City of Alton Commission 6 City Regular Meeting 7:30 pm April 8, 2025 Minutes 7 976 Members Present Mayor Salvador Vela Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. Commissioner Ricardo Garza Commissioner Emilio Cantu Jr. Members Absent Commissioner Richard Arevalo City Staff Present Jeff Underwood Baudelia Rojas Ricardo Gonzalez Janie Flores Cecilia Sanchez Janie Gaytan Cristina Garcia Roel Garza Mark Perez Gus Ramirez Rosie Tello I. CALL' TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCE A QUORUM IS PRESENT With a quorum of the Alton City Commission present, Mayor Salvador Vela called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. II. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE U.S. FLAG Mayor Salvador Vela led the group in prayer. Commissioner Ricardo Garza led in the Pledge of Allegiance. I.CERTIPICATION OF POSTING IV. PUBLIC COMMENT No public comment. V. MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes oft the City Commission Meeting of March 25, 2025. Motion to approve the minutes was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr and seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion carried 4-0. Alton City Commission Minutes Regular Meeting April 8, 2025 VI. NEW BUSINESS 1. Discuss and consider the re-appointments and new members of the Zoning Board of Adjustments. Cristina Garcia, Planning Director, stated that on March 25, 2025, a ZBOA meeting was held to discuss board member updates, including reappointments, reassignments, and new appointments. The LBOA Board approved the reappointment of Jesus Zapata, Daniela Perez, and Lee Chapa as members, with their terms now set to expire in March of 2026. Miguel Barbosa was reappointed as Vice-Chair and Lee Chapa and Sylvia Salamanca were reappointed as Member and Alternate, respectively, with terms expiring in 2025. Ms. Garcia stated that the Board approved the removal of Julian Carranza as Chairman and Elma Ortiz as Alternate, both of whom requested to step down. In terms of reassignments, Lee Chapa was moved to Chairman, Sylvia Salamanca was reassigned as a Member, and Daniela Perez stepped down from her role as Alternate, all of which were approved. New appointments to the Board include Daniela Saenz as a Member, and Nathaniel Hernandez and Ivan Guerrero as Alternates. Staff recommends approval. Motion to approve was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. and seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion carried 4-0. 2. Discuss and consider approval of Resolution 2025-16, granting authority to accept a grant award for the FY2024 Operation Stonegarden Grant and naming the Chief of Police as the authorized official Mark Perez, Police Chief, announced that the department is accepting an $85,000 grant from the Operation Stonegarden Grant program, administered by the Office of the Governor. He acknowledged Lt. Ruben Lozano for his efforts in securing the grant, which was applied for last year. Ofthe total funds, $67,000 has been allocated for a fully equipped police vehicle, while $18,000 will be used for overtime to increase patrols and enhance public safety. Staff recommends approval. Motion to approve was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. and seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion carried 4-0. 3. Discuss and consider approval of Resolution 2025-17, related to the use of excessive force during nonviolent civil rights demonstrations. Jeff Underwood, City Manager, stated that Items 3, 4, and 5 are all related to the City's Urban County allotment and its continued membership. He also noted that Resolution 2025-17 reaffirms the City's commitment to allowing nonviolent civil rights demonstrations and peaceful protest to continue. Staff recommends approval. Motion to approve was made by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. and seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion carried 4-0. 4. Discuss and consider the adoption of Proclamation 2025-02, proclaiming April 2025 as Fair Housing Month. Jeff Underwood, City Manager stated that Urban County requested the City's support in adopting this measure. He expressed that the City is committed to ensuring equal access Page 2 of 4 Alton City Commission Minutes Regular Meeting April 8, 2025 to housing and fair treatment for all. Staff recommends approval. Motion to approve was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. and seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion Carried 4-0. 5. Discuss and consider adoption of Proclamation 2025-03, proclaiming April 21-25, 2025 as CDBG Week. Jeff Underwood, City Manager, announced that the City will celebrate its affiliation with the Urban County Program during that week. He provided an update on current municipal projects, specifically noting the commencement of paving operations tomorrow at Taurus Estates #15, located off Los Ebanos Road. These initiatives are funded through the City's Community Development Block Grant allocation. Staff recommends approval. Motion to approve was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. and seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion Carried 4-0. 6. Discuss and consider adoption of Proclamation 2025-04, proclaiming April 22, 2025 as Earth Day. Jeff Underwood, City Manager, stated that this proclamation relates to celebrating Earth Day on April 22 and encouraged everyone to do their part in taking care of the environment by planting trees, recycling, and promoting sustainability. He emphasized the importance of reflecting on our role in preserving the planet and caring for our surroundings. Staff recommends approval. Motion to approve was made by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. and seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion carried 4- 0. VII. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Pursuant to Government Code Section 551.0718551.072 a) Pending and/or potential litigation b) Personnel c) Real Estate VIL.RETURN TO OPEN SESSION FOR POSSIBLE ACTION a) Pending and/or potential litigation b) Personnel c) Real Estate IX. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Jeff Underwood, City Manager, announced that the City of Alton will host its baseball opening ceremonies tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., as confirmed by Roel Garza, Community Services Director. Mr. Garza highlighted the success of the recent Pavo Real 5K Trail Run/Walk, The event had over 280 participants and the expectation for next year is that there will be an even greater participation. Mr. Underwood spoke about the severe weather event that occurred on March 27, which impacted the region, including Alton. He commended City staff and first responders for their dedication and efforts in assisting residents during the storm, emphasizing their strong commitment to public safety and community service. Fire Chief Gus Ramirez reported that Page 3 of 4 Alton City Commission Minutes Regular Meeting April 8, 2025 28 rescues were conducted within the City. Mr. Underwood recognized Chief Ramirez for his leadership as the City's Emergency Management Coordinator. A token of appreciation was presented to those who went above and beyond in their service during the emergency event. X. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 p.m. was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Arturo Galvan Jr. and was seconded by Commissioner Ricardo Garza. Motion carried 4-0. CITY OF ALTON - at L - Salvador Vela, Mayor - ATTEST: wd Alez Janie Flores, CPM City Secretary * Page 4 of 4 APPROVED BY CITY COMMISSION ON APRIL 22, 2025