Eagle Pass council tells federal board it will not enter MOU with Puerto Verde and ends solicitation for independent study
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Summary
After hours of public comment, the Eagle Pass City Council voted April 7 to tell the Surface Transportation Board the city will not enter a memorandum of understanding with Puerto Verde Holdings on the proposed Puerto Verde/Green Eagle rail-and-bridge project and to stop soliciting an independent feasibility study.
The Eagle Pass City Council voted April 7 to notify the Surface Transportation Board that the city will not enter a memorandum of understanding with Puerto Verde Holdings concerning the proposed Puerto Verde/Green Eagle railroad and global trade bridge.
The action followed nearly an hour of public comment from residents and local advocates who urged council members to oppose the project. Sandy Susano, a leader with the Border Organization, told the council the city had previously said negotiations were “off the table” and asked officials to authorize filing a response with the STB stating the city is “adamantly opposed” to the project because of its potential financial impact on residents.
“Growth requires certainty, not sound bites,” Susano said, urging a clear, public stance. Jose Alonso Corpus, a volunteer board member with the EcoPath Water Coalition, said federal regulators had asked for more information about competition, cost and environmental impacts and recommended the city hire an independent economist to analyze local fiscal effects.
City staff briefed the council that on March 23 Clark Hill (representing Green Eagle Railroad LLC) submitted a letter to the Surface Transportation Board that included language suggesting the city ‘resents the city's prior objections’ and that Puerto Verde expected to finalize a memorandum of understanding. Staff also told council members the solicitation for an independent study had closed with no proposals.
“We did not receive any proposals from any consultants that would like to undertake that project,” a city staff member said, noting the council must decide whether to re-solicit, end the process, or clarify its position to the STB before the April 10 filing deadline.
Council members debated whether the letter's language required a neutral clarification (stating the city had not entered into an MOU), an explicit rejection, or a formal declaration that the city will not enter an MOU. After amendments, a motion passed instructing staff to respond to the STB that Eagle Pass will not enter a memorandum of understanding with Puerto Verde Holdings regarding the proposed Global Trade Bridge and that the city will not continue soliciting an independent study related to Puerto Verde.
Public commenters warned of possible environmental, traffic and fiscal harms if the project proceeds, and some residents demanded greater transparency about private meetings. Erlietta Diaz accused mayoral staff of meeting privately with six people about the proposal; a heated exchange with the mayor interrupted her remarks before time expired.
The council’s action does not itself prohibit Puerto Verde or the STB from advancing federal proceedings; it records the city’s stated position. City staff said the response will be filed by the STB deadline and noted the city remains responsible for coordinating related internal policy steps.
The council took the vote during a special meeting that also addressed several other municipal items and proclamations. Council members did not provide a recorded roll-call tally in the public transcript beyond the mayor’s announcement that the motion passed.
