By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Six members of the city council were present. Councilman J.P. Sanchez was absent.
Here’s what happened at the meeting:
•
City to go back to former water and wastewater rates
• City Attorney Ana Markowski Smith said the city will go back to its former water and
wastewater rates, effectively immediately. Smith said procedure to enact the new water
and wastewater rates, which have drawn many complaints from customers, was “not
lawfully done” because there was no public hearing before the rates were approved.
Smith said the city charter requires the city council to hold a public hearing before
enacting new water and wastewater rates. Smith and other city officials told the council
the former rates will stay in effect at least until the end of the year, though it is likely a
new rate schedule will be passed to go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. City officials also told
council members a concerted effort will be made to inform the public about the new rates
and how they will affect customers.
•
Council listens to complaints about new water, wastewater rates
• About 25 citizens attended the meeting, and five of them spoke to city council members
during the “Citizen Comments” portion of the meeting. All of them addressed the council
about the new water and wastewater rates. Two of them spoke about what they believed
was the lack of information to the public about the new rates.
•
Council members honor veterans
• In the “Mayor/Council Public Announcements” portion of the council’s agenda, Mayor
Pro-tem Jim DeReus announced he will host a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at
the Del Rio Civic Center, 1915 Veterans Blvd. Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez urged
Del Rioans to attend Veterans Day ceremonies on Tuesday and asked them to thank the
veterans they encountered. Gutierrez then asked all the veterans present at the meeting to
step forward so she could present them with pins. Other council members also asked Del
Rioans to thank and honor veterans.
•
City manager announces cleanup event
• City Manager Shawna Burkhart announced the city will hold its “Fall Sweep/Keep
Texas Beautiful” event on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants are
asked to meet at the Dr. Alfredo Gutierrez Jr. Amphitheatre on the San Felipe Creek
behind the Joe Ramos Center, 1105 W. De La Rosa St. Burkhart said the event is aimed
at cleaning some of the city’s many parks and noted all supplies will be provided.
•
Council hears update on Ports-to-Plains initiatives
• City Economic Development Director Orestes Hubbard spoke to the council about
ongoing efforts regarding the planned Ports-to-Plains transportation corridor. Hubbard
said current efforts are focusing on infrastructure and workforce readiness. He said Del
Rio is one of several cities on the Texas-Mexico border in the Ports-to-Plains trade
corridor. Hubbard emphasized the route, which will eventually link Mexico, the central
United States and Canada, will be “very important” to Del Rio’s future economic growth.
City council members took no action following the presentation.
•
Council discusses appointment of new EDC board members
• City council members discussed, but took no action on, the appointment of new
members to the Del Rio Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board of Directors.
City Economic Development Director Orestes Hubbard told the council three board
members’ terms will expire at the end of the year. He said one of them, Richard Robles,
has indicated he is willing to be reappointed to another term. The remaining two, Ken
Smith, the board’s current president, and director Raul Barksdale, will leave the board.
The council discussed the requirements for serving on the EDC board.
•
Council approves agreement with county for women’s shelter
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager
Shawna Burkhart to execute an interlocal agreement between the city and Val Verde
County to fund the family violence protection program for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, which
began Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2026. Under the agreement, the city will pay $90,000
annually, at $7,500 a month, to help the county provide a shelter and other services to
local victims of family violence.
•
Council approves 1st reading of landfill operations, trash pickup contract
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve the first reading of an ordinance authorizing
City Manager Shawna Burkhart to execute a five-year contract with Platform Waste
Solutions Inc. for “residential waste, commercial waste, bulky waste, yard waste,
recycling collection and disposal services.” City Attorney Ana Markowski Smith
informed the council the ordinance will have to be read three times; Tuesday night’s
reading was the first.
•
Council approves ordinance authorizing acceptance of donations
• City council members voted 6-0 to approve an ordinance authorizing the acceptance of
monetary and in-kind donations for the mayor’s reception. Mayor Al Arreola asked why
this item was back on the council’s agenda, and City Attorney Ana Markowski Smith
said when the item was on the council’s agenda previously, it was not an action item.
When Arreola said he has received calls about vendors not being paid promptly for the
services or items they provided for the reception, City Community Services Director
Esme Meza said at least one vendor provided the city with “incomplete paperwork” for
payment. City Manager Shawna Burkhart said the money left over from the reception
would be used to provide catered Christmas meals for the fire department and the police
department and to throw a Dec. 11 Christmas meal for all city employees.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
