Brownsville City Commission approves contracts, annexation and a billboard ban; public comments pressure police accountability and reproductive-access pilot

The Brownsville City Commission on April 15 approved a slate of contracts, an annexation and several ordinances and resolutions, and heard multiple public comments urging police accountability and expanded reproductive-health access.

The commission’s actions included awarding construction and infrastructure contracts, adopting a text amendment to the Unified Development Code to prohibit billboard advertising, approving a historic-preservation tax-exemption update, and annexing 7.43 acres for future warehousing. The meeting also included public comment from residents who said a police vehicle repeatedly parked at a fire hydrant, youth organizers seeking a pilot transportation program for reproductive-health appointments, and calls for better constituent communication from commissioners.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda: Items 1–11 and 14–20 — motion to approve carried by voice vote. - Item 12 (Villa Los Pinos drainage improvement): Award construction contract to RBM Contractors LLC (listed in agenda as RBM, A A Contractors LLC) for $6,647,397.40 as budgeted — motion carried. - Ordinance (UDC sign text amendment): Ordinance to amend the Unified Development Code (section 5.3) to prohibit billboards and to re-establish illumination/enforcement parameters — public hearing held and ordinance approved. - Ordinance (historic-preservation tax exemption): Readopted tax-exemption schedules A and B as the 2025 Historic Preservation Plan; staff reported Schedule A lists 198 properties; vote to approve carried. - Ordinance (annexation): Ordinance to annex 7.43 acres (petition of Raja Ranch LLC) into city limits…