HARLINGEN — In its first meeting, the new city commission is set to review steps aimed at “modernizing” City Hall while reaching out to more of the community.
Commissioners are planning to consider passing a resolution requiring commissioners declare any conflicts of interest during meetings and setting up a small business advisory board while reviewing plans to broadcast their meetings on the city’s cable channel and updating City Hall’s website.
“We’re trying to modernize city government,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said Tuesday. “We want to make ourselves more available to the community.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Sepulveda is calling on commissioners to pass a resolution requiring commissioners declare whether they face any conflicts of interest regarding agenda topics at the beginning of every meeting.
“It’s an opportunity for the city attorney to ask if there’s any conflict before the meeting so we know whether commissioners need to abstain,” she said during an interview. “Beginning at commission meetings, there will be a conflict of interest question. If we’re not admonishing the commission, there’s a potential that it’s not presented. I ran on transparency and it should be something that’s included. This will help in terms of transparency. In everything we’re doing, we make sure there’s transparency.”
At the beginning of commission meetings, City Attorney Mark Sossi will ask commissioners if they believe they have conflicts of interest to disclose.
“Under state law, a conflict of interest exists if a council member or certain members of that person’s family has a qualifying financial interest in an agenda item,” Sepulveda’s proposal states. “Members with a conflict of interest cannot participate in the discussion nor vote on the agenda item. Are there any known conflicts of interest to disclose at this time?”
Small business advisory committee
Commissioners are also set to consider Sepulveda’s plan to reach out to the city’s small business owners.
During the meeting, commissioners are expected to discuss setting up an advisory committee made up of small business owners.
“We want a specific board to assist with small businesses,” she said. “To have their feedback is a component in addressing the needs of the community.”
During the campaign leading to her victory over longtime Mayor Chris Boswell in the May 7 election, small business owners complained about the city’s permitting process set up to help residents open small businesses, Sepulveda said.
Now, she wants to remove those hurdles.
“On the campaign trail, I spoke with lots of business owners who explained the difficulty of opening small businesses,” she said. “Streamlining the permitting process will make it easier to do business in Harlingen.”
Meanwhile, she wants to get out the message about the Economic Development Corporation’s incentives earmarked for small business owners.
Broadcasting city meetings on cable channel
For years, officials here have been live-streaming the commission’s meetings on the city’s website.
Now, Sepulveda wants to broadcast the commission’s regular and special meetings, along with city board meetings, on the city’s cable channel 1300 offered through Spectrum.
“The city has had a channel for decades,” she said. “Why aren’t we utilizing our channel? This is not something that’s going to come out of taxpayer dollars.”
The service would help officials reach more of the community, she said.
“I want to give an opportunity to folks not on social media to participate and have a platform while promoting events we have going on,” she said. “Hopefully, this engages more of the community to tune in.”
Revising the city website
Meanwhile, Sepulveda is also calling on commissioners to set plans to update the city’s website
“I want to ensure our website is up-to-date,” she said. “There are some things not up-to-date. It’s not that easy to navigate. We want to make sure all public information is there. It should answer a lot of questions people have.”
Tuesday’s meeting marks the first since the city’s new commission was seated June 23, when newly elected Commissioners Ford Kinsley and Daniel Lopez took their oaths of office following their victories in a June 14 runoff election.
