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Council issues proclamations and employee recognitions; communications team and outgoing assistant city manager honored
Summary
The council recognized Townsquare Media with a monthly beautification award, proclaimed July Parks and Recreation Month, noted statewide communications awards for the city's communications department, and heard farewell remarks for Assistant City Manager Derek Farrell.
The council opened the meeting with several recognitions and a proclamation.
Townsquare Media received the July Beautification Award for maintaining attractive public planting beds at its North Star Drive location. Melissa Rivera, market president, and Alex Salinas accepted the recognition and thanked city staff. Rivera said the company supports local events and announced a Crossroads Barbecue and Brew Music Festival scheduled for Nov. 8 in downtown Victoria.
Council proclaimed July 2025 as Parks and Recreation Month, citing national recognition and the local benefits of parks and recreation for physical and mental health. Elijah Ramos, recreation coordinator, accepted the proclamation on behalf of the parks department.
City Manager Jesus Garza recognized the communications department for earning two statewide awards from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers for multimedia productions, including the city podcast Town Talk and a bicentennial trailer. Garza also recognized Danielle Williams, economic development director, for receiving the Barney L. Knight Texas CPM scholarship to the Certified Public Manager program at Texas State University; staff said Williams is scheduled to complete the program in spring 2026.
Garza announced that Assistant City Manager Derek Farrell will leave the city this month to become associate professor of the practice and hold the Randy Sims endowed chair for the city and county governance program at the Bush School at Texas A&M. Farrell spoke to the council, calling his five-and-a-half years with the city "a home to us" and expressing appreciation for the staff and community. Garza described Farrell as his "number 2" and praised his work on the broadband initiative and the public-safety headquarters project.
No formal council action was required for the recognitions and proclamation; the council recessed to the remaining agenda.
