By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
City council members have approved the appointment of four members to the Del Rio Main
Street Program Advisory Board.
A resolution providing for the appointment of new members to fill in vacant terms on the Del Rio
Main Street Program Advisory Board was part of the council’s agenda during Tuesday’s regular
meeting.
Councilman J.P. Sanchez made the motion to approve the resolution, and Councilman Jesus
Lopez Jr. gave the second.
Main Street Manager Jorge Garza stepped to the podium to discuss more details about the new
members being approved for the program.
“It is important to mention that we need our candidates only because of the terms that have
ended; it is not for any other reason,” Garza said.
The first candidate was Elsa Reyes, who is filling in for the expired term of Sheri Vela, ending on
Sept. 30, 2027. Garza said the Main Street Program is excited about what Reyes can bring to
the board. He also mentioned Vela was stepping down due to health issues.
The next candidate brought up was Gabrielle Hutchinson, who is filling in for the expired term of
Ashley Trevino ending on Sept. 30, 2027. Garza said having Hutchinson on the board is
beneficial because of her experience as an attorney. He also mentioned Trevino is stepping
down to focus more on her business in the downtown area.
The next candidate mentioned was Juan Reyna, who is filling in for the expired term of Nancy
Hill ending on September 30, 2027. Garza said Reyna will provide a lot of benefits to the board
from his experiences in the community.
The final candidate was Pepper Bernal, who is filling in for the unexpired term of Dulce Ramon
that will end on Sept. 30, 2025. Garza said this term is unexpired because Ramon turned in a
resignation letter to step down due to family-related matters.
Garza mentioned Bernal is a proactive member in the community, including being involved in
the Solar Eclipse events from this past spring.
Garza finished listing all the new candidates and then asked the council if they had any
questions. Sanchez asked why Bernal cannot serve a two-year term instead of having it end in
2025.
Garza answered Sanchez’s questions by explaining how the term Bernal is filling in for cannot
be changed; thus the term will end in September 2025, as it was formally scheduled. He did say
Bernal can start a new term if she wants to continue being on the program.
Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez then asked for clarification about the information in the
agenda packet about the resolution.
“In the summary, it says the city council would need to waive (the six-month residency
requirement) for Mrs. Hutchison to be able to be appointed. I don’t see that in the resolution.
Does it need to be in the resolution or not?” Gutierrez asked.
City Attorney Ana Markowski Smith answered Gutierrez’s question saying “it is a given” for the
council to waive Mrs. Hutchinson’s six-month residency requirement as long as the council approves of her as a new member of the Main Street Program.
The council unanimously agreed on the resolution and continued with the next topic on the
agenda.
