Socorro City Council approves police–school MOU, sewer fee waiver and rezoning; ambulance update presented

Socorro City Council on April 3, 2025, approved a memorandum of understanding formalizing mass‑casualty coordination between the City of Socorro Police Department and the Socorro Independent School District police and took action on several infrastructure and land‑use items while receiving an update on local ambulance services.

The measures approved at the meeting — held at 6:04 p.m. — included a fee‑waiver and reimbursement agreement for a Lower Valley Water District sewer extension, rezoning of a Las Milpas parcel with limits on dwelling units, a local amendment to the city's building code on automatic sprinklers, and a proclamation designating April 2025 as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month.

The MOU with the district "solidifies" a previously informal agreement on how agencies will coordinate in the event of a mass‑casualty incident, Socorro Police Chief Robert Rojas said during the presentation, noting the first hours after an incident can produce confusion. Socorro Independent School District Police Chief George Johnson said the MOU formalizes protocols that agencies had previously handled by "gentleman's agreement" and reflects increased emphasis on school safety after the Uvalde incident.

Elite Medical Transport president Robert Campion gave the council a review of ambulance staffing and operations in Socorro. Campion said the company now staffs two dedicated ambulances for the city, added mobile intensive care in February 2023, and has integrated an air‑ambulance intercept program with regional air service. He told the council the change to limit responses with lights and sirens produced a response‑time difference of "under a minute and a half" while improving safety for crews and motorists. Campion also said the company has taken delivery of a new ambulance for Socorro and plans to keep the retiring unit in the area as a "hybrid" third ambulance to increase transport resources for far‑east facilities, "and no additional cost" to the city.

On infrastructure, the council approved a request from the Lower Valley Water District to waive a city excavation permit fee for a Bovee sewer extension serving five households, with the city to cover paving‑cut repairs up front and be reimbursed by the district. City Planner Lorraine Camito told council the excavation permit fee for the project had been calculated at $1,433.75 and the estimated paving‑cut repair cost at $2,425. The water district representative said the retail cost to extend sewer service to these residents would be about $340,000 if contracted out; doing the work in‑house reduces that estimate to roughly $80,000–$100,000.

Council amended and approved a rezoning request for Lot 11, Block 2, Las Milpas Addition (166 Tassie Way) to R‑2, medium‑density residential, with a condition limiting the lot to two dwelling units and barring accessory structures. Staff said the property is 9,060 square feet and that the applicant originally requested three units; neighbors opposed three units because of lot size and traffic concerns but indicated some would accept two. A homeowner who spoke, Heidi Arredondo, told the council she wanted to "preserve the neighborhood" and keep the site single‑family if possible.

On land‑use policy, the council adopted a local amendment to the City of Socorro Code of Ordinances to clarify application of the 2015 International Codes. Planner Camito said the amendment restores the city's original intent to exempt smaller residential projects from the International Residential Code's automatic sprinkler mandate (section R313) by extending the exemption to multifamily buildings with fewer than 10 units.

The council also proclaimed April 2025 as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month and directed that city buildings be illuminated in blue during April; the proclamation cites Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prevalence estimates. Administrative items approved included the consent agenda and authorization for newly elected municipal officials to attend the Texas Municipal League newly elected officials orientation in San Antonio in July.

Votes at a glance

- Memorandum of Understanding, City of Socorro Police Department and Socorro Independent School District Police Department: approved (motion and second; mayor signed the MOU at the meeting). - Lower Valley Water District excavation permit fee waiver and city coverage of paving cuts (with reimbursement agreement): approved (motion amended to include reimbursement clause; motion and second). - Rezoning, Lot 11, Block 2, Las Milpas Addition (166 Tassie Way) from R‑1 to R‑2 with condition limiting to two dwelling units and no accessory structures: approved (motion and second; P&Z had recommended approval with the same condition). - Amendment to Chapter 6, Building and Construction, Article 3 — local amendments to the 2015 building code, including sprinkler requirement clarification (IRC R313 exemption extension to multifamily under 10 units): adopted on second reading (motion and second). - Proclamation: April 2025 declared Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month; exterior city buildings to be illuminated in blue during April: approved (motion and second). - Consent agenda and administrative items (including authorization for city officials to attend TML orientation and deletion of agenda items 25–28): approved.

What's next

- The chief of police and SISD chief said the signed MOU establishes operational protocols; the mayor signed the document at the meeting. - Lower Valley Water District representatives said the five‑household extension is expected to be completed this year as crews and capital‑project schedules allow; larger follow‑on extensions are contingent on future funding and regulatory approvals.

The meeting lasted about 75 minutes and adjourned at approximately 7:19 p.m.