Several residents used the public-comment period to urge the Freeport City Council to step up code enforcement and address service problems.

Margaret McMahan, who said she lives at 1330 W. Eighth Street, urged the council to staff police and code enforcement so they can be “proactive versus reactive.” She told the council the four-way stop installed at Eighth and Pecan has made the intersection more dangerous, that school pickup traffic backs up from School Circle Drive down Pecan to Fourth Street and that drivers now run stop signs and cut in line. “Could there be a variance considered to install speed bumps on a street in Pecan in lieu of stop signs so traffic could flow and speed be controlled?” McMahan asked. She also described repeated loud, extended fireworks near Freeport Elementary and said casings were found in her yard the next day.

Sam Reyna, who said he lives at 2002 North Avenue G, urged enforcement of property-maintenance ordinances and complained AmeriWaste was failing to pick up heavy trash and bulky waste on the contracted schedule. Reyna cited “Page 6, section 4” of the contractor agreement as requiring monthly heavy-trash pickup in four zones and said collections were missed in Ward C. He asked the council to consider terminating the seven-year contract with AmeriWaste and said he had begun steps he expected would lead to a different contractor within a year.

Another resident, who identified herself as Rosa, said the community has low civic representation and raised broader concerns about petrochemical facilities and alleged LNG leaks since 2022. She urged the council to act on health and safety for residents and questioned the city’s legal representation, saying concerns date to 2012–2013.

Council did not take action during public comment, but the remarks were followed by council and staff discussion on ordinance inspections and contract compliance in later agenda items.