Reprint from the Progress Times - February 16, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Bids Being Requested For Anzalduas Bridge Project

By Kathy Olivarez

Mayor Beto Salinas announced at the Monday, February 12, Mission City Council meeting that bids are currently being requested for construction of the Anzalduas Bridge on Shary Road. First advertisement for the project was on February 11 and the second ad will be on February 18. A pre-bid conference will be on February 20 at 10 a.m. in the Commissioner’s Room at Mission City Hall.

The bid opening will occur on March 21 at 4 p.m. at Mission City Hall in the Commissioner’s Room. Contractors are expected to hold their bids until May 7, 2007.

Salinas said he estimated the bridge should be open for use by the end of 2009.

In other action, the council approved the 2006-2007 audit by Long Chilton, LLP. Auditor Ruben Moreno said the city had a clean audit with no findings.

In 2006, the city had net assets of $132,510,485 and capital assets of related debt amounting to $118,149,766. Unrestricted net assets were $11,078,371 while restricted assets were $3,282,348.

In 2006, governmental activities showed expenditures of $34,170,176 while program revenues were $15,582,131, a deficit of $18,588,045. General revenues (taxes) and transfers amounted to $25,600,198 for a change in net assets of $7,012,153.

Business activities showed expenditures of $16,200,480 while program revenues were $25,412,030 for a balance of $9,211,550.

General revenues and transfers out were $286,884 for a change in net assets of $8,924,666.

General operating fund revenues were $26,254,738 while other expenditures amounted to $23,851,545. Other financing sources amounted to a deficit of $3,270,743, resulting in a drop in negative fund balance of $767,550.

General operating funds showed reserved funds of $107,877 and unreserved funds of $4,341,125 for a total of $4,449,002.

Debt service revenues and transfers amounted to $2,694,140 while expenditures were $2,542,983. The beginning fund balance was $581,562. There was an increase in fund balance of $151,157 resulting in an ending fund balance of $732,719.

Utility operating revenues were $14,881,123, with operating expenses of $10,240,646 leaving a fund balance of $3,640,477. Other transfers amounted to $4,160,100 for a change in net assets of $8,800,577, leaving fund net assets as of September 30 of $56,620,289.

The Golf Fund had operating revenues of $1,028,245 and operating expenditures of $1,277,748 - a deficit of $239,503. Other transfers amounted to $250,542 while the change in net assets amounted to $11,039. Fund net assets as of September 30 were $2,069,201.

The Solid Wastes Fund showed operating revenues of $3,570,633 and operating expenditures of $3,552,159 for a favorable balance of $18,272. Transfers amounted to $8,754 while the change in assets amounted to $27,228. Net assets amounted to $277,378 as of September 30, 2006.

After discussion, the council voted to abandon a portion of 30-foot street right-of-way north of lot three, Conway Gardens Subdivision, as requested by Attorney Louis Brown. Strips of the right-of-way to the east and west were already abandoned but that portion was left open for use by garbage trucks moving from Miller to Doherty Streets.

However, the council was told the strip was not being used and the city was not maintaining it. Property owner Lynn Jones has been maintaining it and he wants to fence it.

City staff wanted the request denied because dead-end alleys are against city code. Mayor Salinas took the opposite position, saying if the city is not maintaining the site and it is not being used, the adjacent property owner should be able to use the site.

Rezoning of 4.271 acres of lot 18-11, West Addition to Sharyland, from R-1 to C-3 was remanded to the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) after residents of Southern Oasis showed up in force to object to the planned C-3 zoning the site is 600 feet east of Bryan Road along the south side of First Street. It is adjacent to the backside of Southern Oasis Subdivision.

In 2004 a C-1, which is for office use, was denied because it might interfere with the peace of established retirement neighborhoods. C-3 would allow a commercial higher use than offices.

A representative said the developer was willing to create a buffer between commercial area and residential areas.

Salinas suggested a green zone buffer be created and suggested that offices (C-1) might be a more favorable zoning that was acceptable to the residential neighborhood. Some of the residents agreed.

The mayor invited them to send a representative group to his office to discuss the matter, adding the city will not approve anything residents do not want. However, he said that they needed to realize the property owner had a right to develop his property and that residential was not likely in that location with commercial on both sides of the road to the west. Once the matter is worked out it must be approved by P&Z before coming back to the council.

A conditional use permit was approved for a portable building on commercially zoned property at 800 East First Street, lots 88 and 89 of Mayberry Plaza Unit 3 subdivision. The current portable building used for sale of tacos will be replaced with a smaller unit creating an extra parking place.

A conditional use permit for sale of alcoholic beverages at Alcatraces Ballroom, 507 Conway, was approved.

A conditional use permit to allow a site-built home on lot 15, block seven, Valley View Estates Citrus Grove Subdivision was approved. The site is between Glasscock Road and Ragland Road along the south side of Amy Avenue.

A request to allow a swimming pool to encroach on a public easement that has no utilities was approved. The site is on lot seven, Sharyland Plantation Village, Caminos Real Subdivision. The applicant will use brick pavers over the encroachment in case there is a need for removal.

A similar by Neal Rozelle for a swimming pool encroaching on a public utility easement on lot 1141, Tanglewood Bentsen Palm Subdivision, was approved.

Councilman Leo Olivarez objected to the encroachment, saying that swimming pool builders should design pools that meet the requirements of the lot. The pool company representative told Olivarez if the council objected to the requested encroachments, it should send a letter to pool companies saying encroachments will not be approved and that pools should be designed to fit the space allowed.

Permission to temporarily fence in 32.7 feet of road right of way north of Big Orange Subdivision was approved as requested by Binky’s Day Care. When developer of adjacent property is ready to use the road, the fence will be removed.

Councilman Armando O’cana objected to a bid for water line maintenance supplies in the amount of $278,831.26 since there is a fund balance of only $111,476.

The council was told the bid is for an entire year and that the items will not all be purchased at one time. The overage would be budgeted in the next fiscal budget before the remaining items were purchased. By estimating the entire year’s needs at one time, the city is able to get better prices.

O’cana felt before the bid was approved, the entire amount should be in the budget. The matter was approved three to one.

The councilman also objected to a similar bid for cold-water meters where the total bid was $82,226 and current fund balances are $66,445 and $19,454. He felt the matter should not be approved if there is not enough money, but it passed three to one.

A $483,498.84 bid for meter connect supplies met with the same objection but the public works director assured the council the department would not order supplies it did not have money to pay for. The remaining items will be budgeted in the upcoming fiscal budget.

Authorization to purchase 10 2007 Ford Crown Victoria police interceptors via the buyboard was approved in the amount of $214,293.90. Three annual payments of $76,042.19 will be made.

The council approved Ordinance #3215 providing for a no parking zone on the west side of the 1300 and 1400 block of Circle Drive.

A request from Sharyland Independent School District to use the Sharyland Fire Substation for school elections was approved.

Maria Paula Banda was named deputy registrar for the City of Mission Vital Statistics Division.

Ordinances #3216, #3217, and #3218 granted wet area designations to sites at 2301 E. Griffin Parkway, Suite C, (Bob Starks Beef Shop); 2409 Highway 83 East, (the new H-E-B store); and 800 N. Schuerbach Road, (lot one, Sylvia’s Plaza). All permits are for off-premises consumption.

O’cana objected to a request to terminate a contract with Interface EAP and to engage Deer Oaks EAP Services for professional services and counseling.

Cris Duque told the council the new firm would charge less per employee per month and would offer a higher level of services. O’cana questioned whether the small saving was worth the change in service provider. After discussion the action was approved.

In a final action the council approved acceptance of a one-acre site out of lot 62, John H. Shary Subdivision, northwest corner of FM 1016 and Glasscock Road, Hunt Valley Development. The site will be used for a new fire station.

The council was told the city is eligible to apply for $750,000 in grants in state funds for schools to build sidewalks and provide traffic signals where needed. Duque said city staff will meet with representatives of Mission, Sharyland and La Joya to see what types of things are needed at schools within the Mission city limits.