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The South Padre Island City Council held a special meeting Wednesday after they failed to have a quorum a week ago, with the proposed expansion of the convention center taking center stage after controversy began brewing over its potential impact on migratory birds.
Despite citizens and activists expressing concern over potential hazards to surrounding wetlands that are essential to migratory birds traveling across the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan, the convention center director seemed to double down on the plans.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Patrick McNulty acknowledged the large crowd and asked anyone making public comments on a particular agenda item to wait until the city council reached that part of the agenda.
When the city council did get to the two items of interest, Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Blake Henry addressed the council.
The items in question included a budget amendment for up to $2 million to “allocate venue tax funds for architectural and other professional services associated with the Convention Center Expansion.”
The other item up for discussion was the authorization of City Manager Randy Smith to “enter into a contract with the highest qualified firm for the Construction Manager-At-Risk (CMR) services for the South Padre Island Convention Center Expansion Project.”
“Our Island deserves an updated convention center for our community,” Henry told the council members. “You’ve heard from our team explain the need for an expanded convention center, and they continue to identify lost business because our convention center is simply too small.”
Henry, who has not returned multiple requests for comment, said that the expanded convention center creates opportunities to host larger events which will result in a boost to the local economy.
He also explained that the budget amendment was to pay the designer, architect and other services that the city has contracted.
“I’d also like to point out because a lot of people forget that the tax for this expansion was passed and voted on by residents on the Island who wanted this done,” Council Member Kerry Schwartz said prior to the agenda items public comments. “We lose sight of that. This is a resident driven agenda.”
Many in attendance who spoke during the public comments expressed concern over the proposed expansion, which they believe could impact a portion of the property that has proven essential to migratory birds that flock to the area around springtime.
At least once during the public comments, the mayor interjected to explain that the area was not in any danger.
“Real quick, ma’am, we’re not touching any wetlands, and we’re not touching any salt water or hyper saline area,” McNulty said.
“Are you sure?” the woman asked.
“I’m 99% sure, because I will never, ever go through the process of trying to get a core permit again,” McNulty responded.
Both items were unanimously approved.
