Felipe Fierro

The board discussed a recommendation for the City Council regarding the approval of Ordinance 2026-0701, which involves a rezone application for property located at 1301 West Avenue J. The proposed change involves rezoning the property from an R2 multi-family district to an R4 mixed residential district to allow for more creative housing development. The board reviewed technical aspects of the site, including existing infrastructure, access, and land use, before unanimously voting to pass the recommendation forward to the city.

The council held several public hearings regarding ordinances on petition procedures, alcoholic beverage sale regulations in commercial districts, nonconforming structure and use zoning, enterprise fund financial management, and fiscal year budget appropriations. The council also approved a master fee schedule resolution, heard announcements regarding community events, received updates on road material RFPs and financial audits, and approved several consent agenda items including legal services invoices, election orders, and a landscape maintenance agreement. Additionally, the meeting featured a quarterly report presentation from the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend.

The City Council held an executive session to deliberate on personnel matters, including the employment status of the City Secretary. Following the session, the Council voted unanimously to remove the City Secretary from office and appointed an interim City Secretary. Additionally, the Council directed the City Manager to coordinate with county election officials to support the upcoming November election.

The City Council held a workshop meeting to discuss a revised draft of the personnel policies and procedures handbook. The council reviewed proposed revisions and consultant recommendations intended to align city policies with current employment practices and regulatory standards. Key discussion topics included clarification on terminology, the restructuring of governing principles, the management of non-sexual harassment policies, and the inclusion of specific certifications and pay policies for departments such as public works, gas, and building services. The council also deliberated on leave of absence policies and discussed mechanisms for rewarding employees who obtain professional certifications.

The council addressed the recent arrest of the city secretary, initiated an administrative review, and confirmed that personnel matters would be discussed in executive session. The meeting included public hearings on an ordinance regarding human wildlife interactions, a replat application for a commercial property, and multiple special use permit requests for short-term rentals. A recognition ceremony honored various stakeholders for their contributions to the city's water emergency response and infrastructure stabilization. The council approved the second reading of an ordinance concerning animal regulations and human-wildlife interactions, and the first readings of ordinances regarding business regulations for alcohol consumption and zoning amendments for pre-1968 non-conforming structures.