By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Can Val Verde County obtain grants to provide water and sewer services and work on the roads in a semi-rural area of homes in an area known as Moreno Valley?
Those lingering questions will be addressed during a special meeting of Val Verde County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. The meeting will also be held at a special time – 6 p.m. – in the courtroom of the Old County Court-At-Law, 207B Losoya St.
Residents of Moreno Valley, an area of scattered homes about a quarter-mile north of the Rio Grande in far south Val Verde County, have been coming to commissioners court on a fairly regular basis, asking the county to pave a road into the area. The road is known as Old Foster Road. Residents have also asked the county to work to extend water and sewer service to homes in the area.
But the county has so far balked, saying Old Foster Road was never dedicated to the county and that the county cannot accept it for maintenance until the road is constructed to county standards. The county has also maintained that the area was not subdivided in accordance with model subdivision standards.
Gabriel Zapata, a leader of The Border Organization, spoke to the court Tuesday about its planned special meeting on the Moreno Valley issue.
Zapata asked the court to consider changing the time of the meeting from its normal 9 a.m. time slot to 6 p.m. He said the morning meetings of the court make it more difficult for working people to attend them.
Owens confirmed the court would be discussing the Moreno Valley issues on Tuesday.
“It’s been about five months since you (the Border Organization) were last here. At that time, our answer (on providing services and maintaining the road) was ‘no,’ because, basically, Old Foster Road is not ours . . . but during that conversation, we said we’d get back to you,” Owens told Zapata.
“Commissioner (Gus) Flores and I both think we need to put this issue to rest, so . . . my opinion is, we need to give you all an answer. I think you all need a little bit more closure,” he added.
Flores then made a motion to set a special meeting of the court on the Moreno Valley issue at 6 p.m. Tuesday. His motion passed unanimously.
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