City Council to evaluate City Manager at December 4th meeting
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The Eagle Pass City Council will hold its monthly regular meeting on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 5:30 P.M. at City Hall, 100 South Monroe Street, in Eagle Pass, Texas, tackling important agenda items including the evaluation of City Manager Gloria Barrientos in Executive Session and possible action in Open Session.
This will be the second evaluation of City Manager Gloria Barrientos by the City Council during 2014. The first evaluation occurred on April 1, 2014, with the City Council expressing positive statements concerning Barrientos’ performance. A second evaluation was scheduled for October 7th meeting, but the evaluation was tabled to a future meeting, which is now the December 4th meeting. The second evaluation scheduled for December 4th comes eight months after the first in April 2014.
It is anticipated that the December 4th evaluation will consider similar performance measurements and criteria as the April 1st evaluation, including policy execution, professional skills, supervision of employees, reporting system relations, staffing, fiscal and community management, and status supervision.
Immediately after the April 1st evaluation, Mayor Ramsey English Cantu stated “I think that Council has come to a consensus as discussed with Ms. Barrientos in executive session and we commend her for the work that she has done and we look forward to working with her in her professional capacity.” Mayor Cantu added “the City Council looks forward to working with Ms. Barrientos as City Manager for the betterment of the community” and congratulated her on her positive evaluation.
City Manager Gloria Barrientos was initially hired as Interim City Manager on September 12, 2012 by the City Council and subsequently named the permanent City Manager on June 18, 2013. Barrientos has been City Manager for 25 months now. Previously, Barrientos served 17 years as a City employee with her last position being Finance Department Director before named Interim City Manager.
Other important agenda items to be discussed with possible action at the December 4th meeting include an update by City Administration of a plan of action for a plastic bag ordinance, update on the City’s International Bridges Sentry Lane project, billboard advertisement for publicity for the City of Eagle Pass through Room Occupancy Tax Funding, and the Stone Garden Grant notifying the City of the approval of funds for overtime and equipment for the Eagle Pass Police Department and authorizing the City Manager to execute all grant documentation.
City Council will also hear important Executive Session agenda items in consultation with legal counsel such as a pending litigation item regarding Cause No. 13-09-28850-MCV, City of Eagle Pass, Texas v. Benjamin Martinez and Maria Isabel Berchelmann Martinez, filed in the 293rd Judicial District Court, Maverick County, Texas; the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property offered by Union Pacific Railroad; Cause No. 14-10-30-191-MCVAJA, City of Eagle Pass, Texas v Alfonso De La Garza, Individually and D/B/A Los Potrillos Dance Hall, and Norma C. De LaGarza, filed in the 365th Judicial District Court, Maverick County, Texas; and three items regarding litigation with Dos Republicas Coal Partnership concerning the controversial open surface coal mine including the pending appeal of the Railroad Commission of Texas’ permit before the Third Court of Appeals, the Floodplain lawsuit against Maverick County, and the amended water discharge permit application pending before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
The City Council will also hear the monthly City departmental reports presented by each department containing an overview and breakdown of monthly activities of each City department.
The Eagle Pass City Council meetings are open to the public. Citizens are encouraged to attend all Eagle Pass City Council meetings to learn the activities of the City and express their personal opinions through the Citizens Communications and Recognition agenda item.
