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Council tables Hidden Heroes phase 3 interlocal agreement, approves related plat
Summary
Pecos council tabled authorization of an interlocal agreement for the Hidden Heroes phase 3 townhomes after staff flagged legal concerns and recommended further attorney review; the council separately approved the subdivision plat for the townhomes and transferred related land to the EDC.
A council member urged civility and recommended that a councilmember abstain from votes tied to the Hidden Heroes phase 3 project, and the City opened discussion on the interlocal agreement before pausing it for legal review.
Assistant City Manager Nicole Alete Finini told the council that, after consulting legal counsel, “there are a number of concerns that remain around the structure of Hidden Heroes phase 3 and how that will reflect on the interlocal agreement and the responsibilities of the town of Pecos.” She recommended more time for staff and attorneys to resolve procurement, contracting and management questions before the city signs any interlocal agreement.
Finini also publicly praised the construction contractor’s cooperation: “Silver Fox Construction has been incredibly transparent and cooperative with us and frankly is the sole reason that we have been able to move as far as we have on this project,” she said. Council discussion noted overlapping issues including procurement authority, spending and closeout responsibilities; staff said those issues should be resolved in consultation with the other entities’ attorneys before the council acts.
While the interlocal agreement was tabled by motion, council approved the final plat for the Hidden Heroes townhomes at 2400 South Arizona Street, after staff reported the plat complied with local ordinances and that planning, fire and engineering reviews confirmed emergency access and clearances. Councilwoman Trillo moved to approve the plat; Councilman Arona seconded, and the motion carried.
Separately, in public comment several residents urged the council to reinstate City Manager Charles Leno and criticized recent public meetings as unprofessional; Kenneth Winkles told the council he hoped the body would “reverse your May 28th decision” regarding the city manager. The council did not reverse the May action during this meeting.
Next steps: staff will return with detailed legal findings and a revised interlocal agreement for council consideration; the plat approval allows site work and addressing permitting steps to proceed for the townhomes.
