By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
All seven members of the Del Rio City Council members were present.
Here’s what happened at the meeting:
TBO member urges further consideration by council
Patricio Garza, a leader with The Border Organization, a grassroots activist group, spoke during the Citizen Comments portion of the meeting and asked council members and city staff to consider more carefully a slate of proposed water and wastewater rate increases.
Garza asked that city officials review an alternate proposal proffered by The Border Organization during a Dec. 1 town hall meeting on the proposed rate increases. Garza told the council, “Take a pause and view all the different alternatives available.”
Mayor, mayor pro-tem make announcements
Mayor Al Arreola commended Community Services Director Esme Meza and other members of the city staff “for the wonderful job they did on the Christmas Parade this past Friday.” Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus said he wanted to remind citizens that setting off fireworks inside the city limits is prohibited. “As we’re coming up on the holiday season, I just wanted to remind everyone about that,” DeReus said.
Council approves request for bids for police vehicles
City council members voted 7-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to advertise and give notice of a request for bids for the purchase of vehicles for the Del Rio Police Department approved through the Operation Lone Star (OLS) Grant Program. City Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca wrote a memo to council members, noting the city had accepted a funding award of $767,680.55 from the OLS Grant Program, $200,000 of which had been designated for the purchase of two vehicles to replace two of the police department’s high-mileage vehicles and two vehicles for investigative purposes.
Council approves waiving some fees for city-funded construction on city property
City council members voted 7-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to waive plan review fees for city-funded construction and remodeling projects on city property. City Planning and Zoning Director Janice Pokrant presented information about the resolution to the council. In her memo to the council about the resolution, Pokrant wrote, “Because these are internal municipal projects with no external cost recovery component, assessing plan review fees creates an unnecessary internal charge and administrative step.” Council members asked Pokrant several questions before approving the resolution.
Council ratifies advertisement for services related to waterworks projects
City council members voted 7-0 to approve the ratification of four resolutions authorizing
City Manager Shawna Burkhart to advertise and give notice on requests for proposals and statements of qualifications for a bond counsel, financial advisor, community engagement manager and professional engineering services for various Texas Water Development Board waterworks systems development projects. City Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca explained approving the ratification of the four separate resolutions allowed the city to satisfy the requirements of its purchasing policy.
Council approves request for financial assistance for updated flood risk maps
City council members voted 7-0 to approve a resolution authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to submit an application requesting financial assistance from the Texas Water Development Board under the state’s Flood Infrastructure Fund application for flood management mitigation projects and flood management strategies categories for updated flood risks maps recommended in an addendum to the city’s master watershed study. City Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca, in a memo to council, noted the city is seeking reimbursement from the Texas Water Development Board for the ongoing contract to update flood risk maps using the latest Atlas-14 precipitation data.
Council approves third reading of five-year contract for waste management
City council members voted 7-0 to approve the third and final reading of an ordinance authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to execute a five-year contract with Platform Waste Solutions Inc. for residential and commercial waste collection, bulky waste, yard waste, recycling collection and disposal services. City Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca told the council city staff is recommending extending Platform’s existing contract for nine months, with the new contract to go into effect on Oct. 1, 2026. Council members asked a number of questions about the cost of the contract and a potential for a rate increase to local customers at the start of the new contract.
Council approves acceptance of victims assistance grant
City council members voted 7-0 to approve an ordinance authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to accept the Fiscal Year 2026 General Victim Assistance Direct Services Grant from the Office of the Texas Governor, Public Safety Office, in the amount of $39,884.32 and providing for a required match of $9,971.08. The grant funding allows the Del Rio Police Department to pay for a full-time crime victims advocate position.
Council approves acceptance of violence against women justice and training grant
City council members voted 7-0 to approve an ordinance authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to accept a Fiscal Year 2026 Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program Grant from the Office of the Texas Governor, Public Safety Office, in the amount of $4,270 for child death homicide investigations and cold case training, with a required match of $1,830.
The Del Rio Police Department plans to use the grant funds to train police officers in child death homicide and cold case investigations, to purchase refrigeration containers for long-term evidence storage and to pay for memberships in the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault and the Texas Council on Family Violence.
Council approves temporary waiving of late fees on October, November water bills
City council members voted 7-0 to approve an ordinance authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to temporarily waive late payment fees for water services on residential utility bills for October and November and to resume assessment of late fees on charges accruing after Dec. 29, 2025. In a memo to council, Assistant Finance Director Roxy Soto wrote the waiving of late fees does not apply to any previous bills with balances.
She also wrote late fees will continue to be assessed on gas services and commercial trash services.
Council appoints two EDC members
City council members voted 6-1, with Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus giving the sole opposing vote, to approve the appointment of Richard Robles and Jacqueline Perez to the Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. Robles and Perez already sit on the board, and both had indicated their willingness to continue serving. Council members voted on the appointments following an executive session that lasted three-and-a-half hours. DeReus said he has no issue with Robles or Perez being reappointed, but added he voted against the appointments because he believed council should interview all of the candidates who have applied for seats on the board before making any appointments.
Council approves amendment in city manager’s contract
City council members voted 7-0 following a lengthy executive session to approve a resolution amending the employment agreement between the city and City Manager Shawna Burkhart to reflect Texas law. In a memo to the council, City Attorney Ana Markowski Smith wrote, “Under the Texas Local Government Code, severance pay for executive employees of political subdivisions – including municipalities such as the city of Del Rio – is subject to strict limitations. Specifically, severance may not exceed 20 weeks of compensation and is prohibited altogether in cases involving misconduct.” She added the city must amend its agreement with Burkhart to ensure full compliance with the Texas Local Government Code. Smith also wrote, “This does not affect any other term of the agreement, which (was) automatically renewed for one year when it expired on Sept. 8, 2025.”
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
