Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - May 6, 2025

The Corpus Christi City Council convened at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Council Chambers at 1201 Leopard Street. Mayor Paulette Guajardo presided, and City Secretary Rebecca Huerta confirmed that a quorum of the Council and required Charter Officers was present. The meeting included public safety recognitions, public comment, board and committee appointments, two Corpus Christi Water briefings, an executive session, a withdrawn motion to reconsider, and a consent agenda.

Call to Order, Invocation, and Pledge

• Rabbi Naftoli Schmulker with Chabad Coastal Bend gave the invocation.
• Hannah Nichole Hominick, a 12th grader from Calallen High School, led the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags.

City Manager’s Comments and Recognitions

• The Council recognized the seven graduates of MetroCom’s 61st 911 Call Operator Academy class; four graduates attended. Assistant Chief Christopher White explained that graduates complete about 240 hours of academy training, state licensing, and on-the-job training. MetroCom now has 64 employees answering and dispatching emergency calls. Council members congratulated the graduates and noted that average dispatcher turnover is about eight years.
• City Manager Peter Zanoni and police leadership recognized National Police Officers Week, May 11-15, 2025. The 37th annual candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., will read the names of 345 fallen officers, including Corpus Christi officers Vicente Ortiz and Kyle Hicks. Officer Marco Ramirez was announced as a national TOP Cop Award recipient for his actions after Officer Hicks was killed. Council and staff expressed pride and gratitude for his bravery.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Stephen Clepper, a 35-year District 2 resident, urged the Council to demand budget efficiency and effectiveness measures and to make budget data and analysis public.
• Cheryl Martinez disputed statements about Animal Care Services and the group PAC, said she offered free training that was not accepted, and raised concerns about euthanized animals being sent to the landfill and environmental risks from euthanasia chemicals.
• Susie Saldania spoke about documents involving Council member Sylvia Campos and a possible lawsuit against the city; Robin Sanders later said it is not a lawsuit yet. Ms. Saldania said taxpayers have a right to speak up when they believe representation is wrong.
• Robin Sanders praised police officers, criticized the location of the detention center on the Leopard Street corridor, and discussed crime, recidivism, and impacts on the tax base.
• Gary Alsepp, CEO of the Corpus Christi Housing Authority, discussed the need for affordable housing, cited 30,000 people on the Section 8 waitlist, and warned that a proposed 43 percent federal HUD cut and each 10 percent Section 8 cut could mean 300 currently housed families in Corpus Christi losing housing.
• Ronald Cole spoke about a possible city-funded movie and alleged government corruption related to the Abscam investigation and Mel Weinberg.
• Tom Tagleboom asked the Council to name the future Oso Pedestrian Bridge after the late Assistant City Manager Tom Utter for his 25 years of service.
• Adam Rios highlighted Travel and Tourism Week, citing $199 billion in statewide economic impact, 1.3 million Texas jobs, about $55.8 billion along the coast, about 14,000 local jobs or 6.7 percent of local employment, and an estimated 15 to 25 percent local revenue increase or about $30 million locally.
• Jason Hale requested timely Council updates on GHD far-field modeling for the proposed desalination plant, including questions about diffuser design completion, permit amendments, hypoxia modeling, bay-wide modeling, and salinity impacts on Nueces Bay.

Board & Committee Appointments

• Animal Care Advisory Committee: Reappointed Diana Gaidadiness and Ronald Smith, and appointed Kylie Long to the remaining vacancy.
• Building Standards Board: Appointed Chick Henderson as a regular voting member and Lindsay Clark as the alternate member.
• Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation: Appointed George Polakis.
• Sister City Committee: Appointed Romero and Gonzalez to the two vacancies.
• All appointments were approved by voice vote with no announced opposition.

Discussion Items

Inner Harbor Water Treatment Campus Project Update

• Brett Van Hazel, Director of the Program Management Office, presented the project history and status. The Council previously authorized a Freeze & Nichols amendment of $3.78 million for RFP/RFQ work and bond issuance of up to $211 million; later a $12 million Freeze & Nichols pre-construction amendment; and in December 2024, a $9.25 million phase 1A contract with Kiwit Infrastructure South as the progressive design-builder.
• Phase 1B began April 15, 2025. The Army Corps permit and TCEQ discharge permit were received ahead of schedule. More than 100 task force meetings and over 20 workshops have been held. The draft basis of design report is under review, and a draft cost model is expected at the end of May, with a more reviewed cost update around July. The guaranteed maximum price is tied to 60 percent design and is expected to be presented around December 2025.
• The project is not yet 10 percent designed, so final pricing remains uncertain. The demonstration plant cost estimate increased from roughly $6 million to about $18 million; staff said Kiwit attributes this to off-the-shelf equipment costs and does not expect it to be indicative of the full plant cost.
• GHD’s far-field modeling is focused on the inner harbor and ship channel from CC Polymers to the bridge, not the entire bay. Staff said it is being completed to support TCEQ permit compliance, no permit changes are anticipated, and results should be available within one to two months and can be shared publicly.
• Staff estimated the facility could use more than 20 megawatts per day. Energy costs and operational staffing costs are still being refined and will affect future water rates.
• Staff are pursuing a federal Bureau of Reclamation large-scale recycling grant of up to $180 million, with an application planned in the fall. Council members asked for specific grant details and a timeline.
• Councilwoman Vaughn expressed concern about the demonstration plant cost increase and asked for monthly spending reports. Councilman Cantu asked when the Council would know if the project costs too much; staff said cost certainty will improve over the next seven months. Councilwoman Campos stated her opposition to the Inner Harbor project and asked for regular rate impact updates in per-1,000-gallon terms. Councilman Hernandez questioned energy consumption, grant specifics, and a rendered building design he called too extravagant. Councilman Scott supported the education/demonstration concept and asked for written responses to far-field modeling questions.

Alternative Water Supply Projects Update

• Drew Molly, Chief Operating Officer of Corpus Christi Water, provided an update. The region remains in exceptional drought, and staff meet weekly with the National Weather Service and quarterly with wholesale water customers.
• Evangeline Groundwater Project: A non-binding MOU is in place. The landowner is now offering to sell water rather than lease it from an about 23,000-acre site near Sinton, with potential supply up to 24 million gallons per day. The first 12 million gallons per day could be delivered through the Mary Rhodes pipeline. A counteroffer is due around June 2, 2025.
• Catahoula / Eshelman Voigt Ranch: A potential brackish groundwater supply about 70 miles southwest of Corpus Christi, with up to 28.5 million gallons per day possible. No MOU has been signed yet.
• Nueces River Groundwater Well Project: Three wells are complete and a fourth is being drilled. Well one produced about 1.5 million gallons per day, well two about 2 million gallons per day, and well three produced roughly 2 million gallons per day more than expected. TDS levels range from about 2,000 to 5,000 mg/L. The TCEQ permit application is planned to be submitted the following Monday, with a permit expected by late June. A future phase two could use a brackish reverse-osmosis facility to produce up to 12 million gallons per day.
• Reclaimed Water Reuse Project: Garver’s contract has been approved, and the notice to proceed is expected within about a week. Staff also discussed the May 22-23 water summit at the American Bank Center, which is sold out at 400 attendees and will raise money for utility assistance and provide TCEQ operator training hours.
• South Texas Water Authority: General Manager John Madez said STWA is drilling a brackish reverse-osmosis test well north of Driscoll with Seven C’s and is committed to regional collaboration with Corpus Christi. Results are expected within a few weeks.
• Council members requested a consolidated cost, volume, and timeline comparison of all alternative water supply projects; asked for more information on the Evangeline MOU and groundwater district risks; and asked staff to explore reclaimed water options with Flint Hills and to provide a CC Polymers update at the next report.
• No formal action was taken on the briefings; they were for Council information only.

Executive Session

• The Council entered executive session during the meeting on agenda items 19 and 20 under Texas Government Code Sections 551.071 and 551.072, and the professional conduct rule, to consult with attorneys about a Corpus Christi Housing Authority land purchase and legal issues related to petitions and appeals involving Corpus Christi water rates before the Texas Public Utility Commission, including SOAH Docket No. 473-24-19854 and PUC Docket No. 56427. No public action on these items was announced after returning to open session.

Consent Calendar

• The Council approved the consent agenda by one motion, with items 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17 pulled for individual consideration. The items approved en bloc included:
  • Item 7: Approval of the April 29, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes.
  • Item 8: Acceptance of a $247,669 Operation Stonegarden grant for police overtime, fringe benefits, a replacement Chevy Tahoe, and fuel/maintenance.
  • Item 9: Acceptance of a $30,734 Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant for rescue lifting bags, lifting cushions, and a Multiforce bag.
  • Item 10: Acceptance of a $15,092,700 Texas General Land Office CDBG-Mitigation grant for Greenwood and Oso wastewater treatment plant resiliency improvements.
  • Item 12: Award of a $3,041,742 construction contract to Crawford Henrichson & Crawford LLC for the Fire Department Resource Center Phase II project.
  • Item 15: Award of a $2,858,521.20 contract to Bay, Ltd. for Calallen Drive reconstruction from Red Bird Lane to Burning Tree Lane.
  • Item 18: Authorization of three real estate purchases totaling up to $1,534,880 for the Nueces River Water Pump Station Project and two short-term lease agreements.

Individually Considered Consent Items

• Item 11: Approved a one-year service agreement with Lone Star Blower, Inc., with two one-year options, in an amount not to exceed $310,000 and potential total of $930,000, for blower repairs and alignment at wastewater treatment plants. Staff explained the award was based on best value and demonstrated experience.
• Item 13: Approved rejecting D&J Utility Services LLC’s bid as non-responsive and awarding a construction contract to Southern Trenchless Solutions, LLC, in an amount up to $3,891,631.24, with two renewal options totaling not more than $11,674,893.72, for citywide wastewater manhole improvements.
• Item 14: Approved a construction contract with Reytec Construction Resources, Inc., up to $20,991,575.94, and Amendment No. 3 with Plummer Associates, Inc., for $55,767, bringing that contract to $1,274,626, for filtration system hydraulic improvements at the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant. Staff said the project improves regulatory compliance, reliability, and resiliency.
• Item 16: Approved a professional services contract with Freese & Nichols, Inc., not to exceed $1,263,059, for design, bid, and construction phase services for the Holly Road Train Trestle project. Several Council members asked for data on how much engineering work is distributed across firms.
• Item 17: Approved an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept twelve grant renewals totaling up to $2,772,910, authorizing 32 grant positions, and accepting up to $55,000 in program income for Health Department grant programs.

Motion to Reconsider

• The Council withdrew agenda item 6, which was a motion to reconsider the award of a construction contract to Barcom Construction, Inc., for a new Wastewater Maintenance Building at the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant. No vote was taken on the reconsideration.

Key Outcomes

• Board and committee appointments were approved by voice vote with no announced opposition.
• The consent agenda and all pulled items were approved; no roll-call tallies were taken, so all recorded votes were voice votes with no announced opposition.
• Agenda item 6 was withdrawn.
• The Council requested staff to provide: written responses to GHD far-field modeling questions; monthly spending updates on the Inner Harbor project; a cost, volume, and timeline summary for alternative water supply projects; specific federal grant details; and data on engineering contract distribution across firms.
• Upcoming milestones noted in the meeting include the Evangeline counteroffer by June 2, the Nueces River well permit expected in late June, the demonstration plant amendment this month, a cost model review in July, and a guaranteed maximum price presentation expected around December 2025.