The City of Edinburg is among the top 20 finalists for the All-America City Award, Mayor Richard Molina announced Wednesday morning.
“After 19 years, guess what? It’s time to win it again,” Molina said during a news conference.
Of the 20 nationwide finalists, only 10 will receive the All-America City Award.
Three projects are now being prepared as a presentation, according to City Manager Juan Guerra.
A presentation is being prepared for review by the National Civic League in June in Denver, Colo.
It will consist of three projects: the Edinburg All-America City David Chavana 10K Run/Walk, cultural festivals and 10 drainage projects.
The National Civic League is a nonprofit organization that recognizes “communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues,” according to its website.
“We feel very confident that we are going to bring home our fourth All-America City title,” Molina said. “This is Edinburg, and something good is happening here.”
The city previously won the award in 1968, 1995 and 2000.
At noon, the Edinburg City Council approved an amnesty program to waive fines and court costs for failure-to-appear citation during a special meeting.
“During an amnesty program they can come in here and, if they pay in full, then the failure-to-appear charge will be waived,” Court Administrator Celine Prado told The Rider.
The charge includes the fee and the warrant under the person’s name.
The amnesty program is valid for residents who have a failure-to-appear charge for a Class C violation from Jan. 16, 1999, through March of this year, according to Prado and the meeting’s agenda.
In other business, councilmembers:
–approved the purchase of a new backhoe loader through BuyBoard, a cooperative purchasing entity in the state of Texas, from Doggett Heavy Machinery Services of San Juan in the amount of $105,897;
–approved the purchase of a new motor grader from Doggett Heavy Machinery Services in the amount of $252,839;
–awarded Bid No. 2019-62: Firefighting and Rescue Materials to Casco Industries Inc. in the amount of $31,231;
–authorized the city manager to execute an interlocal agreement between the City of Pharr and the City of Edinburg for a trunked radio system.
–and authorized Guerra to negotiate and enter into a Chapter 380 Agreement between the City of Edinburg and Domain Development Corp.
Domain Development Corp. is proposing to build an 80 single-family residential homes and commercial lots in a subdivision near the corner of West Canton and South McColl roads.
City staff recommended approving the agenda item, stating that according to the Data and Information Systems Center at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, “the development will support the creation of 427 jobs, generate $13.5 million in labor income, add $25.7 million to the Texas Gross Domestic Product, and create $2.1 million in state and local taxes for a total economic output of $55.2 million on the city economy.”
“The 380 Agreement proposes certain development incentives that include money for infrastructure paid in recognition of the positive benefits which will accrue to the city through development of land,” according to the agenda documents.
The proposal would reimburse the developer up to $206,778.48 that it spends on off-site sewer improvements and street construction.
“I don’t like the justification of spending taxpayer money based on studies that can be manipulated to get to the information, or results, that that particular entity wants,” Councilmember Gilbert Enriquez said. “It insults my intelligence, and I think it insults the taxpayers’ intelligence when that is the only justification being realized.”
After about a 20-minute discussion on the item, Molina called for a vote. Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres and Councilmember Jorge Salinas voted in favor of the item. Enriquez and Councilmember Homer Jasso Jr. cast the “nay” votes. To break the tie, Molina voted in favor.
