Eagle Pass City Council to Tackle Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge and Green Eagle Railroad Line and Bridge Projects at Tuesday, May 7, 2024 City Council Meeting
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council will tackle the controversial proposed projects of Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge and the Green Eagle Railroad Line and Bridge in the Seco Mines and Hopedale areas of Eagle Pass at their regular meeting scheduled on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, 100 S. Monroe Street, according to the City Council Agenda posted on Friday, May 3, 2024 with Agenda Item No. 41 calling for Executive Session regarding “legal options against Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge (PVGTB) and Green Eagle Railroad and any other matter incident thereto; and possible action in Open Session.“
An overwhelming majority of Eagle Pass and Maverick County citizens who attended three public scoping meetings sponsored by the Office of Environmental Analysis of the United States Surface Transportation held on April 16 and 23, 2024 regarding the environmental impact of the proposed Green Eagle Railroad Line and Bridge as well as Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge raised their “staunch opposition” to the locations of both projects.
At the April 16, 2024 U. S. Surface Transportation Board public scoping meeting held at 11 a.m., Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. expressed his opposition to the two proposed projects stating a myriad of environmental, socioeconomic, and transportation reasons for his opposition.
Mayor Salinas wrote a letter on behalf of the City of Eagle Pass to the STB dated January 5, 2023 raising the City’s concerns regarding the two controversial proposed projects.
The Union Pacific Railroad also penned a letter to the STB, dated April 29, 2024, raising nine significant and material socioeconomic and transportation issues concerning the Green Eagle Railroad Line and Bridge.
The five-member Eagle Pass City Council will now have an opportunity to discuss, review, and take possible (official) action, including legally, on these two controversial proposed projects at their May 7, 2024 regular meeting. The citizens of Eagle Pass are seeking leadership from the City Council to address and officially oppose these two proposed projects. Citizens will be taking account of the City Council‘s decision at this meeting.
At the Eagle Pass City Council, it takes three votes of the five council members to approve any action.
The City Council May 7, 2024 regular meeting conflicts with a scheduled Town Hall meeting called by the privately-owned company, Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC, of these two controversial projects on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the Eagle Pass International Center for Trade, 3295 Bob Rogers Drive, Eagle Pass, Texas.
The private company held a press conference on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the front steps of the Maverick County Courthouse to invite the public to the Town Hall meeting, but former Maverick County Judge Enriqueta “Queta” Diaz questioned Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project Chairman Ruben Garibay, raising critical issues and public comments.
Due to the overwhelming opposition in the community to the controversial proposed projects, Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Chairman Ruben Garibay has been extremely busy lobbying and visiting local officials and citizens to attempt to win their support for the two projects.
Some citizens note that Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Chairman Ruben Garibay is seeking to appease the staunch community opposition while the recommendation from the White House under President Joe Biden is imminent on or before June 5, 2024.
Eagle Pass citizens will be present at the Eagle Pass City Council’s May 7, 2024 regular meeting to hold the City Council accountable for their actions on these two controversial projects as well as other items on the agenda.
