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Aransas Pass council updates drought plan, approves budget amendment and renews emergency-service agreements
Summary
At the April 20 meeting the council approved an updated drought contingency ordinance consistent with San Patricio Municipal Water District and Corpus Christi plans, a fiscal-year 2025 budget amendment, extensions for debris-removal and crane-service agreements, and ordinance updates to aquatic center fees and park rules.
Aransas Pass — The Aransas Pass City Council on April 20, 2025, approved several administrative and policy items including an updated drought contingency plan, a fiscal-year 2025 budget amendment, one-year renewals of emergency-service agreements, and codified changes to fees and park rules.
Drought contingency plan The council adopted an ordinance updating the city’s drought contingency plan to align with changes made by the City of Corpus Christi and the San Patricio Municipal Water District, the city’s wholesale supplier. Brian Williams of the San Patricio Municipal Water District and other presenters told the council that combined lake levels in the Nueces Basin were near 17% and that, absent substantial watershed rainfall, the system could reach a water-emergency designation within months. The plan codifies staged restrictions on nonessential outdoor uses as lake levels decline, consistent with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements. The ordinance passed on voice vote.
Budget amendment Council approved a budget amendment ordinance for fiscal year 2025 to record donations and cover insurance claims, allocate funds for the aquatic center (for pool tarps tied to a Fourth of July fireworks event), finalize an $11,000 HOT allocation to the civic center concert, and permit a police vehicle purchase through federal forfeiture funds. City staff described the line-item transfers and donations; the ordinance passed by voice vote.
Contract renewals and memoranda The council renewed a one-year extension of the agreement with DRC Emergency Services for debris removal (no cost unless activated) and extended a memorandum of understanding with Bay LTD for crane services used to install and remove sea gates and rail gates for storm surge protection. Staff said deployments would be activated only in storms that require the services; both renewals passed on voice votes.
Ordinances: aquatic center and parks rules The council approved an ordinance increasing nonresident daily admission and season-pass rates for the Aransas Pass Aquatic Center and amended the city code to adopt general park rules and hours. Council clarified that Harbor Pointe Park would retain an exception so that no hourly restriction applies to its fishing pier (allowing fishing outside the standard park hours); the parks ordinance passed as amended.
Consent and minutes The council approved minutes for the April 2 special meeting and April 7 regular meeting as part of the consent agenda.
Why this matters: The drought contingency ordinance affects household and commercial outdoor water use as the region’s water-supply indicators change; the budget amendment adjusts spending and records donations and insurance reimbursements; contract renewals keep emergency-response options available; and the ordinance changes affect user fees and park operations.
Ending: Council members approved the items by voice vote; staff will implement changes and follow up on budgetary and reporting requirements as recorded in the adopted ordinances.
