By CATHERINE DONNELLY
Special to the PRESS
Port Isabel called a special city council meeting for February 13 at noon at 305 E. Maxan Street. The first order of business was an update on the street improvement project on Maxan Street for at least two blocks from Longoria to Tarnava, depending on the project’s cost. More information will be available when the bids are back.
Spring Break is March 9-18 this year, and there was a summary of the timing of the traffic lights through Port Isabel during this time. Also, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) will soon start a street repaving project on Texas Highway 100 (aka Queen Isabella Boulevard) through town. During times of low traffic, they will repave the road. They can also work at night instead of during the day.
Under New Business, the City Council accepted a proposal from Alexander Business Development for the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation Grant of $500,000 for the Laguna Madre Park renovation. This spring’s Little League schedule is up in the air until they resolve the details. The project aims to start in May or June and finish before Little League starts again in the spring of 2025. In the meantime, this impacts this season’s schedule, and the city is working out options to mitigate disruption of the sports program. The city continues to seek additional funding for this project to make another tier of improvements.
The City Council also accepted a proposal from Alexander Business Development for and for Business Development for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Indoor grant application for improvements to the Laguna Madre Youth Center, which is now 30 years old and needs some updates and repairs.
The City Council approved all of the following: the bills as presented by City Manager Jared Hockema; the acknowledgment of the 1st Quarter 2024 Public Funds Investment Act Report; to allow Building Inspector Joshua Garza, Code Enforcer Supervisor Oscar De Abra, and Code Enforcer Officer Robert Contreras to attend the Building Professional Institute in Houston February 26-28,2024; to allow System Administrator Frankie Garza to attend the Cyber Readiness Summit in San Marcos, TX February 13-15, 2024; to enable Marketing to Director Valerie Bates to attend the Texas Historical Commission Quarterly Meeting January 30-31, 2024; and to allow Court Clerk Irma Salinas and the Municipal Court Judges to attend the Regional Judges and Clerk Conference at South Padre Island May 8-10.
Also approved was Change Order No. 3 for the Marine Ave. Drainage Project: a request by Jorge Gonzalez with Azimuth Engineering and Surveying LLC. for the replat of Lot Center 100 of Tract “M” Block 3-B of Modern Venice into two lots, Lot 1 and Lot 2 of Block 3-B of Venice Ramon Subdivision. (Ord. 605, passed 1-25-2000); Ferris, Flinn & Medina, LLC requested a Final Subdivision Plat phase 3 located at Bahia Point Subdivision (22.90 acres of land out of 83.50-acre tract conveyed to La Cuesta Sol Development, LTD.).
Due to the upcoming primary elections at the city chambers meeting room, the city approved moving the City Commission meetings to the Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center. It approved the City of Port Isabel’s contract for election services for a General Election to be held on Saturday, May 4, and administered by the Cameron County Elections Department.
Also approved was allowing South Padre Island Ocean Rescue to utilize the city’s swimming pool for lifeguard training, awarding architectural services based on qualifications for the Lighthouse Classroom Project, and installing one or more speed control devices on Longoria Street. The City Council ratified an agreement with the Texas Historical Commission to construct the Lighthouse Classroom Project. It approved an interlocal agreement with the Point Isabel Independent School District for certain law enforcement services.
There was some discussion about the merits and costs of expanding the city’s cemetery. There is enough land between the cemetery and the Fire Hall to add a small number of additional spaces by stacking two high. Stacking two high allows people looking for burial sites to buy these spaces since the cemetery is full.
After that, there is no more room for expansion. The bid is to determine the proposed project’s cost and then decide to go through with it or table it. Most cities do not have a municipal cemetery, but Port Isabel and San Benito each have one. Most cemeteries are commercial ventures.
During the closed session, there was deliberation regarding the lease of real property described as 0.45 of an acre tract of land being a portion of the Port Isabel Small Boat Channel and Bridge Street Right-of-way within the City of Port Isabel and deliberation regarding potential or pending litigation concerning a hazardous or blighted condition present on property comprised of the following parcels: LOT 10, 11 and 12 out of BLK 80 PORT ISABEL ORIGINAL TOWNSITE (VOL 7 PG 23 MRCC), under Texas Government Code, Section 551.071(1)(a), pending or contemplated litigation. The city made no actions in the open session, and the meeting was adjourned.
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