City Commission - Regular Meeting

And now from Mallen City Hall, a meeting [music] of the Mallen City Commission. Yes, sir. And good evening. Welcome to tonight's city commission meeting. We'll begin with the pledge of allegiance followed by an invocation by Commissioner Hain Samura. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We could take a moment to bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we come before you this day with thankful hearts for the opportunity to serve your community. Grant this our city commission wisdom, clarity, and compassion as we make decisions that affect the lives of all our city residents. Help us to listen with respect, to speak with honesty, and certainly act with integrity. May our discussions be guided by fairness, understanding, and a shared desire for the common good. Please bless our city, our leaders, our employees, and every citizen who calls McAllen home. May our efforts today continue and contribute to peace, progress, and unity among all people. Amen.

Amen. Amen. We have two proclamations today. We have children's grief awareness month. Commissioner Castillo.

Yay. Hey, come up. Conne Vidalgo and City of Macallen. Whereas grief impacts numerous children in the real granny valley who have experienced the loss of a loved one and it affects their emotional, mental, and physical health in ways that can have lasting effects throughout their lives. Whereas many grieving children suffer in silence as there is often lack of awareness, understanding and support for young people cop copying with profound loss resulting in feelings of insolation and loneliness. And whereas the children's be the children's bureau center for RGB and its community partners dedicate to provide vital support and resources for grieving children and families. And whereas by recognizing November as children's grief awareness month and November 20, 2025 as children's grief awareness day, we help educate the community and support for giving children. And whereas the city of Macallen is committed to providing emotional support for the youth during difficult times, therefore creating a safe and caring community. Now therefore, I ro for Rudy Castile, city commissioner of the city of Macallen, Texas, by the virtue and authority vested in me and on behalf of the mayor and the city commission do hereby proclaim the month of November 2025 as children's grief awareness month. In addition, November 20, 2025 as

children's grief awareness day. Congratulations. [applause] I want to thank you commissioner and mayor and commission the city of McAllen for this recognition. Our McAllen office is just right up the street from you. It's we're located inside First Presbyterian Church and I would like to take a moment to uh invite all of you uh all of you on the commission as well as you in the community to join us on the evening of November 20th. We're holding a vigil for uh children grief children's grief awareness month. uh right there in the courtyard by the First Presbyterian Church and I hope that uh you all would be able to make it. I also want to take a moment to recognize my dear friend uh Michelle Rivera whom I've known for nearly 25 years who [applause] she deserves all the applause you can do. Uh Michelle is a member of our board of directors as well and I'm very grateful to you Michelle for your service and I'm sure hoping it'd be okay if I could get a picture with you sir and with the commission and especially with Michelle. [laughter]

She's a pretty girl and the rest of you aren't. I agreed on that. [laughter] Totally agreed. You okay?

You want to go want to go. And next we have Texas Recycles Day, Commissioner Samura.

Thank you, Mayor. Good afternoon, everybody. Uh this is certainly a topic that really is near and dear to my heart and uh my wife can attest for at least the last 22 years why I get upset when [snorts] I have to go back into the black bin and pull out all the plastic bottles that are R3, R2, and R1 and put them in the blue bin. But I think she's now come to terms with it and she's now recycles herself. [laughter] Again, good afternoon everybody. City of McAllen proclamation. State of Texas, County Valgo City McAllen. Certainly my pleasure to make this proclamation as follows. Whereas November 15th has been designated as Texas Recycles Day. And whereas recycling could significantly decrease the amount of Texans spend annually to to dispose of their trash. Moreover, more than half of waste could have been eliminated by the recycling of organic materials through mulching and composting. And whereas the city of McAllen public works through its programs such as composting and mulching, compostable baggot program and recycling for the future education enforcement encourage our residences and business community to increase its participation and compliance with our city's recycling efforts. And whereas to encourage community involvement, HB will be offering free admission to Ginta Matetlan Urban Sanctuary upon bringing plastic water bottles and/or plastic bags to recycle on November 13th, the 14th, and 15th to promote recycling as an act of stewardship through creative reuse of recyclable materials. And whereas Keep Mallen Beautiful and the Macallen Recycling Center encourage community leaders to spread the word about programs that involve citizens in envir environmentally conscious behaviors and call upon our citizens to join in activities that promote and

encourage responsible environmental stewardship through recycling and preservation. That means you Elizabeth. Now therefore, I, Samoa, city commissioner of the city of McAllen, Texas, by virtue of the authority vested in me on behalf of the mayor and the board of commissioners for the city of Macallen to hereby proudly proclaim November 15, 2025 as Texas Recycles Day. Thank you everyone. [applause]

Good afternoon everyone. And first of all, I would like to thank uh mayor, commissioners, and uh city manager for the opportunity to speak about Texas Recycles Day. And so Texas Recycles Day is a state initiative that encourages Texans to recycle right to keep our communities clean, reduce waste, and protect the environment for future generations. The city of Macallen Recycling Center will be celebrating with the special event called the future of recycling happening this Saturday, which is this Saturday. that's coming up November 15th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the City of Macau Recycling Center. You can find us on the corner of Nolana and Benson. This is a free family-friendly event where everybody in the community can enjoy recycling education, equipment demonstrations, a pop-up market featuring um local vendors, free tree gaways, and interactive games such as a recycling bingo where people are going to be able to win amazing prizes from charcoal grills to a Nintendo Switch. We will also be raffling free TVs every hour. So, we hope everybody can join us. This year, the theme, the future for recycling, is especially meaningful because it highlights the exciting upgrades coming soon to our recycling center. Upgrades that will make Macallen one of the most advanced recycling uh operations here in South Texas. So, we're inviting everyone to come. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at 956-681450 or on our website, macallenrecycles.com. Thank you so much again and hope to see you Saturday.

[applause] Now before we go on and take our picture, I would like to see if you know by show of hands what the name of our recycling mascot. Yes. Nobody. [applause] Thank you all so much. And we're going to take the next item out of order. We're going to recess into executive session.

And we're back from executive session. Okay. Well, we'll start off with uh item number one, public hearings. All right. Good afternoon, commissioners, mayor. Okay. So, item number one is uh these items got approved at PNZ already and they one of item number one is reszoning from R2 to R2. This is at 414 North 17th. This is just north of Ebony. Item number two is from R1 R3. This is at uh 1901 Freddy Gonzalez is on North 23rd and Freddy Gonzalez. Item number three is from C3L to C2. This is 3224 Buddy Owens. This is on the corner of Buddy Owens and 33rd.

Mayor, um I filed and executed a conflict of interest form on that item as my property where I reside is within the 200t limit.

Item number four is R1 R1. This is at uh 2517 PCON. This is just west of 24th and a half. Item number five is C3 to C2. This is 2011 Dallas Avenue on the southwest corner of Dallas and second. Item number six is a conditional use permit for um Taylor Via subdivision. It's just um amendment to the the PUD. This is at 2021 South Taylor Road on Taylor and Nuvalde. Item number seven is a conditional use permit. Item seven and eight is for bars at 400 Nana. And then number nine is uh 11 city initiated uh resonings.

Okay. Is there anybody here to speak against any of these items? Anyone here to speak against any of these items? Motion to approve. Second. All in favor? I. Motion carries. I need a motion to amend the zoning ordinance and city. So move. All in favor? Against? Motion carries. And mayor, I did file file a form on just item four. Excellent. Okay. Consent agenda items A through through C. Do we need to pull anything out?

C3. Mayor, on the consent co-op purchases, you have a uh purchase within budget for a firet truck uh refuge containers uh for public works uh and excavator again uh through by board um and uh the adoption of a pecard program. The city's program rolled off and so that that is through a state authorized byboard program. Uh and then um general civil engineering firms. Uh Eduardo, you want to make a presentation on that one very quickly?

Good afternoon, Mayor and Commission. So, we had uh we went out for general engineering services. We scored 42 respondents. Um we think I just to kind of that's a big number. Uh part of that is the economic uh conditions that we have right now. I think Texot has frozen some funds and so we had a big turnout and so uh kudos to to staff for going through all 42 respondents. But one of the things I wanted to highlight is all the respondents that we reviewed. One thing I asked staff to check is are they all qualified to be on this um uh as on our rotation if we wanted to put them on the rotation. The answer is yes. And so a having scored them, we recommended to put 21 uh firms on that and that's half the list. Now we opened that up if commission wanted to look at uh more firms though if we were to extend that list to 30. Would that capture all local Macallen firms?

We it would capture a majority. We'd have two firms that are out um which is Javosa and Reallex. But 30 is about 70% of the list. We think that would be fair. Like I said, when we when we evaluated this, the first step is are all the firms qualified to be on this list. And so uh 30 would be we we could live with 30 and then we would work at who's most qualified uh for different jobs. You know, if you're doing a subdivision, there's firms that can do that. We're building roadways, we have firms in here. We're doing traffic, we have firms. Um, [clears throat] and so we'd have uh a good selection with 30 and we'd be okay with that.

Is it is it any different than 21, 30 or all 42 then?

Yeah, I mean that's what I'm saying too. Uh, the what the goal is is for the firms, the larger firms uh that go after the larger contracts to have a competitive uh so that we have a decision to make with them. But the the smaller firms that are and especially those that that have offices in Macallen and if they're very capable of doing I'm not saying a simple thing because we don't take anything simple. We we we we we have to do it right, engineered right, but that are capable. That's our our our focus would in this in this uh commission would be to uh to ensure that that they have a place in the rotation.

Commissioner uh Hadad's comment, MPU currently puts everybody on the rotation because they qualify them like we did. We we review that. We'd be okay with that number. Yeah. The understanding is not all 42 at the end of the day will probably get work. No. But if there's a project that meets their criteria and they were number 38, we would look at giving them that work. Um and so 30 was suggested. I think 30 is a good number. But 42, we can work with that as well because at the end of the day, um you know, if we're doing traffic and Marlin needs someone with traffic, she's going to go down this list. Exactly.

And pick the firms that that are qualified in that area. And so, um, having more or less doesn't affect us. Um, it's still going to, what I need today is I I need to put people under contract cuz we have, uh, money for design that we would like to kick off early in the year and make I'd make a motion just to approve all 42 and you guys can manage questions, mayor. Sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry. So, so you you rank them by points. What is the maximum number of points that any of these firms could have attained? Uh I think it's about 130 132 is that?

Yeah, because the max is 14. Well, the highest number is 141. It's more than that. 32 points per uh respondent or like if I score it's 32 points.

Okay. All right. So to me the metric that's being used is a qualitative one, right? And so if the highest firm is has 141 points to me that at least as a lay person not understanding what you do dayto-day interprets like that's probably your highest qualified firm right so in your mind where is that cut off you know this is beyond below this is like really really not as acceptable as the 141. But the way the way we one thing when we're qualifying them is they turn in resumes and so we have their firms and we we see the engineers the body of work that they've turned in and that's how we get them qualified make sure that they can actually even perform the work before we're scoring.

What happens while we're scoring this is some respondents don't answer the questions that we put that we score. It's not that they can't perform the work. It's that they did not address the specific questions we had. you answer my question. So when we look at the body of work, they still have the body of work. They just did not address the question specifically. No, they weren't even qualified. They would never even been on this list to begin with. We would we would give you we would recommend a cut off. Very good. I'll second the motion. All in favor? Against. Motion carries. Mayor, if you want to just call for Well, actually, we were just discussing one that's true. Do I hear a motion to approve all other consent agenda items? All in favor? I

against motion carries. Item number three, mayor. Item 3A is award a contract for consulting services for coordination federal funded projects.

Again, mayor and commission, we have this item. Uh the the purpose of this service is to assist in securing federal funding for construction through the RGBO. The services will also encompass guidance and forecasted economic strategies for current transportation thoroughfare projects that are becoming a higher priority for the city of Macallen. Staff recommends approval award of the consulting services to GDJ Engineering for support and coordination in the planning uh project development funding through the RGBO in the amount of $5,54416 per month for eight months for a total of $44,35328. These sub these services will cover a period of eight months with a fiscal year of 2526 with an option to renew uh for additional time subject to city manager approval. And we open it up for any questions.

Questions? Move to approve. Second. All in favor? Against? Motion carries. Next item.

Item 3B is award of contract for Freddy Gonzalez Drive roadway improvements. So the scope of this work uh to be performed at this time is for by GDJ engineering includes the preliminary engineering and the rightway mapping. The project uh in the future would entail the construction approximately 3.6 miles of five-lane urban road and incorporates the development of storm water management systems, pedestrian friendly pathways, modern roundabouts and bridge crossings over existing drainage and irrigation canals. Staff recommends option one, authorization of uh for FY2526 uh for authorization one which is a preliminary engineering and the rightway mapping in the amount of 600 and 634,150.64 with with the authorization to allow uh number two and three upcoming fiscal years with the city manager's approval. Uh and we open it up for any questions.

Questions. So move to approve. Second. All in favor? I against. Motion carries. Why don't we take CD and E together its contracts? Okay. So this this project is just to replace uh the Harvey pump station. The engineer record is R Guthus Engineering Corporation. Staff recommends award of the contract to the lowest responsive bidder, the RGB Industrial Machine Shop Pump LLC of Elsa, Texas, in the amount of 768,920 $920 not to exceed 200 working days. Motion to approve. All [clears throat] in favor? Against? Motion carries. Next item.

This is the Northwest Blue Line interconnect improvements. Um, this will uh install an interconnect a 42-in interconnect. We're recommending award to the lowest responsibilary construction Edinburgh, Texas in the mono 125 not to exceed 90 days. Uh we'll note that this there was a tie but this contractor has performed work uh satisfactory through the city and so that's how we determined to go with this contract. So moved. Second. All in favor? I

against motion carries. Item A. The last item is for award of the El Rancho Park improvements. Um the scope of this work includes flat work, concrete flat work, utility improvements at the El Rancho Park. The engineer record is Hansen Professional Services. The staff recommends award a contract to the lowest responsib LLC of Edinburgh, Texas in the amount of $263,724 with a contract time not to exceed 150 days. And we open it up for any Any questions? Move to approve. Second. All in favor? I against. Motion carries. Item five,

uh, mayor, item four, uh, is a budget amendment for payment of the acquisition cost awarded at the condemnation hearing uh, for the property um, uh, north of the Lark Community Center uh, to Ada LLC. uh the proposed uh method by which we would uh use funds to pay the award to the registry of the court. Uh we have currently budgeted $16 million uh for reservoir development. We will not incur expenses this year of $16 million for the reservoir development. So, I propose uh taking seven the $7.5 million uh needed to pay the acquisition fee or the eminent domain award uh from the reservoir development uh and then replenish that next year uh when we look at capital improvement andor we have uh property listed for sale um funds for which uh can be reallocated back to reservoir development. Um but as the development project is currently programmed uh the total amount of money budgeted here will not be necessary for that project.

Questions

Mr. City Manager just so as I understand the the proposal to acquire this uh property uh is a fair amount. Uh but I would like for citizens to know that this is a tremendous leap for uh quality quality of life for our citizens for their health uh mental well-being. uh just an overall enhancement to being a uh citizen of our community and certainly it's a investment in not this board but certainly our citizens and I hope that our citizens will will come to understand that um the the amount of the uh funds needed for the acquisition is a fairly large amount but the way that it's been structured and explained by the city manager I think it's fiscally sound uh to be sure that uh we're not going to have to increase taxes or go out for general obligation bonds, anything to that effect. And I certainly appreciate the mayor's vision and the rest of the board uh in making this decision. And with that, I make a motion to approve.

Thank you. Excellent. Um all in favor? Against? Motion carries. Item five. Item five is uh item that you all ask me to bring back. This is a vote for uh a appointment to the Hidalgo County Appraisal District Board. Uh our recommendation rem remains uh to cast those votes in favor of Richard Garza. Of course, that is up to the city commission's discretion.

The previous item was we we nominated and so as a taxing entity, we're now voting. So this would be voting for our nominee. If you wanted to vote for somebody else, it's a finite list. It's not open. And so I would bring that list back to you, but today's action would be consistent with just casting our votes for who we nominated. Okay. Do I have a motion to approve? To approve. All against four. I against [laughter] motion carries. Okay. What do we have? Future agenda items. Mayor, future agenda items.

Yeah, Mr. Mayor and city manager. Um I'm very proud uh to see that one of our board of commissioners is seeking other office. Uh Commissioner Hadada has certainly proven his worth on this board and I and I certainly hope uh he is very successful in the near future to do much more for our city and community county uh at the state level. With that, I'd like to have a future agenda item uh in executive session with regards to how we go about uh working that uh and his future replacement. Certainly sir. Okay. Anything else? Well, I think that also noted though that you are able to stay on. Oh, yeah. Until replacement is voted in. Yes. Correct. Okay.

Okay. And item number seven has been withdrawn. Council, what do we have in executive session? Mayor, with regards to item 8A, I recommend that the board entertain a motion to uh instruct the city manager and city attorney to proceed as described in executive session. So move. Second. All in favor? Against? Motion carries. There being no further business meeting is adjourned.

Regular city [music] commission meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Meetings are broadcast on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays on the Mallen cable network. [music] [music]

[music] How do you feel?