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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Rockport City Council Regular Meeting - November 12, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, November 12, 2025

BodyRockport, Texas

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, November 12, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

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Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Executive dashboard to develop real-time what-of scenarios.

0:04

Surely someone on city staff is capable of using a spreadsheet to assess the impacts of higher water costs spread across the lower body of being used due to water restrictions.

Unassigned speaker

0:13

There

Speaker 1

0:13

is no reason to pay a high cost consultant to do the work the city should be able to do in-house.

0:18

What council needs to be looking at instead are ways or the ways the city is make milking the utilities like a cash cow, such as the almost five-fold increase in administrative transfers over the last two years.

0:29

You also need to ask why none of the 67.9 million in projects that were built into the new utility rates haven't been funded.

Speaker 2

0:39

I have one filled-out form uh Jeff Hutt, if you'll come to the podium and give us your name, and you got three minutes, sir.

Speaker 3

0:50

Jeff Hutt, um, I'm here to speak about the newspaper.

0:53

As you know, I've never been a big fan of the pilot, and I really so I'm not here as in terms

Unassigned speaker

0:59

Speaker 3

1:00

like for the pilot, but small town papers are really important to the communities.

1:05

I come from a newspaper family.

1:07

They have local news, they have local connections, they're like, they go back, you know, 150 years with our community.

1:14

And I understand maybe that you don't like what the newspaper is putting out, and I know that you have an excuse why you can maybe change newspapers, but this newspaper, a lot of the notices that you have, it really drives their income base and it keeps somebody here.

1:30

And it's really hard for local communities to lose a local newspaper and then to have another newspaper come in later and fill that place.

1:41

And the Corpus Christi Collar Times is a decent paper.

1:45

I don't take the Corpus Christi Collar Times.

1:48

Nobody I know who takes the Corpus Christie Collar Times.

1:51

I understand that new legislation and the fact that they went back to one day a week has really changed and made it kind of difficult on your staff.

2:01

All of the other entities have the same requirements, and they're still using the pilot.

2:07

So we can have disagreements with people, but we can't burn down the castle when we do because then we just ruin something for everybody who else who came out after us.

2:20

If you don't like the press coverage, suffer through it.

2:24

Like it's the press.

2:25

There's a there's a freedom of the press to like write and say what they they want to.

2:30

I don't always agree with what the pilot says.

2:32

I do like it a little bit more.

2:33

I think it's more down the middle than it was before, but that's just my opinion.

2:38

But I think it's really important for our community that we keep the pilot.

2:42

And one of the ways that we keep the pilot is that we help fund

Unassigned speaker

2:45

Speaker 3

2:45

through through our own tax dollars.

2:48

And why are we going to send tax dollars to pay for somebody in um Corpus Christi when those tax dollars goes to support a family in Rockport?

3:00

I think it's a much better idea.

3:01

But I have to go, I my wife has work for me.

3:04

So thank you.

3:04

Thank you, Mr.

3:05

Hutt.

Speaker 2

3:07

Next item on the agenda is ceremonial matters proclamation and employee recognition.

3:12

We have tenure presentation by the city manager.

Speaker 4

3:18

Great.

3:19

We have tenure Tuesday again.

3:21

We have two people this week.

3:23

I think that Mike is not here.

3:26

Mike Levine Jr.

3:27

has been with the fleet department for five years, so I'm gonna hand this to Brian to get to him.

3:35

Thank you.

3:35

And then Christy Stevens.

3:37

She's been with us for ten years.

3:44

Let's do this.

3:47

And she was you've been with the court most of the time.

3:50

Right.

3:50

And she hopped over to PD for a little bit.

3:53

And now we're back with court, right?

3:55

Okay.

3:55

Okay.

4:01

Thank you for staying with us.

Speaker 2

4:03

Thank you.

4:06

Right.

Unassigned speaker

4:07

Speaker 2

4:07

guess we'll have a presentation for the City Rockport by Congressman Michael Cloud's office.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████████████████████████47%

Procedural█████████████14%

Public Engagement███████████11%

Fiscal Sustainability████████8%

Public Safety██████6%

Environmental Protection█████5%

Arts And Culture███3%

Engineering And Infrastructure██2%

Public Safety Communications██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Rockport City Council Regular Meeting - November 12, 2025

The Rockport City Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 5:00 PM. The meeting covered citizen comments, employee recognition, presentation of the annual financial report, an extensive water supply update from regional water officials, approval of a new official newspaper, authorization of a water rate study, an alleyway abandonment, and acceptance of a federal COPS grant for additional police officers. The council also held an executive session regarding personnel and other matters. All votes were unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony

An unidentified citizen expressed concerns about water rate planning, criticizing the need for an expensive outside consultant and questioning the city's management of utility funds, including a nearly five-fold increase in administrative transfers over two years.
Jeff Hutt spoke against designating the Corpus Christi Caller Times as the city's official newspaper, emphasizing the importance of the local Rockport Pilot and urging continued taxpayer support for it.

Ceremonial Matters & Proclamations

Two employees were recognized for tenure: Mike Levine Jr. (Fleet Department, 5 years) and Christy Stevens (Municipal Court, 10 years).
Carrie Moore, Field Representative for Congressman Michael Cloud, presented a special congressional recognition to the City of Rockport for being named the "Redfish Capital of Texas."

Presentations

2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report: Sarah from Armstrong, Vaughn & Associates presented the audit. The city received a clean unmodified opinion and no material weaknesses. Recommendations included updating PFIA training for investment officers and cleaning up aged accounts receivable. The general fund balance was $4.6 million (5.3 months coverage). The water/sewer fund added $771,000 to its net position. The council unanimously approved Resolution 2025-38R accepting the report.
Regional Water Status Update: Peter Zanoni (Corpus Christi City Manager), Nick Winkleman (COO of Corpus Christi Water), and Brian Williams (General Manager of San Patricio Municipal Water District) provided a detailed briefing on the ongoing drought. Key points included: combined western reservoir levels at approximately 10.9%, reliance on the Mary Rhodes pipeline providing 70% of supply, and short- and long-term projects (Nueces and Evangeline groundwater wells, water reuse, and desalination). The presenters emphasized that without additional supply, the region could face a curtailment scenario by November 2026. Williams noted that Rockport has reduced water usage by 22.4% year-over-year. Councilmembers asked about desalination discharge impacts, ecological effects, and groundwater subsidence risks.

Consent Calendar

The council approved the consent agenda for items 5–9 and 11–19 (various Hotel Occupancy Tax financial reports, resolution approving selection of Consultant and Grant Administrator for CMP Grant, resolution authorizing flagpole right-of-way agreement, resolution ratifying HOT fund allocations, update on CIP Vehicle & Equipment Replacement, and approval of Insta-Valve equipment purchase) by a single motion, with the exception of item 10 (Rockport Little Theater HOT report), which was pulled for separate discussion.
Item 10: The council unanimously voted to postpone the Rockport Little Theater fourth quarter Hotel Occupancy Tax financial report to the next meeting for further reporting.

Discussion Items

Resolution 2025-42R – Designation of Official Newspaper: City staff explained the need to change the official newspaper from the Rockport Pilot to the Corpus Christi Caller Times due to difficulties meeting statutory posting deadlines with the Pilot's reduced print schedule. The council clarified that non-statutory notices could still use the Pilot. The resolution was approved unanimously.
Resolution 2025-43R – Water and Wastewater Rate Study: Staff reported a 7% water cost increase from San Patricio Municipal Water District effective January 1, 2026, compounding an earlier 8% increase and reduced water sales. The council considered options including implementing existing drought surcharges and restricting pool/building permits, but chose to authorize a follow-up rate study by Willdan at an estimated cost of $20,000–$24,000 to provide professional guidance. The motion passed unanimously.
Item 22 – Alleyway Abandonment: The council approved a request to transfer a 10-foot abandoned alleyway adjacent to lots in the Doughty and Manning Subdivision (Main Addition) to the adjacent landowner due to special circumstances (an existing well on the alleyway). Unanimous approval.
Item 24 – Acceptance of COPS Hiring Grant: Chief Nathan Anderson presented the Office of Community Policing Services federal grant that had been applied for and awarded. The grant covers up to four additional police officers over three years with a 49.99% city match (city share: approximately $140,000 in year one for four officers). The council unanimously adopted Resolution 2025-R accepting the grant, with the understanding that future officer hiring decisions would come back to council for approval.

Key Outcomes

Resolution 2025-38R (Annual Financial Report acceptance): Unanimous approval.
Consent Agenda (except Item 10): Unanimous approval; Item 10 postponed to next meeting.
Resolution 2025-42R (designation of Corpus Christi Caller Times as official newspaper): Unanimous approval.
Resolution 2025-43R (authorizing contract with Willdan for water/wastewater rate study): Unanimous approval.
Alleyway abandonment (Item 22): Unanimous approval.
Resolution 2025-R (acceptance of COPS Hiring Grant): Unanimous approval.

Executive Session

The council recessed into executive session at 7:14 PM to discuss personnel, real property, security, and economic development matters as authorized under Texas Government Code. The council reconvened at 7:30 PM, and no formal action was taken following the session.

Meeting Transcript

Executive dashboard to develop real-time what-of scenarios. Surely someone on city staff is capable of using a spreadsheet to assess the impacts of higher water costs spread across the lower body of being used due to water restrictions. There is no reason to pay a high cost consultant to do the work the city should be able to do in-house. What council needs to be looking at instead are ways or the ways the city is make milking the utilities like a cash cow, such as the almost five-fold increase in administrative transfers over the last two years. You also need to ask why none of the 67.9 million in projects that were built into the new utility rates haven't been funded. I have one filled-out form uh Jeff Hutt, if you'll come to the podium and give us your name, and you got three minutes, sir. Jeff Hutt, um, I'm here to speak about the newspaper. As you know, I've never been a big fan of the pilot, and I really so I'm not here as in terms of like for the pilot, but small town papers are really important to the communities. I come from a newspaper family. They have local news, they have local connections, they're like, they go back, you know, 150 years with our community. And I understand maybe that you don't like what the newspaper is putting out, and I know that you have an excuse why you can maybe change newspapers, but this newspaper, a lot of the notices that you have, it really drives their income base and it keeps somebody here. And it's really hard for local communities to lose a local newspaper and then to have another newspaper come in later and fill that place. And the Corpus Christi Collar Times is a decent paper. I don't take the Corpus Christi Collar Times. Nobody I know who takes the Corpus Christie Collar Times. I understand that new legislation and the fact that they went back to one day a week has really changed and made it kind of difficult on your staff. All of the other entities have the same requirements, and they're still using the pilot. So we can have disagreements with people, but we can't burn down the castle when we do because then we just ruin something for everybody who else who came out after us. If you don't like the press coverage, suffer through it. Like it's the press. There's a there's a freedom of the press to like write and say what they they want to. I don't always agree with what the pilot says. I do like it a little bit more. I think it's more down the middle than it was before, but that's just my opinion. But I think it's really important for our community that we keep the pilot. And one of the ways that we keep the pilot is that we help fund it through through our own tax dollars. And why are we going to send tax dollars to pay for somebody in um Corpus Christi when those tax dollars goes to support a family in Rockport? I think it's a much better idea. But I have to go, I my wife has work for me. So thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hutt. Next item on the agenda is ceremonial matters proclamation and employee recognition. We have tenure presentation by the city manager. Great. We have tenure Tuesday again. We have two people this week. I think that Mike is not here. Mike Levine Jr. has been with the fleet department for five years, so I'm gonna hand this to Brian to get to him. Thank you. And then Christy Stevens. She's been with us for ten years. Let's do this. And she was you've been with the court most of the time.

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TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
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Rockport City Council Regular Meeting - November 12, 2025

Public Comments & Testimony

An unidentified citizen expressed concerns about water rate planning, criticizing the need for an expensive outside consultant and questioning the city's management of utility funds, including a nearly five-fold increase in administrative transfers over two years.

Jeff Hutt spoke against designating the Corpus Christi Caller Times as the city's official newspaper, emphasizing the importance of the local Rockport Pilot and urging continued taxpayer support for it.

Ceremonial Matters & Proclamations

Two employees were recognized for tenure: Mike Levine Jr. (Fleet Department, 5 years) and Christy Stevens (Municipal Court, 10 years).

Carrie Moore, Field Representative for Congressman Michael Cloud, presented a special congressional recognition to the City of Rockport for being named the "Redfish Capital of Texas."

Presentations

2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report: Sarah from Armstrong, Vaughn & Associates presented the audit. The city received a clean unmodified opinion and no material weaknesses. Recommendations included updating PFIA training for investment officers and cleaning up aged accounts receivable. The general fund balance was $4.6 million (5.3 months coverage). The water/sewer fund added $771,000 to its net position. The council unanimously approved Resolution 2025-38R accepting the report.

Regional Water Status Update: Peter Zanoni (Corpus Christi City Manager), Nick Winkleman (COO of Corpus Christi Water), and Brian Williams (General Manager of San Patricio Municipal Water District) provided a detailed briefing on the ongoing drought. Key points included: combined western reservoir levels at approximately 10.9%, reliance on the Mary Rhodes pipeline providing 70% of supply, and short- and long-term projects (Nueces and Evangeline groundwater wells, water reuse, and desalination). The presenters emphasized that without additional supply, the region could face a curtailment scenario by November 2026. Williams noted that Rockport has reduced water usage by 22.4% year-over-year. Councilmembers asked about desalination discharge impacts, ecological effects, and groundwater subsidence risks.

Consent Calendar

The council approved the consent agenda for items 5–9 and 11–19 (various Hotel Occupancy Tax financial reports, resolution approving selection of Consultant and Grant Administrator for CMP Grant, resolution authorizing flagpole right-of-way agreement, resolution ratifying HOT fund allocations, update on CIP Vehicle & Equipment Replacement, and approval of Insta-Valve equipment purchase) by a single motion, with the exception of item 10 (Rockport Little Theater HOT report), which was pulled for separate discussion.

Item 10: The council unanimously voted to postpone the Rockport Little Theater fourth quarter Hotel Occupancy Tax financial report to the next meeting for further reporting.

Discussion Items

Resolution 2025-42R – Designation of Official Newspaper: City staff explained the need to change the official newspaper from the Rockport Pilot to the Corpus Christi Caller Times due to difficulties meeting statutory posting deadlines with the Pilot's reduced print schedule. The council clarified that non-statutory notices could still use the Pilot. The resolution was approved unanimously.

Resolution 2025-43R – Water and Wastewater Rate Study: Staff reported a 7% water cost increase from San Patricio Municipal Water District effective January 1, 2026, compounding an earlier 8% increase and reduced water sales. The council considered options including implementing existing drought surcharges and restricting pool/building permits, but chose to authorize a follow-up rate study by Willdan at an estimated cost of $20,000–$24,000 to provide professional guidance. The motion passed unanimously.

Item 22 – Alleyway Abandonment: The council approved a request to transfer a 10-foot abandoned alleyway adjacent to lots in the Doughty and Manning Subdivision (Main Addition) to the adjacent landowner due to special circumstances (an existing well on the alleyway). Unanimous approval.

Item 24 – Acceptance of COPS Hiring Grant: Chief Nathan Anderson presented the Office of Community Policing Services federal grant that had been applied for and awarded. The grant covers up to four additional police officers over three years with a 49.99% city match (city share: approximately $140,000 in year one for four officers). The council unanimously adopted Resolution 2025-R accepting the grant, with the understanding that future officer hiring decisions would come back to council for approval.

Key Outcomes

Resolution 2025-38R (Annual Financial Report acceptance): Unanimous approval.

Consent Agenda (except Item 10): Unanimous approval; Item 10 postponed to next meeting.

Resolution 2025-42R (designation of Corpus Christi Caller Times as official newspaper): Unanimous approval.

Resolution 2025-43R (authorizing contract with Willdan for water/wastewater rate study): Unanimous approval.

Alleyway abandonment (Item 22): Unanimous approval.

Resolution 2025-R (acceptance of COPS Hiring Grant): Unanimous approval.

Executive Session

The council recessed into executive session at 7:14 PM to discuss personnel, real property, security, and economic development matters as authorized under Texas Government Code. The council reconvened at 7:30 PM, and no formal action was taken following the session.

Meeting Transcript