Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - August 19, 2025

The Corpus Christi City Council met on August 19, 2025, at 11:30 AM in Council Chambers, with a recess for lunch and a general public comment session at approximately 5:30 PM. The meeting covered consent agenda items, a zoning case, a briefing on the city logo, and a detailed update on alternative water supply projects, particularly the Mary Rhodes Pipeline. Several agenda items were pulled from the consent agenda for individual discussion. The meeting included extensive public testimony on water issues, library funding, and other community concerns.

Consent Calendar

• Approved with exceptions: Items 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, and 12 were approved via a single motion. Items 3, 7, 8, 10, and 13 were pulled for individual consideration.
  • Item 3: Motion authorizing purchase of 25 Panasonic mobile data computers with dash cameras for the Corpus Christi Police Department ($467,975.00). Approved unanimously after brief discussion.
  • Item 7: Resolution amending Financial Budgetary Policies (including changing fund balance from 17-20% to a hard 20% minimum). Postponed to the next meeting (August 26, 2025) to allow staff to provide comparative analysis with other cities, input from the financial advisor, and clarification on historical fund balance levels. Motion to postpone carried.
  • Item 8: Resolution for negotiation of terms with Nueces County for a proposed Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) in the London Area. Amended to clarify that Nueces County can be reimbursed up to $50,000 per year based on actual staff time and resources spent (changed from "over the life of the agreement"). Approved as amended. One public comment opposed the TIRZ.
  • Item 10: Resolution authorizing an Advance Funding Agreement with TxDOT for the Encantada Avenue Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project. Approved unanimously after staff provided a construction timeline estimate of approximately six months from TxDOT approval. One public comment supported the project.
  • Item 13: Resolution nominating Flint Hills Resources for the Texas Enterprise Zone Program (a state-level sales tax refund for a $150 million capital investment retaining 500 jobs). Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Library Funding: Multiple speakers (including Library Board Chair Pat Craig and community member Julie Rogers) advocated for increased library funding, presenting data showing Corpus Christi libraries are below average compared to peer cities in percentage of general fund, dollars per library, staffing per library, and dollars per capita. They requested raising the allocation from 1.8% to 2% of the general fund. A petition with over 300 signatures was presented opposing the proposed budget cuts to library materials and the elimination of the Hart Library branch manager position.
• Water Projects (Desalination & Alternatives): Numerous speakers addressed the proposed Inner Harbor desalination plant and the city's water management. Some expressed strong opposition, citing high costs, environmental concerns (brine discharge, red tides, impacts on fishing and tourism), and mistrust in the city's handling of water resources. Others urged moving forward with desalination as a reliable long-term solution, arguing that running out of water would devastate the city. Speakers referred to data on the underutilization of the Mary Rhodes Pipeline Phase 2 (Colorado River water). Several speakers criticized what they called "scare tactics" and urged the council to consider alternative water sources such as Evangeline groundwater and the Nueces groundwater program.
• Native American Burial Sites: Speakers (Melissa Zamora, Peter Moore) raised concerns about development (specifically the Breezy Village/TIRZ project) near known Native American burial grounds along Oso Bay. They requested archaeological surveys and consultation with local tribes as a condition for support.
• Public Comment Format: Multiple speakers (Marty Lena Garza, Christina English, Eli McKay) criticized the current public comment policy, arguing that holding public comment after agenda items have been considered restricts public participation and may violate the Texas Open Meetings Act. They requested public comment be held at the beginning of the meeting or before each item.
• Other Comments:
  • David Slawyer proposed a large desalination plant near Flour Bluff as an alternative to the Inner Harbor project.
  • Ron Graben expressed support for the Mayor and City Manager, and requested a private meeting about park issues.
  • Adam Rios promoted a BMX track at Salinas Park and a skate club at Ray High School.
  • Henry Williams spoke about the need for a city vision and prayer.
  • Joshua Friedrich reported on a successful school supply drive.
  • Brad Bartelson advocated for a strategic water plan with limits on industrial use and energy intensity considerations.

Discussion Items

• Item 7 – Budgetary Policy Amendment: Extensive discussion on changing the general fund balance policy from a range of 17-20% to a minimum of 20%. Council members expressed differing views: some wanted to retain flexibility (17-20%), while others supported the clarity of a 20% floor. Staff clarified the current practice has been at 20% for several years and that the change would not require immediate budget cuts (the FY26 budget already meets 20% excluding one-time expenditures). The item was postponed after a motion to allow time for additional information on comparative cities and financial advisor input.
• Item 8 – TIRZ London Area: Staff explained the unique structure of this TIRZ, which uses sub-zones so that tax increments are dedicated to specific developments. The county requested reimbursement of administrative expenses up to $50,000 per year based on actual time (amended from "over the life of the agreement"). The developer representative board seat was clarified as a community stakeholder position, not specific to a particular developer.
• Item 10 – Encantada Pedestrian Safety Project: Staff provided a construction timeline of approximately six months after TxDOT approval. The project includes sidewalks and ADA ramps on Encantada Avenue.
• Item 13 – Flint Hills Enterprise Zone: Staff explained the state-level program, which provides a sales tax refund for capital investment. No opposition.
• Item 14 – Zoning Case ZN8634 (Saratoga 400 Partners): Rezoning of 32.8 acres from RS-4.5 to RS-4.5/PUD to allow 256 dwelling units with reduced lot sizes (4,000 sq ft min.). Staff and Planning Commission recommended approval. Approved unanimously.
• Item 15 – City Logo Update: Communications staff presented a minor update to the city logo, primarily replacing the old harbor bridge with the new one and cleaning up graphic design issues. No cost to the city; soft launch with natural replacement of materials. Briefing only, no action.
• Item 16 – Update on Water Supply Projects and Mary Rhodes Pipeline Performance: This was the major briefing of the day. City staff and consultants (HDR) presented detailed information on:
  • Nueces Groundwater Program: Phase 1 (short-term) pumping groundwater into the Nueces River (current 5-7 MGD, eventually 13 MGD from eastern well field). Phase 2 (long-term) could be a brackish RO plant. Western well field being tested with potential for 17 MGD long-term. This is the lowest cost option and is grant-funded up to $30M.
  • Mary Rhodes Pipeline (MRP): 101-mile pipeline from Lake Texana to O.N. Stevens WTP. Capable of 100 MGD design but pumping infrastructure limited to 70-72 MGD at Schedule 4 (current operating level). Historically operated at lower schedules (2B, 3) due to incomplete pump station buildout and condition assessment needs. A $19 million investment (approved by council) has allowed operation at Schedule 4 for the first time since 2021, increasing water delivery from the Colorado River. Pipeline overall in good condition (rated 6-7 out of 10), but has pressure exceedance areas due to debris/obstructions. Parallel pipeline or bypass options have been costed ($120M for 12 miles of bypass, $180M for full parallel from Evangeline). Spare pumping equipment is being procured. Staff emphasized that the city is not running out of water, but face a potential inability to meet full demand by December 2026 under worst-case drought conditions if additional supplies are not secured. The dashboard showed Stage 1 water emergency projected for December 2026.
  • Other projects: Evangeline term sheet sent, meeting scheduled; South Texas Water Authority updates; CC Polymers desalination project; reclaim water project briefing set for September 2.
• Council Q&A: Extensive questions from council members addressed the history of MRP underutilization, the timeline of condition assessment and upgrades (beginning 6 years ago under current city manager), the role of former councilman Greg Smith in highlighting the issue, and the cost and feasibility of a parallel pipeline. Clarifications were made that 12 MGD additional could be added to MRP under Schedule 4 with minimal risk, but 24 MGD would require additional engineering and pump station upgrades. The city manager stated that the city had to rebuild the water department and upgrade the treatment plant before tackling the pipeline.

Key Outcomes

• Item 7 (Budget Policy): Postponed to next week (August 26, 2025) for additional information.
• Item 8 (TIRZ London): Approved as amended (reimbursement up to $50,000/year based on actual time).
• Item 10 (Encantada Project): Approved.
• Item 13 (Flint Hills Enterprise Zone): Approved.
• Item 14 (Zoning): Approved.
• Item 3 (Police Computers): Approved.
• Consent Agenda (excluding pulled items): Approved.
• General direction: The council received extensive information on water projects; no formal action taken on Item 16. The meeting served as a comprehensive briefing ahead of upcoming votes on desalination (Inner Harbor) scheduled for the next meeting (August 26). The city manager committed to providing a memo addressing the comparative analysis of fund balance policies and other requested data.