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Record of Proceedings

Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - February 10, 2026: Water Crisis Drives Major Groundwater Vote

City Council — Tuesday, February 10, 2026
BodyCorpus Christi, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:34:44

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

7:25

Good morning.

7:26

I'd like to call this meeting to order.

7:28

Welcome to City Hall and to our council chambers.

7:30

Uh, this morning, our invocation will be led by Pastor David Bendet with Rock City Church.

7:35

Pastor.

Speaker 2

7:36

Morning, Council.

7:37

Thank you so much for all that you're doing for our city.

7:40

And uh thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be here to pray.

7:44

Lord, thank you so much for Corpus Christi, Texas.

7:47

Thank you for what you're doing here.

7:49

Thank you for what you're doing in our lives and the lives of each of these council members.

Unassigned speaker

7:53

And

Speaker 2

7:54

Lord, I just declare Psalm 127, verse one over all of us that unless you build our homes and our houses, the work of the builders is wasted.

8:03

And unless you protect our city, guarding it with centuries will not do any good.

8:09

And so, Lord, we invite you to be the guard of our city, the guard of our hearts, the guard of our homes.

8:15

And anything that we've said or done that's not right in your eyes, I ask that you'd have mercy, forgiveness, and that Lord, you would cleanse us and watch over us and care for us and protect us, our families, our children, the businesses, our finances, and every decision that we make.

8:33

Thank you, Lord, for this city, this county, our great state and our nation, and I thank you that you've entrusted each one of us with great positions of leadership and authority.

8:45

And I pray that we would lead according to your design.

Speaker 1

9:22

And the Texas state flag will be led by Sana Binding Navile.

9:26

She is a senior at WB Ray uh High School.

9:31

She's an international backlurat diploma candidate, and has been accepted to UT Austin in the plan two honors program, which is very prestigious.

Speaker 3

10:01

And not for the Texas Pledge.

10:04

Honor the Texas flag.

10:06

I pledge allegiance to the Texas one state under God.

10:11

One and indivisible.

Unassigned speaker

10:13

Thank

Speaker 1

10:13

you, Sada, and good luck in your studies.

10:18

Stephanie, would you please

Speaker 4

10:20

call the role?

10:21

Mayor Pollett Pojardo.

10:23

Present.

10:23

Council members Roland Barrera.

Speaker 5

10:25

Here.

Speaker 4

10:26

Sylvia Campos.

Speaker 5

10:27

Here.

Speaker 4

10:28

Eric Conto?

Speaker 5

10:29

Here.

Speaker 4

10:29

Gil Hernandez?

Unassigned speaker

10:30

Here.

Speaker 4

10:31

Kaelin Paxson.

10:33

Here.

10:33

Everett Roy.

Speaker 6

10:34

Here.

Speaker 4

10:35

Mark Scott.

10:36

Here.

10:36

Carolyn Vaughn.

Unassigned speaker

10:37

Here.

Speaker 4

10:38

City Manager Peter Zanoni.

Speaker 6

10:39

Present.

Speaker 4

10:40

City Attorney Miles Resley.

Speaker 6

10:42

Here.

Speaker 4

10:42

Mayor and Council, the Corner of the Council, and the required charter officers are present to conduct the meeting.

Speaker 1

10:47

Thank you.

10:48

Excuse me.

10:49

Thank you, Stephanie.

Unassigned speaker

10:50

And

Speaker 1

10:50

we'll go to Section E, and that is our city manager's comment and update on city operations.

10:55

We have one item there, Mr.

10:56

Zanoni.

Speaker 6

10:57

Great.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████████████████████████53%
Public Engagement██████████12%
Procedural████5%
Board And Committee Appointments████5%
Infrastructure Projects███4%
Pending Litigation███4%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Public Information Management██2%
Procurement Policy██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - February 10, 2026: Water Crisis Drives Major Groundwater Vote

The City Council convened on February 10, 2026, for a lengthy session dominated by the ongoing extreme drought and the urgent search for water supply. The council approved a controversial $28 million groundwater rights purchase in Nueces County, received updates on the Evangeline wellfield, and recognized the city's award-winning street paving program. Board appointments were confirmed, and several infrastructure change orders were approved.

Consent Calendar

  • The council approved the consent agenda with the exception of items 6, 8, 9, and 10 which were pulled for separate discussion. Items 17 and 18 (regarding tax credits) were withdrawn by staff to be presented the following week. Approved items included routine board appointments and administrative resolutions.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Kyle Hosek (District 5) testified on the non-enforcement of child custody interference laws by CCPD, criticizing the Chief of Police and expressing frustration with the council's lack of oversight.
  • Christina English stated the Farfield Model Committee was closed to the public despite City Manager Peter Zanoni's promise of transparency. Mr. Zanoni apologized and committed to opening future meetings.
  • Susie Luna Saldania spoke in favor of her appointment to the RTA board, advocating for rider voices in transit decisions.
  • Adam Rios celebrated community successes in building skateparks and announced a pivot toward advocating for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) awareness.
  • Gary Tucker, Alma Studer, Scott Barraza, and Chris Quare (Nueces County residents) unanimously opposed the groundwater rights purchase (Item 25). They cited a lack of a hydrology report, potential destruction of their water wells, negative impacts on ranching and farming, and broken promises from city leadership.
  • Dr. Isabella Dysot (For the Greater Good) introduced the "Fair Water Amendment" petition, aiming to end drought exemption fees for industrial high-volume water users and collect a substantial drought surcharge.
  • Brooke Kaufman (Visit Corpus Christi) thanked the council for supporting the Hilliard Center Project Finance Zone.
  • Robin Cox alleged fraud related to a hotel development project in the city.
  • Sandra Love Sanchez (Indigenous Peoples of the Coastal Bend) spoke against advancing desalination contracts without first implementing demand-reduction ordinances, warning the city was opening itself to liability.

Discussion Items

  • Rapid Paving Program Accolades: City Manager Peter Zanoni and Public Works Director Ernie highlighted the city's Rapid Pavement Program (RPP) being featured at the 2026 Texas APA MAPS Conference. Council members praised the program's shift from a reactive approach to a proactive data-driven strategy, although Councilman Hernandez reminded staff not to forget alleyways and industrial parks.
  • Groundwater Rights Purchase (Item 25 - ERF Real Estate, $28M):
    • Staff Presentation: Nick Winkleman (Interim COO, CCW) detailed the technical aspects of the purchase of groundwater rights under 2,500 acres in Nueces County. Plans include 12+ deep wells (800-840ft) targeting the lower Evangeline aquifer, distinct from shallow residential wells. Staff argued the project is vital to bridge the water supply gap and avoid curtailment. The cost impact was estimated at $3.64 per 1,000 gallons on a standalone basis, or a $0.52 blended rate impact.
    • Supporting Arguments: Council members Scott, Campos, Palacios, and Paxson supported the move. City Manager Zanoni stressed that without this 15 MGD project, the city would face a significant shortfall (36 MGD vs 40 MGD needed) and sooner curtailment.
    • Opposing Arguments: Councilwoman Vaughn strongly opposed the item, insisting the city violated a promise made to residents that no new wells would be drilled and lacked sufficient data. Councilman Cantu abstained, citing a need for more information.
    • Good Neighbor Policy: In response to concerns, staff committed to formalizing a written, council-approved Good Neighbor Policy to address impacts on residential and agricultural wells.
    • Vote: The motion carried 7-1-1 (Vaughn opposed, Cantu abstained).
  • Evangeline Wellfield Project Briefing (Item 27):
    • Staff provided an update on the 24 MGD San Patricio County project. A critical preliminary permit hearing is set for March 2, 2026, to determine if protestants (City of Sinton, St. Paul Water Supply Corp, etc.) have legal standing.
    • If standing is granted, a contested case hearing could cause up to a two-year delay. The current timeline aims to deliver the first 4 MGD by November 2026, ramping up to 12 MGD by May 2027.
  • Water Supply Update:
    • Combined reservoir capacity (Choke Canyon/Lake Corpus Christi) sits at a critically low 9.4%.
    • Lake Texana is at 61%, with projected curtailment on April 8, 2026.
    • The Level 1 Water Emergency projection is currently November 2026, but staff warned inflows are tracking lower than the model expects, which could move the date closer.
    • The Western Well Field (17 MGD) is on track for May 2026.
  • Infrastructure Change Orders:
    • OSO Water Reclamation Plant ($3M): Councilman Hernandez questioned the need to replace a corroded roof on a 13-year-old building, calling for stronger preventative maintenance. Approved.
    • Yorktown Blvd ($900k): The change order was required due to coordination with TxDOT's future bridge replacement and a master-planned intersection. Approved.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: The $28 million ERF Groundwater Rights Purchase Agreement (7-1-1). Staff will draft a formal Good Neighbor Program for council adoption.
  • Approved: Appointments to the RTA Board (Susie Luna Saldania) and several other boards.
  • Approved: Padre Mustang Island Mobility Plan.
  • City Manager Pledge: City Manager Zanoni apologized for the closed Farfield Model Committee meeting and committed to keeping the sessions open to the public going forward.
  • Next Steps: Staff will develop a simplified public "water dashboard" showing total supply goals and project progress. The Evangeline preliminary hearing on March 2, 2026 is the next critical milestone for the city's water security.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Welcome to City Hall and to our council chambers. Uh, this morning, our invocation will be led by Pastor David Bendet with Rock City Church. Pastor. Morning, Council. Thank you so much for all that you're doing for our city. And uh thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be here to pray. Lord, thank you so much for Corpus Christi, Texas. Thank you for what you're doing here. Thank you for what you're doing in our lives and the lives of each of these council members. And Lord, I just declare Psalm 127, verse one over all of us that unless you build our homes and our houses, the work of the builders is wasted. And unless you protect our city, guarding it with centuries will not do any good. And so, Lord, we invite you to be the guard of our city, the guard of our hearts, the guard of our homes. And anything that we've said or done that's not right in your eyes, I ask that you'd have mercy, forgiveness, and that Lord, you would cleanse us and watch over us and care for us and protect us, our families, our children, the businesses, our finances, and every decision that we make. Thank you, Lord, for this city, this county, our great state and our nation, and I thank you that you've entrusted each one of us with great positions of leadership and authority. And I pray that we would lead according to your design. And the Texas state flag will be led by Sana Binding Navile. She is a senior at WB Ray uh High School. She's an international backlurat diploma candidate, and has been accepted to UT Austin in the plan two honors program, which is very prestigious. And not for the Texas Pledge. Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to the Texas one state under God. One and indivisible. Thank you, Sada, and good luck in your studies. Stephanie, would you please call the role? Mayor Pollett Pojardo. Present. Council members Roland Barrera. Here. Sylvia Campos. Here. Eric Conto? Here. Gil Hernandez? Here. Kaelin Paxson. Here. Everett Roy. Here. Mark Scott. Here. Carolyn Vaughn. Here. City Manager Peter Zanoni. Present. City Attorney Miles Resley.

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