Acting economic development director outlines staffing moves, $58M overpass and downtown grant for courthouse rehab

Maria (Tina) Nestina Rodriguez, the city’s acting economic development director, told the Economic Development Committee that she is filling staff vacancies and advancing several downtown projects, including an estimated $58 million federal grant for a downtown overpass and a separate Southwest Border Regional Commission grant to renovate courthouse space for small-business support.

Rodriguez introduced herself at the meeting, saying she began in the acting director role in December 2025 and also continues as community development director. She described an active hiring effort to replace vacant coordinator and specialist positions and named several staff moves: Haime Ortiz is transitioning back to an economic development manager role, Amanda serves as business development administrator and Ari Garcia as administrative assistant, and a new grant coordinator has already joined the department.

Rodriguez said the city has been selected for a major federal transportation award and that the project—described as a downtown overpass in the Santa Maria area—received an award she estimated at about $58 million. She said that award will require design and reporting work and that staff will provide updates as the project advances.

On downtown revitalization efforts, Rodriguez said the city has held virtual meetings with a TXP consultant who is completing feasibility work on two targeted revitalization zones (TRZ), one in Quatroentos and one in North Laredo, and will convene stakeholder meetings. The consultant will also revisit a previously approved Majestic project that has not been executed.

Rodriguez announced the city won a grant from the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SPRC) to rehab a city-owned dilapidated property and use part of the first floor of the Matamoros courthouse for program space. She described the SPRC award and a required local match: in the meeting transcript she said the SPRC portion was about $664,890 and the city match about $133,000, producing a total investment near $700,000; those figures were stated by staff during the update and recorded as approximations in the discussion.

The courthouse rehab is planned to serve as a small-business incubator and technical-assistance site. Rodriguez said programmatic funds in the award would support a nonprofit partner (referred to in the meeting as Mile One) to deliver training, incubator space and technical assistance; staff also noted that minor ADA upgrades (including a restroom) will be required before community programming can begin.

Committee members pressed staff on process and timing: they discussed whether a vacant-building ordinance is necessary given existing enforcement mechanisms for substandard buildings and were told council rescinded a previous vacant-building ordinance and asked staff to continue community outreach before drafting a new approach. Rodriguez said another town hall is planned to continue the conversation and staff will circulate a schedule.

Administrative items included a staff reminder that city guidance now requires a physical quorum for formal votes (virtual participation allows discussion but not voting), clarification that some committee changes (for example, recognizing a resignation) also require city council action, and that three consecutive absences can lead to removal per city policy.

The meeting, limited to announcements because a physical quorum was not present, ended after a motion to adjourn was moved and seconded and the chair called the vote. The committee will receive revisions to the previous meeting’s minutes and additional project updates at a future session.