CAN ADD AGENDA ITEMS, BUT YOU CAN'T, IT'S NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED. SO I THINK IT WOULD, THE COMMISSION WOULD'VE TO VOTE ON IT BEING [03:05:01] A PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS IT AT THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. CORRECT. OKAY. IS THAT ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU? OKAY. NEXT. YES. ON, UM, UNDER EXHIBIT A, PART 2, 2 24 FA EXHIBIT A. SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME. EXHIBIT PAGE, THAT'S A LIMITED PUBLIC FORM ESTABLISHED EXHIBIT A EX NO. 2 24 FA PUBLIC FORM ESTABLISHED SCOPE. YES. F1 A. F1 A. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WHERE IT SAYS, A MATTER IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION, IF THE COM, IF THE CITY COMMISSION HAS LEGAL AUTHORITY AND IT GOES ON, I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS WOULD BE, I'M NOT FOLLOWING, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER. I'M NOT F1 A PUBLIC INPUT DURING MEETINGS, LIMITED PUBLIC FORM, ESTABLISHED SCOPE A, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AND PUBLIC HEARING PORTIONS. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT, CORRECT? YES. OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN TOWARDS THE MIDDLE, IT SAYS, A MATTER IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION. OKAY. GOT IT. YOU GOT IT. YES, GO AHEAD. OKAY. A MATTER ESPECIALLY, I'M ESPECIALLY CONCERNED HERE THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD USE THIS CLAUSE TO RESTRICT CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. AND IN THIS, REGARDING THIS IS BECAUSE CONCERN WITHIN THE REGARD OF THE JURISDICTION, WHERE ARE WE LIMITING THE JURISDICTION PART OF IT? I CAN, I CAN ANSWER THAT. OKAY. PLEASE. A, A ACT, ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE. OKAY. IF WE HAD SAID WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION, THEN SOMEONE COULD HAVE SAID, WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? THE CITY COMMISSION CAN JUST SUBJECTIVELY SAY, OH, WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT, OR WE'RE NOT CONSIDERING THAT. THAT'S WHY I SPECIFICALLY ADDED, UM, THE, THE WORDS. A MATTER IS WITHIN, WE DEFINE IT. A MATTER IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION. IF THE CITY COMMISSION HAS LEGAL AUTHORITY TO, TO TAKE BINDING GOVERNMENTAL ACTION CONCERNING THE MATTER THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF ITS LEGISLATIVE, REGULATORY, BUDGETARY, CONTRACTUAL, PROPRIETARY, OR APPOINTMENT POWERS UNDER EITHER THE CITY CHARTER OR THE LAWS OF THE STATE. SO THE, THE LAWS DEFINE WHAT THE JURISDICTION IS, AND WE SPECIFICALLY REFERENCE THAT. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CITY CAN JUST SAY, OH, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA HEAR THAT. IT'S NOT OUTSIDE ACTUALLY BY, BY PROVIDING THAT DEFINITION, WE'RE CASTING THAT NET EXTREMELY D OKAY, GO AHEAD. AND TO YOUR POINT, THAT'S WHY I WANTED THE CITY ATTORNEY TO BE PLAYING A BIGGER ROLE ON BALLS AND STRIKES. THAT'S, THAT MAKES BIG SENSE. YOU KNOW? YEAH. THAT'S WHY. OKAY. OKAY. GOT THAT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT. AND THE NEXT ONE, SAME PAGE OR SAME? WELL, IT GOES TO A AWAY FROM A TO C MM-HMM . OKAY. AND TO SEE IT SAYS THE FORUM IS NOT OPEN FOR MATTERS THAT ARE NEITHER ON THE POSTED AGENDA, NOR WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE SITUATION. THAT I GUESS IT GOES AGAIN TO THE, TO THAT SAME ANSWER, MARK. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT'S CORRECT. RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN IT GOES TO NUMBER TWO. CONDUCT CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN OR AMONG AUDIENCE MEMBERS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED OUTSIDE THE MEETING ROOM. ATTENDEES SHOULD REFRAIN FROM CONVERSATIONS WHILE THE CITY COMMISSION IS IN SESSION. HOWEVER, I THINK IT SHOULD ADD AMONGST THE COMMISSION BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITHIN THE COMMISSION OURSELVES. WHAT WHAT ARE YOU OKAY, MIKE? I WAS LIKE, NO, I WAS LOOKING AT MIKE 'CAUSE HE WENT, I THINK HE'S FINE. I HAVE TWO NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES AND ONE HIT ME THERE. NO, NO, NO. I THOUGHT YOU WERE SAYING SOMETHING TO ME. SO, UM, WE HAVE A LOT. BUT I WAS, IT WASN'T, I WASN'T JUST SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT YOU. WE HAVE A LOT OF DISTRACT DISTRACTIONAL CONVERSATIONS AMONG US. IF WE EXPECT THE AUDIENCE TO DO THAT, THEN WE SHOULD DO THAT OURSELVES. WE HAVE, I I DON'T WANNA CALL ANYBODY OUT, BUT I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO MYRA TODAY. I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO DANIEL TODAY, BUT I'VE SEEN EVERYBODY ELSE SP SPOKE SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER THROUGHOUT THE MEETING. AND IF WE EXPECT THE AUDIENCE TO DO THAT, TO DO THAT, TO KEEP FROM SPEAKING TO THEMSELVES AND, AND GO OUTSIDE, THEN THE COMMISSION TO DO THE, TO DO THE SAME. WELL, I THINK I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE GOING TO BE INSTANCES. I AGREE WITH YOU TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE, UM, OBSERVING OUR ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, WHICH YOU HAD BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT AT THE VERY BEGINNING TO THE CHARTER. AND THAT IS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE ARE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. AND SO WHEN PEOPLE ACT OUTSIDE OF THEM, THAT SOME, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY [03:10:01] AND RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE CAN DO BETTER. AND I, AND I HAVE BEEN, UM, TRYING TO, BUT I THINK EACH COMMISSIONER HERE, YOU KNOW, HAS, UH, HAS THE, SHOULD, UH, RESPECT THOSE, THOSE RULES. AND IT'S A REFLECTION OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY WHEN THEY GO OUTSIDE OF, OF, OF THE RULES. HOWEVER, IN TERMS OF, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIDE, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN, UH, ATTENDEES AND TALKING ABOUT DINNER OR TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT TO CITY, TO CITY BUSINESS. UM, AND BEING ABLE TO BE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME, UH, IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION WITH GABE. I'M NOT GONNA STOP DOING THAT. I'M NOT GONNA MEMORIALIZE THAT HERE, BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WHEN I HAVE TO ASK HIM A QUESTION IN ORDER TO BE EFFICIENT WITH, UM, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON SPECIFICALLY TODAY. ASKED MAYRA, THE QUESTION FROM MAYRA, WAS THE APPLICANT REQUESTED TO PASS ON AN ITEM WHILE YOU'RE DOING YOUR BUSINESS OR WHOEVER'S DOING THEIR BUSINESS? WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT SO WE CAN GET OUTTA HERE WITH TIME. AND SO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE BEING HAD, THEY ARE CITY BUSINESS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO. SO IT, WE ARE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, FOREGO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABIDING BY SOME RULES THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UH, THEY'RE GOING TO BE RESTRICTIVE IN A WAY THAT WE CAN'T CONDUCT THE BUSINESS THAT WE NEED TO DO. NOT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO FIT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS AGENDA ITEM EACH TIME. AND SO, FOR THOSE REASONS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I AGREE WITH YOU TO A CERTAIN EXTENT THAT IT CAN BE DISRUPTIVE, AND I'VE SEEN IT. UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, CLOSING THE, THE DOOR ON ON THOSE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS IS, UH, NOT, NOT APPROPRIATE. AT LEAST IT'S NOT. I'M THE PRESIDING CHAIR. I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, AND WHOEVER IS PRESIDING IN THIS SEAT, NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION. SH SHOULD WE NEED, UM, DISCUSSION WITH MARK OR, OR WITH GABE OR WHOEVER'S SITTING IN THIS SEAT, THEN I, UH, THEN I SUGGEST THAT WE REMOVE IT. AND UNLESS THE AUDIENCE IS OUT OF ORDER AND YOU HAVE ALL THE POWER TO DO THAT, THEN I SUGGEST WE REMOVE IT. THERE ARE ADULTS AND, AND, UM, WE REMOVE IT COMPLETELY. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HONOR THAT. AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO. AND IF SOMEBODY SAYS, I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, OR WHATEVER THEIR REASON IS FOR TALKING, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT REASONING IS. AND LIKE, I MAY NEED TO LEAVE. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR REASONING IS FOR TALKING. IT, IT FOR, FOR WHAT OUR REASON IS FOR TALKING. THEY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR REASON IS FOR TALKING EITHER, SO WE SHOULD JUST REMOVE IT. OKAY. IF I MAY MAKE A SUGGESTION. SURE. UH, I THINK IT'S A POINT WELL TAKEN. AND I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS MASSAGE THE LANGUAGE, JUST TO YOUR POINT, RIGHT? SO LONG AS IT'S NOT DISRUPTIVE IN THE PUBLIC AND IT'S NOT CAUSING DISTRACTION THERE, SAME THING SHOULD APPLY HERE. I THINK TO THE, UH, TO COMMISSIONER'S POINT, WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER, RIGHT? IF WE'RE GONNA HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, WE NEED TO BE, UH, TO THE SAME, UH, HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD, WHICH IS WHAT YOUR POINT IS. SO I THINK WE CAN, I CAN WORK WITH MARK AND COMMISSIONER. I CAN, UH, SEND YOU A DRAFT OF THE LANGUAGE, JUST SURE. IT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, AND JUST LIKE WHAT YOU SAID, MAYOR, JUST NOT DISRUPTIVE. 'CAUSE LIKE I HAD TO TOLD GABE, HEY, GABE, I'M STEPPING OUT TO THE BATHROOM REAL QUICK JUST TO, SO HE KNOWS WHERE I'M AT, RIGHT? UH, I THINK YOU CAN BE MASSAGED. I AGREE. OKAY. AGAIN, IT'S STILL GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK. THE COMMISSION'S STILL GONNA HAVE TO VOTE ON IT. SECOND FOR A SECOND READING. YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. THEN. YES, MA'AM. ALL NEXT. AND THEN, AND THEN ON THREE, THE NEXT, WELL, THE NEXT PAGE, CITIZENS PARTICIPATION, PUBLIC COMMENT, A THREE A MM-HMM . THREE A. OH, THIS IS A GOOD ONE. WHICH WHERE IT SAYS, UM, EACH SPEAKER MUST IDENTIFY WHICH CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM, OR WHICH MATTER. YOU MIGHT'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS, DANIEL ALREADY, AND I MUST MIGHT'VE MISSED IT, OR WHICH MATTER WITHIN THE CITY COMMISSION'S JURISDICTION. NOT ON THE AGENDA HE OR SHE INTENDS TO SPEAK ABOUT. DID YOU SPEAK ABOUT THIS WHILE I WAS DOING ON MY, NO, MA'AM. WHAT NUMBER? UM, THREE. A ONE. THIS IS WHAT, UM, SASI HAS ALREADY ADDRESSED. HE ALREADY ADDRESSED IT, RIGHT? YES. OKAY. SKIP THAT. OH, YEAH. OKAY. JURISDICTION. YEAH, WE'RE GONNA, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA, THE DEFINITION, THE DEFINITIONS WAS ON DIFFERENT, RIGHT? I THINK TO YOUR POINT, WHENEVER WE ALREADY DO IT, NOW, WHEN PEOPLE SIGN UP, LIKE WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, THIS FORM THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PACKET THAT'S IN FRONT OF US IS THIS TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. WE ALREADY HAVE IT, RIGHT? SO IT'S JUST FOLLOWING. YES. OKAY. THAT WORKS. ALL RIGHT. NEXT. [03:15:01] AND THEN ON THREE, UM, THE NEXT, JUST GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. AND NUMBER THREE, THE MAYOR MAY ADJUST THE PER SPEAKER TIME LIMIT FOR A MEETING OR FOR A PARTICULAR ITEM BASED SOLELY ON CONTENT NEUTRAL FACTORS SUCH AS THE LENGTH OF THE AGENDA, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS, OR THE NEED FOR AN INTERPRETER. CAN YOU TELL ME THE NUMBER? SORRY, IT'S JUST THE NEXT PAGE, BUT WE WERE ON NUMBER THREE. SECTION THREE, NUMBER THREE. THREE NUMBER THREE. YES. THREE. THREE, C3. OH, IT'S THE, IT'S THE NEXT NUMBER. NO, IT'S STILL A 3, 3, 3, 3. WELL, A THREE. YES. YES. THREE. A THREE. OKAY. THREE. THREE. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS ONE BECAUSE THE MAYOR MAY ADJUST THE PER SPEAKER TIME LIMIT FOR A MEETING FOR A PARTICULAR ITEM BASED SOLELY ON CONTENT NEUTRAL FACTORS, SUCH AS THE LENGTH OF THE AGENDA. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YES. OKAY. THIS IS, IS THIS THE TIME WHEN YOU ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL TIME, NORMA MAYOR? SO IN THIS, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WE HAVE A VERY, IT'S NINE O'CLOCK. WE'RE STILL HERE. IF YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, UM, 30, IF WE HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT, UH, IS AN AGENDA ITEM, AND, AND IT, IT CAUSES, UM, A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE TO COME OUT BECAUSE THEY WANNA VOICE THEIR OPINION. SO WE WANNA HEAR FROM EVERYBODY. SO WE GOT 30 SPEAKERS, THEN WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REDUCE THAT TIME LIMIT SO WE CAN HEAR FROM EVERYBODY INSTEAD OF, UM, SAYING, WE KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY. MAYBE INSTEAD OF THREE MINUTES, IT'S TWO MINUTES, DEPENDING ON THE, THE SUBJECT MATTER. THE SUBJECT MATTER, AND THE, UH, THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING. SOME MEETINGS ARE, ARE, ARE SHORT. UH, AND SO THERE, THERE WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE. AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST IS IF PEOPLE WANNA SIGN UP FOR MULTIPLE THINGS, THERE'S LIKE THESE TIME LIMITS AND STUFF. AND SO THAT CHANGES THAT TO BE WHERE WE CAN ADJUST THE TIME, IF THAT'S, UH, NECESSARY. OKAY. AND THAT WOULD, YOU WOULD, AND THAT WOULD BE CLEANED UP, UH, MARK IN TERMS OF WHAT, UH, LOPEZ HAD MENTIONED IN TERMS OF BEING CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT WHOEVER'S THE PRESIDING CHAIR OF THE MEETING? MM-HMM . OKAY. EXCUSE ME. MAY I INTERJECT ON THIS ONE? UM, I WOULD PREFER IF WE COULD JUST FINISH WITH COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL GO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL GO TO YOU NEXT. AND THEN ON, I'M GOING ON TO, OH, I SKIPPED A COUPLE PAGES AND THEN I WENT ON TO G USE OF CAMERAS AND RE RECORDERS. PUBLIC HEARING. FIVE. A, B, C, D, G. I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? TWO? CAB, C. NO, FIVE PUBLIC HEARINGS. FIVE. FIVE. AM I SAYING THIS RIGHT? 5G? YES. I'M NOT FOLLOWING YOU. YOU SAID USE OF CAMERAS AND RECORDERS. IT'S G NUMBER FIVE. FIVE. NO, NUMBER ONE. OKAY. CONSISTENT WITH SECTION 5 5 1 0.0238. THAT, YES. OKAY, GO AHEAD. CONSISTENT WITH SECTION, ANY PERSON IN ATTENDANCE MAY RECORD ALL OR ANY PART OF ANY OPEN MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION BY MEANS OF A CAMERA, VIDEO, CAMERA, CELLULAR TELEPHONE, TAPE RECORDER, OR ANY OTHER MEANS OF AUDIO OR VISUAL REPRODUCTION. HOW WILL THESE BE THE SAME RULES, UH, BE, HOW WILL THESE, EXCUSE ME. HOW WILL THESE SAME RULES BE APPLIED WHEN RECOGNITIONS ARE TAKING PLACE? MEANING PICTURES MAY ONLY BE TAKEN FROM THE AISLES, SEATS NOT FROM THE AISLE MAY ONLY BE TAKEN BY THEIR SEATS, NOT BY THE AISLES. SO THIS IS A GOOD CATCH. SO THIS HERE, I BELIEVE IS, UH, FOR CITIZEN, CITIZEN, UH, LET'S SEE. CONSISTENT WITH SECTION, ANY PERSON IN THE ATTENDANCE MAY REPORT ALL OR ANY PART OF AN OPEN MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION BY MEANS OF CAMERA, VIDEO CAMERA. SO WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION? HOW WILL THESE SAME, HOW WILL THESE SAME RULES BE APPLIED WHEN RECOGNITIONS ARE TAKING PLACE? MEANING PICTURES MAY ONLY BE TAKEN FROM THEIR SEATS AND NOT FROM THE AISLES. OKAY. WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE. I THINK YOU CAN ADD SOME LANGUAGE IN HERE. UM, THIS IS TO, THERE ARE ARE PROPER TIMES IN TERMS OF RECOGNITIONS WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE COMMISSION AND THEY, UM, ARE BEING RECOGNIZED. THEY'VE ASKED TO BE RECOGNIZED, AND WE ALLOW THE PARENTS TO TAKE PICTURES. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? YES. UHHUH. . OKAY. SO THEN THAT LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE CLEAR THAT, UM, DURING, UM, PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS OF THE, UH, OF THE PUBLIC, THAT THE, UH, I WOULD, I GUESS THE, THE PRESIDING CHAIR, UM, WOULD ALLOW FOR PICTURES TO BE TAKEN OF THE PRESENTATION. THERE'S, I'M SURE YOU CAN SOME LANGUAGE TO IT TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONER'S CONCERN. OKAY. NEXT. AND THAT'S IT. THAT'S [03:20:01] ALL I'VE GOT FOR NOW. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, YOU THINK THAT'S IT? NO, NO, I'M JUST SAYING EVERYONE, YOU'RE GETTING THE CRASH COURSE AND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE A TRANSACTIONS LAWYER RIGHT HERE. MM-HMM . YEAH. AND EVERY, EVERY DRAFT QA, THERE'S JUST NO QA, NURSING REDLINES. YEAH. UM, OKAY. UM, COMMISSIONER MORALES, YOU'VE HEARD ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS BY THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, THUS FAR. DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING INDIVIDUAL, UM, TO, TO POINT OUT? AND IF SO, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US WHERE YOU'RE AT? OKAY. UH, THE ONE THAT DELIA, THAT I WANTED TO INTERJECT, I HAVE IT UNDER PAGE EIGHT. CAN YOU DO US, WHICH IS UNDER, UH, CITIZENS PARTICIPATION SLASH PUBLIC COMMENTS? CITIZEN NUMBER THREE. MM-HMM . HOLD ON. WHICH SAYS, THE MAYOR MAY ADJUST THE PER SPEAKER TIME LIMIT FOR A MEETING, AND SO ON THE, AND ET CETERA. THIS IS ITEM, UH, THIS IS NUMBER THREE A. THAT'S THREE C. THREE C OH YES. THREE C. YOU HAVE IT UNDER CITIZEN PARTICIPATION SLASH PUBLIC COMMENT? THREE A. IT'S THREE. OH, IT'S THREE. A THREE THREE A, RIGHT? THREE A. THREE A. WHAT NUMBER? ONE, THREE. THREE. A THREE. OKAY, GO AHEAD. OKAY, WHERE IT SAYS THE MAYOR MAY ADJUST PER SPEAKER TIME LIMIT YES. FOR A MEETING. OKAY. THIS, WE, THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS, IT'S WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S CONTROVERSIAL THAT REALLY GETS TO THE PUBLIC. OTHERWISE THERE'S NO NEED FOR THIS THERE. ME PERSONALLY, WE SHOULDN'T, WE SHOULD KEEP IT AT THREE MINUTES. THERE'S NO NEED FOR TO REDUCE THE TIME IF THERE'S A LOT OF SPEAKERS. AND THE REASON BEHIND IT IS WE ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY DO NOT CARE FOR. THEY'RE DISAGREEING. THEY'RE, IF THEY APPROVE SOMETHING, YOU WON'T HAVE ANY, ANY, UH, MAJOR INFLUX OF PEOPLE THERE SPEAKING UP. SO WHEN THEY BRING THIS UP AND THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S WAY OFF. SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND REMOVE THAT. THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT. AND THEN ON THE SAME THING UNDER THIS PARTICULAR SECTION, UH, WE CAN JUMP TO, UH, WHERE WAS I? OKAY. SO, SO BEFORE WE JUMP, UM, YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, ADJUST THE TIME BASED SOLELY ON CONTENT NEUTRAL FACTORS, CONTENT NEUTRAL FACTORS. UM, YOU'RE SAYING THE OPPOSITE. RIGHT NOW, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS SOMETHING CONTROVERSIAL, AND IN THE LANGUAGE IT SAYS CONTENT NEUTRAL, SUCH AS LENGTH OF THE AGENDA, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS, OR THE NEED FOR AN INTERPRETER. SO SUCH AS LENGTH OF THE AGENDA. IF WE ARE HAVING A MEETING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE A MEETING LIKE TODAY, THERE IS NO DISCRETION TO TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT OR AMEND THAT BASED ON NUMBER OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS, EITHER OR THE NEED FOR AN INTERPRETER. SO BASED ON THAT, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT SOMEONE THAT NEEDS AN INTERPRETER WILL GET THE SAME TIME. WE'RE NOT GOING TO ADJUST IT. AND ALSO LENGTH OF THE AGENDA, IT DOESN'T MATTER. UM, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS, THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO RUN A MEETING EFFICIENTLY. WE HAVEN'T, TO YOUR POINT, NEEDED THAT. UM, BUT I THINK A HAPPY COMPROMISE IS MAYBE IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR, UH, YOU KNOW, OR THE PRESIDING CHAIR DOING IT UNILATERALLY, BUT THAT THE COMMISSION CAN, UM, I KNOW YOU WEREN'T REALLY A FAN OF THAT IN TERMS OF THE COMMISSION AND HAVING THE CITY ATTORNEY DO IT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO, TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. UH, THAT IS IN EVERYBODY ELSE'S DECORUM, UH, THAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE VALLEY. YOU KNOW, AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS IS GOING TO BE HERE WHEN I'M NOT HERE, UH, AND THE NEXT MAYOR AND THE NEXT MAYOR. AND YOU'RE REALLY LIMITING THE ABILITY OF THE CHAIR TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE MEETING EFFICIENTLY. UH, AND SO, UM, I I, I, I DON'T AGREE WITH WHAT YOU ARE PRESENTING. THE WAY THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING IT IS CON IT, IT CONTRADICTS THE LANGUAGE ON THE FACE OF, OF THIS ITEM. UM, MARK, WOULD YOU NOT AGREE WITH THAT? UH, YES MA'AM. I MEAN, THE, THE PURPOSE IS BASICALLY SOMETIMES YOU [03:25:01] HAVE, UH, NUMEROUS PEOPLE SHOWING UP SAYING ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING, RIGHT? AND, AND PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE, UH, SOMETIMES HAS TO BE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE TIME HAS TO BE, UH, LIMITED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE CITY BUSINESS ALSO HAS TO BE CONDUCTED. YEAH. IF NOT, WE CAN REVERT BACK TO WHAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE IS, OKAY, YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR ONE ITEM. YOU NEED TO DESIGNATE A PERSON TO SPEAK FOR YOU. AND I THINK THAT THAT LIMITS PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO SPEAK. AND THIS GIVES EVERY SINGLE PERSON AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND YOU ADJUST IT, UH, BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE PER DAY. SO I THINK THIS IS A, A, A, A BETTER, UH, RULE GIVES MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK BECAUSE THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE 10, 15 PEOPLE THAT WANNA SPEAK, AND THEY'VE GOT SOMEONE THAT IS GOING TO BE THE, THE PERSON. I THINK THAT WAS THE FIRST, THAT WAS THE FIRST, UH, DRAFT, AND THAT'S WHAT MOST OF THE OTHER CITIES DO. UH, BUT HERE IT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU'VE GOT 30 PEOPLE SIGNED UP AND YOU'VE GOT A VERY SHORT AGENDA. YOU MIGHT HAVE TIME FOR THAT, FOR EVERY PERSON TO GET, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THREE MINUTES. BUT IF YOU DON'T, THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIMIT, SO THAT WAY YOU CAN HEAR EVERYBODY SPEAK. EXCUSE ME. WHEN WOULD YOU ADVISE THE PEOPLE, THE, THE SPEAKERS THAT THEY, THEIR, THEIR TIME HAS BEEN REDUCED? WE WOULD DO THAT AT THE, AT THE START OF THE MEETING. I WOULD IMAGINE AT THE OPENING OF THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. WELL, IF THE CITY SECRETARY GETS 30 PEOPLE AND THEY ARE GONNA BE IN THE SAME, UM, SAME SUBJECT, SHOULDN'T THEY BE CONTACTED VIA EMAIL AND TELL 'EM THAT, HEY, THEIR REMARKS ARE NO LONGER THREE MINUTES, BUT TWO OR TWO AND A HALF? I THINK IT'D BE DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO GAUGE THAT SINCE IT, UH, YOU KNOW, MY SUGGESTION EARLIER WAS TO GIVE MORE TIME FOR PEOPLE TO SIGN UP VERSUS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE 12 O'CLOCK CUTOFF, THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY TIMES, I, I DON'T KNOW UNTIL I GET HERE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SIGNED UP FOR, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'D BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT WITH THEM IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHAIR IS GONNA DO IN THE MEETING. SEE, MAYBE I'M OFF, BUT THAT'S, THIS IS NOT THE WAY I WAS READING IT. WE GIVE EVERYONE THREE MINUTES MM-HMM . AND THEN WE GIVE 'EM, IT SAYS MAYBE GIVE AN ADDITIONAL 15 SECONDS TO WRAP UP COMMENTS, RIGHT? YEAH. WE GIVE THEM MORE TIME, WHICH I READ IS JUST A PROFESSIONAL COURTESY, HEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE ACADEMY AWARD MUSIC. LIKE WRAP IT UP, BABY, WRAP IT UP. MM-HMM . BUT THE WAY MORALES IS READING THIS, THE NEXT SENTENCE IS, AND I'M MAYBE YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM HERE, IS THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU, THE, WHOEVER THE PRESIDING CHAIR IS CAN SHRINK THE THREE MINUTES TO TWO MINUTES? I, YEAH, I THINK THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS. THE MAYOR MAY ADJUST THE PER SPEAKER TIME LIMIT FOR A MEETING FOR A PARTICULAR ITEM BASED SOLELY ON CONTENT NEUTRAL FACTORS, SUCH AS THE LENGTH OF THE AGENDA, THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS, OR THE NEED FOR AN INTERPRETER. SO YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE TIME, UM, OR YOU WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE LESS TIME. SO IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE SOMETIMES PEOPLE WANT MORE TIME, AND IF YOU'VE GOT A SHORT AGENDA, MAYBE IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN GIVE MORE TIME TO SPECIFIC, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT TO ALL OF THE SPEAKERS IN THAT SECTION. SO SAY YOU'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MAYBE IT'S A DOWNTOWN, UH, ITEM. AND SO THAT ITEM, YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT, UH, YOU HAVE LESS PEOPLE, BUT THEY NEED MORE TIME. THAT GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU FOUR MINUTES OR FIVE MINUTES, BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT IN, WE HAVE THE TIME ALLOTTED BECAUSE WE HAVE A SHORT AGENDA. AND THERE'S THIS ONE ITEM. SAME THING IS YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS AN INTERPRETER, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO ADJUST THAT TIME TO SIX MINUTES INSTEAD OF THREE MINUTES. UM, AND IF YOU HAVE A, A SLEW OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SIGNED UP, THEN YOU GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY. BUT IT COULD BE SHORTENED. I THINK, UM, FAR HAS 90 SECONDS OR FAR HAS A MINUTE AND A HALF, RIGHT? BECAUSE TYPICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LIMITED TO GIVE THEM THREE MINUTES MM-HMM . BUT YOU CAN SHORTEN THAT UP IF NEEDED. RIGHT. UM, SO, BUT YES, FAR, AND THEY HAVE IT ON AN ORDINANCE. THEY HAVE A MINUTE AND A HALF TO SPEAK. MM-HMM . AND THAT'S PUBLIC COMMENTS. AND THAT IS ON PUBLIC HEARINGS AS WELL. UH, I, I WANNA STICK, STAY AWAY FROM WHAT FAR DOES ME TOO. UH, I THINK WHAT THE WAY I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT IS THREE MINUTES. THREE MINUTES SHOULD BE THE BASEMENT. OKAY. RIGHT. AND IF THE, IF YOU WANNA GIVE MORE TIME, OR THE PRESENTING CHAIR WANTS TO GIVE MORE TIME, BUT TO EVERYONE, FINE, GIVE EVERYONE FIVE MINUTES ON WHATEVER ITEM, THEN IT CAN GO THAT WAY. BUT TO GO LESS THAN THREE MINUTES, I THINK, AGAIN, WE'VE NEVER DONE IT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, I THINK IT WOULD EVER OCCUR. I THINK, I, I THINK I, I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE PRESENTED ON THIS COMMISSION IS TO GIVE THREE MINUTES. CORRECT. [03:30:01] YOU WENT IN FROM TWO TO THREE, IT USED TO BE TWO MINUTES. SO OBVIOUSLY THAT IS THE, THE DESIRABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. HOWEVER, UH, SHOULD THERE BE A NEED IN THE FUTURE? IT GIVES THAT OPTION, BUT IT, IT, IT, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT IS THE SUGGESTION THEN? UM, MORALES, THE, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE, UH, WITH THE INTERPRETER. THAT THAT'S, THAT TO ME, THAT'S A NON-ISSUE. I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST 24 TO 27 SPEAKERS. AND IN THAT, IN, IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, YES. THEY WERE ALL, THEY HAD THEIR SAME SUB, ABOUT 90% HAD THE SAME SUBJECT THAT THEY WERE DISCUSSING, THAT THEY BROUGHT US, THAT THEY MADE THEIR FEELINGS KNOWN TO US AS TO WHAT THEY WANTED OR DIDN'T WANT. SO THAT'S WHERE I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF SPEAKERS, PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND THAT'S, WE NEED TO HEAR THEM OUT. OKAY. WITHOUT QUESTION. I MEAN IT, IF IT'S THREE MINUTES, IT'S THREE MINUTES. I GOT, UH, I INTERPRETER, IT'S SIX. NO PROBLEM. WE GOTTA USE COMMON SENSE. OKAY. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO CUT PEOPLE FROM SPEAKING, LET THEM SPEAK. OKAY. I GOT IT. SO THEN, UM, MARK, IF YOU CAN JUST CLEAN UP THIS LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT TO GIVE THE CHAIR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE ADDITIONAL TIME. YES, MA'AM. THAT IT, YEAH, IT'LL BE THREE MINUTES IS THE BASEMENT. RIGHT? AND IF YOU, OKAY. YEAH, I AGREE. ALRIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NEXT. UM, SAME. OKAY. NUMBER FOUR. UNDER THE SAME SITUATION, UNDER THE, UH, CITIZENS' PARTICIPATION, WE GO FROM THAT COMMENT TO THE NUMBER FOUR SPEAKER SHALL DIRECT ALL COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION AS A WHOLE, NOT TO INDIVIDUAL CITY, CITY, COMMISSIONERS MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, OR MEMBERS OF STAFF. THE PROBLEM IS, WITH THIS, I'LL TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT THE COMMISSION IS, BUT I CANNOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IF SOMEBODY GOES OFF THE RESERVATION AND PUTS ALL STUFF ON FACEBOOK AND THEY CONTRADICT, CONTRADICT THEMSELVES OR OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA. AND THEN WE AS A, AS A COMMISSION, WE'RE, WE'RE PAYING THE PRICE FOR SOMEBODY'S ELSE GOING OFF THE RESERVATION, OR WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON. THAT SHOULD BE, IF THE SPEAKER WANTS TO CRITICIZE ME DIRECTLY, GO FOR IT. I'M NOT GONNA BE ARGUING I MESSED UP. I'LL TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY. LET THEM SAY WHAT THEY WANT TO. SO I'M AGAINST THAT PARTICULAR PHRASE, THAT ITEM ON THAT PARTICULAR, AND THE SAME THING APPLIES TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. COMMISSIONER THAT'S ON THE PHONE. COMMISSIONER, IF I CAN JUST INTERRUPT YOU. I THINK THAT THAT WAS ALREADY ADDRESSED THROUGH, UM, WILL COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, IT BE, COMMISSIONER LOPEZ MADE A SUGGESTION ON NOT ADDRESSING, UH, THAT YOU COULD ADDRESS THE COMMISSION INDIVIDUALLY AND NOT AS, UH, AS A WHOLE, YOU ALREADY, YOU ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT. AND THEN THE ONLY THING THAT I ASKED, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET A SECOND READING, IS THAT, UH, THOSE REMARKS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TO THIS COMMISSION TO, TO THE, THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSION AND NOT TO STAFF DIRECTLY. THEY CAN, THEY CAN SPEAK OF STAFF. THEY JUST CANNOT DIRECT THEIR COMMENTS TO STAFF, UH, AT THE MEETINGS. SO I THINK WE'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT AND, AND THERE WAS SOME CONSENSUS TO THAT. UM, COMMISSIONER, SO CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT, THE NEXT, UH, POINT OF CONCERN? I, I THINK THAT THAT COVERS IT. OKAY, GREAT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, SIR. ON THE REDUCTION OF TIME, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE IT SO THAT IF SOMEBODY SPEAKS ON TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE'LL GET THREE AND TWO. 'CAUSE THAT'LL GO DOWN. WELL, I MEAN THAT IS, THAT HAS WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. AND I, I DON'T SEE, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? SOMEBODY SIGN UP FOR MORE THAN ONE PUBLIC HEARING TO GET THREE MINUTES ON ONE AND TWO MINUTES ON THE OTHER? YES. BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THAT NOW. SO THEY WOULD GET THREE MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT, THEY WOULD GET FIVE MINUTES AND THEY CAN SPREAD IT OUT WHEREVER THEY WANT, IS BASICALLY IT. SO THEY GET LIKE THE WAY THEY DID TODAY. YEAH. BUT CORRECT. BUT IF YOU HAVE, LET'S SAY YOU DON'T DO PUBLIC COMMENT. I MEAN, DO YOU, YOU WANNA SPEAK AT TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, YOU GET SIX MINUTES OR YOU GET FIVE? NO, YOU GET FIVE MINUTES. FIVE. OKAY. AND WE DID THAT TODAY. SO YOU GET FIVE MINUTES NO MATTER WHAT. IT'S, I GOT THE MAXIMUM YOU CAN GET CORRECT. UNLESS WE EXTEND IT. UNLESS IT'S YEAH. AND IT HAS TO BE [03:35:01] TO THAT ENTIRE ITEM. WELL, ACTUALLY NO. YEAH, WE CAN BASED ON THAT, THAT CLAUSE. OKAY. SO IF YOU COULD JUST ADD THAT IT'S NOT IN HERE, BUT A MAX IS FIVE MINUTES FOR PUBLIC HEARING AND THEY CAN PUT THAT TIME WHEREVER IT IS. THEY, THEY SEE FIT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I MEAN, PUBLIC HEARING MAYOR, MAN, FOR I'M SORRY. YES MA'AM. SORRY. . UM, FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, REGARDLESS OF THE ITEMS THEY WANNA SPEAK ON, IT STAYS FOR THREE MINUTES. CORRECT. JUST AS IT'S BEEN GOING SO FAR. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY CAN SPEAK ON ANY ITEMS THEY WANT, ON ANY TOPICS, BUT THEY ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES. CORRECT. BUT I THINK THE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC HEARINGS. YES. BECAUSE IF WE'VE HAD SOME CONFUSION WITH RESIDENTS STATING THAT, WELL, I SIGNED UP FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC HEARING MM-HMM . OR I SIGNED UP FOR THREE, FOUR ITEMS UNDER CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, I DESERVE TO GET FIVE MINUTES INSTEAD OF THREE. AND I'M LIKE, NO, NO, IT'S THREE MINUTES. IT'S THREE MINUTES. SO, SO FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE WANTS TO SIGN UP AND GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. MM-HMM. THEY GET THERE AT THREE MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN THEY SAY, I ALSO WANNA SIGN UP FOR THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS. THEN THEY WOULD GET FIVE MINUTES TO DISTRIBUTE BETWEEN THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS. OKAY. SO THEN THEY GET EIGHT MINUTES TOTAL. YEAH. OKAY. I MEAN, RIGHT. MM-HMM. THAT'S, I THINK THAT THAT'S FAIR. OKAY. THAT WAY WE CAN JUST HAVE THAT ON BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT SHOULD, WHEN WHEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT, WHEN THEY'RE DESIGNATING THEIR COMMENTS, IT SHOULD NOT BE ON THE ITEM WHERE THEY HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. CORRECT. 'CAUSE THEN YOU'RE GETTING ADDITIONAL TIME. THIS IS LIKE, YEAH, MARK, ACT ON US. I'LL LET YOU FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WANNA DRAFT THAT LANGUAGE. SO, SO, SO JUST, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SPOT THERE FOR THEM TO DESIGNATE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S NINE B IS THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEY SIGN UP FOR NINE B, AND THEN ON THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT, IF THEY SAY NINE B, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER. 'CAUSE THEN THAT IS ADDITIONAL TIME THAT OTHERS WOULD NOT HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TO NOT MANIPULATE THE SYSTEM. THEY HAVE TO IDENTIFY. AND SO THEN WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A PUBLIC HEARING VERSUS PUBLIC COMMENT. SO I'M, I'M CONFIDENT THAT YOU'LL, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS CLEAR ON THE, UH, ON THE FORM AND THEN, UM, THAT YOU CAN ADD THAT TO MARK WILL FIGURE IT OUT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THAT SOUNDS GOOD. EVERYBODY HAS HAD THEIR OPPORTUNITY. UM, UH, DANIEL CAN, CAN YOU CREATE, CAN YOU YES, MA'AM. I, I, I TOOK NOTES. WHAT I'LL DO IS I WILL SEND IT TO MARK, MARK AND SEND IT TO THE COMMISSION. IF I FORGOT ANYTHING, I'LL SEND IT TO PLEASE JUMP ON OR ADD IT. YEAH, I'LL SEND IT TO YOU, MARK. OKAY. OKAY. HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON. OKAY. UM, WE'VE GOT A MOTION. YES. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, PRESENT OR A MOTION TO, UH, A MOTION TO PASS SUBJECT TO THE CHANGES DISCUSSED TODAY THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO MARK SAEY FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND, AND PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION AT THE NEXT HEARING. CORRECT? SECOND. SECOND. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE MINUTES FROM THIS MEETING. YES. AND IT WOULD BE, UH, I WOULD, IT WOULD BEHOOVE YOU IF YOU WERE A COMMISSIONER AND YOU MADE SOME AMENDMENTS TO SEND THOSE TO, TO, UM, SAUCY IN ADDITION TO DANIEL. GOT IT. DO YOU WANT, YOU WANT THE COMMISSION TO SEND TO MARK AND ME? OR JUST MARK? NOT TO YOU. THANK YOU. NO, I THINK YOU DO A GREAT JOB IN SUMMARIZING. BUT THE LAST THING I WANT IS ONE COMMISSIONER TO SAY, THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID. MM-HMM . AND WE DELEGATED THAT TO DANIEL AND THAT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. AND THEN, YEAH, SO JUST SEND IT, SEND IT TO MARK. THEY CAN LOOK AT THE MINUTES, MAKE SURE IT REFLECTS, UH, CORRECTLY. I WOULD ENCOURAGE, STILL DO THE SUMMARY. YOU DO A GREAT JOB AND SEND THAT. BUT GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY. AND IF YOU DON'T SEND IT TO MARK, THEN THAT'S ON Y'ALL FOR NOT, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING UP ON, ON YOUR, ON YOUR REQUEST. OKAY. SO WE GOT A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY PEREZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT. UM, I'M, I'M HEARING YOU, MIKE. UM, LET'S SEE, UH, WE'RE MOVING ONTO YOU SHOULD BE ON P TURN. P THANK YOU. I KNOW. UM, OKAY. ITEM P, SORRY, [Item 10p - Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to exercise the one-year renewal terms under RFP No. 2023-20 for Professional Auditing Services with Cascos Associates, P.C., for Fiscal Year 2026 and 2027.] P CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXERCISE THE ONE U ONE YEAR RENEWAL TERMS UNDER RFP NUMBER 2023 DASH 20 FOR PROFESSIONAL AUDITING SERVICES WITH GOCO AND GOSS'S ASSOCIATES. UM, MAY COMMISSIONER APPROVE SECOND. OKAY. WHAT? WE'VE GOT SOME, UM, COMMISSIONER MESMER HAS A QUESTION. YES. ROBERT? YES. THINGS ARE GOING SMOOTHLY. YES. OKAY. IS THERE, IS THERE ANY OTHER [03:40:01] COMMENTS? UM, OKAY. I JUST, I GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE ALREADY, WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION. WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION, UM, FOR A SECOND. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT, THAT WE ARE DOING THIS EXTENSION AND THIS IS THE BEST TERMS. YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THERE'S NOTHING BETTER OUT THERE FOR US. UH, WHEN WE WENT OUT FOR BIDS, THEY WERE THE LOWEST OR THE SECOND TO THE LOWEST. MM-HMM . UM, AND THEN WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THEY'VE BEEN KIND OF, UH, ESSENTIAL IN HELPING US SUBMIT OUR REPORT AND SIGN. OKAY. I HAD A QUESTION. SO WE'RE ONLY GONNA EXTEND IT FOR ONE YEAR? UH, YEAH, THERE'S A TWO YEAR OPTION, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE JUST REQUESTING ONE YEAR. SO THEN NEXT YEAR WE GONNA GO OFF FOR MORE BIDS OR HOW'S IT GONNA WORK? MM-HMM . YEAH. OKAY. WE'RE, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA START THE PROCESS NOW BECAUSE THERE ARE PENALTIES NOW IF YOU DON'T SUBMIT THE AUDIT ON TIME. YEAH. MM-HMM . AND SO WE NEED TO DO THAT. WE'LL START THE PROCESS NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, SO WE GOT A MOTION IN A SECOND. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD ALREADY TALKED TO ROBERT ABOUT THE ONES I HAD, SO I'M GOOD. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. UM, OUR CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING MURAL AT DOWNTOWN LAZANO PLAZA AND AUTHORIZE THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW MURAL AS RECOMMENDED BY THE KEY PARLAN AND BEAUTIFUL BOARD WITH ALL PROJECT COSTS FUNDED BY THE KEY PARLAN AND BEAUTIFUL BOARD. UM, WE DO HAVE THE Q FOR THE BANKING. WE SKIP Q THANK YOU. THANK WAS THE SAME. THANK QQQ. YOU DID, DIDN'T I JUST DO THAT ONE? WE DID THE AUDITING SERVICES. OH, MY APOLOGIES. OKAY. UM, ALL RIGHT. [Item 10q - Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to exercise the one-year renewal terms under RFP No. 2023-18 for Depository Banking Services with PlainsCapital Bank.] CONSIDERATION PO. WE'RE, WE'LL GO BACK TO OUR, UM, CONSIDERATION, POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXERCISE THE ONE YEAR RENEWAL TERM UNDER RFP NUMBER 2023 DASH 18 FOR THE DEPOSITORY BANK SERVICES WITH PLAINS CAPITAL BANK. YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR THIS ONE? SATISFIED? YES, SIR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THOUGHT THAT'S ONE WE WERE ON THAT I, I DID TOO. SO MY APOLOGIES. WE DID THE AUDIT. MM-HMM . OKAY. BUT HOW ABOUT THE PLAINS CAPITAL? WE'RE GONNA GO AT IT FOR SAME THING, BUT IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME THING. IT'S ONE YEAR AND THEN WE'LL GO OUT FOR BIDS. OKAY. COOL. OKAY. I I, I WROTE ALL OVER MY UNION HERE. NO, NO PROBLEM. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THAT'S OKAY. SO, UM, I'LL DO MOTION TO APPROVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY GO MS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? UM, MOTION CARRIES. AND I THINK THERE WAS A NAY BY MORALES. IS THAT RIGHT? NO, I APPROVE. OKAY. UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, [Item 10r - Consideration and possible action to approve the removal of the existing mural at Downtown Lozano Plaza and authorize the installation of a new mural, as recommended by the Keep Harlingen Beautiful Board, with all project cost funded by the Keep Harlingen Beautiful Board.] NOW ITEM R, GOING BACK CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING MURAL AT DOWNTOWN LOZANO PLAZA. AND AUTHORIZE THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW MURAL AS RECOMMENDED BY THE KEY HARLINGEN BEAUTIFUL BOARD WITH ALL PROJECT CAUSED FUNDED BY THE KEY HARLINGEN BEAUTIFUL BOARD. THIS ITEM WAS TABLED, UM, AT THE LAST MEETING. A NEED A MOTION TO TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE, PLEASE? MOTION. MOTION. SECOND. MOTION BY GOMEZ, SECOND BY PEREZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THE TABLE. THE ITEM IS OFF THE TABLE. AND WE DO HAVE, UM, RUTH AND ALEXIS HERE. IS THERE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UM, FOR THESE LADIES? I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER EZ. NONE, NONE, NONE, NONE, NONE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NONE. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? I MAKE A STATEMENT. OKAY. HOLD ON. FIRST, UH, NO QUESTIONS. MORALES NO. GO. I, I'LL LIKE TO HEAR THAT STATEMENT THOUGH. OKAY. WELL, WE'LL GET THERE. DO YOU HAVE ANY? YES. ARE WE CLEARED? OH, I KNOW MARK SENT US THE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE WAIVER. YOU TALKED TO THE ARTIST AND HE WAS FINE WITH, UM, THE REMOVAL OF THE, OF HIS ARTWORK. ACTUALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS SIGNED BY THE ARTIST BACK IN MARCH OF 20, UH, 19, UH, WHERE HE IS WAIVING THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHTS, UH, TO THE ART. OKAY. OKAY. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. I'M NOT DONE YET. HOLD DONE. OKAY. UM, ALSO, I KNOW I, I TOOK, 'CAUSE I KNOW FROM THE COMMUNITY THERE WAS TWO CONCERNS THAT I SAW REGARDING THE COMMUNITY WAS ONE WAS WITH ABOUT THE ARTIST. WE ALREADY TOOK CARE OF THAT IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF LEGAL, UM, ISSUES THAT WE MAY HAVE. I KNOW MARK SENT THAT MEMO, SAID THERE'S NO LEGAL ISSUES. YOU REACHED OUT. WE DID HAVE THE WAIVER, AND I KNOW THE SECOND ONE THAT I SAW THAT PEOPLE WERE WORRIED ABOUT WAS ABOUT SOUTHWEST. THEY, UM, THAT SOUTHWEST WOULD MAYBE LEAVE HAREN BECAUSE WE DECIDED TO, UM, PAINT OVER THE MURAL OF HERB KELLER. SO WHAT I, WHAT I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF IS I WENT AHEAD AND I CONTACTED SOUTHWEST MYSELF BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT EVERYBODY WAS DOING WAS ASSUMING, ASSUMING, ASSUMING, WELL, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH. SO I REACHED OUT TO, TO THE AIRPORT, AND THEN I ASKED FOR CONTACT, UH, NUMBER FOR SOMEONE AT, AT THE SOUTHWEST. AND THEN I SPOKE TO THEM. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION, [03:45:01] HOW WE ARE REDESIGNING DOWNTOWN, THAT IT DOWNTOWN LOOKS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THAN IT DID, UM, FIVE YEARS AGO. UM, WE HAVE THE NEW, UM, THE NEW STAGE, THE NEW RESTROOMS WE'RE DOING WITH THE DANIEL'S DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THE PALM TREES THAT HE WANTS TO PUT IN TO BE. WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN AT SUNDOWN. THERE'S MORE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN NOW. UM, AND I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND I EXPLAINED THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY'RE REALLY AFRAID 'CAUSE WE VALUE HERE IN HARLINGEN. YOU KNOW, SOUTHWEST DID A GREAT JOB. THEY PUT, THEY PUT HARLINGEN ON THE MAP. UM, WE LOVE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND WE WANT TO NURTURE IT, AND WE WOULDN'T WANNA DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD EVER ENDANGER THAT. SO I REACHED OUT TO THEM AND THEY, AND I SPOKE TO THE GUY, AND THEN HE REACHED BACK OUT TO ME. AND I KNOW, UM, EDDIE, I THIRD WAS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE. I KNOW HE SPOKE TO ME AND THEY ALSO SPOKE TO GABE. CAN YOU LET THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT EDDIE III SAID ON BEHALF OF SOUTHWEST? UM, HE SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS, UH, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANNA PUT ANYTHING IN WRITING. YEAH. AND SO, BUT THEY SAID THE, THE PERSON THAT HE SPOKE TO SAID THEY WOULDN'T BE LEAVING HARLINGEN BECAUSE OF MURAL BEING REPAINTED. YEAH. FROM WHAT IT, UH, ALSO IN THE CONVERSATION I WAS HAVING WITH, UM, UM, THEY WERE TELLING ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY VALUE THE HAR THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY HAVE WITH HAREN AND THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY THAT THEY WOULD THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE AMIRA WOULD EVER ENDANGER THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HAREN THAT'S STRONGER THAN THAT. UM, AND THEY ALSO, ME, HE ALSO MENTIONED HOW, UM, HERB, HERB KELLER, AND I AGREE WITH HIM. I WAS TALKING TO DANIEL, UM, A WHILE BACK ABOUT HERB KELLER. AND THEN, UM, HE HAD MENTIONED THAT HE WAS, UH, TO QUOTE COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, A BADASS. AND, UM, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON HIM TOO. AND I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH, UM, DANIEL THAT HERB KELLER WAS A, WAS A BADASS. HE WAS, HE WAS A GREAT GUY. UM, SO I WOULD BE OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, HONORING HIM AND WHAT, LIKE WE ALREADY DO AT THE MUSEUM OR MAYBE AT THE AIRPORT WHERE IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE. UM, I ALSO, UM, THEY ALSO MENTIONED, UM, THE, THEY MENTIONED ALSO TO US WAS THAT HERB KELLER, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, HE HAS PASSED AWAY AND THE HERB KELLER FAMILY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SOUTHWEST ANYMORE. UM, THEY'RE, THEY, THEY HAVE NO RELATION, THEY HAVE NO STOCK, NO OWNERSHIP, NO NOTHING LIKE THAT. SO THEY'RE NOT AFFILIATED WITH SOUTHWEST ANYMORE. AND THEN SOUTHWEST ACTUALLY, HE WAS TELLING ME HE IS LIKE, SOUTHWEST WANTS HAREN TO DO WHAT HARINGTON WANTS TO DO. SOUTHWEST WANTS HAREN TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR DOWNTOWN BECAUSE DOWNTOWN BELONGS TO HAREN. AND THAT'S WHAT SOUTHWEST SELLING. AND I, YOU KNOW, I THANKED THEM AND GREETED 'EM, AND I KIND OF, I, LIKE GABE SAID, I DID WANT SOMETHING IN WRITING SO THAT WAY PEOPLE COULD BELIEVE. BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, LAWYERS BEING LAWYERS ARE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL BE, WANT TO PUT THAT IN WRITING, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY WANTED. SO I THOUGHT THAT THAT WENT A LONG WAY IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD. BECAUSE OVERALL, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S SAID AND DONE, THIS MURAL THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, THAT WHEN IT WAS MADE BACK IN 2020 OR 2019, IT DID NOT HAVE COMMUNITY INPUT WHATSOEVER. IT DIDN'T, THE COMMISSION PUT IT UPON THEMSELVES TO GO IN AND DO THIS AND PUT IT ON THERE. AND THIS, THIS MURAL THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO PUT ON THERE IS THE ACTUAL OPPOSITE OF THAT. UM, IT IS COMING WITH, UM, A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT. UM, IT'S ALSO, WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR IT. IT'S COMING FROM THE KEY HAREN BEAUTIFUL BOARD. AND I THINK THIS GOES A LONG WAY IN, IN, UM, ADDING TO THE VIBE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO DOWNTOWN, IN DOWNTOWN HAREN. I MEAN, WE'RE GROWING, WE'RE CHANGING. AND I THINK DOWNTOWN NEEDS TO CHANGE ALONG WITH IT. AND AT THE SAME TIME, STILL RESPECT THE TRADITIONS THAT WE HAVE. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS IS DOING. OKAY. UM, COMMISSIONER, DO NOT SLAP AN S AND P 500 COMPANY ACROSS THE FACE. IT'S RUDE. AND THE IDEA OF, WELL, LET'S REPAINT THIS AT THE AIRPORT. ON WHAT WALL? THERE ARE NO WALLS TO PAINT. THERE'S GLASS EVERYWHERE. IF YOU WANTED TO PAINT SOMETHING, A MURAL, PUT THIS PROPOSED ONE WHEREVER YOU CAN FIND IT AT THE AIRPORT AS A WELCOMING THING, WHETHER IT'S IN BAGGAGE OR PAINTED ON WINDOWS. 'CAUSE THERE ARE NO WALLS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE DOWNTOWN BELONGS TO HAREN AND NOT TO ANY SMP 500 COMPANY. IT BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF HAREN AND THE SMP COMPANY THAT THE COMMISSIONERS MENTIONING DID SAY THAT THEY HAVE NO QUALM WHATSOEVER WITH US REPLACING THIS MURAL AT ALL WHATSOEVER. LET'S, UM, TO COMMISSIONER'S POINT, LET'S WAIT TO BE RECOGNIZED. SORRY, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMENTS. UM, ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER PETTI? I KNOW. NO. UM, NO, NO. I HAVE NO, COULD I BRING SOMETHING? UM, COMMISSIONER MORALES THERE, THERE'S GOTTA BE A SENSE OF LOYALTY SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE. AND FOR THAT REASON, WE GOT THE RESPECT FOR AS LONG AS WE HAVE A AIRPORT, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, THEY PUT US ON THE MAP. [03:50:01] AND WHETHER MR. KELLER IS HERE OR HE IS GONE, LIKE HE HAS, WHETHER HIS FAMILY STILL HAVE TIES WITH SOUTHWEST OR NOT, DOESN'T MATTER. WE NEED TO BE LOYAL AND BE RESPECTFUL AND HONOR THAT MAN FOR WHAT HE DID FOR THIS CITY LONG AFTER HE'S GONE. I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF CHANGING THIS OUT. MAY I, COMMISSIONER PETTIS? I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE LOYAL, BUT I THINK OUR LOYALTY COMES TO THE PEOPLE OF HARLINGEN FIRST THAN ANY OTHER, UM, INDIVIDUAL OR COMPANY. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, COMMISSIONER MORALES SOUTHWEST HAS NO ISSUE WITH THIS WHATSOEVER. NOTHING WHATSOEVER. SO I CAN'T REITERATE THAT MORE. I MEAN, TRYING TO BE HIDE BEHIND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOUTHWEST HAS AN ISSUE WITH IT. THAT'S NOT TRUE. THEY DON'T. SO THE TWO MAIN ISSUES THAT THE PUBLIC BROUGHT UP HAVE ALREADY BEEN SETTLED. THE LEGAL ISSUES ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF. WE HAVE THE WAIVER. THERE'S NO ISSUE THERE, THERE'S NO ACT THAT'S BEING VIOLATED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND SECOND, SOUTHWEST HAS NO ISSUE WITH THIS WHATSOEVER. TIMES CHANGE, THE PEOPLE CHANGE. THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT A MURAL THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR 20, 30, 40, 50 YEARS THAT HAS IMMENSE HISTORICAL, UM, VALUE. IF IT DID, I WOULD UNDER, I WOULD TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS PUT IN, AGAIN IN 2020 WITH NO COMMUNITY INPUT. THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME DID NOT DECIDE TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASK FOR THE INPUT. INPUT. THEY DID NOT DO THAT. THEY RARELY EVER DID THAT, THAT WE DID THAT. THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY ASKED FOR. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, UM, COMMISSIONER MORALES AND COMMISSIONER SMAR TO ACTUALLY GO OUT TO DOWNTOWN AND SUNDOWN AND TALK TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SEE WHAT THEY WANT. AND JUST DON'T BLINDLY SAY NO, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME LOYALTIES OR SOME FRIENDS THAT LIVE DOWNTOWN. OKAY. UM, WELL I DID HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS, UM, AT THE LAST MEETING IN TERMS OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAD BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE. AND SO I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER EZ, UM, TAKING THAT EXTRA STEP AND REACHING OUT TO SOUTHWEST AND GETTING THEIR BLESSING. I THINK THAT THAT IS HELPFUL. UM, APPRECIATE MARK LOOKING INTO THE LEGAL ASPECT OF IT. 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT MY SPACE. AND SO IT DID HAVE THOSE CONCERNS. AND IT SEEMS THAT SOUTHWEST WANTS THE COMMUNITY TO DO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. SO THAT LEADS ME TO MY QUESTION TO YOU TWO LADIES. UM, HOW MUCH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WAS REALLY CONDUCTED? UM, I, I WONDER, YOU KNOW, HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THIS SPECIFIC MURAL? IS THIS, THIS IS GONNA BE IT. IF YOU, IF THIS IS WHAT'S APPROVED, THIS IS WHAT IT'LL LOOK LIKE, THERE WON'T BE ANY CHANGES. UM, THIS ISN'T, I I, I, IT WOULDN'T BE MY FIRST CHOICE. I'LL JUST SAY THAT. UM, BUT I WANNA RESPECT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. IF THE COMMUNITY LOVES IT, THEN I LOVE IT TOO. BUT, UM, WHAT DID YOU DO FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIFICALLY? SO I COULD SPEAK ON THAT. SO WE DID A COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WAS THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS. WE HAD OVER 167, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE FROM NOT ONLY HARLINGEN, BUT THE VALLEY ITSELF. UM, AND THEY INPUTTED ON WHAT TYPE OF CATEGORIES, WHAT TYPE OF COLORS, WHAT TYPE OF THEME, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS MURAL AT LOZANO MURAL AT LOZANO PLAZA. UM, NOW WHEN I WENT IN AND, UH, TO THE KEY PAR AND BEAUTIFUL BOARD, UM, THERE WAS CERTAIN COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, RIGHT? AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WELL, YOU KNOW, LET'S HAVE ONE RENDERING AND LET'S SEE WHERE WE GO FROM THERE. SO THERE WAS ABOUT FIVE OR SIX RENDERINGS THAT THAT ARTIST CAME UP WITH. AND THEN THIS WAS ONE THAT WE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THE KEY HARTON, BEAUTIFUL BOARD APPROVED OF AND RECOMMENDED. SO THIS WAS THE FINAL ONE. NOW, AS FAR AS COMMUNITY INPUT ON THIS SPECIFIC ONE, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN COMMUNITY INPUT. OKAY. UM, SO YOU GOT COMMUNITY INPUT ON ALL OF THEM? NO. YOU DIDN'T GET COMMUNITY INPUT INPUT. SINCE THE SURVEY, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN COMMUNITY INPUT ON THE DESIGN OF THE MURAL. OKAY. SO WHAT THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT YOU GOT WAS, WE WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WE WANT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, COLORFUL AND LIVELY THAT IS GONNA COMPLIMENT THE AREA. CORRECT? YES. OKAY. SO I CAN SUPPORT THAT. IS THERE, IS THERE A RUSH ON THIS? CAN, CAN WE LIKE, POTENTIALLY, UM, HAVE THE COMMUNITY GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THE DIFFERENT RENDERINGS? UM, THAT'S JUST, JUST, AND I MIGHT BE ON, ON AN ISLAND OVER HERE BY MYSELF. UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I LIKE EVERYTHING THAT IT SAYS. I THINK THAT'S, I THINK IT'S AWESOME. I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S GIVING ME CANVA VIBES, YOU KNOW. SURE. SO, I MEAN, WE CAN, UM, [03:55:01] SHOW THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RENDERINGS THAT THE ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, DID FOR US BASED ON THE SURVEY, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY INPUT. MM-HMM. UM, BUT THESE DESIGNS WERE ALL APPROVED BY THE KEY PAREN BEAUTIFUL BOARD. OKAY. JUST BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM THEM. I GOT IT. YES. OKAY. UM, THOSE ARE JUST MY KIND OF MY, MY, MY OBSERVATIONS AND I APPRECIATE, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IN 2020 THE MURAL WAS PUT UP WITH NO COMMUNITY INPUT AND THAT, AND, AND IS THAT ACCURATE? 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE WHAT THIS GUY SAYS ALL THE TIME. ? YEAH. NO, NO. IT, IT, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME I WAS LATE IN THE, I WAS ONLY THERE FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING PART OF IT, UH, WHEN I JOINED THE DOWNTOWN TEAM. UM, BUT WHAT I GAINED FROM IT WAS THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY COMMUNITY INPUT. OKAY. SO APPLAUD YOU FOR, FOR MAKING THOSE EFFORTS. AND, UM, RE UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I, I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF KEY HARLING AND BEAUTIFUL. WE WORK REALLY HARD TO GET THEM, UM, BACK TO MEETING AND HAVING QUORUM. AND, UH, SO IF THE COMMISSION IS, IS OKAY WITH IT THEN, AND THEY DON'T WANT COMMUNITY INPUT BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE KEY HARLINGEN BEAUTIFUL BOARD IS, UH, KIND OF THE, THE THE DECIDING FACTOR. I'M, I'M, THAT I'M OKAY WITH, WITH THAT AS, AS WELL. UH, BUT IF THEY WERE OPEN TO HAVING COMMUNITY INPUT, THEN THAT WOULD BE IDEAL. BUT I DON'T WANT TO, UH, FORCE THEM TO, TO GO OUT AND DO THAT. UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, I'M, I, I PERSONALLY AND I, I'M A MEMBER OF THE, OF THE KEY PARK, JIM BEAUTIFUL FORD. I KNOW, LIKE SHE MENTIONED, THERE WAS SOME MEMBERS THAT WERE NOT THRILLED WITH IT. AND HONESTLY, WHEN THEY APPROVED THIS, I DIDN'T, I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THAT MEETING. I FORGOT WHAT I WAS DOING. I THINK MY SON HAD A THING, BUT I WASN'T ABLE, I WASN'T THERE. SO I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T ACTUALLY VOTE FOR THIS ONE. I'M NOT MARRIED TO IT. UM, I KNOW WE COULD, WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS WE, I'M SURE THEY WOULD BECAUSE ALL THE MEMBERS THERE IN THE KEY PART AND BEAUTIFUL, UM, ARE ARE VERY ACTIVE MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I KNOW THEY WOULD LOVE COMMUNITY INPUT. SO I WOULD PROPOSE IF, IF, AS A COMMISSION AS A WHOLE, IF THEY'RE OPEN TO DOING WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT, WHICH IS CHANGE THE MURAL. UM, I'M, I'M OPEN TO THE IDEA OF GOING BACK TO THE KEY PARTING AND BEAUTIFUL BOARD AND HAVING THEM ASK THE ARTIST, YOU KNOW, BRING UP SOME MORE, UM, RENDERINGS AND THEN PRESENT THEM TO THE COMMUNITY AND LET THE COMMUNITY VOTE. LIKE, HEY, DO YOU WANT, WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT? BECAUSE YOU HAVE A POINT. WE, IF I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO VOTE ON THIS ONE. SO IF WE WANT TO GO OPEN IT UP, I WOULD SAY OPEN IT UP AND LET THE COMMUNITY VOTE. AND THIS COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE, UM, WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE. AND IT CAN GO A LITTLE BIT ALONG WITH WHAT WE WOULD, WE JUST WANTED ALL AMERICAN CITY. AND THE REASON WE WON ALL AMERICAN CITY WAS BECAUSE, UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WAS BECAUSE WE VALUED COMMUNITY INPUT. UM, SO I THINK THIS COULD BE A GOOD INITIATIVE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EVEN PUSH THAT EVEN FURTHER SAYING, LOOK, WE HAVE A MURAL. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND PAINT IT OVER. UM, GIVE US WHAT YOU WANT. YOU TOLD US WHAT YOU WANT TO CHANGE, YOU WANTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO HERE, HERE'S SOME RENDERINGS. WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE BEST? AND THIS COULD BE A WHOLE THING. UM, OR WE COULD EVEN OPEN UP TO THE SCHOOLS, LET THE SCHOOLS, UM, COME UP, MAKE A LITTLE THING WITH HISD AND HAVE THE STUDENTS COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO, UM, UM, PAINT THERE. I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT. UM, IMAGINE HAVING ALL THESE STUDENTS AND KIDS THAT GO TO DOWNTOWN AT SUNDOWN AND THEY'RE WALKING DOWN WITH THEIR PARENTS, WITH THEIR UNCLES, WITH THEIR AUNTS, AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW ME, YOU KNOW, I DID THAT. I HELPED PUT THAT TOGETHER. I PAINTED THAT TOGETHER. THAT'S MY CONCEPT. I PARTICIPATE IN THAT. SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL HERE THAT WE CAN DO. WE ARE NOT MARRIED TO THIS SPECIFIC, UM, THING, BUT, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD REMOVE THE ONE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. THAT WAS DONE WITH ZERO COMMUNITY INPUT. AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS A COMMISSION IS TO GET THAT, THAT'S WHY WE GOT THE ALL AMERICAN CITY. AND JUST SO I KNOW, UH, ON, FOR THE RECORD, UM, THESE, ALL THE RENDERINGS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO US WERE DESIGNED BY THE MURAL ARTISTS THAT WAS SELECTED BY THE KEY PAREN BEAUTIFUL BOARD. OKAY. UH, BASED ON THE COMMUNITY INPUT. I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND, UM, I HADN'T GIVEN THAT, UM, THOUGHT, BUT BASED ON THE COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS OF OPENING IT UP, PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE RESPECTFUL OF THE ARTISTS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY SECURED, BUT JUST MAYBE POTENTIAL, UH, FEEDBACK. I WOULD ENVISION A, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A LITTLE PARTY AT LOZANO, UH, PLAZA THAT YOU CAN, UM, YOU AND AND RUTH TOGETHER, MAYBE BRING THE COMMUNITY AND, AND GIVE THEM, I WAS THINKING OF, UH, THE, WHEN COMMISSIONER PEREZ TRIED TO GET HIS PARK AND HE WAS SUPER EXCITED AND, AND GAVE SOME RENDERINGS AND THEN DIDN'T GET THE, UH, THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT HE, THAT HE WANTED, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT WITH SOME POSITIVE, UH, FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN LOZANO PLAZA. I, IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION IS EVEN, UM, AGREEABLE TO, I, I DO SENSE THAT THERE'S SOME SOMEWHAT OF THE SPLIT HERE, SO WE MAY BE TALKING AND, UM, IT MAY NOT BE GOING ANYWHERE. SO, UM, BEFORE WE DO THAT, LET ME LET, UH, THIS IS YOUR DISTRICT COMMISSIONER, IF YOU HAVE ANY, YOU, YOU SAID YOU HAD NO COMMENTS. NO, UH, WE, [04:00:01] WE WENT OUT, WE DID THE SURVEY. THE PUBLIC SAID THAT THEY, UH, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE IT UP. MM-HMM . UH, I THINK TO COMMISSIONER MESMER'S POINT, I WOULD LIKE US TO DO A HERB KELLER, A SUBSEQUENT HERB KELLER, UH, MURAL THAT EMBODIES HIS CHARACTER. MM-HMM . LIKE THE GUY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT IF ANYONE HASN'T LOOKED HIM UP, DEFINITELY LOOK HIM UP. LEARN HIS STORY. MM-HMM . AND I THINK WE HAVE SOMETHING. AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE, COMMISSIONER PETS IS VERY LIKE ROCK AND ROLL, VERY CONTEMPORARY, THAT LIKE, EMBODIES WHO HE WAS. MM-HMM . BECAUSE THE GUY WAS VISIONARY FOR HIS TIME. MM-HMM . THE GUY, UH, LAWYER. YEAH. UH, THE MALICE IN DALLAS, ALL THAT STUFF. I, I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC. SO THAT'S ONE THING, I THINK, BUT THAT'S THE NEXT STEP ON THIS. WE JUST GOTTA MOVE ON IT. RIGHT? LIKE, WE JUST GOTTA DO SOMETHING. OKAY. IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE BEEN LIKE SITTING ON THIS FOR A WHILE. I KNOW WE DID, LIKE, I THINK WE HAD LIKE THREE OR FOUR KEY ARMS AND BEAUTIFUL MEETINGS WITH JUST DIFFERENT RENDER DREAMS AND, AND THE ISSUE WITH ART IS EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE A DIFFERENT PAGE LIKE YES. TO GET ALL FIVE OF US, OR SIX OF US TO LIKE, LIKE A PIECE OF ART. IT'S JUST GONNA BE IMPOSSIBLE. SO I THINK MAYBE WHAT WE DO IS WE JUST SHOW THEM THE FIVE, SHOW THE PUBLIC THE FIVE THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CREATED, WHICH ARE BASED OFF OF THE SURVEY, AND THEN LET THE PUBLIC VOTE ON THOSE, AND THEN WE JUST MOVE FORWARD. SO WHAT I WOULD SAY AT THIS POINT, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD, I, I TOO HAVE ADDED, UM, HAVE ADDED SOME, UM, COMMENTS TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT I KNOW THAT GO TO DOWNTOWN. UM, SOME PEOPLE THAT DON'T, BUT DRIVE BY THERE. AND THEY, I'VE HAD SOME OF MY OWN. AND, UM, I HAVE MY OWN NOW THAT AFTER TALKING TO SO MANY PEOPLE, AND, UM, I KNOW WHO, I MEAN, I KNOW OF HIM QUITE SOME. I, I WISH RENEE, YOU WOULD'VE INCLUDED ME IN THOSE, IN THOSE PHONE CALLS WITH EDDIE. I THIRD AS WELL AS WELL. I MEAN, I, I LOVE THE AIRPORT. IT IS IN DISTRICT ONE, AND I WISH I WOULD'VE BEEN PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS. I, I, I'M KIND OF SAD I DIDN'T IMPLEMENT THOSE MYSELF, BUT, UM, I WISH I WOULD'VE BEEN PART OF THOSE, BUT I'M NOT. AND SO, SO THAT I WOULD'VE HEARD THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. BUT, UM, WELL, I THINK WE JUST AT THIS POINT TAKE A, TAKE A VOTE. SO, YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE PAINTING THIS WALL SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC, SELECTING WHICH MURAL THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CREATED DESIGN, UH, THEM VOTING FOR IT, AND, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD FROM THERE. SECOND. YEAH. DO YOU NEED ME TO CLEAN UP THAT LANGUAGE? YES, PLEASE. OKAY. YEAH. I KNEW IT WAS A LITTLE SLOPPY. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, ADDING THE MURAL AND ADDING THE NEW MURAL, LOZANO PLAZA, SUBJECT TO THE OUTCOME OF A PUBLIC POLL ON WHICH MURAL THEY WANT. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S, THANK YOU. MUCH BETTER. UM, I, I HEAR THIS MOTION IS A MOTION OF GIVING THE COMMUNITY OF VOICE IN, IN THIS DECISION MAKING. OKAY. SO WE GOT, UH, A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY TIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED. ALRIGHT. ALL DOES. AND SO THE MOTION DOESN'T PASS. NO COMMUNITY VOICE, HUH? NO, NO COMMUNITY. OH. ALL RIGHT. MAY, MAY I TELL YOU VOTED NO? UH, I, I BELIEVE SO. YOU VOTED NO. I, I VOTED NO. OKAY. I THINK THAT IS GIVING THE COMMUNITY A VOICE. IT JUST DEPENDS WHICH VOICE YOU LISTEN TO. DANETTE. THIS WAS GIVING EVERYBODY A VOICE. PEOPLE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO VOTE ON. WELL, I DON'T THINK, FIRST OF ALL, MAYOR, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS MAYOR. I'M, I'M, I'M APPROACHING YOU. I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A NEED FOR, FOR BAD COMMENT. AND WE ALL LISTENED TO WHATEVER VOICES WE WERE LISTENING TO. I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR WHAT? IT WAS UNCALLED FOR NOT GIVING A COMMUNITY A VOICE BECAUSE WE ALL LISTENED TO WHATEVER VOICE WE WERE LISTENING TO AFTER THE VOTE, AND THEN MADE A COMMENT. I, DID I STAND BY IT? WHAT DID YOU SAY? NO, THE NO COMMUNITY VOICE. NO. UM, OKAY. SO I, I I DIDN'T HEAR THAT. I, I WILL SAY THIS. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT HELPFUL WHENEVER THERE IS A DECISION MADE. WE SHOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE, THE, THE DECISION OF THE BODY AND, AND WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD. UM, WHAT OBVIOUSLY, I, I VOTED ONE WAY AND, AND MINE IS NOT SO MUCH FOR INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT REACHED OUT TO ME AND ASKED ME, OR, YOU KNOW, TO SUPPORT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. I THINK IT WAS THE REPRESENTATION FROM STAFF SAYING THAT THEY GOT, UH, I'M SURE THAT, AND, AND THIS IS NOT RHETORICAL, I'M JUST, THIS IS JUST A STATEMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, 150 PEOPLE PLUS THAT THEY REACHED OUT TO, I KNOW THAT NOBODY IN THIS, YOU KNOW, GOVERNING BODY, UM, RECEIVED 150 CALLS FROM INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TELLING THEM. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY. AND HAVING DONE SURVEYS SINCE I GOT HERE, THAT IS A PRETTY GOOD, UM, AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT, THAT REACHED OUT AND, AND PROVIDING THEM INPUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR COMMUNITY INPUT IS IMPORTANT TO ME. I HAD SOME RESERVATIONS COMING IN, UM, GOT WHAT I NEEDED. AND SO THAT'S WHY I WAS IN SUPPORT OF IT. IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE A FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE UNHAPPY WITH IT, [04:05:01] YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. AND I THOUGHT THAT THE SURVEY WAS A REPRESENTATION OF THAT AS OPPOSED TO THE 2020 WITH NO, UM, NO, NO COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY INPUT. UM, HAVING SAID THAT, IT DIED. AND, AND WE NEED TO RESPECT THE DECISION THAT THIS, UH, BODY HAS IMPLEMENTED. I THINK THAT'S WELL SAID. WE NEED TO RESPECT OUR DECISIONS. CORRECT? YES. WELL, THERE'S STILL LIKE $50,000 OUT THERE, HOWEVER, IT WAS 18,000. THE MURAL. YES. WE, WE SHOULD LOOK AT ANOTHER PLACE IN DISTRICT TWO TO PUT THAT MURAL. OKAY. JUST THAT OUT THERE. SO THAT IS, UH, OFF THE, HAS ALREADY BEEN ADDED. WE HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED, UM, THAT, UH, AGENDA ITEM. AND [Item 10s - Consideration and possible action to approve a contract between the City of Harlingen and Dr. Shelly Mitchell, DVM to provide services for the Spay/Neuter Program as needed.] WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD TO ITEM S CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AND DR. SHELLEY MITCHELL, DVM, TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE SPAY NEUTER PROGRAM AS NEEDED. UM, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION. UH, MOTION FROM FETA. SECOND FROM THE OFFICE. I HAVE QUESTIONS. YES, MA'AM. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR JOSH. THIS IS ONLY FOR A GRANT, MA'AM. IT WAS FOR THE GRANT. YES, MA'AM. MM-HMM . OKAY. THAT'S IT. OKAY. WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE A. AYE. OPPOSED? AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU, SHANNON. [Item 10t - Consider and take action to adopt a resolution approving the One-Year Action Plan (Budget) for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (Year 52), of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (Year 32) of the Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), both being included in Year One of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan and Strategy for Fiscal Years 2026-2030.] UM, ITEM T CONSIDERATION, UM, I'M SORRY. CONSIDER TAKE ACTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ONE YEAR ACTION PLAN BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 TO 2027 OF THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, AND FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 27 OF THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM, BOTH BEING INCLUDED IN YEAR ONE OF THE FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND STRATEGY FOR FISCAL YEARS 2026 TO 2030. CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION FROM LOPEZ? SECOND. SECOND BY BEEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? DID YOU VOTE, SIR? DID YOU VOTE? YES. OKAY. IT'S, UH, UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU, SANDY. ITEM, YOU [Item 10u - Consideration and possible action to approve funding recommendations as established by the Community Development Advisory Board for the HOME-ARP Tenant Based Rental Assistance] CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS AS ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE HOME, A TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. ANY MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND MOTION BY BEEZ, SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? YES. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. UM, ITEM [Item 10v - Consideration and possible action to approve the funding recommendation as established by the Community Development Advisory Board for the HOME-ARP Affordable Rental Housing] V, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATION AS ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE HOME, A AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING. CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION FOR BETAS SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? AYE. YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY [Item 10w - Consideration and possible action to approve an additional General Fund appropriation for the Lozano Plaza Improvements Project and authorize the corresponding budget amendment.] W CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE, AN ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION FOR THE LAZANO PLAZA IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT AND AUTHORIZE THE CORRESPONDING BUDGET AMENDMENT ATTACHMENT. MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND APPROVAL. UH, MOTION TO APPROVE BY PEREZ, SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? AYE. MOTION CARRIES. UNANIM, DID YOU THE COMMISSIONER? AYE. OKAY. UH, MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY X [Item 10x - Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to execute the Advance Funding Agreement (AFA) for the Loop 499 Shared Use Path Project with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and approve payment of the required Direct State Costs to TxDOT. ] CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE ADVANCE FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR LOOP 4 99 SHARED USE PATH PROJECT WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND APPROVED PAYMENT OF THE REQUIRED DIRECT STATE COST TO T. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. THAT IS, UH, MOTION APPROVED BY PEREZ, SECOND BY LOPEZ. ALL THOSE SAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM Y [Item 10y - Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to approve a change order to Purchase Order FY 2025 for the Street Improvement Program Material Supply Contract with CAPA Texas, authorize payment for additional asphalt materials, and adjust the FY 2026 Material Supply Contract] CONSIDERATION, POSSIBLE ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO APPROVE A CHANGE ORDER TO PURCHASE ORDER. F UH, ONE, UM, SORRY. FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR THE STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, MATERIAL SUPPLY CONTRACT WITH CAPA TEXAS AUTHORIZED PAYMENT FOR ADDITIONAL ASPHALT MATERIALS AND ADJUST THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 MATERIAL SUPPLY CONTRACT. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. MOTION TO APPROVE BY BETAS, SECOND BY GOMEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MANAGED . UH, MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, ITEM [Item 10z - Consideration and possible action to review and amend the City's policy regarding TikTok on City-issued devices, including consideration of authorizing designated Communications Department personnel to use TikTok on approved City devices for official public information, community engagement, and education outreach purposes.] Z CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO REVIEW AND AMEND THE CITY'S POLICY REGARDING TIKTOK ON CITY ISSUED DEVICES, INCLUDING CONSIDERATION OF AUTHORIZING DESIGNATED COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL TO USE TIKTOK ON APPROVED CITY DEVICES FOR OFFICIAL PUBLIC INFORMATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION OUTREACH PURPOSES. OKAY. UM, YOU WANNA GO AND PUT IT? YOU WANT OH, OH, YOU CAN INTRODUCE IT. OKAY. YEAH. UM, A COUPLE, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, TWO, TWO OR TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, WE, UH, PASSED THIS ORDINANCE THAT, UM, PROHIBITED, UM, THE CITY FROM USING TIKTOK, WHICH ROBBED THE CITY OF ONE OF ITS, UM, WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC AND [04:10:01] SHARE INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH. ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE REASON BEHIND IT, I KNOW COMMISSIONER SMAR WAS VERY CONCERNED, AND THE DAY THAT THERE, THAT 'CAUSE THE CHINESE, UM, OWNED, UM, SNAPCHAT, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, UM, TIKTOK, I'M SORRY. AND TIKTOK. AND THERE WAS, UM, IT WAS BANNED ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT. I AGREE, BUT I UNDERSTOOD. UM, BUT SINCE THEN THINGS HAVE CHANGED. UM, CONGRESS DID PASS LEGISLATION THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT TIKTOK, SINCE IT HAS SUCH AN OVERWHELMING INFLUENCE WITH THE YOUTH AND WITH PEOPLE IN GENERAL, UM, THAT IT HAD TO BE AMERICAN OWNED. SO SINCE THAT HAPPENED, UM, THINGS HAVE CHANGED. AND NOW TIKTOK IS OWNED 80% BY A JOINT VENTURE WITH AMERICAN COMPANIES. UM, IT'S NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY THE CHINESE. UM, ALSO, UM, WHAT WOULD ALSO HELP IT, UH, HAPPEN WAS ALSO THE, THE, THE CHINESE STILL HAVE A, A, TECHNICALLY A STAKE IN IT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OF ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM THE US ANYMORE. NOW IT'S CONTROLLED BY THE US. THEY HAVE THE, THE US VENTURE COMPANIES, PLUS THEY ALSO HAVE FULL CONTROL OF THE, OF HOW THE GOVERNING WORKS. SO THEY CAN'T CHANGE THE SECURITY MEASURES. PLUS ORACLE AND SOME OTHER COMPANIES NOW GOVERN THE PRIVACY OF AMERICAN USERS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. PLUS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONCLUDED THIS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, FROM A LEGAL OPINION, CONCLUDED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEVICE BAN NO LONGER APPLIES TO THEIR, TO WHAT IT TO THE BACK. SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU HAVE A FEDERAL DEVICE NOW, LIKE IF YOU WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE TIKTOK ON A FEDERAL DEVICE. SO THE WAY I SEE IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, IT SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE CITY OF HAREN BECAUSE WE ARE REALLY, REALLY, UM, ROBBING OUR COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT WITH A WAY TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC. UH, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I'M VERY BIG ON, ON REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND, AND, UM, I THINK OUR CITY DOES A GREAT JOB LED BY RACHEL DOING THAT AS WELL. BUT I THINK WE'RE HANDCUFFING THEM A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO USE TIKTOK. I KNOW FOR A FACT MY STUDENTS, A LOT OF MY STUDENTS, UM, NOT IN SCHOOLS MIGHT KNOW THEY USE TIKTOK. AND IF WE REALLY, WE HAVE THIS MAJOR BRAIN DRAIN HERE IN THE, IN, IN HAREN WHERE SOME OF OUR BRIGHTEST STUDENTS, THEY END UP LEAVING HAREN BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEY HAVE NOTHING HERE. AND THEN THEY HAVE A WAY THEY, THEY FEEL THAT THERE'S NOT A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I BROUGHT UP THE YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD AND WE STARTED HAVING MEETINGS WITH JOSH AND THAT BECAUSE WE WANT THE YOUTH TO BE INVOLVED. IF WE WANT THEM TO STAY HERE, WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM INPUT. WE HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND NO MATTER WHAT WE DO ON FACEBOOK, I HATE TO SAY 'CAUSE IT AFFECTS ME TOO, BUT FACEBOOK, ACCORDING TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE, IS, IS FOR OLD PEOPLE LIKE US, OKAY, FACEBOOK IS NOT COOL ANYMORE. UM, AND SO THE YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO IT. UM, BASICALLY I WAS READING A, A, A, A ARTICLE AND IT WAS TELLING ME THAT PEOPLE BASICALLY UNDER THE AGE OF 35, THEIR MAIN SOCIAL MEDIA USE IS TIKTOK. THAT IS HOW THEY GET THEIR INFORMATION. THAT'S HOW THEY GET THE NEWS, THAT'S HOW THEY GET THEIR DISASTER, UM, INFORMATION WHEN HURRICANES COME AND ALL THAT. THEY GET IT FROM TIKTOK. THEY DON'T USE FACEBOOK, THEY USE INSTAGRAM, THEY USE TIKTOK. SO WHAT I'M HOPING TO DO WITH THIS IS I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN REVISIT THIS AND ALLOW OUR COM, ONLY OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT TO USE, UM, TIKTOK ON OFFICIAL CITY DEVICES FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATING TO THE PUBLIC, UM, SPREADING ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AS A COMMISSION, AS A CITY, AS OUR STAFF. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M HOPING TO DO WITH THIS. BECAUSE I DON'T WANT US TO NOT REACH OUT TO THE YOUTH TO REACH OUT TO THIS HUGE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT'S OUR FUTURE, BUT YET WE DON'T HAVE A CONNECTION WITH THEM THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE THEY ACTUALLY USE ON A DAILY BASIS. SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M WANTING TO HOPEFULLY CHANGE OUR POLICY WHEN IT COMES TO TIKTOK. 'CAUSE ALL THE WORRIES THAT WERE IN PLACE BEFORE ARE NO LONGER VALID. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, COMMISSIONER IS THAT I DO HAVE SOME STATS TO BACK UP WHAT COMMISSIONER BETIS WAS SHARING. UM, IF YOU JUST YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE, UM, COMMISSIONER MESMER AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. THE FBI HAS ADVISED ME DO NOT HAVE ANY SOCIAL MEDIA. THEY CALL IT EVIDENCE. AND FOR THE CITY TO DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA APP INVITES POTENTIAL DANGERS. IF SOMEONE POSTS SOMETHING VISUALLY OR VERBALLY TO SOMEONE'S TIKTOK ON, AND YOU'RE USING CITY PROPERTY, YOU PUT YOURSELF AND THE CITY AT RISK FOR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AS INNOCENT AS YOU MAY BE. ALSO, IT ALLOWS AN AVENUE SOONER OR LATER FOR A TROJAN, FOR A VIRUS, FOR MALWARE TO BE DOWNLOADED INTO THE SYSTEM. YOU DO NOT WANT 600 EMPLOYEES ON TIKTOK [04:15:01] DURING THE DAY ON THEIR CITY DEVICES. IT JUST OPENS UP SIGNIFICANT RISK. MAYOR, MAY I? YES. OKAY. COMMISSIONER PEREZ, WE'LL GET TO YOU. I'M SORRY. RACHEL'S OKAY. OH, I'M SORRY, RACHEL. THAT'S OKAY. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL MEDIA COMMISSIONER, WE ALREADY USE SOCIAL MEDIA. WE ALREADY HAVE FACEBOOK, THE CITY AS OUR DEPARTMENT. WE ALREADY HAVE FACEBOOK. WE ALREADY POST ON INSTAGRAM. AND DO YOU POST ON ANYTHING ELSE? LINKEDIN, X, YOUTUBE. SO THE POINT WHERE THE CITY'S NOT INVOLVED IN SOCIAL MEDIA THAT ENDED LIKE 10 YEARS AGO. EVERY CITY, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA. WE HAVE TO HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA. THAT, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT WORKS. AND THIS IS NOT PROPOSING THAT EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE USES TIKTOK. THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS SAYING AT ALL. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE COMMUNICATION TEAM TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT ON CITY DEVICES, ON THEIR DEVICES, CITY OWNED COMMUNICATION. YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE SOMEONE IN PARKS OR YOU'RE NOT, I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A CLERK HERE OR SOMEBODY DOING, UH, STUFF ON TIKTOK AND POSTING. THIS IS FOR THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT TO SPREAD AWARENESS, TO GIVE, UM, WEATHER ALERTS, WHATEVER IT IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ARE. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS FOR. UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, MESMAN. IF ONE WANTS TO HAVE TIKTOK ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL PHONE AND DEVICES, HALLELUJAH. BUT DON'T PUT THE CITY AT RISK. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. UH, RACHEL, YOU HAD SOME COMMENTS? UM, YEAH, SO JUST ON THE STATS THAT COMMISSIONER BEES MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE AGE, UM, DEMOGRAPHICS, UH, WE POST ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, X, LINKEDIN, AND YOUTUBE VERY REGULARLY. OUR MAIN DEMOGRAPHIC IS AGE 35 TO 44, UM, AND AGE 18 TO 24, WE ARE ONLY REACHING 3.5%. UM, SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DROP. UH, THAT, THAT YOUNGER AGE RANGE, UH, IS ONLY A 3.5% IN OUR, UH, 35 TO 44 H RANGE IS AT 31%. SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT GAP THAT WE HAD THE NUMBERS TO BACK UP. ALRIGHT. UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. ARE THERE ANY, UM, COMMENTS FOR RACHEL? COMMISSIONER MORALES, YOU'RE ON MUTE, SIR. I FEEL LIKE WE, OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, THIS IS FOR RE UH, MS. RACHEL AND COMMISSIONER PEREZ. WOULD THIS BE A ONE WAY TYPE OF COMMUNICATION OR THERE'S GONNA BE INTERACTION, UM, IF YOU WANT TO ADVISE THE YOUTH AND YOU'RE ONLY GETTING 3%, RIGHT? SURE. ALL RIGHT. INSTEAD OF USING THE CITY WEBSITE OR CITY MATERIAL, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE ONE PHONE, THE CITY MIGHT PAY FOR IT AND USE THAT TO TRANSMIT ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION? SO NONE OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IS TECHNICALLY ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION. UM, IT'S TECHNICALLY OPEN TO COMMENTS AND RESPONSES. UM, OUR ACCOUNTS ARE ALSO OPEN TO PRIVATE MESSAGES FROM CITIZENS. SO I, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE THE SAME ON TIKTOK. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE ISSUE COMES IN. FRANK. PART OF THIS IS THAT WE WANT THE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO US. WE DON'T WANNA JUST, YOU KNOW, THROW THEM INFORMATION IF SOMETHING'S GOING WRONG, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY REACH OUT TO US. LIKE I KNOW MYSELF, DELIA, UM, DANIEL, NORMA, WE ALL HAVE, UM, FACEBOOK. I KNOW YOU HAVE FACEBOOK, BUT YOU'RE NOT REALLY EVER ON IT. BUT I KNOW WE ARE ON FACEBOOK AND WE GET, I'M SURE DELIA, ALL THE OTHERS CAN SAY THAT THEY GET INFORMA, THEY GET MESSAGES FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS, UM, THEY GET COMMENTS, AND THAT'S HOW WE REACH OUT TO THEM. I KNOW I MAKE IT A HABIT ON FACEBOOK ESPECIALLY TO LOOK AT THE CITY, UM, FACEBOOK PAGE. AND THEN WHEN I SEE SOMETHING THAT'S ON THERE, AND THEN IF I CAN RESPOND TO IT, I'LL RESPOND TO IT. UM, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S SOMETHING WITH MY DISTRICT. I'LL HAVE SOME PEOPLE SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS SPEED HUMP ON THIS STREET, IF I SEE IT ON MY DISTRICT, I'LL GO AND COMMENT IN IT ON IT. SO THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAN NEVER REALLY BE, THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT THAT IT'S ONE WAY, IT'S IT'S INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY, IT'S OUTREACH. OKAY. ANY OTHER, UM, QUESTIONS? UM, I'LL MAKE SOME STATEMENTS. I KNOW THAT, UM, JUST RECENTLY I WENT TO THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS CONFERENCE AND ONE OF THE, THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE SPENT WAS ON, UM, INTERACTING WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND SOCIAL MEDIA WAS BIG ON THAT. AND PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEY USE. AND TIKTOK WAS MENTIONED AT ONE SMALL AMOUNT OF, OF, UM, OF A TIME. AND, UH, AMONG TALKING, UH, TALKING AMONGST OTHER PEOPLE, [04:20:01] THEY SAID THAT THEIR CITY USES TIKTOK AND, UH, AND X AND, UM, YOUTUBE AND FACEBOOK AND SO FORTH. SO, AND IT, IT IS A, IT IS A TWO-WAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO INTERACT. AND COMING BACK FROM THAT CONFERENCE MYSELF, I HAVEN'T BEEN REALLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH, UM, BEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA BE BESIDES THE, THE MESSAGES THAT I RECEIVE, BUT I WAS WAITING FOR THAT CONFERENCE TO DO SO, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE INVOLVED WITH. SO TIKTOK, I, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO DO SO. SO MY TEAM USED OUR, UM, PERSONAL DEVICES TO LOOK UP THE CITY OF HARLINGEN ON TIKTOK, JUST TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND, UH, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HARLINGEN ARE STILL HAPPENING. THEY'RE JUST HAPPENING WITHOUT THE OFFICIAL CITY VOICE TO CLEAR ANY INFORMATION, TO SHARE FACTS TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ADDRESS ANY MISINFORMATION OR ANY MISSING INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE. MM-HMM . THAT'S INTERESTING. OKAY, GREAT. LOTS OF DISCUSSION. CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND ALL, UH, UH, FETA, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE BY FETA, SECOND BY GOMEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED, OPPOSED. ALRIGHT, SO IT DIES. [Item 10aa - Discussion and possible action to null and void HWWS agreement with RGV Property Group, LLC] ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON. UM, NO SIR. UH, NOW WE'VE GOT DOUBLE A. THIS IS A LONG MEETING, UH, DISCUSSION. IMPOSSIBLE ACTION TO NOEL AND BOYD. THE HWWS AGREEMENT WITH RGB PROPERTY GROUP, LLC. SO THIS, UM, ITEM WAS PUT ON BY COMMISSIONER MORALES AND COMMISSIONER DELIA GSO GOMEZ. UM, D OKAY, SO I GUESS WE'VE GOT THIS ITEM ON HERE. MARK, A QUESTION IS, UH, DOES THIS COMMISSION HAVE THE AUTHORITY LEGALLY TO NULL AND VOID THE HARLINGEN WATERWORKS UH, AGREEMENT WITH RGV PROPERTY GROUP LLC? NO, IT DOES NOT. OKAY. AND DID YOU, DID COMMISSIONER MORALES OR COMMISSIONER DELIA CAVAZOS GOMEZ REACH OUT TO YOU PRIOR TO PLACING THIS ON THE AGENDA TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHETHER LEGALLY IT CAN BE DONE? UH, NOBODY REACHED OUT TO ME BEFORE THIS AGENDA ITEM CAME OUT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, BASED ON, ON, ON LEGAL COUNSEL AND THE FACT THAT WE CANNOT LEGALLY VOID THE HWWS AGREEMENT WITH RGB PROPERTY GROUP, LLC, UH, UNLESS THERE'S DISCUSSION, I WOULD MOVE FOR A MOTION TO DENY THE ITEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE. [Item 11 - Board Appointments] MAY MAYOR, UM, IF YOU GOT SOME DISCUSSION. SO I'LL FIRST COME RIGHT HERE. COMMISSIONER MESER, MAY I SAY SOMETHING? YES, SIR. GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS BANNED POTABLE WATER FOR DATA CENTERS, AND GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS BANNED DATA CENTERS FROM SUCKING ELECTRICITY FROM THE GRID. THEY WILL HAVE TO PUT THEIR OWN POWER PLANTS IN, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING A NATURAL GAS OR WE'RE TALKING NUCLEAR, OR WE'RE TALKING CUMMINS OR CATERPILLAR GENERATORS. I HAVE NO CLUE. SO THIS IS ALL MOOT. GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS ALREADY DONE IT. OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. UM, COMMISSIONER C**S, IN LIGHT OF WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, MAYOR, UM, I LIKE TO MOVE THIS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT IN LIGHT OF TIME, I'M JUST GOING TO, UM, ASK THAT WE DO THIS AT ANOTHER MEETING. I DO HAVE A MOTION TO DENY. UM, SO YOU CAN HAVE THAT MOTION, UH, TO, TO TABLE AT A, AT A LATER, LATER TIME. UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS ITEM. WE HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY. HIS PURPOSE IS TO GIVE US INSTRUCTION ON WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO, UH, BASED ON LEGAL COUNSEL, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE SUPPORT THIS OR WE DON'T SUPPORT THIS, WE CAN'T LEGALLY TAKE ACTION TO NULL AND VOID THIS AGREEMENT. SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I'VE GOT A, UM, AND THOSE REASONS ALONE. SOME, SOME MOTION TO, TO DENY THE ITEM. IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. HEARING NONE, I'LL, I'LL SECOND IT. OKAY. I DIDN'T HEAR THE, I DIDN'T, I WASN'T, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING EITHER. YOU GET DISTRACTED. ME. OKAY. SO THIS ISN'T, I'M, I'M NOT GIVING ANY, UM, COMMENTS WHETHER IN SUPPORT OR AGAINST THIS ITEM, BUT THE ITEM BEFORE US IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO NULL AND VOID THE AGREEMENT THAT HARTON WATERWORKS ENTERED INTO WITH RGV PROPERTY GROUP LLC. SO LEGAL COUNSEL IS TELLING US WE DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. SO I'M GOING TO LEAN ON COUNSEL. [04:25:01] UM, THAT'S HIS ADVICE. AND IF WE CAN'T DO IT, THERE'S NO PURPOSE OF US DISCUSSING THIS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WE SHOULD BE DISCUSSING IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY. AND SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I'M MAKING A MOTION TO DENY IF THIS WANTS TO BE WORDED A DIFFERENT WAY OR THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT WANT TO COME BEFORE THIS BODY. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT DOOR'S CLOSED, IT'S JUST THAT THIS, UH, ACTION THAT IS BEING REQUESTED, WE CANNOT TAKE CORRECT MARK. CORRECT. OKAY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN HERE. SO WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND, UM, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING. OKAY. I'M GOOD. I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, MA'AM. MARK, WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU EARLIER, YOU SAID THAT I COULD REQUEST THIS TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. YOU, YOU CAN REQUEST IT, BUT IT'S UP TO THE COMMISSION. SO DO YOU WANT TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION NOW? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? IF YOU WANNA GO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, I'M DOWN FOR THAT, BUT IT'S LATE, BUT HEY, I'M IN FOR A PENNY AND FOR A POUND. IT'S ALL GOOD. IT'S 10 10 AND WE HAVE TO DO IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION SO IT WON'T BE IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC, SO THAT'S FINE. OKAY. SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. EVERYONE HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. YES. OKAY. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED. OKAY. OPPOSED. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, LET ME ASK THIS, MARK BEFORE WE GO. LET'S PRESUME THE COMMISSION HAD VOTED TO APPROVE AND TO MOVE FORWARD TO NULL AND VOID THE AGREEMENT. WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN THE STEP YOU'D BE ACTING ULTRA BUYERS. YOU DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. YEAH, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD, AS A COMMISSION, WE NEED TO RESPECT THE LAW. AND AS A LAWYER SITTING ON THIS COMMISSION, WHEN THE LAWYERS ARE TELLING YOU YOU CAN, AND YOU CAN'T, THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE THAT THEY SIT AT THE DIOCESE TO INSTRUCT US ON WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S THAT, THAT IT'S DANGEROUS TO, TO THINK THAT YOU CAN DO OTHERWISE. BUT, BUT, UM, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? LUCKILY FOR TODAY, THAT, UH, IS, IS DONE? UM, NO. UH, COMMISSIONER, WE ARE, WE'RE DONE WITH THIS ITEM. UH, MOVING ON TO ITEM 11. BOARD APPOINTMENTS. I'LL START WITH YOU. COMMISSIONER GOMEZ? NONE. NONE. NONE, NONE. UH, MORALES, DO YOU HAVE ANY APPOINTMENTS? YES, FOR SENIOR CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD, UH, CHARAIN, UH, SHAZI, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS PRINCESS. OKAY. UH, PETTI? NO. ALL RIGHT. I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE PRINCESS MOTION. MOTION BY MOTION BY, UH, GOMEZ, SECOND BY SECOND, MORALE BY MORALES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. UM, UNANIMOUSLY LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER MIKE MEMER DID NOT VOTE ON THE PRIOR ITEM OR IN, UH, BOARD APPOINTMENTS. OKAY. UH, [Item 12 - Executive Session] MOVING ON TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'VE GOT ITEM 12 A PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071. ATTORNEY CONSULTATION AND CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL ESTATE AND SECTION 5 5 1 0.087 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RELATING TO THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS, PROJECT BLADE, UH, PROJECT ITS TIME PROJECT, ADDITION PROJECT, CANDLE, PROJECT ORGANIC, AND PROJECT TYLER ITEM B, CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 51 0.071 PENDING REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION ITEM C, DELIBERATION REGARDING THE POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 AND D CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE HARLINGEN POLICE OFFICERS. UH, CAN I GET A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION, MOTION BY FE SECOND BY LOPEZ? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THE TIME IS NOW 10:16 PM AND WE WILL RETIRE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BE OUT SHORTLY. TIME IS NOW 11:33 PM AND WE ARE BACK OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BACK IN OPEN SESSION. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT, UM, ALL COMMISSIONER MORALES REMAINS [Item 13 - Action on Executive Session Items] ON ZOOM AND COMMISSIONER MEMER HAS, UH, IS, IS NOT PRESENT. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. UH, MOVING ON TO ITEM 13 A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ITEM 12 A AS UH, DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION PROCEED AS DISCUSSED. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM 12 B, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION ON, ON ITEM 12 B AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, MAKE A MOTION TO PROCEED AS DISCUSSED. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES [04:30:01] UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM 12 C, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. A. AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM D, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE ITEM 12 D AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SEC SEC SESSION. MOTION I PROCEED AS DISCUSSED. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. AND THAT IS ALL [Item 14 - Adjournment] WE HAVE. WE ARE ADJOURNED. * 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.