By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
In addition to passing a resolution opposing the route and location of the city’s planned second international bridge, county commissioners court members also took action on other issues related to the proposed project.
The court voted unanimously to hire an outside law firm to represent the county in matters related to the bridge project, as well as to hire an engineering consulting firm to create a master thoroughfare plan for the county and to ask state legislators to file a bill that would require the city to annex property for an international bridge or roadways leading to it before beginning construction.
County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton asked for all three items to be placed on the agenda of the commissioners court Dec. 20 meeting for discussion and possible action.
At the outset of discussion of the agenda item related to hiring an outside law firm, Nettleton told the court, “I think we need somebody that understands these processes and can assist our county attorney’s office in making sure that we know exactly what we’re doing and what our options are in relation to these projects that are outside the city limits.”
“David, do you feel you have a need for this?” Nettleton asked County Attorney David Martinez.
“Absolutely,” Martinez replied.
“Then I will make a motion authorizing the county attorney to find a firm that can represent the county in relation to the routes for the second international bridge and see what our options are,” Nettleton said.
County Commissioner Pct. 1 Martin Wardlaw gave the second, and the motion passed unanimously.
The second item was consideration to hire an engineering consulting firm to do a master thoroughfare plan for Val Verde County and which would be initiated as a joint project of the county, the city and the school district.
“The reason that we run into problems with funding is that most communities, the larger ones, have (plans) and then they submit those to TxDOT so they can get on TxDOT’s funding list. Without this, it’s difficult to get on TxDOT’s funding list. We don’t have a master thoroughfare plan. What we have now is whoever shows up at TxDOT and asks for things, and there’s no long-range planning,” Nettleton said.
“It’s imperative that we put together a joint plan so that we can get on TxDOT’s radar and as their funding mechanisms become available, the projects that we want to look at on the off-system and on-system roads. I think it’s important that we do these projects. The judge was in a meeting yesterday with TxDOT, and they explained the importance of these master plans, and it’s basically everybody gets together and figures out what they are and puts a cost analysis together and then presents it to TxDOT so they can start funding those projects,” he said.
“Without (a master plan), it’s very difficult to get TxDOT funding for these projects,” Nettleton said, adding he believes the plan should involve the city, the school district, as well as Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol.
County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores asked the item be tabled until after the court met in executive session. The rest of the court agreed.
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. took up the issue again after executive session, and Nettleton made the motion to seek requests for qualifications (RFQs) from engineering consulting firms to draft a master thoroughfare plan for the county and to authorize the county judge to approach the city and school district to see if they will participate in the venture.
Flores gave the second, and the motion passed unanimously.
Finally, the court unanimously passed a motion to ask the state representative and the state senator “to file a bill requiring that a city which constructs a roadway or an international bridge outside the city limits must hold an election in order to annex any properties adjacent to and around such projects.”
Flores made the motion to approve the measure, with Nettleton giving the second.
The court approved the measure unanimously without discussion.
—
Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
