Thursday, June 13, 2019

Notes and links to video Presidio County Commissioners Court Meeting June 12, 2019, 9:30 AM

I am still getting acquainted with the camera and sources of power within the courthouse and the Presidio courthouse Annex. I learned this meeting not to sit near the copier or door and to bring a long extension cord.

All the videos from this and other meetings (2 so far) can be viewed HERE
Scroll to the bottom of these notes for individual links to the video segments for this meeting.

The video begins with a bad camera angle. Later it gets much better.
The most interesting part of the video is the Hwy 67 overview presented by Kleinmann consultants. I recommend watching it so you can see what the overall plans for that road look like today, as it nears design proposal completion.

Here’s my annotated notes on the meeting. Beneath are links to the videos on the Vimeo channel.

Notes on PCCC 06122019
Video pt 1 begins.

Present: Judge Guevara, Jose Cabezuela, Buddy Knight, County Atty Rod Ponton. Absent: Brenda Bentley, Eloy Aranda

Public comments:
Ramon Carrasco. Still working on warranty for Candelaria project. Scale measuring chlorine levels not working, needs replacement, under warranty.
Redford project. Bids out and accepted, work will start soon.

Payroll approval:
Nothing out of ordinary . Discussion about payouts after final pay period.
Katie Sanchez and Patty Roach have a heated discussion about final payroll timing and distribution. Patty Roach clarifies policy as being the pay period following the last pay period the employee works hours is when any additional pay for vacation time, etc will be distributed.

17:11 in video
Line item transfers and budget amendments: vehicle repair budget increased from insurance check, Sheriffs office.
Approved
Monthly report: jail has drainage problems in block 6.
Stonegarden grant: deputies have had training, not yet working. Grant does not provide for reserves to work, difficult to schedule overtime for current deputies.

 39:00 in video
Treasurers report: fuel sales at Presidio airport high this month.
Report accepted)
Video Part 1 ends

Video Part 2
Bills: training bills, estray cattle bill, Ponton reiterates his opinion on the County being an open range county and what that means.
JP conference in Padre coming up.  Says estray law is only for unknown cattle.
Approved
Balance reports April: approved

11:50 video time

--VERY INFORMATIVE VIDEO FOLLOWING--

Item 11: Vicky Carrasco - US 67 corridor update. Good information

End of Video 2
continued on Video 3
Concluded at end of video 3.

Break at 11:28 AM

Video 4 begins after break

 Item 12: Bill Tarantino from Sul ROSS. Presentation. 11:40 AM
Borderlands Research institute, funded by Mitchell Foundation.

Presentation about the initiative until 36:00 in to Video 4


Item 13: disbursement of salaries and routine office expenditures. Judge motions to postpone, but this item was brought on by Legislative action regarding payroll approval, amending meeting times. Judge wants to hear opinions from each commissioner. Item postponed.

12:15 pm Item 14: burn ban. July 4 coming up. Approved to order.

 42:15 in video

Item 15 12:21 pm
Jake Giesbrecht presentation on Port Authority activities. Report ends at 1:08 pm. Funding payment approved item 16. (video 4 ends- Video 5 picks up)
(see notes on PIPA meeting and also Jake's activity list in previous posts for related info)

Presentation ends at 42:20 on video 5

Item 17:
Property sales. Approved 1:12 pm

44:55 on video 5

Item 18: minutes approval
Approved


End of Video pt 5

Video Pt 6

Item 19: reports
Capital projects report not here
Airport runway drainage issues
Both JP Offices’ totals up
1:32

18:30 on Video 6

Judge announcements: has had several conference calls from C3, met with MARFA concerned citizens group. Will share info with public at a future date.
Airport drainage
PIPA meeting last Thurs.


Knight says that Elias Sanchez said the road going into the old cemetery is washed out again. Knight talked to Ruben about fixing it. Knight says this is a public cemetery, public road.

Adjourn at 1:36 pm


Video part 1
Video Part 2
Video Part 3
Video Part 4
Video Part 5
Video Part 6


Presidio County Commissioners Court Agenda June 12, 2019, Marfa 9:30 AM




Noticia de Reunion Publica por Plan Maestro de Corredor 67

Notice of Master Plan for Highway 67 meeting (in Spanish). A detailed presentation of the generals of this project was made in Commissioners Court Meeting 6/12 and it captured on the live video in full. Very informative. The same information will be presented at these FINAL public meetings listed on this flier. More information at TXDOT 67 website

PIPA director Jake Giesbrecht Activity Report through May 2019


Friday, June 07, 2019

Limited Notes on PIPA Meeting June 6 2019

I videotaped the proceedings, but sadly, as a new adopter of this technology, I forgot to turn on the external microphone, but had it plugged in, so there was no sound.
I will not make this mistake again.

Attached are my notes from the meeting. Notes are limited due to a dying iPad battery. Most of the meeting is covered but not all.
Notes on Presidio International Port Authority Meeting 4 pm Thursday June 6, 2019

Present: treasurer Jim White, Mayor John Ferguson, Judge Cinderela Guevara,

Port Authority Director Jake Giesbrecht

Quorum at 4:08 pm

Alonso Valenzuela, Mexico electric company rep.

Pledge

Public comments:
Guest: Alonso Valenzuela Cerro Alto Electric
Intro in Spanish

County judge communications: cannot go to all the border meetings, apologizes.

Mayor Ferguson: President of Mexico is coming to Ojinaga next Friday. Related to Ferromex rail bridge project.
Went to San Diego binational border crossing event. MNy presentations about automation. Shared Presidio Port commercial traffic problems with them. They were amazed. Here all commercial traffic is delayed by secondary inspections.
Now times have been greatly improved. From two hour wait average to sometimes as little as fifteen minutes.

Treasurers report and pay reimbursements in one item. 29,932 in expenses since last meeting.

Isela Nuñez arrives at meeting. 4:24 pm

Jim White updates financials. PIPA had just over 23,000 in bank. Presidio County owes PIPA funding. Currently short about 456.00. 16,000 owed by County and also City of Presidio.

Jake will be at commissioners court next Wed the 12th to get paid and present to commissioners.

Report approved unanimously

Judge motions to table 8 and 9 and move on to item ten.
Approved

Reimbursements: approved, not all immediate.

Item 8: executive director report: Jake Giesbrecht
Jake: Borderplex alliance opposes tariffs.
Talking about tariffs and Trumps rationale.
Cattle exports through Ojinaga are on the rise.
Median federal government is going to spend a lot of money on the Ferromex rail line to the rail bridge.
Joe Portillo enters meeting at 4:49

TXDOT requires an MOU for the bridge construction. Money is now budgeted, but this was a hold up.
NADBANK generating plant- working with Alonso of CFE.
Public private partnership.
Cattle group meeting in Chihuahua did not go well. Santa Teresa interests in Chihuahua. State of Chihuahua wants to help us, though.
42,000 head of cattle crossed so far this year. Building up again.
Mexico is now the US number one trading partner, as often few weeks ago.
Our port is now doing 100 trucks a day, up from 30.
Problems with being in the El Paso MPO TXDOT sector. They put El Paso  above rural.
Report accepted unanimously

Item 9: 559 funding item.
There are reasons to keep this, whether we use it or not.
Portillo explains how the CBP can use the local government
(Battery to iPad died at this point)



AGENDA- Presidio International Port Authority Meeting June 6th 2019, 4 PM, Presidio