[00:00:01]
GOOD.[CALL TO ORDER]
NOTICE OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF SANTO CITY COMMISSION APRIL 15, 20, 25.I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY.
UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO IS, UH, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, TO US FLAG AND THE TEXAS FLAG.
AND PLEASE REMAIN STAND FOR THE INVOCATION BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.
I PLEDGE YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE THE LOGISTICALLY TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD.
ONE, AN INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER, MY FATHER IN HEAVEN.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO BE GATHERED HERE IN THIS PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM AS WE STRIVE TO WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO BETTER THE LIVES OF ALL WHO ARE IN OUR REACH.
WE RECOGNIZE THE SACRED RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE OF STRIVING TO IMPROVE THINGS AND DO BETTER, AND TO, TO LEAD THIS COMMUNITY.
WE PRAY THAT WE DO SO IN WISDOM WITH, WITH KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.
BE ABLE TO THINK THINGS THROUGH CLEARLY AND TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN AND DO.
WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, AND WE PRAY THAT WE WILL BE GOOD AT USING THOSE RESOURCES WISELY.
PRAY FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND INFLICTED IN ANY WAY, WHO HAVE BEEN HURT BY STORMS AND OTHERWISE, PLEASE BE WITH US.
WE PRAY, ALWAYS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
[ANNOUNCEMENT(S)]
ANNOUNCEMENTS.COMMERS, ANY, ANYTHING? I SKIPPING THE, YEAH.
I, I, WE'VE GOT SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS.
COMMISSIONERS, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF GROUNDBREAKINGS.
WE HAVE EIGHT GROUNDBREAKING ON, UH, WELL TOMORROW.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LAUNCH ON THURSDAY, AND THAT'S FOR THE FITNESS COURT STUDIO AT OUR, UH, KENNEDY PARK.
SO MORE INFORMATION ON THE FIRST GROUNDBREAKING ONCE WE HAVE THE RIBBON CUTTING.
IT'S, WE'RE GONNA ANNOUNCE WHO, I GUESS.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN JUST YET, BUT ONCE WE HAVE THE GROUND BREAKING, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN, UH, PRESENTATIONS.
WELL, UH, MAYOR, ALSO, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE LIBRARY'S GONNA BE HAVING A FUNCTION THIS SATURDAY.
CAN WE, WHAT TIME IS THAT? IT'S GONNA BE 10 TO 12.
SO EVERYBODY'S WELCOME AND INVITED.
UM, WE KNOW YOU GOT A VAN TO HAUL ALL THE SUPPLIES IN, SO YOU SHOULD BE FINE.
UH, I WAS CARRA LIBRARY DIRECTOR FOR THE RECORD.
WE'D JUST LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL EXTRAVAGANZA, UH, WHICH IS OUR EASTER EGG HUNT.
UH, IT'S SATURDAY FROM 10 TO 12, AND IT'S FOR ALL AGES.
FRIDAY CITY'S, UH, OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED.
NO, I GET ALL THE DATES IF YOU, IF YOU WANT, WE CAN BE CLOSED MONDAY.
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL.
YOU WORK MONDAY? EIGHT TO FIVE.
ANY OTHER ONES? ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
[PRESENTATION(S)]
WE GO INTO PRESENTATIONS.UM, THAT'S GONNA BE THE PRESENTATION FOR THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY, UH, STONE WATER TASK FORCE, UH, PROVIDING OVERVIEW, REGIONAL, UH, TEXAS, UH, HYDRO, HYDRO LOGIC, UH, CENTERS, UH, RTH, UH, S NETWORK.
UH, THE, UH, UH, I'M ACTUALLY, I'M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE PRESENTING.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO SOMEBODY MORE QUALIFIED THAN ME.
UH, THE, UM, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, MAKE A FEW POINTS FOR YOU GUYS AND, UH, UH, UM,
[00:05:01]
UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.UH, CITY OF SAN JUANITA IS A, UH, GOOD STAND MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING OF THE STORMWATER TASK FORCE, UM, THAT HAS BEEN IN A CONTINUOUS EXISTENCE SINCE THE MID 1990S.
UH, AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE OLDEST AND LONGEST SERVING, UH, UH, CONSORTIUM OF ITS KIND, DEALING WITH STORMWATER, UH, FOCUSED ON, UH, UH, FLOODING, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, AND THE LIKES, UH, IN THE, THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR, UH, FOR OVER 20 YEARS, UH, SERVING THE ENTIRE REGION, THE, THE TASK FORCE, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH RATES, UH, UH, UH, ESTABLISHED REGIONAL WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS, UH, UH, UH, CONSISTS OF, UH, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, UH, UH, STAFF FROM THE THREE COUNTIES, WILLESEE HIDALGO, AND, UH, CAMERON COUNTY, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, KEY CITY MEMBERS AND THE LIKE, UH, DEALING SPECIFICALLY WITH WATER RESOURCES, FLOODING, WATER QUALITY, AND THE LIKE.
SO THIS IS, UH, HAS BEEN AN ONGOING EFFORT.
UM, AND, UH, THE, THE TASK FORCE, UM, HAS, UH, HAS BEEN A CRITICAL PART OF, UH, UH, PART OF THIS EFFORT.
UM, THE, UH, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE TODAY IS, UH, UH, THE CULMINATION OF THIS.
SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING A EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR THE ENTIRE RIO GRANDE VALLEY.
UH, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TODAY IS THE MAKINGS OF WHAT WE CALL AN INTELLIGENT WATERSHED.
UH, AND, UH, IT IS ON PAR WITH, AND I WOULD EVEN, UH, HAS THE GUESS THAT IT'S, UH, OF A HIGHER LEVEL OF, UH, CAPACITY THAN THE, UH, SYSTEM THAT THE, UM, UM, THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT HAS, OR THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, UH, UM, UH, SYSTEM HAS, UH, UH, I'LL LET, UH, YVAN SANTO SANTOYO, UH, UH, SORRY, UH, YVONNE SANTOS, UH, UH, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING, UH, TALK ABOUT IT IN DETAIL.
AND I MAY END UP PIPING UP AS I'M WANT TO DO, UH, UH, TO, UH, TO MENTION A FEW THINGS.
BUT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS, UH, UH, UH, THIS, THE EVENT THAT HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS AGO, UH, WE'VE BEEN SCRAMBLING TO, UM, UM, UH, TO BRING OUR SYSTEM FULLY ONLINE.
WE HADN'T ANTICIPATED ON BRINGING THE SYSTEM FULLY ONLINE, UH, UH, TILL, UH, FOR A COUPLE OF MORE MONTHS BECAUSE WE, WE'VE EXPECTED THE, THE REAL HEAVY RAIN RAINY, UH, SEASON TO START, UH, IN JUNE.
UH, BUT OF COURSE, MOTHER NATURE GETS AHEAD OF US, UH, UM, UH, ALWAYS.
THE, UM, UH, WHAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE HAS BEEN, UM, THE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN GRADUALLY GROW, GROWING THE NETWORK.
UH, AND, UH, UH, THE LAST PIECES THAT WE ARE, UH, PUTTING IN PLACE IS, UH, UH, TO TAKE THE, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE TODAY INTO A EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.
SO, IMAGINE HAVING AN APP ON YOUR PHONE THAT SHOWS YOU IN A STREAM THE CLOSEST STREAM TO YOU, HOW HIGH THE WATER'S GONNA BE, UH, SIX HOURS FROM NOW, 10 HOURS FROM NOW, 48 HOURS FROM NOW, BASED ON OUR MATHEMATIC MODELING AND OUR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES THAT WE INCORPORATE IN THIS, IN THIS TECHNOLOGY.
SO, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR TODAY IS THE FIRST, UH, NOT THE FIRST STEP, IT'S THE LAST, UH, THE SECOND TO LAST STEP TOWARDS DEPLOYING THAT EARLY WARNING SYSTEM ACROSS THE VALLEY.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, THE, THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, DESCRIBING HERE, UH, WAS THE OUTCOME OF ABOUT AN $8.8 MILLION INVESTMENT BY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UH, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER 20 ODD MILLION DOLLARS THAT IS PENDING, UM, UH, AT THE STATE TO CONTINUE TO, TO FLESH THIS SYSTEM OUT.
UH, THE, THE SITES THAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT IS, UH, ARE THREE SITES THAT WERE INVESTED IN BY THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS OUR NETWORK, THE STATE FUNDING WE GOT, WE DEPLOYED OUR SENSOR NETWORK ON THE MAJOR DRAINAGE PATHWAYS.
THERE'S FIVE MAJOR DRAINAGE PATHWAYS IN THE VALLEY.
THE MABLE DRAIN FROM THE, AT THE, AT THE NORTH, UH, THE HIDALGO, UH, DRAIN, THE, UH, UH, ARROYO, COLORADO, THE, UH, IBWC, UH, UH, NORTH FLOODWAY, AND THE, UH, UM, UH, THE RIO GRANDE RIVER.
THOSE ARE THE FOUR MAJOR DRAINAGE PATHWAYS.
SO WHAT WE WERE TRYING, WHAT WE STARTED THAT PROJECT WAS FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE, UM, THE WAY IN WHICH WATER FLOWS.
AND WE ALL KNOW IT FLOWS DOWNHILL, BUT THE WAY WATER FLOWS, UH, IN
[00:10:01]
THE REGION, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY UN, UH, TAKE INTO CON, UH, CONSIDERATION WHAT HAPPENS AT THE INTERSECTION LEVEL, UH, OR AT THE SUBDIVISION LEVEL.OKAY? SO WE, WE CAN, WE CAN INFER THAT WITH OUR MODELS, BUT, UH, BY THE CITY OF SAN BENITO, THINKING AHEAD, UH, AND ABOUT A YEAR, UH, OR MORE AGO, INVESTING IN THREE ADDITIONAL SITES PHYSICALLY LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, UH, GUIDED BY YOUR CITY STAFF TO LOCATE AREAS WHERE THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT FLOODING, UH, GIVES US MUCH BETTER INTELLIGENCE.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR, SEE ABOUT, HEAR ABOUT THAT INTELLIGENCE, UH, HERE IN A SECOND.
SO, WITH THAT, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, UH, UH, MENTION I BROUGHT, UH, ABOUT 25, 20% OF THE ENTIRE STAFF OF RATES HERE WITH ME, UH, WHICH IS, UH, TO INDICATE HOW SIGNIFICANT WE THINK THIS, UH, UH, THIS EVENT IS.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE THEM REAL QUICK.
UH, THERE'S, UH, UH, CHRIS FULLER, HE'S OUR CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER.
UH, BEN VORA IS OUR, UH, UH, PROJECT CONTROLLER.
AND IVAN SANTOS IS OUR, ONE OF OUR, UM, STAFF ENGINEERS.
AND WITH THE TASK FORCE, WE HAVE, UM, MELODY, UH, DEL, UM, UH, HERE AS WELL.
SO, UM, YVAN IS GONNA BE, SO, GO AHEAD.
I'M A RESEARCH ENGINEER FOR GRADES.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE STATIONS HERE IN SANTO.
UH, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY STATIONS? IT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN THAT BASIC DIAGRAM.
IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S COMPOUND OF THREE DIFFERENT, UH, COMPONENTS.
THE SOLAR PANEL THAT, THAT IT'S IN THE, THE POLE WITH THE SOLAR PANEL, THAT IT'S AT THE EDGE OF THE BANK, THEN A BOARDED CABLE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DITCH.
AND THEN OUR SENSORS AND A STAFF GAUGE THAT IT'S IN THE WATER, THAT IT'S RECORDING, UH, STAGE HEIGHTS, UH, DATA IN REAL TIME.
AND IT ALSO, THE VISUAL, UH, THE STAFF GAUGE ALLOWS, UH, FOR VISUAL, UH, CHECK WHEN, WHEN IN THE FIELD.
UH, WE WORK WITH THE CITY, UH, TO, TO SELECT THE LOCATION OF THESE THREE, THREE STATIONS.
UH, ONE OF THEM IS NEAR TO THE EXPRESSWAY BY AND CLOSE TO WILLIAMS ROAD.
UH, THE SECOND ONE, IT'S BY, JUST WROTE AN OUTREACH LANE.
AND THE THIRD ONE IS, UH, NEAR RE, REBECCA STREET.
UH, IT'S, THAT'S A DEAD, UH, DEAD END.
AND ONCE, UH, YOU ACCESS TO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE, THAT, THAT THIRD STATION, UH, AS DR.
ERNEST WAS MENTIONING, WE HAVE A NETWORK OF 61 STATIONS IN, IN ALL THE VALLEY, WHICH ALLOW US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON UPSTREAM, AND THEN IDENTIFY WHAT COULD HAPPEN, UH, DOWNSTREAM.
BUT THE STATIONS ARE, ARE ALL OVER THE, THE VALLEY.
UH, UH, WELL, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED BACK IN MARCH 26TH WAS SOMETHING UNEXPECTED.
UH, WE RECEIVED PRETTY MUCH 50% OF THE WATER THAT WE WERE EXPECTING IN THE WHOLE YEAR, IN JUST ABOUT TWO, TWO DAYS.
UH, SO THAT TOOK US FOR SURPRISE TO EVERYBODY, AND ESPECIALLY, I, I BELIEVE THE, THE WORST PART, ACCORDING TO NOAH, WAS HERE IN THE HARLINGEN, SAN BENITO AND SURROUNDINGS.
UH, SO NOAH HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED A, A REPORT AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THAT ARE INTERESTED IN, IN LOOKING TO IT AND GIVING MORE DETAIL ON, ON WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THIS IS THE ENGINEERING APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STATIONS, WE PRODUCE DATA, BUT IF NUMBERS SAY NOTHING, UNLESS YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT WITH THEM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WE ARE TAKING THOSE MEASUREMENTS.
WE TOOK THOSE MEASUREMENTS, THEN WE COMBINE THEM WITH DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS, WHICH IS TOPOGRAPHY.
AND WE APPLIED SOME ENGINEERING, UH, FORMULAS TO BE ABLE TO CALCULATE THE FLOW, THE DISCHARGE, GOING THROUGH EACH OF THESE CHANNELS.
AND THEN ALL THIS DATA WAS INPUT INTO, UH, SOFTWARE CALLED RAS, DEVELOPED BY THE US ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS.
AND THAT ALLOWED US TO, CAME UP WITH, UH, THE FOLLOWING, UH, THE FOLLOWING WORK.
THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, UH, BUT, UH, WILL, YOU WILL SEE IN THESE, UH, ANIMATIONS HERE, IT'S HOW WATER, UH, INCREASES, HOW THE FLOOD EXTENDS OVER THE TIME.
UH, I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, IT'S GONNA PLAY AUTOMATICALLY, OR IF SOMEBODY COULD HELP ME TO, OH, THERE YOU GO.
UH, SO THERE YOU SEE, LIKE, THIS IS A VIDEO THAT GOES IN SLOW SPEED SHOWING HOW, UH, HOW WATER, UH, MOVES AROUND THE CITY, THE, THE VALLEY.
THIS IS LIKE AN UPSTREAM AREA.
[00:15:01]
OVER, UH, SAN BENITO.AND APPLYING THE DATA THAT WE SAW FROM THOSE TWO DAYS BACK IN MARCH, UH, WE APPLIED IT TO, TO THE MODEL.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
UH, SO THE TIMESTAMP IS, ISN'T AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THE, OF THE MAP.
AND YOU SEE HOW, UH, WATER EXTENT, AND, AND, WELL, THIS IS, UM, APPLYING DATA, UH, OBS OBSERVED DATA.
THAT'S WHAT WE CAN, WE CAN CAME UP WITH.
UM, THIS IS LIKE MORE, UH, IT'S A CLOSEUP NEAR THE LOCATION OF EACH OF THE STATIONS.
UH, IF YOU SEE THE POINTER, UH, SAN BENITO STATION NUMBER ONE, IT'S RIGHT THERE NEXT TO THE EXPRESSWAY.
AND, UH, IS THIS, UH, WILLIAMS ROAD? THERE'S A CANAL HERE.
SO THIS IS LIKE A, LIKE A CLOSEUP, THE TIMESTAMP, UH, UH, STARTING IN MARCH 26TH AND ALL THE WAY TO MARCH 30.
UH, SO THAT, THAT'S A HYDROGRAPH SHOWING YOU HOW THE WATER DEPTHS WENT OVER TIME, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, OR WHAT WE SEE HISTORICALLY IS ALL THE TIME, LIKE, UH, STAFF GAUGES, READINGS LOWER THAN TWO FEET.
AND DURING THE, THE, THE, DURING THE RAIN, IT WENT ALL OVER TO 12 FEET.
SO IT WAS 10 TIMES, UH, I MEAN, FIVE TIMES WHAT WE, UH, WHAT WHAT WE ARE USED TO SEE HERE IN SAN BENITO.
SO THESE ARE SOME DRONE FOOTAGE THAT THE CITY SHARED WITH US.
AND THIS CAN BE LEVERAGED AS, UH, A WAY TO, TO ACCEPT OR DECLINE THE RESULTS THAT WE OBSERVE IN OUR MODELS.
LIKE, BASED ON REAL OBSERVATIONS, WE CAN SAY LIKE, OH, OUR MODELS MAKE SOME SENSE, MAKE NO SENSE.
UH, AND AT, AT LEAST FROM WHAT WE HAD SEEN, UH, THEY KIND OF MAKE SENSE.
UH, THIS IS ANOTHER CLOSEUP, UH, BUT THIS TIME NEAR, UH, SAN BENITO NUMBER TWO STATION, WHICH IS HERE, TWO AND THREE.
UH, AND, AND SEE HOW, UH, TO HOW WATER EXTENDS OVER TIME.
THAT YELLOW ROAD DOWN THE MIDDLE, IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THIS 77? IS THAT THE HIGHWAY RIGHT THERE? THERE, YEAH, THAT'S THE HIGHWAY.
AND, AND THEN THE SURROUNDINGS.
UM, AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE A PICTURE THERE OF THE STATION, OF STATION NUMBER TWO.
THAT'S, UH, IT'S REALLY, UH, HARD TO SEE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE, BUT, UM, YEAH, WELL, THIS ONE IS CLOSE TO THE STATION NUMBER THREE, UH, IN REBECCA STREET.
UM, SO THESE SIMULATIONS, WE RUN THEM FROM MARCH 26TH ALL THE WAY TO MARCH 28TH.
UM, AND, AND SAME, WE CAN SEE HOW, HOW THE WATER EXTENDS OVER THE CITY, MORE, MORE, UH, DRONE FOOTAGE THAT THE CITY SHARED WITH US.
AND WELL, UH, THAT'S JUST THE FIR THE FIRST PART, RIGHT? UH, WE ARE JUST MODELING WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WHAT CAN COME NEXT? IT'S FORECASTING BEING AHEAD OF, OF TIME, LIKE, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? WE HAVE HISTORICAL DATA, AND WE CAN TRY, TRY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, RIGHT? HELP, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS AND CITIZENS TO BE AWARE OF IF THEY ARE IN, IN A CITY WHERE THEY CAN GET FLOODED.
AND SO THEY CAN TAKE, UH, THEIR OWN, UH, MEASUREMENTS BEFORE AHEAD, AHEAD OF TIME.
SO, UH, HERE WE HAVE OUR, UH, CONTACT INFORMATION.
IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE.
EARNERS, IS THAT, UH, SO THAT SYSTEM WAS NOT IN PLACE, UH, WHEN WE HAD THIS KIND OF WATER, RIGHT? UM, UH, MARCH 26.
UH, THE DATA THAT YOU SAW THERE, THE, THE, UH, UH, CAN WE, IS THERE A WAY TO GO BACK? YES.
SEE, UH, THESE CHARTS, THE, THE CHARTS IN BLUE IS RAW DATA THAT CAME FROM THE, UM, FROM THE STATIONS.
[00:20:01]
IT'S THE WATER, THE ELEVATION OF WATER AT THAT LOCATION.WE USE THAT DATA ALONG WITH MATHEMATICAL MODELS TO, UH, UH, TO GENERATE THE, THE INUNDATION MAP THAT YOU SAW.
SO THO THOSE MODELS, UH, UH, ARE DRIVEN BY THIS, UH, THESE, UH, THESE STAGE HEIGHT, UH, UH, UH, THAT WE MEASURED, PHYSICALLY MEASURED, UH, IN, IN THE SITE.
AND WE MEASURED THEM NOT ONLY ON THE, ON THE THREE SANTO SITES, BUT ALL 61 SITES ACROSS THE, UH, UH, LRGV.
NOW, ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO, TO MENTION HERE IS THAT THE, UH, UH, YOU SEE THIS, UH, PRECIPITATION, UH, UH, MAP, UH, THE MAP ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THAT IS A, UH, THAT'S A HISTORICAL, UH, UH, PERSPECTIVE OF THE RAINFALL THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN MARCH 26TH AND MARCH 27, UH, 28 FROM, UH, UH, FROM, UH, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, WE CAN GET FORECASTS, VERY HIGH QUALITY, UH, HIGH FIDELITY FORECAST OF PRE EXPECTED PRECIPITATION, UP TO, UH, 72 HOURS AHEAD, UH, ACTUALLY FIVE, UH, UP TO 5, 5, 5 DAYS AHEAD.
SO WE CAN GET AN, UH, BASED ON GLOBAL CLIMATE, UH, CLIMATE MODELS AND GLOBAL WEATHER.
OKAY, SIR, LET'S, WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT, WHAT'S THAT? WHAT HAPPENED? IT RAIN, I KNOW WHY DIDN'T TELL US THIS WAS COMING.
WHAT THE, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE INFORMATION, WHY WASN'T IT GIVEN TO US? WHY WEREN'T THE, I NEVER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL.
HE NEVER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL, SIR.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS THE, THAT COMES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, SIR, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY, WE, WE PAID FOR A TECHNOLOGY THAT, THAT, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SAY THAT THEY FAILED US, BECAUSE I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WHAT WAS THE, UH, THE WARNING FOR US? YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE KNEW ABOUT THIS.
WE HAD PEOPLE, NEWSPAPER, PEOPLE TELLING, TELLING ME, CALLING ME THAT, UH, IF I HAD KNOWN, WHY DIDN'T I GIVE THE WARNING TO THE PEOPLE TO, I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY, WE NEVER KNEW THAT.
BUT TECHNOLOGY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE PAID FOR OR TRY TO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM, TO ACQUIRE.
I MEAN, UH, WELL, I, I WANNA CLARIFY THAT FOR YOU, SIR.
THE, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU PAID FOR WAS SIMPLY TO PROVIDE THOSE BLUE CHARTS, OKAY? THE, UH, THE, THE, THE RAW DATA, OKAY? AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE SYSTEM, THE $8 MILLION THAT, UH, UH, THE, UH, THAT THE WATER, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FUNDED IS WHAT ALLOWED US TO DO THESE, WHAT WE CALL HD CAST LOOKING BEHIND, OKAY? UH, THE, UH, THE NEXT PHASE OF IT IS LOOKING FORWARD.
UH, AND THAT'S DOING A FORECAST.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NOT EVEN THE, THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN DO, UM, UH, ON A, ON A, UH, ON A CONTINENTAL SCALE.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE'RE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF, OF TECHNOLOGY, UH, IN TERMS OF FORECASTING.
SO YOU, YOU'RE SAYING, UH, THAT WHAT THIS IS USING DATA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
SO IF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS NOT PROVIDING ACCURATE DATA, THAT DATA'S NOT GONNA BE INPUT INTO THE SYSTEM.
WHAT YOU SAW TODAY WAS DATA THAT WE CAME AFTER THE FACT, UH, THAT CAME DURING THE TIME.
NOW, UH, THE, IN ORDER FOR US TO GENERATE THOSE THINGS DURING AND AFTER THE FACT DATA, YES.
UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO, DO BE RUNNING THESE MODELS CONTINUOUSLY, RIGHT? ON HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTERS.
THAT, SO IS IT DA, IS IT DATA? IS IT, IT WOULD'VE BEEN DATA FROM PRE, DURING AND POST, BUT IN THIS CASE, SINCE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS RAIN EVENT WAS GONNA BE SO CONTINUOUS, RIGHT? WE ONLY HAVE DATA FROM THE ACTUAL HAPPENINGS, THE PRESENT, AND THE, THE, THE POST AFTER.
WELL, WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE, TECHNOLOGY WISE, IS TO LOOK BACK, OKAY? WE ARE UNDER CONTRACT TO START LOOKING FORWARD, UH, UH, AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ON ON TARGET TO DO THAT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
THE, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE'RE FACED WITH IS SUSTAINING THAT BECAUSE IT TAKES QUITE A BIT OF COMPUTATIONAL POWER, UH, TO, UM, UH, TO DO THAT.
SO THE, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE REQUESTED FUNDING FROM THE, UH, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO, UH, TO FUND.
AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT FIVE MIL, UH, SORRY, ABOUT $20 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDING PENDING, UH, FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO DO TWO THINGS.
ONE IS TO RETROFIT THOSE SYSTEMS. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I, LET ME, UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS WE CAN GIVE YOU AN EARLY WARNING, OKAY? AND THAT IS, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UH, UH, THE, THE CHART, THE BLUE CHART,
[00:25:02]
AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, FROM MARCH 26TH, IT WENT FLAT AND THEN IT SUDDENLY SPIKED.OKAY? THE, BASED ON THE RATE AT WHICH THAT SPIKES, IT MAY BE OVER, UH, A COUPLE OF MINUTES, IT MAY HAVE, UH, RISEN TWO FEET BASED ON THAT.
WE DON'T NEED TO RUN ANY MODELS.
SOMETHING BIG'S COMING NOW, THAT'LL GIVE YOU MAYBE AN HOUR, TWO HOURS ADVANCE WARNING.
OKAY? UH, THE, NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE CAN GO TO A SENSOR THAT IS MAYBE TWO OR THREE MILES UPSTREAM, AND WE CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND IF WE SEE A GRADUAL RISE OR A SUDDEN RISE IN WATER LEVEL, AND WE'VE SEEN A HISTORICAL, UH, SIMILAR RISE IN WATER LEVEL IN YOUR STATION, MAYBE TWO HOURS LATER, WE CAN, BASED ON THAT DATA, WE CAN SAY, HEY, SAN NITA, WATCH OUT IN TWO HOURS.
YOU'RE GONNA GET, UH, HAMMERED WITH A FLOOD FRONT.
OKAY? DID WE GET THAT? HUH? DID, DID WE GET THAT? DID WE GET THAT CALL WHEN, WHEN THAT WAS ACTUALLY SPIKING UP? WE SOMEBODY GET THAT CALL.
WE, WE, WE DON'T SAN WATCH OUT IF THIS IS GOING ON.
WELL, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE, WE, WE, WE, WE ARE CONTRACTED DO.
OKAY? THAT'S, SO WE APPRECIATE THE AUDIENCE'S COMMENTS, BUT WE CAN'T TAKE ANY TOO MANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE, UH, DURING THE PRESENTATION.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL LEVELS OF, UH, SO WHAT TO, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT IS UHHUH, THAT'S WHAT HE WAS ASKING, IS WHY WEREN'T WE NOTIFIED? BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN OUR PURVIEW TO DO THAT, SIR.
UH, THE, THE, WE HAVE, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO, BUT YOU KNOW, THE PROVIDING YOU WITH A, WITH A EARLY WARNING HAS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LIABILITY.
UH, AND WHICH IS WHY NOBODY'S GONNA GIVE YOU AN EARLY WARNING FOR FREE, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE WRONG, TIM SMITH'S HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS, AND HE STILL HAS A JOB
IT'S ON THE CUTTING EDGE, UH, WITHIN SIX MONTHS, UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ROLL THAT OUT AS LONG AS WE ARE MAINTAIN, AS LONG AS THE FUNDING IS MAINTAINED.
I THINK THE IMPORTANT PART, MAYOR, IS THAT, THAT THE COMMISSION INVESTED IN SOME DATA INFRASTRUCTURE YES.
TO BE PUT IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN GET REAL TIME DATA.
BECAUSE THE MAYOR, ALTHOUGH, AND THE COMMISSION AND SOME OF THE REST OF THE STAFF WERE OUT IN THE STREETS, WE DIDN'T HAVE A 12 FOOT YARDSTICK TO MEASURE THE, THE WATER VOLUME.
AND, AND TO SEE IT ON A REAL TIME CHART HELPS US FOR FUTURE FUNDING FOR DRAINAGE MITIGATION, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'LL DISCUSS HERE SHORTLY.
BUT THANK, THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THE, THE DATA.
I, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT IN PLACE HERE.
BUT IT'S KINDA LIKE ANYBODY WHO LIVES HERE IN TOWN KNOWS IF THEY'RE GONNA GET FLOODED OR NOT WHEN IT RAINS, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, ALL THE EFFORTS REALLY NEED TO BE TOWARDS CONTINUING TO MITIGATE THAT ISSUE WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HAPPEN.
THAT'S REALLY, WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IS THAT WE DO WHAT WE CAN BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE, UH, WE RECEIVE, WE RECEIVED, UH, I THINK ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT $15,000 FOR EACH OF THE SITES TO INSTALL THE SITES.
WHAT THAT BUYS YOU IS THAT CHART THERE.
IT DOESN'T BUY YOU AN EARLY WARNING.
UH, AND IF YOU WANTED TO GO TO THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, OR YOU WANT TO GO TO THE USGS, YOU CAN ADD A COUPLE OF ZEROS TO THAT $15,000, AND YOU'LL GET AN EARLY WARNING.
SO THE, UH, WE WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UH, AND WE'RE HERE, WE'RE A NONPROFIT CORPORATION.
WE'RE HERE TO, TO, UH, UH, UH, TO SUPPORT THE COMM COMMUNITY.
UH, BUT, UH, UH, THE, UH, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
AND IN OUR CASE, WE GAVE YOU A LOT.
WE WERE NOT CONTRACTED TO, TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THIS, UH, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDED YOU HERE.
UH, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS OF VALUE TO THE, UH, TO THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
UH, AND WE'D BE, WE WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU, UH, BUT, UH, KNOW WE'RE DOING OUR BEST AND WE'RE DOING MORE THAN WE, THAN WE WERE, WE WERE ASKED TO.
EARNEST, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT, MAYOR.
UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL HUMAN, AND WE ALL KNOW PLACE, PLACE BLAME ON SOMEBODY FOR THIS EVENT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NOBODY TO BLAME, RIGHT? UM, NOBODY WAS PREPARED FOR THIS RAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAD.
UM, BUT I THINK NOW THAT WE'D HAVE TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH AND LOOK FORWARD.
SO, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT, IF IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN, IT'S WHEN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN, RIGHT? SO AS LONG AS WE TAKE THAT PROACTIVE APPROACH ON EVERYTHING GOING FORWARD, UM, KEEP OUR CITIZENS INFORMED.
I, I THINK WE'RE OFF TO A GOOD START HERE.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE, UH, UH, THE,
[00:30:01]
IT TAKES KEEPING THOSE SITES ACTIVE.UH, UH, IT COSTS MONEY TO, UM, UH, TO, UH, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THEM.
UH, WE HAVE CREW THAT HAVE TO GO OUT THERE, UH, EVERY SO OFTEN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OPERATING CORRECTLY AND THEY'RE NOT GIVING FALSE READINGS.
UH, IT TAKES, UH, MORE MONEY FOR US TO, UH, TAKE THAT DATA AND CONVERT IT INTO AN EARLY WARNING MONEY THAT WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT WE ARE NOT CONTRACTED TO DO RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE RIO GRANDE VALLEY.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. DR.
EARNEST, HOW MANY OF THESE SITES, UH, DO YOU HAVE THAT CHART? HOW MANY OF THE SITES WERE FUNDED BY DRAINAGE DISTRICTS? UH, LET'S SEE.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE SITES ARE FUNDED BY DRAINAGE DISTRICTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THE ANSWERS I NEEDED.
THE, UH, UH, 44 OF THE SITES WERE FUNDED BY THE, UH, WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UH, ANOTHER FOUR SITES WERE, UH, FUNDED FOR A WATER QUALITY PROJECT.
THREE SITES WERE FUNDED BY, UH, CAMERON COUNTY.
THEY WERE ONE OF THE FIRST THAT WE PUT IN THREE BY THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
THERE ARE A FEW BY, UH, UH, UH, CITY OF DONNA, UH, WEST LIKO, AND, UH, MERCEDES AND A FEW OTHERS, UH, THAT GIVE US THE, THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I SKIPPED THE, I WAS TOO BUSY.
I WAS, WANTED TO GET THAT THING GO, UH, STARTED.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS]
THINK WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENTS SO WE CAN GET THAT, UH, OUT OF THE WAY.UH, RUTH, DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
RUSSELL LANE, SAN BENITO, TEXAS, A SUPER FANTASTIC CITY.
I'M SORRY, I DID NOT ENUNCIATE 1989.
I SAID IT BEFORE, PREVIOUSLY, BUT I REPEAT IT.
UH, AND I'M ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST.
AND, UH, YOU ALL ARE MY ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND, UH, YOU ALL ARE MY CITY STAFF THAT HELP KEEP US ROLLING LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE.
AND REMEMBER, THERE IS NO I AND TEAM, UH, ONCE AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO START WITH SHOUT OUTS, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, KEEPING US ORGANIZED WITH THE TRACTOR MOWING GUY, AND, UH, ALSO HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I KNOW THEY'RE TECHNICALLY NOT PART OF THE CITY OF SAN BENITO, LIKE PROPER, LIKE WE ARE RIGHT HERE.
BUT FOR KEEPING, UH, OVER ON, UH, GR HENNO AND, UH, GAUSS OR GAUZE STREET, I'M SURE STILL DON'T KNOW HOW WE PRONOUNCE THAT.
G-A-U-S-E OVER THERE AT THE OLD PROJECT, UH, THAT WAS ILL PLANNED AND ILL EXECUTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY MET ITS FATES BECAUSE OF FLOODING ISSUES AS WE WERE DISCUSSING TODAY.
BUT ANYWAY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE KEEPING IT NICE AND TRIMMED.
I APPRECIATE THAT THEY CUT A BUNCH OF THE TREES OUT OF THE FENCE AS A TAXPAYER, A CITIZEN, A VOTER.
I DON'T LIKE SEEING, UH, PROPERTY GOING, UH, TO DESTRUCTION THERE.
ALSO, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PATROLLING AND ALSO, UH, DOING THE RADAR TO KEEP THE SPEEDERS DOWN.
UH, ANYWAY, UH, ONTO MY TOPIC HERE OF IMPORTS.
SO I SEE TRB TEXAS REGIONAL BANK FILES SUITS AGAINST THE CITY.
AND, UH, BY THE WAY, HERE'S MY WAIVER.
THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS, MY OPINIONS MINE ALONE, MIKE TRAVIS.
THERE IS NO INFLUENCE OUTSIDE PAID OTHERWISE.
THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND MY THOUGHTS ALONE AS I THINK A REASONABLY SMART GUY.
IT ATED IN THE COLLEGE AND EVERYTHING, BUT
[00:35:01]
THIS IS MORE OF THE NONSENSE THAT VARCO IS THROWING OUR WAY.AND I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE? YES, MS. UH, JANIE PEREZ.
MY NAME IS JAN PEREZ AND I LIVE IN SUNNYSIDE SUBDIVISION, UM, PINTAIL STREET.
AND WE'VE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS.
AND, UM, I'M HERE ALONE WITH SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE OUR SUBDIVISION IS BECOMING A LITTLE FISHBOWL OF SOME SORT.
WE'RE BEING, THERE'S AN ELEVATION ALL AROUND US GOING ON.
UH, WE HAVE FIELDS TO THE LEFT FIELDS TO THE RIGHT FIELDS IN FRONT OF US.
WE'RE SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN 77 AND 83, AND WE GOT BIG TIME FLOOD.
IT'S BEEN A GRADUAL BECAUSE I SEE LIKE THE ELEVATIONS OF THE ROADS SOMEHOW, FOR WHATEVER REASONS OUR SUBDIVISION IS SUN AN END.
SO FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, I WOULD SAY, UH, WE'VE HAD FLOODS.
NOT AS EXTREM AS THIS ONE, BUT IT'S BEEN A GRADUAL FLOODING.
AND EVERY TIME I FLOODS WAS I CALL IN BECAUSE I HAVE ELDERLY NEIGHBORS TO MY LEFT THAT ARE STILL THERE IN MUD AND WATER BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL NOT COVER THE DAMAGES UNTIL THEY COME AND TAKE PICTURES.
I FORTUNATELY AM HOMELESS BECAUSE MY HOUSE IS GUTTED OUT.
WE HAD LIKE AN INCH OF MUD AROUND MY HOUSE, INSIDE MY HOUSE THAT CAME IN FROM THE FIELDS THAT WE ARE SURROUNDED BY.
IT TOOK US TWO WEEKS TO CLEAN MY HOUSE.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER, I MEAN, I KNOW EVERYBODY GOT FLOODED, SOME WORSE THAN OTHERS, BUT FOR SOME REASON THERE'S SOME, SOME DIVISIONS IN THE CITY OF SANTO THAT FLOOD MORE THAN OTHERS.
SO, UH, TO ME, I WAS JUST WONDERING, IS THERE SOMEBODY LIKE A CIVIL ENGINEER THAT CAN GO OUT THERE AND DO SOME NUMBERS TO TELL US WHAT IS BEING DONE IN THE FUTURE, TO PREVENT US FROM GETTING FLOODED AGAIN, BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN.
'CAUSE IT'S A GRADUAL, CONTINUOUS, SLOWLY MORE EVERY YEAR THAT IT RAINS.
SO WE JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR US IS, CAN SOMEBODY GO OUT THERE AND TAKE PICTURES, DO SOME NUMBERS.
I MEAN, I'M NOT A CIVIL ENGINEER, BUT I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT CAN LOOK AROUND AND TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT'S ALL WE WANNA KNOW IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WHY? AND GIVE US SOMETHING, SOME HOPE THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PREVENT IT.
I MEAN, THIS IS HURRICANE SEASON.
WE'RE TRAUMATIZED OF WHAT'S COMING NEXT.
HAVE MERCY, COMPASSION SOMETHING.
THROW US SOMETHING, GIVE US SOME HOPE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PEOPLES, 'CAUSE I WENT THROUGH PHAN STREET AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND TIME.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T RESPOND TO YOU DURING THIS TIME.
[CONSENT AGENDA ITEM(S)]
CONSENT AGENDAS, SIR.COMMISSIONERS, GO ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA HERE, AND THAT IS CONSENT.
SO WE HAVE, UM, ITEMS 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR.
THE ONLY THING IS, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT WE REMOVE ITEM TWO THAT WAS PUT IN BY MISTAKE, THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED CONSENT.
UH, WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION, SO WE'D LIKE TO REMOVE THAT FROM CONSENT IF POSSIBLE.
AND IF Y'ALL WANNA REMOVE ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS TIME, WE CAN.
SO WE'VE GOT THE ITEMS NUMBER ONE, THREE, AND FOUR FOR CONSENT.
COMMISSIONER SHALL ALL HAVE ANYTHING TO TAKE OUT.
[00:40:01]
OUT.SO WE ARE ONLY VOTING FOR ONE, THREE, AND FOUR.
MOTION TO CONSENT TO ITEMS ONE, THREE, AND FOUR.
I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER, UH, BY MAYOR PRO TIM GALVAN.
SECOND ONE, THREE, AND FOUR SECOND BY, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES.
[2. Consideration and possible action to approve Resolution Number 2025-0415-001, supporting the creation of the RGV Flood Control District, as described in a petition by the RGV Coalition of Drainage Advocates(CODA) to set in place a regional entity to address the ongoing flood crisis.]
NUMBER TWO, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE BY ACTION IMPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 5 DASH 4 15 0 1.SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF RGV FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, AS DESCRIBED IN A PETITION BY THE RGV COALITION OF DRAINAGE ADVOCATES DAKOTA TO SET IN PLACE A REGIONAL ENTITY TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING FLOOD CRISIS.
UH, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS, UH, A RESOLUTION.
WE DO HAVE, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM CODA IN THE AUDIENCE, AND, UH, I BELIEVE THEY'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THIS TIME.
MY NAME'S JV GARCIA, AND, UH, I AM A CIVIL ENGINEER AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE RGV COALITION OF DRAINAGE ADVOCATES.
I'M ALSO HERE REPRESENTING FLOOD VICTIMS LIKE MISS JANIE PEREZ AND FLOOD VICTIMS ACROSS THE VALLEY.
UM, PEOPLE RIGHT NOW ON GREEN IN GREEN VALLEY FARMS WHO ARE SUFFERING PEOPLE IN TNO LAKE AREA, LAIA SAN ROSA THAT ARE SUFFERING.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
I WAS RAISED IN SAN BENITO AND I'M A PROUD GRADUATE OF SAN SANTO HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 2000.
WHEN I WAS IN THE SECOND GRADE, I HAD MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH FLOODING.
WE HAD TO BE PICKED UP FROM DR. CASH ELEMENTARY IN A CANOE BECAUSE THE STREETS WERE UNDRIVABLE UNDRIVABLE AFTER THE HEAVY RAIN.
I, I WOULD GO ON TO EXPERIENCE AT LEAST FOUR MORE FLOOD EVENTS WHILE LIVING HERE IN SAN BENITO, STRUGGLING TO PLACE SANDBAGS AT OUR FRONT DOOR, RINGING OUT TOWELS INTO BUCKETS FROM WATER, ENTERING MY PARENTS' HOME FROM ALL SIDES OF THE, OF THE, OF THE HOUSE.
AND JUST FEELING HOPELESS, KIND OF LIKE THE WAY MS. PETTI DOES, AS THE WATER JUST RUSHED INTO OUR HOUSE.
I NOW LIVE IN HARLINGEN, AND IN THE 15 YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED THERE, I'VE DEALT WITH TWO FLOODS AT MY HOUSE AND COUNTLESS IMPASSABLE STREETS AFTER RAIN EVENTS.
AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE HEAVY RAIN EVENTS.
MY STORY IS NOT UNIQUE THROUGH OUR ADVOCACY GROUP, AND WE HAVE HEARD COUNTLESS STORIES OF DAMAGED HOMES AND BUSINESSES, PEOPLE HAVING TO REPLACE SHEET ROCK YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND OTHERS LOSING PRECIOUS MEMORIES IN REPEATED FLOODING.
THE RGV COALITION OF DRAINAGE ADVOCATES ARE PROUD TO HAVE MEMBERS FROM SANTO HARLINGEN, SAN SANTA ROSA LAIA, MERCEDES WEST LUKO HONDO, AND FAR BECAUSE FLOODING IS NOT JUST A REGIONAL PROBLEM FOR SAN, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, BECAUSE FLOODING IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM FOR SAN BENITO OR CAMERON COUNTY OR ANY OF THE ENTITIES.
THIS IS A REGIONAL PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES A REGIONAL SOLUTION CURRENTLY IN CAMERON COUNTY ALONE, THERE, THE DRAINAGE IS BEING HANDLED BY FIVE SEPARATE DRAINAGE DISTRICTS WITH SEPARATE JURISDICTIONS, SEPARATE TAX LEVIES, AND SEPARATE PRIORITIES.
THERE ARE ALSO LARGE AREAS OF CAMERON COUNTY THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY DRAINAGE DISTRICTS LEAVING A PATCHWORK OF INEFFICIENT DRAINAGE AND A MENTALITY OF EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF, EVERY ENTITY FOR THEMSELVES.
RGV CODA IS ADVOCATING FOR A REGIONAL RGV FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, SIMILAR TO THE HARRIS COUNTY OR TRAVIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICTS, WHERE INSTEAD OF WORKING WITH A MA WITHIN A MANMADE BOUNDARY, THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT WILL WORK WITHIN THE NATURAL BOUNDARIES OF THE AURORA COLORADO WATERSHED AND ALL THE OTHER ADJACENT WATERSHEDS WITHIN THE RGV.
BUT NO ONE CITY OR DRAINAGE DISTRICT CAN DO THIS ALONE.
FORMING A REGIONAL FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT CAN PRIORITIZE PROJECTS FOR THE HARDEST HIT AREAS INSTEAD OF A MONEY, INSTEAD OF MONEY GOING TO THE BEST LOBBYISTS EFFICIENTLY WORK.
AND, AND IT WILL EFFICIENTLY WORK WITHIN WATERSHED BOUNDARIES INSTEAD OF MANMADE BOUNDARIES AND BEGIN TO HELP SOLVE THIS FLOOD CRISIS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
INSTEAD OF DOING THE SAME OLD THING THAT HAS GOTTEN US INTO THIS PREDICAMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE ADVOCATES WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO REPRESENT THE POPULATION ACROSS THE VALLEY WHO ARE READY FOR A REAL SOLUTION TO OUR DRAINAGE ISSUES.
I URGE EVERYONE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AND WATCHING AT HOME TO VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, RGV COALITION OF DRAINAGE ADVOCATES TO READ, TO SIGN, AND TO SHARE THE PETITION.
FINALLY, FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK COMMISSIONER PEDRO GALVAN, UH, AND COMMISSIONER DEBRA MO MORALES FOR SPONSORING AND CO-SPONSORING THIS RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT A REGIONAL FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
I AM PROUD THAT MY HOMETOWN OF SANTO IS THE FIRST MUNICIPALITY TO DISCUSS THIS RESOLUTION AS THE FIRST STEP IN DECLARING SUPPORT FOR THE RGV FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT,
[00:45:01]
I ASK THAT THE REST OF THE COMMISSION SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION AND LET'S STAND TOGETHER AS ONE RGV TO SOLVE THIS FLOOD CRISIS.JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT, AS MY DAD LOVES TO SAY, GO HOUNDS, AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL THAT, THAT THEY'RE SO, THAT THEY'RE, THERE'S TO PUT TOGETHER, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE NEED, BUT REALLY WHAT IS IT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I MEAN, I, I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO THIS PROBLEM IS A HUNDRED YEARS IN THE MAKING OF NEGLIGENCE OF URBAN SPRAWL, GOING FROM AN AGRICULTURAL COMMUN, UH, UH, ECONOMY TO A SUBURBAN URBANIZED ECONOMY.
AND THE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE, THIS PATCHWORK OF DRAINAGE SYSTEMS WAS NEVER UPDATED.
AND IT'S GONNA TAKE, JUST LIKE A FLOOD, IS AN ACT OF GOD, IT'S GONNA TAKE ALMOST AN ACT OF GOD IN CONGRESS TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO URGE SENATOR ADAM OSA AND REPRESENTATIVE JANIE LOPEZ TO ACT NOW DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, VERY, THE VERY LEAST, THE NEXT ONE, UH, TO CREATE THIS DISTRICT TO BEGIN MANAGING THE FLOOD WATERS AND TO MITIGATE FOR FUTURE FLOODING IN A REAL WAY FOR THE NATURAL WATERSHED THAT SPANS THREE COUNTIES, WILLIS, SEE CAMERON AND HIDALGO.
SO THIS IS A PLAN THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
THIS, IF WE CAN GET THIS ENACTED THIS YEAR, OR WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THE RGV FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT CAN TAKE RATES AND THE STORMWATER TASK FORCE DATA AND UTILIZE IT IN A REAL WAY TO SOLVE, TO BEGIN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM.
WHY WOULD YOU NEED A RESOLUTION FROM US TO USE WHATEVER DATA'S THERE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
NO, WELL, NOT TO USE THE DATA.
WE'LL USE, THEY'LL USE THE DATA WHEREVER, WHEREVER THE DATA IS AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE, UM, STUDIES THAT ALMOST PRACTICALLY EVERY CITY IN THE VALLEY HAS ALREADY CONDUCTED.
WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IRRIGATION DISTRICTS? MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IRRIGATION DISTRICTS? YEAH.
I, OTHER THAN I DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH WITH THEM.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP? WELL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE TASK OF, OF, OF MOVING WATER, YOU KNOW, IS ON THE, ON THE, THE DRAINAGE AND IRRIGATION DISTRICTS, CORRECT? OH, YES.
AND SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND I'M GOING, OKAY.
WE, WE'VE GOT A A AND AGAIN, I, I APPLAUD YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS, BUT IT'S, THANK YOU.
I SEE THIS AS A KIND OF A FEEL GOOD THING, UHHUH, BUT, AND I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING WHERE IT GOES.
DOES IT HAVE A SUBSTANTIVE PLAN THAT OVER, OVER SOME SORT OF THE NEXT 10, 8, 10 YEARS ACTUALLY GOES SOMEWHERE? YES.
SO DRAINAGE DISTRICTS CAN ONLY WORK WITHIN THEIR MANMADE BOUNDARY.
IT FOLLOWS NO NATURAL WATERSHED IN THE FLOW OF WATER.
NO, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT THEY GET.
THEY STILL NEED TO COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER.
SHOULD WAS THE, WAS THE KEY WORD.
THEY SHOULD, BUT IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
BUT NOT ONLY SHOULD THEY BE COOPERATING WITH, WITH EACH OTHER, BUT EVERY CITY, EVERY COUNTY, AND EVERY IRRIGATION DISTRICT SHOULD ALSO BE COOPERATING WITH EACH OTHER AND JUST, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
UH, IT'S BEEN HAP THIS, THIS, UH, WHAT, WHAT'S, UH, MISCOMMUNICATION HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND I, AND I BELIEVE THAT IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE GET THIS ONE ENTITY TO MANAGE IT ONCE AND FOR ALL.
YOU THINK YOU, YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE THAT ENTITY? NO, NO, NO, NO.
I'M NOT BELIEVING THAT I'M THAT ENTITY.
WHOEVER, WHOEVER THE STATE LEGISLATURE, YOU KNOW, DECIDES TO, I'M GONNA LET MY, MY COLLEAGUE HERE HELP, UH, BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ELOQUENT IN ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.
SO TO BREAK IT DOWN A BETTER, UH, LIKE REASONING, MY NAME IS VERA, BY THE WAY.
I'M A FORMER CITY, UH, COMMISSIONER IN, UH, CITY OF PRIME.
SO BEING IN YOUR SHOES AND BEING IN YOUR PLACE, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING WHEN THIS IS CREATED IS FOR THE FLOOD DISTRICT TO MITIGATE AND TAKE CONTROL OVER, UH, ALL THE BOUNDARIES.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE STUCK WITH LOOKING AT JURISDICTIONS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, BOUNDARIES.
SO EVEN THE CITY OF SAN MANINO DOES GET TO THE POINT TO WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CIVIL ENGINEERS DO THEIR, UH, STUDIES AND DO EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF THIS AS, AS A REGION.
SO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS IF YOU DO TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION IN YOUR CITY, THE WATER MIGHT GO ONTO THE NEXT CITY.
AND I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS START LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AS A TEAM, AS ONE ENTITY.
SO WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS THAT THERE'S UNIFORMITY.
SO EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT THE CITY OF SAN, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU, YOU, YOU GET YOUR PUBLIC WORKS TO GO CUT THE GRASS.
WELL, IT'S GOOD THAT YOU DO THAT, BUT DURING THE RAIN, WE HAVE A LOT OF TRASH THAT'S BEING CARRIED THROUGH THE WATERS AND IT'S FLOWING THROUGH THE WATERS.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT SITUATION IS WE'RE LOOKING AT, IS IT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SUBJECT AS WE'LL DEAL WITH IT AFTER THE FLOOD, WHAT WE NEED TO START DOING IS FO FOCUSING ON THE MATTER DURING THE FLOODS.
SO AN EXAMPLE IS DURING THE FLOODS, WHEN THESE AREAS GET CONGESTED, THERE'S NOBODY REALLY THERE DURING THE FLOOD TO
[00:50:01]
GO AND, AND DECONGEST THOSE AREAS.I I, I CAN SEE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, RIGHT, BUT I I DON'T, I'M SORRY YOU COMMENT.
NO, HERE'S WHAT I, I WAS JUST GONNA CLARIFY.
SO WE ARE THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY COALITION OF GRAND ADVOCATES.
WE ARE NORMAL EVERYDAY PEOPLE.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GO TO THESE CITIES AND ASK FOR MONEY.
WE'RE ASKING FOR SUPPORT FROM THE CITIES THAT YOU COULD PLEASE, UH, CONFIRM THIS RESOLUTION TO TAKE TO THE SENATOR, TO JANIE LOPEZ, TO SENATOR ADAM OSA AND SAY, LOOK, THE VALLEY NEEDS HELP.
EVEN THE CITIES ARE SAYING, WE NEED TO APPROACH THIS IN A REGIONAL AREA.
OKAY? WE DON'T WANT YOUR MONEY.
WE'RE REGULAR PEOPLE THAT GOT FLOODED, AND WE'RE REPEATEDLY AND WE'RE TIRED OF IT.
SO COMMISSIONER, THE REASON, UH, I PROPOSED THIS TO BE ON THE AGENDA, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT COMMISSIONER MORALES, IS BECAUSE WHEN I STARTED LOOK DOING SOME MY MORE RESEARCH, I LOOKED AT DRAINAGE DISTRICT THREE, AND IT'S THE, HAS THE HIGHEST TAX LEVY OF ALL THE DRAINAGE DISTRICTS IN CAMERON COUNTY.
AND YOU JUST SAW THAT MAP AND WE DIDN'T DO SO GOOD.
IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE LARGEST DRAINAGE DISTRICTS IN CAMERON COUNTY.
IT'S ALSO BEEN AROUND SINCE 1912.
SO IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM FOR 112.
AND ON THE VERY FRONT OF THEIR HOMEPAGE, IT SAYS THAT THEY HELPED MITIGATE WATER.
BUT WHEN WE AS A COMMISSION SUBMIT PLATS, WE SUBMIT IT TO THEM FOR APPROVAL AS WELL.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS ON THAT PLAT, IF YOU EVER READ THE SMALL, SMALL FINE PRINT IN THE CORNER, IT SAYS THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY FLOODING BY APPROVING THAT PLAT.
RIGHT? IS THAT CONTROVERSIAL FOR YOU? SOUNDS CONTROVERSIAL TO ME.
SO AT ONE POINT, WE DIDN'T HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH DRAINAGE DISTRICT THREE.
WE'VE MENDED AND THANK YOU TO FRED AND THE TEAM FOR MENDING THAT RELATIONSHIP.
BUT A LOT OF CITIES, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DRAINAGE DISTRICT 5, 4, 2, 3 ARE ALL DOING.
THEY GOT SOME MONEY, BUT, BUT WHAT, AND WE JUST SAW THAT RATES DOESN'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE SENSORS FUNDED BY ANY DRAINAGE DISTRICTS, BUT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR MITIGATION OF WATER.
WHAT'S BEING REQUIRED OF US AT THIS POINT THEN JUST TO, TO, BY A RESOLUTION? WHAT'S IT ASKING US TO DO? THE RESOLUTION IS ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION.
HOW BY SAYING THAT WE AS A CITY AGREE WITH THE RGV CODA, THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS THIS AS A REGIONAL ISSUE WHERE IT'S NOT.
UH, IS IT INCLUDED IN THE PACKET THAT THAT'S ALL THE RESOLUTION IS INCLUDED IN THE PACKET? SO WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THIS AS SUPPORTING IT ON OVERALL OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS.
THERE'S NO DOLLARS OR CENTS, NOTHING REQUIRED TO CITY STAFF.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE LIVED IN THE VALLEY TOO FOR, I REMEMBER THOSE FLOODS IN 2000 AND OTHERS.
I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VALLEY OFTENTIMES WONDERED COMING DOWN HERE, WHY DO WE CALL IT A VALLEY? SO I'M, I'M NOT LOOKING AT ANY MOUNTAINS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SEEING THAT ANY PARTICULAR PLACE.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY DURING THE, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, THIS, THIS BECAME A, A DELTA AREA WHERE LOTS OF WATER PUSHED STUFF.
YOU KNOW, WHAT BECOMES NEW AND DIFFERENT IS YEAH.
BUT, SO I I BUT YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING.
I DID JUST WANNA ADDRESS TWO POINTS THAT YOU MADE.
WE ARE ABSOLUTELY A DELTA, AND WE HEAR THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I CAN TELL YOU FROM THE BRAIN OF THIS ENGINEER AND MANY OTHER ENGINEERS WE SPEAK TO, THEY SAY THAT THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.
THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN TO DO, EVEN IN A DELTA TO MITIGATE THESE THINGS.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION THAT YOU ASKED EARLIER, AS FAR AS SHOULDN'T THE DRAINAGE DISTRICTS BE HANDLING THAT, ESPECIALLY IN CAMERON COUNTY, THERE ARE LARGE AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE A DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
SO IF YOU TAKE A DROP OF WATER AND DROP IT IN LAIA, I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT IT'S GONNA GET BACK OUT TO THE LAGUNA MADRE.
IT'S GONNA GO SOMEWHERE AND JUST STOP.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO OUR SENATORS, TO THE CITIES, PLEASE SUPPORT THIS.
EVERY CITY MUNICIPALITY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE CAN TAKE TO THE SENATOR, TO THE LEGISLATIVE, AND THEY WILL LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OH, OKAY.
THEY REALLY DO WANT SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I, I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY ALSO, ALL THE DRAINAGE DISTRICTS THAT EXIST RIGHT NOW, WERE CREATED THE WAY WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, THEY WERE CREATED LEGISLATIVELY.
THEY CREATED A TAX LEVY, BUT FOR A LITTLE AREA ON A MANMADE BOUNDARY BECAUSE OF THE NEED AT THE TIME FOR THE AGRICULTURAL OR THE LITTLE AREAS AS NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE GOING UP, WE'RE ASKING, LET'S DO THAT AGAIN, BUT CONSOLIDATE ALL THE OTHER FLOOD, ALL THE OTHER EXISTING DRAINAGE DISTRICTS AND INCLUDE EVERYBODY THAT'S NOT PART OF ONE.
AND LET'S CREATE A, A, A REGIONAL FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT THAT MAKES SENSE AND FOLLOWS GOD'S NATURAL BOUNDARY AND MANAGES EVERYTHING WITHIN THAT.
NOW IMAGINE IN 10 YEARS, THERE'S GONNA BE ABOUT OVER 10 MORE FLOODS.
RIGHT? BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS, YOU ALL SAID IT EARLIER, THERE'S NO ONE TO BLAME.
FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT WILL BE THAT ONE ENTITY THAT WE CAN ALL POINT AT AND SAY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE ONE ENTITY THAT WE CAN ALL SUPPORT, GET THE FUNDING FOR THROUGH LEGISLATIVELY TAX, LEVIES
[00:55:01]
GRANT FUNDING, FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE FUND.EVERYBODY'S, EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELVES.
THE DRAINAGE DISTRICTS, CITIES, COUNTIES ARE EACH SUBMITTING SEPARATE APPLICATIONS TO THE STATE, ALONG WITH THE OTHER 254 COUNTIES AND ALL THE HUNDREDS OF CITIES.
AND THEY'RE ON THIS WAITING LIST OF ABOUT 300 PROJECTS TO TRY TO GET FROM THE SAME FUND.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER AS ONE ENTITY AND GET MORE SIMILAR TO THE R-G-V-M-P-O.
EXCEPT IT'S NOT GONNA BE A POWER GRAB BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SCIENTISTS AND HYDROLOGISTS MANAGING THAT PRIORITIZED PROJECT LIST.
THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT GETS ME CONCERNED BECAUSE YEAH, HAVING SAT ON THE NPO COMMITTEE UP THERE AND WATCHING WHAT HAPPENS UP THERE, I GET WORRIED ABOUT GETTING LOST AGAIN.
YOU GET LOST, YOU GET LEFT OUT.
BUT THIS ONE IS, THEY'RE GONNA MANAGE IT AS RIGHT.
LIKE, UH, A QUARTERBACK THROWING TO A RECEIVER.
IF HE DOESN'T, HE TAKES THE WRONG ROUTE.
IT'S GONNA BE AN INCOMPLETE PASS.
WELL, WE'RE THROWING INCOMPLETE PASSES WITH THE WATER.
IF THE WATER'S SUPPOSED TO GO HERE, BUT THE OTHER GUY ISN'T READY TO CATCH IT, YOU FLOOD.
JUST REAL QUICK FOR THE RECORD, YOUR NAME, MA'AM? OH, JESSICA GARCIA.
I, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING, MAYOR, I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING OUT HERE DURING YOUR PRESENTATION DURING THE BIT.
UM, WE GOT TO WITNESS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS COME AND TALK TO US PERSONALLY ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THIS FLOOD.
AGAIN, I ALWAYS SAY, IN ANY EVENT, IT'S NOT, IF IT'S GONNA HAPPEN, IT'S WHEN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN HAPPEN.
AND WE HAVE TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH ON EVERYTHING.
THIS HAS TO BE A LEARNING LESSON FOR ALL OF US, NOT JUST FOR SAN BENITO, BUT FOR EVERYBODY.
AND IF WE DON'T GO IN THAT DIRECTION AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME THING, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GET THE SAME RESULTS, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT INITIATIVE AND DOING THIS, AND, AND I SUPPORT YOU GUYS.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, HAVE YOU TRIED TO REACHING OUT TO, UH, THE HAR AND THE, THE OR, UM, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT ALSO THOSE GUYS? UH, IN IN HARGER? YEAH, IN, IN GENERAL.
I'VE, UM, HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DIFFERENT DRAINAGE DISTRICTS.
UM, DURING THE 2019 FLOODS, I WAS TAKING MY MASTER'S, ACTUALLY, DR.
ERNEST WAS, UH, ONE OF MY PROFESSORS, UH, WHEN, UH, I WAS TAKING THE, THE CIVIL ENGINEERING COURSES THERE AT, UH, U-T-R-G-V.
AND I ACTUALLY WROTE A STORY ABOUT IT, THE 2019 FLOODS AND THE, THE, THE EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
SO YES, I'VE, I'VE REACHED OUT TO DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY GONNA BE UP TO THE STATE LEGISLATORS.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HELP PERSUADE THEM YEAH.
TO, TO MOVE US INTO THE FUTURE.
THE ONLY REASON I'M ASKING YOU THIS IS BECAUSE, UH, UH, WE SUPPORTED HORGEN ON THE DRAINAGE.
WE WENT OVER THERE ALL THE WAY TO AUSTIN.
THE REASON WHY, BECAUSE LIKE, UH, LIKE I TOLD ROLANDO, I SAID, ROLANDO, I'LL, I'LL BACK YOU UP BECAUSE THE THING IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT PLACE OVER THERE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN KEEP THE WATER FROM COMING TO SANTO, I MEAN, YOU HELPING US OUT.
NOW WE WENT TO, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WHEN YOU HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 GROUPS FIGHTING FOR, FOR THE, THE SAME MONEY, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? 'CAUSE I JUST WENT OVER THERE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, LOPEZ, THEY SAID, REP, WHAT'S GOING ON? I MEAN, WHAT CAN YOU FIGHT? HE SAID HERE, EVERYBODY'S FIGHTING FOR IT.
THE THING IS THAT THEY ARE, IF YOU ALL CAN REGIONALIZE AND GET ONE GROUP TO DO ONE VOICE, YOU GUYS HAVE THE ATTENTION.
YOU HAVE ALL OF OUR ATTENTION.
BUT YOU HAVE
SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS, YOU KNOW, I'LL SUPPORT YOU GUYS, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE WITH, YOU KNOW, COMING IN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, WITH HYDROGEN, ANY OTHER DRAINAGE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HELP THIS INTO ONE GROUP.
IF IT'S NOT, I'M SORRY, I, I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, I'M ALREADY ASSIGNED TO ONE PLACE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT YOU DESCRIBED IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
ONE ENTITY TO GO AFTER THIS MONEY EXACTLY.
INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE DISTRICT SIX, JUST GOT $40 MILLION.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE ANY BENEFIT FROM THAT.
YOU DON'T LIVE NEAR DRAINAGE DISTRICT SIX.
ALL THEY'RE GONNA DO IS PUSH THE WATER CLOSER TO YOU.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, NO, WE NEED Y'ALL TO HOLD IT.
SO WHAT WE ARE, UM, ASKING OR PROPOSING, JUST AS ADVOCATES, WE'RE NORMAL, EVERYDAY PEOPLE.
WE'RE JUST ASKING TO SUPPORT THE, THE CREATION OF ONE REGIONAL DISTRICT TO SUPPORT THE ENTIRE VALLEY.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO ONE THING, UH, FRED, I KNOW THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, UH, WE HAVE A NEW MANAGER, UH, DISTRICT, UM, DRAINAGE DISTRICT THREE.
UH, SHE JUST CAME IN ABOUT TWO, TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO WE'VE BEEN, HONESTLY, FRIEND AND I, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GO THAT WAY.
WE'VE JUST BEEN SO BUSY ON IT.
BUT, UM, AND THEN GO TALK TO HER.
WE GONNA GO SIT DOWN WITH HER FIRST.
BEFORE, LIKE I SAID, BEFORE I EVEN MENTION
[01:00:01]
ANYTHING THAT I WOULD SUPPORT YOU GUYS, I WANT, I NEED TO TALK TO HER AND SAY, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU YOU GUYS DOING? RIGHT? AND IF I DON'T HAVE A GOOD, UH, SHE DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER.YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S FIGURE IT OUT.
EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS, IS DEAD ON.
THAT WHAT YOU GUYS WANT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT.
OUR ONLY ISSUES RIGHT NOW IS THAT YOU, WE KEEP MENTIONING THE DRAINAGE DISTRICTS.
WE KEPT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT ANNEXATION FROM DIFFERENT AREAS.
THE PROBLEM IS HOW DO WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE? UH, YOU KNOW, NORMAL CITIZENS LIKE MYSELF, IF THE GRASS IS NOT CUT, I GET A WARNING AND THEN I GET FINED WHO'S HOLDING THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE ENTITIES ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THE MAYOR AND I EXPERIENCED WHEN WE WENT UP TO AUSTIN LAST WEEK WAS OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH, UH, THE SENATOR AND, AND HIS FOLKS AND HIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO GOT A VISIT FROM ONE OF HIS, WELL, HIS NEW MUNICIPAL LIAISON, WHICH HE'S KIND OF SPECIALIZED HAVING TO DEAL WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND CITIES, UH, WHICH KIND OF A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.
HE WAS ON, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS CITY COUNCIL IN CORPUS OR WHATEVER.
HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT, UH, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AS A, AS A MUNICIPALITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WE DISCUSSED WITH HIM WAS A POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A FORUM.
SAN BENITO COULD POSSIBLY, UH, HOST IT, UH, OR MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW.
WE'VE TALKED TO ARGEN AS WELL.
UH, BRING THE SENATOR DOWN, BRING THE REPRESENTATIVE DOWN SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY AIR OUT SOME OF THESE CONCERNS.
I KNOW THAT I HAVE 'EM, I HAVE MY OWN AS WELL.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I KNOW THAT PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER WITH, UH, CAMERON COUNTY, HIDALGO COUNTY, HIDALGO COUNTY SET UP COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM CAMERON COUNTY.
UH, THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT IS RUN BY THE COUNTY IN, IN ALGO.
UH, THEY ANSWER DIRECTLY TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND THE, AND THE, AND, AND THE COUNTY JUDGE.
SO IT'S SET UP, IT'S SET UP A LITTLE MORE, UH, VERTICALLY SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY CONTROL A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE MONEY AND WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE KEY IS GONNA BE, IS GETTING EVERYBODY TO WORK TOGETHER, BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY'RE HIGHER THAN WE ARE.
I THINK, UH, MAYOR AVELA WILL SET IT BEST.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE QUITE A BIT HIGHER IN ELEVATION THAN WE ARE, AND IT'S GONNA END UP HERE SOONER OR LATER.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT TOGETHER.
BUT WE WILL BE SCHEDULING THAT, THAT FORUM HERE PRETTY QUICK IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
SO WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU GUYS JOIN US.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP, TOO, WE HAD A COALITION GO UP AND MEET WITH SENATOR ADAM OSA LAST FRIDAY.
UM, HE IS IN FAVOR OF DOING A, A REGIONAL ADDRESSING THIS AT A REGIONAL LEVEL AS WELL.
HE POSTED IT ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO CHECK THAT OUT AS WELL.
UM, AS SOON AS WE GET THE, THE, THE, THE MEETING DATES, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU GUYS TO COME IN.
I JUST ALSO WANT TO ONE MORE TIME JUST SAY HOW PROUD I AM, EXTREMELY ABOUT, UH, THE CITY OF SAN MANTO, TAKING THE LEAD AND BEING THE VERY FIRST MUNICIPALITY TO TALK ABOUT THIS OPENLY AND HOPEFULLY VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS RESOLUTION.
SO IT JUST, IT MEANS A LOT BEING FROM HERE.
HONESTLY, IF WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HEARD, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HEARD.
WE'RE GOT MY NAME ON THERE, BUT, UH, I NEED TO GIVE THEM FIRST A SHOT BEFORE I CAN EVEN DO THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MAYOR, AT THIS TIME, YOU CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FROM THE RGV COALITION OF DREAM ADVOCATES.
OKAY, SO, UM, SO I GOT A MOTION BY, UM, MAYOR POT TIM, TO ACCEPT THIS.
I WANT LIKE TO SEE IF I CAN TABLE THIS.
WELL, WE GOTTA GO THROUGH THE FIRST MAYOR A SECOND FOR GUYS, FOR LACK OF A SECOND.
SO WE'VE GOT FOR TO APPROVE THE, THE, UM, OKAY.
SO, RESOLUTION, I GUESS, UH, FIRST BY MAYOR TIM, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.
[1. First Reading of Ordinance Number 2628-05-2025 an ordinance amending Chapter 4, Business Regulations, by adding Section 4.13 concerning establishments not licensed by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC); updating the city's fee schedule to include annual permit and inspection fees for businesses that allow patrons to bring their own alcoholic beverages on the premises; and addressing related provisions.]
GO ON TO ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.THAT'S, UH, FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 6 2 8 DASH FIVE DASH 2 2 5.
AND THAT'S AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER FOUR, BUSINESS REGULATIONS BY ADDING SECTION FOUR 13 CONCERNING ESTABLISHMENTS NOT LICENSED BY THE TABC COMMISSION.
[01:05:01]
FEE SCHEDULE TO INCLUDE ANNUAL PERMANENT INSPECTION FEES FOR BUSINESSES THAT ALLOW PATRONS TO BRING THEIR OWN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON PREMISES AND ADDRESSING RELATED PROVISIONS.UH, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A FIRST READING, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE ON IT, BUT JUST TO BRING Y'ALL UP TO SPEED, THIS IS, UH, THIS ISN'T AN AMENDMENT TO THIS ORDINANCE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, TO GET IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, CONGRUENT TO WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A LOT OF ESTABLISHMENTS THAT, UM, ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR OWN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, AND, UH, THEY, UH, WOULD THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE, UH, THEY THINK THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAY OPEN UNTIL FIVE OR SIX IN THE MORNING.
SO, UH, THIS WAS A LITTLE GAP THAT WE HAD IN OUR ORDINANCE, AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO TRUE THAT UP.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST READING AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL BRING YOU BACK THE, THE NEXT ONE, THE NEXT MEETING, HUH.
UH, THE B-Y-O-B-Y-O-B WHO STAYS OPEN AT IT'S, IT'S LOCATED HERE IN SANTO.
YEAH, SO STAFF'S WORKING ON THAT.
[2. Consideration and possible action to award RFA Number 2025-02-001 Amended and approve Resolution Number 2025-0415-003(R) pertaining to the City of San Benito Depository Bank services, authorizing the Mayor to execute the contracts and all necessary agreements.]
TWO, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION AWARD, RFA NUMBER 2025 DASH TWO DASH OH ONE AMENDED AND APPROVE.RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 5 DASH FOUR 15 DASH 0 0 3 R PERTAINING TO THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO DEPOSITORY BANK SERVICES, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE CONTRACTS AND ALL NECESSARY AGREEMENTS.
MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE, UH, WE DID GO OUT FOR BID.
UM, I'M SORRY FOR, UH, RFAS ON THIS.
WE DID, UH, HAVE THREE SUBMITTALS.
STAFF IS RECOMMENDING TWO TO BE AWARDED.
STEPHANIE'S HERE TO GIVE YOU THE DETAILS.
STEPHANIE SANANDA, FINANCE REACTOR FOR THE RECORD.
SO, AS THE CITY MANAGER JUST MENTIONED, UH, WE WENT OUT FOR OUR PHASE REQUEST FOR, UH, APPLICATIONS FROM BANKS.
UH, WE RECEIVED THREE, UH, FIRST COMMUNITY BANK, LONE STAR BANK, AND PNC.
UM, I HAD ATTACHED SEVERAL EXHIBITS, IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT 'EM, THE APPLICATION, THE APP THAT IT WAS POSTED, UH, THE APPLICATIONS FROM THE MAC, WHAT THEY'VE SUBMITTED, AND A SMALL TABULATION AND AN EXPLANATION ON WHY WE MADE THE DECISION THAT WE MADE.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING PNC AND LONE STAR.
I DO FEEL THAT THAT WILL GET US THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS BASED ON WHAT THEY HAD TO OFFER.
PNC BEING A BIGGER BANK AND LONE STAR BEING A LITTLE BIT A SMALLER BANK THAT CAN PROVIDE US THAT MORE, NOT SAYING PNC WON'T, BUT WE GET THE BENEFIT OF BOTH BANKS.
SO, UM, STAFF WILL RECOMMEND APPROVALS IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? NONE.
SO DO I, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS, UH, STEPHANIE HAS STATED MOTION? I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY NAY MOTION PASSES.
[3. Consideration and possible action to approve Master Service Agreement Number 19497 with MCCi, LLC for the implementation of JustFOIA, an online electronic public information act (PIA) requests software, in the amount of $9,253.29.]
CONSIDERATION, ACT, AND POSSIBLE ACTION APPROVED MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENT NUMBER 1 9 4 9 7.WITH M-C-C-I-L-L-C FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF JUST FOI, JUST FOIA ONLINE ELECTRONIC PUBLIC INFORMATION, PIA REQUEST SOFTWARE IN THE AMOUNT OF $9,253 AND 29 CENTS.
UH, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS, UH, PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
THIS IS A, UH, THIS IS A SERVICE THAT WOULD HELP US MANAGE OUR, OUR TPIA AND AND AND FOI REQUESTS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN INUNDATED WITH THEM.
I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY OVER, I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY OVER A COUPLE HUNDRED NOW.
UH, I LOST TRACK AT 150 OR 160.
UH, AND, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS OVERWHELMED.
WE DON'T HAVE A CENTRAL PROCESSING SYSTEM TO DO THIS.
UH, THE STAFF IS DOING THE BEST THEY CAN.
HOWEVER, THIS WOULD HELP US MANAGE EVERYTHING, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S IN LINE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT OUR ATTORNEYS THAT ARE REVIEWING IT, GET IT AS WELL, AND THAT WE GET IT BACK IN A TIMELY MANNER AND THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT PUTTING THE CITY IN JEOPARDY AND STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTIONS? NO.
HAS ANYBODY PILOTED THE SOFTWARE? WE'RE ABOUT TO, NO, WE HAVEN'T.
ANY REC, LIKE ANY, UM, EXPERIENCE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHER CITIES THAT ARE USING THE SOFTWARE? YES.
CITY SECRETARIES, UM, SEVERAL CITY SECRETARIES ACTUALLY USE THE SOFTWARE.
SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY USER FRIENDLY MM-HMM
UH, WE HAVE STAFF THAT HAS EXPERIENCE USING IT AND, UH, THIS IS RECOMMENDED BY THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
SO THIS IS MEANT TO FUNNEL THE REQUEST TO STREAMLINE THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
UM, BUT IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND WRITES ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND SUBMIT IT TO THE CITY SECRETARY, THAT WILL STILL BE AN OPTION.
WELL, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE OPTIONS, BUT THIS, THIS ACTUALLY STREAMLINES ANYONE HAVING TO DO PAYMENTS.
WE CAN TRACK THE PROGRESS AND MAKE SURE, LEMME LET ME CHECK ONE QUESTION, MS. STEPHANIE, HOW MANY, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE USE ELECTRONIC
[01:10:01]
BILLING WITH OUR, DO YOU KNOW THAT ANSWER? SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.HOW MANY CITIZENS USE WHAT PERCENTAGE USE ELECTRONIC BILLING? BALLPARK? YOU MEAN LIKE THEY HAVE A DIRECT DEPOSIT SET UP? DIRECT DEPOSIT, I DON'T KNOW, ABOUT 25.
SO 75% OF PEOPLE STILL LIKE PAPER.
UH, THEY COME AND SEND EITHER A CHECK, THEY COME AND PAY THEIR BILL, OR THEY USED TO PAY LIKE ONLINE, BUT THEY DO IT.
BECAUSE IT TELLS ME THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS NOT UP TO PAR WITH, WITH TECHNOLOGY.
SO THEY MAY STILL, IF HAVE THIS, MIGHT NOT HELP OUR REQUEST FUNNELING OUR REQUESTS.
SO IF I HAVE TO, IF I HAD TO ADD SOMETHING, YEAH, I WOULD SAY ABOUT 95 OR GREATER OF THE, OF THE, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS ARE THEY'RE COMING IN DIGITAL.
AND THEN ALSO THAT WOULD HELP US KEEP TRACK OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED.
SO IT WOULD ONLY, NOT ONLY HELP THE CITIZENS TO SUBMIT THEIR THINGS, BUT ALSO FOR US TO KEEP TRACK OF THEM.
A TRACKING TOOL, IT'S A TRACKING TOOL.
IT'S MORE THAN A TRACKING TOOL, RIGHT? UM, SO IT'LL TRACK MORE THAN JUST ACTUALLY RECEIVING IT.
IT'LL SEE WHO NEEDS TO APPROVE IT, WHO'S ACTUALLY SEEN IT, AND WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE ACTUALLY UPLOADED.
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HOUND THE STAFF OF, HEY, WHERE'S THIS DOCUMENT? WHERE'S THIS, THIS EMAIL WHERE I ALREADY SENT IT.
IT'S JUST RIGHT THERE IN ONE CENTRALIZED LOCATION OF DATA.
ALL DIRECTORS, UH, THEIR ADMINS PLUS ONE WILL BE TRAINED ON THE SOFTWARE AS WELL, SO THAT WAY EVERYONE ACCOUNTABILITY.
MAY I APPROACH? I JUST PAID MY WATER BILL FIVE MINUTES BEFORE GETTING HERE, SO
SO DONNA, JUST, UM, I THINK FOR THE BENEFIT OF, UM, WELL, I GUESS TO FINISH COM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMS COMMENT.
SO IF SOMEBODY DID CA THEY DID COME IN AND WANTED TO SUBMIT SOMETHING IN, I GUESS IN WRITING OR IN PERSON, I MEAN, THAT WOULD GET ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM.
SEE, THAT'S, IT'LL BE, IT'LL, I MEAN, STAFF STAFF WOULD MAKE IT, PUT IT IN THE QUEUE.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
IT'LL BE PDF AND SENT OVER TO THE DIRECTOR WHERE THE DEPARTMENT BELONGS TO.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE THAT, SO I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO FOR THIS ONE INDIVIDUAL, I'M NOT GONNA SAY NAMES ALWAYS ASKING FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
THERE IS A CHARGE, THERE IS A CHARGE THAT WILL BE PUT ONTO THE SYSTEM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY NOW? CORRECT.
SO, UM, THERE'S A CHARGE ASSESSED EITHER WAY.
UM, REGARDLESS OF THE SYSTEM, THERE'S A FORMULA THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING, UM, THAT THE CODE ALLOWS.
UM, SO WE ARE ASSESSING THE CHARGE ON EACH OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS CURRENTLY.
I'M ALL FOR TECHNOLOGY AS LONG AS IT STREAMLINES THE PROCESS, SO, OKAY.
SO WELL THEN THAT JUST BRINGS UP ANOTHER QUESTION, WHICH IS REALLY NOT RELEVANT TO THIS.
SO MAYBE I SHOULDN'T, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE POINT OF DIGITIZING THE, UH, ALL OF OUR RECORDS IN THE PAST.
WE, IS THAT STILL ON THE TABLE SOMEWHERE? WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR MORE ECONOMICAL OPTIONS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION MAYOR? I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORALES SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NAVARRO.
[4. Consideration and possible action to award RFP 2025-04-001, Landrum Park Restroom Project to A Plus Homes, LLC.]
CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION AWARD.RFP 2 0 2 5 DASH OH FOUR DASH ZERO ONE LANDRUM PARK RESTROOM PROJECT TWO A PLUS HOMES, LLC MAYOR COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS A-C-D-B-G FUNDED PROJECT.
UM, IT'S THE LAST OF MY TO-DO LIST WHEN Y'ALL INTERVIEWED ME BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2023.
I KNOW ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WANTED IT IS NO LONGER HERE, BUT I GUESS WE CAN GET WORD TO HER.
BUT, UM, WE, WE WENT OUT FOR BIDS.
UM, WE GOT ONE BID IN IT'S, IT'S BEEN TAKEN TO THE CDBG BOARD AND STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
SO WE CAN GET STARTED ON THIS.
FRED, HOW LONG HAS THIS PROJECT BEEN PENDING? BEFORE I GOT HERE.
AND WE, WE ARE GETTING CLOSE TO LOSING IT AND WE NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY AND WE NEED TO SPEND IT.
SO, SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? I GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GOMAN.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NAVARRO.
[5. Discussion and action to select dates for a City Commission training on Effective Governance.]
NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION AND ACTION.SELECT DATES FOR A CITY COMMISSION TRAINING ON EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE.
MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A ITEM THAT I RECOMMENDED TO, UH, MR. VAL.
UH, THESE ARE TRAININGS THAT WE PUT ON FOR MANY MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE AS WELL AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE ITEM SAYS, EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE.
IT DOES SHOW THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POLICY MAKERS, UH, AND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE STAFF AND AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, OFTENTIMES, UH, WE HAVE SEEN IN, IN OUR, I GUESS, EXPERIENCE, UH, SOMETIMES THOSE LINES CAN GET A LITTLE BLURRED.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU ARE GOVERNING EFFECTIVELY.
SO IF Y'ALL COULD CHOOSE SOME DATES, LOOK AT Y'ALL'S CALENDARS.
[01:15:01]
UH, TO HOST THAT TRAINING FOR YOU GUYS.IS THIS THE SAME THING LIKE
SO COMMISSIONERS, ANY DATES, WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE PROPOSE SOME DATES TO Y'ALL AND WE'LL BRING 'EM BACK HERE IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE WEEKS? OKAY.
WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE THREE OPTIONS ON THE DATES, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT 90 DAYS, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU ALL.
SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION? GET A MOTION DATE, DON'T Y'ALL JUST PICK SOMETHING AND WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
WHAT'S THAT? I MEAN, JUST PICK SOME DATES, RUN IT WITH THE COMMISSION.
GET AN IDEA WHEN THEY CAN DO IT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CHOOSING THIS RIGHT NOW.
[1. Consideration and possible action to remove, appoint, or reappoint members to the Planning and Zoning Commission for the places and terms starting and expiring as shown: a) Place 3 - Current Term June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025 b) Place 4 - Current Term June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025]
BOARD APPOINTMENTS.ITEM, UH, I GUESS BOARD APPOINTMENTS.
ITEM NUMBER ONE, CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION.
UH, TO REMOVE, RE TO REMOVE APPOINT REAPPOINT MEMBERS TO THE P AND Z COMMISSION.
AND THE TERMS ARE STARTING AND EXPIRING AS SHOWN.
JUNE 1ST, 2024 TO MAY 31ST, 2025.
THE FOLLOWING TERMS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL TO COMPLY WITH STAGGERED TERMS. PLACES THREE AND FOUR R ONE YEAR TERMS. THEY'RE SET TO EXPIRE.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE FOR A YEAR FROM OH, THE NEXT ONE? THIS, YEAH, I'M SORRY.
NO, THOSE ARE THE EXPIRATION DATES.
THEY'RE ONLY TWO YEAR TERMS. THESE ARE ONE YEAR TERMS. PLACE THREE AND FOUR OR ONE YEAR TERMS, REALLY? OH, I'LL JUST MAKE A MOTION TO KEEP THE SAME NU, UH, BOARD MEMBER.
I DO WANNA MENTION THAT THE CURRENT PLACE THREE, UM, HAS BEEN ABSENT THREE TIMES AND YOU BROUGHT ME THAT.
WELL, HE DOES MANAGE A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, SO, CORRECT.
I'LL GET WITH HIM BEFORE I MAKE MY NOMINATION.
SO, SO YOU RESEND MY, UH,
I'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH MY APPOINTEE.
UH, MAYOR POT ALVAN TO TABLE PLACE.
ANY NAYS? MOTION PASSES TO TABLE.
HE ALSO HAS MISSED SEVERAL MEETINGS.
SO I GOT A MOTION, UH, FOR, UH, HECTOR GOMEZ BY COMMISSIONER NAVARROS.
[2. Consideration and possible action to remove, appoint, or reappoint a member to the Zoning Board of Adjustments Commission for the place and terms starting and expiring as shown: a) Place 3 - Current Term June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025 b) Place 4 - Current Term June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025]
TWO CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION REPORT.REAPPOINT MEMBER TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS OR ZBA PLACE THREE.
SAME TERMS, SAME EXPIRATION DATES.
THESE ARE ALSO FOR ONE YEAR TERMS FOR PLACE THREE AND FOUR.
UM, AND IT WILL BE SET TO EXPIRE MAY 31ST.
I THOUGHT THESE WERE SUPPOSED TO LINE UP WITH THE ELECTIONS.
UM, NOMINATE, UH, THE SAME APPOINTMENT.
HE SIT, HE SAT ON THAT BOARD PRIOR TO MY TIME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DECADES AT THIS POINT.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE THERE.
I, SO I GOT THE MAYOR GALVAN FOR NO GALVAN.
SO I GET A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.
I BELIEVE THIS IS MIGUEL GARCIA.
[01:20:01]
YES.OKAY, SO I GET THE COMMISSIONER NAVARRO FOR MIGUEL GARCIA.
[3. Consideration and possible action to remove, appoint, or reappoint members to the Parks and Recreation Board for the places and terms starting and expiring as shown: a) Place 1 - Current Term June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2026 b) Place 4 - Current Term June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2027]
CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY TO REMOVE REAPPOINT OR APPOINT A REAPPOINT MEMBERSHIP PARKS AND REC BOARD, UH, PLACE ONE AND PLACE FOUR TERMS FROM JUNE 1ST.PLACE ONE IS 20 JUNE 20 JUNE 1ST, 2023 TO MAY 31ST.
UM, WHY ARE WE RENEWING RIGHT NOW? THIRD, 26, RIGHT? NO, THERE'S ONLY THREE THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
WELL, YOU GOT ONE HERE THAT ENDS IN 2026.
THERE'S, I BELIEVE THERE'S THREE THAT, UH, NEED TO BE REAPPOINTED.
YOU LAWYER HAVING A PARKS AND RECS.
HOW OFTEN IS PARKS AND RECS MEETING? WELL, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE MET YET.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE HAVE A, UH, SINCE WE'RE SORRY, THE, I GOT, UM, SINCE WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE MASTER PARK PLAN AND TRYING TO SUBSEQUENTLY, UH, APPLY FOR THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, UH, I THINK IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT GRANT, UM, IN AUGUST, I BELIEVE.
UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A COMPLETE PARKS BOARD OR THESE, NOT THESE MEMBERS.
NOT, THEY'RE NOT, THESE ARE LACKING.
YEAH, THEY'RE VACANT, RIGHT? THESE ARE VACANT.
SOME ARE LACKING, SOME ARE VACANT AND SOME ARE JUST, IT'S NEVER MET.
WELL, IT'S ONLY PLACE ONE AND PLACE FOUR.
I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE A PLACE ONE OR PLACE ONE? CORRECT.
COMMISSIONER, UH, GOODMAN TO TABLE.
DO IN FAVOR? UM, WE, WE NEED THIS FOR THE GRANT.
SO WE NEED A, WHEN IS OUR DEADLINE, MR. ELI? UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
THE PARKS, UM, MASTER PARK PLAN.
I BELIEVE THE DEADLINE IS MAY.
AND THEN THE APPLICATION FOR THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE IS JUNE OR JULY.
SO IF WE NEED TO MEET QUICKLY, THEN MAYOR, TO GET THIS AND GET THIS UP AND RUNNING, WE NEED TO DO THAT.
WE, I MEAN, A SPECIAL SESSION IF WE NEED TO, BUT BEFORE TWO WEEKS, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET SOME MONEY, IT'S BIG MONEY.
WE GOT A BOARD TO GO APPOINT SOMEBODY.
WE GOT A BOARD THAT HASN'T MET, THAT HASN'T MET.
AND, AND WHEN HERE, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SOMEBODY ON THERE FOR A BOARD THAT HASN'T MET, WE JUST KIND OF DISCOVERED THIS, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING NEW FOR US.
THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN INACTIVE.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ACTIVATE IT.
YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO ACTIVATE THIS.
IT HAS BEEN UNACTIVE FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, LET'S LOOK AT SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE ON BEAUTIFY SAN BENITO.
WE HAVE, UM, I HAD APPOINTED, UH, JUAN MAYA.
UM, I CAN PROBABLY GET HIM TO DO THAT.
SO I GOT THE RESEND FOR PLACE ONE.
UH, LET ME RESEND MY TABLE MOTION.
OKAY, SO WE GOT, THE NEXT ONE IS GONNA BE BY COMMISSIONER GOODMAN.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MARLEY.
SCOPE COMMISSIONER, IF YOU COULD GET THE NAME OF THE APPOINTMENT, THEIR EMAIL AND THEIR PHONE NUMBER TO THE CITY SECRETARY.
SHE, SHE'S ALREADY GOT ALL THIS INFORMATION.
COMMISSIONER NORO, I'D LIKE TO APPOINT MR. MARK LOPEZ.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? UH, SHE ALREADY HAS SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.
[4. Discussion and possible action on the City of San Benito Animal Advisory Committee.]
FOUR, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CITY OF SANTO ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.ACCORDING TO ORDINANCE, THIS STATES THAT IT HAS TO HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, ONE MEMBER AND EMPLOYEE OF THE, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT ANIMAL GROUP.
A VETERINARIAN AND A PUBLIC ADVOCATE ACCORDING TO THE CITY ORDINANCE.
SO THE, THE REASON I PUT, I'VE ASKED DEBORAH MOROZ TO HELP ME WITH PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA, WAS TO GET YOU GUYS TO AGREE TO REACTIVATE THE BOARD.
[01:25:01]
AND WHO WILL BE IN CHARGE OF IT? ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.SO I REALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE IT SEPARATE, MAYBE NOT SEPARATE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT GET OUR OWN DIRECTOR FOR THIS ANIMAL CONTROL.
BECAUSE CHIEF HAS A LOT THAT'S POINT.
POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A LOT ON THAT.
HAS GETTING OTHER CALLS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WHATNOT.
THE DOGS SHOULDN'T BE THAT ISSUE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE POINT.
I I REALLY DIDN'T WANNA, YOU'RE RIGHT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST CREATE, SEE WHO WOULD CONTROL IT.
I THINK UP TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MAKE THAT DECISION SINCE IT WOULD HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, UH, ONE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER, A VETERINARIAN, AND ONE ANIMAL ADVOCATE, WHICH WE HAVE A FEW NONPROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UNLESS WE NEED TO RE-LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF WE NEED TO EVERY DOES EVERYBODY WANT A PLACE? ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN? I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
YOU COULD, WE COULD REWRITE IT AND BRING IT BACK IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE A PLACE ON THERE.
THE WAY I THINK IT MIGHT BE REQUIRED BY STATE TO HAVE IT LIKE THAT.
AND YOU COULD PROBABLY ADD TWO, TWO MORE FOR IF ANYBODY WANTS SEATS.
MY WIFE IS NO, SHE, SHE'S A BIG ADVOCATE ON THE NUMBERS.
YOU START GETTING TOO MANY PEOPLE, YOU GET TOO MANY OPINIONS.
OKAY, SO THAT THE, WHAT DO YOU WANT? DO YOU WANNA TABLE IT? THE GOAL IS JUST TO REACTIVATE THE GROUP.
MARY, CAN YOU ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO REACTIVATE THIS COMMITTEE? OKAY.
I HAVE A MOTION TO REACTIVATE THIS, UH, UH, ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
YOU HAVE A SECOND? UH, SECOND.
DO THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT SIGN THEY'RE GONNA DO OR THIS? TOTALLY.
I THINK THEY, THEY YOU HAVE, UH, IT'S, UH, ALL THE GUIDANCE, RIGHT? OR RULES PRETTY MUCH ON THE ORDINANCE.
IT STATES THEY HAVE TO MEET A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF TIMES PER YEAR.
AND I THINK IT'S STATE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE IT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT WHY WE DO HAVE IT.
WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND MAKE SURE BEFORE THEIR FIRST MEETING, THEY HAVE ALL THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
STEPHANIE JUST FOUND SOME GREAT INTEREST RATES WITH THOSE BANKS.
SOMEONE'S GONNA HAVE TO FUND IT.
AND I THINK AGAIN, WE NEED TO DO A PROACTIVE APPROACH ON THIS ISSUES THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF STRAY ANIMALS.
UM, I KNOW WE JUST HAD ONE FRIDAY THAT GOT WITH THE CHIEF ABOUT STRAY ANIMALS AND WHATNOT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE, UM, AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND NOT SIT ON IT.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
UH, SEVEN O'CLOCK.WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MAYOR, ACTUALLY WE DON'T NEED EXECUTIVE SESSION THURSDAY.
WHAT DON'T, BECAUSE, UH, WAITING ON SOME INFORMATION ON THE COURT OF APPEALS.
UM, THERE, THERE IS ONE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM.
THERE IS WHAT IS HERE? OKAY, SO WE ARE GOING TO SIX.
7:00 AM 7:00 PM TIME IS, UH, TIME IS, UH, SEVEN 40.
WE'RE BACK FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ON THE ITEMS DISCUSSING THERE, UH, NO ACTION ON ONE AND TWO.