At its Monday, March 19 meeting, the Laredo City Council will consider a resolution that deals with Monaco Development’s defoliation of .058 acres owned by the City of Laredo on land known as the Shiloh Bike Trail.
Rather than hold to the 15-foot sewer easement City Council granted the developers of the 16.9-acre Monaco Development, the developer took an additional 0.58 acre of City property without obtaining an additional temporary construction easement.
The land-clearing ordered by Monaco Development truncated, cut through, and filled with soil and debris one of the largest fingers of Manadas Creek, a tributary of that drains heavy rainfall runoff to the Río Grande.
The 80.63-acre Shiloh Trail is one of the largest green spaces left in the city, an ecosystem of trails across creek beds and through typical South Texas habitat for countless avian species and other wildlife. The area is widely used by Laredo cyclists and runners.
The resolution authorizes City Manager Horacio De Leon to negotiate a licensing agreement with Monaco Development for a mitigation plan that includes but is not limited to erosion control, the planting of native trees, re-seeding with native grasses, watering, maintenance, and the removal of piles of dead trees and brush left by the developer on the Shiloh Trails.
The resolution was initiated by Deputy City Manager Cindy Collazo and Environmental Services Department director John Porter.
Council will also consider a motion to ratify Habitat for Humanity of Laredo and Webb County for the 2018 Wells Fargo and U.S. Conference of Mayors Community WINS (Working/Investing in Neighborhood Stabilization) Grant Program in partnership with the City of Laredo. The proposed project area for the grant is surrounded by Martin High School from IH-35 to Santa Cleotilde Avenue and from Jefferson Street to Callaghan Street.
Two school safety issues, one by District VI Council member Charlie San Miguel and another by District VII Council member George Altgelt, are up for discussion and possible action.
San Miguel’s item calls for the creation of a committee to ensure that any and all laws related to the purchase and possession of firearms within the City limits, including reporting requirements of Sections 411.052 and 422.052.1 of Texas Government Code are followed and enforced.
Altgelt’s item calls for “requirement as part of the occupancy permit for every school that operates in the City to have a properly trained and armed guard at every controlled point of access that limits the public ingress and egress to that facility, that the school districts train and drill their students and teachers quarterly for what to do in the event of a school shooting and/or other practices or measures to secure the safety of staff and children.”
Monday’s meeting includes a public hearing to consider a Petition for the Creation of a Public Improvement District to be named the “Coves of Winfield Public Improvement District” for the appointment of directors to manage the district, and authorization of the district to impose assessments at a specified rate within the boundaries of the District, which is comprised of approximately1,027.14 acres of land located to the West and East side of Loop 20 at its intersection with Winfield Parkway in the Northeast sector of the City.
