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Record of Proceedings

Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - April 14, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, April 14, 2026
BodyCorpus Christi, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, April 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 6:19:01

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

8:08

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to City Hall, and welcome to Council Chambers.

8:13

I'd like to call this meeting to order.

8:15

This morning, our invocation will be given by Deacon Richard Longordia with Saint Helena of the True Cross of Jesus.

Unassigned speaker

10:00

Thank you so much, Deacon.

Speaker 1

10:01

And this morning, our pledge of allegiance will be to the flag of the United States and to the Texas State Flag will be led by Mallory Raina.

10:08

She is uh a senior at Harold T Branch Academy, top 10 in her class, and she is in the uh paramedics program.

Speaker 2

10:19

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

10:33

The Texas Pudge.

10:35

Under the Texas Flag.

Unassigned speaker

10:37

I pledge allegiance to the Texas one state under God in the city.

Speaker 3

10:42

One and individual.

Speaker 1

10:43

Mallory, thank you.

10:44

And good luck in your studies.

Unassigned speaker

10:47

Ms.

Speaker 1

10:47

Martha, would you please call the role?

Speaker 4

10:49

Mayor Palette Wahardo.

10:51

President.

10:51

Council members Roland Baretta.

Speaker 5

10:53

Here.

Speaker 4

10:53

Sylvia Campos.

10:55

Eric Anthou will be late.

10:57

Kayler Nandez.

10:59

Kaelin Paxson.

11:01

Everett Roy.

11:02

Here.

11:02

Mark Scott.

11:03

Carolyn Vaughn.

11:04

Here.

11:05

City Manager Peter Zanoni.

Speaker 6

11:07

Present.

Speaker 4

11:07

City Attorney Mouse Resley.

11:09

Here.

11:09

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

Unassigned speaker

11:14

Thank

Speaker 1

11:14

you, Ms.

11:15

Wetner.

11:16

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

11:20

We have one item, Mr.

11:21

Zanoni.

Speaker 6

11:21

Yes, we do.

11:22

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

11:25

We have one item for the city manager's report.

11:28

And that will be an overview of the 88th annual uh Buck Days Festival, which will be celebrated this year from April 30th through May 10th.

11:37

And so as we know, uh Buck Days has been around for a number of years.

11:41

This Buck Days will be 88 years uh since it was first started in 1938.

11:47

And it's one of Corpus's largest community events, and it draws tens of thousands of visitors uh from the entire coastal bed region.

11:55

So it's held at the Bayfront, and this the event um has something for everyone, as Johnny Filipella will tell us here in a moment.

12:01

There's rodeos, concerts, a carnival and parades, and much more.

12:06

An important note is that since 1996, the Buck Commission has awarded 2.6 million in scholarships for local students, and those monies come through the Buck Days uh celebrations.

12:18

So this morning we have Johnny Filipello, he's the president and CEO of the Buccaneer Commission.

12:23

And Johnny, thank you for being here.

12:24

He's gonna give us some background on some of the prior Buck Days uh that we've had here, and then talk more importantly about this year's Buck Days event.

12:32

So I'll turn it over to you, Johnny.

12:33

Thank you.

Speaker 7

12:34

Thank you, Peter, and and Mayor Council.

12:38

We're excited about the upcoming uh Buccaneer Days Festival.

12:42

Uh before I get into this year's events, I do want to do a just brief recap of our successes from last year.

12:49

Um we we typically do this once a year.

12:51

Um 112,000 unique visitors participated in Buck Days last year.

12:57

Of those 112,000, almost 20,000 were from out of our market, so out of out of the Corpus Christi region.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management████████████████████████████28%
Public Engagement██████████████████████22%
Pending Litigation████████████████16%
Procedural█████████9%
Fiscal Sustainability█████5%
Tourism Public Improvement District████4%
Public Safety████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - April 14, 2026

The Corpus Christi City Council met on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 11:30 AM in Council Chambers. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including a Buc Days festival overview, public comments on water issues and the mayor's removal, appointments to boards and committees, consent agenda items, discussions on the city's credit rating, allegations regarding the Nueces River Authority and hotel incentive applications, and procedural matters for the mayor's removal hearing. Public comments drew 47 registered speakers, with many addressing water supply concerns and the proposed removal of the mayor.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the March 24, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes and March 31, 2026 Workshop Minutes.
  • Approved the third amendment to the Lease Agreement with Foresight Corpus Christi Golf, LLC (Item 4) after being pulled for separate consideration.
  • Approved the amended Treated Water Supply contract with Nueces County Water Control and Improvement District No. 3 (Item 7) after discussion and public comment.
  • Approved the ordinance updating the City’s Drought Contingency Plan (Item 12) with an amendment to retain language on domestic water use priority, as requested by Councilmember Paxton.
  • Approved other consent items (Items 5-6, 8-11, 13-14) en bloc.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Numerous residents expressed strong concerns about the city's water crisis, with many citing reservoir levels at 14% overall and calling for immediate action on desalination and conservation. Speakers criticized the imbalance between residential conservation and industrial water use, noting that large-volume users increased usage while residents cut back.
  • Several speakers addressed the mayor's removal petition. Supporters argued for transparency and accountability, citing the petition's 2,355 signatures. Opponents called the process a political witch hunt and urged letting voters decide in the November election.
  • Comments on hotel incentive allegations: Susie Luna Saldaña claimed discrepancies in reported project valuations for the Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott, alleging underpayment of fees and questionable incentive applications. Others defended the projects, stating that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) valuations differ from city permit valuations and that incentive payments were performance-based.
  • A resident raised concerns about the well mitigation program for rural well owners near city groundwater wells, demanding a written plan.
  • Several speakers addressed the Nueces River Authority allegations, with one noting that the authority's contract with the city requires the authority to support city projects and not oppose river-related actions.

Discussion Items

  • Buc Days Festival Overview (Item 1): Johnny Philipello, President/CEO of Buc Days Commission, presented the 88th annual festival (April 30 - May 10). He reported 112,000 unique visitors in 2025, with 20,000 from outside the market generating $10 million in economic impact. The festival supports local scholarships and features rodeos, concerts, parades, and a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity ("Buc Days Build").
  • Credit Rating Outlook (Item 17): City Manager Peter Zanoni and financial advisor Victor Kidoga reported that Fitch reaffirmed the city's A rating but revised its outlook from stable to negative due to water supply concerns. Moody's and S&P are also reviewing. Council discussed the need to secure additional water supplies to improve the outlook. Councilmember Hernandez emphasized that short-term projects (groundwater, wastewater reuse) coming online within 12-18 months should help.
  • Nueces River Authority Allegations (Item 18): The city manager stated that a former employee’s allegations regarding inaccurate reporting and governance do not affect the city’s $2.7 million reservation fee for Harbor Island desalination. The authority has hired an independent firm to investigate. Council directed staff to request an update from the authority.
  • Hotel Incentive Allegations (Items 19 & 20): Staff presented facts on permit valuations and TIRZ/Type B incentive applications for the Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott. Differences in reported project valuations (e.g., $5.56 million on permit vs. $12 million to the state vs. $34 million investment estimate for incentive) were noted. Staff explained that internal controls were strengthened in 2020 to ensure consistency. Council directed staff to investigate further; some members suggested referring to the auditor.
  • Removal Hearing Procedural Matters (Item 21): The council adopted rules of procedure and set a pretrial hearing for May 19, 2026. An amendment required all motions, witness lists, and filings to be submitted five days prior to the pretrial. The council also accepted the petitioners' articles of impeachment. Councilmember Paxton clarified that today's action was only to schedule a hearing, not to remove the mayor.
  • Water Supply Update (Item 22): Wes Neeley (Wesley Nebian) from Corpus Christi Water reported reservoir levels (Lake Corpus Christi/Choke Canyon at 7.8% combined, Lake Texana at 55%). Groundwater projects: Evangeline hearing set for April 28; Western Well Field producing 14 MGD out of a planned 36 MGD; Aquilia contract issued. Wastewater reuse: Valero pipeline expected by end of 2026; Flint Hills expected to start taking water in August 2026; Oso to Greenwood pipeline project to go to council in May 2026 for CMAR contract.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved as amended, with three items considered individually (Items 4, 7, 12). All passed.
  • Board and Committee Appointments: Approved appointments for Airport Board, Board of Adjustment (including appointment of Alan Potter as regular member), Coastal Bend Council of Governments, Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation, Crime Control & Prevention District, Reinvestment Zone No. 7 (London) Board, and Senior Corps Advisory Committee. One vacancy on Airport Board filled by Michael Sanders after a nomination vote.
  • Calendar Revision (Item 16): Resolution approved (vote: 6-2? Actually voice vote, motion carried) to swap the April 21 workshop and April 28 regular meeting dates.
  • Credit Rating Discussion: No action taken; council received information. Staff will continue to communicate with rating agencies and council on water projects.
  • Nueces River Authority: Council directed the city manager to request an update from the authority on the investigation and project status.
  • Hotel Incentive Allegations: Council directed staff to investigate discrepancies and report back; some members suggested referring to the auditor.
  • Removal Hearing (Item 21): Resolution adopted as amended, setting pretrial hearing for May 19, 2026, with a five-day filing deadline for motions and witness lists. Articles of impeachment accepted.
  • Water Supply Update: Briefing only; no action taken. Council received updates on groundwater, reuse, and surface water projects.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to City Hall, and welcome to Council Chambers. I'd like to call this meeting to order. This morning, our invocation will be given by Deacon Richard Longordia with Saint Helena of the True Cross of Jesus. Thank you so much, Deacon. And this morning, our pledge of allegiance will be to the flag of the United States and to the Texas State Flag will be led by Mallory Raina. She is uh a senior at Harold T Branch Academy, top 10 in her class, and she is in the uh paramedics program. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. The Texas Pudge. Under the Texas Flag. I pledge allegiance to the Texas one state under God in the city. One and individual. Mallory, thank you. And good luck in your studies. Ms. Martha, would you please call the role? Mayor Palette Wahardo. President. Council members Roland Baretta. Here. Sylvia Campos. Eric Anthou will be late. Kayler Nandez. Kaelin Paxson. Everett Roy. Here. Mark Scott. Carolyn Vaughn. Here. City Manager Peter Zanoni. Present. City Attorney Mouse Resley. Here. Mayor and Council, a quorum of the council, and the required charter officers are present to conduct the meeting. Thank you, Ms. Wetner. Section E is our city manager's comments and update on city operations. We have one item, Mr. Zanoni. Yes, we do. Good morning, Mayor and Mayor and members of the council and the community. We have one item for the city manager's report. And that will be an overview of the 88th annual uh Buck Days Festival, which will be celebrated this year from April 30th through May 10th. And so as we know, uh Buck Days has been around for a number of years. This Buck Days will be 88 years uh since it was first started in 1938. And it's one of Corpus's largest community events, and it draws tens of thousands of visitors uh from the entire coastal bed region. So it's held at the Bayfront, and this the event um has something for everyone, as Johnny Filipella will tell us here in a moment. There's rodeos, concerts, a carnival and parades, and much more. An important note is that since 1996, the Buck Commission has awarded 2.6 million in scholarships for local students, and those monies come through the Buck Days uh celebrations. So this morning we have Johnny Filipello, he's the president and CEO of the Buccaneer Commission.

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