Del Rio council approves grants, ordinances and appointments; rejects non-responsive bids for Paul Poag Phase III (staff recommended)

The Del Rio City Council on March 10 approved a broad set of resolutions and ordinances covering economic development, public-safety grants, procurement steps and infrastructure planning.

Key votes recorded in the meeting minutes included: • Appointments to the Del Rio Main Street Program (R:2026-010), approved unanimously. • Reclassification of Operations and Compliance Manager to Operations and Compliance Director and confirmation of Scot Carcasi (R:2026-015), approved after returning from executive session. • Authorization for the City Manager to sign a Municipal Maintenance Agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (R:2026-006), approved unanimously. • Adoption of the Val Verde County 2025 Hazard Mitigation Action Plan (R:2026-019), approved unanimously. • Approval of an agreement with Restore Air Service Coalition (R:2026-020) and several grant-related approvals (R:2026-021 Texans Feeding Texans home-delivered meals; R:2026-022 Operation Stone Garden). Recorded votes on these items were unanimous. • Approval of administrative procurement steps, including RFAs/RFQs for bank depository services (R:2026-023), architectural services for City Hall remodeling (R:2026-024), and grant-writing services for the Economic Development Corporation (R:2026-025). • A resolution authorizing Supplemental Agreement No.4 with R.R.P. Consulting Engineers for an environmental study on the Tobusch Fishhook Cactus related to the Second International Bridge project (R:2026-027) passed with two votes opposed (Councilmen James DeReus and Randy Quinones). • Multiple ordinances were passed, including use of Hotel Occupancy Tax funds up to $10,000 for ARA Promotions’ Border Classic Cookoff/Team Roping (O:2026-011), ratification of Texans Feeding Texans grant acceptance (O:2026-007), assignment and addendum to natural gas purchase/supply contracts to Howard Midstream Energy Partners (O:2026-008 and O:2026-010), and ratification of the Operation Stone Garden grant award (O:2026-009). Recorded votes were unanimous where noted.

On the Paul Poag Theatre Rehabilitation Project Phase III, staff and Able City reported discrepancies in all three bids received: omissions, alternate-bid math treated inconsistently, missing affidavits and missing required copies. Able City recommended rejecting all bids and re-advertising the project so bidders could resubmit complete proposals. The staff packet and Able City letter documenting those findings and the recommendation appear in the meeting materials; the minutes record the recommendation and the need to re-advertise, but do not contain the final council roll-call vote on the rejection in the text provided.

Practical details recorded in the agenda and packet: • A proposed one-year lease with a one-year optional renewal for 500 square feet at the San Felipe Springs Event Center for the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was presented with a proposed monthly rent of $250; staff noted a longer-term lease would trigger competitive-bidding requirements. • The city’s contract with Volaire Aviation, Inc. was presented for the first of four one-year optional renewals; the consultant retainer is $3,000 per month ($36,000 per year) per the contract in the packet. • Assistant Finance Director Roxy Soto reported wastewater project funding needs including $2,857,189 for Oxidation Ditch No. 1 and $22,062,437 related to wastewater projects; staff recommended Certificates of Obligation as a financing option.

The consent agenda — minutes and financial reports — passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 11:41 p.m.