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Eagle Pass council hears health unit briefing, directs stakeholder meeting on data and scope
Summary
Inspectors briefed the council on the city health unit’s limited regulatory role, reporting 221 registered food establishments and routine-inspection counts; council asked staff to convene local health stakeholders within a month to explore data collection and possible service expansion.
City health inspectors and staff briefed the Eagle Pass City Council on March 17 about the scope and operations of the city’s health unit, its statutory basis and the unit’s routine workload.
Mr. Castillo, introduced by staff as the unit’s inspector, described the unit as a limited local health authority created under the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 121, operating under the Community Development Department. He said the unit currently oversees 221 registered food establishments inside city limits and provided inspection and permit statistics: 2024 — 273 routine inspections, 14 complaints, 22 pre-open inspections, 119 permits issued; 2025 — 287 routine inspections, 22 complaints, 28 pre-open inspections, 139 permits issued; 2026 (year to date) — 35 routine inspections, 8 complaints, 3 pre-open inspections and 27 permits issued.
Mr. Castillo and staff detailed efforts to identify unregulated or home-based food operations through online monitoring. Since mid-2025 they flagged about 35 potential operations, the majority of which staff said are outside city limits; staff reported having addressed five cases to date. Inspections and follow-up are logged in spreadsheets, and staff said they use the Maverick County Appraisal District to confirm property ownership as part of investigations.
Council members pressed staff on possible service expansion and improved data access. Councilman Dave Diaz and other members suggested convening local health-care partners, seeking input from the Texas Department of State Health Services (staff mentioned reaching out to Dr. Ringtoorf) and developing a prioritized pathway for incremental expansion of services, emphasizing the city’s limited current authority and capacity.
Council directed staff to convene stakeholder engagement within the next month to develop a timeline and to pursue data-sharing options with the state that could improve local situational awareness for infectious-disease detection.
