Brownsville › Brief

Brownsville City actions, April–May 2020

The city commission approved contracts, grants, and emergency measures during April and May 2020, and later voted on a drainage utility system.

What happened

• On April 7 2020 the City Commission approved several contracts, including $2,810,332.75 for street improvements on Anacua Street & Naranjo Road, $510,000 for a senior‑center renovation, $192,600 for culvert and sensor upgrades, $182,473 for street rehabilitation on Avenida De La Plata and other streets, $150,000 for West Brownsville drainage improvements, and $58,227.27 for a compact trencher for engineering/public works.2
• On May 5 2020 the Commission awarded a $2,686,492 Federal Transit Administration Urban Area Formula grant and a $166,311 Enhanced Mobility grant, approved a $142,900 contract with EBridge Design Services, provided $150,000 emergency assistance to local businesses, and authorized a $230,886.45 change order for the Brownsville airport terminal project.4
• On May 19 2020 the Commission purchased fire‑fighting equipment worth $540,000 for self‑contained breathing apparatus, $750,000 for a fire pumper, and $49,870.80 for ten digital radios, and added $1,597,695 of Community Development Block Grant COVID funding and $819,241 of Emergency Solutions Grant COVID funding to the city’s action plan.5
• On May 26 2020 the Commission considered a request to raise the emergency procurement limit that had been set at $250,000 on March 24 2020, after $200,000 in purchases (including $30,000 for personal protective equipment and $175,000 for drive‑through testing) had already been made.6
• On April 28 2020 the Commission approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Harlingen that sets a $43.00 cost‑share per COVID‑19 test for Harlingen residents, a $110.00 reimbursement for uninsured Harlingen residents per test, a $15.00 administrative fee per test, and a $5.00 processing fee for non‑eligible questionnaires.3

Who it affects

• The cost‑share rates in the Harlingen agreement mean that Harlingen residents will be charged $43 per COVID‑19 test, while uninsured Harlingen residents will receive a $110 reimbursement per test; the administrative and processing fees are also part of the agreement. These fees affect Harlingen residents, not Brownsville residents, but they are funded through the interlocal arrangement that Brownsville entered into.3

What's not yet public

• The May 26 2020 agenda shows a request to raise the emergency procurement limit, but the record does not indicate whether the commission voted to approve the increase, leaving the outcome unknown.6

What residents can do

• The special and regular commission meetings held in April and May 2020 were conducted by Zoom or Webex and allowed public comment from up to five speakers, each limited to three minutes. Residents could join the teleconference using the provided link, meeting ID, and dial‑in numbers, or submit a public‑comment form in advance.1