City Council appoints members to Mayor’s Fitness Council and approves Memorandum of Understanding with Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The Eagle Pass City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at City Council Chambers, 100 South Monroe Street in Eagle Pass, Texas, tackling many important agenda items including rezoning of properties public hearings, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, appointment of members to the Mayor’s Fitness Council, a request for special use permit by Verizon Wireless, awarding a bid for Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus(SCBA), and various subdivision requests.
City Council approved a resolution appointing members to the Mayor’s Fitness Council. Mayor Ramsey English Cantu stated “This is in conjoined efforts with The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) through their border regional efforts, ultimately trying to combat obesity issues with young children and how we can promote healthier lifestyles in our community. There is funding available for the city to run such programs,” said Mayor Cantu. The City of Eagle Pass was awarded a $6,000 grant by DSHS to operate an obesity prevention program within the community.
The City of Eagle Pass will coordinate this obesity prevention program with the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, local health care providers and fitness centers, and the City of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico.
City Council appointed Maverick County Hospital District Chief Executive Officer Terri Contreras, Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center Public Relations Director Lourdes Munoz- Perez, Registered Nurse Sonia Tovar, Pharmacist Hilda Martinez, Dr. Hector Alvarez, Robert Velasquez, Lety Villanueva, Patty Rodriguez, Jerry Galvan, City Manager Gloria Barrientos, City Parks & Recreation Department Assistant Director Rosy Aguirre, and four other members will be designated in a future City Council meeting.
Another agenda item presented and approved was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Eagle Pass and the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas.
The memorandum of understanding between the City of Eagle Pass and the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas was an informational item presented by Mayor Ramsey English Cantu to set forth future action in working in unison with the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas. Mayor Cantu stated that he recently approached Kickapoo Tribal Chairman Juan Garza regarding a Memorandum of Understanding between both local governmental entities to create a formal agreement since both entities often work together on many projects of mutual interest and benefit to their constituents.
Mayor Cantu stated that both entities are trying to work more effectively and in an efficient manner through applying for grants, tourism opportunities, public safety, and other issues.
The City Council also approved the third and final reading of the Texas State Natural Gas rate increase and revised rate schedules for residential sales, small volume commercial/industrial sales, large volume commercial/industrial sales and public authority sales, setting the effective date of the new increased natural gas rate schedules for bills rendered on or after September 1, 2014.
The City Council also approved a resolution authorizing the execution of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The City was awarded a $337,500 grant for the purchase of a new Fire Truck through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from FEMA. The City will provide a matching cash fund of $37,500 for the purchase of a new fire truck.
Other agenda items discussed and approved were five different ordinances pertaining to the changing of zoning district classifications of certain properties within the City limits.
These zoning ordinances are established to allow the change of one family dwelling district’s to either Apartment Districts, Duplex Districts, Commercial Districts, and vice versa depending on the classification that the property owner needs to develop their real property.
All five ordinances requested to be changed to an apartment district classification and were approved unanimously. The City Council heard public hearings on these five zoning ordinance requests prior to approving them. No objections were presented during the public hearings.
In other business, the City council discussed and approved several requests for the acceptance of preliminary, amended, and/or final plat approval of various properties within the Eagle Pass City limits.
The City Council approved a request submitted by Verizon Wireless to amend a special use permit previously granted for the construction and operation of a mobile telephone tower. City Council approved the installation of a 150 foot high monopole cellular tower to be located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Main and South Veterans Boulevard on August 20, 2013. The application was first submitted by Invermex LLC of 2741 Crown Hill Drive, Eagle Pass, Texas, but the owner and operator will be Verizon Wireless.
City Council also approved the awarding of bids for a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for use by the Eagle Pass Fire Department. City Manager Gloria Barrientos advised City Council that this item was in regards to certain SCBA equipment used by the Eagle Pass Fire Department that has reached its recommended use and must be replaced.
Barrientos stated that Fire Department Officials had reviewed the bids and recommended the awarding of the bid to Dooley Tackaberry in the amount of $207,075.05 over the next two years. These funds will be taken from the Eagle Pass Fire Department general fund.
Eagle Pass Fire Chief Jesus Rodriguez stated that currently the EPFD has 30 SCBA’s but that state regulations only gives them a 15 year lifespan and that they must be replaced by 2016. Chief Rodriguez added the EPFD will purchase new SCBAs with these funds to replace the expired SCBAs.
