Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
County officials say they are working with city leaders to continue discussions on the city’s proposed second international bridge.
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. gave an update on talks about the bridge during the regular term meeting of Val Verde County Commissioners Court on Tuesday.
Owens told the court and audience members that he is working toward another public joint city-county meeting about the bridge.
“We had a meeting with the city last week to talk about this. . . We are trying to set up a meeting, a joint Del Rio City Council and county commissioners court meeting. That way everybody can listen and hear whatever they have to say and we can move forward, so that’s where we’re at on that,” Owens said at the outset of Tuesday’s discussion.
“We did have a discussion about, they don’t want to move the location of the bridge. They want the bridge on the north side of town. We had that discussion with them. But, at the end of the day, so we thought it was important that we’re going to have another meeting with Commissioner (Pct. 3 Beau) Nettleton and the city, so they can listen to Commissioner Nettleton’s concerns and go over his concerns and try to answer them before we get into a full-blown meeting (of both governmental bodies),” the county judge added.
“We’ve already had one meeting with Commissioner (Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus”) Flores, and he gave (city officials) his concerns. So, that way, maybe they can have some answers before we actually have a joint meeting, and try to move forward,” Owens said.
Owens pledged to publicize the joint meeting as soon as it is scheduled so concerned residents could attend.
Owens then recognized one of those residents, Jordan Ediger, who has helped spearhead opposition to siting the proposed second international bridge northwest of Del Rio. Ediger and several other residents who don’t want the second bridge placed in that area have become fixtures at county commissioners court meetings.
“It’s been since November (2022) that we’ve been having meetings, and we’ve been talking to you, and we’ve also been talking to the city, and at this point, since last November, almost a year now, the county, fortunately, has actually talked about it and taken action to support the constituents,” Ediger told the court.
“The city, on the other hand, during one of their meetings, they delayed the agenda item and moved it to the very end of their meeting so that at 10:40 (p.m.), when everyone had left, they could take a vote without having anybody in the audience, and that’s how they’re operating at this point. It was disappointing,” he added.
“I just want to reiterate that something needs to happen. The action needs to happen,” Ediger said.
“I can tell you that I think the city and the county are on the same page as well as you all, that something needs to happen, a decision needs to be made. That way everybody can move forward and take their course of action after that,” Owens said.
Owens added the court is still working with the county attorney’s office to engage outside counsel to assist the county with possible legal action on the issue.
“I visited with (City Manager) John Sheedy, and I just wanted to have some conversations with him, with the commissioners whose precincts it will affect. That way they could listen to them and then have a joint city council-county commissioners court meeting. That way we can just put this thing to bed, one way or another. It just needs to happen. People’s lives need to be able to go on,” Owens said.
Ediger reminded the court he and others in opposition to the placement of the proposed second bridge northwest of Del Rio have so far collected 1,100 signatures on a petition opposing the placement there.
“We get it. Thank you, sir,” Owens said.
The court took no action following the discussion.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
