[00:00:06]
NOTICE OF[CALL TO ORDER]
THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARD CITY COMMISSION.THE DATE IS SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026.
THE TIME IS 5:35 PM MS. MCGINNIS, CAN WE HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? YES, SIR.
PRESENT, COMMISSIONER DANIEL CORTEZ.
PRESENT, COMMISSIONER, UH, VICTOR GONZALEZ.
WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE US FLAG AND THE TEXAS FLAG PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN LIBERTY OF JUSTICE, ONE STATE, GOD, PLEASE REMAIN STANDING.
UH, ATTORNEY ERIC FLORES WILL LEAD US IN THE INVOCATION.
THANK YOU, MAYOR SP OUR HEADS IN PRAYER.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS, THANKFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF GATHERING TOGETHER TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF SAN BENITO.
LORD, WE KNOW THAT LEADERSHIP IS NOT SIMPLY A POSITION, IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY AND A CALLING.
SO TONIGHT, GRANT, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, MAYOR AND ALL CITY COMM, UH, COMMISSION OUR STAFF AND EVERYONE GATHERED HERE THE WISDOM TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND THE HUMILITY TO ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO WE ARE HERE TO SERVE.
BLESS THIS GREAT CITY AND THE FAMILIES WHO WE CALL SAN BENITO HOME.
BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE WHO WORKS EACH DAY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, PROTECT THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES.
REMIND US THAT WHILE WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE, WE CAN STILL WORK TOGETHER WITH RESPECT, PURPOSE, AND A SHARED LOVE FOR THIS GREAT COMMUNITY.
LET OUR WORDS TONIGHT BE THOUGHTFUL, OUR JUDGMENT, BE SOUND, AND OUR ACTIONS WORTHY OF THE TRUST PLACED IN US.
MAY WE NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE GENERATIONS WHO COME BEFORE US, WHO WORKED IN SACRIFICE TO BUILD THIS COMMUNITY WHERE IT'S AT.
AND MAY WE LEAVE SAN BENITO STRONGER FOR THE GENERATIONS THAT WE'LL FOLLOW.
LORD HEAVENLY FATHER, GUIDE THIS MEETING, GUIDE OUR LEADERS AND CONTINUE TO PLACE YOUR HAND OF PROTECTION AND BLESSING OVER THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
[ANNOUNCEMENT(S) ]
ANNOUNCEMENTS.UM, DO WE HAVE SOMEONE PRESENTING THE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO MR. ANA? THE, UH, UM, I HAVE A PRESENTATION, UM, UH, MAYOR AND COMPUTERS ANNOUNCEMENT.
I THINK, UH, MS. RUTH HAS A MAYOR.
UH, SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2026 FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM UH, PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION AT THE RGB FOOD BANK RIDE, UM, DRIVE-THRU AT SAN BENITO FAIRGROUNDS, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 1501 CESAR GONZALEZ PARKWAY.
AND THIS IS WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.
UH, ALSO WANT TO ANNOUNCE, UH, SEPTEMBER 12, UM, 2026 FROM 6:00 PM TO 10:00 PM UH, MARKET DAYS.
UH, VIVA SANTO AT HISTORIC ROBINSON STREET.
THIS IS A KICKOFF TO HIS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AT 8:30 PM UH, MOVIE NIGHT.
WE, WE HAVE A, WE, WE HAVE A NEW SECTION NOW.
IT'S A MOVIE NIGHT FOR, FOR KIDS, AND THIS IS AT THE OLD SKATE PARK.
UM, AND WE'LL BE HAVING A, UM, SHOW WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE SHOWING ENCANTO, SO JUST, UH, TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW TO BRING THEIR CHAIRS AND ENJOY THE EVENING WITH US.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WHILE THE KIDS, UM, ENJOY THE MOVIE, THEIR PARENTS CAN DO THE SHOPPING.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, SOME, UH, CRAFTS AND SOME ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS AS WELL.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE AT THE OLD SKATE PARK.
UM, AND THAT, THAT IS ALL I HAVE, MA'AM.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
MS. RUTH MCGINNIS, DO WE HAVE ANYONE PRESENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, SIR.
[PRESENTATION(S) ]
MOVE ON TO PRESENTATIONS.UM, THE FIRST PRESENTATION, MONICA RODRIGUEZ, PLANNING MANAGER PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
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THIS IS A PRESENTATION, I'M SORRY.MY NAME IS JUAN RODRIGUEZ, PLANNING MANAGER ON PERMITS FIRE AND PARKS AND RECREATION REVENUE FEE ANALYSIS AND PROPOSE AMENDMENTS FOR PERMITS.
I'M GONNA GO OVER GENERAL FUND REVENUES, BREAKDOWN OF PERMITS, FIRE PERMITS, BUILDING PERMIT FEE COMPARISON, AND PARKS AND RECREATION.
THIS IS A GENERAL FUND REVENUE BY YEAR.
TOTAL COLLECTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324 WAS 322,383.
UNDER LICENSE AND PERMITS TOTAL COLLECTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, I MEAN 24 25 WAS 296,489.
ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25 26 WAS 330 705.
AND YEAR TO DATE CURRENT IS 283,774.
PLANNING AND ZONING WAS BUDGETED FOR 15,000.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE COLLECTED 19,250 IN PARK USE FEES.
TOTAL COLLECTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 25 WAS $675.
ADOPTED BUDGET WAS $500, AND YEAR TO DATE IS $5,005.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF PERMITS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 26.
IT'S NOT YET COMPLETE AS OF THE DATE OF THE REPORTS.
THERE ARE STILL FIVE AND A HALF WEEKS LEFT AT THE TIME THAT I DID THIS REPORT.
AND THE BLUE SECTION, OR THE NUMBER OF PERMITS, NUMBER OF PERMITS DECREASED BY 14% FROM FISCAL YEAR 23 TO 24 TO FISCAL YEAR 24 TO 25, AND DECREASE IN ADDITIONAL 3% FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 TO 25 TO FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 IN THE PURPLE SECTION.
DESPITE THE DECREASE IN PERMIT VOLUME, THE TOTAL VALUE OF PROJECT INCREASE FROM 7% FROM FISCAL YEAR 2324 TO FISCAL YEAR 24 25, AND INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY BY 61% FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 25 TO FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
IN THE GREEN SECTION, FEES CHARGED, FEES COLLECTED DECREASED BY 5% FROM 2324 TO FISCAL YEAR 24 25, BUT INCREASED BY 19% FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 25 TO 25 26.
THE CITY'S PROPOSING TO AMEND THE BUILDING PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE DUE TO A DECLINE IN COMMERCIAL PERMIT FEES, DESPITE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL PERMITS AND THE OVERALL VALUE OF COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT I JUST READ TO YOU FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE IN THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PERMIT PROJECT VALUE AND FEES CHARGED CAN BE ATTRIBUTED IN PART TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S.
AMENDED FEE SCHEDULE ADOPTED ON JUNE 23RD, 2025 THROUGH ORDINANCE 25 73 C 6 20 25, AS PART OF THE UPDATED PROCESS OF FIRE REVIEW APPLICATION IS NOW REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED, WHICH HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS PROCESSED.
THE AMENDED FEE SCHEDULE AND ADDITIONAL REVIEW REQUIREMENT CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERALL INCREASE IN PERMIT ACTIVITY, PERMIT VALUES AND FEES COLLECTED DURING FISCAL YEAR 25 26 PERMITS INCREASED 724% FROM FISCAL YEAR 23 TO 24 TO FISCAL YEAR 24 25, FOLLOWED BY A 1% INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 25 TO 25 26.
PROJECT VALUE INCREASED 65% FROM FISCAL YEAR 2324 TO FISCAL YEAR 24 25, AN INCREASE IN ADDITIONAL 67% FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 25 TO FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
FEES CHARGED ALSO INCREASED FROM 79% FROM FISCAL YEAR 2324 TO 24 25 AND INCREASE IN ADDITIONAL 63% FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 25 TO FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
I HAVE ATTACHED A SLIDE IN FROM OTHER CITIES.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE, BUT IT IS IN THE FEE SCHEDULE ORDINANCE THAT, UM, ON THE FIRST READING THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET TODAY, NEXT UP IS PARKS AND REC.
DEANNA'S GONNA BE PRESENTING GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR COMMISSIONERS FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
UH, THE PARK USE FEES DID DECREASE FROM 24 TO 25, AND THEN THEY FOLLOWED AN INCREASE IN FROM 25 TO 26.
THAT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO SOME TOURNAMENTS WE HAD AT THE PARKS.
ALTHOUGH THE, THE FIELDS, YOU KNOW, NEED SOME TLC, IT'S SOMETHING
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THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON.UH, THE COMMUNITY BUILDING ALSO NEEDS SOME SEVERE TLC, UM, THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN RENTING OUT.
THERE WERE SOME SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, THAT WE DID LEND OUT THE COMMUNITY BUILDING, BUT IT'S STILL IN DIRE NEED OF NEED OF REPAIRS.
AND THEN AS FAR AS OUR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, THEY, THEY WERE OKAY.
THEY WERE STAGNANT FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEY HAVE INCREASED AND OUR NUMBERS ARE CONSTANTLY INCREASING FOR RECREATION.
OUR FALL PROGRAMS, UH, THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE PRETTY HEALTHY AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO BE BIGGER THAN LAST YEAR'S REC NUMBERS AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE, UM, RECOMMENDING SOME CHANGES TO THE BASEBALL FIELD RENTAL SPECIFICALLY ONLY BECAUSE WE DO GET A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR PRACTICE USE FROM OUTSIDE TEAMS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY FROM SAN BENITO.
UM, WE DO GET A LOT OF SAN BENITO TEAMS AS WELL, AND IT'S JUST TO HELP KIND OF CONTROL THAT USE FOR PRACTICE.
AND ALSO TO, UH, PRETTY MUCH CHANGE THE, THE FEES FOR RENTALS FOR TOURNAMENTS WHERE SOME OF THE LOWEST IN THE VALLEY.
AND WE HAVE MORE FIELDS THAN A LOT OF PLACES DO.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE SHOWCASE THAT VALUE, UM, IN THE ACTUAL RENTAL FEE AND POSSIBLY LOOK TO USING THOSE FEES TO PUT BACK INTO THAT PARK.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS, UM, IS ABOUT PER PARKS AND RECREATION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS ANY QUESTIONS? I WOULD, UM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PARK, UH, PARK LAND FEES THAT WE HAD ADOPTED A FEW YEARS BACK.
COULD YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE? YES.
IS IT CALLED PARK USE FEES OR NO? IS IT, IS IT, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IN THE SLIDE? THIS, THE PARK LAND FEES, AND THEY'RE MAINLY WHEN DEVELOPERS COME IN AND THEY'RE CHARGED US THE FEED TO DEVELOP SOME SORT OF PARKLAND USE IN THAT GENERAL AREA, IN THAT QUADRANT.
UM, THERE AREN'T A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THOSE, I DON'T THINK.
DO WE HAVE THAT PRESENTED ON THE PRESENTATION? WE DO, WE DO CHARGE 600, UH, DOLLARS PER LOT THAT'S COMING IN, BUT I BELIEVE THAT GOES TO ZONE.
UM, IT GETS, IT'S ITS OWN ACCOUNT, SO EACH ZONE WILL HAVE ITS OWN FUNDS FOR IT, DEPENDING ON WHAT DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA.
I WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO BE PRESENTED AS WELL, JUST SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN IDEA.
I THINK THIS WAS, YOU GUYS DID A PHENOMENAL JOB PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, SO WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH THE BUDGET.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD DIRECT MR. MR. ENA ON STAFF TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS PRESENTATION QUARTERLY SO WE CAN KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT, WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, I THINK THAT WHAT PROMPTED THE QUESTION IS I SAW UNDER THE TOTAL LICENSES AND PERMITS, IT WENT FROM 437 IN 20 23, 20 24, IT WENT FROM 437,210 TO 296,489 IN 20 24, 20 25.
AND THE BUDGET BOOK PRESENTED, RIGHT.
SO IF WE, THE INTENT WAS THAT WHEN WE REVISE THOSE FEES, THAT WE WOULD SEE MORE INCOME, BUT IT WAS PRETTY MUCH CUT 40%, 30%, MM-HMM
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE RESIDENTIAL GROWTH, THERE'S COMMERCIAL GROWTH.
I KNOW LEGISLATION MADE SOME CHANGES ABOUT HOW WE COULD CHARGE THINGS.
SO WE DID, WE DID BRING IT BEFORE, UH, CITY COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL IN 2024 AND DECEMBER OF 2024.
THAT FEE SCHEDULE WAS NOT WORKING WITH COMMERCIAL.
I KNOW THEY WERE COMPLAINING THAT THEY WERE, THE FEES WERE TOO HIGH.
UM, SO WE WERE ASKED TO REVISIT THE FEE SCHEDULE AND REVERT BACK TO WHO SAID THE FEES WERE TOO HIGH, THE CONTRACTORS, PLUMBING CONTRACTORS AND, UH, COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS WHO MADE THE DECISION TO USE THE OWED FEE SCHEDULE.
UM, AD ADMINISTRATION ASKED US TO REVIEW
[00:15:01]
THE FEE SCHEDULE AND, AND USE, GO BACK TO THE OLD FEE SCHEDULE.SO, BUT THE FEE SCHEDULE WAS DEVELOPED BY ORDINANCE, BY CITY COMMISSION AND DOES THE CITY, SO I GUESS I'LL DEFER TO MR. FLORES.
SO DOES ADMINISTRATION HAVE UNILATERAL AUTHORITY TO RE TO CHANGE FEES? WE HAD, WE HAD ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE MM-HMM
EXPECTING A PARTICULAR AMOUNT OF INCOME.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX CUTS, TAX RATE CUTS.
BUT WE CAN'T BECAUSE THE FEES AREN'T THERE BASED ON OUR PROJECTIONS ON THE NEW FEE SCHEDULE.
WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT ADMINISTRATION MADE A DECISION TO USE AN OLD FEE SCHEDULE UNTIL WE WOULD REVIEW THE FEE SCHEDULE.
SO, SO HOW, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT DECISION GET MADE WITHOUT COMMISSION APPROVAL? UH, FEE SCHEDULES ARE TYPICALLY APPROVED.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THEY'RE BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU GUYS, UH, MAYOR, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CODIFIED APPROPRIATELY.
I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS THERE IS JUST A REVIEW OF THOSE FEES AND THEY'RE BRINGING FORTH, UM, SOME POSSIBLE REVISIONS TO THAT I'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UM, WITH PLANNING IN REGARDS TO THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT LEGALLY AND STATUTORILY IT MAKES SENSE.
UM, MOVING FORWARD FOR THE CITY.
WHEN DID THEY DECIDE TO GO TO THE OLD FEE SCHEDULE? DO YOU HAVE THE DATE AND TIME? I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME, BUT I KNOW IT WAS EARLY 20, 25, SHORTLY AFTER THE ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED.
SO THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION AND THEN WE REVERTED TO THE OLD ONE.
THE, THE INTENT OF THIS IS TO, UH, AND, AND, UH, NUMBER THREE, YOU HAVE, UH, AN, UH, A REVISED ORDINANCE THAT WOULD, UH, CHANGE THE BUILDING PERMIT FEES AS WELL AS, UH, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME PARTS, CHANGE IT TO WHAT THE CONTRACTORS ARE EXPECTING.
CHANGE IT TO WHAT, WHAT, UH, IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT WE PREVIOUSLY HAD IN 2020.
WELL, NOT, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY SIMILAR, BUT ALSO COMPETITIVE WITH WHAT, WITH OTHER CITIES, WHAT THE OTHER, SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.
AND ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE TO LOOK A LOT OF THE ENGINEERING, ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS, THE DRAINAGE AND RETENTION PLANS.
SO A LOT OF THAT REQUIRES, UM, A LOT OF THE STAFF TIMES.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE AT LEAST, UH, BREAK EVEN WITH THE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT OUR STAFF IS PUTTING IN.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING.
AND I THINK MOST OF OUR CHANGES REALLY ARE, OUR REVISIONS ARE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE AT LEAST BREAKING EVEN ON, ON THAT.
COULD YOU GIVE ME A, AN EXAMPLE OF HOW, LIKE A SMALL COMMERCIAL FOOTPRINT, LET'S SAY 10,000 SQUARE FEET, WOULD COMPARE TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET? SO FOR COMMERCIAL, WE GO BY, UM, WE GO BY COST OF CONSTRUCTION.
SO I DO HAVE ONE HERE 'CAUSE WE HAVE A FEW COMMERCIAL PROJECTS COMING IN.
THE PLANET FITNESS, WE HAVE, UH, THE, THE COUNTY JUST RENOVATED AN ENTIRE BUILDING.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DOING THEIR AUDITORIUM.
SO COULD YOU COMPARE THOSE LARGE STRUCTURES? A 10,000 TO A A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT FACILITY? SO WITH THE, WITH THE COMMERCIAL, WE CAN'T GO BY SQUARE FOOTAGE, BUT WE CAN GO BY COST.
SO ON A COMMERCIAL PROJECT OF 500,000, UM, OUR OLD FEE SCHEDULE WAS CHARGING 1575, WHICH IS ONE THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2024.
UM, THE ONE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS COMING OUT TO 19 80 50.
AND THAT'S PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS.
A THOUSAND, 1,505 80 WAS TOO EXPENSIVE.
IT'S A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PROJECT.
THIS IS WHERE IT GOES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, OUR OLD FEE SCHEDULE, THE ORIGINAL ONE WE HAD WAS 41,470.
THE ONE THAT WE CHANGED OVER TO BACK IN 2024, WHICH IS THE CURRENT ONE THAT'S ON RECORD.
'CAUSE IT WAS BY BASE FEE, NOT BY COST, NOT BY, UM, SQUARE FOOTAGE.
THE ONE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS 41,550, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO, A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR TO THE ORIGINAL ONE.
SO WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING? SO I KNOW SAN JUAN, IF YOU SEE ON THERE, THEY'RE CHARGING, UM, 2000 FOR THE FIRST $500,005 EACH ADDITIONAL THOUSAND.
AND IF WE GO WITH THAT ONE, THE FEE, THE PERMIT FEE WILL BE 89,000.
IS UM, THE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL HERE? NO.
WHAT ABOUT ANY, UH, ANYBODY THAT DOES THE BUILDING INSPECTIONS? NO, NO, NO.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEM IN THE COMMUNICATION.
RIGHT? SO IF WE RE-LOOK AT THIS, IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM.
I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO BE PRESENT BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY INSPECTIONS THEY'RE DOING.
ARE THEY DOING 5, 10, 15, 20, A HUNDRED? DOES IT GO UP INCREMENTALLY WHEN THEY'RE
[00:20:01]
DOING THESE LARGE PROJECTS? MM-HMMOR IS THIS JUST A, A SIGN AND APPROVE? THIS IS JUST THE FIRST READING MAYOR.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THEY'RE HERE FOR THE SECOND READING.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDED YOU INPUT INFORMATION ON WHAT THE OTHER AREAS ARE DOING.
'CAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING, I WANTED THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT NUMBER, YOU KNOW, I'M, WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY.
WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THE EMPLOYEES MORE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO MORE WITH LESS.
BUT THEN WHEN ADMINISTRATIVELY THINGS WERE BEING CHANGED BY DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, YOU KNOW, DID THIS COME TO, WAS IT A DEPARTMENT HEAD DECISION? WAS IT A CITY MANAGER DECISION? THOSE ARE ALL QUESTIONS THAT START TO COME UP.
SO I GUESS WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NE UNLESS NO COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO.
SO I THINK, UH, LOOKING AT THESE TYPE OF FEES QUARTERLY, WE WILL ENSURE THAT WE'RE STAYING IN LINE WITH POLICY AND ORDINANCE.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE ORDINANCE OR POLICIES WE'RE ADOPTING, THEN WHY ARE WE HERE? THEN? WE'RE JUST HURTING OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE HURTING OUR CITIZENS, BUT WE'RE HELPING THE COMMERCIAL BUILDERS.
WE'RE HELPING THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERS.
IF THEY CAN'T PAY THE SAME PRICE THAT THEY'RE PAYING AT NEIGHBORING CITIES, THEN RIGHT.
WE MOVE ON TO, UH, PRESENTATION OF THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.
MR. CARLOS ENA PRESENTING THE ITEM.
MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER JUST, UH, WANTED TO ADVISE THE COMMISSION THAT TOMORROW AND THE PUBLIC THAT TOMORROW WE WILL BE LAYING HOTMIX, UH, TO, UH, 600, 700 AND 800 BLOCK OF, UH, CHAPMAN STREET MRNA.
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? UH, 600, 700 AND 800 BLOCK OF CHAPMAN STREET.
THEY'RE FINISHING UP 600, 700, 800 BLOCK.
THEY'RE GONNA BE LAYING, UH, HOT MIX TOMORROW.
COULD YOU GO A LITTLE BIT INTO, IS THAT IT FOR MR. ENO? YES.
COULD YOU GO BRIEFLY INTO A LITTLE DETAIL OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE INDUSTRIAL PARK WITH OMNI? I SAW SOME WORK GOING ON OUT THERE.
IS THAT US OR SOMEONE ELSE? OMNI STA IS THE INDUSTRIAL PARK.
WE, WE WERE OUT THERE, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
WE WERE, UH, REPAIRING A, A LEAK UP THERE AND, AND JETTING SOME, UH, UH, A LEAK.
UH, I RIGHT BEHIND MCCOY, SO IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN CLEANING OUT THE, THE, THE STREET.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? WE'LL MOVE ON
[CONSENT AGENDA ITEM(S) ]
TO CONSENT.CONSIDERATION, POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 30TH, 2026, CITY OF SANTO WORKSHOP ONE.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE A FEW OTHER ITEMS, ITEMS 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU WANNA PULL ANY OF THESE OUT OR DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ONE, TWO, AND THREE, BOTH NUMBER FOUR.
I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT.
AGENDA ITEM ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
COMMISSIONER CORTEZ, UH, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PEREZ.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CORTEZ.
MOTION CARRIES FOR 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR.
WE'LL MOVE, UH, ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
[4.Consideration and possible action to approve the Second and Final Reading of Ordinance Number 2641-09-2026, an ordinance levying the Ad Valorem Property Tax Rate for the City of San Benito, Texas, for the year 2026 and repealing all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith.]
CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE 2 6 4 1 0 9 DASH 2026.UH, AN ORDINANCE LEVYING THE AVALARA TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF SANTO FOR THE YEAR 2026.
AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF THE ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HERE WITH STEPHANIE SAIO, SANANDA, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, STEPHANIE SAIA, FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UM, SO WHAT DO YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE SECOND RADIO FOR THE, FOR THE TAX RATE.
THIS IS, UH, WHERE WE ADOPT WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHICH IS, UH, IT'S JUST FINAL APPROVAL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DO.
UNDER, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS LIKE THE FIRST READING, UH, WAS INSTRUCTED FOR THE ONCE AND REDUCTION, WHICH IS WHAT OUR BUDGET CARRIES, UH, IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE
[00:25:01]
FORWARD.BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVEN'T HAD LIKE A FINAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WHERE EVERYBODY VOTES ON WHAT THAT, UH, THE RATE WILL BE.
SO I'M JUST SEEKING FOR YOUR, YOUR ADVICE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING OR BUDGET.
IF ANYTHING WITH LEAVING THAT SENT THERE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE OF A SURPLUS IN OUR BUDGET, UM, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, AND IF NOT, WE'RE STILL COVERED BECAUSE THIS BUDGET IS INTENDED TO SUPPORT EITHER OR, SO UP TO YOU ALL.
SO I MAKE A MOTION TO KEEP THE, UH, TAX THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO NO, NO INCREASE, NO DECREASE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BETIS TO LEAVE THE TAX RATE AS IS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
I HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
THIS, WE'LL MOVE TO A DISCUSSION.
MS. UH, STEPHANIE, WHAT'S THE, UH, CAN YOU GIVE US THE TOTAL OF THE DIFFERENCE OF THE AMOUNTS? UH, FOR THE, WE LEAVE IT THE SAME ONE AND 2 CENT.
IF WE LEAVE IT THE SAME, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, GIMME A SECOND.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT 0.0 0 7, 0 81 25, A HUNDRED THOUSAND HOME VALUE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, $708, UH, 0.1 25.
THEN IF YOU CHANGE THAT TO, UM, 1 CENT REDUCTION, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 69 8 0 0.0 0 6 9 8 1 25, 698 IN A B HOUSE OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UM, REVENUE, INCOME AND REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
YOU'RE LOOKING ABOUT $114,000 LESS THAT WE WOULD COLLECT IF WE LOWER THE TAX RATE.
UM, SO MS. STEPHANIE, I GUESS THIS, UH, MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR LEGAL.
WE APPROVED, UH, WE DID A READING OF A SECOND FINAL READING, ADOPTING A BUDGET.
WAS THAT ADOPTING A BUDGET BASED ON A 1 CENT TAX CRE DECREASE? UH, YES.
SO HOW CAN WE BE APPROVING A TAX RATE IF WE JUST ALL APPROVED THE BUDGET? SO THE BUDGET FOR A 1 CENT TAX DECREASE THE BUDGET.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, TIED TOGETHER WITH THE TAX RATE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
SECOND, READING THE BUDGETING, IT CAN BE, IT SUPPORTS TO HAVE THAT 1 CENT DECREASE.
SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE THAT THIS, IF YOU ALL DECIDE NOT TO LOWERED IT, IT'LL ADD ADDITIONAL MONIES TO THE SURPLUS OF THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S A BALANCED BUDGET.
IT COULD EITHER GO EITHER OR THE, SO THE BUDGET, IS IT A SURPLUS OF HOW MUCH ABOUT RIGHT NOW? 60.
IS THIS THE NUMBER HERE? TWO 62,000.
THE 316,705 IS, THAT'S HERE PRESENTED.
THAT'S WHAT THEY 1 CENT TAX DECREASE.
SO OUR REVENUES ARE OVER OUR EXPENSES.
THAT'S WHAT THIS BUDGET ENTAIL RIGHT NOW.
IF WE DECIDE WITH THAT, UH, ONCE IN, WE'LL PROBABLY BE BUDGETING.
THE REVENUES ARE, UH, IN A BUDGET BASIS, RIGHT? SO IF WE WERE TO LEAVE THAT SEND YOU WERE, LOOK, YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT LIKE A ONE 1074, 174,000 AROUND THERE AND, AND THAT ENDING NUMBER RIGHT THERE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD DO TO THE BUDGET, BUT IT WOULDN'T REALLY AFFECT OUR EXPENSES.
AND IT, THE BUDGET CAN BE ADOPTED.
UM, BEFORE WE DECIDE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH OUR, WITH OUR TAXES, IT, THEY GO HAND BY HAND.
HOW MUCH ARE WE EXPECTED TO HAVE A SURPLUS THIS FISCAL YEAR? WE HAVE A MONTH LEFT, RIGHT? OCTOBER TWO, ONE MONTH LEFT.
I, I CANNOT, I CANNOT, CANNOT.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THE NEXT MONTH? HOPEFULLY WE DON'T GET ANY, ANY STORMS, ANYTHING THAT, THAT WOULD PUT US IN A PREDICAMENT.
UM, TOP OF MY HEAD, I CANNOT, I CANNOT GIVE YOU THAT NUMBER.
UM, LATEST FINANCIALS, UH, I CAN REFER YOU TO THOSE.
WE WERE OVER ABOUT, UH, A MILLION 0.5 AND THE LATEST FINANCIALS.
SO WE STILL HAVE THREE MORE MONTHS TO COUNT.
'CAUSE I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RECONCILE THREE MONTHS RIGHT NOW.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM THE STREETS TEAM HERE OR WHO'S HANDLING IT? EDWARD.
DO WE HAVE A LI UH, HOW MANY BLOCKS WE COMPLETED THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR OR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR? TRADITIONALLY WE COMPLETE ABOUT MR. SIR.
CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? TRADITIONALLY WE'VE DONE ABOUT 80 BLOCKS A YEAR.
HOW MANY BLOCKS ARE WE SET TO TAKE CARE OF THIS YEAR WITH ONE MONTH LEFT? I DON'T HAVE THAT ROUGH NUMBER ON ME, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE.
I WOULD SAY MAYBE ABOUT FINISH, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T START EARLY END THE YEAR.
WE GOT STARTED A LITTLE BIT LATER.
[00:30:01]
20, MAYBE 15 TO 20 BUCKS.AND WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD.
WE GOT ANOTHER ONE AFTER THIS ONE.
WE'RE GONNA HIT WOODFORD AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DO MORE BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR ENDS.
I THINK WE'RE FURTHER AT LEAST.
SO WE HAVE A, A PROPOSED ONE POINT SOMETHING REMAINING FROM THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAVE A MONTH UNLESS, UH, PD AND FIRE ASK FOR A BUNCH OF TOYS, I'M SORRY, PUBLIC SERVICE EQUIPMENT, THEN, THEN
BUT THE PROPOSAL IS TO GIVE A 1 CENT TAX RATE DECREASE AND STILL HAVE A SURPLUS OF $60,000.
SO COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, I, WE HAD THE PRESENTATION FOR THE PERMIT FEES AND I, I HAD ASKED FOR THAT BECAUSE WHEN I SAW THAT ANOMALY, THAT HUGE DECREASE, I WANTED YOU TO SEE WHO'S GETTING THE SAVINGS.
DEVELOPERS ARE GETTING THE SAVINGS.
YOUR TA YOUR RESIDENTS AREN'T.
AND FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM A TAX DECREASE.
SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY ATTAINABLE.
BUT, UM, I DUNNO IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR THOUGHTS ON THE TAX RATE DECREASE.
MAYOR, I DON'T WANNA CUT, BUT, UH, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND THERE IS A SECOND.
CAN WE CONTINUE WITH THAT? SO THE ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER COMMISSIONER ALLOW YOU TO HAVE A MOTION A SECOND AND DISCUSSION CAN FOLLOW.
WHAT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION? I WOULD ALWAYS AIM FOR KEEPING THE REVENUE FOR THE CITY BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS GROWING.
IF OUR POPULATION GROWS, WE ARE GONNA NEED MORE POLICE OFFICERS.
WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE FIREFIGHTERS.
WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, MORE STREETS TO BE REPAIRED.
UH, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD ALWAYS, IT'S, IT'S HARDER TO PUT 'EM BACK UP.
UM, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER, UM, SUGGESTIONS THAT I HAD MADE WAS, UM, IF WE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE LOWERING IT, WHY DON'T WE GIVE IT A PURPOSE? AND THEN WE SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE NOT LOWERING, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE DIRECTING THIS TO THIS PROJECT FOR THE CITY.
AND THEN WE CAN JUST SHOW THAT WE DIDN'T LOWER IT FOR A REASON AND THEN THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF, LIKE MAYBE STREETS OR WHATEVER, THAT WE, WE WILL ADD MORE MONEY AT THE MIDYEAR AND SEE HOW WE'RE DOING THERE.
AND THEN SAYING, OKAY, WE DID NOT LOWER THE TAX RATE, BUT WE'RE DOING THIS WITH IT.
DO YOU KNOW, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON HOW MANY WATER BREAKS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST? UH, TWO, THREE MONTHS? AND, AND I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T EVEN THROW A NUMBER THERE, BUT IT'S AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT.
DO YOU, YOU PAY FOR 'EM WHEN THEY HAPPEN AND THEN I SEE ON THE UTILITIES, AMERICAN COMMISSIONERS, I'LL CONTINUE YOU GUYS AGAIN, WE'VE HAD TOO MANY TO KEEP COUNT.
I WAS NOT PREPARED 'CAUSE I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GONNA ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
BUT WE HAVE TOO MANY TO COUNT AND, UH, THEY'RE BREAKING LEFT AND RIGHT DUE TO OUR OLD INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT IS, SO JUST IN THIS PAST MONTH, I CAN TELL YOU THE MONTH IN AUGUST, JUST GOING THROUGH MY PHONE WHERE I KEEP, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATING WITH UTILITIES WITH YOU GUYS.
MS AND I BOTH HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
AT LEAST 20, MAYBE 25 IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
DO YOU KNOW, UH, AVERAGE WHAT IT COSTS A CITY EACH TIME WE HAVE TO SEND A CREW OUT TO FIX.
I DON'T HAVE THAT ESTIMATE COMMISSION.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ESTIMATE? NO SIR.
I CAN GET IT FOR YOU FOR THE NEXT MEETING, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT ON THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU EXACT NUMBERS.
SO DUE, DUE TO OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, WE DO HAVE A NEED FOR THAT MONEY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A NEED FOR STREETS ALSO AND A NEED FOR THE SHOP TOO.
THE SHOP NEEDS A LOT OF UPGRADES.
PUBLIC WORKSHOP, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, IF YOU HAVE A, A NEED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT, YOU NEED TO ALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS IN A, IN A BOND, UM, SO THAT YOU MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DOLLARS GO INTO THE INTEREST IN SEEKING FUND AND THEY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE TYPES OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
BUT I WOULD ASK EACH COMMISSIONER HERE TO VISIT OUR, UH, FACILITY, UH, PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY ON STANGER AND SEE HOW MUCH MATERIAL WE HAVE OUT THERE.
AND IT'S THE SAME MATERIAL THAT'S BEEN THERE SINCE I'VE STARTED AND HASN'T BEEN PUT INTO USE.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE BREAKS, THERE'S A LOT OF MATERIAL THAT'S JUST SITTING THERE.
SO ARE WE GONNA PUT IT TO WORK? ARE WE GONNA USE IT? AND I KNOW THE INTENT FOR MR. DENO WAS TO GET ANOTHER CREW TO HELP US DO SOME OF THAT WORK IN HOUSE AND TO SAVE US.
[00:35:01]
UM, THAT WAS THE COMMENT THAT YOU HAD MADE BEFORE.IS THAT DO, IS THAT YOUR STILL, YOUR, YOUR BELIEF IS THAT WE TAKE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS IN HOUSE.
IS IT GONNA SAVE US 50% OF THE DOLLARS? IT, IT CAN, UH, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS? I THINK THAT, UH, WE, WE ARE STILL ABLE TO DO IT WITH, WITH THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET THAT, THAT WE ARE PROPOSING.
EVEN IF WE KEEP KEEP THE, THE SAME TAX RATE, UH, THE INTENT IS TO TRY TO DO AS MANY OF THOSE, UH, PROJECTS IN HOUSE.
UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON SOMETIMES, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT DEPENDING ON, ON HOW BUSY WE ARE.
AND, AND THEN THERE'S A, THERE'S TIMES WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE LINES MAY BE TOO DEEP.
UH, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCE.
BUT THAT, THAT, THAT IS THE INTENT.
MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? UH, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR THE QUESTION AND JUST, UH, READY TO VOTE.
COMMISSIONER CORTEZ IS READY AND COMMISSIONERS, ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SO ANYBODY LOOKED AT THE BUDGET? ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A VOTING ON THE TABLE.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M GONNA LEAVE WITH IS LOOKING AT THE BUDGET FOR THE PAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS.
YOU KNOW, I CONTINUE TO SEE COST GO UP.
I SEE INFLATION GOES UP AND I SEE THAT AFFECTS US, RIGHT? SALES TAX RATE HAS PLATEAUED THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
HAVEN'T SEEN IT GO UP, HAVEN'T SEEN ANY MOVEMENT FROM THE EDC.
WHAT ARE THEY? WHAT BUSINESSES COMING IN? WHAT ARE WE ALLOWING, HOW ARE WE WORKING TO INCREASE THAT SALES TAX REVENUE? IT GOES UP INCREMENTALLY WHEN THERE'S INFLATION.
'CAUSE COST OF GOODS GO UP, YOUR SALES TAX IS GONNA GO UP.
SO WE CAN'T SAY I DID IT OR WE DID IT 3%.
WE HAVE TO SEE ACTUAL BUSINESSES THAT GENERATE NEW SALES, NEW SALES TAX GROWTH, AND WHAT'S THE LEAKAGE.
SO I THINK TACKLING THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE STAFF WITH MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND VISION.
MOST PUBLIC ENTITIES DO NOT DO THAT.
UM, EVEN COVER, UH, ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT.
I, I THINK WE'RE STILL ABLE TO DO MORE WITH LESS IF WE'RE GOOD WITH OUR WHYS, WITH OUR DOLLARS, AND WE MONITOR OUR SPENDING.
COMMISSIONERS, YOU SAT HERE FOR A FEW MONTHS ALREADY AND YOU'VE SEEN THINGS THAT HAVE COME TO THIS BOARD.
MONTHS AFTER THERE, THERE WERE, WERE EXPENSED.
SO WHEN THINGS ARE EXPENSED OR ORDINANCES ARE CHANGED WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE, THEN WE DON'T HAVE FULL CONTROL OF THE BUDGET AND THE TAXPAYERS LEFT TO PAY FOR IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED HARD TO LOWER THE TAX RATE FROM 72 CENTS TO 70 CENTS AND WE'RE STILL DOING MORE.
SO I, I DON'T THINK GIVING, WHEN YOU GO FROM A 12 $13 MILLION BUDGET TO A $20 MILLION BUDGET OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AT WHAT POINT DO YOU GIVE ONE PENNY BACK TO THE RESIDENT MAYOR? WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I'VE ALREADY CALLED FOR THE QUESTION, MAYOR, SINCE COMMISSIONER CORTEZ HAS MOVED TO FOR THE PREVIOUS QUESTION.
WE WE MOVE TO THE VOTE? I HAVE A MOTION BY, UH, COMMISSIONER PEREZ, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ TO LEAVE THE TAX RATE AS IS.
WE HAVE FOUR I'S AND ONE NAY MYSELF.
I'LL KEEP FIGHTING, TRYING MY BEST AND IF THE COMMISSIONERS WILL JOIN ME IN READING THEIR BUDGET BOOK, THAT'D BE GREAT TOO.
SO MOVE ON TO ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
WE HAVE QUITE A BIT HERE, SO I'M GONNA BUMP SOME OF THESE UP IF THERE'S NO, UH, OPPOSITION, I'D LIKE TO MOVE 10 UP TO NUMBER ONE, NUMBER 12 TO NUMBER TWO,
[00:40:10]
NUMBER 16 TO NUMBER THREE.IF THERE'S NO OPPOSITION, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE AGENDA.
I KNOW THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO STAY FOR THE WHOLE MEETING, BUT WE'VE, YOU CAN ALWAYS WATCH IT.
[Items 10 & 17 ]
10, NO OPPOSITION COMMISSIONERS.AND NUMBER 17 SHOULD GO MAYBE TOGETHER OR THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME ENTITY.
OKAY, WE'LL TAKE 10 AND 17 TOGETHER AS NUMBER TWO.
WE'LL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10.
CHRISTINA GARCIA, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, PRESENTING THE ITEM.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
CHRISTINA GARCIA, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE RECORD.
UH, CITY OF SANTO STAFF, INCLUDING PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENT COORDINATION, UM, THE SANTO POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT.
WE ALL MET WITH THE JUNTO HALL HALL OF FAME MUSEUM TO DISCUSS THEIR PROPOSED INAUGURAL JUNTO HALL OF FAME MUSIC FESTIVAL.
THIS IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 20TH THROUGH THE 21ST.
THE ORGANIZERS ARE PROPOSING TO UTILIZE PORTIONS OF STOKEY PARK FOR THE FESTIVAL AND HAVE ALSO MET WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB REGARDING THE POTENTIAL USE OF ITS FACILITIES AS WELL CITY STAFF.
WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROPOSED EVENT, AN ANTICIPATED USE OF THESE FACILITIES, PUBLIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, EVENT COORDINATION, AND OTHER LOGISTICAL NEEDS.
WITH THE ORGANIZERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, THE PROPOSED MOU WOULD ESTABLISH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE USE OF STOKEY PARK.
UM, WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MUSEUM WHO ARE HERE TODAY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WE'D LIKE TO INVITE THEM UP TO SHARE A F FEW WORDS ABOUT THEIR PROJECT.
MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS AND CITIZENS.
UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, SINCE I BELIEVE SINCE 1992, ALMOST 17 YEARS IN A ROW, THERE WAS A JUNTO FESTIVAL IN SAN BENITO.
IT'S BEEN ABOUT SEVEN TO EIGHT YEARS.
IT GOT PULLED TO ANOTHER CITY.
UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN ACTIVE FOR FIVE.
BUT SINCE WE'VE BEEN OPEN AT OUR NEW LOCATION, THANKS TO ADMINISTRATIVE AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, PEOPLE THAT COME IN VISIT ARE ALWAYS ASKING, WHEN ARE WE GONNA BRING JUNTO MUSIC BACK? I BELIEVE THE CITY DID A STUDY.
WHAT WAS THE CITIZENS LOOKING FOR? ONE OF 'EM WAS JUNTO.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST ASKING, DID YOU PLEASE SUPPORT THIS VENTURE? UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WOULD, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THIS CITY, WE'D LOOK INTO FOR SURE, LOCK IN 10 BANDS.
WE'D LIKE TO GROW IT TO POSSIBLY 14.
UH, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE HIGH STAKES COOK OFF ALSO.
UM, THIS WILL ALL BE GREAT FOR THE CITY.
SO I KNOW MY SISTER'S GOT SOMETHING.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING QUARTERLY WITH THE PUBLIC WORK, THE PUBLIC WORKS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SAMUEL POLICE DEPARTMENT, MS. CHRISTINA, MS. ELA GARCIA.
AND, UM, WE'VE ALL WORKED REALLY HARD FOR THIS PROJECT AND WE REALLY HOPE FOR Y'ALL'S APPROVAL OF THIS.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT EVENT.
WE'VE BEEN STRESSING IT THROUGHOUT STATE OF TEXAS.
WE'VE HAD FRIENDS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE PUSHING IT THROUGH FACEBOOK, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE'RE SHOWING A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMING.
AND SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT BRINGING ECONOMIC GROWTH TO SANTO.
JOE AVILA, I'LL JUST PIGGYBACK ON WHAT MY BROTHER AND SISTER SAID.
YOU KNOW, UH, THIS MUSEUM IS BECOMING A DESTINATION MUSEUM AND THIS JUNTO FESTIVAL WHERE LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE ATTRACTING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE AND THE NATION.
AND, UM, ONCE AGAIN, LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, JUNTO WAS BORN HERE IN SAN MANTO AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THE FESTIVAL TO COME BACK.
AND, UH, WITH YOUR HELP, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE IT BACK COM COMMISSIONERS.
UH, DO, DO HAVE A MOTION FOR NUMBER 10? MOTION TO APPROVE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
[00:45:01]
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER PEREZ.WE WILL TAKE THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS RELATED.
UH, NUMBER 17, CHRISTINA GARCIA, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER PRESENTING THE ITEM.
SO THEY MAY HAVE TO COME BACK UP, BUT, UM, THE JUNTO HALL OF FAME MUSEUM IS HERE AGAIN TO PRESENT THE SPONSORSHIP REQUEST FOR THIS ACTUAL EVENT.
THE AVAILABLE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS AND CORRESPONDING AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IN YOUR COMMISSION PACKETS, AS WELL AS PRESENTATIONS THAT THE JUNTO MUSEUM VOLUNTEERS AND BOARD HAVE PROVIDED US.
THOSE ARE IN THE PACKETS AS WELL.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE PAT, PETER AND JOE AVILA HERE WITH US TODAY.
UM, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPONSOR REQUEST AND WHAT THAT IS GOING TO BE USED FOR, FOR THIS EVENT.
UM, IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD, UM, OUR INDUCTION AWARDS, WHICH IS, WE'RE AT OUR 22ND ANNUAL INDUCTION AWARDS.
AND WE'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT SPONSORSHIP.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY AND EDC AND ALL THE OTHER, UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS HERE IN THE VAL, IN, UH, IN SANITA AS WELL.
THIS IS A PROGRAM BOOK THAT WE PROVIDED LAST YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE ANOTHER ONE THIS YEAR.
AND, UM, AND WE HAVE OUR PREMIUM SPONSORS, OF COURSE, THE FRONT AND THE BACKSIDE OF THE BOOKS.
AND SO WE'RE SEEKING SOME SPONSORSHIP, UM, MONIES, AND I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE PACKET.
AND SO WE JUST, UH, GIVE WITH A GREAT HEART, PLEASE.
UM, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, MAYOR, YOU HAD ASKED FOR THIS MOU AND, UH, I HAD NEVER PUT ONE OF THESE TOGETHER, BUT IT HELPED US, IT HELPED US A LOT, NOT JUST TO SEE WHAT IT ENTAILS FOR THIS OPERATION, BUT ALSO THE SCOPE OF THE WHOLE EVENT AND EVERYTHING THAT REQUIRES FROM WHAT WE HAD AS AN ORIGINAL BUDGET, IT PRETTY MUCH TRIPLED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY THAT WE ARE GONNA PUT TOGETHER WITH ALL THE PARTICIPATION.
SO WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, HELP US OUT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FUND AS MUCH AS WE CAN ON OUR OWN SIDE, BUT TO GET GOOD QUALITY BANDS AND A GOOD, GOOD FESTIVAL, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT IT TURNS OUT TO BE SUPER SUCCESSFUL AND EVENTUALLY ONE DAY WE CAN GROW IT OVER TO THE STOCK GROUNDS, UH, IF WE EVER GET THAT, THAT NICE LITTLE STAGE BUILT OUT THERE.
BUT, UH, WE'RE WILLING TO CONTINUE THIS MISSION.
WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS, SO IT'S NOT COSTING ANYTHING TO THE CITY OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF PARTICIPATIONS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE HERE.
THE STOKEY PARK PAVILION SO FAR WOULD BE THE BIGGEST CANOPY THAT'S USED IN ANY JUNTA FESTIVAL IN THE STATE.
UH, SO WE'RE ALREADY GONNA MAKE IT BIGGER, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIGGEST JUNTO, UH, FESTIVAL IN THE STATE, THE NATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR HELP, LET'S CONTINUE THIS AND MAKE IT BIGGER AND BIGGER EVERY YEAR.
WHAT ARE THE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS? WE HAVE, UM, JUNTO CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, UH, WHICH IS JUST INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE AT $50.
UH, BRONZE LEVEL, $250, SILVER LEVEL, $500 GOLD LEVEL, $1,000 PLATINUM LEVEL, 5,000 DIAMOND LEVEL, 10,000 AND DIAMOND, UH, DOUBLE DIAMOND 20,000.
AND THESE COME WITH SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, VIP WRISTBANDS ALONG WITH ADVERTISING IN OUR PROGRAM BOOK.
AND AT THE EVENT COMMISSIONERS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION, UH, WHERE, UH, ACTUALLY, MR. DENNA, WHERE ARE THE FUNDS GONNA BE COMING FROM IF SPONSORSHIP IS APPROVED? 'CAUSE THIS ONE'S NOT A BUDGETED ITEM.
IT'LL BE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SOME OF THEM IF, UH, UH, THEY SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE, UH, MOTEL TAX FUNDING.
DO THEY HAVE TO APPROVE? THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED, BUT WE WOULD CERTAINLY PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO THEM.
SHOULD IT BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND? UH, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT'S A REQUIREMENT.
SO, SO THE STATE HAS A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THAT BOARD, BUT, SO IF THE FUNDS ARE GONNA COME FROM THERE, SHOULD WE PRESENT THIS TO THEM? I THINK THEY, THEY RECOMMEND TO THE COM TO THE COMMISSION.
UH, SO THE IDEAL WAY TO DO IT IS FOR THEM TO RECOMMEND TO THE COMMISSION MAYOR, AND THEN THE COMMISSION APPROVES, THEN LET'S GET RID OF THE ADVISORY BOARD.
IT, THE INTENT IS TO, IF WE'RE GONNA BUILD COMMUNITY AND
[00:50:01]
WE'RE GONNA BUILD THESE BOARDS AND WE ASK THEM TO SERVE, A LOT OF TIMES THEY, THEY FEEL LIKE, WELL, IF THEY'RE JUST GOING, IF THE COMMISSION'S JUST GONNA OVERRIDE EVERYTHING WE DO OR NOT COME TO US, THEN WHY PARTICIPATE? WELL, I, WE ARE WORKING ON A, ON SETTING UP A, UM, COMMITTEE MEETING WITH THEM.UH, SO WE, WE HAVE TIME IF, UH, IF THAT'S THE, UH, THE INTENT AND THE, OR THE GUIDANCE OF THE, WHEN IS THE EVENT? UH, IT'S ON, UH, NOVEMBER 20TH.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THIS WOULD BE THE, THE BEST PLACE TO GET THE FUNDING BECAUSE THE FUNDING SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED FOR SUCH PURPOSES.
I'M SORRY, WAS, WAS THERE AN APPLICATION MADE TO THE HOTEL MOTEL? UM, YES, SIR.
UH, AS OF, UH, SOMETIME IN JUNE, MID EARLY JUNE, I DID SUBMIT A HOTEL MOTEL, UH, APPLICATION.
THE WAY, THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, UM, BY OUR, UM, ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT WAS THAT ONCE YOU ALL APPROVE THE EVENT, THEN THE SECOND STAGE WOULD BE THAT, UM, CITY MANAGER AND THEIR, THEY WOULD, UM, PROPOSE I GUESS THE MEETING FOR THE EDC OR THE HOTS, I GUESS THE HOTEL MOTO, SO THAT THAT CAN GO INTO DISCUSSION AND SEE WHAT THEY WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO BRING IT BACK TO, TO COMMISSION AND THE MAYOR TO SEE IF IT'D GO FOR APPROVAL.
WE, WE HAVE TIME TO GO TO HAVE THE COMMITTEE MEETING AND THEN BRING YEAH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD, THEY COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND THEN WHATEVER PROPOSAL, WHATEVER THE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE.
UM, COMMISSIONER BIDDER SITS ON THAT BOARD AS WELL.
UH, THERE WAS A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
THAT'S UNTIL WE GET A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE HOTEL MOTEL.
UM, RE REALLY QUICK, UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE THE HOTEL MOTEL BOARD HAS MET, UM, IF THEY DON'T MEET QUORUM, DO WE JUST GO AHEAD AND BRING THAT BACK? WE WERE JUST RECENTLY REAPPOINTED BY THE COMMISSION, SO WE SHOULD HAVE A QUORUM.
AND THEY'RE REQUIRED BY THE BYLAWS TO MEET TWICE A YEAR, RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.
AND, UH, WE, WE WILL, UH, I HAVE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND WE ARE, UH, COME ON DOWN, MS. ALTA.
SO I, I HAVE ALREADY REACHED OUT AND WE ARE SCHEDULING THAT MEETING, UH, WITH, WITH MR. GUERRA'S, UH, SCHEDULE.
AND THEN WE WILL, I HAVE THE ROSTER AND WE ARE READY TO, UM, PROCEED WITH THAT MEETING.
ONCE WE HAVE A DATE, WE'LL BE LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW.
I HAVE A TABLE BY COMMISSIONER CORTES.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY TO TABLE THIS ITEM AND TO TAKE IT TO THE HOTEL MOTEL ADVISORY BOARD.
LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 16.
[12. Consideration and possible action to approve The Other Room Wine Bar as a vendor for Market on Robertson on Historic Robertson Street starting September 12, 2026, and continuing through February 28, 2027.]
DO, WE COULD DO 12.MONICA RODRIGUEZ, PLANNING MANAGER PRESENTING THIS AGENDA ITEM CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE OTHER ROOM WINE BAR AS A VENDOR ON MARKET ON ROBERTSON, ON HISTORIC ROBERTSON STREET, STARTING SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2026 AND CONTINUING THROUGH FEBRUARY 28TH, 2027, THE CITY RECEIVED A VENDOR APPLICATION FROM THE OTHER ROOM WINE BAR TO SELL WINE AT MARKET ON ROBERTSON.
THE EVENT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WHERE ORDINANCE NUMBER 2185 PROHIBITS PEDESTRIANS FROM POSSESSING AN OPEN CONTAINER OF ALCOHOL OR CONSUMING ALCOHOL, EXCEPT DURING SPECIAL EVENTS APPROVED BY THE CITY PROVIDED THE APPROPRIATE LICENSES AND PERMITS ARE OBTAINED AND THE ACTIVITY REMAINS WITHIN THE DESIGNATED EVENT AREA.
THIS REQUEST IS BEING PRESENTED TO CITY COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL TO ALLOW THE SALE OF WINE BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 26TH WITH MARK AND ROBERTSON OCCURRING ONCE A MONTH THROUGH FEBRUARY 20, 27.
WE ORIGINALLY WANTED TO DO IT FOR SIX MONTHS, BUT WE ARE AMENDING THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WANNA APPROVE IT FOR JUST ONE MONTH, SEE HOW IT GOES, AND THEN WE CAN BRING IT BACK AGAIN FOR APPROVAL.
IT WOULD BE UP TO YOU COMMISSIONERS IS YOU'RE SAYING A PERMIT, LIKE A, THIS IS A VENDOR PERMIT TO
[00:55:01]
BE ABLE TO SELL DURING MARKET DAYS.SO BE THEY CAN WALK AROUND
THEY START WITH T ON MARKET DAYS.
I'M SORRY, ONLY ON MARKET DAYS.
ONLY ON THAT DAY FOR MARKET DAYS ONE, WHICH WOULD BE ONCE A MONTH.
WAS THE ORDINANCE ON THIS ONE? YES.
SO IT'S 20 21 85 IS THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE, AND THEN I AM BRINGING IT TO YOU GUYS.
SO THIS WILL BE CONTINGENT? YES.
WE HAD ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT WAS A, THAT DID WINE COOLERS.
IT WAS, HOW DID THEY GET YES, QUEEN CITY DECORATES DID THE SAME PROCESS.
BUT THAT ORDINANCE WASN'T APPROVED THEN.
AND THEY STILL NO, THE ORDINANCE, IT'S AN ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
THE ONLY THING I'M BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU GUYS FOR IS TO EXPAND, EXPAND, EXPAND THE CENTRAL DISTRICT.
SO IT WOULDN'T, THIS DOESN'T NEED THE ORDINANCE TO PASS THROUGH, RIGHT? NO, NO.
AND THEY CURRENTLY HAVE THEIR TABC LICENSE AGENCY.
THEY HAVE TO GET A TAA SPECIAL PERMIT.
IS ANYBODY GONNA BE ABLE TO SELL ALCOHOL IN MARKET DAYS AND BE ABLE TO LIKE, ARE THE THERE THEY HAVE TO COME BEFORE YOU FOR APPROVAL? THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M BRINGING IT TO YOU.
SO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SELL ALCOHOL, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY YOU GUYS.
AND IT'S AS FAR AS REGULATING IT.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO REGULATE THAT? SO THEY, BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE DURING, IN, IN THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE TODAY, THERE IS A CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
WE ARE GONNA BE EXPANDING IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT OF COURSE NOW THAT THERE'S ALCOHOL, OF COURSE THE PD WILL BE INVOLVED A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I I'M UNDERSTANDING LIKE A VENDOR'S GONNA SELL AN ALCOHOL SELL BEVERAGE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT PROMPTED MM-HMM
UH, BUT ONCE YOU OPEN THAT DOOR UP, PEOPLE WOULD EASILY SHOW UP WITH THEIR COOLER.
IT'S NOT FOR I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT HOW ARE YOU GONNA REGULATE KNOWING THAT THEY GOT IT FROM THAT VENDOR? YEAH, WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK WITH PD ABOUT IT.
YOU GOTTA GET THAT CLEAR ASKING.
WHAT, WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT THEY PURCHASE A SPECIFIC COLORED CUP FROM THAT ENTITY.
AND THAT'S, THAT CUP IS WHAT LAST, THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE TELLING THAT
IS THERE, IS THERE GONNA BE, UM, SO THEY CAN WALK AROUND ANYWHERE ON ROBERTSON STREET? YES.
THERE'S NO GO, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE A CERTAIN, UM, USUALLY THEY HAVE A FENCED OFF AREA THAT'S FOR ALCOHOL, BEER GARDEN.
THIS, THIS IS FOR THE WHOLE BUSINESS DISTRICT, WHICH YOU'LL SEE A MAP IN, IN ONE OF YOUR ITEMS. I BELIEVE IT'S ON ITEM.
LET ME TELL YOU WHERE THE MAP IS.
IT'S ON ITEM NUMBER ONE UNDER INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
THAT IS THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
BUT OF COURSE, BECAUSE IT'S A CITY EVENT, WE, WE DESIGNATE THE EVENT AREA AND FOR REFERENCE, UM, THE HARLINGEN MARKET DAYS, THE BARS CLOSE UP RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THEIR BUSINESS AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SELL OUT OF A STAND RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THERE.
BUT THIS ONE, IT'S NOT FOR THAT.
IT, THEY HAVE TO, IT'S GONNA SAVE EVERYBODY NOW EVERYBODY HAS TO APPLY.
SO THEY GET A SPECIAL PERMIT FROM TABC FOR A ONE DAY.
WHAT ARE THE PROS FOR THAT ON, UH, FOR THE CITY? IT WILL ATTRACT A LITTLE BIT MORE PEOPLE MAYBE.
UM, BUT THAT'S REALLY ABOUT IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ORDINANCE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WANNA, IT COOLS PEOPLE DOWN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA MAYBE OPEN TO THE IDEA OF GETTING A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS MAYBE AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO MAYBE WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT HARING AND MARKET DAY.
THEN, UM, MAYBE IT'LL MAKE 'EM BUY MORE STUFF.
THE QUESTION IS IF WE HAD TO READ THE FIRST READING ORDINANCE FIRST BEFORE.
WE ALREADY HAVE A ONE ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
IT'S JUST CHANGING THE DISTRICT.
I THINK WE CAN MAKE A MOTION, UM, MAKE SURE THAT MR. OUR ATTORNEY LOOKS AT THE PROVISIONS OF THE, OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO SEE WHAT HE RECOMMENDS AS FAR AS LEGAL.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH HER, UH, MAYOR PERM IN REGARD TO THIS.
SO A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, OTHER WINE BAR AS A VENDOR.
DO YOU WANT IT FOR THIS FULL SIX MONTHS AS ORIGINALLY OR DO YOU WANT DO IT JUST FOR ONE MONTH? YES, WE HAVE TO GO PROVISION BEFORE TO COME BACK.
WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE IF WE NEED TO.
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SO ONE MONTH OR SIX MONTHS OR YOU WANT, YOU WANNA DO A ONE MONTH TRIAL? YEAH.WE CAN BRING IT BACK FOR THE SECOND READING BY THEN.
WELL, THEY HAVE TO REAPPLY FOR THE PERMIT OR YOU JUST EXTEND IT.
THEY, THEY HAVE TO APPLY EVERY MONTH REGARDLESS, BUT THIS WAS JUST FOR US TO GIVE IT A BLANKET, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY FOR THE SIX MONTHS.
DO YOU WANT I MEAN, MOTION TO APPROVE FOR ONE AFTER I WOULD 'CAUSE OF THE, THE RED TAPE OF HAVING TO COME BACK AND PUTTING IT BACK AS AGENDA ITEM.
IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL, YOU OKAY? JUST DOING THE SIX MONTH MM-HMM
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG, A PD NOTICES SOMETHING, BRING IT BACK SO WE CAN REMOVE IT, RIGHT? YES.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO APPLY EVERY MONTH EITHER WAY.
SO WE, IF THERE WAS, IF THERE'S ANY ISSUE, WE CAN HAVE THE STAFF.
BECAUSE IT'S A MONTHLY, THEY HAVE TO APPLY EVERY MONTH.
THIS IS JUST ALLOWING THEM, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE THAT MOTION.
IS THAT SIX MONTHS? MOTION TO APPROVE.
ITEM NUMBER 12, UH, BY SIX MONTHS.
I MEAN, MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO FOR SIX MONTHS.
SIX MONTHS AS OF SEPTEMBER 12TH NOW.
UH, MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
[16. Consideration and possible action to authorize the placement of a Peace Pole, donated by the Rotary Club of San Benito, on City property near San Benito City Hall and the Municipal Building in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, and as a symbol of peace, unity, and remembrance.]
THERE'S NO OPPOSITION.ITEM 16, CHRISTINA GARCIA, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
THE ROTARY CLUB IS HERE TODAY TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PEACE POLL PROJECT, INCLUDING THE PURPOSE BEHIND THE PROJECT AND WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
A SAMPLE OF A PEACE POLL HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKETS FOR REVIEW, TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE COMPLETED POLL MAY LOOK LIKE.
THEY ALSO HAVE PREPARED, UM, A LITTLE PRESENTATION FOR YOU ALL THAT I WILL HAND OVER.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ROTARY REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE HERE TODAY, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT AND THE PROJECT MANAGER, WHO IS DR. OLIVIA RIVAS TO SHARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PROJECT.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
HOW ARE YOU THIS AFTERNOON? UH, MY NAME IS TONY CRANE AND WITH ME IS DR.
AND WE ARE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR ROTARY CLUB IN SANTO.
WE ARE THE OLDEST HUMANITARIAN CLUB HERE.
WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1919.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS, BUT ROTARY HAS 125,000 CLUBS IN 161 COUNTRIES.
OUR THEME IS CREATE LASTING IMPACT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA DO WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, IS CREATE LASTING IMPACT.
SO WE HAVE A PROJECT, IT'S CALLED THE PEACE POLL.
DR. RIVAS, ALONG WITH, UH, LINDA DE LA ROSA ARE THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS.
UH, RIVAS EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT TO YOU ABOUT IT.
SO FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS OLIVIA RIVAS AND I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
AND, UH, JUST A SIDE NOTE, AS I LOOK OVER AT THE PICTURES OF THE MAYORS, I WAS, UH, WROTE THE ARCHIVES FOR OUR ROTARY CLUB AND JUST ABOUT EVERY MAYOR, UH, FROM THE BEGINNING.
IN FACT, OUR FIRST MAYOR WAS THE, UH, OUR FIRST PRESIDENT WAS THE MAYOR OF THE, OF SOMEBODY THAT I THINK EVERY MAYOR HAS BEEN A PRESIDENT OF OUR ROTARY CLUB IN OUR EARLY YEARS.
BUT I'M HERE TO ASK TALK TONIGHT.
SO, AND, AND WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE THE CURRENT MAYOR AS A MEMBER OF OUR CLUB AS WELL.
UM, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, ROTARY PEACE POLL PROJECT.
THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT.
IT IS A GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE WHERE CLUBS INSTALL A, UH, PEACE POLL GENERALLY WITH COOPERATION OF THE CITIES OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CITY, UM, OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO IN HONOR OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF NINE 11, WHICH IS COMING UP, IT IS THE 25TH, UM, ANNIVERSARY OF NINE 11.
WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL.
AND WE, WE FOUND THAT THIS PEACEFUL PROJECT, WHICH FOSTERS, UH, UNITY AND PEACE IN COMMUNITIES AND PEACE IN COMMUNITIES IN ORDER TO HAVE WORLDWIDE PEACE.
IT BEGINS IN OUR VERY OWN COMMUNITIES, IN OUR VERY OWN BACKYARDS, WHERE WE TRY TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE CONFLICTS THAT WE HAVE.
WE WANNA FOSTER PEACE AND UNITY WITHIN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES
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AND THUS WORLDWIDE.SO ROTARY HAS THIS PROJECT WHERE WE INSTALL THESE PIECE POLES.
GENERALLY, THEY ARE ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 FEET TALL.
THEY ARE INSTALLED, UM, IN AN AREA WHERE THEY CAN HAVE GOOD PUBLIC VISION.
AND, UH, THEY ARE FOUND WITH MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, THE WORD PEACE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
SO WE WANTED TO PROPOSE THAT THE CITY JOIN US IN INSTALLING A PEACE POLL.
WE'VE SELECTED THE LANGUAGES, UH, THE LANGUAGES THAT WE'VE SELECTED FOR OUR POLL OR LANGUAGES THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF COMMUNITIES, VARIOUS MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR REGION.
HERE IN SANTO, IT'LL HAVE EIGHT LANGUAGES.
IT'LL BE ABOUT EIGHT FEET TALL.
IT IS MADE OUT OF MATERIAL THAT IS PRETTY, UM, LOW MAINTENANCE AND LASTING.
THE CITY CAN JOIN US BY, UM, HELPING US INSTALL THE POLE WE HOPE ON CITY PROPERTY.
THE IDEAL PLACE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE NEAR CITY HALL WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE THIS POLE.
IT'S A LASTING VISUAL OF PEACE AND UNITY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANNA DO THIS, OF COURSE, FOR NINE 11, AND WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO ASK YOU TO JOIN US IN THIS PROJECT TO PROMOTE PEACE, WORLD PEACE, WORLDWIDE PEACE BEGINNING IN OUR VERY OWN COMMUNITY, WE OFTEN WANNA DO, UH, FOR NINE 11, WE WANNA REMEMBER THOSE WHO DIED.
WE WANNA HONOR FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT NINE 11 IS REALLY ABOUT AWARENESS OF SOMETHING MUCH GREATER THAN JUST REMEMBERING THOSE WHO PASSED AWAY.
BUT THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE NOT HAVE THOSE KINDS OF EVENTS OF VIOLENCE AGAIN.
AND THAT IS BY PROMOTING PEACE.
THIS PEACE POLL WILL BE A VERY NICE VISUAL TO HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO REMIND US ABOUT PEACE.
AND IT BEGINS HERE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE HERE TO ASK YOU TO JOIN US IN THIS PROJECT AND WORK WITH US IN THE DEDICATION CEREMONY THAT WOULD OCCUR ON NINE 11.
CAN I ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, DR. RIVAS.
COMMISSIONERS DO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MR. FLORES? UH, BEING THAT I'M A ROTARIAN OF THE LOCAL SANTO CLUB, SO I'M GONNA, UH, ABSTAIN FROM VOTE JUST TO PREVENT ANY CONFLICT.
UH, HAND IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER NOVATO HERE.
I MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO TO LEAD THE, THE VOTE.
MAYOR, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'M SORRY.
WHAT IS THE, UH, PEACE POLL MADE OUT OF? IT IS, THE ONE WE ARE LOOKING AT IS MADE OUT OF A COMPOSITE MATERIAL, UH, VINYL THAT SHOULD BE LOW MAINTENANCE AND SHOULD BE QUITE LASTING FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I'VE, UH, THERE, SOME OF THEM ARE MADE OUTTA WOOD.
SOME ARE MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM STEEL, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE, UH, ARE MADE OUT OF THIS COMPOSITE VINYL.
THERE ARE, I DON'T KNOW IF I MENTIONED, THERE ARE OVER 200,000 OF THESE PEACE POLES THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IN ALL, IN ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS.
AND, UH, IF WE, WE HERE IN SANTO JOIN THIS ROTARY PEACE PROJECT POLL, THEN WE WILL BECOME A PART OF A, OF THE MAP THAT ROTARY INTERNATIONAL, UH, PUBLISHES ON THEIR WEBSITE OF WHERE THIS PEACE POLLS ARE LOCATED.
SO WE'LL BECOME A PART OF THAT NETWORK OF POLLS.
AND JUST AS AN ASIDE SIDE, HARLINGEN ROTARY CLUB IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, THEY ERECTED A POLL A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WELCOMES EVERYBODY WHO ARRIVES AT, AT THE AIRPORT, WELCOMES THEM IN MULTI-LANGUAGES AND SAYS, WELCOME, LOVE, AND PEACE.
IT SHOULD BE A LOW MAINTENANCE POLE THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE, UH, ANY UPKEEP ONCE IT IS INSTALLED.
I'M JUST, MY, MY CONCERN IS, YOU MENTIONED THAT AN IDEAL PLACE WOULD BE BY CITY HALL, BUT IF IT'S GONNA BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SEPTEMBER 11TH MEMORIAL, I WAS THINKING MAYBE NEAR A FIRE STATION.
UH, REALLY, UH, UH, I WAS THINKING THAT IT WOULD HAVE GREATER IMPACT IF IT WERE ON, ON THE GROUNDS HERE, BUT IT, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE HERE.
UH, YOU ARE MENTIONING THE FIRE STATION BECAUSE OF FIRST RESPONDERS.
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THE FIRE STATION THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS PARK.UH, BE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND WORK WITH WHOMEVER YOU DESIGNATE, UH, TO WORK WITH US ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO JOIN THE ROTARY CLUB AND PARTNERING IN THE PEACE POOL AND FURTHER DISCUSS WHERE IT GOES AS FAR AS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH WHOEVER YOU ASSIGNED TO, UH, THE CITY MANAGER OR CHRISTINA OR WHOEVER, AND WE CAN, UH, WORK ON THAT PROJECT.
AND ALSO THE DEDICATION CEREMONY, WHICH YOU WILL BE INVOLVED IN THAT DEDICATION CEREMONY.
AND THEN JUST ONE LAST THOUGHT.
I INVITE ALL OF YOU COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER JOINING THE ROTARY CLUB.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE ARE ALL THE PRESSING ITEMS. WE'LL MOVE
[1. First Reading of Ordinance Number 2185-A, an ordinance amending Ordinance Number 2185 regulating the consumption of alcoholic beverages and expanding the Central Business District.]
BACK TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.MONICA RODRIGUEZ, PLANNING MANAGER PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2185 DASH A.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2185, REGULATING THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND EXPANDING THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
ORDINANCE NUMBER 2185 A REGULATES THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WITHIN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, AND PROVIDES EXEMPTIONS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS APPROVED BY THE CITY WHEN APPROPRIATELY LICENSED AND PERMITTED ARE AND HELD WITHIN THE DESIGNATED AREA EVENT, I MEAN EVENT AREA, I'M SORRY.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WILL EXPAND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AS SHOWN ON THE ATTACHED MAP TO INCLUDE MARKET ON ROBERTSON EVENT AREA.
THE AMENDMENT WILL ALSO CLARIFY THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, EVOLVING SALE OR SERVICE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT ALIGNS WITH GOAL FOUR OF THE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO POSITION DOWNTOWN SANTO AS A COHESIVE, WALKABLE DESTINATION THAT REFLECTS THE CITY'S CHARACTER AND DRIVES LOCAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY BY EXPANDING THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TO ACCOMMODATE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.
[2. First Reading of Ordinance Number 2253-A an ordinance amending Ordinance Number 2253, establishing standards and requirements for controlling cross connections to the municipal water supply system, installation of backflow prevention devices, and providing for publication and ordaining other matters related to the foregoing.]
MONICA RODRIGUEZ, PLANNING MANAGER, PRESENTING THIS.UM, BEFORE YOU HAVE, UH, WE'RE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 22 53 8, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING, UH, ESTABLISHING STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROLLING CROSS CONNECTIONS TO THE MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM.
BASICALLY, THE INSTALLATION OF THE BACKFLOW, THE PREVENTION DEVICES, DEVICES AND PROVIDING, UM, FOR PUBLICATION AND ORDAINING ORDER MATTERS RELATED TO FOREGOING.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY STAYS IN COMPLIANCE WITH TCQ AND THEY'RE FOLLOWING, UH, GUIDELINES, THE LAST ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED IN 2002.
UH, MR. LESKER BACK FLOW INSPECTOR TILLY'S INSPECTOR IS HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
HE'S THE ONE THAT SUGGESTED THAT THE CHANGES TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH TCQ.
AND JUST TO MAKE SURE, UH, EVERYBODY, 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT ACTUALLY STATES THE RULES OF WHAT IF YOU HAVE, UH, MALFUNCTIONING BACKFLOW AND HOW WOULD YOU, HOW MANY TIME WOULD YOU HAVE TO REPAIR IT? WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT WERE THE STEPS TO THAT? AND, AND, UM, WE, THAT'S WHAT WE WORKED ON.
THIS IS THE FIRST READING FOR THAT QUESTIONS.
[3. First Reading of Ordinance Number 2573-D-10-2026, an ordinance amending Ordinance Numbers 2573, 2573-A-08-2024, 2573-B-10-2024, and 2573-C-06-2025, amending the Technical Permit Fees and Facility and/or Ground Fees in the Comprehensive Schedule of Fees. ]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.MONICA RODRIGUEZ, PLAN MANAGER.
FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 70 3D 10 20 26.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBERS 25 73, 25 73, A 8, 24, 25, 73 B 10, 24, AND 25 73 C 6 20 25,
[01:15:01]
AMENDING THE TECHNICAL PERMIT FEES AND FACILITY AND OR GROUND FEES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHEDULE OF FEES.THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT UPDATES THE TECHNICAL PERMIT FEES AND FACILITY AND OR GROUND FEES TO BETTER REFLECT THE CITY'S CURRENT COST FOR PERMIT PROCESSING PLAN REVIEW INSPECTIONS AND RELATED SERVICES.
RECENT PERMIT ACTIVITY SHOWS AN INCREASE IN THE VALUE AND COMPLEXITY OF COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
WHILE THE EXISTING FEE SCHEDULE DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY REFLECT A LEVEL OF SERVICES REQUIRED, THE AMENDMENT WILL PROVIDE A MORE EQUITABLE, CONSISTENT, AND SUSTAINABLE FEE STRUCTURE WHILE MAINTAINING REASONABLE COSTS FOR APPLICANTS AND SUPPORTING THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
MY ONLY QUESTION HERE IS THAT NOW THAT THIS IS BEING, UH, PROPOSED, UM, IS FINANCE, HAS FINANCE FACTORED THIS INTO OUR BUDGET? NOT YET.
DO WE HAVE, UM, I GUESS AN ASSUMPTION OF WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE FOR THE BUDGET? WILL IT STAY THE SAME? WILL IT? I'M NOT SURE.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT APPLICATIONS ARE GONNA BE SUBMITTED IF THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL.
SO IT'S BASICALLY LIKE A YEAR, I GUESS PREVIOUS YEAR TYPE OF BASIS THING.
SO JUST USING THIS FEE STRUCTURE BASED ON WHAT WAS PRESENTED BEFORE, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S LIKE A SYSTEM THAT YOU USE THAT SAYS, OKAY, YOU HAVE TO GO IN AND CHANGE THE FEE, THE FEE SCHEDULE FOR EVERY SINGLE ITEM RIGHT? IN THE SYSTEM? YES.
YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THE VENDOR.
AND THEN THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU, I WOULD HOPE, MAYBE A INCREMENTAL PERCENTAGE OF INK, WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.
RIGHT? YOU'RE WORKING A BUDGET, YOU'RE WORKING FOR WHAT, WHAT YOU HAVE NOW AND WHAT WE'RE ASSUMING.
AND WHAT CITIES DID YOU USE TO, UM, MAKE THESE COMPARISONS? I WENT OFF OF WHAT? HARLINGEN, WASCO, SAN JUAN, ALAMO AND LOS FRESNO.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE ARE COMPARING TO.
WE, WE MOSTLY CHANGE, WHICH WAS THE COMMERCIAL, THE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS? I, ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO IDA.
I'D LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, UM, MRS. RODRIGUEZ, THANKS FOR INCLUDING WHERE THIS ALIGNS WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND THAT'S A DOCUMENT THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION.
WE PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR IT.
AND IT KEEPS US IN LINE WITH WHAT OUR, THE GOALS AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY FROM THE COMMUNITY INPUT.
'CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HELP US ADOPT THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THANKS FOR PUTTING THAT IN THERE.
[4.Consideration and possible action to approve Resolution 2026-0901-001 pertaining to the compensation plan for fiscal Year 2026-2027.]
FOUR, STEPHANIE SANANDA, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PRESENTING THIS ITEM.THIS IS MY LAST ONE, STEPHANIE SANANDO, FINANCE DIRECTOR.
SO, UH, BEFORE YOU HAVE, UH, CONSIDERATION, POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026 DASH 9 0 1 DASH 0 0 1, PERTAINING TO A COMPENSATION PLAN FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26 27.
UM, THIS COMPENSATION PLAN WAS INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, UH, THE SALARIES THAT ARE LISTED IN THIS COMPENSATION, BUT WERE ALREADY FACTORED IN, IN THE BUDGET.
UM, SO THIS, WHAT IT DOES, IT SETS PARAMETERS, UH, FOR EMPLOYEES.
IT ALSO, UM, INCLUDED AN INCENTIVE PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CERTIFICATIONS, UH, FOR WATER, FOR WASTEWATER, FOR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, FOR OUR COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS.
SO WE CAN HAVE MORE OF A STANDARDIZED AND MORE, UH, MONITOR, UM, PLAN FOR THE YEAR TO COME.
THAT WAY WE CAN SET PARAMETERS AND, UM, THEIR, THEIR POSITIONS ARE TIED TO THIS IS A MINIMUM.
THIS IS A MAXIMUM THAT THAT POSITION CAN, CAN, UH, GET.
AND IF ANY, UH, MANAGER WITH CITY MANAGER OF AUTHORIZATION, UH, WANTS TO GO ABOVE OR BELOW THAT OR MAKE ANY CHANGES TO, THIS WILL HAVE TO COME BEFORE YOU ALL, AND YOU ALL WILL HAVE THE FINAL DECISION TO, TO, TO SAY WHETHER YOU SAY YES OR A NO.
SO I DID PROVIDE THE COMPENSATION PLAN.
I ATTACHED IT TOGETHER ALONG WITH AN, WITH A RESOLUTION, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE HAVE.
SO, UM, I CONDUCTED A STUDY MYSELF CALLING DIFFERENT CITIES.
WE REACH OUT TO, SOME OF THEM WERE AVAILABLE ONLINE.
SOME OF THEM DON'T POST THEIR COMPENSATION PLANS, SO WE HAD TO, TO REACH OUT TO THEM.
[01:20:01]
WE CHECK WITH THE HARLINGEN, HARLINGEN WATERWORKS, BRONZEVILLE, MACALLAN EDINBURG MISSION, UM, FAR WEST LAGO AND LOS.AND WE, WE FELL SOME OF THEM A LITTLE BIT BELOW WHATEVER THEY WERE SAYING, BUT WE WERE, WE WERE DRASTICALLY BELOW WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY PAYING RIGHT NOW.
UM, RIGHT NOW, THIS WILL PUT US IN MORE OF A COMPETITIVE STAGE FOR ALL EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEES.
AND, UM, THE EMPLOYEES THAT WILL BE MORE AFFECTED WITH THIS ARE THE, OR LOW PAY EMPLOYEES OR HOURLY EMPLOYEES, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE EMPLOYEES WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW COMPENSATION PLAN? TALKING ABOUT 38% OF OUR EMPLOYEES, THIS INCLUDES A MINIMUM OF $14 AN HOUR, RIGHT? CORRECT.
ONCE YOU TRANSLATE TO THAT, THAT'S LIKE A 2030 $2 INCREASE TO THEIR, THEIR CURRENT PAY.
AND THAT WENT ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO A DOLLAR 15 ADDITIONAL TO, TO THE HOURLY EMPLOYEES.
SO FOR REFERENCE COMMISSIONERS, WHEN I STARTED, UH, THE MINIMUM WAGE WAS ABOUT 8 88.
THIS PLAN WILL START US AT A MINIMUM OF $14 FOR ANYBODY COMING ON BOARD.
YOU CAN PROBABLY MAKE THAT AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT.
THIS IS MUCH MORE TECHNICAL WORK.
UM, AND THEN THIS ALSO, THIS PLAN ALSO ALLOWS FOR CER EXTRA PAY FOR CERTIFICATIONS DEGREES.
UM, NOW WHAT I, I WANT, WHAT I WANT TO GET CLARITY ON, UM, MAYBE FOR MR. FLORES HERE, MR. YANA, HAVE THE COMMISSION, PRIOR COMMISSIONS HAVE ADOPTED A COMPENSATION PLAN BEFORE AND MID-BUDGET CYCLE.
THE, THE COMPENSATION PLAN GETS THROWN OUT THE WINDOW.
I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTED AND WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND IF WE GO OUTSIDE OF THESE BOUNDARIES, THAT IT GETS PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION THE WAY IT SHOULD, THE WAY IT SHOULD HAPPEN.
UM, CAN I GET ANY COMMENTS FROM MR. ANA, MR. FLORES, FROM, FROM MY PART, UH, MAYOR AND COMMISSION? THAT, THAT WAS THE INTENT? UH, I THINK, UH, AS, AS A STAFF, WE, UH, WE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO, TO BRING THIS TO THE COMMISSION BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SET PARAMETERS AND FUNCTIONS, UH, AND SO THAT THEY WOULD BE RESPECTED AND BROUGHT BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
SO THAT, THAT WAS THE, THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA.
AND THE INTENT IS TO CARRY THROUGH, UH, TO MEETING THOSE, UH, OBJECTIVES.
YOU HAVE IT STATED ON THERE ANYWAYS.
RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, ANYTHING, WE'LL HAVE TO FORCEFULLY COME TO THE COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL.
SO, SO THIS RESOLUTION, IT'S, IT'S WAY MORE STRICT THAN WHAT IT HAD BEEN ADOPTED IN THE PAST.
I KNOW IT WAS A, A PAY SCALE THAT WOULD HAVE TO, LIKE, IT WAS A LIVING DOCUMENT.
EVERY, EVERY BUDGET IT WAS, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GO UP ONE TIER, THE EMPLOYEES, HOWEVER, ONCE THE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED, THEY WERE DECIDE OTHERWISE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DO, INSTEAD OF THAT, WE'RE GONNA DO A ONE 10 PAYMENT ADJUSTMENT OR WE'RE GONNA DO A 2% INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THAT THING.
'CAUSE REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, OUR REVENUE STREAM, UM, IT'S LIMITED.
SO, UM, I WISH WE'RE GROWING AS FAST AS THAT SCALE WAS GROWING.
SO, BUT SOME OF THE CHANGES WERE NOT.
UM, SOME OF THE CHANGES PRIOR ADMINISTRATION DID, OR, OR CHANGE IN, IN, IN PAY THAT THEY DID, SHOULD HAVE TAKE, BE TAKEN BEFORE, BECAUSE THAT PAY SCALE CHANGED.
UM, SO THIS IS WHAT ENTAILS, UM, MR. YERENA HERE INSTRUCTED ME, UM, TO DO IT.
I DID MULTIPLES, KEPT BRINGING IT TO HIM AND TO MS. RUTH FOR JUST TO, FOR US TO COVER ALL OUR BASES AND TO PROTECT, UM, THE DECISION MAKING AND TO SET PARAMETERS ARE STRICT ENOUGH.
SO ANYTHING THAT DEVIATES FROM THAT WILL HAVE TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU ALL.
AND WE DID HAVE THE BLESSING OF OUR LEGAL COUNSEL AS WELL.
IS HE ON THIS COMPENSATION? OH, UM, I THINK ONE QUESTION CAME UP, UM, IN THE MEDIA OR PUBLIC WAS GRADE SEVEN IS THE CITY MANAGER'S PAY.
UM, CAN WE, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GET SOME CLARITY FOR THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND.
UM, YOU CAN ANSWER IT, MS. STEPHANIE, IF YOU WANT, I COULD AS WELL.
UH, SO THE CITY CHARTER DOES ALLOW CITY COMMISSIONS TO DESIGNATE THE PAY OF THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFICIAL OF THE CITY, WHICH WOULD BE THE CITY, CITY MANAGER WHO'S APPOINTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION AND SALARY SET BY THE CITY COMMISSION.
NOWHERE IN THE CHARTER DOES IT CAP THAT PAY.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THAT
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THE CEO TYPE OF POSITIONS ARE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED POSITIONS, SOMETIMES COME AT A HUGE COST TO THE TAXPAYER.UM, SO I, I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE BEST, UM, INTEREST IN MIND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE'LL TRY TO USE THOSE DOLLARS THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
BUT ALSO PAYING SOMEONE FAIRLY AND COMPENSATING THEM FAIRLY HELPS US MAKE SURE THAT HELPS US ENSURE THAT WE CAN RETAIN THE BEST TALENT, UM, TO PRODUCE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND MOVE US FORWARD.
UNTIL THE CHARTER IS REVISED, UM, THROUGH CHARTER AMENDMENT, THE COMMUNITY CAN DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO CAP THAT OR NOT.
UM, AND WE PROBABLY SEE SOME OF THAT ALREADY HAPPENING AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, OF TRYING TO CAP SOME OF THESE EXECUTIVE, UH, OFFICIAL SALARIES.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO COMMENT.
COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I THINK IT'S FAIR AND EQUITABLE.
AND IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE NEXT YEAR.
AND YOU CAN CHANGE IT MID CYCLE TOO.
THE, THE PLAN IS TO, TO BRING IT EVERY, EVERY BUDGET.
IF NOTHING CHANGES, WE'LL BRING THE SAME DOCUMENT IF IT CHANGES, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BRING IT UP AGAIN AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT IT CHANGED.
BUT ALWAYS HAVE SOME SORT OF REGULATIONS AND RULES WHEN IT COMES TO COMPENSATION TO THE EMPLOYEES.
THERE'S SOME PARAMETERS SET THERE.
COMMISSIONER, DO I HAVE A MOTION? A MOTION TO APPROVE YOUR MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? DO SECOND BY COMMISSIONER PEREZ.
[5.Consideration and possible action to approve a Loan Agreement for “Frontera Fantastica: Creatures Between Worlds,” an exhibition featuring artwork inspired by and consisting of Alebrijes, a type of Mexican Folk Art, to be presented at the San Benito Cultural Center from September 2 through November 7, 2026, in commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month on loan from South Texas College. ]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.THANK YOU, MS. UH, MS. STEPHANIE.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, ELA GARCIA, CULTURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM DIRECTOR PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
MAYOR, MAYOR PROTE AND COMMISSIONERS.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS ELA GARCIA, CULTURAL ARTS DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO.
AS WE CONTINUE PLANNING EXHIBITIONS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMMING FOR OUR UP AND COMING FISCAL YEAR, I'M PLEASED TO BRING FORWARD AN EXHIBITION THAT SUPPORTS THE CITY'S CULTURAL TOURISM AND CULTURAL ARTS, UH, GOALS.
I'M REQUESTING APPROVAL FOR THE LOAN AGREEMENT FOR FERA FCA CREATURES BETWEEN WORLDS, AN EXHIBITION FEATURING ARTWORK INSPIRED BY QUEZ, A TRADITIONAL FORM OF MEXICAN FULGAR.
THE EXHIBITION IS BEING BROUGHT TO US THROUGH A PROFESSOR ALEXIS RAMOS, A SOUTH TEXAS PROFESSOR AT THE SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE, AND WILL FEATURE ARTWORK BY SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE ARTIST, STUDENTS, AND, UH, FACULTY.
UM, THEY ARE ALSO ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, THE EXHIBITION WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE SAN BERNARD CULTURAL CENTER FROM SEPTEMBER 2ND, UH, THROUGH NOVEMBER 7TH, UH, 2026.
AND WE'LL COINCIDE WITH OUR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
THIS EXHIBITION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE MEXICAN FULGAR AND ITS INFLUENCE ON CONTEMPORARY ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, WHILE ALSO CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY WITH REGIONAL ARTISTS AND STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT SUPPORTS OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO PRESERVE, PROMOTE, UH, OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE OF SOUTH TEXAS, WHILE CREATING MEANINGFUL CULTURAL EXPERIENCES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
UH, WITH THAT, I'M REQUESTING CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL FOR THE LOAN AGREEMENT.
FROM SEPTEMBER 2ND THROUGH NOVEMBER SE SEVENTH, CORRECT? CORRECT.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? DO I HAVE A MOTION? WHAT WAS THE DATE? SEPTEMBER 2ND THROUGH NOVEMBER 7TH, 2026.
ON THE END DATE 20 NOVEMBER 21ST THROUGH NOVEMBER 21ST, I SEE A DIFFERENT ONE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MIRANDA, YOU'RE LOOKING AT NUMBER SIX.
I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
SO, SEPTEMBER 2ND THROUGH NOVEMBER 7TH.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOTION MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CORTEZ.
[6.Consideration and possible action to approve a Loan Agreement for “Fantastic Beings: The Imagined World of Manuel Miranda,” a solo exhibition featuring paintings by 91 year-old Rio Grande Valley artist, Manuel Miranda, to be presented at the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum from September 2 through November 21, 2026, in commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month. ]
ITEM NUMBER SIX, AELA GARCIA PRESENTING THIS ITEM, UH, AND STAYING WITH OUR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH PROGRAMMING.THIS NEXT ITEM IS ANOTHER EXHIBITION THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE ARTISTIC HERITAGE OF OUR REGION.
THE SECOND ITEM ON, UH, THIS LOAN AGREEMENT IS ANOTHER LOAN AGREEMENT.
UH, BUT THIS ONE IS FOR FANTASTIC BEINGS, THE IMAGINED WORLD OF MANUEL MIRANDA, A SOLO EXHIBITION FE FEATURING THE WORK OF A 91-YEAR-OLD, UH, RIO GRANDE VALLEY ARTIST, MANUEL MIRANDA.
UM, THE EXHIBITION WILL BE, UH, UH, PRESENTED AT THE SANTO CULTURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM PRE SEPTEMBER 2ND THROUGH NOVEMBER 21ST IN COMMEMORATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
UH, MR. MIRANDA HAS MAINTAINED A PROLIFIC
[01:30:01]
ARTISTIC PRACTICE WELL INTO HIS NINETIES, AND THIS EXHIBITION GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE HIS LONGSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SOUTH TEXAS ARTS COMMUNITY, AND TO SHARE HIS WORK WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.THE EXHIBITION SUPPORTS THE CITY'S COMMITMENT IN PRESERVING AND PROMOTING OUR REGION'S CULTURAL HERITAGE, WHILE, UH, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE VISUAL ARTS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH MEMBERS OF OUR REGIONAL ARTS COMMUNITY.
UH, I'M REQUESTING, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE, UH, FANTASTIC BEINGS IMAGINED WORLD OF MANUEL MIRANDA.
UM, OR QUESTION, UH, MS. GARCIA, IS THERE ANY, ARE WE GONNA BE HOSTING, UM, AN EXHIBITION TYPE OF, UH, EVENT FOR THIS THESIS ATTIRE? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, UH, YOU KNOW, IN PLACE TO HELP SHOWCASE THE EXHIBITS, BUT WE CAN.
BUT THAT, THAT'S REALLY THE, SO SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH IS, UH, HIS NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
WELL, I KNOW YOU HAVE THE DOLLARS THERE, SO IF YOU HAVE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WE CAN INCLUDE OUR STUDENTS AS WELL.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOTION MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ? UH, HAVE A SECOND, SECOND.
SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
[7.Consideration and possible action to approve the Technical Assistance Agreement with the North American Development Bank (NADB) for the Water & Wastewater Master Plan. ]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER SANDY GARCIA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
SO THIS IS THE AGREEMENT FOR THE WATER WASTE WATER MASTER PLAN THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE KICKING OFF HERE PRETTY SOON WITH Y'ALL'S APPROVAL.
UH, THIS IS FUNDED PARTIALLY BY THE NAD BANK, AND WE'LL BE FUNDING THE OTHER PORTION OF IT.
AND, UH, THIS IS JUST TO HELP US TO BECOME MORE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE IN OUR, IN OUR REPAIRS, TRYING TO HELP US PLAN SMARTER.
AND TYPICALLY FOR FUNDING SAKE, UM, THEY DO REQUIRE US TO HAVE SOME SORT OF PLAN IN PLACE TO SHOW WHAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST.
UH, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS STEP ONE IN US BEING MORE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE.
SO, UM, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THIS, UH, AGREEMENT, WE'LL BE KICKING IT OFF AND, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REALLY SHOWCASE WHAT OUR ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE.
AND, UM, I KNOW IT'S IN, IN DIRE NEED, AND IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE PRETTY, BUT IT'S A NECESSARY, UH, STEP IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND SHOW THE, SHOW THE NEED, UM, AND BE ABLE TO GO, GO AFTER THOSE DOLLARS THERE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR COMMISSIONERS.
UM, DO I HAVE A QUE UH, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SO THEY WILL BE FUNDING UP TO 150,000, CORRECT? THEY WANT TO USE THEIR 150 FIRST BEFORE THE CITY'S, UH, 180 1 A HUNDRED.
AND THAT'LL BE COMING OUT OF THE WATER UTILITIES, NON-COMMITTED FUNDS, NOT THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION HAD APPROVED.
SO THE PROCESS FOR THE NAD BANK IS THAT THEY, UM, THEY NEED US TO HAVE AN ENTITY ALREADY IN, UM, IN PLACE TO BE WORKING ON THE WASTEWATER AND WATER MASTER PLAN, AS WELL AS THE SCOPE OF WORK BEFORE THEY PUT THIS AGREEMENT TOGETHER.
SO IN THE PROCESS OF US GETTING ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTATION TOGETHER, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION WAS AWARE OF THAT WE HAD BEEN AWARDED AND SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH TO GET TO HERE FOR THIS AGREEMENT.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, DON'T WE? OR WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.
THIS, THIS IS THE, THE ONE THAT WITH THE ALLS OF FOOD, WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE DO HAVE THE WATER AND WASTEWATER PLAN.
IS THIS BIND US, UM, TO, TO TACKLE ANY OF THE WORK THAT THEY NOTICE OR SEE, UM, ANY REPAIRS? NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
IT JUST, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE, THE NEED.
IT HELPS US JUST TO DO THE, EVALUATE THE MOST SEVERITY, UH, TO THE TO LEAST, AND ON AND ON.
SO, YEAH, I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS WE HAVE VERY SEASONED EMPLOYEES AND ONE LEAVES, THEN KNOWLEDGE LEAVES.
[01:35:01]
AND THIS IS NOT JUST A SAN CITY SANTO ISSUE.THAT WAS ANOTHER CONCERN FROM THE PUBLIC, WAS THAT THIS IS A SA CITY SANTO ISSUE.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A CITYWIDE CITIES ACROSS TEXAS ISSUE ON YOUR SEASONED EMPLOYEES LEAVE, THEY LEAVE WITH THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION HAD ADOPTED AND PAID FOR A, UM, GIS OF WHERE OUR WATER AND SEWER LINES ARE.
UM, BUT MOVING THIS FORWARD GETS US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR CAPITAL TO BUILD A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GIVES MR. NS FRAMEWORK TO WORK WITH AND GIVES THE COMMISSION A DECISION HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND IT, IT ALSO HELP US TO GROW.
IT GIVES US A PLAN ON HOW WE CAN GROW OUR SYSTEM.
COMMISSIONERS, DO I HAVE A COMMENTS OR MOTION? UM, MOTION TO APPROVE.
COMMISSIONER CORTEZ HAVE A MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
THE KICKOFF WILL BE, UH, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH AT 10:00 AM UH, I'LL BE SENDING SOMETHING OUT VIA RUTH TO YOU ALL TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO JOIN US FOR THAT KICKOFF.
THE NAD BANK WILL BE THERE, AND SO WILL, UH, THE CONTRACTOR DOING THE WASTEWATER WATER MASTER PLAN.
EVERYBODY BRING YOUR HARD HATS AND THE BOOTS YOU DON'T LIKE, IT'LL BE HERE INSIDE THE AIR CON TAKE KICKOFF.
YOU CAN BRING YOUR BOOTS, BUT,
[8.Consideration and possible action to approve a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council (LRGVDC) for installation, operation, and maintenance of an air quality monitoring station at the San Benito Fairgrounds.]
ALL RIGHT.ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, DEANNA GARCIA, SENATE MANAGER PRESENTING THE ITEM.
HI, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS, UM, THERE.
THIS IS JUST A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OF, OF AGREEMENT, SORRY.
WITH THE, UM, LAUREL GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
IT'S TO ALLOW AN INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF AN AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATION HERE IN THE CITY AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.
UM, THIS IS TYPICALLY AN AREA THAT, UM, IS UNDER MONITORED.
UM, THERE IS, UM, A CONCERN FOR AIR QUALITY IN OUR AREA.
SO THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO, A GREAT, YOU KNOW, LOW COST, NOT NO COST WAY OF BEING ABLE TO MONITOR AND SEE WHAT OUR AIR QUALITY IS HERE IN SAN BENITO.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING AROUND US AND, UM, THIS IS JUST ONE WAY TO HELP US SHOWCASE THAT NEED AS FAR AS OUR AIR QUALITY IS CONCERNED.
DO WE HAVE AN EXPECTED TIMEFRAME, UM, OF DATA COLLECTION AND WHEN THAT DATA WILL BE PRESENTED? UH, GREAT QUESTION.
MAYOR, DO WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES HERE? YES, WE DO HAVE SOME REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
CAN WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF FE UH, INFORMATION YOU CAN PRESENT? THANK YOU.
MELISSA GONZALEZ WITH THE ALLERGY VDC.
I LOVE LOOKING AT THE PARTS PER MILLION.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UM, FOR RIGHT NOW, THE AIR QUALITY MONITORING, UM, WILL BE HAPPENING FOR, FOR THREE YEARS, RIGHT, VALERIE? AT THIS MOMENT, IT'S THREE YEARS, SO, UM, NO COST FOR THE CITY.
UH, OUR CONSULTANT HAS ALREADY, WE'VE LOOKED AT A LOCATION, IT'S NOT GONNA BE IN THE WAY OF ANYBODY.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA INSTALL ALL THE ELECTRICITY, THE, HE'S GONNA DO ALL THE WORK.
UM, WE JUST NEED A LOCATION HERE IN SAN BENITO.
I WILL TELL YOU, Y'ALL ARE THE FIRST ONE FROM THE COAST, BECAUSE THE SECOND ONE WE'RE INSTALLING IS IN DELTA LAKE.
SO Y'ALL ARE GONNA CATCH HERE.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY DELTA LAKE WILL CATCH, UM, THE, THE SECOND PART OF THE, THE SOUTHEAST WINDS THAT WE GET HERE IN THE VALLEY.
UM, THE DATA, I WILL TELL YOU, WE ARE CURRENTLY COLLECTING DATA.
TCQ UH, LOOKS AT THOSE NUMBERS.
THEY DO NOT PUBLISH THEM YET, BUT THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO US AT THE END OF THE PROJECT.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M HERE TO ANSWER IF THERE'S ANYTHING ALARMING THAT'S RECORDED, WOULD WE BE PRESENTED THAT INFORMATION? YES.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, THERE IS OTHER AIR MONITORINGS GOING UP.
MAYOR, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KEEP UP ON FACEBOOK, BUT THEY ARE GONNA BE INSTALLING SOME AIR MONITORING QUALITY, AIR QUALITY AIR MONITORING EQUIPMENT AT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS IN BROWNSVILLE.
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN CALLED ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND I KEEP TELLING THEM THOSE ARE NOT OURS.
THE ONES THAT WE ARE PUTTING UP ARE FOR TCEQ FOR ACTUAL STATE MONITORING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH GOOD AIR QUALITY.
EXCITING SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT FOR SURE.
COMMISSIONERS, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I HAVE ONE, ONE QUICK QUESTION.
SO WHAT WOULD, UH, PROMPT Y'ALL TO DO THIS NOW? UH, WELL WE'VE BEEN, WE ACTUALLY GOT THE AIR QUALITY CONTRACT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
IT'S UP TO US IF WE WANT TO ADD ADDITIONAL MONITORING SYSTEMS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE CHOSE TO DO THIS YEAR, WAS TO ADD ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS HERE IN CAMERON COUNTY AND ONE UP IN THE DELTA AREA.
BECAUSE THE ONES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, DON'T, MEN DON'T MONITOR THIS REGION.
[01:40:01]
COUNTY.SO WHAT WAS ALARMING THAT? OH, IT'S NOTHING.
IT'S JUST, WE ARE REGIONAL APPROACH.
AND SO IF WE'VE GOT MONITORING IN HIDALGO COUNTY, I'M NOT GONNA LEAVE CAMERON COUNTY OUT OR WILLIS COUNTY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH WILLIS SEE COUNTY WITH STATE FUNDING IS NOT COVERED, WHICH BOTHERS ME.
'CAUSE I'M BORN AND RAISED IN WILLIS COUNTY, SO I TOLD TCQ, HEY, WHAT ABOUT MY HOOD? AND THEY'RE LIKE, SORRY, BUT YOUR HOOD DOESN'T MEET THE TCEQ NUMBERS TO GET MONEY.
SO ONLY CAMERON ALGO IS WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, COMMISSIONER, AND THERE'S NO BUDGET IMPACT.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? MOTION? I, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT, UM, IT'S OUT OF THE WAY OF EVERYBODY, BUT IF SOMETHING COMES UP THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT LAND AVAILABLE, WILL THAT MONITORING STATION BE ABLE TO BE MOVED? WE COULD, YEAH.
WE'LL WORK WITH OUR CONSULTANT AND WHAT KYLE WILL HAVE TO DO IS JUST KINDA LOOK AT THE ACTUAL, WHICH WAY THE WIND BLOWS AND LET US KNOW WHAT'S A GOOD WAY TO MOVE IT OR WHERE TO MOVE IT FOR, OR WHERE TO MOVE IT TO COMMISSIONER.
AND THAT WON'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE DATA OR ANYTHING.
IT WOULD BE UP TO HIM TO, TO TELL US IF IT WOULD OR DIDN'T.
BUT AT THIS MOMENT, I KNOW HE CAME, HE WAS REALLY EXCITED WITH THE STAFF FROM SAN BENITO.
UM, HE WAS LIKE A LITTLE GIDDY BOY IN THE, IN THE, IN THE ACTUAL FAIRGROUNDS, UM, BECAUSE HE WAS LIKE, THIS IS IT, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE AND HERE'S THE LINE.
AND I'M NOT AN, I'M NOT AN, UH, DATA NERD.
UH, SO MY EXCITEMENT CAME FROM HIM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT IS REALLY COOL.
WHO, WHO WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT DATA AND WHAT, WHO ELSE WOULD USE IT? UM, RIGHT NOW THE ONLY PERSON THAT'S GONNA HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA IS OUR CONSULTANT.
AND TCQ, UH, TCQ WILL, WILL ONLY ALLOW US TO RELEASE DATA ONCE THEY'VE APPROVED IT.
SO AT THIS MOMENT, COMMISSIONER, THE ONLY ONES WHO WOULD BE GETTING IT IS TCQ.
THEY WOULD ACTUALLY NEED TO LET US OR THE CONSULTANT KNOW IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A CAUSE FOR ALARM.
I MEAN, LET'S SAY AUSTIN ASKED FOR THAT DATA, WOULD IT BE REQUIRED TO GIVE IT TO THEM? NO, THIS IS A, THIS IS ALL FOR STATE.
SO AUSTIN IS STATE, RIGHT? SO IF TCQ, THAT'S THEIR NUMBERS, THEY'RE GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA BE COLLECTING NUMBERS FOR THEM.
AND THE REASON WHY, UH, COMMISSIONER IS THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS ALLOCATES FUNDING FOR WHAT THEY CALL PM 2.5 AIR QUALITY ISSUES IN THE STATE AND OZONE ISSUES IN THE STATE.
UM, THIS AREA IS GOT SOME TECHNICAL NUMBERS TO MAKE US A PM 2.5 COUNTY, WHICH IS ALGO AND CAMERON, THAT THERE IS SOME NUMBERS HERE THAT, UH, NEED FOR US TO DO MORE MONITORING.
RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE AN OZONE ISSUE, LIKE SOME COUNTIES UP IN, IN UPSTATE TEXAS THAT THEY GET MORE MONEY FOR NOT JUST PM 2.5 FUNDING, BUT ALSO FOR ZO FUNDING.
SO FOR HERE IT'S JUST CAMERON AND D**O AND WE'RE DOING WHAT THEY CALL A PM 2.5 RIDER AIR QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM.
SO IT'S JUST COLLECTING DATA AND THEY'RE GONNA REVIEW THE DATA AND LET US KNOW IS IT STILL BAD HERE? IF IT IS, THEN WE WOULD BE CONSIDERED, UM, AN ATTAINED COMP, UH, COUNTY, AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO GET STATE FUNDING FOR MONITORING.
IF THE AIR, IF THE MONITORING SHOWS THAT WE NO LONGER NEEDED IT, UH, CAMERON COUNTY IS NO LONGER AN ATTAINED COUNTY, THEY WOULD PULL THAT MONEY FROM US AND CAMERON COUNTY WOULD NO LONGER BE MONITORED FOR AIR QUALITY.
SO ALL OF THIS MONEY AND ALL OF THESE, THESE, UH, UH, UH, MONITORING IS COMING FROM THE STATE STATE DOLLARS BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY'RE GETTING FOR OUR COUNTIES.
THAT MAKES ANY SENSE? MM-HMM
I WISH WE, YOU KNOW, WHICH THE GOOD THING I TELL PEOPLE, WE DON'T HAVE OZONE ISSUES.
SO THAT, TO ME, THAT'S, WE DON'T HAVE THAT LAYER.
NOT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT LAYER GONE HERE BECAUSE WE DON'T, AT LEAST, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SHOOTING ROCKETS IN THE SKY REAL CLOSE BY, ARE WE? I HOPE NOT.
UH, WE ARE, WE JUST KNOW THAT IT'S PM 2.5.
THEY HAVE TOLD US THAT THE NUMBERS LOOK BETTER.
UM, SO WE MAY NOT BE AN ATTAINED COMMUNITY OR COUNTY IN THE NEXT CYCLE.
SO THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR US.
BUT UNTIL THEN, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND SET UP SYSTEMS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THESE TWO COUNTIES FOR US.
THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PEREZ? DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
[9.Consideration and possible action to authorize the Mayor to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of San Benito and the appropriate participating agencies for the Texas Statewide Communication Plan.]
ITEM NUMBER NINE, POLICE CHIEF MARIO PERERA PRESENTING THIS ITEM.UH, MAYOR, MAYOR PROAM, COMMISSION FOR THE RECORD.
THIS MOU UH, ALLOWS US TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEXAS STATEWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS INTEROPERABILITY PROGRAM.
UH, RIGHT NOW, WE CAN TALK TO OTHER AGENCIES IF THERE'S SOMETHING COMING INTO OUR CITY, THOSE, THOSE PSAP SYSTEMS ARE ABLE TO TALK TO US.
THE OFFICERS ARE ABLE TO HEAR IT.
UH, THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR THE MOU RIGHT NOW IS TO RECEIVE GRANT FUNDS
[01:45:01]
TO PURCHASE ANY NEW RADIO EQUIPMENT.WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS MOU IN PLACE.
SO I RECOMMEND APPROVAL, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR DO I HAVE A MOTION? A MOTION TO APPROVE.
MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CORTEZ.
[11. Consideration and possible action to appoint a member to represent the City of San Benito as Director of the Rio Grande Valley Public Utility Agency.]
ITEM NUMBER 11, UH, COMMISSIONER DANIEL CORTEZ, COMMISSIONER RICARDO PEREZ PRESENTING THIS ITEM.CONS, CONSIDERATION, POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPOINT A MEMBER TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF SANTO AS DIRECTOR OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY PUBLIC UTILITY AGENCY.
THE PUA, THE R-G-V-P-U-A WAS, WAS FORMED LAST, I GUESS LAST COMMISSION, AND THEY HAD ONE MEETING AND HAD, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN ANY ADDITIONAL MEETINGS.
COMMISSIONER CORTEZ OR COMMISSIONER PEREZ.
YOU GONNA TAKE OVER? UH, YES, MAYOR.
SO I SUGGEST, I MEAN, UH, I APPOINT, UH, COMMISSIONER CORTEZ TO REPRESENT US AT THE CITY OF SANTO AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, P-U-P-U-A FOR THE CURRENT UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH THROUGH 2026.
AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE, UH, NEW FOUR YEAR TERM, BEGINNING OCTOBER, 2026.
SO THE, WHEN THEY HAD THEIR FIRST MEETING, I ASKED FOR SOME BYLAWS, BUT I ASKED THE CITY SECRETARY SAID SHE WASN'T PRESENTED ANY.
DO WE HAVE ANY BYLAWS RECORDED YET? NO, SIR.
WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY BYLAWS RECORDED HERE.
MR. FLORES, HAVE YOU? YES, MA'AM.
WERE YOU INVOLVED AT ALL WITH THE R-G-V-P-U-A FORMATION? IT'S A COUPLE OF CITIES, AND SO I WAS TRYING TO GET SOME CLARITY IS WHAT CITIES ARE INVOLVED? MERCEDES? IT'S WEST LACO MERCEDES IN SANTO IN RAYMONDVILLE? YES.
MAYOR, I THINK WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE HERE IF YOU WANT IT.
REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S THE REPRESENTATIVE? MR. MARIN.
I'M WITH AMBI TECH CIVIL ENGINEERING, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PUA AND SETTING THAT UP, SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
DO WE HAVE, UH, BYLAWS? HAVE THEY BEEN PRESENTED TO THE CITY? THERE'S BEEN A CONCURRENT, UH, ORDINANCE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THEIR DRAFT BYLAWS HAVE BEEN CIRCULATED.
AND AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, THERE'S BEEN THREE OTHER MEETINGS ALREADY.
THE BOARD NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE THIS MONTH, AND THAT'S WHEN THEY'LL BE APPROVED.
THERE'S ALREADY BEEN THREE MEETINGS? YES, SIR.
SO WHO WAS SITTING ON THAT FOR US? REPRESENTING US BEFORE? UM, MAYOR GUERRA.
SO, AND ONLY ELIGIBLE MEMBERS ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE CITY? ONE PER ENTITY.
APPOINTED BY THEIR COMMISSION? CORRECT.
AND HOW LONG ARE THE, THE TERMS, THE, FOR RAYMONDVILLE AND FOR THE CITY OF SAN BENITO? IT WAS INITIALLY TWO, TWO YEAR TERMS. AND SO THEY'LL BE HAVING, UH, THEIR TERMS EXPIRE IN SEPTEMBER AND THEY GET RENEWED FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.
EVERYONE ELSE STARTED WITH FOUR YEAR TERMS AT THE END OF THIS.
SO AT THE END OF THE, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, IN SEPTEMBER, ENDING IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, SO WHEN THEY GO BACK AGAIN IN OCTOBER, IT'LL BE FOR FOUR YEARS, SO, CORRECT.
AT THE, AT THE FIRST PUA I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UH, SO IN THE ABSENCE OF THE MAYOR WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE SECOND, THIRD AND MEETING, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE MEETINGS BECAUSE OF THE, THE LACK OF REPRESENTATIVE FROM CITY SANTO.
WE DON'T WANNA MEET, WE DIDN'T WANNA MEET WITHOUT ALL THE CITIES REPRESENTED.
SO THERE HASN'T BEEN CITY MEETINGS POST THE FIRST ONE THAT I SAW THAT WAS HERE AT THE CITY OF SANTO.
THERE HAVE BEEN TWO OTHER MEETINGS OH, THAT HAVE BEEN HELD.
BUT WHEN THE ELECTION CHANGED AND WE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THE COMMISSION APPOINTED SOMEONE ELSE.
SO WHAT BUDGET IMPACT IS I, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT, I NEED TO SEE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR ATTORNEY HAS SEEN, SEEN THE, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL HAS SEEN THE, THE BYLAWS MM-HMM
UM, THAT CON THAT CONTRACT AGREEMENT.
I KNOW THAT THE INTENT WAS THAT FORMING A PUA SHOWED SOME UNITY AND ALLOWED US TO GO AFTER SOME DOLLARS FROM THE STATE THROUGH HOUSE BILL 500.
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HAD CHANGED THE DIRECTION AND WAS MORE SPECIFIC THAT ONLY SIT ONLY, UM, CITY WATER ENTITIES COULD APPLY NOT CORPORATIONS AND NOT POAS.I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THEY'RE GONNA BE SHIFTING THAT TO CHANGE.
THAT ONLY HAPPENED FOR HP 500 STARTING IN DECEMBER.
IT'LL BE A SERIES OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING WHERE THE POAS WILL SPECIFICALLY BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
AND THE PUA PROVIDES A NUMBER OF DISTINCT BENEFITS.
NUMBER ONE IS ECONOMIES OF SCALE THROUGH REGIONALIZATION.
THAT MEANS THAT THE COST OF CAPITAL IS A LOT LOWER.
YOU COULD HAVE THREE CITIES EACH TRYING TO BUILD 10 MILLION GALLON PER DAY FACILITIES.
IT'D BE A LOT CHEAPER TO HAVE ONE 30 MILLION GALLON PER DAY FACILITY TO BOTH BUILD AND OPERATE.
NUMBER TWO, WHEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FOR ALL THE NEW FUNDING THAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE AT THE STATE, YOU'RE GONNA BE RANKING, YOU'RE GONNA GET 30 MORE POINTS THAN ANYONE ELSE.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE BE LIKELY TO GET A LOT MORE MONEY.
NUMBER THREE, THE DEBT STAYS WITH THE PUA.
IF YOU HAD THREE CITIES EACH GOING WITH 10 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY OF FACILITY, THAT DEBT GOES AGAINST THE CITY, AGAINST THE TAXPAYERS, AND IT GOES AGAINST YOUR ABILITY TO RAISE BONDS FOR POLICE, PARKS, STREETS, ET CETERA.
THE FOURTH ADVANTAGE IS THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR AS WE'VE SEEN THE WATER'S GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE, AND WHERE'S THE RISK GONNA HAPPEN? SO WE EITHER GONNA DELAY THE PROJECTS UNTIL YOU GET ALL THE MONEY YOU NEED.
OR THE PUA ALLOWS FOR P THREES, WHICH ARE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH IS A WAY TO BRING IN PRIVATE CAPITAL, REDUCE THE COST OF CAPITAL FOR THE, FOR THE RATE PAYERS AND THE RISK TO THE RATE PAYERS, AND BE ABLE TO GET THE PROJECTS FASTER.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE, THE PURPOSE OF WATER IS NOT JUST TO WASH CARS AND SO ON.
IT'S REALLY TO ATTRACT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT WE'RE SEEING AT THE PORT THAT'S GONNA FILTER THIS WAY.
AND YOU HAVE TO BE READY AND YOU GOTTA BE READY FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
DO WE HAVE A SITE PROPOSED? WE'VE GOT A SERIES OF PROJECTS AND THE NEXT STEP IS TO APPLY FOR FUNDING TO DO THE PLANNING, DESIGN AND ACQUISITION IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHERE THE SITES WILL HAPPEN.
BUT ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES HAPPENED ALREADY AS PART OF THE PUA AND THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO TO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROJECT AS THEY PARTICIPATED IN MERCEDES, AS WELL AS WESCO WAS FINDING A SOURCE OF GROUNDWATER THAT IS IN THE AREA BETWEEN SANTO AND WESLACO.
THAT'LL TOTAL, UH, SUSTAINABLE YIELD OF 40 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY OF FAIRLY CLEAN WATER, SUSTAINABLE FOR LONG TERM.
THAT IS A SERIOUS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THAT THEN THE NEXT STEPS IS TO APPLY FOR THE PLANNING, ACQUISITION AND DESIGN FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP AND DETERMINE HOW MANY REGIONAL, UM, DESALINATION PLANTS WE WANT AND WHERE WE WANNA DRILL THE WELLS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DRILLING ANYWHERE, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 44 AND 88.
QUESTION IS HOW TO DO IT THE CHEAPEST WAY, THE MOST RELIABLE WAY.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING FOCUSING ON ONLY ONE TECHNOLOGY.
WE DON'T WANNA FOCUS ON JUST OCEAN DESAL.
WE DON'T WANNA FOCUS JUST ON SURFACE WATER.
WE DON'T WANNA FOCUS JUST ON BRACKISH GROUNDWATER.
IT'S LIKE DOING A FINANCIAL PORTFOLIO.
WHAT YOU DO IS LOOK AT ALL THE ASSETS, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SURFACE WATER IS THE CHEAPEST, BUT NOT AS RELIABLE.
BUT WE CAN MAKE IT A LOT MORE EFFICIENT.
WE'RE LOSING 60% OF THE WATER BY THE TIME IT GETS FROM THE RIVER TO HERE.
SO WE GOTTA START LOOKING AT WHERE WE INVEST OUR RO OUR OUR FUNDING TO GET THE BIGGEST GAP, UH, BANG FOR THE BUCK.
SO IT'S SURFACE WATER EFFICIENT, SURFACE WATER BRACKISH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF STRATEGIES TO MAKE GROUNDWATER MORE EFFICIENT.
AND ULTIMATELY IN THE LONG RUN, IT'S GOING TO BE OCEAN DESAL.
BUT THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE DEVELOP THE MOST EFFICIENT PORTFOLIO? AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NEXT.
AND IN MANY WAYS, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST PUA IN THE STATE UNDER A SENATE BILL 1159, THEN WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO BE IN A COMPETITIVE POSITION BY WORKING TOGETHER.
I KNOW IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT IF, UH, THE ENTITIES THAT ARE WITH THE PUA AND THEY GO OUT FOR DEBT AND THEY PULL OUT OF THE PUA, THAT DEBT DOES FOLLOW THE CITY.
IF YOU PULL OUT, IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN A PROJECT, RIGHT? THERE'S NO OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY PROJECTS BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT THE DEBT STAYS WITH THE PUA, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE AS LONG AS YOU'RE IN THIS PUA, CORRECT.
SO IF THE, IF IT SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN AND THERA WOULD GET IN A FIGHT,
AS I'VE SEEN IN THE CITIES AND RGV HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN, UM, THAT DEBT WOULD FOLLOW THE CITY OF SAN BENITO NOW YES.
THAT THEIR OBLIGATION, THEIR PORTION, IF THEY WOULD, WHICH WOULD BE ENCUMBERED ON THE CITIZENS AND ON TAX RATE IF, IF WE, IF THEY WITHDRAW, YES, SIR.
GOOD THING WE SAVE THE TAX RATE.
GOOD THING WE HAVE THIS TAX RATE THE SAME.
IDEALLY YOU DON'T LEAVE BECAUSE THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING THE POA FAR OUTWEIGH, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE ACTUAL TAX RATE AND THE ACTUAL DEBT ABSOLUTELY.
WOULD BE A LOT LESS THAN IF YOU WERE TO DO IT BY YOURSELF.
WHAT IS OUR BUDGETARY IMPACT CURRENTLY? I THINK IT'S LIKE, I DON'T HAVE EXACT NUMBERS.
[01:55:01]
DIRECTOR OR WHAT IS OUR, WHAT IS OUR FISCAL, WHAT IS ANNUAL? THE BUDGET.THE BUDGET IS ABOUT $3,000 A MONTH.
AND THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER CITIES TO COME IN AND THEY'LL LOSE OR THEY'RE LOWER.
IT'S ABOUT THREE KA MONTH? YES.
UM, MR. FLORES, HAVE YOU SEEN THE AGREEMENT? YES, MA'AM.
HAVE YOU SEEN THAT AGREEMENT? WHICH ONE? MAYOR AT THREE KA MONTH OR AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH THE RGVP UUA? I'VE NOT SEEN THE AGREEMENT FOR THE CITY OF SANTO.
STEPHANIE, HAS THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT SEEN THE AGREEMENT? IT'S, IT WAS DISCUSSED AT ONE OF THE BOARD MEETINGS.
AND, AND SO IT'S PRESENTED AS A DRAFT BUDGET HASN'T BEEN ADOPTED YET.
THAT LEADS TO ANOTHER QUESTION.
ANYTHING THAT'S DECIDED BY THE PUA, DOES THAT HAVE TO COME TO THE CITY COMMISSION TO APPROVE ANY DEBT OBLIGATIONS? YES.
SO I'M GETTING A VERBAL YES, BUT I WANT TO ENSURE THAT MR. DENNA, HAVE YOU SEEN THE, THE DRAFT? SO HERE'S THE THING.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THE DRAFT EITHER.
AND I, I, I THINK I'VE ASKED, UH, MS. MCGINNIS FOR IT, BUT SHE HASN'T BEEN PRESENTED ANY INFORMATION EITHER.
I WOULD LIKE THAT INFORMATION.
THE POA HAS TO FOLLOW PROBABLY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
THEY'RE HELD TO THOSE STANDARDS.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT BEFORE WE CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES IN THE STATE.
BUT YOU SAID IT BRINGS IN INDUSTRY.
SO WHERE ARE WE GONNA PUT THIS FACILITY? WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR IT? HOW MUCH DEBT ARE WE WILLING TO OBLIGATE? THOSE ARE ALL QUESTIONS WE NEED TO HAVE.
OF COURSE, THAT'S ALL GONNA BE DECIDED THE NEXT MEETINGS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO, I THINK BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RECENTLY AND BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST, THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY.
SO AT THIS POINT, IT'S ONLY A DRAFT BUDGET.
NONE OF THE CITIES HAVE ADOPTED IT YET.
THAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
I'D BE HAPPY TO SEND, UH, MR. FLORES A COPY OF THE BYLAWS.
THEY'RE ONLY DRAFT AT THIS POINT, AND THEY'LL BE ADOPTED AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
SO I KNOW THAT DRAFTS ARE NOT PERMANENT DOCUMENTS, SO THEY'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO BE SHARED.
UM, BUT FOR TRANSPARENCY, I WOULD LIKE THE COMMISSION AT THE VERY LEAST, TO HAVE, OF COURSE, THE DRAFTS.
AND WHICH IS, I WHAT I'VE ASKED OF STAFF IS TO PROPOSE THE DRAFT, THE BUDGETS OF COURSE, AND THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND ANYBODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE DRAFT.
'CAUSE HOW COULD YOU HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING? HOW COULD YOU HAVE PUBLIC INPUT IF NOBODY LOOKS AT THE DRAFT? NOBODY HAS SEEN THE DRAFT.
UH, IT WAS CIRCULATED AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
THE FACT THAT THERE WAS INTERRUPTION IN THE MEETINGS AND THE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP.
THE, BUT THE LAST PERSON SHOULD HAVE HAD COPIES OF EVERYTHING JUST DIRECT.
HOW OFTEN IS THE BOARD GONNA BE MEETING? I'M SORRY? HOW OFTEN IS THE BOARD GONNA BE MEETING? ONCE A MONTH.
OTHER THAN THE CITY REPRESENTATIVES, IS THERE ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ON THERE? UH, OTHER THAN THE CITY? THE CITY.
IS THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS BESIDES THE CITY? NOT YET.
BUT THEY WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND THE, THE MEMBERSHIP.
SO TOTAL MEMBERSHIP IS HOW MUCH? RIGHT NOW? FOUR.
NOW WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD ADD MORE REPRESENTATIVES TO THAT BOARD? WE'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL OTHER POTENTIAL CLIENTS.
AND ONE REPRESENTATIVE FOR EACH CITY.
PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS? NO PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, ONLY CITIES CAN PARTICIPATE.
AND THEN THE ASSETS WOULD BE OWNED BY THE CITY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S A PRIVATE OR PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.
THE DEBT WOULD STAY WITH THE CITY UNLESS, I MEAN WITH A POA, UNLESS THE PARTICULAR ENTITY DECIDES TO LEAVE.
BUT THE POINT BEING THAT IF YOU WERE TO DO IT BY YOURSELF FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF CAPACITY, THAT DEBT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BEING INSIDE.
BECAUSE IT'S A LOT CHEAPER TO DO REGIONAL SCALE.
WELL, I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO WORK WITH US BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT BOND RATING.
IT WOULD BE THE BOND RATING AND THE PUA OH.
AND THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT, IS THAT THE DEBT, AS LONG AS EVERYBODY STAYS, RIGHT.
AND THAT FOUNDING CAPACITY DOES NOT AFFECT YOU AT ALL.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER BYLAWS ARE FINALLY ADOPTED AND ANY DEBT OBLIGATIONS, OF COURSE, UH, MR. FLOSS, THAT, THAT COMES BACK TO THE COMMISSION, COMMISSION APPROVAL.
'CAUSE WHAT, WHAT I'D HATE TO SEE IS A COMMISSIONER ON THE BOARD SIT ON THAT PUA MAKE ALL THESE DEBT OBLIGATIONS AND NONE OF US KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND THEN WE GET HIT WITH A BILL A FEW YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
IF, IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBLE WAY THAT IF WHOEVER GETS
AND IF THAT'S GONNA BE, WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT AND I THINK MR. FLORES CAN TALK TO THE PUA ATTORNEY AND FIND OUT, BECAUSE WE LOOKED AT THAT OPTION.
BECAUSE IN SOME CASES SOMEBODY CAN'T MAKE THE MEETING.
WOULD THERE BE A PROXY, BUT THE ATTORNEY DETERMINED THAT IT COULD NOT BE A PROXY, BUT WE CAN BRING
[02:00:01]
THE ISSUE UP AGAIN AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.ALL THESE ISSUES WITH THE, THE BYLAWS AND THEY'RE STILL BEING WORKED OUT.
YOU SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE APPROVED AT THE NEXT MEETING.
THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE APPROVED, OF COURSE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THE, I'LL HAVE THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHARE THEM WITH YOU.
AND WE DO HAVE CONCURRENT ORDINANCES THAT WERE PASSED BY ALL THE CITIES, AND THAT PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR HOW THE POA WORKS, INCLUDING WHO IS ELIGIBLE ISSUES OF DEBT.
AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY GOT A COPY AND IT WAS APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION.
WHO'S INTERIM'S? EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, THE COMMISSIONERS.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS NOW THAT WE HAVE ALL THAT? SO THIS AGENDA ITEM, IT'S GOOD.
I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE BRINGING IT FORWARD.
IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
BUT WHEN PRESENTING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, I'VE ASKED STAFF AND I'VE ASKED THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WE NEED TO COME WITH THE AGENDA ITEMS NEED TO COME WITH SUBSTANCE SO WE CAN, UM, BETTER TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AND WE CAN MOVE QUICKER AND WE CAN ALL GET HOME BEFORE NINE.
RIGHT?
SO WE COULD JUST WORK ON THAT.
I HAD A MOTION, UH, A COMMISSIONER BEES TO APPOINT COMMISSIONER CORTEZ APPOINTING SOMEONE BINDING US TO ALREADY WITH THEM.
OR DO WE, SHOULD WE WAIT? WE'RE ALREADY IN THE RGV.
PUA WAS APPROVED LAST, I MEAN, BUT WE WERE, WE HAD AT THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD APPROVED JOINING THEM.
BUT CONDITIONALLY THAT WE SEE ALL THESE THINGS, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONDITION IS MET.
SO THERE'S MRS. THE MOTION, WE, WE ALREADY OBLIGATED TO, UH, MY CONCERN IS THAT NOBODY HERE HAS SEEN WHAT OUR OBLIGATION IS UP TO THIS POINT.
WELL, THERE IS A CONCURRENT ORDINANCE THAT ALL THE CITY SIGNED AND THAT YOU GUYS SIGNED AND APPROVED.
AND THAT IS THE FOUNDATION, THE LEGAL FOUNDATION FOR IT.
IT'S THE ORDINANCE THAT COPIES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
BUT
NO, IT'S BEEN, IT'S A DRAFT BUDGET.
THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED BY ALL THE CITIES.
SO WILL THAT DRAFT BUDGET HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL? THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATION WILL, WILL COME BACK TO THE, UH, APPROVAL FOR THE COMMISSION.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CONDITIONALLY WE HAVE THAT YES, OF COURSE.
AND I JUST WANNA MENTION ONE OTHER THING.
ONE OTHER THING IS THAT RIGHT NOW, IN ORDER TO LESSEN THE BURDEN OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE PUA AND MINIMIZE THE COSTS, EACH CITY WILL BE HOSTING THE MEETINGS AND PROVIDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND IT, AND IT, UH, TTES ON AN, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO RIGHT NOW, ALL THE, ALL THE MEETINGS ARE HELD IN WESLACO AND ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS, ET CETERA.
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT IS PROVIDED FOR WESLACO BY A WHOLE YEAR, AND THEN IT'LL ROTATE.
UM, COMMISSIONER PEREZ HAD A MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER CORTES TO SERVE THE FOUR YEAR TERM THROUGH 2026.
STARTING THE END OF SEPTEMBER, BEGINNING OCTOBER.
OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM.
UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND.
SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
[13. Consideration and possible action to discuss the conceptual rendering and engineering opinion of probable construction cost for the Stookey Park Revitalization Project. ]
NUMBER 13, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO DISCUSS THE CONCEPTUAL RENDERING AND ENGINEERING OPINION OF PROBABLE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.FOR THE OOKY PARK REVITALIZATION PROJECT, WE HAVE DEANNA GARZA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD, UH, WORKED ON AND PUT TOGETHER BACK IN DECEMBER TO, UM, BE READY TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDING, WHETHER IT'S TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE, WHETHER IT'S VALLEY BAPTIST, WHETHER IT'S ANY OTHER GRANT, UH, GIVING ENTITY.
AND, UM, I PUT THIS ITEM ON HERE AT THE REQUEST OF THE MAYOR TO SHOW YOU ALL WHAT THESE ITEMS COST.
I KNOW OOKY GETS USED A LOT FOR RENTALS, WHETHER IT'S TOURNAMENTS, WHETHER IT'S PRACTICE, WHETHER IT'S SOCCER TOURNAMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT ENTITIES USE THAT FACILITY.
[02:05:01]
THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ALONE SERVICE OVER A THOUSAND KIDS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, AND THEY UTILIZE OOKY PARK.IT, UH, NEEDS SOME, SOME MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR UPGRADES, UM, OR AT LEAST JUST, YOU KNOW, RENOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ALL, UM, WE THREW EVERYTHING THAT THE MASTER PARK PLAN, EVERYTHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WISHED TO SEE IN OUR PARKS IN OUR OOKY PARK INTO THIS CONCEPT.
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THESE KINDS OF THINGS COST ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, THESE ARE JUST ENGINEERING ESTIMATES.
UM, BUT THEY ARE REQUIRED IF WE WANT TO GO OUT FOR FUNDING, FUTURE FUNDING.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SHOWCASE, YOU KNOW, THE COST IS A LITTLE OVER $2 MILLION, 2.4.
IF WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN HOUSE, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARY.
THERE'S FUNDING OUT THERE FOR THAT.
UM, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, LIGHTING COSTS, WHAT, UH, ALL, UM, AN ALL ENCOMPASSING PLAY SCAPE LOOKS LIKE AS FAR AS COST.
WHAT, UH, WALKING TRAIL WOULD COST THINGS, YOU KNOW, IMPROVED LIGHTING, UM, A PUMP TRACK FOR CYCLISTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF WE WERE TO FIX UP OUR SOCCER FIELDS.
SO THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
IF THERE WAS EVER, UM, A TIME THAT YOU WANTED TO DO A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WHILE WE WAIT TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDING, UM, THIS WOULD GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THOSE ITEMS WOULD COST.
COMMISSIONERS, I KNOW, UH, PARKS HAVE BEEN A PASSION OF MINE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR THE NEXT 18 YEARS.
UM, I WAS, UH, GREW UP PLAYING BASEBALL AT THESE PARKS, UM, WITH MY DAD, UH, SUPPORTING AS A COACH.
SO WHEN I REVISIT THESE PLACES, EVEN GOING THROUGH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, UM, BRINGS BACK THOSE MEMORIES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO IMPROVE OUR, I DON'T NOT WANNA BE A PARKS DIRECTOR.
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR PUBLIC, PUBLIC GREEN SPACES.
NOW, I, YOU KNOW, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH MS. GARAN, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND I WANTED TO SEE WHAT SHE HAD BEEN WORKING ON.
NOW, MY NEXT QUESTION BECOMES IS, HAS THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT TAKEN A LOOK AT THIS? I MEAN, ADVISORY COMMITTEE? I GO BACK AGAIN TO MAKING SURE, HAVING GOOD COMMUNITY INPUT.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY, NO, I'D LOVE TO APPROVE IT TODAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE PUBLIC INPUT.
SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE IS TO TALK TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND SEE IF WE CAN HAVE A COMMUNITY WORKSHOP THERE SURE.
AND DISCUSS THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE.
WE HAVE A, WE ALSO HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR A PARKS BOARD MEMBER.
THAT WAY WE CAN START MEETING WITH THE PARKS BOARD AS WELL.
AND THIS PLAN MAY HAVE SOME, UH, I'M SURE THERE'S GONNA BE SOME REQUESTS, AMENDMENTS I WAS LOOKING AT WHERE WE COULD PUT A SPLASH PAD, TENNIS COURT.
I MEAN, WELL, ALL THIS MONEY WE HAVE NOW.
WELL, STEPHANIE SAID I HAVE TO HAVE TO ALLOCATE IT.
SO IS WITH THE COMMISSION APPROVAL, I THINK EVERYBODY'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I WOULD RECOMMEND, UM, DIRECTING, UM, STAFF CITY ADMINISTRATION MRNA.
COULD WE WORK ON, UM, ASSISTING DEANNA AND GETTING A PUBLIC, UH, WORKSHOP GOING AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB? MM-HMM.
UM, SO I HAVE A, UNLESS THERE'S ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, I HAVE A MOTION TO HAVE A DIRECT STAFF, MR. ENA AND YANA, GOD, GODS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TO HOST A PUBLIC WORKSHOP WITH APPROVAL OF, OF COURSE, FROM THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AT THEIR, AT THEIR GYMNASIUM.
DOES IT HAVE TO BE AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB? CAN IT BE LIKE, AT THE COMMUNITY BUILDING THE WAY WE, AT THE, THE BUDGET WORKSHOP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I MEAN, IT'S A BIGGER SPACE AIR CONDITION MOTION DISCUSS.
WE COULD DO, UH, LET THE STAFF DECIDE WHATEVER WORKS BEST TECH FOR TECHNICAL SURE REASONS.
SO I HAVE A, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DIRECT MR. ENA IN, UH, IN ASSISTANCE WITH YANNA GAZA AND THE PARKS AND REC ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO HOST A TOWN HALL TYPE OF FORUM TO DISCUSS THIS PROJECT FORWARD AND TO COME UP WITH A SITE AND DATE, PLEASE.
[02:10:01]
I HAVE A SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.[14. Consideration and possible action to approve a San Benito Community Bike Ride hosted by the San Benito Police Department to be held on September 19, 2026 at the Heavin Memorial Park from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.]
NUMBER 14, POLICE CHIEF MARIA PERELLA PRESENTING THIS ITEM FOR THE RECORD.UM, THIS IS A PROPOSED, UH, BIKE RIDE THAT WE WANNA HOST ON SEPTEMBER 19TH, UH, FROM 8:00 AM TO 10:00 AM WE'LL START AT, UH, HEEN PARK.
WE'LL GO THROUGH BOWIE STREET.
WE'LL HEAD SOUTH TOWARDS THE EXPRESSWAY.
WE'LL CROSS OVER ON FRONTAGE AND THEN HEAD BACK ON THE TRAIL.
UH, TO MAKE A COMPLETE CIRCLE BACK TO HEEN PARK.
UH, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE, UH, AS LONG AS WE WANT IT FOR, FOR NOW.
BUT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE GIVEN THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE THIS, WE WILL START PROPOSING, UH, A LONGER, UH, BIKE RIDE.
LIKE I SAID, WE DO HAVE OUR E-BIKES THAT, UH, OUR OFFICERS RIDE AT THE TRAIL IN THE MORNING.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN VISITING SCHOOLS.
UH, THEY'VE GONE AS FAR AS I THINK, UH, UH, SULLIVAN ELEMENTARY, UM, ON, IN LAINA AREA.
AND THEY, THEY DO THAT EVERY, UH, ALMOST EVERY MORNING.
THEY TRY TO GO OUT THERE AND, UM, TRY TO GET A CREW TO START DOING THE NIGHTTIME, UH, UH, RIDES AT THE TRAIL.
ALSO, I KNOW WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WALKING.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING TO PROMOTE THAT NEW BIKE, UH, DIVISION THAT WE HAVE.
UH, I'M WORKING ON GETTING AT LEAST TWO MORE E-BIKES AND, UH, WITH ASSET FORFEITURE.
SO, UH,
LIKE I SAID, IF YOU APPROVE IT TONIGHT, UH, CREATE A FLYER AND I'LL START PASSING 'EM OUT TO THE PRINCIPALS AT THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS SO THEY CAN GET THEIR STUDENTS TO COME IN AND REPRESENT THEIR SCHOOLS.
MY CONCERN HERE IS WE'RE GONNA BE USING THE TRAIL SYSTEM, CORRECT? I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S GONNA BE QUITE A BIT OF PEOPLE.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S EIGHT TO 10, WE NOTIFY THE PUBLIC PROPERLY.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE JOGGERS OR WALKERS THAT ARE GONNA BE, WE'RE TAKING AWAY THEIR SPACE.
UM, I'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES WHERE THEY UTILIZE STREETS, UM, TO KIND OF PROMOTE BIKE SAFETY IN THE STREETS, AND THEY USE JUST THE STREET SYSTEM, WHEREVER THAT MAY BE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ADJUST THE ROUTE, WE CAN GO THROUGH, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S CARROLL, AND THEN COME BACK DOWN ON, UH, DIA STREET, UM, AND THEN THROUGH FREDDIE FENDER.
BUT, UM, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC OUT THERE, LIKE I SAID, THE FOOT TRAFFIC, AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T DISTURB ANY OF THE JOGGERS OR WALKERS THAT ARE OUT THERE EVERY MORNING SATURDAY MORNING.
I KNOW WHICH STREET HAS A REAL NICE 10 FOOT WIDE SHARED USE PATH AND IS CLOSED.
THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER ROUTE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
LIKE I SAID, THIS ONE IS ABOUT ROUGHLY THREE MILES, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OVER.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WE WILL, WE'LL INCREASE THE ROUTE, WE'LL FIND A DIFFERENT AREA THROUGH THE CITY, AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE, UH, OFFICERS OUT THERE.
WE'LL HAVE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, IN CASE ANYBODY NEEDS ANY TYPE OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYBODY THAT PARTICIPATES.
HYDRATION STATIONS, WE CAN HAVE THAT.
I KNOW, UH, UH, CHRISTINA'S WORKING ON, UH, GETTING, UH, I THINK HEALTH SCREENINGS OUT THERE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO WALMART AND, AND HB, UH, SEE IF WE CAN GET DONATIONS FOR WATER.
WE'LL HAVE OUR CANAM OUT THERE WITH OUR, UH, UH, ICE CHEST.
SO IF ANYBODY NEEDS WATER, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAND OUT WATER THROUGHOUT THE ROUTE.
DO YOU HAVE A
LIKE I SAID, IT'S A CHANCE FOR US TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN A POSITIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SETTING.
AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE RESPOND TO HOUSES, IT'S BECAUSE THEY NEED US THERE.
AND, UH, SOMETIMES THE OUTCOME ISN'T WHAT THEY HOPED IT WOULD BE.
UH, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC IN, LIKE I SAID, A POSITIVE SETTING.
UH, THEY CAN GET TO KNOW THE OFFICERS, UH, ESPECIALLY STARTING OFF WITH THE KIDS, THAT THAT'S BEEN A BIG GOAL, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS ENGAGING THE KIDS, UH, WHILE THEY'RE LITTLE.
SO WHEN THEY GROW UP, THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE.
THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO HELP AND, UH, THAT WE'RE A PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE PARK THAT PROTECTS AND, AND SERVES.
WE'RE ACTUALLY A PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU CONSIDER SOME AROUND THAT REAL, THE SYSTEM IS PRETTY, PRETTY BIG DEAL.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN INCORPORATE SOMETHING INTO THAT.
MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, UH, CHIEF, THIS IS ALSO REALLY GOOD DATA FOR THE SAFETY STREETS FOR ALL, UH, PLANNING GRANT THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, SO.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PEREZ? DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
P WE ALWAYS BRING IN ACTIVITIES FOR OUR YOUNG ONES AND OUR
[15. Consideration and possible action to approve the dates of Saturday, December 5, 2026 for the City of San Benito Christmas Parade and Friday, December 4, 2026 for the Christmas Lighting on the Resaca]
COMMUNITY.SO ITEM NUMBER 15, CHRISTINA GARCIA, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, PRESENTING THIS ITEM.
SO WE DO NEED TO SCHEDULE SANTA TO BE HERE.
SO WE'RE JUST, UH, PREPARING, UM, HIS SCHEDULE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DECEMBER 5TH AND DECEMBER 4TH WORK FOR YOU ALL FOR THE CHRISTMAS EVENTS.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CALENDARS ARE OPEN FOR THOSE DAYS SO THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND
[02:15:01]
MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING, UH, OF THE CHRISTMAS PARADE, AS WELL AS THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTING ON THE SAKA AS WELL.A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE TWO DAYS.
HAVE WE, WE'VE DONE TWO DAYS IN THE PAST.
WHAT WAS THE CONCERN? LAST TIME WE HAD, I KNOW THERE, I KNOW SOMETHING.
EITHER WE CHANGED IT OR WE HAD IT.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAD IT FOR TWO DAYS LAST YEAR.
UM, IN SPEAKING TO THE DISTRICT, THEY SAID THAT THAT WORKS FOR THEM, UH, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE AT THE PARADE AND THEN DO THE LIGHTING ON THE SAME DAY.
UH, TWO DAYS WORKS A LOT BETTER.
THAT ALLOWS, YOU KNOW, THE PARADE CAN RUN FOR THREE HOURS.
AND THEN, UM, WE DO HAVE STAFF HERE WORKING AS WELL.
UM, AT LEAST OPERATIONALLY IT WORKS WELL BEING TWO DAYS.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, THE IDEA IS TO KEEP IT AT TWO DAYS ALSO AT THE REQUEST OF THE DISTRICT, UH, BECAUSE IT IS THEIR SAME STAFF.
ALSO SCHEDULING THE STUDENTS YOU DID GET WITH THE YES, I DID.
AND THEY'RE, UM, THEY, I HAVE TOLD THEM ABOUT THE DATE.
UM, I DID LET 'EM KNOW THAT IT'S NOT FOR SURE YET, BUT THEY SAID THAT THIS WORKS FOR THEM.
MAYOR PRO, IF I MAY, UM, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS LAST YEAR, UM, AT THE REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION, AT ONE POINT WE HAD SCHEDULED, UH, THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AND THE PARADE TO BE A SINGLE DAY, UH, TO SAVE ON STAFFING HOURS.
AND, AND AT THAT TIME, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD TOLD US THAT IT ACTUALLY WORKED BETTER FOR THEM AT THAT TIME.
AND SO WE HAD MET WITH THEM IN, I BELIEVE IT WAS JUNE OR JULY WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE DIRECTOR OR THE PRINCIPALS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS GONNA BE A ONE DAY EVENT.
FAST FORWARD TO ABOUT NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR IS WHEN, UH, THE COMMISSION CHANGED IT TO A TWO BACK TO A TWO DAY EVENT, AND IT CAUSED A LITTLE CONFUSION.
SO, UH, IT'S BEING BROUGHT EARLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, SOLIDIFY THAT IT'S EITHER GONNA BE A ONE DAY OR TWO DAY EVENT AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FROM HERE AND KEEP THE CALENDAR AS IS SO WE CAN PROPERLY STAFF AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
I'M LOOKING AT THE, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT'S THEIR STAR TESTING WEEK.
UM, IF THEY WRAP UP DECEMBER 1ST, SECOND AND THIRD, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL HAVE EARLY RELEASE.
JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
IT'S, FOR SOME REASON THEY HAVE IT LISTED AS TWO WEEKS OF STAR TESTING.
I THINK THERE'S MAKEUP DAYS IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE KEEP THAT IN CONSIDERATION.
'CAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE MAYBE SOME STUDENTS OR PARENTS NOT WANT TO COME OUT 'CAUSE OF THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL OPEN REGISTRATION, UM, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE COMING MONTH.
UM, OCTOBER IS A PRETTY GOOD TIME TO START REGISTERING ALREADY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S OCTOBER FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
UM, AND ENSURE THAT THOSE, UM, THEY DO LIKE TO PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME, THEIR FLOATS AND EVERYTHING.
UM, BASED ON THE THEME, UH, THEY EVEN SUGGESTED A THEME, WHICH WOULD BE CANDY, CANDY LAND, CHRISTMAS.
UM, SO VERY COLORFUL AND IT IS A COMPETITION AS WELL.
UM, SO THEY KIND OF WANNA START WORKING ON THEIR FLOATS AND THEIR ROUTINES AND THEIR PERFORMANCES ALREADY.
UM, SO THE INTENT HERE IS JUST TO GET STARTED EARLY.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CALENDARS ARE OPEN TOO, BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE Y'ALL TO BE PART OF THE PARADE AS WELL.
UM, WE'LL BE PREPARING A FLOAT AND WHATNOT AS WELL.
UH, CITY STAFF DOES PARTICIPATE TOO.
IT DEPENDS IF WE'RE IN THE PLAYOFFS.
WE MIGHT BE GOING SOMEWHERE IN DECEMBER.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONERS STILL I HAVE A MOTION.
COMMISSIONER FOR COMMISSIONER A SECOND.
I HAVE MADE A MOTION FOR, UH, BOTH DAYS.
AND THEN, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
[BOARD APPOINTMENT(S) ]
OVER TO BOARD APPOINTMENTS.UM, COMMISSIONER RICK, RICK BETIS TO NOMINATE PLACE ONE FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FOR TERMS STARTING EXPIRING AS SHOWN.
MAYOR, I ALREADY HAD A APPOINTED, UH, SOMEBODY ONTO THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS CAME BACK, BUT I'M GONNA ACTUALLY REMOVE, UH, MARK
[02:20:02]
UH, COMMISSIONER PEREZ TO PLACE ONE OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD EDITH MEDANO.SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEMP SECOND.
MR. RICK'S, UH, NOMINATION APPOINTMENT.
OKAY, SO A SEC, UH, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
ALRIGHT, MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
MOVE OVER TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.UM, MR. FLORES, DO YOU WANNA READ OVER ALL THESE? SURE.
MAYOR, EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM NUMBER ONE IS CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY IN REGARDS TO THE REPUBLIC, UH, WASTE, UH, SERVICE.
THIS WILL BE UNDER 5 5, 1 0, UH, SEVEN ONE SUBSECTION TWO, SECTION ONE, SECTION A.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE CITY MANAGER'S CONTRACT, UH, UNDER 5 5 1 0 7 1 AND 0 7 4.
AND THEN DISCUSSION WITH, UH, ATTORNEY ON CONSULTING.
UM, A STANDARDS OF CONDUCT ALSO UNDER 5 5 1 0 7 1.
AND ANY, UH, CONFLICTS THERE MAY HAVE PURSUED THERE.
ITEM FIVE, UM, TO ADOPT POLICY ESTABLISHING COMPLIANCE WITH THE TAX PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
AND THEN ITEM SIX, UH, TO DISCUSS, UM, TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING C CITY LEGAL SERVICES UNDER 5 5 1 0 7 1 AND 0 7 4.
MAYOR ASK YOU TO CHANGE A MOTION TO CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THIS TIME.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO GO TAKE THESE ITEMS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? I MOTION TO MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CORTES TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
FOR THE RECORD, UH, MAYOR PRO, TEMP NOVATO WALKED OUT.
I AM SORRY HE WENT TO TAKE A BREAK AND DIDN'T WALK OUT.
UM, TIME IS 7:57 PM WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION
[POSSIBLE ACTION ON ANY ITEM(S) AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION]
9 59.WE'RE BACK FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, MAYOR, THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE GONNA REQUIRE ACTIONS ARE ONE AND TWO AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS 3, 4, 5, 6 TO INCLUDE, UM, THE OPEN SESSION ITEM SEVEN, UM, RECOMMENDATION THERE IS TO TAKE NO ACTION.
SO THE ONLY, ONLY, YEAH, THE ONLY THING THEY NEED TO ACTION ARE ITEMS ONE AND TWO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND EXCUSE ME, THREE.
EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS. ONE, TWO.
I DON'T THINK WE WENT OVER THREE.
I HAVE A MOTION TO PROCEED AS DISCUSSED FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ITEM ONE, TWO, AND THREE IS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, IT WOULD JUST BE ITEMS ONE DEALING WITH REPUBLIC SERVICE AND THEN TWO, THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UM, TO TAKE AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AMEND, I AMEND MY MOTION TO APPROVE AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM ONE AND TWO, UH, THE REPUBLIC SERVICES CONTRACT AND THE CONTRACT WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEMP NOVATO.
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM ONE AND TWO, MR. MAYOR, NOW YOU CAN A MOTION.
I RETAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT SINCE THE OTHER ITEMS DO NOT NEED ACTION.
THE OTHER ITEMS HAVE NO ACTION.
AND I HAVE A, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT? UH, MOTION.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ FOR ADJOURNMENT.
SECOND BY MAYOR PRO, TEMP NOVATO.