By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
All five members of commissioners court were present for the portion of the meeting held
Tuesday, Sept. 23. County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores was absent at the
portion of the meeting held Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Here’s what happened at the meeting:
Court regular term meetings will stay the same for now
• Regular term meetings of Val Verde County Commissioners Court will stay the same,
at least for now, as the court could not reach a consensus on setting a time for its
meetings over the coming year. The court considered the setting of its regular term
meetings during the portion of the September regular term meeting held today.
Commissioner Pct. 1 Kerr Wardlaw made a motion to keep the meetings at the same
time, 9 a.m. on alternating Wednesdays, but his motion failed for lack of a second.
Commissioner Pct. 3 Fernando Garcia then made a motion to hold meetings at 9 a.m. and
6 p.m. on alternating Wednesdays, with Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez giving
the second. The vote on that motion failed, however, with Garcia and Vazquez voting in
favor, and Wardlaw and County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. voting against it.
Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores was absent, so there was no fifth vote to
break the tie. County Attorney David Martinez said he will research whether or not the
court can reconsider the meeting time issue at a future meeting.
•
Texas Rep. Eddie Morales makes presentation to commissioners court
• Texas Rep. Eddie Morales (D-Eagle Pass) paid a visit to commissioners court during
Tuesday’s portion of the court’s September regular term meeting. Morales asked the
court to schedule a workshop to discuss projects of importance to the county, then to
inform him about those projects so he can work to obtain possible state funding for them.
Each of the four commissioners briefly discussed projects and issues they believe are
important, and County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. assured Morales the court will set a
workshop to develop a list of projects for which to seek state funding.
•
County judge gives update on ongoing county projects
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. gave an update on a variety of ongoing county
projects, including a new county fire station just north of the Del Rio city limits, an
events center at the county fairgrounds, a new county gun range, a pump station for the
Escondido Estates area, extension of water lines along Vega Verde Road, a water tank at
Comstock, a water booster pump on the San Felipe Pastures area, reconstruction of
Cienegas Road and the Bob Chavira Sports Park.
• Judge gives update for fire station property purchase
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. gave commissioners court an update on the county’s
efforts to purchase 2.8 acres from the city of Del Rio. The county plans to use the
property, located north of the city limits between U.S. Highways 90 and 277, for the
construction of a new fire station to serve burgeoning residential areas northwest of Del
Rio. Owens said the county has signed a contract with the city and noted the city has
voiced concerns about the county selling water from the property. Owens said the city
has been writing deed restrictions for the property and said he believes the county “can
live with” those restrictions and agree that the water on the property will be used only for
county use.
•
County to use pharma settlement for child safety seats
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. informed commissioners court members the county
is expected to receive $38,000 to $40,000 as its portion of a settlement of a class action
lawsuit against Purdue Pharma L.P. & Sackler Family. Owens suggested the court may
consider using the money to purchase additional child safety seats for an initiative aimed
at teaching new parents how to properly install and use child safety seats in vehicles.
Owens said the funding could be used to purchase child safety seats for each
commissioner to provide for constituents in each individual precinct.
•
Court discusses collections contract with city of Del Rio
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. informed the court that because the Del Rio City
Council has not yet approved its tax rate for the coming fiscal year, the county is unable
to send out tax statements to county property owners. Owens said he wanted the court to
consider meeting with the company that sends out the tax statements to see if next year,
two different statements could be mailed if the city again has issues passing its city
property tax rate.
•
Court approves invitation-only veterans’ event
• Commissioners court members voted 4-0 to allow the county’s veterans affairs office to host an invitation-only veterans’ event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, at the Judge Antonio “Tony” Faz County Annex, 315 E. Chapoy St. County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. stepped away from the meeting briefly and did not vote on this agenda item.
•
County to work with TxDOT on county road inventory
• County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said the inventory of county roads is done every year.
He noted one road was added to the inventory over the past year, and some roads that were on the inventory are not county roads. County Engineer Carlos Velarde told the court he will visit with every commissioner to make sure all the roads that are on the inventory belong there before the list is certified by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Commissioners court voted 5-0 to table action on the inventory until after Velarde meets with each of the commissioners.
•
Court approves applying for grant for LAFB
• Commissioners court members voted 5-0 to apply for a $5 million Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEEAG) for a flightline lighting project on Laughlin Air Force Base. County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said the county will apply for the grant in October and will receive notification of the award in January. He said the bids for construction of the project will likely not be awarded in September 2026.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
