Sep 03, 2024 Commission Meetings

YOU GOT PROCLAMATION, FIRST PROCLAMATION.

THANK YOU, RUTH.

AND, UH, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

THE TIME IS, UH, 5 34.

ITEM NUMBER TWO.

IT'S GONNA BE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO US FLAG AND THE TEXAS FLAG.

AND, UH, PLEASE REMAIN SET FOR THE INVOCATION BY MR. UH, COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, UNITED STATES REPUBLIC, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, LIBERTY, HONOR, FLAG.

I PLED TO THE TEXAS ONCE THEY UNDER GOD, ONE OVER OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO BE GATHERED HERE TODAY IN AN OPEN FORUM TO GATHER AS CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT COMMUNITY.

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SPEAKING AND SAYING, AND DOING THOSE THINGS WHICH WE SEE FIT AS WE TRY TO BRING OURSELVES TOGETHER IN UNITY AND, AND IN COOPERATION.

WE PRAY THAT, UH, THAT WILL BE WITH US TONIGHT, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK FREELY AGAIN AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY AND DO THOSE THINGS IN LOVE AND HARMONY, AND THAT WE WILL COME UP TO THE BEST, COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERS TO THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE BEFORE US.

WE LOOK TO THE ALWAYS WE WORSHIP THEE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.

AMEN.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

OKAY, GO.

THE PROCLAMATION COMMENTS, SIR, DO WE GOT PUBLIC C**S? DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS WITH YES.

YES.

YOU WANNA GO FIRST? OKAY.

WE'LL DO THE PROCLAMATION

[PROCLAMATION(S)]

THEN.

COMMISSIONER MORE.

WHEREAS CHARLIE CROCKETT WAS BORN ON MARCH 24TH, 1984 IN SAN BENITO, TEXAS, A SMALL TOWN IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, KNOWN FOR ITS RICH MUSICAL HERITAGE, RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER AND A WORKING CLASS FAMILY.

CROCKETT'S EARLY LIFE WAS MARKED BY STRUGGLE AND RESILIENCE.

THEMES THAT WOULD LATER HEAVILY INFLUENCE HIS MUSIC, HIS DIVERSE HERITAGE, WHICH INCLUDES AFRICAN AMERICAN, CREOLE, CAJUN, AND JEWISH ROOTS ALSO PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SHAPING HIS DISTINCTIVE SOUND.

AND WHEREAS CHARLIE CROCKETT'S PATH TO MUSIC WAS FAR FROM TRADITIONAL SPENDING, MUCH OF HIS YOUTH TRAVELING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, BUSKING ON STREET CORNERS, AND IMMERSING HIMSELF IN VARIOUS MUSIC SCENES.

HIS TRAVELS TOOK HIM TO NEW ORLEANS, WHERE HE SOAKED UP THE CITY'S VIBRANT BLUES AND JAZZ TRADITIONS, AND TO NEW YORK CITY, WHERE HE FURTHER HONED HIS CRAFT.

THIS EXPERIENCE, I'M SORRY.

THESE EXPERIENCES COMBINED WITH HIS NOMADIC LIFESTYLE ALLOWED HIM TO DEVELOP A UNIQUE STYLE THAT BLENDS BLUES, COUNTRY, SOUL, AND FOLK.

AND WHEREAS CHARLIE CROCKETT IN 2015 RELEASED HIS DEBUT ALBUM, ALBUM, A STOLEN JEWEL, WHICH CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF MUSIC ENTHUSIAST WITH ITS RAW, AUTHENTIC SOUND.

HIS BREAKTHROUGH CAME THROUGH IN 2018 WITH THE RELEASE OF LONESOME AS A SHADOW PRODUCED BY DAN AUERBACH OF THE BLACK KEYS.

THIS ALBUM ESTABLISHED CROCKETT AS A RISING STAR IN THE AMERICANA AND ROOTS MUSIC SCENE INFLUENCED BY LEGENDS LIKE HANK WILLIAMS, LIGHTNING HOPKINS, JAMES JAMES BROWN.

CROCKETT'S MUSIC IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE TRADITIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH, CHARACTERIZED BY HIS RICH BARITONE VOICE AND STORYTELLING LYRICS THAT OFTEN EXPLORE THEMES OF HEARTACHE, REDEMPTION, AND THE STRUGGLES OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND .

WHEREAS CHARLIE CROCKETT IN 2019 FACED A MAJOR HEALTH CHALLENGE WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CONGENITAL HEART CONDITION THAT REQUIRED OPEN HEART SURGERY.

DESPITE THIS SET, DESPITE THIS SETBACK, HE RETURNED TO MUSIC WITH RENEWED VIGOR, RELEASING THE VALLEY.

LATER THAT YEAR.

THIS ALBUM WAS DEEPLY PERSONAL, REFLECTING ON HIS LIFE EXPERIENCES AND THE HARDSHIPS HE HAD OVERCOME.

SINCE THEN, CROCKETT CONTINUES BUILDING HIS CAREER WITH A SERIES OF SUCCESSFUL ALBUMS, INCLUDING WELCOME TO HARD TIMES 2020, AND MUSIC CITY USA 2021.

AND WHEREAS CHARLIE CROCKETT TODAY IS RECOGNIZED, ONE OF THE MOST GENUINE AND HARDWORKING MUSICIANS IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICANA MUSIC, HIS UNIQUE BLEND OF MUSICAL INFLUENCES COMBINED WITH HIS DEDICATION TO THE STORYTELLING THROUGH SONG,

[00:05:01]

HAS MADE HIM STAND OUT, FIGURE, FIGURE IN THE INDUSTRY.

CROCKETT'S MUSIC RESONATES WITH THE WHITE AUDIENCE, AND HIS STORY IS ONE OF THE PER PERSEVERANCE AND PASSIONS CEMENTING A LEGACY AS A TRUE AMERICAN TROUBADOUR.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE PROCLAIMED THAT I, RICARDO GURA, CITY, SANTO CA COUNTY, TEXAS, UH, DUE HEREBY DE UH, DECLARE SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2024, AS CHARLIE CROCKETT DAY IN ITS HONOR TO HAVE A, A GREAT CI UH, CITIZEN AMONG US.

AND I CALL THIS OBSERVANCE TO THE ATTENTION OF ALL OF OUR CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF SANTO AND WITNESS THEREOF THAT I HAVE A HEARING TO SET MY HAND ON THIS THIRD DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF 2024.

LET'S, SO YOU WANNA MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT IT? YOU WANT ME TO DO? GO AHEAD.

WE WILL BE HAVING, UH, MR. CHARLIE CROCKETT HERE WITH US, UH, AT THE MUSEUM.

ALIDA HAS BEEN PUTTING THAT TOGETHER FOR US.

MAYOR COMMISSIONERS.

HE'LL BE HERE, UH, SATURDAY FROM ABOUT 10 IN THE MORNING TILL, UH, 12, UH, NOON.

HE DOES HAVE A CONCERT THAT DAY, SO HE HAS A SOUND CHECK AND SOME OTHER STUFF HE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, BUT WE'RE REALLY HONORED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET HIM HERE.

HE IS A SON OF SAN BENITO, AND IT'S, UH, GONNA BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO MEET HIM AND, UH, SO WE CAN SHOW OUR APPRECIATION TO HIM FOR WHAT HE'S DONE, NOT ONLY FOR, UH, HIS GENRE AND HIS MUSIC, BUT ALSO, UH, FOR OUR AREA.

WELL, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU MR. SANDAL, FOR PUTTING, PUTTING THIS THING TOGETHER, BRINGING HIM OVER HERE.

UM, I KNOW HE IS GONNA TRY TO BE HERE EARLY THAT DAY, SO, UH, WE'LL TRY TO SEE.

WE CAN ACCOMMODATE AS MUCH AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN.

SO, UM, ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A GOOD HISTORICAL DATE FOR US ALSO.

SO, UM, NOW CAN WE GO INTO

[PUBLIC COMMENTS]

PUBLIC COMMENTS? PUBLIC COMMENTS? RUTH, UH, MS. EDITH TAMEZ.

MR. TAMEZ, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS EDITH TAMEZ.

I LIVE AT 7 68 COMFORT LAKE HERE IN SAN BENITO.

UM, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MAYOR, PRO TEM COMMISSIONERS AND THE CITY MANAGER.

THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS TO TALK ABOUT THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER.

UH, AS FROM WHAT I KNOW, THERE'S A BUDGET OF $500 A YEAR FOR DOG FOOD.

I THINK IN AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD, I DON'T THINK $500 WOULD MEET THE NEED OF ONE PET PER YEAR.

AND AS PRESIDENT OF FURRY FRIENDS RGV, WE HAVE USED CITIZENS FUNDS, PERSONAL FUNDS THAT WE'VE RAISED TO HELP THE ANIMALS BE VETTED, TRANSPORTED, AND BOARDED TO OTHER AREAS.

UH, SO THEY WOULD NOT BE EUTHANIZED.

THEY'VE GONE AS FAR AS VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND OTHER AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES.

OF COURSE, ALL OF THIS TAKES MONEY.

THE FLEA AND TICK MEDICATION FOR ONE DOG IS $35.

HEARTWORM TESTING IS $45.

RABIES $12.

$12.

NEUTERING ABOUT $142.

BOARDING $242 A MONTH.

TRANSPORT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM $60 TO $230 A MONTH.

WE HAVE A RESCUE IN CORPUS CHRISTI THAT WILL TAKE ALMOST ANY DOG THAT'S UNDER 15 POUNDS AND, UH, IS NOT, UH, ELDERLY AND IT'S IN GOOD HEALTH, OR EVEN A LITTLE BIT BIGGER DOGS THAT ARE SCRUFFY, UH, THAT ARE, UM, POPULAR DOGS THAT PEOPLE WANT.

AND THE COST IS JUST TO DRIVE THEM TO CORPUS CHRISTI.

THAT'S IT.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CITY HASN'T REACHED OUT TO THIS RESCUE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PUTTING DOGS DOWN.

IT'S JUST A PHONE CALL AND A COUPLE OF HOURS FROM HERE, AND YOU COULD SAVE A DOG, OR MULTIPLE DOGS, OR MULTIPLE DOGS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THE REASON I'M HERE IS TO ASK YOU IF, IF YOU CAN'T FUND OUR ORGANIZATION, AT LEAST FUND THE SHELTER.

SO THEY HAVE A VEHICLE, THEY HAVE THE MEANS TO BUY THESE MEDICATIONS AND THESE SERVICES THEY HAVE, YOU HAVE PAID PERSONNEL TO DRIVE TO CORP CORPUS CHRISTI OR OTHER RESCUE AREAS SO THEY CAN BE SAVED INSTEAD OF, UH, BEING PUT DOWN.

UM,

[00:10:02]

IT'S EXHAUSTING TO ASK FELLOW CITIZENS FOR $10.

WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR TWO YEARS, AND IT'S QUITE EXHAUSTING.

AND I AM URGING THE CITY TO STEP UP AND DO THEIR JOB AND TAKE CARE OF A CITY PROBLEM.

IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM.

IT'S A CITY'S PROBLEM, AND IT'S TIME TO DO YOUR JOB.

ANYBODY ELSE? RUTH? MR. OSCAR LARA, MR. LARA? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.

MAYOR PROAM, COMMISSIONERS AND CITY MANAGER.

AND MR. SANDOVAL, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS OSCAR LARA.

I'M A POLICE OFFICER WITH THE SAN BERNARD DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE SAN BERNARD DIEGO POLICE EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION.

LAST MONTH, WE WERE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH CITY MANAGEMENT AND LEADERS TO NEGOTIATE A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LABOR AGREEMENT, AS THE CURRENT ONE IS SET TO EXPIRE THIS OCTOBER.

I COME TO YOU.

I COME TO YOU TODAY SPEAKING FOR THE UNION, FOR THE UNION.

AND AS A WHOLE, I WANT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE AND THANKS TO CITY MANAGEMENT AND LEADERS FOR MAKING THIS PROCESS AN ENJOYABLE ONE, AND COMING TO TERMS ON TEMP ON A TEMPORARY AGREEMENT THAT WE FEEL BENEFITS BOTH PARTIES SUBSTANTIALLY.

IN HAVING CONCLUDED THESE BARGAINING TALKS, WE HAVE THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY CARES ABOUT ITS POLICE OFFICERS, AND PLACES PUBLIC SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS AND VISITORS OF THIS CITY AT THE FOREFRONT AND ABOVE ALLS.

WE HOPE THAT THE TEMPORARY AGREEMENT CAN BE PASSED TODAY DURING THE REGULAR MEETING, AND LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDING THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE THAT SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS PERFORM ON A DAILY BASIS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR EVENING.

THANK YOU, OFFICER LAU RUTH, ANYBODY ELSE? MR. MIKE TRAVIS.

MR. TRAVIS.

GOOD EVENING.

MIKE TRAVIS, 1695 RUSSELL LANE IN THE FABULOUS, SUPER FANTASTIC AKA CITY OF SANTO, DESPITE WHICH SOME PEOPLE TRY TO DISPARAGE AND SAY THAT IT MEANS SOMETHING ELSE.

I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT RIGHT THERE.

I THINK THOSE WHO KNOW, KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THERE.

AND I PRAY THE LORD'S BLESSINGS UPON US, ONE AND ALL.

UH, BUT THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRAYER EARLIER.

UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I WANT TO RECOMMEND MY MOST FAVORITES ECONOMICS PROFESSOR THAT I EVER HAD, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY UNDER.

AND HE HAS THIS NEW BOOK RIGHT HERE, SOCIAL JUSTICE FALLACIES.

OH, BEFORE I GET IN THIS, UH, ANYONE HERE FROM THE LOCAL MEDIA? SAMUEL SAMUEL NEWS, MY RGV VALLEY MORNING STAR.

THE TEACHER IN ME SAYS, I WANT TO DO AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION, CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION, STUDENTS PARTICIPATION, STUDENT CENTERED.

SO I'M GONNA ASK WHO, SHOW OF HANDS, AND THIS, THIS IS OKAY TOO, HAS HEARD OF PROJECT 2025? IF YOU WOULD BE SO BOLD AS TO RAISE YOUR HANDS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? YES.

IT'S A MINORITY.

YES.

NOW WE GET THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I DON'T WANNA TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT, BUT I AM FOR IT.

AND ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I'M FOR THAT IS BECAUSE ONE OF ITS OBJECTIVES IS TO ELIMINATE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

I'VE HELD THAT, BUT I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, TO GET RID OF IT AND PUT IT BACK TO THE STATES.

I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THAT, THAT, THAT IF YOU, IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE ABOUT IT.

UH, I, I, BUT 'CAUSE I WANNA FOCUS ON THE 2030 AGENDA, 2030, WHICH NOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

A NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT IMMEDIATELY CANCELS A ENERGY PIPELINE PROJECT, UH, ELIMINATING JOBS OR CAUSING INFLATION.

AND ALL THE OTHER ENSUING EFFECTS OPENS THE BORDERS, ALLOWING MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF, OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO STREAM OVER ASSISTS IN BRINGING THOSE PERSONS FROM OTHER PLACES.

I REFERENCED THE DAIRY END GAP.

UH, I DON'T WANT, I, I'M, I'M LIMPED ON TIME AND ALL THE PUSH ON THE GREEN NEW DEAL.

SO I, I SAID I'M 4 20, 25.

I'M AGAINST THIS ONE.

AND IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF THE AGENDA, 2030, I HIGHLY, IT WAS AGREED TO BACK IN 2015 BY BARACK OBAMA, JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT, AND HILLARY CLINTON AS THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S AGENDA 2030.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING, AND THE LORD BLESS US AND KEEP US ALL.

THANK YOU MR. JARVIS.

NO MORE.

OKAY,

[00:15:03]

WE'LL TAKE, OH, I'M SORRY, YES.

[PRESENTATION(S)]

PRESENTATION PRESENTATIONS OF THE, UH, STEPHANIE? YES.

I'M SORRY.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

STEPHANIE SAIA, FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE RECORD.

I'M PRESENTING TO YOU THIS EVENING, THE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF JULY.

GIMME A SECOND.

OKAY, THERE WE GO.

OKAY, ON PAGE NUMBER TWO, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE BALANCE SHEET, WHICH LISTS OUR CURRENT ASSETS, UH, COMPARISON FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, 2023, AND THE MONTH OF JULY, PRESENT MONTH 2024.

SO THE TOTAL ASSETS FOR THE MONTH OF JULY ARE 18,528,460, COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, DURING THE SAME MONTH OF 17,000,678 WITH 40, FOLLOWED BY THAT YOU HAVE A TOTAL LIABILITIES OR TOTAL LIABILITIES.

UH, MONTH TO DATE, 2 MILLION THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO, FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY, I'M SORRY, 87 COMPARED TO LAST YEAR OF A MILLION AND HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT, EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE FOR A TOTAL FUND BALANCE.

UM, AND LIABILITIES OF 18 MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY COMPARED TO LAST YEAR OF 17,000,678 WITH 40.

ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE, WE HAVE OUR REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE REPORT.

UH, THIS ONE LISTS ALL THE REVENUES COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH.

THE TOTAL REVENUES MONTH TODAY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY ARE, UH, 887,000 WITH 52 COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, DURING THE SAME MONTH OF 939,000 110, DUE TO THE ACTUAL, THE TOTAL COLLECTOR REVENUES FOR THE YEAR.

IT'S 13,865,537, FOLLOWED BY THAT WE HAVE OR TOTAL EXPENSES.

UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, UH, REVENUES UNDER EXPENSES OF 455,000 WITH 80 YEAR TO THE ACTUAL, WE'RE 1,000,044 WITH 16 REVENUES OVER EXPENSES.

UM, MONTH TODAY FOR LAST YEAR, ON THE MONTH OF, UH, JULY, WE HAD 364,000 WITH 19 REVENUES UNDER EXPENSES.

SO ABOUT FOLLOWED BY THAT.

ON PAGE, UH, SIX, YOU WILL FIND THE SALES TAX, UH, COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE.

REMEMBER THE, THE TWO MONTHS THERE, UH, WE DO HAVE A CHART ON THE RED.

YOU COULD SEE WHAT'S CURRENTLY.

AND ON THE ABOVE, UH, TABLES, YOU WOULD SEE THE COLLECTION FOR 2324, WHICH IS THIS FISCAL YEAR FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE OF 600,000 THIRTY THREE, TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY WITH 89 CENTS.

THAT ONE GETS SPLITTED 25 75.

WITH THE EDC, UH, IT DID GO DOWN, UH, THREE POINT 58% FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.

BUT OVERALL, WE ARE UP 2.48.

I'M SORRY, 45% ON THIS ONE.

YOU COULD SEE THE ALLOCATION HISTORICAL SUMMARIES RIGHT FROM THE WEBSITE.

SO YOU COULD SEE THAT WHAT IT'S LISTED IS ACTUALLY WHAT'S COLLECTED ON THE PREVIOUS TABLE.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LEMME KNOW.

DO YOU MAKE SURE? ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.

UH, PUBLIC HEARING FOR FIRST READING FOR ORDINANCE NUMBER 22 5 2 DASH V DASH OH NINE DASH 2024.

YEP, THANK YOU.

OKAY, THE NEXT ONE'S GONNA BE THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.

SO I THINK SHOULD, YES, SIR.

MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS.

WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS ITEMS 1, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE.

UM, ITEM ONE IS THE,

[1. Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance Number 2252-V-09-2024 requesting to rezone a property located on Zillock Rd., bearing a legal description of: Being 37.592 acre (1,637,507.52 square feet) tract of land out of block 118, San Benito Land and Water Company Subdivision, Cameron County, Texas according to the map thereof recorded in Volume 1, Page 6, Map Records, Cameron County, Texas from MF “Multi-Family Residential” to MH “Mobile Home”. Applicant: Equity Lifestyle Properties]

THAT'S A REZONING ON ZI LOCK.

THE APPLICANT IS EQUITY LIFESTYLE.

UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO IS PUBLIC HEARING AND FIRST READING.

ORDINANCE NUMBER 2252 DASH W DASH 0 9 20 24.

REQUESTING A REZONE AS WELL ON, UH, BUSINESS 77 AND WILLIAMS, THE APPLICANT IS FABIAN RERA, AND THAT'S GONNA BE COMMERCIAL, UH, TO PDD PLAN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.

ITEM NUMBER THREE IS PLANNING, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.

FIRST READING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2252 DASH X DASH ZERO NINE DASH 2024.

ANOTHER REZONING ON SOUTH SAM HOUSTON BOULEVARD AND YOS ROAD.

UH, THAT IS, UH, APPLICANT IS ORANGE TREE MANAGEMENT, AND THAT'S GOING FROM AO AGRICULTURAL OPEN SPACE TO C ONE COMMERCIAL RESTRICTED BUSINESS.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONDITION USE PERMIT TO HAVE OPERATE A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM ON PROPERTY ZONE.

AO UH, THAT ITEM, UH, IS, LEMME SEE HERE.

THE APPLICANT IS ANDREW BURKE.

AND, UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS PUBLIC HEARING TO SOLICIT INPUT FROM CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ON PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 20 24, 25 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.

AND THAT'S CDBG.

WE CAN ENTERTAIN ANY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS

[00:20:01]

AT THIS TIME, THESE PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS, AND ON, ON THESE ITEMS AND THESE ITEMS ONLY.

OKAY? AND WE WILL OPEN UP THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.

THE TIME IS, UH, ONE BY ONE.

YOU CAN DO ANY ONE OF 'EM.

JUST TELL ME WHICH ONE YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK ON.

UH, DO YOU NEED TO COME UP HERE? LET ME OPEN, LET ME OPEN UP.

WE CAN DO, WE CAN DO ONE.

WE CAN DO ONE BY ONE.

LET ME OPEN UP THE, THE, UH, IT'S A 5 53.

WE'LL OPEN UP THE, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.

WE CAN START WITH, UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE.

AND THAT IS, UH, 2252 DASH V DASH OH NINE DASH 2024.

AND THAT'S, UH, EQUITY LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES.

THE, UH, ANY PUBLIC ITEM ITEM, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY.

EDDIE LOA, I LIVE ON 2 48 CHARLES BARBARA ROAD, SANTO, TEXAS.

I'M HERE TO OPPOSE A REQUEST TO REZONE THE PROPERTY LOCATED ON ZILLOW ROAD TRACK LAND OUT BLOCK ONE 18 IN SANTO LAND AND WATER COMPANY, SUBDIVISION RECORDED IN VOLUME ONE PAGE SIX, FROM MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO MOBILE HOME APPLICANT EQUITY LIFESTYLE, PROPERTY, ALSO NAMED FUN AND SON MOBILE HOME PARK.

THIS LAND WAS SUBDIVIDED BY THE CITY OF HARLINGEN IN HAR IN IN OCTOBER, 1956 BY CONSULTING ENGINEER J MCNALLY, REGISTERED ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

THERE ARE NO OTHER DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED WITH HIS RECORDS RECORDED.

PLAT, THE REST OF BLOCK ONE 18 BELONGS TO CITY SAN BENITO AND WATER SUBDIVISION IN 1994, SAN BENITO.

AND NEXT THE REST OF THE PLATTED LAND AND WAS ZONED MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ON AUGUST 22ND, 2024.

SAN BENITO PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT REZONED BLOCK ONE 18 SAN SAN BENITO, LAND AND WATER, CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS TO MOBILE HOMES.

ACCORDING TO THE, TO THE MAP THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME ONE, PAGE SIX, MAP RECORDS.

CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS.

WHY WAS THIS 1951 STATE LAW ON PROPERTY SOLD BY MEETS AND BOUNDS NOT APPLIED TO THIS TRANSACTION? SOME OF THE PROPERTIES UNLOCKED ONE THROUGH 14 BLOCK ONE 18 ARE ON SEPTIC TANKS.

BUT IF PROPERTY OWNERS WANT TO CONNECT THE SEWER, SEWER LINE CONNECTIONS, FUN AND SUN WILL ALLOW THEM TO CONNECT TO THEM, AND WE GET CHARGED FOR THE SERVICES AND PAY THE CITY OF SANTO SAN SANTO WATER DEPARTMENT.

THERE IS ALSO NO WATER RETENTION FROM THE CITY IN CASE OF FLOODING.

BUT WE GET CHARGED BY THE CITY WATER DEPARTMENT FOR STORMWATER FOR MANY YEARS IN THE CITY OF SANTO HAS NEGLECTED HOMEOWNERS IN THE OWEN SUBDIVISION ON UTILITY SERVICES BY BEING NON-COMPLIANCE.

THESE HOMEOWNERS HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE REZONING OF BLOCK ONE 18, WHICH IS MULTI MULTIFAMILY.

I HAVE REACHED, REACHED OUT TO CITY OFFICIALS THROUGH EMAILS, REQUESTING A MEETING AND JUST BEEN IGNORED.

MY QUESTION IS, WHY ALLOW FUN AND SON TO REZONE IF THEY STILL HAVEN'T RESOLVED THE BLOCKED EASEMENT ISSUE THAT IS PENDING? THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR TWO YEARS NOW.

MR. LOW.

I DON'T HAVE AN EMAIL FROM YOU, JUST FOR THE RECORD.

UM, BUT THIS IS JUST A REZONE, IT'S NOT A PLAT, IT'S NOT A PLA APPROVAL.

YOU DO HAVE, YOU DO HAVE MY EMAIL.

I EMAILED YOU GUYS.

SO IF YOU COULD SEND IT TO ME AGAIN, THAT'D BE GREAT.

I I WILL, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT.

THAT'S WHAT I'M LETTING YOU KNOW.

I'LL SEND, AND SECONDLY, IT'S A REZONE.

IT'S NOT A REPL.

SO THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO MEET ANY SUBDIVISION SEND PLA REQUIREMENTS CURRENTLY.

I'LL SEND, I'LL SEND YOU THE DOCUMENTS.

KEVIN CARNEY COURT RECORDS.

SO YOU COULD READ 'EM.

'CAUSE I SENT 'EM BEFORE AND NOBODY ANSWERED BACK ALL I, ALL I'M ASKING IS, YOU KNOW WHAT, MR. LOA, WE'RE NOT GONNA OPEN THE EASEMENT.

AND WHY NOT? THAT'S IT.

IT'S PLOTTED IN THE COURT.

ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE LAND IN QUESTION FOR A REZONE ALSO ABOUT THE EASEMENT.

I'M MAKING, I'M MAKING IT AWARE YOU COME, I'VE EMAILED YOU BEFORE ON THAT, BUT THE PUBLIC HEARING IS ABOUT THE RE I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I'M NOT, WHAT CAN YOU TELL, WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE EASEMENT? SO GO AHEAD AND SEND ME AN EMAIL AGAIN ON THE EASEMENT.

I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE IT.

OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE ON THE EASEMENT, AND IF YOU HAVE COPIES THERE, YOU CAN GIVE IT TO OUR CITY SECRETARY.

I, I'M, AND SHE'LL MAKE COPIES FOR US.

I'LL RESEND THE EMAILS TO YOU.

DO YOU HAVE A QUICK, I MEAN, AN ANSWER FOR THE EASEMENT? I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STILL.

YES, YOU DO.

ALRIGHT.

I SENT IT TO YOU.

WHEN YOU GUYS A COPY CC MAIL EACH ONE OF YOU GUYS, THIS IS NOT AN ITEM ON FOR DISCUSSION.

THIS IS A SEPARATE ISSUE.

SO WE CAN DISCUSS, CALL ME OUT.

[00:25:01]

I'LL SEND YOU A COPY.

HELLO.

HELLO COMMISSIONERS.

JV GARCIA.

I'M THE ENGINEER ON THIS PROJECT.

UM, IT IS A SIMPLE, JUST THE ONLY REASON I'M COMING UP HERE IS FOR CLARIFICATION WITH MR. LORA.

UM, EQUITY LIFESTYLES PROPERTIES IS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.

AND I BELIEVE HE WAS, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET, WHICH IS THE EXISTING FUN AND SON, THIS IS A, UH, AGRICUL, UH, A PROPERTY RIGHT NOW THAT'S, HASN'T BEEN SUBDIVIDED OR ANYTHING.

IT'S MULTIFAMILY AND IT'S A SIMPLE REZONING.

UH, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT CLARIFICATION.

FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, PUBLIC HEARING, NO COMMENTS FOR OR AGAINST.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

ANYBODY ELSE ON ANY OF THE ITEMS? ONE THROUGH FIVE? ANYBODY ELSE? I'M SORRY, LET'S GO.

NO, ALL YOU GOING GO ONE TIME.

CLOSE, CLOSE ONE.

OKAY, THEN NO.

SO FOR NUMBER ONE, THAT'S IT.

NOBODY ELSE? OKAY.

THAT'S ACTUALLY, UH, NUMBER ONE, RIGHT? YES.

SO THEN LET ME CLOSE, UH, PUBLIC NUMBER ONE.

THEN, UH, TELL ME 5 59, WE'RE CLOSING AT NUMBER ONE TIME, 5 59.

AND, UH, WE'LL OPEN UP, UH,

[2. Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance Number 2252-W-09-2024 requesting to rezone a property located on Business 77 and Williams Rd, bearing a Legal Description of a 47.350-acre tract of land, more or less, out of Lots 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15 and 16, Block 129, San Benito Land and Water Company Subdivision, as per map or plat thereof recorded in Volume 1, Page 6, Map Records, Cameron County, Texas from AO “Agriculture and Open Space”/C-2 “Commercial General Retail Business” to PDD "Planned Development District". Applicant: Fabian Contreras.]

IT'S, UH, 2252 W 0 9 20 24.

AND THAT'S A PDD APPLICANT.

IS FABIAN, FABIAN RES GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE? NONE.

THAT HAD THE, THE, THE INTENTION TO PUT THE BATTERY THERE.

OKAY THEN.

OKAY, TIME IS, UH, SIX, SIX O'CLOCK.

AND WE'RE CLOSING.

ITEM NUMBER TWO ON THE PUBLIC HEARING TIME IS, UH,

[3. Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance Number 2252-X-09-2024 requesting to rezone a property located on S. Sam Houston Blvd. and Yost Rd., bearing a Legal Description of: Tract II being a 0.603-acre tract of land out of Block 25, San Benito Land and Water Company Subdivision, as recorded in Volume 1, Page 6 of the Map Records of Cameron County, Texas; and further being out of certain 1.42-acre tract recorded in Volume 5458, Page 274, Official Records, Cameron County, Texas from AO “Agriculture and Open Space” to C-1 “Commercial Restricted Business”. Applicant: Orangetree Management Corp.]

SIX O'CLOCK.

AND, UH, WE'RE OPENING UP ITEM NUMBER THREE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.

AND THAT'S GONNA BE ON ST.

VINCENT.

AND S ANYBODY.

ITEM NUMBER THREE? NONE.

OKAY, TIME IS SIX O'CLOCK AND WE'RE CLOSING ITEM NUMBER THREE,

[4. Public Hearing for a Conditional Use Permit to operate a Battery Energy Storage System on a property zoned A-O “Agriculture and Open Space”, bearing a legal description of Tract 1: Being a 5.000-acre tract of land (217,796 SQ. FT) in the Bartolome and Eugenio Fernandez Survey, Abstract No. 16. Cameron County, Texas, being a portion of the called 20.00-acre tract of land conveyed to Camperos Development LLC. in Document No. 2022-45916, O.P.R.C.C.TX and Tract 2: Being a 0.672-acre tract of land (29,271 SQ. FT) in the Bartolome and Eugenio Fernandez Survey, Abstract No. 16, Cameron County, Texas, being a portion of the called 20.00- acre tract of land conveyed to Camperos Development LLC. in document 2022-45916 O.P.R.C.C TX. Applicant: Andrew Burke.]

SIX O'CLOCK.

AND WE'LL OPEN UP, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

AND THAT'S GONNA BE FOR THE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE.

SIX O'CLOCK.

ANYBODY FOR, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR? BATTERY STORAGE? YES, ONE AT A TIME.

WE'LL SEE YOU, MAN.

TAKE CARE.

WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST? ALRIGHT, WELL, NO, YOU SPEAK SO MUCH BETTER THAN I DO, AND I'M GONNA SAY I ECHO HIS SENTIMENT.

MIKE, THANK YOU.

UH, IF I MAY I APPROACH, DON'T BE SO HOT ON YOURSELF, MR. TRAVIS.

YOU DO.

WELL, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND, UH, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING, LETTING US, LETTING US SPEAK ABOUT THIS.

WE'RE, UH, ABOUT ACT UM, UM, ACTION NUMBER FOUR, BASICALLY.

NUMBER FOUR, BASICALLY, I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THAT.

I, I MAKE A QUICK, UM, COPIES OF THAT.

I MAKE A QUICK, ACTUALLY GOOGLE SEARCH OR SOMETHING.

THIS IS ACTUALLY, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PLANNING TO PUT A, A BATTERY IN THERE, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO A, A, A PROPERTY THAT I, THAT I OWN.

AND MAINLY ACTUALLY, THIS, THIS BATTERY IS SUPPOSED TO BE RIGHT NEXT, UH, WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF A SCHOOL RIGHT THERE.

BASICALLY, IF I, IF I CAN GO THROUGH THE, IF YOU LET ME GO THROUGH THIS, THE, THIS BATTERY IS ACTUALLY A PRONE TO OVERHEATING, SWELLING, ELECTROLYTE LEAKAGE, VENTING, FIRE, SMOKES, AND EXPLOSIONS.

IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO INVOLVING THE THERMAL RUNAWAY FA FAILURES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, ION BATTERIES ARE DESCRIBED IN THE ATION OF NATURE.

GAS GASES, PROCESSS AS A RESULT OF FIRE, SMOKE, AND THERMAL, RUNAWAY CAN ACCUMULATE TO A COMBUSTIBLE LEVEL IN THE INSTALLATION LOCATION.

UM, IN THE NEXT, UH, TWO PAGES OR SO, UH, THERE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF, UH, UM, UH, ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED BOTH ABROAD AND IN IN AMERICA ABOUT THIS TYPE OF BATTERY.

BASICALLY EXPLOSIONS ABOUT THAT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK, THERE IS A, CONFIRMS THAT, UH, THE, THE BATTERY SHELF LIFE AND USE OF ARE LIMITED.

A LARGE AMOUNT OF WIDE RANGE OF RAW MATERIALS, INCLUDING METALS AND NON METALS ARE USED TO PRODUCE BATTERY.

THE BATTERIES CAN GENERATE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS, UH, DURING DIFFERENT PROCESS, WHICH IS FINDING MANUFACTURING, ET CETERA.

UH, IN OVERALL THE OVERALL RISK, THE BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEM CAN EXPERIENCE THERMAL RUNAWAY CHEMICAL REACTION THAT CAUSED THEM TO RELEASE TOXIC INFLAMMABLE GASES.

THIS CAN HAPPEN DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION LIKE HUMIDITY, TEMPERATURE, SWINGS, FAULT INSTALLATION, POWER SEARCHES, AND PHYSICAL DAMAGE.

THIS CASE HAVE BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE TO THE SONY, UH, THE COMMISSION.

AND I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, DECLINED BY THE SONY COMMISSION.

EVEN THE, I DON'T KNOW HERE OR NOT, BUT I MEAN THE, THE, THE PEOPLE, THE COMPANY THAT WAS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, THE ONE THERE

[00:30:01]

THEY BASICALLY ACCEPT THE FACT THAT, UH, THAT THESE BATTERIES CAN EXPLODE.

I MEAN, IT'S A LOW RISK SUPPOSED TO BE, BUT I MEAN, THEY CAN EXPLODE.

THEY CAN CAUSE, UH, LIKE, UM, LIKE A FIRE THAT CAN ACTUALLY COME BE, BE ON FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

UH, AT THAT TIME, ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE, THE, UH, PEOPLE FROM THE, I BELIEVE THAT THE CHIEF OF, UH, OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BASICALLY WAS HERE.

AND, UH, HE SUSTAINED THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT CAPABLE OF, UH, CONTROLLING THIS KIND OF FIRE.

SO, I'M HERE AGAIN TO SPEAK, UH, STRONGLY AGAINST THIS.

THE, THE POSITION OF THIS BATTERY, UH, WHICH IS GONNA BE, UH, RIGHT ACROSS OR WITHIN THAN A HUNDRED FEET OF A SCHOOL, A PRIMARY SCHOOL, AND WITH A, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UH, FROM, UH, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROPERTIES AROUND HERE.

SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST, UH, THE BA THIS TYPE OF BATTERIES.

I THINK THAT THE, THAT MAY THE FUTURE, I MEAN, IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD FOR ENERGY, GOOD FOR SAN BENITO, BUT, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE PLACED IN THE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, LOCATION.

I MEAN, THIS PACKAGE SHOULD BE PLACED IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION, YOU KNOW, A WAY OF PEOPLE AND A WAY OF A POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE, UH, UH, ACCIDENTS.

AGAIN, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT A LOW POSSIBILITY OF THAT TO HAPPEN.

BUT I, I GAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, UH, THOSE ARE IN, IN THE, IN THE, IN THIS PAGE, BASICALLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UH, ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITH THIS.

AND IT'S JUST LIKE A BATTERY.

JUST IMAGINE LIKE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS AGO OR SOMETHING.

PEOPLE DON'T, YOU KNOW, UH, AIRLINES DON'T LET US USE OUR CELL PHONES IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PLANE.

WHY? BECAUSE THEY CAN EXPLODE.

SAME THING.

JUST IMAGINE THAT INSTEAD OF A CELL PHONE, IT'S LIKE A MILLION CELL PHONES OR SOMETHING.

SO THEY'RE GONNA EXPLODE AND THEY, THEY'RE GONNA CAUSE A BIG FIRE.

SO THIS IS NOT A SAFE THING FOR SOME OF THESE GOOD FOLKS AND FOR PEOPLE, YOU AND FOR THE CHILDREN RIGHT THERE.

SO, I APPRECIATE YOU HEARING US, SIR.

YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

I'M SORRY.

MY NAME IS GUILLERMO LASSO.

I, UH, MY ADDRESS IS 1 0 1 EAST EMORY AVENUE.

ONE, ONE WHAT? UH, 1 0 1 EAST EMORY AVENUE IN MACALLAN.

BUT I OWN THE PROPERTY RIGHT NEXT TO, UH, THE, THE WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA, UH, THE, THEY'RE PLANNING TO PUT THIS, THIS BATTERY.

ANYBODY ELSE? YES, SIR.

WHAT YOU GOT? NO, I DIDN'T HEAR IT BEAT YOU, MAN.

SORRY, I LAUGHED HIM TO GO AGAIN.

YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? NO.

OKAY, GUYS, I'M A FORMER EDUCATOR, FORMER MAYOR.

I LOVE SAN BENITO, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY BROTHER.

THAT FACTORY IS GONNA BE BUILT LASER RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE, AND I WORRY I'M THE YOUNGEST MAYOR.

THERE YOU GO.

I WAS THE YOUNGEST ONE.

NO, NOT ANYMORE.

I'M 72, ALMOST 73.

MY CONCERN IS THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE REAL CLOSE TO IT AND THE STUDENTS.

THAT'S WHY I WENT BEFORE THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE, AND THEY DENIED THEM.

AND I, I HOPE YOU DENY IT TOO, BECAUSE THE CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE OF SAN BENITO.

WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT STUDENTS.

I HAVE THREE ATTORNEYS.

THEY DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION.

I WANTED AN ATTORNEY, A, A PHARMACIST AND A DOCTOR.

BUT NO, THEY'RE DOING WELL.

SO MY CONCERN IS MY BROTHER AND HIS FA FAMILY, BUT MAINLY THE STUDENTS OF SAM BEIT.

SO PLEASE, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AND DON'T APPROVE IT.

THERE'S MANY OTHER PLACES IT CAN BE BUILT.

IT SHOULDN'T BE BUILT NEAR A SCHOOL AND WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE THERE.

SO, UM, I KNOW ALL OF YOU, I KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT US, YOU CARE ABOUT THE KIDS, YOU CARE ABOUT SAN BENITO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE, WHEN I WAS MAYOR, WE DID THE CLEANUP AND OUR MOTTO WAS KETO.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP ON DWELLING ON TO KEEP IT BEAUTIFUL AND SUCCESSFUL AND PRODUCTIVE.

SO, ONCE AGAIN, THANKS A MILLION AND I HOPE YOU VOTE AGAINST IT.

TAKE ANYBODY ELSE? UH, OH.

I WAS LIKE, WHOA.

WAIT A MINUTE.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA COME IN.

CAN'T DO THAT.

THESE SITES IN TEXAS FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, BY HOUSES, BY CHURCHES, BY SCHOOLS.

MR. TRAVIS SAID HE WANTED TO GO LAST, SO I'LL RESERVE THAT FOR HIM.

MY NAME'S BRIAN YARBOROUGH.

I'M, UH, ANDREW BURKE, UH, WORKS ON MY TEAM.

I'M WITH STELLA ENERGY SOLUTIONS, AND WE'RE THE APPLICANT FOR THIS PROJECT.

OKAY, SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU GUYS TONIGHT.

I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY ADDRESS, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP, UH, FOR, FOR THESE WE UNDERSTAND.

THIS IS NEW TECHNOLOGY.

WE, UH, WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING

[00:35:01]

THE REASON THAT WE ARE COMING TO SAN BENITO FOR A PROJECT IS BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THE ENERGY NEEDS ARE IN THE, IN, IN SOUTH TEXAS, WE ARE EXPERIENCING LOAD GROWTH, GROWTH IN COMMUNITIES, ELECTRICAL DEMAND, MORE ELECTRIC CARS, A LOT OF SOLAR AND WIND.

AND THAT'S DRIVING THESE PROJECTS TO BECOME A CRITICAL PIECE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE ERCOT SYSTEM, WHAT THE BATTERIES DO, UH, THERE'S TWO WAYS THE BATTERIES WORK.

THEY EITHER CHARGE EXCESS ENERGY FROM THE GRID, AND WE CAN SELL IT BACK TO ERCOT.

IT'S A VERY EASY IDEA WHEN THE TURBINES ARE BLOWING AND THE SUN'S OUT, AND THERE'S MORE SOLAR AND WIND THAN THE GRID CAN CAN HANDLE.

WE CAN TAKE ENERGY AT THAT TIME AND THEN SEND IT BACK WHEN EVERYONE HAS THEIR AIR CONDITIONING ON OR THEIR HEATERS ON, OR THEIR CARS PLUGGED IN.

UH, THE SECOND WAY THAT I CONSIDER TO BE MORE VALUABLE IS ELECTRIC RELIABILITY.

MANY PEOPLE LOST THEIR POWER FOR SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF TIME.

I LIVE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, SO WE JUST EXPERIENCED A HURRICANE.

BUT THE, THE BEST CASE FOR THIS WAS THE WINTER STORM URI, WHERE MILLIONS OF TEXANS LOST THEIR POWER, AND ERCOT ALMOST LOST THE GRID.

NOW, MANY PEOPLE BECAME AWARE THAT ERCOT EXISTED DURING THAT TIME, BUT WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THAT THE GRID BECAME SO UNSTABLE THAT ERCOT WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACTUALLY MANAGING THE ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

HAD THEY LOST THE GRID, THOSE COUPLE OF WEEKS OF POWER OUTAGES COULD HAVE TURNED INTO EASILY A MONTH TO SIX WEEKS WHILE THEY RESTORED THE GRID PIECE BY PIECE IN ORDER TO RESTORE SERVICE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

DO, DO I WANT TO PUT BATTERY, UH, PROJECTS RIGHT NEXT TO SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES AND COMMUNITIES? NO, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE POWER IS.

THEY'RE CONNECTED TO THE A EP DISTRIBUTION CENTER.

THIS IS WHERE THE BATTERY, THE BATTERIES NEED TO BE IN ORDER TO BE CLOSE TO AN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION AND SERVICE THE AREA WHERE THAT SUBSTATION SERVES.

SO THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE THE LOCATION.

UM, NOT, NOT BECAUSE, UH, WE WANT TO BE NEXT TO A SCHOOL AND CERTAINLY WOULDN'T PUT IT NEXT TO A SCHOOL IF THERE WERE ANY POSSIBILITY FORESEEABLE THAT WE WOULD BE A DANGER TO ANY STUDENTS.

UM, THE ACCIDENTS THAT, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE REFERENCE TO DATE, THE LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERIES THAT WE USE IN OUR PROJECTS, UH, HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS.

THE, THE EXPLOSIONS, THE FIRES, THE THERMAL RUNAWAY THAT WE'VE SEEN HAS BEEN WITH A DIFFERENT CHEMISTRY ENTIRELY.

IT'S THE SAME ONE IN THE SAMSUNG TABLETS THAT THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW ON THE PLANES OR THOSE LITTLE HOVER BOARDS.

IT'S A NICKEL, MANGANESE, COBALT CHEMISTRY.

THAT'S THE, THE, IT'S A SOUTH KOREAN PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE FIRES.

UM, THE BATTERIES DO NOT HAVE, UH, ANY POLLUTANTS.

IT'S JUST LIKE YOUR CELL PHONE BATTERY.

IT'S NOT PUTTING OFF RADIATION, IT'S NOT VENTING, IT'S NOT USING WATER.

IT'S NOT, UH, RELEASED INTO THE GROUNDWATER OF THE COMMUNITY.

UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING TO POLLUTE.

THE BATTERIES JUST OPERATE, CHARGE AND DISCHARGE.

UH, AS FAR AS CONTROLLING THE FIRE, UM, WE HAVE FIRE SYSTEMS IN PLACE THAT ARE GOVERNED BY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION AGENCY.

THEY HAVE A STANDARD 8 55, UM, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN FOR BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS.

ALL THE PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED, AND OPERATED TO THOSE GUIDELINES.

AND ANY GUIDELINE IN NFPA STANDARDS IS WHAT WE ADOPT FOR THE PROJECTS.

UM, AND, AND WE'RE SIMPLY PUT, I'M, I'M HERE TO DISPEL ANY RUMORS AND CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

OUR COMPANY PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING TRANSPARENT.

WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT A PROJECT, UH, TO GO IN THAT THE COMMUNITY'S NOT EXCITED ABOUT AND THAT THE CITY IS NOT EXCITED ABOUT.

SO, WITH THAT, UH, WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE EVENING AND I'LL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THEM.

UH, BUILT, YOU KNOW, SIZE? THE, THE BATTERY CONTAINERS ARE 22 FEET ISH.

UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

WHAT'S THE STORAGE CAPACITY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO PUT THERE IN FIVE ACRES? UH, FOR, THIS IS 10 MEGAWATTS BOILERPLATE.

IT'S ACTUALLY 9.9 MEGAWATTS, AND IT'S A TWO HOUR SYSTEM.

SO IT'S 22 MEGAWATTS OF POWER THAT, UH, IS ONLY 9.9 AT THE POINT OF INTERCONNECTION WITH THE SUBSTATION.

AND HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE YOU DEVELOPED IN THIS, I GUESS IN THIS COMPANY HAS DEVELOPED THIS COMPANY? WE'RE ON OUR 20TH ON THE DISTRIBUTION SIDE, AND WE HAVE 10 TRANSMISSION LEVEL, 200 MEGAWATTS OR BIGGER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING ALL IN TEXAS.

WE'VE DONE SOME WORK OUT OF TEXAS, BUT I'LL LIMIT IT TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN, IN THE STATE.

SO HOW MANY OF THOSE, UM, ARE THERE LIKE A, LIKE A SEMI-TRUCK,

[00:40:01]

IT'S ABOUT, WE JUST SAY IT'S A 20 FOOT CONTAINER, JUST LIKE, UH, THE OUTSIDE OF A STANDARD SHIPPING CONTAINER.

SO DIMENSIONALLY ABOUT A 20 FOOT.

AND THEN THERE'S A SEPARATE SKID THAT HAS A INVERTER TAKING IT FROM DC TO AC POWER, AND THEN A MEDIUM VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER LIKE YOU'D SEE IN A SUBDIVISION.

SO HOW MANY OF THOSE, UH, DO YOU, UM, NINE, NINE CONTAINERS OF BATTERIES.

THREE.

THREE INVERTER SKIDS.

SO IT'S THREE TO ONE CONNECTION.

WE WE'RE STILL IN PUBLIC HEARING HERE.

I'M, THIS, THIS COMES UP IN, IN CONSENT.

AGENDA NUMBER FOUR ITEM WE CAN PULL.

TALK ABOUT MORE DETAIL.

I'M PART OF THE PUBLIC.

I HAVE QUESTIONS.

WELL, IF WE WANNA WAIT, THAT'S FINE.

EITHER WAY, IT DON'T MATTER TO ME.

ANYBODY ELSE? FOR ON NUMBER FOUR? WE'LL BRING IT UP AGAIN, SIR.

SORRY, GO AHEAD.

MIKE TRAVIS, UH, 1695 RUSSELL LANE IN THE FABULOUS, UH, CITY OF SAN BENITO.

UH, JUST AS A CONTINUE OF MY, UH, PREVIOUS PUBLIC COMMENTS, I GAVE YOU THE BLACK AND WHITE COPY.

'CAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD TO MAKE COLOR COPIES, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE FRONT OF IT LOOKS LIKE.

AND I DON'T THINK I MENTIONED THAT I HAVE EXTRA COPIES FOR ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.

NO PRESSURE ON THAT.

BUT, UH, BACK TO AGENDA NUMBER FOUR, UH, JUST IN SHORTS TO ADD ON TO MY SUPER FANTASTIC NEIGHBORS COMMENTS.

UH, I RESPECTFULLY OPPOSE THIS REZONING, UH, BEING THAT THE SURROUNDING AREAS ARE ALREADY, UH, LABELED AS SF ONE, WHICH I, I WOULD ASSUME I'M NOT A CERTIFIED CITY PLANNER KIND OF PERSON, BUT IT WOULD BE, WE WOULD WANNA, LIKE, INTEND THAT TO MOVE THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.

CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, KIND OF STUFF.

AND I COULD GO ON, UH, THE TECH, THE TECHNOLOGY.

BUT THE REASON I TALK ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS PROJECT RIGHT HERE IS TIED TO THIS.

AND IF THIS HAD NOT BEEN IN EFFECT, WE WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.

NO DISRESPECT, SIR.

AND, AND, AND I KNOW IT'S TECHNOLOGY AND WE'RE ALL YEAH.

BUT, UH, IT'S ALL, UH, RAINBOWS AND UNICORNS AND PROMISES AND STUFF.

I'M ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE.

SO I'LL JUST, I, UH, JUST TO REITERATE, I RESPECTFULLY OPPOSE THE REZONING.

UH, DO YOU LIVE NEAR A MATERIAL LIKE THAT? I, UH, NEAR IN, IN APPROXIMATELY, MA'AM.

NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE.

DO YOU HAVE A BATTERY LIKE THAT? MA'AM? MA'AM.

OH, OKAY.

JUST, UH, OKAY.

NO, UH, WE ARE REALLY, REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

YOUR NAME, STATE YOUR NAME AND AND THE ADDRESS, PLEASE.

YEAH, FELIA LASSO.

WE ARE REALLY, REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

WE HAVE INCOMING TO MEETINGS AND MEETINGS AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING DIDN'T APPROVE IT.

THE LAST MEETING.

UH, THEY AGREE WITH US THAT IT WAS VERY, VERY, UM, RISKY BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE, LIVE OVER THERE.

SO I'M REALLY WORRIED.

AND I'M ASKING YOU PLEASE, PLEASE, TO CONSIDER OUR POSITION, PLEASE.

THE FINAL ACTION PLAN TO HUD ON OCTOBER THE FIRST, 2024.

ANYBODY ELSE? LAST CALL.

ONCE, TWICE.

GREAT.

CLOSING PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

UH, TIME IS, UH, SIX 17 OPENING UP, UH, FOR, UH, PUBLIC HEARING IN FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

THE TIME IS SIX 17.

WHAT WAS THAT? THE COMMUNITY GRANT? THANKS.

MAYOR, PRO TEM COMMISSIONERS FOR THE RECORD.

ELVIRA CSOS, ASSISTING CDBG.

THIS IS THE FIRST OF TWO REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD.

THE SECOND HEARING WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER THE 19TH WITH A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS TO SOLICIT INPUT FROM CITIZENS ON PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 20 24, 20 25, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, PUBLISHED IN THE SANTO NEWS ON AUGUST THE 30TH, THE 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD IN SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.

WE WILL SUBMIT

[00:45:01]

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

[5. Public Hearing to solicit input from Citizen participation on Proposed Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan.]

YOU, ANYBODY FOR, UH, ITEM NUMBERS? FIVE? ? YES, SIR.

MIKE TRAVIS, 1695 RUSSELL LANE.

UM, ARE Y'ALL ALLOWED TO ASK, UH, ANSWER A QUESTION? NO.

UH, I JUST WANNA SAY ON ITEM, UH, NUMBER FIVE, UH, I AM IN TOTAL AGREEMENTS WITH, UH, HOW THE, AS PROPOSED.

OKAY, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, WE'LL GO ON TO, UH, CONSENT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE? ITEM FIVE.

ONCE, TWICE.

TIME IS SIX 19.

CLOSING ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

[CONSENT AGENDA ITEM(S)]

AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER ONE THROUGH 16 THROUGH 16, UH, CAN BE APPROVED BY ONE VOTE.

UH, ONE, ONE MOTION, AND ONE VOTE.

UH, WE'D LIKE TO REMOVE ANY, SO WE CAN DISCUSS, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE VOTE TO ENTERTAIN THOSE, THOSE, UH, MOTIONS AT THIS TIME.

WELL, FRED, BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT AND VOICING YOUR OPINIONS, YOUR CONCERNS ON THESE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE.

BEFORE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY AND THAT YOUR INPUT HELPS US MAKE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE ON A DAILY BASIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS RUN PROPERLY AND SUFFICIENTLY AND OF COURSE, SAFE.

SO, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

COMMERS, UH, ADAM, ONE THROUGH 16.

CONSENTING AGENDA.

ANYBODY WANTS TO TAKE ANYTHING OUT? I'D LIKE TO SEE ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

PULLED TO NUMBER SIX.

I WOULD LIKE 4, 6, 8, 10, AND 16.

AND I'D LIKE NUMBER SIX TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

FOUR, SIX AND 16, 4, 6, 8, 10, AND 16.

YES, MA'AM.

EIGHT.

I'D LIKE NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER ALSO ADDITIONALLY.

THREE.

1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14.

DID WE GET NUMBER NINE? NO, NINE IS NOT INCLUDED.

WHAT ELSE DO I WANT? 15.

SO CONSENT WILL BE 1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, AND 14.

YES, MA'AM.

IT'S, IT'S IN THE BUDGET.

WE CAN DISCUSS IT.

MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. 1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, AND 14.

I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

I'M SORRY, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

I GOT A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.

1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14.

ANY NAYS? MOTION PASSES FOR A NUMBER.

OKAY, TAKE ITEM NUMBER THREE.

MOTION PASSES.

[3. Consideration and possible action to approve the Second and Final Reading of Ordinance Number 2573-A-08-2024, an ordinance amending Ordinance Number 2573, providing a Comprehensive Schedule of Fees and related policies and procedures for Technical Permit Fees, Planning and Zoning Department, Fire Department, Police Department, Library Department, Administration Department, Parks Department, and other fees and policies as stipulated. ]

ITEM NUMBER THREE, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION.

APPROVE A SECOND AND FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 73 DASH A DASH OH EIGHT DASH 2024 AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 73.

AND IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEDULE FEES RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR, UH, MOST OF THE DEPARTMENTS.

UM, AND THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL READING.

DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT NUMBER THREE? YES, MA'AM.

I PULLED, I PULLED THIS ONE.

UM, UH, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS ABOUT FEES THAT I'VE HEARD FROM CITIZENS IN THE PAST IS THE GARAGE PERMIT FEE, UH, GARAGE SALE PERMIT FEE, GARAGE SALE PERMIT FEE.

AND I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL A CHARGE HERE.

$10.

IT'S NOMINAL.

UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE, WHERE IS IT? GARAGE SALE PERMITS, YOU'RE ALLOWED FOUR PER YEAR AND HAS A $10 CHARGE.

DOES THIS, WHENEVER WE CHANGE AN ORDINANCE LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE TO GO TO A PUBLICATION, CORRECT? JOHNNA? YES.

DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE A PUBLICATION? YES.

SO THAT COSTS FEES ALREADY FOR YOURSELF AND THE STAFF AND DEPARTMENT AND IT'S LEGWORK.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO, LIKE A MORATORIUM FOR A YEAR AND SEE HOW IT WORKS.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, I THINK YOU COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR MOTION, YOU CAN MOTION TO APPROVE WITH SUBSTITUTE, SUBSTITUTE THAT CHANGE.

AND THEN, YEAH, YOU CAN

[00:50:01]

ALRIGHT.

VERY, VERY GOOD.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO AND DO THE PUBLICATIONS AGAIN.

NO, THAT'S MY FEAR.

DO WANNA PICK IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE? THANK YOU.

SO THE, THE REASON I $10 DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT I'VE COME AND DONE THE PERMITTING PROCESS BEFORE AND YOU HAVE TO GO TO FINANCE AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO BACK OVER TO PERMITTING AND THEN GO BACK AND DROP OFF YOUR RECEIPT AND PICK UP YOUR THING.

THERE'S NO SIDEWALK TO GET YOU BETWEEN BOTH BUILDINGS SAFELY.

AND WHEN I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THIS MORE WAS MY PREGNANT WIFE WANTED TO HAVE A GARAGE SALE AND SELL SOME THINGS.

SHAME ON ME FOR GETTING HER PREGNANT RIGHT AFTER SHE HAD, WE HAD OUR FIRST BABY, UM, AND SHE WANTED TO HAVE A GARAGE SALE AND SELL SOME THINGS, BUT WALKING BACK AND FORTH IN THE RAIN, NO COVERED WALKWAY.

DRIVING AROUND PARKING IS ALREADY VERY LIMITED.

I WANTED TO STREAMLINE THIS PROCESS.

AND CAN THEY JUST APPLY ONLINE AND PUT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY FIRST PERMIT FOR THE YEAR OR SECOND OR THIRD OR FOURTH.

AND THE REASON WE STARTED CHARGING PERMITS FROM THE HISTORY AND THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE A FEE WAS BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING PEOPLE DOING EVEN GARAGE SALES OR SELLING BARBECUE PLATES EVERY WEEKEND.

AND IT WASN'T PEOPLE FROM SAN BENITO, THEY WERE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN BECAUSE THEY HAVE MUCH MORE STRICT ORDINANCES IN OTHER TOWNS.

SO I UNDERSTAND THE, THE REASONING BEHIND IT.

SO TO THE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, I ASK THAT WE DROP THAT FEE.

WE TALK ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS AND, UM, INFLATION.

AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE LIMITING SOMEONE'S RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO SELL SOMETHING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND AT THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME TO MAKE A FEW DOLLARS.

SO THAT, THAT'S MY TAKE ON THAT.

IT'S 10 BUCKS.

AND FOR THE, I THINK IT'S ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, FROM THE RESEARCH I DID, IT WAS LIKE SEVEN TO 10 GRAND A YEAR THAT THE IN REVENUE THE CITY WOULD BE LOSING.

IT'S A LOT.

THERE'S A LOT OF PERMIT.

THERE'S PROBABLY LIKE 300 PERMITS THAT ARE APPLIED A YEAR, MAYBE MORE THAN THAT.

SO IF THEY COULD GET MORE, THEY WOULD, UM, WE, WE MAXED IT AT FOUR.

AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, THE STATE SAYS TWO, BUT WE'VE PUT THE MAX AT FOUR AND THEY WANT MORE.

UM, IF THEY COULD, THEY WOULD DO ONE A MONTH.

I THINK SOME, SOME RESIDENTS WOULD, BUT THEY KNOW THAT ONCE THEY HIT THEIR FOUR, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.

UM, TO ALSO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR PORT TEMP ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE GOING BACK AND FORTH, IT IS AN ISSUE.

UM, WE HAVE NOTICED IT, BUT ALSO THERE IS SOFTWARE THAT DOES THAT, BUT WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE IT.

UM, I WANNA SAY THAT I DID GET THE UPGRADED MODEL, UM, BUT WE'RE WAITING ON THE SERVERS TO BE FIXED.

SO WE, THAT MAY POSSIBLY WORK.

I DON'T KNOW YET.

WE'RE GONNA STREAMLINE.

JOANNA, WHAT, WHAT IS THE FEE? LET'S SAY SOMEBODY HAS A GARAGE SALE AND DOESN'T HAVE A PERMIT.

WHAT'S THE, THE FEE FOR THAT? SO WHEN I WAS DIRECTOR, UM, BASICALLY YOU JUST HAD TO COME IN AND JUST PAY IT.

THE FINE IS SUPPOSED TO BE $20, BUT WE JUST WANT THEM TO COME IN AND COMPLY AND MAKE SURE TO GET THEIR PERMIT.

UM, SO SOMETIMES WE WOULDN'T CHARGE THEM THE 20 AS LONG AS THEY CAME IN.

NOW, IF THEY DIDN'T COME IN AND WE CAUGHT THEM AGAIN, THEN YES, THEY MORE THAN LIKELY THEY'D BE SUBJECT TO A FINE OR TICKET OR VICE VERSA.

EVER A PARKLAND FEE TO ANY SUBDIVISION.

AND THEN PARKLAND FEES ARE NOT BEING MODIFIED HERE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FEES.

AND I'VE DISCUSSED IT BRIEFLY WITH SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS.

CITY MANAGER.

A GOOD, A GOOD QUESTION AROSE.

SOMEONE CALLED AND ASKED, WHAT ARE THESE NEW PARKLAND FEES? AND I UNDERSTAND WE'RE CHARGING SOMETHING CHEAPER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT LET'S SAY YOU HAVE AN OLDER SUBDIVISION AND YOU LIVE ON, YOU HAVE TWO LOTS AND THEY'RE NOT PLATTED CORRECTLY.

YOU'RE REQUIRED TO REPL, NOW YOU'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE THAT INTO A SUBDIVISION.

NOW YOU'VE MADE A SUBDIVISION IN A SUBDIVISION AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY PARKLAND FEES FOR THOSE TWO LOTS TO MEET THE REPLANTING REQUIREMENTS.

SO SHOULD THE PARKLAND FEES SHOULD BE FOR SOMEONE SMALL SCALE, OR SHOULD THEY BE FOR SOMEONE ACTUALLY MAKING A SUBDIVISION, WHICH IN MY DEFINITION WOULD BE CURB, GUTTER, STREET SEWER, WATER, UTILITIES, EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH A REAL FULL SCALE SUBDIVISION? OR THEY, OR ARE THEY JUST MAKING TWO LOTS AND YOU'RE GONNA CHARGE THEM PARKLAND FEES? UM, OKAY, SO THE PARKLAND FEES HAVE NEVER BEEN CHARGED, EVER IN SAN BENITO.

SO IF SOMEBODY CAME IN, UH, THE NORMAL IN OTHER CITIES IS, YOU KNOW, THEY COME IN AND THE SUBDIVISION TECHNICALLY HAS ALREADY PAID THEIR PARKLAND FEES BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN CHARGING FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND NOBODY HAS TO PAY ANYTHING AND IT KEEPS ON GOING.

UM, SAN BENITO IS NEVER CHARGED

[00:55:01]

UM, SO THAT IS ONE THING THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT WAS IF THEY DO COME IN, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE SUBDIVIDING BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER ACTUALLY PAID IT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? , YOU JUST WANT TO GET RID OF, UH, THE, UH, THE PARKLAND FEES WOULD HAVE TO BE FOR A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION.

'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T, YEAH, THEY'RE HERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING MODIFIED AT THE POINT, AT THIS TIME.

WE'RE LEAVING THOSE THE SAME.

UM, I THINK IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE BROUGHT BACK, BUT FOR SURE WE CAN CHANGE THE GARAGE SALE PERMIT AND RESU REDUCE THAT.

IT'S, IT'S A SMALL WIN AND IT'S AN EASY DECISION, I THINK.

WELL, I THINK IS THAT THE, I MEAN, THE STATE ONLY ALLOWS TWO, WE'RE GIVEN A FOUR.

SO WE'RE A HOME RULE CITY, SO I WOULD DEFER TO COUNCIL AND SEE IF THAT I, I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE LADY.

BUT GENERALLY, GENERALLY WE CAN BE MORE, WE CAN BE MORE CONSTRAINED.

WE CAN, BUT NOT LOOSER.

SO I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING BEYOND .

WELL, WHEN GOVERNOR ABBOTT COMES HERE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

WE'LL BE HERE ON THE 24TH.

NOT HERE.

HE'LL BE ON THE BORDER.

, BUT .

OKAY, SO, SO WHAT IF YOU WANT JUST $10 BACK OR WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT BACKGROUND, THE ONLY REASON THE STATE DOES THIS IS BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE RESIDENTS GOING OUT AND SELLING CONSTANTLY, IT STARTS AFFECTING YOUR SMALL BUSINESSES.

IT'S CUTTING INTO THEIR PROFIT AND THEIR BOTTOM LINE AND THEIR TAXPAYERS AS WELL.

BUT THEY, THEY ALSO PAY SALES TAX AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, AND THEY HAVE OVERHEAD, THEY HAVE EMPLOYEES.

SO THAT'S WHY THE STATE TRIES TO REGULATE THIS.

AND I THINK ALSO THE STATE COMES IN, THE CONTROLLER COMES IN AND, AND THEY LOOK AT EVERYTHING, RIGHT? CORRECT.

IF SO, IF WE'RE TOO LENIENT, THEN THEY COME AND THEY COME AFTER US.

MAYOR, MAYOR, IF I COULD, I'M SORRY.

GO AHEAD.

MR. GOODMAN.

UH, I GUESS AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND, UH, SOME SORT OF MIDWAY POINT HERE, UH, WOULD, WOULD THE BOARD ENTERTAIN, UH, SUBJECT TO NO FEE AND GOING DOWN TO THE STATUTORY AMOUNT, WHICH IS TWO THAT WE KIND OF MEET HALFWAY AND WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE AND WE'RE NOT CHARGING THE PEOPLE AND WE'LL TRY IT FOR A YEAR.

AND IF WE NEED TO BRING IT BACK, WE WILL.

JOANNE WILL MONITOR FOR US, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE THE SCHEDULE OF FEES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF REDUCING THE GARAGE SALE FEE TO $0 AND DOWN TO TWO PER YEAR.

LIMIT A SECOND.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

SECOND BY MAYOR GARVAN.

[4. Consideration and possible action to approve a request for a Conditional Use Permit to operate a Battery Energy Storage System on a property zoned A-O “Agriculture and Open Space”, bearing a legal description of Tract 1: Being a 5.000 acre tract of land (217,796 SQ. FT) in the Bartolome and Eugenio Fernandez Survey, Abstract No. 16. Cameron County, Texas, being a portion of the called 20.00 acre tract of land conveyed to Camperos Development LLC. in Document No. 2022-45916, O.P.R.C.C.TX and Tract 2: Being a 0.672 acre tract of land (29,271 SQ. FT) in the Bartolome and Eugenio Fernandez Survey, Abstract No. 16, Cameron County, Texas, being a portion of the called 20.00 acre tract of land conveyed to Camperos Development LLC. in document 2022-45916 O.P.R.C.C TX. Applicant: Andrew Burke.]

YOU.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION.

APPROVE A REQUEST FOR, UH, CUPA CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO OPERATE A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM ON PROPERTY ZONED AO.

UH, THIS IS THE SAME APPLICANT AS EARLIER WHEN, UH, WE HAD OUR PUBLIC HEARING AND IT'S, UH, APPLICANT IS ANDREW BURKE.

OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I HAVE TO SAY, I, I SAT ON THAT PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING WHEN YOU HAD IT, UH, DISCUSSING THIS ITEM.

UM, WHAT'S A LOT OF THE SAME COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE OUT THERE, IF NOT MORE? UM, AND A QUESTION WAS ASKED TO, TO A FIRE PERSONNEL THAT IF SOMETHING, GOD FORBID, WAS TO HAPPEN AN EXPLOSION, WOULD WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT? AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS, NO.

SO THAT TO ME, RIGHT THERE IS JUST A MAJOR FACTOR AND, AND, AND SAY, AND THEN MAKE A MOTION TO DENY THIS NUMBER, THIS ITEM.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, YEAH, THE, UM, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP LAST YEAR SOMETIME, WASN'T IT JOANNA BEFORE? NO, NO.

THIS IS A, THIS I KNOW WHICH ONE YOU'RE REFERRING TO.

THERE WAS ANOTHER, UH, ONE THAT DID GET APPROVED WITH THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, BUT AT THE TIME THAT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WAS GOING BEFORE ZBA INSTEAD OF PLANNING AND ZONING.

SO WE PUT A CONDITION THAT THEY HAD TO RETURN BEFORE THE BOARD IN FIVE YEARS.

ALTOGETHER BACK WHEN THAT WAS APPROVED TWO YEARS AGO.

THEY STILL HAVEN'T BUILT THOSE.

AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAD A MEETING WITH THEM TO LET THEM KNOW THE CONCERNS OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS A DIFFERENT BOARD AND IT WAS A DIFFERENT COUNCIL

[01:00:01]

UM, SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE SOMETHING MORE IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA INSTEAD OF WHERE THEY'RE AT CURRENTLY.

YEAH, IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME.

IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME THAT REALLY WHAT WE HEARD WAS MORE OF A LOCATION THAN A, THAN SPEAKING AGAINST THE ITEM ITSELF.

I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING IT, BUT IT'S JUST THE LOCATION THAT BECOMES, UH, THE BIGGEST CONCERN.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NAVARRO.

DO WE HAVE ANOTHER LOCATION THAT, THAT CAN, UH, PUT IT IN THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO YOU? SO, SO THEY HAVEN'T BROUGHT UP ANY LOCATIONS TO ME.

I KNOW THAT, UM, THEY CAN HAVE THESE BY RIGHT, BUT IN AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE, UM, NOT AGRICULTURAL, NOT RESIDENTIAL FOR ALL THAT YOU'D NEED A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT DO.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT NOW.

THE OLD CPNL PLANT IS SOMETHING I THINK THEY'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT SOMETHING MORE INDUSTRIAL.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORALES TO DENY? UH, DO I HAVE SECOND? SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? ANY NAYS? OKAY.

SO MOTION PASSES TO DENY ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

ITEM NUMBER SIX IS CONSIDERATION.

[6. Consideration and possible action to ratify a dedicated fifteen-foot easement within the property located at 500 W Business Highway 77 to be granted to the City of San Benito, bearing a legal description of 1.15 Acre Tract of Land out of Lot 1, Block 1, Resaca Edge Subdivision recorded in Cabinet 1, Page 3600, Map Records of Cameron County, Texas.]

POSSIBLE ACTION RATIFY A DEDICATED 15 FOOT EASEMENT WITHIN THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 500 WEST BUSINESS HIGHWAY 77 TO BE GRANTED TO THE CITY OF SAN BENITO, BEARING A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF 1.15 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF LOT ONE BLOCK, ONE SAKA EDGE SUBDIVISION RECORDED IN CABINET.

ONE PAGE 3,600 MAP RECORDS OF CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS.

JOHANNA, UH, OH, YOU WANNA DISCUSS THAT IN EXECUTIVE POSITION? YES, I WOULD.

I WOULD LIKE TO.

OKAY, BECAUSE THIS IS RELATED TO 5, 5 7, 1.

IT'S POSSIBLE FOR EXECUTIVE.

ALRIGHT, WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 6 24 DASH OH EIGHT DASH 24.

[8. Consideration and possible action to approve the Second and Final Reading of Ordinance Number 2624-08-2024, an ordinance adopting a Budget for the General Fund, Debt Service Fund, Community Development Block Grant, Economic Development Fund, Community Development Block Grant, Waterworks Enterprise Fund, Wastewater Enterprise Fund, Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, the University of Health Science Center at Houston, and Hotel Motel Occupancy Tax for the Ensuing Fiscal Year October 1, 2024, ending September 30, 2025, in accordance with the Charter of the City of San Benito, Texas and repealing all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith.]

UH, ORDINANCE ADOPTING A BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL FUND DEBT SERVICE FUND, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT WATERWORKS ENTERPRISE FUND, WATERWORKS, UH, WASTEWATER ENTERPRISE FUND, SOLID WASTE, UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER IN HOUSTON, AND HOTEL MO MOTEL, OCC OCCUPANCY TAX FOR THE ENSUING FISCAL YEAR, OCTOBER 1ST, 2024, ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF SAN BETO, TEXAS.

AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HERE WITH.

HI.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

STEPHANIE CERAND, FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE RECORD.

I'M AVAILABLE FOR, FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTIONS FOR NUMBER EIGHT? WHAT WAS IT? I HAVE SOME, UM, YOU CAN SEE I'M TAKING NOTES.

FIRST OF ALL, STEPHANIE, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU EVEN DO, YOUR STAFF DOES.

I KNOW THIS TAKES A LOT OF WORK TIME EFFORT, SO IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED.

AT ONE POINT, UM, ANIMAL CONTROL WAS UNDER PLANNING AND ZONING YEAH.

UM, I, I, THE REASON I LIKE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS BECAUSE YOU GET THEIR INPUT.

LIKE AGAIN, YOU GET TO BASE YOUR DECISIONS ON THAT.

UM, AND I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT I HEAR YOU.

UM, THE ANIMAL CONTROL THING THAT WE HAVE IS A, IS A PROBLEM.

UM, WE'RE NOT PUTTING A BANDAID ON IT.

WE'RE NOT COMING UP WITH ANY SOLUTIONS AND WHATNOT.

I'M THINKING THAT WE NEED TO PULL FUNDS FROM OTHER PLACES TO MAYBE GET AN ANIMAL CONTROL MANAGER.

UM, WE HAD A YOUNG LADY COME OVER HERE AND SPEAK ABOUT, UM, WESTCO GETTING A A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS GRANT TO HELP THEM.

UM, WE HAVE CITIZENS THAT ARE TAKING IT UPON THEMSELVES TO COME AND DO THE BIT THAT THEY'RE RIGHT.

WE SHOULD BE DA TAKEN CARE OF.

SO, UM, AS, AS A COMMISSIONER, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MONIES PULLED MAYBE FROM, UM, ANOTHER TOPIC IS THESE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE ARE, UM, AND AS I CALLED WADO AND, UH, AKA FEST ALL THEM, WHERE I'M SEEING THAT WE'RE SPENDING $300,000 ON EVENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN PROFITABLE AS OF YET.

I KNOW OUR CITIZENS HAVE ASKED AND QUESTIONED, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA SEE THE NUMBERS? AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM AS WELL.

UM, I, I THINK UNTIL WE START SEEING SOME KIND OF PROFIT IN THAT MANNER, EDC CONTRIBUTES TO THAT AS WELL.

UM, WE NEED TO START TAKING FUNDS FROM ELSEWHERE TO START HELPING THESE, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.

LIKE THE ANIMAL PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE OUR FOOD BANK HAS AN ISSUE.

UM, FRIENDS FOR THE LIBRARY HAVE ISSUES.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THIS MONIES PUT THERE INSTEAD OF GOING TO THESE EVENTS.

SO IF WE COULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN, I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.

MS. STEPHANIE, DO YOU KNOW

[01:05:01]

OR CODE ENFORCEMENT WHEN IT GOT MOVED UNDER PD AND CHIEF IS HERE.

PROBABLY, MAYBE HE KNOWS HOW MUCH MONEY IT CAME.

IT CAME WITH TWO PERSONNEL.

AND THEN HOW MUCH MONEY DID IT COME WITH? WELL, THE SAME BUDGETED AMOUNT FOR, AND I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER.

DOES, UM, YOU, DO YOU HAPPEN TO REMEMBER LIKE, I CAN LOOK FOR IT IF WE HAVE IT IN? I THINK THAT'D BE AN INTERESTING NUMBER TO LOOK AT.

IF IT WENT WITH TWO PERSONNEL AND 150,000, WHAT PORTION? BECAUSE I'VE LOOKED AT IT BEFORE, RIGHT.

AND I THINK IT WAS LIKE 300 BUCKS A MONTH FOR DOG FOOD.

I KNOW IT'S NOT A SHELTER.

IT'S A, IT'S AN ANIMAL FACILITY.

AND WE HAVE A STATE REQUIREMENT OF HOLDING THREE DAYS, NO MORE.

UM, BECAUSE ONCE YOU GO INTO A HUMANE SOCIETY, THAT COMES WITH A PLETHORA OF LAWS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET.

BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING I WANT TO ENTERTAIN AND LOOK AT, UH, AS FAR AS FUNDING GOES.

AND I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, CHIEF, WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOU'RE, I THINK THE LIEUTENANTS PROBABLY OVERLOOKING THAT PERSONNEL.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY REALLY ENJOY THAT OVERLOOKING ANIMALS.

MAYBE THEY WANNA OVERLOOK THE COMMUNITY SAFETY MORE.

IF I WOULD SUGGEST THIS IS THE BUDGET.

UM, AND THEN WE DO HAVE AMENDMENTS.

SO IF WE COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR THE MENTION PROBLEMS OR ADDRESSING SOME OF Y'ALL CONCERNS AND THE CITIZEN'S CONCERN, UM, WE CAN ALWAYS BRING IT BACK AND MAKE AN AMENDMENT TOWARDS THOSE PURPOSES, UM, ITSELF ONLY, ONLY TO TOUCH BASE ON THAT.

SO IT'S, IT'S A BUDGET, BUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE NORMALLY DO ONE AMENDMENT AND WE DO IT HALF A YEAR IN MAY, BUT IF IT'S REQUESTED BY THE CITY MANAGER, WE CAN BRING IT UP AND MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT TO, TO THE, TO THOSE MATTERS.

'CAUSE I, I ALSO SEE AN, UM, I KNOW EDC APPROVED THIS THURSDAY, BUT I SEE A $900,000, UH, THING FOR FAIRGROUNDS, WHICH, UM, I, I WOULD LIKE MORE DETAIL AND, AND WHAT THAT COST IS PERTAINING TO.

UM, IT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY AND I WANNA SEE SOMETHING OUT OF IT.

AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT THERE YET.

COUNSEL, CAN, CAN WE SEND A ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AND 10 TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ALSO? WELL, NUMBER EIGHT, IF THERE'S LEGAL THAT YOU, YOU CAN GO FOR ANY PURPOSE IF THERE'S LEGAL ISSUES.

LEGAL ISSUES.

OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WELL TO KIND OF, UH, TO KIND OF BE A FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE PD AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH ANIMAL CONTROL.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE BUDGET OUT ON THE FLOOR.

THESE IS TAXPAYERS' MONEY THAT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT, UM, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

I DON'T SEE WHY IT SHOULD BE EXECUTIVE WHEN HE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET, UM, I DISCUSS IT OVER WITH MANAGEMENT AND WHATEVER DECISIONS ARE TAKEN ARE PUT INTO THE BUDGET.

SO THIS IS A PRESENTATION OF ACTUALLY PUTTING A BOOKLET TOGETHER WHERE CITY MANAGEMENT AND I, UH, GO OVER THE NUMBER PORTION OF IT, UH, SPECIFIC PROJECTS, I THINK, UM, SPECIAL TO MANAGER, SPECIAL PROJECTS.

SPECIAL PROJECTS PERTAINING TO THE EDC.

CORRECT.

CAN BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE IT CAN PREVENT A BUSINESS FROM COMING IN.

SO THAT'S JUST CAPITAL OUTLAY THERE.

JUST IN CASE A PROJECT COMES IN, THERE'S 900,000 THERE FOR A PROJECT.

BUT TO DISCUSS THE ACTUAL PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO BE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO, IT IS HINDER THE BUSINESS FROM COMING IN OR CHANGE THEIR MIND.

WELL, IT'S NOT OUTLAY, IT'S COMING OUT FROM OTHER FINANCE SOURCES.

IT WAS SAY AN OUTLAY, CAPITAL OUTLAY IT.

THE GOOD THING IS IT'S JUST THEIR MONEY READY TO BE USED IF WE NEED IT, BUT IT'S NOT CORRECT.

MEANING THAT IT'S ACTUALLY ALLOCATED ALREADY FOR IT TO BE ACTUALLY ALLOCATED.

THAT SPECIAL PROJECT HAS TO COME TO THE BOARD FIRST TWO, E, D, C AND THEN APPROVED HERE.

AND, AND MAYOR COMMISSIONERS.

AS FAR AS THE BUDGET GOES, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS AND I UNDERSTAND COMMISSIONER MORALES, YOUR, YOUR POINT, AND WE'VE HAD SOME OF THESE FOLKS COME UP.

UM, WE DO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN SOME OF OUR, UH, SOME OF OUR FUNDS, UH, THROUGH THE PD AND, AND, AND WHERE IT'S BEING RUN RIGHT NOW.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAKE A PROMISE TO Y'ALL TO, TO LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF WE CAN, UM, MAYBE ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THESE REQUESTS.

AND IF WE CAN'T DO IT WITH OUR CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION, WE WILL COME BACK AND, AND MAKE AN APPROPRIATE AMENDMENT AND GET Y'ALL, UH, GET Y'ALL'S APPROVAL ON IT.

BUT I MEAN, IT'S DULY NOTED THAT THESE FOLKS, UH, ARE CONCERNED.

I THINK THERE'S SOME PARTNERSHIPS, UH, JUST MET WITH A GRANT WRITING GROUP TODAY, AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL AND, AND, UH, AND, AND THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT ITSELF.

SO THESE ARE IN THE WORKS.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT, AND SOME OF THESE GRANTS ARE NOT THAT EASILY ATTAINED.

THEY DON'T JUST COME UP ALL THE TIME.

BUT WE, YOU KNOW, HE IS WORKING ON SOME PROPOSALS FOR ME TO BRING BACK, UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA CIRCLE BACK ON THURSDAY.

AND, UH, THERE'S SOME OTHER PARTNERING

[01:10:01]

OBVIOUSLY ANIMAL CONTROL IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THE EQUATION.

UH, THE SPAY AND NEUTERING AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT'S KIND OF A KIND OF A SISTER TYPE PROGRAM THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

UH, WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT WE ARE, UH, WE'VE HAD HAD, WE'VE HAD SOME TALKS WITH FOLKS, THEY'VE JUST FALLEN OFF THE TABLE.

UH, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING ON THAT.

UM, LIKE I SAID, THAT, UH, AND AS FAR AS THE PROJECT GOES FROM EDC COMMISSIONER, THAT IS A PENDING EDC PROJECT, AND I WAS PLANNING ON BRIEFING YOU ALL IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON IT.

SO I'LL GIVE YOU A, A COMPLETE RUNDOWN ON WHAT WE'VE GOT.

GOT ABOUT 16 OF THEM, SO IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE TIME.

I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES FOR BRINGING UP THE ISSUE OF, OF PETS AND THE ISSUE AND THE NEED THAT WE, WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT AND IMPORTANT.

UM, AND I THINK, HOWEVER, WHAT WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS THE ISSUE OF THE BUDGET AND, AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MONEY IN THE BUDGET THAT CAN GO IT.

AND I THINK THAT BECOMES OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SET THE POLICY AND LET THEM FIND THE MONEY WHEN THE TIME COMES.

SO LET'S BRING TOGETHER, BRING AGAIN HERE THE POLICY TO THE BOARD THAT WE WANNA, THAT WE WANT TO SEE, AND THEN LET THEM FIND THE MONEY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE WANNA DO.

SO PLEASE BRING THE ISSUE BACK, BUT BRING IT BACK AS A POLICY PROPOSAL, SIR.

SO DO I HAVE MOTION FOR WHAT? UH, MOTION TO PASS THE BUDGET.

APPROVE THE BUDGET AS, UH, AS OUTLINED.

WHAT CONDITIONS TO BRING TO LOOK FOR THE MORE MONIES? WELL, WE, IT'S NO, NO CONDITIONS.

IT'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT POLICY AMENDMENTS OR BUDGET AMENDMENTS AS NECESSARY.

THEN, UH, I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

MAYOR, I'LL SECOND BY.

NAY, UH, COMM NAY FOR COMMISSIONER MORALES MOTION PASSES.

CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION AWARD.

OKAY, THANKS STEPHANIE.

THANKS STEPHANIE.

SORRY.

UH, ITEM

[9. Consideration and possible action to award Bid Number 2024-08-001 for Audit Services to Cascos & Associates, P.C., for the City of San Benito, the San Benito Firemen's Relief and Retirement Fund, and the San Benito Economic Development Corporation, Inc.]

NUMBER NINE.

OH, WELL, I GUESS STAY UP THERE, RIGHT? YES.

MM-HMM.

BID NUMBER 2024 DASH OH EIGHT DASH ZERO ONE FOR AUDIT SERVICES TO COSTCOS AND ASSOCIATES PC FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO, SAN BETO FIREMAN'S RELIEF RETIREMENT FUND, AND THE SAN BENITO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, INC.

AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL.

STEPH, AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, THE CONSERVATION TO AWARD A BIT TO COSTCOS AND ASSOCIATES.

UM, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

THERE HAVE BEEN OUR AUDIT FIRM FOR QUITE SOME YEARS ALREADY.

UH, WE WORK GREAT WITH EACH OTHER.

WE'VE BEEN COMMENDED WITH THE GF OIA AWARD EVERY YEAR SINCE WE'VE HAD THEM.

UM, UM, THEY ARE REALLY GOOD CONSULTANTS.

WHENEVER WE HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY, THEY'RE ABLE TO ANSWER 'EM AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.

THEY MAKE THE AUDIT A SMOOTH PROCESS, AND THAT'S WHY I'M RECOMMENDING APPROVAL.

COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTIONS? MY QUESTION HERE WAS, THE OTHER FIRM HAD A SLIGHTLY LOWER FEE.

SO WHAT ARE OUR LIMITATIONS THERE? COMMISSIONER, UH, AUDITORS AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROFESSIONALS.

YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE BASED PROFESSIONAL FACILITY.

CLEARLY, JUST GOING BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH COSTCOS ASSOCIATES.

CORRECT? UM, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A SMOOTH PROCESS.

ME PERSONALLY, I'VE DONE THE AUDIT WITH THEM FOR TWO YEARS ALREADY IN A ROW.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE MR. ALFRED, VERA, CPA WITH THE COSTCO AND ASSOCIATES HERE.

HE'S AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

MR. OH, I'M SORRY.

HE JUST TOOK OFF, I GUESS EARLIER.

I DON'T THINK HE'S HERE.

I'M SORRY.

UM, HE WAS HERE EARLIER, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

UM, BUT, UM, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR US AND THEY'RE REALLY HELPFUL, UM, WHEN WE NEED THEM.

I GUESS HE WASN'T EXPECTING IT FOR IT TO BE SUCH A LONG MEETING.

RIGHT? SORRY.

THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING, RIGHT, STEPH? I'M SORRY.

THE, THE DIFFERENCE, THE DIFFERENCE IN SERVICES.

ONE'S, ONE'S, UH, FOR, I THINK FOR, UH, MUNICIPALITY AND THE OTHER ONE.

WELL, UM, FOR WHAT I UNDER, I UNDERSTAND FROM THE TWO FIRMS, COSTCO AND ASSOCIATES DOES MOSTLY GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.

THEY DO PLENTY OF CITIES, PLENTY OF, UH, IRRIGATION DISTRICTS, COUNTIES, ISDS, UM, AS WELL, BIRD MCCUMBER, BUT THEY'RE WAY SMALLER AMOUNTS.

SO THEIR EXPERTISE ON GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES IS COSTCOS AND ASSOCIATES, FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING.

AND THAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION? YES.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? NONE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR, UH, TO PROCEED WITH, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, STEPHANIE HAS FOR US? I MAKE A MOTION.

I'LL SECOND.

I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORALES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

ALL IN FAVOR?

[01:15:01]

STIFF

[10. Consideration and possible action to adopt and approve the Fiscal Year 2024 to 2027 Collective Bargaining Labor Agreement between the City of San Benito and the City of San Benito Police Employees Association. ]

ADAM.

NUMBER 10, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AND APPROVE FISCAL YEAR 24 TO 2027, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LABOR AGREEMENT TO THE CITY OF SAN BENITO AND THE CITY OF SAN BENITO POLICE EMPLOYEES UNION.

OKAY, MAYOR? YES, WE CAN DO THAT.

EXECUTIVE, UH, WE'LL GO ON TO ITEM NUMBER 15, AND THAT'S CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION OF APPROVED PAYMENT NUMBER FOUR TO CORNETT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR LIFT STATION NUMBER NUMBER FIVE, LANDRUM IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $512,781 AND 67 CENTS.

WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE ON THAT.

[15. Consideration and possible action to approve Payment Number Four to Cornett Construction Company for Lift Station Number Five, Landrum Improvements Project, in the amount of $512,781.67.]

COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER 15? DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM ENGINEERING? NO, OUR ENGINEER IS OUT OF POCKET.

HE WENT TO GO SEE HIS GRANDKID.

SORRY.

I BASICALLY WANTED TO SEE HOW THEY WERE DOING.

I KNOW THAT THEY HAD A ROUGH TIMELINE TO COMPLETE THIS.

UM, AND IT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS.

SO, AND THAT WAS IT.

IN WHAT WEEK? MAY 10, I THINK IT WAS DELAYED.

I THINK IT WAS DELAYED BY, IT WAS, YEAH, IT WAS DELAYED.

THERE WAS DELAYS BECAUSE, UH, THEY, UH, THAT I CAN REMEMBER A LOT OF THE, UH, THE LINES THAT WERE LEADING UP TO THE, UH, UH, LIFT STATIONS WERE NEVER PLOTTED OR THEY NEVER KNEW THEY EXISTED.

SO GOING INTO IT AND REARRANGING A LOT OF STUFF.

AND I THINK DAVID THERE? NO, DAVID WASN'T A PART OF THAT? NOPE.

THERE WAS.

YOU WEREN'T PART OF IT.

NO, MAYOR.

UH, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, THEY, THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS SOME INFILTRATION FROM SOME LINES THAT WERE NOT CAUGHT IN THE ORIGINAL PLANNING PROFILE.

AND WHEN THEY BUILT THE, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DESIGNED THE, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE WET WELL, UH, THEY COULDN'T STOP THE FLOW.

AND IF THEY COULDN'T STOP THE FLOW, THEY COULDN'T GET BACK IN TO DO THEIR WORK.

AND IT WAS THAT ADDITIONAL WORK AND HAVING TO BYPASS THOSE NEW LINES THAT REALLY SET THIS PROJECT BACK.

I DON'T THINK IT, I MEAN, IT ADDED A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO IT, BUT IT ALSO MOSTLY ADDED TIME.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS, I MEAN, THEY'RE FINALLY MOVING ON.

SO STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

I KNOW THERE'S STILL, UH, 90,000 LEFT ON THE PAYMENT.

YES, SIR.

AND THEN THERE'S SOME, UH, RETAINAGE AS WELL.

MOTION TO APPROVE THE PAYMENT.

WE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

SECOND.

I'LL SECOND IT.

AND, UH, SO ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ITEM NUMBER 16, CONSIDER CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION ON 20 24, 20 25 REPUBLIC SERVICES CONSUMER PRICE INDEX CALCULATION INCREASE.

[16. Consideration and possible action on 2024-2025 Republic Services Consumer Price Index calculation.]

AND MR. RAY IS HERE.

CALL US UP.

IT'S A, IT'S A DECREASE, CORRECT? OH, NO, UNFORTUNATELY.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A TYPO MEMO.

SORRY, .

UH, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS.

MR. .

GOOD EVENING.

I'M HERE.

UH, MY NAME IS RAY CARILLO REPRESENTING REPUBLIC SERVICES.

I'M THE MUNICIPAL SALES MANAGER, UM, REQUESTING THE APPROVAL OF THE 4% INCREASE FOR THE 24 20 24 25, UH, YEAR.

THIS IS, UH, SIMPLY JUST TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING MR. SANDOVAL SAID THAT GOT MY EAR EARLIER, IS JUST LIKE IN ANY, UH, COMPANY OR EVEN, UH, YOUR RESIDENTS HERE, WE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE, YOU KNOW, INFLATION.

SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS ARE WE'VE, UH, ADJUSTED OUR WAGES UP TO MEET AND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THESE, UH, OTHER DEMANDS THAT OUR FACED OR THAT OUR EMPLOYEES FACE.

SO WITH THAT EYE OPEN, NOT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THERE, ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

YOUR DIESEL TOO, RIGHT? YEAH.

THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG ONE.

IT, IT FLUCTUATES, BUT YOURS, YOUR COST IS FIXED, WHETHER IT'S HIGHER OR LOWER, YOU KNOW, IN FACT, UH, IN THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, THE ACTUAL, UH, THE NET CHANGE WAS 5.78, BUT IN THE COUNCIL'S WISDOM YEARS AGO, IT WAS SET AT A 4% MAX, WHICH IS WHAT I'M PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.

COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? NONE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION.

MOTION TO PUB APPROVE THE AGREEMENT WITH, UM, PUBLIC SERVICES.

I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND.

MAYOR.

A SECOND.

BY, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM.

IS THIS BOARD APPOINTMENT TO APPOINT SOMEBODY TO EDC? YES.

THANK

[1. Discussion and possible action to remove, appoint, or reappoint a member to the San Benito Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors:]

YOU, RICK.

THANK YOU RICK.

UM, WANNA GO ON TO, UH, BOARD APPOINTMENTS, OR DO YOU WANT TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? MAYOR COMMISSION, DO YOU HAVE,

[01:20:01]

YES, MA'AM.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS ON THE FLOOR, RIGHT? YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION RIGHT NOW.

YES.

IT'S, IT'S UP TO YOU ALL.

YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION OR, WELL, BEFORE DOING, SO, I, I'D LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS.

UM, THERE'S BEEN A WORD THAT'S BEEN FLOATING OUT THERE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UM, OF NEPOTISM.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITY REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE C THE DEFINITION OF THE MEANING OF IT.

SO I JUST WANNA STATE THAT THE STATE STATUTE PROHIBITS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL FROM APPOINTING CONFIRMING THE APPOINTMENT OF, OR VOTING FOR THE APPOINTMENT, OR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF A CLOSE RELATIVE OR CERTAIN PUBLIC OFFICIAL TO A PAID POSITION OR EMPLOYMENT.

AND THIS IS TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 5 7 3 0.041.

ALSO ON OUR PAGE 26 OF OUR CITY CHARTER.

IT STATES, NO ONE SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR APPOINTMENT TO ANY SALARIED POSITION IN THE CITY OR EMPLOYED BY THE CITY WHO IS RELATED TO ANY MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION.

UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT MR. MORALES.

HE TURNED IN HIS RESIGNATION THURSDAY EVENING ON EDC.

UM, HE HAS SERVED THIS COMMUNITY FOR OVER 20 PLUS YEARS, WHETHER IT WAS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CITY.

HE VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME TO WANTING TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY PROSPER.

AND FOR THAT I AM WITH ENORMOUS GRATITUDE FOR SELFLESS EFFORTS, AND I THANK HIM.

UM, A ALSO, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO STATE THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THINGS SAID IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH, AND I'M, I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT AS THAT.

AND AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA TAKE THAT PRIVILEGE OF ME BEING A CITY COMMISSIONER TO APPOINT MYSELF TO THAT SPACE, THAT PLACE TOO, AS A CITY COMMISSIONER.

SO THAT'S GONNA BE YOUR, THAT'S GONNA BE YOUR MOTION COMMISSIONER? YES, SIR.

SO I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORALE TO BE ON THE EDC BOARD.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

MAYOR.

SECOND BY MAYOR TIM GALVAN.

ALL IN FAVOR? ANY NAYS? MOTION PASSES.

AND THE STATE LAW ALLOWS FOR UP TO FOUR COMMISSIONERS TO SIT ON THE TYPE BEDC.

IT'S FOUR UP TO FOUR.

AND RIGHT NOW THIS WILL BE THREE.

THREE.

WE'VE GOT THREE.

SO WITHIN OUR LEGAL LIMITS.

NEXT? YES.

FROM SIX AND 10 FOR, OH, YEAH, I'M SORRY.

AND THAT'S GONNA BE ITEMS NUMBER 10.

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

EXECUTIVE SESSION.

THE TIME IS, UH, 6 56.

WE'RE AT EXECUTIVE SESSION.

READY? TIME IS, UH, 7 25.

WE'RE BACK FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.

SO WE GOT ITEM NUMBER SIX.

SIX.

MOTION TO DENY.

I GOT A MOTION BY THE COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

SECOND.

BY COMMISSIONER MORALE.

ALL IN FAVOR? GOOD.

ANY NAYS? MOTION PASSES FOR ITEM NUMBER SIX TO DENY.

WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 10 10 IN CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN APPROVED FISCAL YEAR 24 TO 27 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LABOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN BETO AND CITY OF SAN BENITO POLICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION.

STAFF WILL RECOMMENDED APPROVAL.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.

SECOND.

SECOND BY COMMISSION.

CUMAN.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSION NONE.