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CITY
OF CITY
COUNCIL MEETING M2007-R-23 CITY
COUNCIL CHAMBERS I. CALL
TO ORDER With a quorum
present, Mayor II. PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor III. ROLL
CALL In
attendance: Raul G. Salinas, Mayor Mike Garza, Council
Member, District I Hector
Garcia, Council
Member, District II Johnny Amaya, Council
Member, District IV Johnny
Rendon, Council
Member, District V Gene
Belmares, Mayor
Pro Tem, District VI Juan Chavez, Council
Member, District VII Juan Ramirez, Council
Member, District VIII Gustavo
Guevara, Jr., Horacio De
Leon, Assistant City Manager Jesus
Olivares,
Assistant City Manager Raul Casso, City
Attorney IV. MINUTES None. V. COMMUNICATIONS
AND RECOGNITIONS
Recognitions a. Recognition of
Lauren Nicole Guzman for winning Miss Texas Teen USA® Pageant. Mayor Salinas and City Council publicly recognized
Lauren Guzman and presented her with a Seven Flags recognition certificate. b. Recognition of
the City of Cm. Garcia introduced Ramirez, and Steve Maynard. Present: Nicolas Carmona, Senior Marissa A. Medellin, Senior Yesenia
Zavala, Senior Armando Lopez, Senior Jose Hernandez, Senior United
Matthew Wong, Junior Corina Rendon, Junior Procopio
Herrera, Junior Marlene Marquez, Junior Jessica Balderas, Junior Francisco Lara, Junior Cristina Gallegos, Junior Monica Salazar, Junior Andrea Herrera, Junior United
High School Sharad Sharma, Junior United High School Ashley Tovar, Junior United Sergio Moreno, Junior United Communiqués Presentation
by Minita Ramirez, WBCA President, regarding the
2008 Birthday
Celebration. Minita Ramirez, WBCA President, advised that the WBCA
Celebration would take place January
23, 2008 to February 23, 2008. In
appreciation for the support that City Council has provided through the years, she presented an
official commemorative poster for the 2008
Celebration to each Council Member. The poster was entitled Washington’s Grand Vision
which was painted
by Christina Rathmell. Mayor Salinas
announced that he had attended a conference of the Texas Border Coalition of Mayors in El
Paso, Texas. He advised that they are
reviewing the possibilities of using a “chip” as opposed
to a passport along the Texas borders.
He noted that there would be a press conference
in the near future endorsing the “chip” enhanced license. Cm. Garza
wished everyone a great holiday season.
He said that it was important to remember the reason
for the season. He noted that life is
fragile and we need to remember every moment. Cm. Garcia
congratulated Cm. Landeck
wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah. He also announced that the Intergovernmental Committee had a
great meeting where the doors to Mexico will be opened
for the holiday. Cm. Amaya announced that he would be delivering toys to less
fortunate children on December 21,
in District IV. He announced that he
has collected toys for over three hundred students. He
thanked the District IV Special Projects Committee and the local businessmen who donated
toys/money the cause. Cm. Rendon
said that he has initiated a project called “Keep our Children Warm”. He advised that he
will be distributing coats and blankets to over one hundred children in District
V. Mayor Pro
Tempore Belmares thanked all the individuals who assisted in organizing the Holiday Bowl for Saturday,
December 8, 2008 at Shirley Field. He
invited everyone to attend the
fundraising project. He encouraged the
viewing public to be patient with the traffic and to spend
their money in Laredo. Finally, he
wished his wife a happy anniversary. Cm. Chavez
said that he was invited to a church to do a proclamation on the Mayor’s behalf. He said that the La Iglesia Methodista had
celebrated 137th year in Laredo. Cm. Ramirez
thanked the Benavidez family for donating the Christmas tree to the Laredo Civic Center. He also thanked all the City of Laredo
Departments that worked hard to create a special
tree lighting ceremony. He wished
everyone a safe and Merry Christmas. Citizen comments None. VI. APPOINTMENTS
TO COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES Appointment
by Mayor Motion to
approve. Moved: Cm. Garza Second: Cm. Rendon For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0 VII. GENERAL
COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS AND PRESENTATIONS 1.
A. Request by Council Member
Hector J. Garcia 1. Discussion with possible action to consider
amending the priority procedures manual by placing the general Council discussion
items at the end of the agenda as opposed to the current order in which they are placed
as per the City Council’s action of November 20, 2006. Cm. Garcia stated that a year ago he
placed the item for discussion and resubmitted it because of his concerns for ordinance
constituents that attend the meeting to speak and their item is at
the end of the meeting. Motion to amend the priority procedures
manual by placing the general Council discussion
items at the end of the agenda as opposed to the current order in which they are placed as
per the City Council’s action of Cm. Landeck asked everyone to remember
that the Council has cancelled the committee meetings. He
reminded Council that they have voted to have three Council Meetings per month regardless of necessity. He made a suggestion for Council to limit
their items to items of interests to the entire City or actionable. Mayor Pro Tem Belmares explained that
the vast majority of the people in the audience are in attendance to speak on ordinances and introduction
ordinances because they are public hearings which necessitate
people’s input. Motion to approve. Moved:
Cm. Garcia Second:
Mayor Pro Tempore Belmares For:
4 Against: 5 Abstain: 0 Cm. Garcia Cm.
Garza Cm. Amaya Cm. Landeck Cm. Rendon Cm. Chavez Mayor Pro Tem Belmares Cm. Ramirez Mayor Motion to place agenda items either of
general interests to the entire city or actionable items
only. Moved:
Cm. Landeck Second:
cm. Chavez Motion withdrawn by Cm. Landeck. B. Request by Mayor Pro-Tempore Gene Belmares 1. Discussion with possible action on
appropriating funds for re-striping the JSJ Estates entrance. significant amount of striping and removal of delineator
poles. Motion to appropriate $12,500 from the
capital improvement plan for the re-striping at JSJ
Estates. Moved:
Mayor Pro Tempore Belmares Second:
Cm. Rendon For:
8 Against:
0 Abstain: 0 2. Status report on the replacement of
waterlines and the recycling of streets at Regency Subdivision. Tomas Rodriguez, or pipe and
service on Windsor from Springfield to Kensington. They have also installed 850 feet and services from take an
additional two months to complete the project. 3. Status report on the temporary traffic
lights at Alexander and Winfield Estates. activation of
all legs and the project will be complete in January of 2008. 4. Discussion with possible action on a
temporary traffic light installation at and signal. The plan is
to finish the actual installation by April 2008. C. Request by Council Member Juan Chavez 1. Discussion on finding a solution to the
vagrant situation especially those that are causing problems in the
community with possible action. Gilberto Navarro, Interim Police Chief,
reported that this topic is very broad.
He said that the department cannot have much of
an impact on the homeless/jobless except for bedding at the
County jail. He acknowledged that there
is a problem because in 2007 the department has
received over 1,500 calls dealing with vagrants. He said that their crimes range from intoxication to
robbery in some aspects. He added
that the department has created a special detail
unit which should address some of the problems along D.
Request by Council Member Juan Ramirez 1. Discussion with possible action on
extending the deadline for request for proposals for the water park until January 2008. Miguel Pescador reported that the
Department has been placing this request for proposals in the nationwide water park
magazines and they are reaching out to other Sources for proposals. He said that the extension will help. Motion to approve the extending of the
deadline for request for proposals for the water park until January 2008. Moved:
Cm. Ramirez Second:
Cm. Chavez For:
8 Against:
0 Abstain: 0 VIII. PUBLIC
HEARINGS 2. Public hearing and introductory ordinance
amending the City of 2007-2008 Contractual Obligation Fund by
appropriating revenues and expenditures in the amount of $120,000.00.
A portion of the funds will be appropriated for the Alerting System Upgrade Project and the
difference will be set aside in the Reserve Appropriation. Motion to open the public hearing. Moved:
Mayor Pro Tempore Belmares Second:
Cm. Rendon There was no public input. Motion to close the public hearing and
introduce. Moved:
Mayor Pro Tempore Belmares Second:
Cm. Garza For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0 Ordinance Introduction: City Council 3. Public hearing and introductory ordinance
amending the City of Laredo Land Development Code, Chapter 24 Article
III, by creating section 24-56, entitled “ Dedication Ordinance”, and amending the
City of Appendix A, by adding the Exhibit A; providing for severability,
publication and effective date. Motion to table. Moved:
Cm. Garza Second:
Cm. Garcia IX. INTRODUCTORY
ORDINANCES 4. Authorizing the City Manager to grant
License Extension to that certain License Agreement by and between The City of
Laredo, Texas and AT&T Corp., dated September 15, 1997 for the use of one
(1) inner duct in the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge and 555.5 linear feet of right-of-way. |