Habaz GiL MINUTES Aransas Pass City Council Regular Meeting Monday, April 7, 2025 at 6:00 pm City Hall = Council Chambers 600 W. Cleveland Blvd., Aransas Pass, Texas 78336 na huas 1. Call to Order and Certification of a Quorum Mayor Ram Gomez called the Aransas Pass City Council Regular Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. With Council Members present, a quorum was established. Council Members present: Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs, Council Members Jason Knight, Joe Dominguez, J. R. Haskins, and Mayor Gomez. Staff present: City Manager Mary Juarez, City Secretary Kandice Garrett, Finance Director Sandra Garcia, Planning Director Brenda Joyas, Judge Henrie Morales, Police Chief David Perkins, and Fire Chief Michael Neujahr. Also present was City Attorney Epimenio Ysassi. 2. Invocation City Manager Mary Juarez delivered the invocation. 3. Pledges Mayor Gomez led the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S.A. flag and the Texas flag. 4. Announcements a. City Manager's Announcements i. National Library Week, April 6- 12, 2025, Library Social on April 9th, 2-4 pm at the Ed & Hazel Richmond Public Library ii. Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 13, 2025 from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm at the Aransas Pass Civic Center City Manager Mary Juarez informed the Council of the announcements and corrected the date for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt to April 12, 2025. 5. Citizen Comments Mayor Gomez called on the following citizens who signed up to address Council: Richard Titus spoke about his conditional use permit at his residence. Will Garner spoke about the timing of the traffic light at FM 1069 and W. Wheeler Ave. 6. Staff Reports and other Discussion Items Regular City Council Meeting Minutes - April 7, 2025 Page 1 of 5 a. 2025 Municipal Traffic Safety Awards Honorable Mention b. Transfer Scale Station C. Aquatic Center Fees / Parks and Recreation Fees d. Development Services Fees e. Council Policies and Rules of Procedure Judge Henrie Morales informed the Council that the Municipal Court had received an Honorable Mention award for their participation in Traffic Safety throughout the year when they recently attended the statewide Traffic Safety Conference in Waco. City Manager Mary Juarez announced that discussion items 6.b. and 6.d. were postponed to the May workshop meeting. Community Enrichment Director Kaylynn Paxson presented item 6.c. and introduced the newly hired Aquatic Center Manager Brandi Peters. Mrs. Paxson noted that there is a need to update the fee structure at the Aquatic Center due to rising operational costs and reviewed the recommended changes to help offset some of the high cost to maintain the center. She also reviewed the suggestions for the Parks and Recreation Fees Ordinance to apply general rules to all the parks. There was discussion from the Council to not charge a fee for the use of the Pavillion and consensus to move forward with the Ordinances and bring them back to the next meeting for action. City Manager Mary Juarez presented item 6.e. and restated the Mayor's wishes to amend Section 1. 3. Motion to Reconsider to read that a motion to reconsider must be made at the meeting where the item was first voted upon, or at the next regular scheduled meeting. There was further discussion regarding how items are placed on the agenda and clarification from the City Attorney Epi Ysassi on the procedure to reconsider an item in Open Meeting. There was consensus from the Council about making the changes and bringing the item back to the next meeting for action. 7. Consent Agenda a. Consideration of approving the revised March 3, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes (City Secretary) b. Consideration of approving the March 17, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes (City Secretary) Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs made a motion to approve Items 7.a. and 7.b., seconded by Council Member Knight and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. 8. Public Hearing Mayor Gomez declared the public hearing open at 6:31 p.m. and read aloud the Notice of Public Hearing. a. PZ-2024-16 - creating a new chapter on aggressive solicitation to regulate door to door sales and panhandling i. Public Hearing on PZ-2024-16 creating a new chapter on Aggressive Solicitation to regulate door to door sales and panhandling. Creating Chapter 21-A Aggressive Solicitation under Chapter 21 Salespeople. Planning Director Brenda Joyas presented this item and stated the purpose of this ordinance was due to a request from the Council to create a separate Ordinance for Regular City Council Meeting Minutes - April 7, 2025 Page 2 of 5 Aggressive Solicitation as discussed at a recent meeting and also noted the definitions and structure of the document. Mayor Gomez closed the public hearing at 6:34 p.m. ii. Consideration of approving an ordinance amending the City Code of Ordinances, Aggressive Solicitation Chapter 21-A, adding fees, penalties, and requirements found in Exhibit A; repealing conflicting ordinances, providing for severance, notice, and penalty, and declaring an effective date. Council Member Knight made a motion to approve Item 8.a.i., seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. 9. Action Items a. Consideration of approving a request from Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce to use Community Park, public safety assistance and protection, and to temporarily close Arch Street, Danforth Street and Highland Street (where it relates to flow of traffic to Shrimporee) from Friday, October 17, 2025, at 4:00 pm through Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 6:00 pm. The 77th Annual Shrimporee Event is scheduled for October 17-19, 2025, with the carnival beginning on October 16, 2025. (City Manager) Rosemary Vega, President of the Chamber of Commerce, presented this item and noted that the change for the new dates is due to holding the event during a cooler time of the year. Council Member Haskins had a question about the cost and payment of overtime for the police officers and security for the event. There was further discussion between Police Chief Perkins and Ms. Vega and City Manager Mary Juarez stated that there is a contribution from HOT Funds to help in support of the overtime. Finance Director Sandra Garcia addressed the Council and clarified that the Chamber of Commerce pays for the security directly and the City does not pay for the overtime in that respect. Ms. Garcia further explained that the Chamber provides a bill to the City for the security costing on average each year around twenty-nine to thirty thousand dollars ($29,000 - $30,000) which is also budgeted on an annual basis. The City helps to reimburse the Chamber for some of the cost for security, she said. Ms. Vega further clarified that the actual cost for security is closer around forty-two to forty-seven thousand dollars ($42,000 - $47,000). Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs made a motion to approve Item 9.a., seconded by Council Member Knight and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. b. Consideration of approving a Resolution allowing for Mobile Food Units for three (3) months at Conn Brown Harbor from April 7, 2025 through June 30, 2025. (City Manager) C. Consideration of approving an Ordinance updating the Mobile Food Units regulations, fees, and locations. (City Manager) Council Member Knight made a motion to postpone Items 9.b. and 9.c. to do more work on the Ordinance, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes - April 7, 2025 Page 3 of 5 d. Consideration of approving to award a bid for RFP 2025-001 Fireworks Show Contractor for the City of Aransas Pass Annual Independence Celebration to Western Enterprises in the amount of $23,000. (City Manager) Mayor Gomez called on the following citizens who signed upi to speak on this item: Will Garner spoke about concerns for holding a fireworks show when we are in a drought. Charlie Ochoa, owner of Fireworks By Western, addressed the Council and discussed the concerns about fire safety and noted that at the time of the event he will make the determination not to hold the event if it is not safe. He also stated there is a change in location this year at the Aquatics Center where the grounds are mowed and right next to the water providing a condition where it is safe, which is always their main concern. Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs made a motion to approve Item 9.d., seconded by Council Member Knight and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. e. Consideration of approving a request from DNA Productions to use Conn Brown Harbor on June 6-8, 2025 for the 2nd Annual Fish Fest. (City Manager) Amanda Slaughter with DNA Productions presented this item and requested the expanded dates for the grounds to begin June 5 and end on June 9, 2025 to accommodate the setting up and tearing down of the event. She provided a review of last year's event and reported there were sixty vendors, seven bands, one hundred seventy kids and junior competitors, volunteers and over two thousand local and out-of-town attendees. She also noted that over sixty percent of the vendors and food trucks traveled in from out of town, six of the hired bands traveled in from out oftown, and several long casting competitors came in from out of town as well as the collection of one thousand dollars cash donations for the local food bank along with a large container of food. Another highlight was the event gave away one hundred seventy fishing poles, she said. Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs made a motion to approve Item 9.e. on June 5-9, 2025, seconded by Council Member Knight and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. f. Consideration of approving a Resolution declaring unified commitment to the development of Regional Water Supplies. (City Manager) City Manager Mary Juarez requested this item be heard first and informed the Council that Commissioner Gillespie was present to speak on this item. San Patricio County Commissioner Howard Gillespie spoke in support of HB 2120 and the water agreement resolution recently passed by the county commissioners. He reported that he and Commissioner Yardley met with Senator Hinojosa concerning the water agreement and the addition of two commissioners: one being from the city of Portland and the other from the city of Port Aransas. He asked the Council for support in passing this resolution for a unified water agreement. Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs made a motion to approve Item 9.f., seconded by Council Member Knight and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. 10. Executive Session Regular City Council Meeting Minutes - April 7, 2025 Page 4 of 5 The meeting was recessed into Executive Session at 6:48 p.m., under the provision of Section 551, Texas Government Code to discuss the authority of: a. Texas Government Code Section 551.071 - To meet with its attorney to seek legal advice on a matter in which the duty of the attorney to the city council under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the state bar of Texas clearly conflicts with the Texas Open Meetings Act relating to: i. Conn Brown Harbor Lease - Aransas Pass Seafood Packers ii. Conn Brown Harbor Lease - Coast Point Company b. Texas Government Code Section 551.087 Deliberation Regarding Economic Development Negotiations Relating To: i. Amistad Health C. Texas Government Code Section 551.072 = To deliberate the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property relating to: i. LWR Property 11. Action on Executive Session Items Council will reconvene in open session and may take action on any item listed in the Executive Session section of this Agenda. The council reconvened the meeting at 7:29 p.m. Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs made a motion for Item 10.a.ii. to approve the contract and lease agreement with Coast Point Company subject to the terms and conditions agreed upon, seconded by Council Member Knight and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. Mayor Pro Tem Scruggs made a motion for Item 10.c.i. to hire Langley and Banack to represent the City regarding the LWR Property, seconded by Council Member Knight and the motion passed with the following vote: Gomez, Scruggs, Knight, Dominguez, and Haskins voted Aye. 12. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Gomez adjourned the meeting at 7:29 p.m. bamle Honctt Ramiro Gomez Kandice Garrett Mayor City Secretary Approved on: 421.2025 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes - April 7, 2025 Page 5 of 5