By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
All seven members of the city council were present.
Here’s what happened at the meeting:
Council approves rezoning after hearing
• Council members voted 6-0-1, with Councilman J.P. Sanchez abstaining, to approve an
ordinance to rezone a property at 1401 Railway St., from Single-Family and
Occupational District (R-S-O) to local Commercial District (C-1) following a public
hearing. Realtor Maria Antonieta Sanchez, who requested the zoning change, said in her
application she intends to use the property “introduce a small-scale commercial use like a
boutique, office, salon, café or other low-impact business.” City Planner Eivon Garcia
said the property was previously used as a church. Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus asked if
the city’s planning and zoning commission had reviewed the request, and City Planning
and Zoning Director Janice Pokrant said the commission had unanimously approved the
request.
•
Council approves replat after hearing
• Council members voted 7-0 to approve an ordinance to replat a property at 900 E. Gibbs
St. between Avenue J and Avenue K to establish Lot 1R by combining Lots 1 through 7
of Block 36, abandoning a portion of a 20-foot alley and retaining a 15-foot utility
easement, following a public hearing. The replat was requested by Steven Homeyer, P.E.,
representing property owner Heather Rimmer. City Planner Eivon Garcia said the owner
plans to use the site for a new car wash. The city’s planning and zoning commission also
recommended approval of the request.
•
Council hears from one during ‘Citizen Comments’
• City council members heard from Del Rioan Patricio Garza during the “Citizen
Comments” portion of Tuesday’s meeting. Garza asked the city council to consider
changing the date of a proposed Dec. 12 public hearing on new water and wastewater
rates. Garza said the date is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a day on which
Catholics commemorate the Virgin Mary as the patron saint of Mexico and is widely
celebrated among Del Rio’s Catholic community. Garza recommended moving the public
hearing to Dec. 15.
•
Mayor/council public comments
• Mayor Al Arreola led the city council and audience members in a moment of silence
commemorating the death of former City Councilman Steve Webb. Webb served on the
city council following his retirement from the Del Rio Police Department.
•
City manager announces upcoming meetings on water rates
• City Manager Shawna Burkhart announced two upcoming meetings on proposed water
and wastewater rates. The meetings are open to the public. The first will be held at 6 p.m.
Monday. Dec.1, at the Pecan Room at the Del Rio Civic Center, 1915 Veterans Blvd. The
second meeting will be a public hearing on the proposed water and wastewater rates on
Dec. 12 to be held at the Del Rio Civic Center. The city council will likely take a vote on
the new rates sometime in December.
•
City announces upcoming Christmas events
• Community Services Director Esme Meza announced will be a meeting at 5 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 20, at the city’s multipurpose center at the San Felipe Golf Course for
any vendors who wish to participate in the upcoming Dec. 3, Dec. 5 and Dec. 20 markets.
Burkhart said the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree will be a separate event this year.
The Christmas tree lighting will be celebrated from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3,
at the city’s Greenwood Park. The event will also include performances by choraliers and
a vendors’ market. Meza said the city’s annual Christmas Parade will take place
beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. The theme of this year’s parade will be “Level
Up,” and will begin at South Main and Ogden Streets and proceed south on South Main.
The parade will be followed by Christmas music and a vendors’ market at Greenwood
Park from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Finally, there will be a Christmas market at the San Felipe
Springs Golf Course from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20. The event will include
the screening of the movie “Elf” at 6:30 p.m. and a performance by choraliers from 6
p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring chairs and blankets.
•
City officials give update on water, wastewater billing issues
• Assistant City Manager Manuel Chavez gave an update on the work the city and its
utility billing department are doing to rectify water and wastewater customers’ utility
bills for October 2025. Chavez told the council the October billing for residential
customers has been reversed and implemented the previous rates and structure and
adjusted the October bills with those rates and structures in place. Chavez provided actual
bills as examples of what a customer might see on his or her account. He said for some
who made a payment on their October bill, once the bills were adjusted using the old
rates, structures and rebilling, they will see a credit on their accounts.
•
Council delays consideration of city manager employment contract
• City council again delayed voting on a resolution approving the employment contract of
the city manager and authorizing Mayor Al Arreola to execute it. The item was on the
agendas of the council’s last two meetings, but several council members indicated they
wished to wait until a full council was present to consider the measure. Councilman J.P.
Sanchez was not present at the council’s last two meetings, and although Sanchez was
present at Tuesday’s meeting, when the item came up on the agenda, Arreola announced
that the council would take it up after executive session. However, following the
executive session, which lasted an hour and 20 minutes, the council did not go back to
take action on that item on the agenda.
•
Council authorizes posting notice of intent to issue COs
• City council members voted 7-0 to approve a resolution authorizing the posting and
publication of notice of intention to issue City of Del Rio, Texas, Combination Tax and
Revenue Certificates of Obligation in a maximum aggregate principal amount not to
exceed $265,000 for improvements to the city’s water system. The city will obtain the
money through a loan from the Texas Water Development Board, and the money will be
used to make improvements and upgrades to the city’s water treatment plant. City council
members also voted 7-0 to approve a resolution authorizing the posting and publication
of notice of intention to issue City of Del Rio, Texas, Combination Tax and Revenue
Certificates of Obligation in a maximum aggregate principal amount not to exceed
$590,000 for improvements to the city’s wastewater system. The city will obtain the
money through the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Lead Service Line
Replacement program.
•
City council approves grant on nutrition services
• City council members voted 7-0 to approve a resolution approving the Fiscal Year
2025-2026 contractor agreement between the city of Del Rio and the Middle Rio Grande
Development Council/Area Agency on Aging for the provision of nutrition services and
authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to execute all necessary documents. The
budgeted amount to be received under the grant is $153,800, and the grant reimburses the
city for meals served, participant assessments and transportation.
•
Council approves submission of budget workbook
• City council members voted 7-0 to approve a resolution to submit the Fiscal Year 2025-
2026 Uniform Rate Negotiation Workbook to the Area Agency on Aging/Middle Rio
Grande Area and authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to execute the necessary
documents. Community Services Director Esme Meza told the council the Texas Health
and Human Services Commission (HHS) requires local service providers to submit an
annual Uniform Rate Negotiation Budget Workbook to establish per-meal reimbursement
rates and funding allocations for the Congregate and Home Delivered Meal Programs.
Meza noted the workbook includes detailed allocations for the approximately 73,000
home-delivered meals, 15,000 congregate meals and nutrition education and
administrative costs.
•
Council approves submission of H-E-B grant
• City council members voted 7-0 to ratify a resolution to submit an application for H-E-
B’s “Our Texas, Our Future” Fiscal Year 2025-2026 grant. The grant will “restore native
habitats through planting, art and education while engaging residents to protect wildlife,
enhance biodiversity and foster long-term community stewardship.” Community Services
Director Esme Meza said the minimum grant award is $1,000, and the maximum award is
$5,000.
•
Council approves second reading on landfill operation, trash collection contract
• City council members voted 7-0 to approve the second reading of an ordinance
authorizing City Manager Shawna Burkhart to approve a five-year contract between the
city and Platform Waste Solutions Inc. for landfill operations and for residential and
commercial waste collection, as well as for collection of yard waste, bulky waste and
recycling services.
•
Council accepts award for PD body armor
• City council members voted 7-0 to approve an ordinance authorizing and directing City
Manager Shawna Burkhart to accept an award for $5,915 from the Fiscal Year 2026 BG-
Rifle-Resistant Body Armor Grant from the office of the Texas governor, Public Safety
Office, for the Del Rio Police Department. In 2025, the police department was awarded
$10,464 for the purchase of 24 rifle-resistant vests. The additional grant funds will allow
the police department to purchase a 12 additional rifle-resistant vests it needs to outfit
the remainder of its officers.
•
Council ratifies acceptance of ‘Keep Texas Beautiful’ grant
• City council members voted 7-0 to ratify the acceptance of the “Keep Texas Beautiful:
Our Texas, Our Future” grant provided by Keep Texas Beautiful with funds received from H-E-B and to authorize City Manager Shawna Burkhart to accept the grant funds.
The $5,000 grant is “to support the ecological restoration, promote wildlife restoration and habitat protection of the San Felipe Creek by removing invasive Arundo donax cane, replanting native riparian species and installing wildlife habitat structures such as Monarch motels, bee hotels, bat boxes and bird nesting boxes.”
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
