La Feria City Commission Vote to Demand Overdue Loan Payments from South Texas Collaborative Housing Development.

City employee holidays for 2017-2018 approved, Membership in ERCOT renewed

by Cayetano Garza Jr./LFN

The La Feria City Commission held its last regularly scheduled meeting at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at the La Feria City Commission Meeting Room at 115 E. Commercial Ave. in La Feria.

There was a sizeable group of citizens in attendance hoping to address issues with loss of code enforcement and animal control due to recent budget cuts, but the commission voted to suspend public comments for the evening immediately after the invocation, pledge and quorum.

There were no announcements and the commission went on to address agenda items at a rapid pace. Minutes for the September 19 and 26th meetings were approved. A resolution was passed establishing holiday dates for city employees for 2017-2018.

The commission went on to also approve a renewal of membership in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for 2018.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to 24 million Texas customers — representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 46,500 miles of transmission lines and 570+ generation units. It also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for 7 million premises in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature. Its members include consumers, cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities, transmission and distribution providers and municipally owned electric utilities.

Next the commission voted favorably for a Health Insurance Premium rebate for Year 2016.

The final agenda item before the commission went into executive session was an action to authorize city staff to demand overdue loan payments from South Texas Collaborative Housing Development.

South Texas Collaborative for Housing Development, Inc. (STCHD) is a is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides decent and affordable housing to low and moderate-income families throughout Texas other than Dallam, Lubbock, Hudspeth, and Orange counties. Additionally, STCHD provides loans and investment products, development services, and other related activities to promote both economic and community development in traditionally underserved areas.

City Finance Director Frank Rios made a small presentation before the board highlighting the details of the overdue loan payments and afterward the commission voted unanimously to approve the action.

The City Commission then went into closed executive session to discuss with attorneys the pending litigations, including a lawsuit by former La Feria City Manager Sunny K. Phillip against the city as well as suits the city has pending against SKP Management and South Texas Collaborative Housing Development. The commission also consulted with attorneys on the legal duties and obligations arising from the grievance filed by the La Feria Irrigation District and an Irrigation District proposal regarding professional fees.

After two hours in closed executive session the city commission returned and immediately and unanimously voted for adjournment.

The next meeting of the La Feria City Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, October 24th, at 6:30 pm at the La Feria City Commission Meeting Room at 115 E. Commercial Ave. in La Feria. The public is encouraged to attend. An agenda for that night’s meeting can be downloaded from the city’s website.