City Council approves Two Written Counseling Notices to City Manager after Evaluation
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2015, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The Eagle Pass City Council addressed many important agenda items during their regular meeting held on Tuesday, January 6, 2015, including an evaluation of City Manager Gloria Barrientos resulting in the approval of issuing two written counseling notices to Barrientos after a long executive session and going into open session.
After an almost three hours long executive session which considered several agenda items, the Eagle Pass City Council came out into open session and Mayor Ramsey English Cantu asked City Council if their were any proposed actions or motions regarding the evaluation of City Manager Gloria Barrientos. After a pause, Mayor Cantu stepped down from his chair position and motioned for City Council to issue two written counseling notices on City Manager Barrientos’ personnel file; one, for alleged improper budget filings as required by state law, and second, for the de-obligation of a Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Community Block Development Block Grant for the amount of over $95,000. Council member Gloria E. Hernandez seconded the motion. City Council authorized Mayor Cantu to meet with City Attorney Heriberto Morales to draft or formulate the language for the two written counseling notices against City Manager Barrientos and agreed to revisit City Manager Barrientos’ corrective actions or measures concerning her evaluation and two written counseling notices within six months. The City Council unanimously approved Mayor Cantu’s motion.
Agenda Item No. 11 calling for a presentation by Pete Nielsen of North American Coal Corporation regarding an overview and economic impact of Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s Eagle Pass Mine was canceled. Over 10 Eagle Pass citizens attended the City Council meeting to hear Pete Nielsen’s presentation but were disappointed that it was canceled. Several citizens spoke during the Visitor’s Recognition part of the agenda against the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s open surface coal mine in Eagle Pass, including U.S. Veteran Albert Daniel, Eagle Pass High School student Lynn Balderas, retired educator Juanita Martinez, Martha Baxter and George Baxter of the Maverick County Environmental and Public Health Association.
A Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) public hearing on Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s application to revise and expand their water discharge permit of coal mining wastewater and storm drainage water into Elm Creek and the Rio Grande River will be held on Tuesday, January 22, 2015, at 7 P.M. at the Middle Rio Grande Workforce Center, located at 1200 Ferry Street, in Eagle Pass. The TCEQ public hearing is open to the public.
During the monthly City departmental reports, Mayor Pro-Tem Luis E. Sifuentes asked Eagle Pass International Bridges System Director Mario Diaz what could be done to get more or maximize the use of International Bridge No. 1, which closes daily at 10:45 P.M. “I know even at that time we have people waiting in line to cross sometimes up to an hour and a half. Why do we close down? Is it because Customs and Border Protection can’t provide any more workers? Is it because of them or is it because of us,?” queried Sifuentes.
Diaz replied that one reason is because the City’s Mexican counterparts and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) closes down by a certain time. Diaz stated that there could be an inquiry into extending the hours but that one thing that must be taken into consideration is the limited CBP budget and other issues facing all parties involved. International Bridge No. 1 operates part-time from 7 A.M. to 11 P.M. daily and shuts down from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. daily. Meanwhile, International Bridge No. 2 is opened 24 hours daily.
The City Council unanimously approved Agenda Item No.14 calling for the approval of an Inter-local Cooperative Contract between the City of Eagle Pass and the Texas Department of Public Safety for the purchase of alcohol blood test and/or evidence testing kits. During discussion, City Manager Barrientos stated that this agreement will allow the Eagle Pass Police Department to purchase alcohol blood test kits and/or evidence testing kits (i.e. DWI, Motor Vehicle Accidents) directly from the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime/Evidence Lab at a cost of $2.50 per unit. The City’s prior contract with the Texas Department of Public Safety had expired almost five years ago and had not been renewed.
The City Council also unanimously approved Agenda Item No. 15 regarding a contract between the City of Eagle Pass and Estrada Hinojosa and Company for financial advisory services for a lengthy period of five years, usually these contracts are for two or three years. Estrada Hinojosa and Company will provide professional services and facilities as financial advisors of the City of Eagle Pass and agree to direct and coordinate all programs of financing as may be considered and authorized under the agreement. Estrada Hinojosa and Company will conduct a survey of the financial resources of any issuer of bonds or financing.
Another agenda item presented and discussed was the update and action plan on the City of Eagle Pass Health Inspector position by City Manager Barrientos. Barrientos stated that currently the job description for the Health Inspector position has been drafted and that the current city ordinance has to be reviewed and possibly updated and amended to fit in with the Health Inspector’s position and duties. “We will be working on this with the planning department and the legal department. We might have to create a Health Department and/or review which department it may fall under,” said Barrientos. City Council discussed with Barrientos certain issues necessary to implement this Health Inspector position and/or Health Department by creating or amending a city ordinance.
City Council also approved unanimously a resolution calling for a City Officers General Election to be held on Saturday, May 9, 2015; establishing procedures; and authorizing, approving and constituting the order for said election at their January 6, 2015 monthly meeting. During discussion, City Manager Barrientos advised City Council that the resolution appoints Ramon Ramirez as Election Judge and Martha Lopez as Alternate Judge. Barrientos noted that the City Council Places scheduled for election are Places 1 and 3. Barrientos noted that the election costs would be $12,000 and that changes from the last Charter Amendment and from the 82nd Texas Legislative Session (2011) have been incorporated into this resolution.
City Council also unanimously approved a resolution supporting that the construction of Loop 480 be finalized to Texas Highway 277 as well as expansion of Texas Highway 57 and request that it be given utmost priority in this 84th Texas Legislative session by State Representative, District 74, Alfonso “Poncho” Nevarez, and State Senator, District 19, Carlos I. Uresti.
City Council also unanimously approved to authorize and hire Langley & Banack, Inc. to draft and prepare the City of Eagle Pass’ Legislative Agenda Priorities for the 2015 84th Texas Legislative Session commencing on January 13, 2015.
City Council also held a public hearing regarding the City’s 2015-2016 Community Block Grant Program (CDBG), focusing on city drainage issues within Westlakes Subdivision, Carthage Place Subdivision, and other city areas. The City of Eagle Pass will seek a 2015-2016 CDBG grant of $800,000 with the Texas Department of Agriculture. During the hearing, Mayor Cantu raised a concern with the City of Eagle Pass’ administration of TDA CDBG grants and correcting past grants to the satisfaction of TDA. City Manager Barrientos noted that TDA had recommended the City hire a Grant Administrator to handle the TDA CDBG grants such as the Middle Rio Grande Development Council. Barrientos noted that the City had had problems with a CDBG grant from eight years ago and was working to correct said deficiencies, causing the City delays in their recent CDBG grant applications. City Council requested City Manager Barrientos to take necessary measures to correct any past CDBG deficiencies because taxpayers stood to lose valuable federal and state grant funds to improve community drainage and other infrastructure projects.
