City Council approves amendment to disposal of fats, oils, and grease for commercial food service providers ordinance

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The Eagle Pass City Council held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at City Council Chambers located at City Hall, 100 South Monroe Street in Eagle Pass, Texas, approving amendments to several city ordinances including the disposal of fats, oils, and grease by commercial food service providers.

One of the agenda items addressed by the Eagle Pass City Council was the consideration and possible approval of an Ordinance amending Chapter 27 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas, by adding New Article VII, to incorporate general provisions for disposal of commercial food service/processing establishments of fats, oils, and grease.

City Manager Gloria Barrientos presented City Council the reasons for the amendment to the city code of ordinance regarding the disposal of fats, oils, and grease by commercial food service providers. “The purpose of this ordinance amendment is to aid in the prevention of sanitary sewer blockages and obstructions caused by the accumulation of fats, oils, and grease that are discharged into the sanitary sewer system. This application shall apply to all commercial food service/processing establishments that are located within the corporate city limits of the City, or that are within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City and to all the establishments that receive sanitary sewer service from the Eagle Pass Water Works System (EPWWS) or that discharge any liquids or solids into the sanitary sewer. There is a $100 reconnection fee for those that are not in compliance. Their water, sewer services may be disconnected and they will have to pay the fee to be reconnected. This fee would go to the maintenance of the equipment at the sewer plant,” said Barrientos.

“What we are going to be doing is we will be sending out a letter to the businesses that do have grease traps notifying them that once this is approved they have 90 days to comply with this ordinance. After that an inspector will be able to go and inspect it. If the businesses have a warning they have 45 days to take care of the problem,” Eagle Pass Water Works System General Manager Jorge Barrera.

Eagle Pass Water Works System will train an employee to conduct these inspections to avoid the unlawful discharging of fats, oils, and grease into the City’s sewer system by commercial food service providers and businesses.

After a brief discussion concerning the approach that would be taken on notification of such changes to local commercial food service businesses with EPWWS General Manager Jorge Barrera, the City Council unanimously approved the amendment to the City Code of Ordinances regarding the disposition of fats, oil, and grease by commercial food service businesses. The new amendment to the ordinance will be read in a public hearing for public comment two more times before being implemented. Any person or business may comment on this new amendment at the next City Council meeting during Visitor’s Recognition or contacting your public officials.

Another agenda item discussed and unanimously approved is an Ordinance amending Section 20 Board of Adjustment (f) Powers of the Board (4) of appendix A (Zoning Ordinance) of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas for the purpose of establishing a reconsideration procedure of prior decisions by the Board of Adjustment and new fees.

Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu gave a brief summary of the steps needed by city council to approve this amendment establishing a reconsideration process of the City’s Board of Adjustment decisions. “At this point, Council needs to authorize administration to have a public hearing in order to further this process so it can go before the Planning and Zoning Commission for further review and recommendation to the City Council,” said Mayor Cantu.

City Attorney Catrina Purcell Longoria of Langley & Banack stated Mayor Cantu was correct and that the ordinance does require that the city council submit any changes to the Planning and Zoning Commission for recommendation and simultaneously the City can start the process of publication for a public hearing. The City Council approved to move forward with the publication of a public hearing date on this amendment.

City Council also unanimously approved the second reading of an Ordinance amending Sec. 21-51, Article II, Chapter 21 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Eagle Pass, in order to update the Water Conservation Plan and the Drought Contingency Plan.

City Council also unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the filing of a grant application with the Middle Rio Grande Development Council for a Regional Solid Waste Grants Program, authorizing the City Manager to act on behalf of the City of Eagle Pass in all matters related to the application; and pledging that if a grant is received, the City of Eagle Pass will comply with the grant requirements of the Middle Rio Grande Development Council, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the State of Texas.

“They are applying for a $11,919 grant and this will help in the recycling efforts to include a review to move forward with the plastic bag ordinance, to inform the public. The funding would go to radio, television, newsprint and all the information necessary to inform the people of this issues,” said City Manager Barrientos.

Another item unanimously approved by the City Council was the application for grant funds submitted to the Texas Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority for the auto theft program by the Eagle Pass Police Department.

“This is the award letter for the City of Eagle Pass which was granted $188,781 for the Eagle Pass Police Department. This is the 22^nd year that the city has applied and been granted funding. The grant period is from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015. The grant pays for personnel, travel, training, supplies and equipment,” said City Manager Barrientos.

The grant is an 80/20 grant. The State pays 80% while the City pays 20%. The City’s 20% contribution will be funded from the City of Eagle Pass general fund.

The City Council and City Administration also held the first 2014-2015 fiscal year budget workshop regarding the upcoming fiscal year commencing on October 1, 2014. The proposed City Budget tops over $33 Million. The City Council and Administration will review the proposed budget before adopting it and setting the new City tax rates for 2014-2015.