By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Six members of the Del Rio City Council were present for Tuesday’s regular meeting.
Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus was absent; he is still on vacation.
Here’s what happened at the meeting:
City council hears proposed parks policy
• City council members heard a presentation by Scot Carcasi, operation and compliance
manager, and Leonel Cavazos, assistant parks and recreation superintendent, on a
proposed new policy for use of the city’s parks and recreation facilities. Carcasi reviewed
highlights of the new policy and answered a variety of questions from council members.
The council took no action on the new policy following the presentation and discussion.
Council renews 9-1-1 interlocal agreement
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager
Shawna Burkhart to execute a memorandum of understanding between the city and the
Middle Rio Grande Development Council (MRGDC) to provide a 9-1-1 public answering
point for the city and county. The city has had this agreement with the MRGDC since the
early 1990s, and the agreement covers a two-year term. Under the agreement, the Del Rio
Police Department is the primary public answering point for 9-1-1 calls, with the Val
Verde County Sheriff’s Office serving as the secondary public answering point for
overflow calls or calls originating from areas farther from the city.
Council appoints George Salinas to board of adjustment
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution to appoint George Salinas to
the city’s board of adjustment. Salinas, a retired real estate agent, most recently served as
the Val Verde County Precinct 2 justice of the peace. The board of adjustment consists of
five members and “makes decisions on variances, special exceptions and administrative
reviews pertaining to the zoning ordinances.”
Council appoints Eduardo Venegas to building standards commission
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution appointing Eduardo Venegas
and two alternates to the city’s building standards commission. The resolution appointed
Venegas as the commission’s Place 5 member and Jimmy McDonald as the first alternate
and Felisa Martinez as the second alternate. The building standards commission currently
has four members and “is required by ordinance to provide notice and conduct hearings
to order the securing, repair, removal or demolition of any building that does not meet
certain safety standards and is dilapidated, substandard or unfit for human habitation and
a hazard to public safety, health and welfare.”
Council approves accepting grant for airport projects
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution accepting a grant award from
the Federal Aviation Administration in the amount of $5,050,353.38 for improvement projects at the Del Rio International Airport. The grant funds will go toward a project to
realign taxiways at the facility and to construct an additional helipad at the north end of
the airport. The city is required to contribute a 5 percent match, totaling $265,808.08.
Council approves award of contract for airport construction
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager
Shawna Burkhart to award a contract in the amount of $4,805,846.96 to AR6
Construction of New Braunfels, Texas, for “base bid schedules 1-3 and additive alternate
No. 2” for two projects at the Del Rio International Airport: the realignment of taxiways
and the construction of an additional helipad. The project calls for the removal of four
existing taxiways at the airport and the construction of three new taxiways, as well as the
construction of a new helipad on the north end of the facility.
Council approves change in ground lease for building housing FedEx
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution “consenting to a change-in-
control of lease” and authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to execute “a ground
lessor’s consent and estoppel certificate for the benefit of 900 Del Rio Val Verde LLC for
property located at the international airport.” The current ground lessor, Setzer Properties
DRTA LLC, leased 1.73 acres at the airport at 900 W. 15 th St., a building currently
housing FedEx. Setzer Properties has requested to transfer the lease to 900 Del Rio Val
Verde LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, “without altering the lease terms or
FedEx’s operations at the site.” The requested change requires city consent and an
estoppel certificate.
Council approves purchase of license plate readers
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager
Shawna Burkhart to approve the purchase of eight license plate readers in the amount of
$140,900 from Trinity Innovative Solutions LLC of Frisco, Texas, for the Del Rio Police
Department through the Fiscal Year 2025 Operation Lone Star grant program. City
Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca told council members the city received only one bid
after advertising a request for bids for the readers. He said staff reviewed Trinity
Innovative Solutions’ bid and recommended it be accepted.
Council approves resolution for PD, civic center HVAC
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager
Shawna Burkhart to approve a contract in the amount of $82,749 with Trane U.S. Inc. for
the HVAC controls system at the Del Rio Police Department and the civic center. City
Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca told council members both the police department
building and the civic center “have been experiencing several shutdowns and
malfunctions with the chilled water HVAC systems.” He said although work has been
done on both systems, additional work is needed to bring both systems “to appropriate
conditions.”
Council approves application for transportation grant
• City council members voted 6-0 to authorize City Manager Shawna Burkhart to submit
a grant application for federal funds to the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT). The amount of the grant being sought is $544,787, and all of the funds, if
received, will go toward operating, administering and maintaining the city’s transit
program. City staff noted that if the city does not receive the funds, they will have to find
other avenues to fund the program, which costs $1,341,366 a year to operate.
•
Council approves amended contract for interim finance director
• City council voted 5-0-1, with Councilman J.P. Sanchez abstaining, to approve a
resolution authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to execute an amended contract
with Strategic Government Resources Inc. for an additional $66,000 for professional
services, for a modified total contract price of $370,000. The contract with Strategic
Government Resources Inc. is for the services of the city’s interim finance director, Linda
Coones.
Council approves budget amendment reallocating some bridge tolls
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve an ordinance amending the city’s Fiscal
Year 2024-2025 budget to allow reallocation of a 25-cent increase in international bridge
tolls for automobiles and commercial vehicles, which had been used for the revenue
guarantee for American Airlines. The council has approved using those bridge toll
revenue for the airline revenue guarantee until January 2026. Once that amount has been
met, the bridge toll increases will go to the general fund to help pay for the airport
improvement projects the council discussed and approved earlier in the meeting. Once
the amount for the airport improvements has been met, the funds will go into a restricted
account for a potential new airline.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
