[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,76,88,99],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6254884,"mediaKeyId","3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60","parentId",3168697,"title","Former city auditor and residents press council on audit independence, transparency","audioSeconds",245,"startMs",1300000,"endMs",1545000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60&start=1300&end=1545","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60/thumbnail_1300000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6254884/Texas/Former-city-auditor-and-residents-press-council-on-audit-independence-transparency","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254884-aff021e783d64b4ccb69c292eefe7505/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170268&Signature=HWL3RPrjkQc-8-Ds-Yax~TWBkxmMmbNdLH7YBSdcjJ3BquK17kbKw9A4CR-uFefs6wWxetP62FDN0uFWtfuJhOENk-gjVDpekzwDQstEw8Vbd5FHbozPTkTXeyN9i0jjwoRRNxbq2tdJo5-kD~~UZPC9wvq1L60YU7d6KXTCzgqakkxld68vTwWv66MEgJoZ6L7eeAOjhkSzy~lxH8e8-9Tma3EjRt1hRXG4AIrbitvTwi9cwlovDVCN8XL8BL4U9j71CIoOb4CeYDS-lAFlbgRDPdbIOAuJRn1HKhOVD-YcKPQYjlJx-nOG-ZqVpkK29oCJ3yPQ~DrHIqScLj0cqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Corpus Christi TX","date","2025-05-01T16:43:07.913Z","article","Several speakers used the public-comment period to press the City Council on internal audit independence and transparency.

Steve Klepper, who identified himself as a former city auditor and District 2 resident, said the agenda memo for the annual audit plan (item 22) included a line that the plan was postponed by “leadership” and that the delay raised questions about organizational independence. Klepper said past auditors had short tenures and argued that organizational independence requires enabling the auditor to work without fear of retribution. “The underlying issue is independence,” Klepper said.

City Manager Peter Zanoni responded from the dais saying neither he nor the city’s deputy or assistant managers had removed the audit plan from the agenda and that the auditor reports to the mayor and council. “No one on the Fifth Floor had anything to do with the memo, nor have we withheld an agenda item relative to the audit,” Zanoni said.

Klepper urged council members to ask whether the organization sufficiently enables the auditor and staff to do their work without fear. Council members did not act on the remark at the time but the exchange framed later items and public expectations about audit scheduling and transparency.

The exchange also included a public explanation of the council’s public-comment and decorum rules by City Attorney Miles Risley before comments began.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Corpus Christi | City Council Meeting April 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During public comment a former city auditor and others urged the City Council to ensure the internal auditor’s independence after a delayed annual audit plan and questioned whether 'leadership' had withheld agenda items; city management denied involvement and said the auditor reports to council.","taxTitle","City Council, Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas","taxId",77669,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6254889,"City presents FY 2026 general-fund forecast showing $7 million gap; council to set budget goals next week",176,18024000,18200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60&start=18024&end=18200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60/thumbnail_18024000.jpg","/articles/6254889/Texas/City-presents-FY-2026-general-fund-forecast-showing-7-million-gap-council-to-set-budget-goals-next-week","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254889-56ca5ec1a569fc46e4b3c1318f262162/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170268&Signature=XbCqxk2pEXSAIHC02Fsr46iVhlkqebCy5gUqlZUdzYlV4bhL7SyWx9-rYkqprG9-54RhdGlT7QOp9DdeofeKR2WPpFQZgg3Ar6Yt~dXXpchQEBGIzcM6P-TyFlhMn1bpyZsn37BFrW-mWSdTFdH14XbhwoxYu8ixWrC2UfDf7u7dHa3RlHilPdECkq~YfoCaqXmW-dZk2lypcjGRw6BnQsM1qLzGm0Wley4e1pydn54hELpzoPlNw5tLPS9h0z~~OCA2Rt05OtWiO7baOsPAqM2ER7JgHlPE98-Sun5H7WMyl2R2NXZN1bq5pq4jPTyZ0BjLW3YVXUM~CCwO4pSitQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance staff presented a financial forecast for the FY 2026 general fund that shows an anticipated gap of roughly $7 million between projected revenues and the 20% reserve requirement.

Amy (last name not provided), director of budget and performance (presentation delivered by finance staff), told the council the forecast assumes 0.5% growth in existing property valuations and 2% growth from new property values for an overall 2.5% property-tax revenue increase in FY 2026. Staff also noted prior policy changes — a larger homestead exemption and related adjustments adopted in FY 2025 — reduced property-tax revenue by approximately $12 million compared with prior baseline assumptions.

Staff listed several assumptions built into the forecast: no additional transfers from the general fund to streets beyond previously planned amounts; continuation of collective-bargaining agreements for police (year three of a four-year agreement, roughly $900,000) and fire (year two of a four-year agreement, roughly $1.5 million); a placeholder of $2 million for a 3% average performance-pay pool; increased health-benefit contributions after FY 2025 drew down the health fund balance (roughly $13 million); and a 10% placeholder for commodities/equipment increases (about $1.5 million in the general fund forecast).

Under those assumptions staff estimated FY 2026 general-fund revenues of about $341.5 million and expenditures of about $351.7 million, leaving an ending fund balance that would be roughly $7 million below the city’s 20% policy reserve requirement. Staff emphasized the gap results from a combination of slowed revenue growth (notably flat sales-tax outlook) and built-in cost increases.

Council members asked about next steps. Staff said they began working with departments earlier in the year to identify efficiencies and asked departmental leaders to examine possible 10% adjustments to their FY 2025 budgets as a planning exercise. Council scheduled a budget-goal-setting session for May 8 and staff said the administration will provide departmental reduction ideas, potential fee adjustments and other revenue options before the July budget proposal.

Mayor Paulette Guajardo and other council members asked for additional detail on debt-service obligations and how recent or proposed state legislation (notably HB 19-related proposals) could affect capital borrowing and debt capacity; staff said debt-service and bond impacts will be included in next week’s goal-setting discussion.

Staff emphasized the budget process will continue through July, with department presentations, refinement of assumptions and further council direction before the formal proposed budget is released.","Finance staff briefed council on the FY 2026 general-fund forecast showing an expected $7 million shortfall between revenues and the 20% reserve requirement; Council scheduled goal-setting for next week and directed staff to pursue department efficiencies and potential revenue adjustments.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6254893,"Council awards Greenwood plant construction contract and accepts $15M GLO resiliency grant",0,17562000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60&start=17562&end=17562","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60/thumbnail_17562000.jpg","/articles/6254893/Texas/Council-awards-Greenwood-plant-construction-contract-and-accepts-15M-GLO-resiliency-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254893-83e1fcf255272a4f54d225af8c2533af/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170268&Signature=hVLbFkdFDVPWjQQ8TL2eVOZEzgOsekpVV5yUNpzBRsM3iba9llVKgiKJMzV-CvhCRXhOxPjSgBhjg-QOZfHSoJv8xf17pwuaCDJyRqoHCa90QD1JVM-ZtH5Y~60nUfpLhU9qMu2j8UOVp5~fOQ7iLzay6mYifvf8ku77lLDCXlJM~V4PnNbvFd-M06dyZzD1~oO-wcBKgUimAQLs9WmE46J3ihH0e2BUaqOFN1owliz9huRBvSA-NDD8jM1Azwt9wMGS5rEe9V1SkI11x20WrO716b2rAmNeOwsOE4RWfpCQI1oUrS1wuBaPZDqT3JerdOhpV2WRRkTh388TtajK1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council approved a construction contract for major upgrades at the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant and accepted a $15,000,000 grant from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to improve operational resiliency at the Greenwood and Oso wastewater treatment plants.

Jeff Edmonds, director of engineering services, explained the contract award process and told council members staff had flagged bid irregularities with the low bidder. Edmonds said the low bidder did not strictly meet the city’s five-year-in-business preference, but that a subsequent administrative review documented the firm’s experienced personnel and financial capacity and that awarding the contract to the low bidder produced significant savings versus the next bidder. City management recommended awarding the contract and asking council to waive procedural irregularities; legal staff recommended council action to reduce litigation risk.

Wesley Nevigan, director of water systems infrastructure, said the Greenwood upgrades move the plant from anaerobic to aerobic treatment processes — a change he said should reduce odors that have affected nearby neighborhoods. Nevigan also said the GLO grant is targeted primarily at flood mitigation (lifting or protecting pump rooms, flood proofing influent/effluent areas) and adding on-site power generation to keep plants operating during storms.

Nevigan told council the Greenwood treatment improvements (a separate capital project discussed elsewhere on the agenda) are expected to take multiple years; he also said engineers hope to convert process trains to aerobic operation “about a year into the project,” accelerating odor mitigation for nearby residents.

Councilmember questions focused on project timing and the relationship between the GLO grant and the larger Greenwood treatment project. Nevigan said the $15 million GLO award will fund flood-mitigation and standby-power items and is complementary to — not duplicative of — planned treatment-process improvements that are part of a larger, separately budgeted project expected to cost in the tens of millions of dollars.

Edmonds and city staff said the contract award to the selected contractor (RAVA Construction) was legally defensible after the administrative review; the council voted to approve the contract award and the related resolution waiving irregularities and accepting the GLO grant.

Council members asked staff to provide an account of work completed under the federal consent decree and the status of outstanding obligations; staff agreed to provide the breakdown.

The measures passed by council will move forward to procurement and construction planning; staff said timelines and phasing details would be returned to council in coming weeks.","The City Council approved a construction contract for upgrades at the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant and accepted a roughly $15 million Texas General Land Office (GLO) grant to improve flood resilience and emergency power at Greenwood and Oso plants.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6254898,"City Council approves $8.5 million wastewater maintenance facility at Greenwood",4172,3128000,7300000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60&start=3128&end=7300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168697-0d79ead0749cf32e0344098094307b60/thumbnail_3128000.jpg","/articles/6254898/Texas/City-Council-approves-85-million-wastewater-maintenance-facility-at-Greenwood","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254898-71030e8beb32c959f9283fa90b782435/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170268&Signature=PhwtAz6FMGNHtSHFvIJAQxbw8rZ7fUur1UYfsHGJwdbaTrp~k9ducB9wZaSf~PPfS-RW~TL89RPMdQf8s4xe2mCjhWu9jF44IulJLK4q4fP-MPaH1Zb-HawieVe5IITMCpZ8TJlbOv-c4z-YrAFweufX5EbMYqGwyRpTpny-EJy692ONvLLGUCuXGkF7NvxdvW5pGWFHrxDGSld8mqOL-z0RyT-BQLge2KmZw3xORZCIdzKf3o0zaVCAiPJ8QfjFVkSX6DlcDG5qJq8lQzsHHtgCtF5lEiMqebUzdJl3gAJwOoCfe4gasoDaJT0kpmOY~g19oBbJnG75nIwxlK1Dew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council approved a construction contract for a new wastewater maintenance building at the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant after a lengthy discussion about cost and timing.

The vote came after Public Works staff and the water systems infrastructure director, Wesley Nevigan, told council members the 16,218-square-foot facility would centralize storage for pumps, blowers and spare parts, provide two equipment bays and climate-controlled workshop and training space, and support the city’s preventive maintenance program for wastewater assets.

Nevigan said pumps and blowers are now stored outdoors or scattered across sites and that the facility will allow crews to “self perform a lot of the electrical work” and do more fabrication, welding and PLC/panel work in-house. He said the department has about 51 employees who will use the facility and that current space is roughly 5,000 square feet. “This facility will help protect our employees and provide them with the proper instruction and training they need to do their job,” Nevigan said.

Council members pressed staff on cost, alternative leasing options and budget impacts. Nevigan and city staff said the total project budget is $8.5 million, of which about $6 million had already been encumbered in the CIP; the current request adds about $2.5 million that would be financed and reflected in future wastewater rates. Nevigan stated the incremental rate impact to an average residential customer is about 3 cents per year.

City manager Peter Zanoni said the project is part of the city’s long-term capital improvement plan and stressed the importance of investing in facilities that retain skilled employees and protect infrastructure. “If we had to pin it on one thing, it’s about the people,” Zanoni said, adding that employees need decent, safe places to work.

Opponents on council called the timing poor given other capital needs and suggested leasing an existing building, while supporters cited preventative-maintenance benefits, cost savings from in-house work and long-term asset protection. Council members also noted the project had appeared in the CIP for about three years, and that competitive bids returned a lower price than the engineer’s estimate.

After discussion the council voted to approve the contract award to Barcom Construction and move forward with the project.

The project will be funded from wastewater revenue bonds and the wastewater operating fund; staff said debt proceeds for the $2.5 million portion were required only if the council approved construction. Staff estimated the building would take just over a year to construct.

Council members asked staff to continue reporting on cost-control options and possible design alternatives; staff said the project design already focused on a simple tilt-wall concrete structure and that built-in features — such as an overhead crane for heavy pumps and climate control for electrical work — make leasing existing buildings difficult without heavy retrofits.","The City Council approved an $8.5 million construction contract and related funding for a new wastewater maintenance building at the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant after extended debate about cost, timing and alternatives; staff said the project centralizes equipment, improves preventive maintenance and adds training and safety space.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Former city auditor and residents press council on audit independence, transparency

City presents FY 2026 general-fund forecast showing $7 million gap; council to set budget goals next week

Council awards Greenwood plant construction contract and accepts $15M GLO resiliency grant

City Council approves $8.5 million wastewater maintenance facility at Greenwood