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Record of Proceedings

Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - April 8, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, April 8, 2025
BodyCorpus Christi, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, April 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:36:08

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

11:10

Okay.

Speaker 1

11:11

Okay.

11:12

Good morning, everyone.

11:13

I'd like to call this meeting to order.

11:15

Thank you for being here today in Council Chambers and here at City Hall.

11:19

So today our invocation will be given by Bishop C.

11:22

E.

11:22

Richardson Sr.

11:23

with Calvary First Baptist Church.

Speaker 2

11:30

Shall we pray?

11:31

De Lord, as we gather together today, I pray for this city council meeting.

11:37

I pray for this council meeting that it would be productive and everything will go according to your plan.

11:50

She has made sure with your help that the city of Corpus Christi is one of the most desirable cities to live in, raise a family, have great employment, and retire with dignity.

12:04

Thank you for our city council men and city council women who are team players that they help to promote the growth and the development of our city.

12:58

Today, as we embark upon the many issues that will affect our city and our livelihood, I pray that you will guide our city council with wisdom in their decision making.

13:11

Give them the strength and the courage to do those things that are right, and that'll be a blessing to all of the citizens.

13:18

Help us to be good neighbors, live in love and respect one for another.

Speaker 1

14:21

She is a senior at um Veterans High School.

14:25

She's a Texas Lone Star Scholar, an academic all-star for wrestling, and a Sitco Scholarship Award recipient.

Speaker 3

14:34

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Unassigned speaker

15:03

Thank

Speaker 1

15:03

you, Kaitley, and good luck.

Unassigned speaker

15:07

Ms.

Speaker 1

15:07

Warta, would you please call the role?

Speaker 4

15:09

Mayor Paula Wahardo.

15:11

Present.

15:12

Council members Roland Barrera.

Speaker 5

15:14

Here.

Speaker 4

15:16

Sabia Campos.

15:18

Eric Anthou.

15:19

Gil Hernandez.

15:21

Kaelin Paxon.

15:22

Here.

15:23

Everett Roy.

Speaker 6

15:24

Here.

Speaker 4

15:24

Mark Scott.

15:26

Carolyn Vaughn.

15:27

City Manager Peter Zanoni.

Speaker 7

15:29

Present.

Speaker 4

15:29

City Attorney Maz Ros Lee.

15:31

Mayor and Council, a quorum of the council, and the required charter officers are present to conduct the meeting.

Speaker 1

15:37

Great.

15:37

Thank you, Ms.

15:38

Wetna.

15:39

Section E is our city manager's comments and update on city.

15:43

Mr.

15:44

Zanoni.

Speaker 7

15:45

Right.

15:45

Good morning, Mayor and members of the council and our community.

15:48

We do have one item, a very important item on this morning's city manager's report.

15:53

And it is to uh highlight this program uh known as Women of Inspiration Awards.

15:59

And then also present to you uh the award winners uh for this year for for this calendar year uh that the team here in the city uh selected amongst all the women uh to be recognized.

16:10

And so um I would like to take a moment to recognize this important city initiative uh that continues to highlight the strength and talent within our organization and through this program uh the Women of Inspirations Award.

16:24

This year marks the third year of this program, and um it was it was developed internally by our communications department a few years ago uh during the the uh uh uh women uh history month, which was last month.

16:38

And so Elisa Olson, our current communications department director, and Cecilia Orozco, the assistant director of communications, uh, continued that trend with this third year uh with this program.

16:50

They're gonna talk to you now a little bit about it, and then we're gonna I'm gonna come down there and we're gonna give out some awards uh after they speak.

16:56

Alisa,

Speaker 8

16:59

good morning.

17:01

Mayor, council members, city manager, thank you so much for having me today.

17:05

It uh means a lot to be able to come up and talk about this important program.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████████22%
Affordable Housing████████████████16%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████13%
Procedural███████7%
Community Engagement██████6%
Public Engagement█████5%
Zoning And Land Use█████5%
Procurement Policy████4%
Board And Committee Appointments███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - April 8, 2025

The Corpus Christi City Council met on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, beginning at 11:30 AM in Council Chambers. The meeting included an invocation, pledges, roll call, city manager's report, public comments, board appointments, consent agenda (with items pulled for discussion), public hearings, individual consideration items, briefings on crime statistics and the 89th Texas Legislative Session, and an executive session. Key actions included approval of a raw water purchase from Formosa Plastics, a reclaimed water infrastructure design contract, an affordable housing project, and a municipal management district.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved consent agenda items 3-15, except items 7 and 12 which were pulled for individual consideration.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Rolando Garza (District 1 resident) expressed full support for the affordable housing project at Lamar (Prospera), emphasizing the promise made to the community.
  • Robin Sanders (Corpus Christi resident) raised concerns about wastewater billing methodology, specifically winter quarter averaging and meter malfunctions.
  • Shirley Thornton (Flower Bluff resident) urged support for Item 24 (Holly Road Train Trestle to Tourism Trail Project), noting the history of the effort and the need for the city match.
  • Susie Saldania (District 2 resident) defended the city manager and employees, urging council to focus on facts and service rather than firing personnel.
  • Adam Rios (owner of Pony Boy Skate Company) announced the West Guth Skate Games competition on May 4th and advocated for a skate park at Billish Park as a budget priority.
  • Janie Carrasco and Ramona Reyes (Hacienda Senior Apartment residents) spoke in support of Prospera's affordable housing projects, describing positive experiences with services.
  • Joshua DeLeon (Corpus Christi resident) reported results from Project Hope's third annual community cleanup (4,637 cigarette butts collected) and advocated for a citywide smoking ban in parks and proper e-cigarette disposal sites.
  • Joshua Frederick (Corpus Christi resident) questioned a recent change to the public comment procedure posted online, asking who authorized the language stating that questions are inappropriate.
  • Sharin Del Seuss (District 5 resident, via video) supported the Holly Road Trestle Bridge project, highlighting health benefits of bikeable/walkable communities and citing obesity statistics (40% of residents, $2.8 million city health budget).
  • Alena Martinez (Corpus Christi resident, via audio) advocated for her appointment to the Ethics Commission, citing her passion for ethics and transparency.

Board & Committee Appointments

  • Airport Board: Reappointed Travis Patterson; appointed Jesse Noyola and Sarah Azali to fill two vacancies.
  • Civil Service Commission & Civil Service Board: Postponed one week for additional interviews.
  • Ethics Commission (one vacancy): Stephen McClure appointed by a 6-2 vote (two-thirds required). Alena Martinez also nominated.
  • Landmark Commission (two at-large vacancies): Appointed Underwood and Bikay unanimously.
  • Watershore and Beach Advisory Committee (two at-large vacancies): Appointed Garcia and Holland by vote.

Discussion Items

  • Item 7 – NewGen Strategies Contract Amendment: Councilmember Paxson questioned the number of amendments and total cost. Staff explained the shift to annual rate modeling and increased face-to-face time with council. Approved unanimously (8-0).
  • Item 12 – Affordable Housing Program (Prospera/Palms at Morris): Councilmember Hernandez raised concerns about Prospera's outstanding loans ($6.4 million), land sold for $10, and perception of unfair advantage. Staff and Prospera representatives defended the project, noting common industry practice, cash-flow loans, and the need for affordable senior housing. Councilmembers Roy and Guajardo supported the project. Councilmembers Scott and Barrera recused themselves. Motion carried 6-0-2 (with recusals).
  • Item 21 – Raw Water Purchase from Formosa Plastics: Authorized up to 10,000 acre-feet at $900/acre-foot ($2.76/thousand gallons), with a take-or-pay of 2,500 acre-feet. Drew Molly noted drought conditions reducing interruptible water from LNRA. Councilman Scott praised the innovation. Councilman Hernandez requested a mid-year rate adjustment to reflect higher raw water costs. Motion carried unanimously.
  • Item 22 – Garver Reclaimed Water Infrastructure Design: Authorized a professional services contract up to $1,291,550 for a 12-month feasibility study and source water characterization. Councilwoman Paxson asked about expediting timelines; Dan Olson explained regulatory requirements. Councilman Hernandez supported indirect potable reuse and urged collaboration with industry. Motion carried unanimously.
  • Item 23 – Municipal Management District (The Reserve at Oso Creek): Approved consent for creation of an MMD and development agreement for 930 homes. Developer Paul Garza presented the self-funded project, supported by West Oso ISD and Commissioner Gonzales. Motion carried unanimously.
  • Item 24 (Holly Road Train Trestle to Tourism Trail Project): Pulled by staff to allow more time for council questions; will be on next week's agenda.

Key Outcomes

  • Raw Water Purchase with Formosa Plastics (Item 21): Approved. Authorizes City Manager to execute contract up to 10,000 acre-feet for 2025 with a one-year option, at $900/acre-foot, using $4.5 million from FY25 budgeted operating transfer to CIP.
  • Reclaimed Water Infrastructure Design (Item 22): Approved. Contract with Garver, LLC not to exceed $1,291,550, funded from Water Capital Fund.
  • Affordable Housing Project (Item 12): Approved (6-0-2). City will provide a $1,160,100 loan (3%, 40-year, cash-flow) to TG 110 Palms at Morris for 72 senior rental units at Morris and 19th Streets.
  • Municipal Management District (Item 23): Approved. Resolution consenting to creation of MMD and approving development agreement for The Reserve at Oso Creek (930 homes, self-funded, 7-8 year build-out).
  • Crime Statistics Briefing (Item 25): Council requested more detailed data monthly or quarterly, including by district, gang-related stats, dismissal/prosecution rates, and community engagement metrics. Police Dept. committed to provide a dashboard online this week and return with expanded presentations.
  • Legislative Update (Item 26): Ryan Skrobarczyk briefed on key bills, including those affecting annexation, parking minimums, non-conforming uses, third-party review, drone procurement, and water funding. Council took no action.
  • Executive Session (Item 27): Council went into closed session to discuss legal issues related to groundwater, desalination, and property rights. No public action reported.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Okay. Good morning, everyone. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Thank you for being here today in Council Chambers and here at City Hall. So today our invocation will be given by Bishop C. E. Richardson Sr. with Calvary First Baptist Church. Shall we pray? De Lord, as we gather together today, I pray for this city council meeting. I pray for this council meeting that it would be productive and everything will go according to your plan. She has made sure with your help that the city of Corpus Christi is one of the most desirable cities to live in, raise a family, have great employment, and retire with dignity. Thank you for our city council men and city council women who are team players that they help to promote the growth and the development of our city. Today, as we embark upon the many issues that will affect our city and our livelihood, I pray that you will guide our city council with wisdom in their decision making. Give them the strength and the courage to do those things that are right, and that'll be a blessing to all of the citizens. Help us to be good neighbors, live in love and respect one for another. She is a senior at um Veterans High School. She's a Texas Lone Star Scholar, an academic all-star for wrestling, and a Sitco Scholarship Award recipient. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, Kaitley, and good luck. Ms. Warta, would you please call the role? Mayor Paula Wahardo. Present. Council members Roland Barrera. Here. Sabia Campos. Eric Anthou. Gil Hernandez. Kaelin Paxon. Here. Everett Roy. Here. Mark Scott. Carolyn Vaughn. City Manager Peter Zanoni. Present. City Attorney Maz Ros Lee. Mayor and Council, a quorum of the council, and the required charter officers are present to conduct the meeting. Great. Thank you, Ms. Wetna. Section E is our city manager's comments and update on city. Mr. Zanoni. Right. Good morning, Mayor and members of the council and our community. We do have one item, a very important item on this morning's city manager's report.

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