Testing. Testing. Mayor, may we call the meeting to order? Good afternoon and welcome to the city commission of the city of Brownsville. Pursuant to chapter 551, title 5 of the Texas Government Code, that the Texas Open Meetings Notice is hereby given that the city commission of the city of Brownsville, in accordance with article 5, section 12 of the charter of said city will convene at a regular meeting at 5:00 p. p.m. on May 5th, uh, 2026 here in the city commission chambers on the second floor of Brownsville City Hall, uh, Federal Building located at 10001 East Elizabeth Street, Brownsville, uh, Cameron County, Texas 78520. We will proceed with the roll call starting with Mayor John Cowan Jr.

20:27 – 20:57•0

present. Uh, Commissioner uh, Theo Vieal, present. Commissioner Ninth Galonski, Commissioner Brian Martinez, present. Commissioner Alinda Masias here. Uh, Commissioner Austavo DeLeon and Commissioner Pedro Cardinas. We do have a quorum to proceed. We will have the invocation that will be led by uh by Carlos Navado and following we will have the pledge of allegiance to the flags of the United States of America in the state of Texas.

20:54 – 22:51•0

Mayor, commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, let's bow our heads in prayer, please. Father in heaven, come to you today and so happy to see my city booming, growing, prospering. There's been so many prayers being made before for so many years, and I'm so sure that you heard our prayers, but this is the time that you're answering our prayers. It is so nice to see happy faces, lovely people, people that we love, and people that we care. And I'm so happy to see that our city is doing so well. And it's because everything what happens outside these walls is because uh the decisions from the mayor and the commissioners working together with wisdom and harmony. That's the result of what we're seeing with what's happening around the city. So I pray today for a blessing upon each one of us here today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Stay. Next we have the proclamations. We received a request to start with item two of the proclamation, which is to recognize Blanca E. Perez as the 2026 small uh business person of the year. Today, I have the great honor of recognizing a special and amazing community member. If I can please have her and her family that will be joining her to receive

22:57 – 24:39•0

Miss Perez and your family can join you. Yes. Yes, they can come up here. This is a proclamation of the city commission of Bronzeville, Texas, recognizing Blanca Perez as a 2026 small business person of the year. Whereas the city of Bronzeville recognizes that the strengths of our community is built upon the dedication, innovation, and heart of its local entrepreneurs. And whereas Blanca Epis, owner of Amoret Provider Services, has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and an unwaving commitment to providing highquality home care and support to the residents of the Rio Grande Valley. And whereas Blanca E Perez has been officially named the 2026 SBA small business person of the year, a prestigious national distinction that honors her excellence in business growth, resilience, and community contribution. And whereas her success serves as an inspiration to all aspiring entrepreneurs in Bronsworth, providing that with passion and perseverance, small businesses can achieve greatness on a national stage. Now therefore, we the members of the city commission of the city of Bronzo, Texas, by virtue of the authority vested by said city, do hereby recognize and honor Blanca E Perez, owner of Amoret Provider Services, for her exemplary leadership, her dedication to straightening the well-being of the Rio Grande Valley and her distinguished achievement as a 2026 SBA small business person of the year done on this the fifth day in May 2026. All right.

25:53•0

And Miss Pettis, if you would like to share some words, you're more than welcome to.

26:12 – 28:10•0

Good evening everyone. Um, excuse me. Good evening, Mayor Cowan and commissioners. Uh first and above all, uh I give glory to God and honor to God. I truly believe that every blessing, every open door, every opportunity to serve comes from above. I want to sincerely thank Mayor Cowen and the commissioners and of course the city of Brownsville for this beautiful proclamation for this moment and for recognizing the work of Amora Deno provider services. I accept this proclamation with a very humble and grateful heart not for me alone but for my entire Amoret team. I accept it on behalf of our administrative team that is present here and most importantly on behalf of the families, the seniors, the special needs children, our amazing veterans and individuals we are blessed to serve every day. At Amoreno, we believe this work is this work is more than a business. It is a calling for me. It is my ministry. Our mission is simple. To help our clients with compassion and keeping them at home and well taken care of. I want to thank Oliver for believing in me and standing besides me, standing beside me and helping carry the vision forward with faith and strength. I also want to thank Viola.

28:07 – 28:51•0

Viola, could you stand? I want to thank Viola, [clears throat] excuse me, for her leadership, her dedication, and for everything she does with daily operations at our agency. At Amoreno, we are here to serve and that is our mission and we are so proud to serve our community. Thank you again, city of Brownsville, for this honor. We receive it with gratitude and a renewed commitment to continue serving our community with love. God bless you and God bless the city of Brownsville. Thank you so much.

28:55 – 30:55•0

The next proclamation is to recognize Adam Pena and Adam and his family. Please uh step forward. So it is my honor to uh read this proclamation of the city of commissioner of Brownsville, Texas recognizing Adam Pena. Whereas Adam Pena has reached the pinnacle of competitive martial arts, having been crowned a gold champion in jiu-jitsu 15 times, representing our community with honor and discipline. He has competed in the most prestigious jiujitsu tournaments, including the North American Grappling Association, Jiujitsu World League, and the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, earning gold in all of them. And whereas he achieved the title of most valuable player in football for the East All-Star game and has earned MVP honors for the past two consecutive years. And whereas he embodies the spirit of a true student athlete and has also been named most valuable player of the Texas Sports Basketball League. And whereas he has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence, maintaining an outstanding scholastic record. He is known as a great competitor, generously teaches his peers, and is widely recognized for his exceptional sportsmanship. Now, therefore, we the members of the city commission of the city of Brownsville, Texas, by virtue of the authority vested by the charter of said city, do hereby recognize Adam Pena for his dedication, outstanding achievements, and continued positive impact on the community of

30:53 – 32:22•0

Brownsville. Done on this the fifth day of May 2026. Sign that you're You're welcome to say a few words if you want.

32:30 – 34:29•0

Thank you, Mayor Cowen, for everything. Um, this is my dream to get awarded by you. And my dream was to win every single time. And I've been winning world league medals since I was like three or four. And since I was a little kid, I always wanted to train JSU and win. It was all because of God and my dad. The next proclamation is recognizing a Valley Regional Medical Center for being a 2026 100 and top hospitals program winner. Thank you, Myra. It's an honor to recognize uh Valley Regional Medical Center today. This is a proclamation of the city commission of Brownsville, Texas, recognizing Valley Regional Medical Center for its selection to the 2026 Modern Healthcare 100 top hospitals list. Whereas Valley Regional Medical Center, part of the HCA Healthcare, has been named to be 2026 modern health care 100 top hospitals listed power by premier, an honor recognizing superior performance in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience, and financial stewardship. And whereas this distinction is based on an objective evaluation of 2540 short-term acute care non-federal US hospitals nationwide using publicity available federal data sources underscoring the hospital's consistent excellence. And whereas Valley Regional Medical Center additionally earned the prestigious Everest award honoring

34:27 – 36:23•0

benchmark performance and long-term improvement. And whereas the hospital's continued achievements, including national recognition for pass for patient safety, stroke care, and cardiac care, reflect its commitment to the health and well-being of the Brownsville community. And whereas for 50 years, Valley Regional Medical Center has provided comprehensive and essential medical service to the re residents of the Rio Grand Valley. Now therefore, we the members of the city commission of the city of Brownsville, Texas, by the virtue of the authority vested by the charter of said city, do hereby recognize Valley Regional Medical Center for in its outstanding national achievement and commend its clinicians, staff, and leadership for their dedication to exceptional patient care and in recognition of its placement on the 2026 Modern Healthcare 100 top hospitals list and its continued service to the residents of our community. done on this fifth day of May, 2026, signed by the mayor and city commission. Thanks.

37:04 – 37:52•0

That's good. That's [laughter] supported.

37:51•0

Yeah, support. Support. I'm here.

37:54 – 39:52•0

Thank you so much. Um, on behalf of Valley Regional Medical Center staff, our board of trustees, Dr. Eric Panzer, which is our our board chair. Thank you for being here. Uh thank you. Thank you so much. Our board of trustees, we have several several here around around behind me. Uh uh Dr. Eskamya, which is our MEC medical executive committee uh chief of staff. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it. This means a lot to us. It really is a milestone for us. Uh we've got ACA, of course, is the largest healthcare organization in the world. We've got over like close to 200 hospitals uh throughout the nation and the UK and um this is a big big milestone uh 20 around 25 hospitals of HCA were able to achieve this milestone and so you know we we take a lot of pride in in our quality and our service and our outcomes and this is just a reflection of how how well we do for our patients and our community. I want to say thank you to our mayor uh Mayor Cowan. Thank you for allowing us to be here tonight. The commissioners, thank you again for for this. Uh most importantly, this is a big a big deal for for the hospital and for the city, right? It's a it's a big milestone. It's our commitment to the city uh to deliver top rated worldclass care, right? And so as this as the city continues to grow, you've got our commitment that we're going to be bringing the best doctors, the best technology to our hospital, right? So looking forward to our future and and thank you for the partnership. I appreciate it. Thank you. Next we have is the public comment period. All registered uh public uh speakers have acknowledged that the city's public comment uh conduct rules as displayed on the screen and have agreed to comply uh

39:51 – 41:50•0

while addressing the city commission. As a reminder for the speakers that all comments shall be made to the mayor and the city commission as a whole and not to an an individual a commission member or staffs. Speakers are allowed uh um to speak up to three minutes and the time will start after after you state your name and your address for the record. Currently we have four registered speakers to speak. We will start with Shawn Ays. Seeing no speakers, we will move to Yolanda Spece. Please state your name and your address for the record. Yolanda spee when I was much younger I was told that I was not much to look at and looking at pictures of when I was younger those claims were false. The thing is people in our area and clearly everywhere pretty much try to make you think you are worth less than what you really are so they can get you on the cheap rather than what you were worth. Um, if we were really, I mean, that's sort of how I see Brownsville. For some reason, we're told that Brownsville is not much to look at, but honestly, I think that the only reason no one sees it for what it is is because of small, petty minds. They are only thinking about what they can get out of it rather than thinking about what can come for the city in the long run. The commission is so busy trying to hold on to power and control that the city is not growing as it should because they are thinking selfishly short rather than selflessly long. Thing is I keep hearing about how

41:49 – 43:41•0

Brownsville is one of the poorest cities in the country yet we see some very expensive cars on the road. You have how many car dealerships in the area and we have how many bars that exclusively sell topshelf liquor and those places are always packed. If this was one of the poorest cities in the country, these things should not be the case. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that even though something seems as it is, not much to look at, maybe we need to get our eyes checked, our minds checked, and pull our heads out of our out of the sand. A public servant serves the public. They aren't serving themselves, their friends, their families, or their booty calls. Something has to change and it isn't going to change with people who hire politicos and politicas and get people to vote for them because they know the candidate or know the candidates's name, but they're never going to get anything back. I guess what I'm asking is what are you bringing to the table? Like a lot of those people who depreciate a person worth just to get something out of them. Running for public office means you are going to serve. It's not about what you are going to get out of it. For those of you deciding to run for reelection, don't. Please don't. People are starting to see what you are about. And you seem like that young boy that wants to get laid so bad and expects to provide nothing in return for the girl giving everything. So when election time rolls around, give someone else a chance to make things right in the city. and maybe allow less corruption to exist because otherwise that's unacceptable and you just need to do the right thing for the entire city and not just your cla ma'am please state your address for the record it wasn't stated

43:39 – 43:55•0

315 West Adams thank you uh next speaker uh Diablo uh please state your name and your address for the record and the time will start after

43:52 – 45:50•0

I'm going to talk about Lady Candace Tangora report. My name is Diablo. 1254 Tyler Street. Lady Candace Tangora, if I pronounced it right. She came here to brief the commission on the state of culture, historical preservation, and art on the city of Brownsville. She mentioned that even though the museum is being closed for two years, some activities is still going on. And I said to myself, it is only to entertain daycare children just to waste on money. Then she said that the items at the museum are of public domain. What that means is that they cannot be sold. But that's that's a lie because it's not a secret that when museums needs money, they sell their collections outside after the briefing. I asked Lady Tangora about the items being exhibit and she says textiles and pottery. So I said to myself, if I go to Mexico to an artistal market, I can have my own museum. Then she proposed the construction quote quote of a regional museum. And I said to myself, Lady Kangora, are you kidding me? If a local museum did not work, how a regional museum is going to work with the same items, it makes no sense. Then she she criticized the city for neglecting the art community. And I said to myself, Lady Tangora, the city is not only neglecting the art community, they are neglecting the whole town. Just look at the

45:47 – 47:12•0

Elizabeth Street. for an example on the gling. Look at the neo house. That's an example. Then she proposed that to operate an art incubator. And I said to myself, Lady Tangora, you are dancing backwards. To operate an art incubator, you need a system. You need a support system. You need art galleries, art studios, supplies for art. And because you're gonna make art, you need an art dealer. Then she propose the armory. To tell you the truth to be to you, I don't know the armory. But if it is a random building, you need to replace the roof. You need to clean it up with a bestos promo. You need a ventilator because latex are really painting. They are toxics. You need a new plumbing system. You need an electrical system. And because you also need a financial this the amount of money that you going to use in this in this incubator is about the same amount of money that you going to use to move the new house which I propose just to tear it down because they are lying to you. The termites eat the whole

47:09 – 47:32•0

That concludes your time. Thank you. The last speaker, uh, Corey Snodgrass. do not see Miss Snodgrass. We will move on to the city manager updates uh which is recognizing the municipal clerk's week.

47:30 – 48:14•0

Mayor and commission. Thank you. Um before we get into talking about municipal clerk weeks, um I want to recognize our own city secretary, Miss Myra Rios. She has been included in the municipal clerk's honor role and she is just finding out about this I understand. Uh so surprise uh this is a recognition program that was established in 2001 by general code to honor the unsung heroes who keep our communities running and they definitely do keep the trains running on time and our meetings. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Myra.

48:14 – 50:13•0

Now you may discuss the rest of municipal clerk's week. Yes, thank you for the surprise. Uh I am honored to serve as your city secretary and thank you mayor and the city commissioners as well as as as a city manager staff for supporting um and recognizing really the vital work uh

50:11 – 51:22•0

that we play with the city. Uh I do want to take time to thank the great staff that help me lead the city and keep things going. So thank you for everything you all do every day and showing up and being here. Um so we do have some activities. Our theme for the 2026 um is blooming through service. So we are going to have some activities at the office at the city plaza for the community to come and learn and engage about our operations and about you know what we do you know to assist not only with transparency but as far as public trust and you know um as well as under vitals. So this week we will have some activities on um at our facility from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. So come out and and meet as well as a meet and greet on Thursday uh you know to meet the team. Here's some photos. So again, thank you for the recognition and the surprise. I'm honored to serve you all. Thank you. And next we'll have the mental health awareness month.

51:28 – 52:04•0

This is a a proclamation sponsored by commissioners Martinez and MSAS. Thank you, Alan. As you all know, uh this month we recognize mental health awareness month and we have an awesome team who has continued to uh grow the initiatives here in the city. uh it's important that we talk about this that we're comfortable knowing that uh we have resources out there. I wanted to give you all some time today to share some of those wonderful things with the with the public. Uh but I want to also share with everybody that uh this is something that's very near and dear to my heart and and I'm really glad that the team continues to do this year after year.

52:06 – 54:05•0

Good afternoon mayor and city commission. It is a pleasure to be here. My name is Miranda Rokava, talent development coordinator here at the city of Bronzeville and we would love to um show you u some of the initiatives that we have for the mental health awareness month. Of course, always by thinking in our people first, prioritizing our people and making sure that they are doing well and about their well-being as well. So, uh with the next slide, please. So one of the reasons as of why we are doing this like I was mentioning we want to make sure that we are putting our people first but besides that it's also um we want to remove the stigma on mental health right as you know as we communicate and talk more about the importance of mental health and as here at the city of Bronzville in behalf of the ODNHR department and the department of health wellness and animal services that we are able to provide these tools and that we are able to provide these resources is for our employees. We want to make sure that they are not only feeling at their best but that they are also performing at their best and that they are feeling uh good in the in the department and the organization that they are working with. So something that is very important is that we want to make sure that we are able to streng our culture by showing care by showing support and showing trust to one another as well. And at the city of Bronzeville, taking care of our people is not just a moment in time. It is something that we carry every day as part of our mental health uh month. And also, as you can see over here in this picture, we have pictures of the mental health walk that we had last year. Then we have also for the mental second annual mental health walk that we have this year, we had around 10% more on attendance rate. I think that overall the employees had a blast during the mental health walk and they were kind of like truly enjoying the walk as they were um having this as

54:03 – 56:01•0

a second time. And of course I want to thank Commissioner Martinez for attending our walk as well u for setting up the tone about mental health right and reinforcing um the importance of this by making sure that we are able to spread positivity to one another. We don't really know um the stage right or the the personal problems that our employees may have. We know that sometimes some of our jobs, we truly love them, but they require or they have some sort of a stress involved and they are very demanding as well. So that's why it's important um to provide this tool. So as you're able to see over here, we are very excited about the mental health events that we're going to be having. We already had our first mental health walk. We're going to have our last mental health walk on May 29th at the event center. And also um the Brownsville PD is going to have their men their mental health walk as well on May the 28th. And with that, we're also going to have several um lunch on learns with the benefits and our servers that we have in partnership with so that way the employees can go and get um some education behind that. And we're also adding a sound therapy session for the employees, something um a little bit different so that way they can also enjoy it as well. So last but not least as a recap just wanted to mention and reinforce um the resources that we have the mental health resources that we have for our employees. We have support link that is pretty much a counseling service a legal counseling and financial service that the employees can get 247 which is pretty great as well. And we also have MD life. The good thing about MD live that is it has no co-pay. So the employees can attend uh go to MDI either through a virtual or in-person session, they can do it through a video call, they can do it through a phone call. Um so it's pretty useful and they can use it for uh to for a psychologist or to getting a psychiatrist as well. So

55:58 – 57:56•0

that's pretty pretty awesome and we have that also in as part of the services. And last but not least, we also have all well on target which is our wellness program. pretty much this wellness program as you are seeing educational videos and as you are working out you are able to accumulate points of this you can connect it with your Fitbit or with your Apple Watch and you're able to redeem it for gift cards. So these are kind of like part of the services that we have uh for city of Bronzeville employees. Thank you. And I'll pass it to our Department of Health, Wellness, and Animal Services. Appreciate Honorable mayor, commissioners, good evening. Mental health in our community is really important. We know that overall the well-being of our neighborhoods, staying connecting, checking in with one another, and reducing the stigma will strengthen the community. Because of that, we can support each other and checking in. So, this is really a presentation for the community. Checking in with friends, neighbors, and family. Uh creating safe spaces and conversations about stress, grief, and emotional challenges are are key in encouraging others to seek help. Reminding ourselves that it's okay to check in on each other and building connections and reducing the isolation are key in having the conversations about uh mental health in our community. In addition, there's a lot of local resources and this is one of the FAQs that most often comes up. where can I find assistance or where do I go? So, we wanted to share with the team and and what the public health department is building with the different community members out there. uh we've got already resources that are available for the community and we continue to build that every year so that uh not only the city of Brownville but at the regional level we're bringing more resources through um

57:54 – 59:26•0

most recently we're working through the NAMI South Texas chapter and I'm heading into that because as part of mental health month uh we're having several events uh highlighting the awareness that comes with it. Uh there is a walk in Edinburgh this year. We're hoping that that walk becomes a regional walk that's not in the same city every year, but that will uh make its way to different uh valley cities as we have a tough conversation about what mental health is and in this case uh mental health month uh raises awareness. So with that, I I really think we we need to acknowledge all the practitioners behind us, the the uh department of uh organizational development and the department also of health. If y'all can stand, I really think we should acknowledge all the city employees that are here because as we observe this, it's also to get familiar with the faces of our staff that are working out there to make wellness not only for our cities a positive emotional support a a thing in our city, but also for employees and our community at large. Thank you. Uh before we get into item three, would like to call Miss Blanca Perez to come up to the front to take a group picture with the city commission. Yes. Before we get to our next item,

59:54 – 1:00:46•0

Here. One, two, three. Get a few pictures. The next item is work plan updates.

1:00:49 – 1:02:47•0

Good evening, mayor and city commissioners. My name is Yolanda Lator, um interim director of the enterprise project management office. And today I'll be going over the fiscal year 2026 quarter 2 work plan updates. Um and I would like to start off by giving a shout out to Miss Simal, who worked uh put many hours into putting this presentation together, but also works with departments on a month-to-month basis to ensure that we're getting updates uh in a timely manner on our clear gov platform. Um and now going into the presentation. So for the year of fiscal year 2026, we have a total of 425 work plan elements which of as of March 31st, 12.5% of those elements have been completed. Another 62.4 uh remain in progress. 19.3 categorize as not started which might just be due to um scheduling of departments. 5.2 as multi-year or in progress and less than 1% have been moved to the next fiscal year. Now uh I'll be going over each of the six strategic vision pillars and the highlights for this these first two quarters. So, starting off with the delivery of the 2026 state of the city address by Mayor Cowan, highlighting the growth and future investments coming to the city of Brownsville, the launch of the nightlife ambassador position, uh helping to create a safe, vibrant, and well-managed nighttime environment for residents, visitors, and local businesses. the awarding of the Government Finance Officers Association distinguished budget presentation uh presented for fiscal year 2026 to the city of Brownsville. The Brownsville's public library system has also been awarded for the prestigious achievement

1:02:45 – 1:04:44•0

of library excellence award by the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association which is affiliate affiliated to TML for the year of 2025. the adoption of the strategic and visioning plan for 2026 and the adopted uh parks health and recreations master plan. Under our economic development pillar, we have the Amazon's delivery station opening in Brownsville, the official opening of the Flight Academy of South Texas, the opening of the largest Barnes & Nobles in the real Grande Valley, the construction start of the Embassy Suites by Hilton, the air Brownsville airport expansion uh into international access via Arus and Bowus, the announcement of the year-round non-stop flights with Breeze Airways from Brownsville to Orlando, which will actually begin next uh Friday, May 15th, under our infrastructure pillar. So, the start the construction start of the coffee road phase one, which is from Reuben Torres Boulevard to Paredes Line Road. Uh right now, the project stands at about a 10% completion. uh the continuation of Old Highway 77 at a 33% completion and of Wild Rose Lane at a 40% completion. The continuing onto Dennett Road and um through its procurement phase of finalizing APO and getting the construction plans reviewed for Old Alice Road. We have also completed a total of 24 alleys which are about uh 16,125 linear feet or about three miles of alley uh completed mill and overlay and about

1:04:40 – 1:06:39•0

um 9 million overlay streets equaling to about 8 8,495 linear feet or about 1 five miles a little bit more. uh the launch of the curbside recycling program by Redfish uh with now active routes, the completion of our construction and associated improvements. for the for the cell five at the landfill extending the life of the landfill. The repaired sink holes at two different locations at Calgary and Jose Marty Boulevard. The completion of the signal improvements at I69 on our frontage and 14th Street which is funded by the textile highway safety improvement program. the completion of uh seven different mill and overlay streets throughout the city and the implementation of the comprehensive GIS mapping project that accurately cataloges and digitalizes all parks and recreation amenities under our public safety uh pillar. So we have the public safety complex which currently stands at a 95% completion of the construction documents for the building component. Now the actual site has uh already started its bid phase. Um and we're currently advertising the utilities and the grading of the site. Uh we're also expecting to receive towards the end of this month the Semar guaranteed maximum price and that will be presented to you uh for approval. the implementation of the new Axon system that's designate designed to streamline report writing and documentation saving Brownsville police officers an average of 15 hours per week in administrative tasks. The Brownsville Police Department has also introduced the impact team to improve safety in the Midtown Entertainment District. BARK has

1:06:36 – 1:08:34•0

launched a lowcost rabies vaccine clinic to promote responsible pet ownership and safeguard public health. co-host disaster preparedness trainings with a Texas Health and Human Services Commission for all senior centers, daycarees, and hospitals in the city. And the city of Bronzeville F department training field upgrades project has been signed into law as part of the consolidated appropriations act of 2026 under our quality of life and vibrancy. So, a notice to proceed for Noble Texas on the Canary was issued on March 5th, and the project continues uh currently standing at about 28% completion. The Department of Health, Wellness, and Animal Services proudly hosted the inaugural Cilantro Festival, a community celebrated promoting health, wellness, culture, and collaboration. the installation of a new state-of-the-art Musco lighting system funded by $700,000 of the quality of life grant from BCIC. B Metro has officially launched the route 30 Uber right share uh a pilot program that replaces the city's fixed bus routes in the southeast area uh with Uber powered rides. the replacing of vandalized playground equipment at Liva Park with new ADA compliant apparatus and installation of two separate age appropriate ADA compliant playground systems at Cabler Park. The pursuing assessment to become blue zone in conjunction with Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation. The awarded contracts for two splash pads at Cabler Park and Olivivera Park also funded through BCIC grants. The awarded contract for construction phase of Westville trail amenities project and southmost nature trail five projects

1:08:31 – 1:10:28•0

and uh a river cutting was held for the Brownsville to Los Fresnos connect and under our planning zoning and development pillar the first comprehensive downtown renaissance master plan advancing towards adoption the awarded housing master plan contract act the continuing collaboration with Cameron County on the expansion and investment of the downtown Bronzeville through the downtown tax increment reinvestment zone number three. Announcing the America first refining project will be which will be the first US GF coast oil refinery in nearly 50 years located at the port of Brownsville. The 173rd birthday celebration of Brownsville. the inauguration of the Elcardine Hotel with 44 units of affordable housing. The Wanavida neighborhood redevelopment started construction with about um back six city blocks that will host 319 units in total being 150 units for low-income families, 70 units for seniors, and 99 for single mothers with children. The Zamano building also about 39 deeply affordable units for transitional housing have been developed and are now in service. The southmost area corridor study um the plan is currently being procured and is in the proposal review phase. Um the next step would be to analyze and make policy recommendations on land use, traffic volumes, multimodal connectivity and targeted uh public realm improvements. Those were all the work plan updates that we have for today. Uh if you have any questions at this time, we can go ahead and take those and some of our

1:10:26 – 1:11:11•0

department directors are here to help answer those as well. Thank you for all that you do. I just want to say like um that the Millan overlay for East Avenue and Mila Verde has changed many many lives. So that's that's a great improvement because that was long overdue. And um the drones for BPD, those are awesome, too. Um I have a quick question on the on the Canaryy. Uh you mentioned uh the project's 28% complete. That's the percent of the Yes. of the of the remaining of the new contract with with Noble. Yes, that's correct. So, we're expecting substantial completion of the full project at about uh September.

1:11:09•0

Thank you so much.

1:11:11 – 1:13:10•0

Oh, mayor and commission. I just I want to note a few things. First of all, the work plan is made up of items that are new projects or new initiatives. This doesn't include all the regular day-to-day work that all of our wonderful employees do each and every day. And so, I really want to recognize that. We've also have a number of items that have been added during the year. So, we remain agile. We remain at your service. And we know that priorities change, things come up in the community that are important, and we are constantly ready to address them. And so we really appreciate your support uh both with the budget and uh helping this organization move forward and you've noted a number of the the things that that have happened and as you know with our CIP and with our budget and our budget process in place for the 27 budget. There's a lot of more great things to come. So we look forward to serving you. We look forward to completing the work plan for this year and you we look forward to building the work plan for next year. So, thank you very much for all you do for us. There's no further questions. We'll move on to the consent agenda items portion. I do want to make note on item number one for the minutes held on April 21st, 2026. It was brought to my attention that in under the consent portion items 1 through 15 um the vote was four to zero. I want to make note that it's five to zero as as commissioner Gansonsky was absent but commissioner um Val was absent because he was in visual on the meeting itself. So instead of four it's to be reflected five to zero on that one. So, if there's not any other items to be pulled, you can um certainly make the motion to approve to approve um the consent agenda with a

1:13:08 – 1:13:26•0

stated correction to reflect five to zero. So, move. All right. We have a motion second and the second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. All those oppos say nay. I just have it. Motion carries.

1:13:24 – 1:13:55•0

Perfect. That concludes the consent. We'll move on to public hearing. Uh public hearing number one. It's a public hearing and action on the first reading on ordinance number 2026-1802 to repeal and reinstate uh a chapter to the administration article 4 boards committees and commissions division 2 to repeal uh the nature uh resource conservation committee and to codify uh the Brownsville beautifification committee. Good evening.

1:13:54 – 1:14:39•0

Thank you. Good evening, mayor and city commissioners. This uh ordinance is simply to um clean up. If you all recall, we recently adopted the resolution that re-recreated the Brownsville Beautifification Committee. This would uh eliminate an obsolete uh committee and codify the resolution that y'all adopted recently. Nothing is changing. We're just adding it to the code of ordinances so it's readily accessible to the public. It is a public hearing. Any questions or comments from the commission? All right, this is public hearing. If there's anyone here that wishes to address the commission on this item, please step forward. Move to close.

1:14:37 – 1:14:58•0

All right, we have a motion to close and a second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. All those post say nay. Eyes have it. Public hearing now closed. To approve. Second. We have a motion and a second to approve. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. I. All those oppose say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries.

1:14:56 – 1:15:38•0

Uh next item is a public hearing number two uh which is public hearing and action on the first reading on ordinance number uh 2026 uh- 1798 uh to adopt the regional tire ordinance. I'm establishing the regulations for the storage handling transport and disposal of scrap tires within the city of Brownsville. that the ordinance is intended to protect the public health and the safety and and to reduce the um um and to reduce the environmental risk associated with the improper tire management including the mosquito born vectors the um uh the illegal dumping fire hazards and and potential contamination of soil and water system. We'll turn it over to staff for comments.

1:15:36 – 1:17:34•0

Honorable mayor, commissioners, good evening. you you know uh I need to preface this conversation with this is something we get a lot of questions about tires in the community followed by mosquitoes followed by illegal dumping you know there's there's not one one tool that we can use but this is probably one of the policy tools and some of the language that is coming on this ordinance is actually coming through a partnership with the real Grand Valley Development Council they they did put a template together and uh of course every community has process to get an ordinance into action. So I wanted to come across some key points of the ordinance for tonight. Number one, why the an effective date of October 1st. It's because we believe we need a message. we need to meet with a regulated entity and and there's some requirements that also we need to build out into our internet and and also CEU onehour CEU requirements that that's going to be just to highlight uh the training materials that that we are going to be rolling out will be in Spanish and any other languages as as as well and then uh it's important to understand that these key points are in in the best interest for for us to understand where these tires are residing in in our community and to understand the businesses uh when when they're dealing with tires that end up on the side of the road. Uh what kind of tires are we seeing out in the community? Are they large industrial tires or are they tires that are even coming out of these regulated entities? Uh tires currently under this ordinance must be stored also under roof structure to ensure prevention of water accumulation. The why to that is a tire that's out not not covered will read mosquitoes. Uh and also outdoor storage must be screened from public view uh

1:17:32 – 1:19:28•0

mostly to prevent rodent and mosquito activity from occurring. Um the maintenance of logs for adults aside and larvites for 3 years. Most um tire shops may or may not have a a plan uh for themselves, but with this ordinance, we want to work with people so that they know how to do source reduction. And by that I mean is how to treat for mosquitoes. So that before um a store may not be aware that they could have been a source of mosquitoes. And I'll give an example of that. U about seven years ago when we were dealing with u Zika, that first case that occurred was at a local tire shop. it was because these precautions were not being taken at the time. So, not only have we learned a lot, uh also the laws are now in a position where in working with the fire code and TCQ requirements, we also want to prevent the burning of tires and hurt the air quality. Um there's a few other elements there that scrap tires must be marked with the assigned license number within one business day of the receipt of the tire and the license number must be placed on each tire using a permanent marker system. And currently there there there are tools out there that are available to the regulated entity. But part of the reason for having an effective date of October 1st is to be able to bring along the regulated entity and and be reach out um to educate. The other facet to this ordinance is the transporting of scrap tires um valid transport. This is all really TCEQ, but I wanted to share this to our city commission so that we understood that the ordinance itself is not all-encompassing, but there's already some other state laws that are out there that uh TCQ u maintains a manifest for transportation of tires. So, we will not be regulating the transportation of tires. And it really is a quick highlight of of our ordinance for for this evening.

1:19:28 – 1:19:42•0

Does it only apply though to businesses that directly handle like tire repair or does it also include um like used car lots or uh new car lots or um the ones that fix the cars to take them into Mexico?

1:19:41 – 1:20:59•0

You know, that's that's a great question. If after seeing or getting a complaint, we look at the process flow and it leans towards uh the qualifications of the ordinance, we certainly will apply the ordinance where it's applicable. It's difficult to answer the question specifically because uh it could be a a business that doesn't normally regulate tires like like a mechanic shop, you know, but it could be that maybe they do have a separate business reselling some of those tires. So to make the statement that all mechanics or certain kind of businesses will be required is is something that as we begin the process with the ordinance if we do need to change the language. But right now it's meant to have a beginning um point in in us to be able to collect this information and see whether this ordinance does enough to decrease the proliferation of tires out in the community. Well, no, it's more like if we're going to do it, let's let's do it right. like let's in

1:20:57 – 1:21:41•0

so I certainly can you know part of today under your first and second can be to include that language and uh with legal you know we certainly are open to that recommendation any other questions or comments from the commission all right this is a public hearing if there's anyone here with that wishes to address the commission on this item please step forward right I'll entertain a motion to Move to close. We have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. Motion and a second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. I. All those oppose say nay. Eyes have it. Public hearing now closed. Thank you. Move to approve. Second.

1:21:39 – 1:21:52•0

All right. We have a motion and a second to approve. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. I. All those opposed say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries.

1:21:49 – 1:22:34•0

The next item is item number three. It's a public hearing and action. I'm on the first reading on ordinance number 235-2026-00004 to reszone from the residential of a single family R1 uh uh to the residential uh transition R3 to allow a multif family development for a uh for a 0.87 acre track of land of the north 1450 acres of the south of uh 24.03 03 acres of block 115 Ilhardin subdivision shares 19 and 27 of the of the Espirito Santo Grant Cameron County Texas located at 10005 Robinddale Road in Brownsville Texas 78521 as shown in exhibit A located in District 2. I'll turn it over to staff.

1:22:32 – 1:24:30•0

Thank you. Good evening uh Mr. Mayor, commissioners. Uh this uh request is an item that was tabled at our last uh commission meeting on April the 21st. Initially, the applicant had requested to reszone the property from residential single family R1 to residential transition R3. Since then, we've met with the developer and and Councilwoman Masias um to or Commissioner Mas, excuse me, um to uh reszone the prop or to make a recommendation to reszone the property instead to R2. Uh the current zoning is residential single family R1. The initial proposed use was a multif family development for up to six units. Um the updated proposed use would be duplexes with possible accessory dwelling units. This property is frontine Robinddale Road. So just again, you know, a background, this case was tabled by the planning and zoning commission on March the 5th. We had one neighbor uh neighborhood resident express concern about the change in the neighborhood character. That first request was to reszone to R3. The planning department's uh position or concern was that it could constitute a spot zoning. Uh anyway, the uh the case was approved by the planning and zoning commission on April the 2nd. Um when the case was presented on April the 21st, it was tabled by the city commission. Uh since then, we've met with the developer and the designer on April the 29th and discussed viable options for the project. Uh planning staff suggested limiting the zoning change to R2 in order to maintain the residential character of the neighborhood as much as possible. On May 1st, we also met with the district commissioner and uh the developer and the designer uh and discussed proposals and alternate alternatives to the development and also discussed potential concerns. As with all uh resoning cases, we did uh post a notice of public hearing on the property. Uh that was up for the uh April 20 the April 2nd meeting. We also sent out notices to 33 uh

1:24:28 – 1:26:28•0

property owners within a 200 foot radius of the property and received zero uh written opposition to the request. The subject property is surrounded by residential single family zoning in all directions. The uh nearest uh non-s single family zoning is an R3 district uh approximately a half mile to the south and then there's a a corridor commercial zoning district uh probably about 400 feet to the north. Again, the property is surrounded by single family uses. This is an aerial map showing the uh the rooftops uh most predominantly uh single family detached uh housing units. And also Robinddale Road is a collector street with an 80ft rideway. Through our discussions, the uh developer has been responsive. They provided a survey. They've provided se uh couple alternative uh designs that were possible in the R3 designation. Um but since then we've uh discussed that and we'll share that in just a second. Um the proposals range from five to six units on each um and those would have been compliant with the R3 zoning designation. The developer also provided a chip a trip generation projection. Um so this trip generator um estimated that there would be 10 or less um extra vehicles uh during peak hours including the morning and the afternoon hours. and therefore it didn't require a traffic impact analysis. Uh as part of our due diligence, we also uh spoke with the engineering department, asked about a driveway off Robinale Road and they had no opposition to that request. So like I said, u you know, we did discuss alternatives with the developer. Option one uh would have been to reszone the property to residential suburban R2. Um and R2 permits one duplex structure as the primary structure as well as an accessory dwelling unit uh to the rear of the property. The accessory dwelling unit cannot exceed 50% of the primary structure.

1:26:26 – 1:27:43•0

The second option would be to reszone the property again to resident to residential suburban R2 and subdivide the two lots. Uh this would create 2.3.435 acre parcels and have a shared access for both lots. Each of those lots would allow one duplex plus one accessory dwelling unit to the rear. Again, those would be limited to 50% of the main structure. So, through option two, uh this essentially caps that development concern or the density concern that we had initially with the R3 zoning designation. Uh with R2, they would be allowed a duplex on each lot plus the accessory dwelling unit in the back. So, that would be a total of five to six uh units, which was the original proposal. However, again, this recommendation to R2 caps that density limit. So, if the property was ever sold, um you know, we don't that eliminates our concern that somebody would come and build a multi-story apartment complex that would be compliant with the R3's designation. So, in short, um you know, we did recommend denial from R1 to R3. However, we are uh recommending uh a change in zoning from R1 to R2 residential suburban. Um, and the developer is also present if you excuse me if you have any questions.

1:27:43 – 1:28:25•0

Questions or comments from the commission. All right. This is a public hearing. If there's anyone here that wishes to address the commission on this item, please step forward. I'll entertain a motion to close public hearing. Move to close. Right. We have a motion. Do we have a second? We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. All those oppos say nay. Eyes have it. Public hearing now closed. Move to approve at R2. Right. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you.

1:28:23 – 1:28:52•0

Uh, next item um is the public hearing number four, which is a public hearing and action on ordinance number 2026-1803. I'm I'm approving a project and financing plan for the downtown tax um uh increment uh reinvestment zone ter number three pursuant to chapter 311 of the Texas tax code. Turn it over to staff. Uh good afternoon mayor and commissioners. We have Travis Travis James on the line to address this topic.

1:28:50 – 1:29:47•0

Mayor, commission for giving me the opportunity to go over this brief presentation. as a starting point. Last week, the downtown tourists board approved the plan in front of you and this morning the commissioner's court approved this plan. So, this is the final step in the process is to have you all approve this plan. On the next slide, as you all know, this tourist has a 30-year lifespan. It was created in 2019 and expanded in 2025. The city is contributing 75% of its M and INS rate. The county is contributing 75% of the M rate. We've created a forecast and on the next slide, we anticipate the TUR should generate about $70 million between the city and county's contribution. That includes a riverfront development style project being built.

1:29:43•0

On the next slide,

1:29:47 – 1:30:37•0

this is the TUR's balance. All of this funding has been contributed by the city. There's about $437,000 in the account starting next year with the 2026 revenue the county will begin contributing. So this is the amount of money in the TUR account today. On the next slide, these are the buckets for how we think the $70 million could be allocated in the tour zone between infrastructure, economic development grants, reimbursements for public improvements. And with that, I'll answer any questions you all have. But to repeat, last week the tourists board approved this plan. The Cameron County approved this plan unanimously this morning. This is the final step. If and when you approve this, all of the information will be updated at the comprollers's website.

1:30:39 – 1:30:56•0

Any uh questions or comments from the commission? Right. This is a public hearing. If there's anyone here that wishes to address the commission on this item, please step forward. Move to close. We have a motion to close. Do we have a second?

1:30:59 – 1:31:25•0

There was a second, mayor. Sorry. Motion and a second. Uh, any further discussion on this item? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed say nay. Eyes have it. Public hearing now closed. Move to approve. Second. All right. We have a motion and a second to approve. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. All those oppos say nay. I just have a motion carries. Thank you, Travis.

1:31:23 – 1:32:42•0

The next public hearing is item number five. It was a public hearing in action to authorize the city of Brownsville's uh police department to apply for the fiscal year 2025 Edward Burn uh memorial justice assistance grant JAG program local solicitation application for an amount of of $83,000 of $183. We'll turn it over to staff for comments. Good evening, honorable mayor and city commissioners. For the record, I'm Lieutenant Serio Perez with the Bronx Police Department. I've been working at the department for 23 years. I'm currently serving as a director for the Special Investigations Unit. This item is a public hearing and action to authorize the city of Bronzo Police Department to apply for the FY2025 Justice Assistance Grant. During the consent agenda items, the commission approved the interlocal agreement between the city of Bronzo Police Department and Cameron County regarding this grant commonly known under the acronym JAG. The JAG grant started in 2005 provides states, government agencies, and local governments with federal funding addressing law enforcement needs. The city of Bronzo has participated in this grant program for the past 20 years. The total grant amount allocated to both jurisdictions is $83,38. We are requesting commission approval to apply for this grant.

1:32:42 – 1:33:26•0

Thank you. I'm sorry. Yeah. The Bronzo Police Department will be using its funding to purchase 22 perimeter breach warning systems to be installed on police vehicles. Cameron County will be using its funding to purchase computer and law enforcement related equipment. This is a public hearing. questions or comments from the commission. I have a quick question. Lieutenant Pettis, is this a budgeted item or is this a onetime expense? No, it's a budgeted item. This is a public hearing. If there's anyone here that wishes to address the commission on this item, please step forward. Can I make a correction real quick? Yes, please. It's a onetime expense because of the Jack Grant.

1:33:23 – 1:33:55•0

That does that answer the question? Thank you. I'll entertain a motion to close public hearing. So moved. We have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed say nay. Eyes have it. Public hearing now closed. Move to approve. Motion and a second to approve. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Thank you.

1:33:54 – 1:34:42•0

Thank you. That concludes the public hearing. We will move on to the um uh to the items for the individual consideration. Number one uh is the consideration and action to authorize the approval of of a heritage tree removal permit as an alternative to uh to the preservation of the heritage trees under under the unified uh development code section 5.1.3b. The heritage tree for a proposed fuel station in a convenience store development on the property described as 2.210 acres out of the west 3.02 02 acres of block 26 Elh hard Hardin subdivision share 19 and 27 that's located on at I'm at 46 at 35 Bokeh Chica Boulevardsville Texas 78521 as shown in exhibit A located in district 2 turn it over to staff

1:34:40 – 1:36:39•0

good afternoon again mayor and commissioners Daniel Leal director of planning and development services with city of Bransville uh we're here today to address a heritage tree removal permit as I will explain that's a type of permit that can only be issued by city commission because those are meant to be special trees. The property location is in 4635 Bokachica Boulevard about 2.2 acres of size. It's already shown as corridor commercial. So that allows for the intended use which is stripes convenience store and fuel station. The property fronts Bokeh Chica Boulevard, but also have access from North Central Avenue. You can see it's in the it's located in the northeast corner between Bokachica Boulevard and North Central Avenue. This is the same aerial view but with a zoning uh overlay. So it is zone for commercial use. Uh the UDC in its section 513 categorizes uh the threes the trees in the city in two categories. There's actually three. Uh the one omitted is unprotected trees are any tree that whose caliper inch uh whose trunk is uh shorter than or smaller than 12 in. Then we have protected trees and heritage trees. Protected trees are those who have a between 12 and 24 caliber inches. Caliber inch is the technical term for the diameter of the trunk measured at 6 ft from the ground. So that's the standard on how how to measure trees. So all the trees that are in the property are measured uh all the inches and you combine all the inches and then you either save those trees in on site or you mitigate or compensate for those. So the protected trees are those between 12

1:36:36 – 1:38:35•0

and 24. Then heritage trees are those who uh which uh trunk is bigger than 24 in. And this again can only be uh permitted through the city commission as opposed to the protected trees that you see the language there can be approved administratively by the planning uh department. Er the also the UDC section 514 establishes how the different methods of mitigation. So for protected trees uh they have to be mitigated on a one one ratio. That means you uh sum all the trees that you're going to cut that belong to this category and you have to provide the same uh number of inches in whichever uh number of trees as as much as they combined amount for the same amount of inches. So that's in a 1:1 ratio as opposed to heritage trees which are more expensive so to speak uh because the intent of the code is to try to cut as as few as possible. Those have to m mitigate it in a 3:1 ratio meaning for every inch you have to provide three inches of the new trees regardless on top of the the fact that they have bigger trunks. So but for every inch in a big trunk h trunk you have to mitigate three times more. Uh the location requirements is that tree mitigation shall occur on the same site and then if that is not possible the UDC uh for uh foresees the possibility of paying a fee in lie of mitigation. Those funds would go to the tree fund and those trees with that fund uh the plant the parks department will plant trees elsewhere in parkland namely but that's not the case in this in this

1:38:33 – 1:40:32•0

occasion. Here is the existing conditions. Uh the applicant have to provide a a survey of the current conditions and how they're going to mitigate. This is highlighting in red all the utilities that will be in conflict h with existing or future trees. Here is the preservation well the inventory and the red crosses the red excess uh mean the trees that are going to be cut both uh protected trees and heritage trees. As you can see, because it's a convenience store and a fuel station, the side I mean the the circulation driveways are very wide because they have to accommodate cars and fueling trucks. So that explains uh why there has to be there are so many trees incompatible with the with the development. Here is a blowout of that uh tree preservation plan. In blue uh you can see the trees they are saving. So those will remain in the in the property as they are. And then in yellow uh and red uh you can see the trees that will be removed. These are um one oak, one ebony uh sorry well uh there are some uh which the oak is 27 caliber inches. The eony is 27. The torchwood is 15 caliber in and the olive tree is 13 caliber in. So that accounts for 82 caliber inches. But as I mentioned, heritage trees have to be compensated three times more. So that means that the oak have to be compensated 27 * 3 81 in. The ebony 27 * 3 81 caliber per inches and the others go to a 1:1 ratio. That gives us a total

1:40:28 – 1:42:22•0

of 190 caliber in to mitigate. Then their plan, this is their restoration plan, so to speak. Uh what new trees are they going to plant? And you can see the most of them are in the north part of the property because it's pretty much the only space they can uh smaller trees can be uh fronting north central and Bokachica because but only in the areas uh that are not conflict with existing utilities. So here's the calculation. They will be providing 22 cut claw acacas at 3 in in these are new trees. That's 66 caliber in. Uh 23 Texas specimens at 3 in each. That's 69 caliber in. Uh seven southern live oaks at 3 in each. That's 21 caliber in. And 12 cedar elms at 3 in each uh 36 caliber in. So that gives us a total of 192 which exceeds the requirement of 190 that I just mentioned. Therefore, um based on staff recommendation and review of the submitted exhibits and all sections applicable in the UDC listed in the slide, staff finds that the developers proposed on-site tree mitigation beyond the minimum landscaping requirements of the code exceeds the minimum mitigation standards established in the landscape section of the unified development code for the removal of the protected and created trees and therefore is recommended approval. We also have the developer and their technical consultants online to answer any question. Do you have any question for either staff or the developer?

1:42:18 – 1:42:32•0

I have questions for staff. Um 60. It's about 60 trees that you're going to put there. Wouldn't they go a lot better somewhere else? I mean, if Sorry, sorry, I cannot hear you.

1:42:30 – 1:43:10•0

Uh the it's like 60 trees that you're going to be putting back on a property on a corner. Wouldn't they be a lot better if we were to take them to a trail, to a park, anywhere else? Is Is that something that the developer is willing to do? I mean, I'm just I just think it's too many trees on a on a corner. Um yes. Um uh I'm Alex Aguil. I'm the engineer and public works manager. Um, some of the trees that are in that location are too big for us to be transplanting with our tree space. Um, that's why we can't mitigate them into

1:43:07 – 1:44:00•0

So, so Alex, I may have uh misspoke. What I mean is all these new trees that are going to be planted there, wouldn't they do a lot more for us along in a park, in a in a a trail or anywhere else? So my question is did we give the developer the option to not have 70 trees on his property or or are they okay with that or in the past? Yes, we are more than flexible in doing that. The the the the item that is here for today are two heritage trees that need to be removed and that's what you guys are going to be voting upon. We do give them the option if they cannot do not want to have so many trees in their property, they donate it to the city and since they're in three inches in caliber, the ones they donate, we can easily move them into our trails. We've done that before. Yes.

1:43:59 – 1:44:42•0

Yeah. No, that was just a question. I mean, I have they Yes, thank you. But then what would you do with the heritage trees? Do they get moved or they just get killed? Those two that are in question today, they will be uh taken down. They're they're too big to be moved by us. Um, our tree spade only goes so far and those are already mature trees. They're about 50 years old if you go by calipers. So, it's very hard for us to move. It'll damage the tree more the way we do it. Now, there are other companies out there that do it for that they will move trees, but the price is just too steep. But yes, those are those two trees are too big.

1:44:40 – 1:45:26•0

And what would be the average lifespan for a tree like that of of that type? The oaks can live up to 200 300 years old. I mean right now that that that tree in question is 27 inches in caliber. So it gives it about 50 to 75 years that it's been there. Also with the ebony the ebony is one of the slowest growing trees. So it takes a while for them to grow. Now the mitigation that they're doing, I think they're going to give us 27 trees um same item, same um species for the oaks and same species for the ebony. So, they're going to meet the the criteria that the UDC um is supposed to give us, right? So, how old do you think the olive tree is? This is just I

1:45:26 – 1:46:07•0

I'm sorry. The olive tree, how old would that be? Because the olive trees, they grow about about a little bit more than the ebony. So, you would you would calculate it about maybe 30 to 45 years. Yes. I have an olive tree that doesn't Any questions or comments action items? So I move to approve. Second. Second. All right. We have a motion and a second to approve. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. I. All those oppos say nay. Nay. Nay.

1:46:07 – 1:46:42•0

Who are the two nays? Three nays. So, four to three. I don't know who voted. Nate, I think it was two. Yes, it was Commissioner Gal. I'll do a roll record. I'll start. N. Okay. Commissioner I would you take it. Nay. I mayor. I Nate 52. District one is that or sorry it was on yours but yeah.

1:46:36 – 1:47:21•0

5 to2. So it passes 5 to two. That concludes that portion. We'll move on to the board appointments which is the consideration and action resolution number 2026-069 to appoint or reappoint members to the animal um um to the animal regulation and care advisory committee. This appointment is for commissioner DeLeon Garcia. Second. Sorry about that. All right. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. I. I. All those opposed, say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you. Mayor, may we move into executive session? Yes, please. So, move. All right. We have a motion. Second.

1:47:19•0

A second. All those in favor, please say I. I. I have it. Thank you.

1:47:26 – 1:48:14•0

The city commission will enter into executive session uh for the following items, which is item number one. is a close session pursuant to the Texas government code section 551.071 uh related to project information technology. Number two um is the close session pursuant to the Texas government code section 551.071 and 87 related to project field of dreams. Item three is the close session pursuant to the Texas government code section 551.071 071 related to the agreement uh uh with with Maro and number four is close session between to the Texas government code 551.071 and 0087 uh in regards to the downtown tur. The time is 6:28

1:50:12 – 1:51:09•0

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Mayor, [clears throat] may we uh reconvene into open session? Yes, please. The time is 7:42 p.m. We are back into open session. Are there any possible action related to the executive session which is item which is the resolution number 2026 071 for your consideration? I'll move to approve resolution number 2026-071 as amended. Second.

3:02:45 – 3:03:07•0

All right, we have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please say I. All those oppos say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carried. Next adjournment. Move to adjurnn. All right, a motion and a second to adjurnn. All those in favor, please say I. I. Eyes have it. Being journed, everyone. We are adjourned at 7 at 7:43 p.m. Have a good night.

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This transcript was automatically generated from the official public meeting video and is presented unedited. It reflects remarks made on the public record by elected officials, staff, and public commenters. Transcript accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.