[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6341171,"mediaKeyId","2258036-1840d7e2a006809ddc0572de5db020c6","parentId",2258036,"title","Police chief presents annual racial-profiling report; no complaints recorded under current chief","audioSeconds",105,"startMs",2927000,"endMs",3032000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2258036-1840d7e2a006809ddc0572de5db020c6&start=2927&end=3032","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2258036-1840d7e2a006809ddc0572de5db020c6/thumbnail_2927000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6341171/El-Campo/Wharton-County/Texas/Police-chief-presents-annual-racial-profiling-report-no-complaints-recorded-under-current-chief","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341171-94f94b7c5b041540583bd148413a7613/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232605&Signature=fVdODav1cjQ7OndERox0QNNFHRooEzMt6P2N-q9Z1S23DweCSjBn830-GyN9P4XajY1kO~OR66opqfrl0apsIhDe7SCD79o0V8WuiUPgLzWdy3WaOnXJiBp0zCrmHDG5Ovj-9G7uVIQvb-er4f3KMS9UHn5q1s8GNARsN0oKwdmDW4zfmxxWPbOROBUcYxdr2qQVCtp2M8oJlMR-STHRrI37lQlUhj1fk7uYq3vE5ZR3gB63-5PTtkLCNtWdPpxXAIEzuvjxKu34BOn9qKABrpWDZAllYFzs3Gu7AT6VHBHOZmqdXYUJV7K~BTrkraakQJTtzrpWbupabeD13h1OVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of El Campo, TX","date","2025-02-11T16:19:14.83Z","article","The El Campo Police Department presented its statutorily required annual racial-profiling report to the city council. The report, nine pages in the council packet, breaks down traffic stops, arrests, searches and related data for the reporting period.

The police chief said he reviews the report during the year and examines the data for anomalies. He told council that the department has not received any public complaints alleging racial profiling since his tenure began and that the department’s data do not indicate a pattern of biased stops. The chief noted that officers do not typically know a driver’s race before a stop because of window tint or nighttime conditions, and he said he watches for unexpected changes in search rates or other anomalies when the department upgrades systems or reporting fields.

Council thanked the chief and commended the department for its work. The presentation was delivered as the department’s required annual report to the council; no action was requested or taken.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of El Campo City Council Regular Meeting - February 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The El Campo Police Department delivered its statutorily required annual racial-profiling report; the department reported no racial-profiling complaints during the chief’s tenure and described the dataset in the report.","taxTitle","El Campo, Wharton County, Texas","taxId",69629,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6341178,"Council hears staff recommendation to issue debt for wastewater upgrades; debate over including public works facility",597,1088000,1685000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2258036-1840d7e2a006809ddc0572de5db020c6&start=1088&end=1685","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2258036-1840d7e2a006809ddc0572de5db020c6/thumbnail_1088000.jpg","/articles/6341178/El-Campo/Wharton-County/Texas/Council-hears-staff-recommendation-to-issue-debt-for-wastewater-upgrades-debate-over-including-public-works-facility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341178-ef10b4e85ccfecd8590223ff4f35b4d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232605&Signature=eIuSDYWFQc-IWig0AUo~j7EM2ruOzw4uCpnOPNk0sAhFGD2Aje9aEUcL1wfriAZdg0Hr8FTNDFOKJmKX43Xn-CL0dCPZcqLWq~Ii8TU7w0yqkf2MQMo~NGoodyr5c~sKvX7SMh67SM63o9~s9b1gJZOcF3IaOZkDyOmRCBcp7LGKgaKPBftF7ywzR8HIwoZXMWP-xURqztCPYhvL6XyZ9ZX0jdRzL92imYSjcCYpdESytDsZn4voROS4FN11yBKu4wYyrj80uWzWk~WyeqCaro8VaIXklolJlNaRRe8S6w9VChN4dDO6HPrCu2ZFY0mC2oTzX7fUmh7N4l0IUqPSsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told El Campo City Council that improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant are necessary to remain in compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and recommended the council authorize debt issuance to fund construction.

Staff reported that bids returned higher than earlier estimates and that engineering for the project is already paid. The bid line item presented in the council packet was described by staff as $1.5 million (which includes engineering for that bid package); earlier estimates had been in the $1.329 million range. Staff said the overall wastewater project previously had been expected to be near $3 million; earlier designs would have run as high as $5 million before redesign. Because the city has exhausted certain Certificates of Obligation (COs) on other projects (Avenue F and Highway 71 work), staff recommended issuing debt on the utility side to complete the wastewater improvement project.

Separately, the city owns a house on East Jackson that staff has proposed repurposing as a public works facility and asked the council whether to include funding for that facility in the same debt issuance. Staff said including the public works facility in the package would create a ceiling of about $3.5 million (which staff included to cover architecture and contingencies), and that packaging the two issues together would avoid the added costs of a separate bond issuance (financial advisor and bond counsel fees). Staff estimated the inclusion would raise the tax roll by “around a penny, a little over a penny” in the year of issuance.

Councilmembers expressed sharp questions about cost estimation, past oversight and alternatives: several members urged caution given past projects that came in over budget, asked whether staff had examined internal funding or cuts, and asked whether the public works facility should be taken to a voter referendum. Other councilmembers argued that delaying will increase construction costs and that infrastructure in the ground (sewer and water lines) should take priority.

Council directed staff to proceed with planning and financing steps for the wastewater treatment plant (staff will return with financing details) and to bring back a more detailed presentation on the public works facility — including proposed layouts, hard cost estimates, square footage needs, projected inflation assumptions and options (retain and renovate the existing house vs. demolish and build new). Staff said they will provide images of the existing building, options for renovation or replacement, and more contractor-based estimates before a final debt issuance decision.

Council did not take a final financing vote on the public works facility at this meeting; the direction was to move forward with the wastewater financing planning and to return with the requested materials on the public works facility for future council action.","City staff told the El Campo City Council that wastewater treatment plant improvements are needed to comply with TCEQ and recommended issuing debt to fund construction; council members debated bundling a new public works facility into the debt issuance and raised questions about cost estimates, oversight and timing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6341181,"Council approves water-main contract, ambulance monitor trade, grant application and moves March meeting",2548,364000,2912000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2258036-1840d7e2a006809ddc0572de5db020c6&start=364&end=2912","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2258036-1840d7e2a006809ddc0572de5db020c6/thumbnail_364000.jpg","/articles/6341181/El-Campo/Wharton-County/Texas/Council-approves-water-main-contract-ambulance-monitor-trade-grant-application-and-moves-March-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341181-cd65502158ecb10935ca6178d11737d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232605&Signature=SAFuX3zKRhtaUBtfLV1E1OFgrEGxFuwpA3ihDlwvcMcfPj0EYtMl~i1iejjluWE8ugiOrrKlOICwhHXEgHmcTOHNOOoVNUpdj2sn5dg~x-YkxrQsOIgs9ORk~~VurqFEF-Z4UjxxKVq9fxUUHiPrnuFxRSXKPLHtyOZRlVtCFaB2xRjZ-l8~ACEIv0F5IDrpHjCJLMayP7TCzsWTIr931mnkrVlYo7gcFgBTVDpccIV8nEUOmL7Jeo70pZzZYWcprTKLy8fPp9kDpipDoh-6bN3KEEH6M26HgC4bRtxWkap~1Ga91gdctoqklUA5-9Ldo6Rk3wGwHFNDQo9kZSghRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","El Campo City Council on an unspecific date approved a series of routine and substantive items: minutes from a prior meeting; a $210,324.46 award for a water-main segment to Ramrod Utilities LLC; the sale of five ZOLL X Series monitors and purchase of three refurbished LifePak 15 monitors via trade; submission of a Fiscal Year 2026 criminal-justice grant application to the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office for $1,424,179 to support a records-management/CAD system and vehicles; and a one-day move of the March council meeting from March 10 to March 11, 2025.

The actions, taken by voice vote with motions and seconds recorded on the floor, were presented by city staff and approved without recorded roll-call tallies in the public transcript. Staff said the Ramrod Utilities award was split out of a larger Town and Country reconstruction package because the firm has local presence and owned equipment that reduced mobilization costs; staff gave the contract price as $210,324.46. Council members asked about competitive bidding; staff replied the purchase used a cooperative purchasing contract allowed by the city charter and statewide cooperative procurement rules.

On the emergency medical services equipment, staff proposed selling five older ZOLL monitors and buying three used LifePak 15 monitors to place on command vehicles. Staff said the trade-in produced a small credit and that the LifePak 15s remain supported with parts and service. The council approved the transaction as presented.

Council also authorized staff to submit a Fiscal Year 2026 criminal-justice grant application to the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, for $1,424,179 and named the city manager as the city’s official representative for the application. Staff said the request includes funding for a records-management/CAD (RMS/CAD) system and three patrol vehicles; they told the council they expect to aim for a system in the roughly $300,000 range but had placed a larger figure in the application to avoid underfunding during grant negotiations. Several council members asked that staff not rely on the grant and to include a reasonable amount in the FY 2025–26 budget if the grant does not materialize.

Finally, the council voted to move the regularly scheduled March meeting from March 10 to March 11, 2025, to avoid a date conflict with the El Campo Volunteer Fire Department Oyster Supper.

Votes at a glance
- Consent: Approval of council regular meeting minutes (date in packet: Jan. 27, 2025) — motion and second recorded; outcome: approved.
- Resolution R2025-08: Award water-main upgrades (Town and Country neighborhood reconstruction, Phase 1) to Ramrod Utilities LLC, price listed $210,324.46; authorizes city manager to execute documents — outcome: approved.
- Resolution R2025-09: Authorize sale of five ZOLL X Series monitors and purchase of three refurbished LifePak 15 monitors (trade-in credit described by staff as approximately $1,235); authorizes the city manager to execute documents — outcome: approved.
- Resolution R2025-10: Authorize submission of FY2026 Criminal Justice Grant application to the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, for $1,424,179 and designate the city manager as official representative — outcome: approved.
- Administrative motion: Move regular council meeting from March 10, 2025, to March 11, 2025 — outcome: approved.

All items were presented by staff and passed by voice vote; the public transcript records “All in favor? Motion passes” for each approval but does not list a roll-call vote tally in the record.","El Campo City Council approved five consent and action items including awarding a water-main contract to Ramrod Utilities LLC, the trade-in and purchase of ambulance monitors, submission of a $1,424,179 criminal-justice grant application, approval of minutes, and a change to the March meeting date.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Police chief presents annual racial-profiling report; no complaints recorded under current chief

Council hears staff recommendation to issue debt for wastewater upgrades; debate over including public works facility

Council approves water-main contract, ambulance monitor trade, grant application and moves March meeting