City Council

City of El Campo City Council - Regular Session City Hall - Council Chambers (315 E. Jackson St., El Campo, Texas, 77437) July 13, 2026 - 6:00 PM Meeting Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Bustamante called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. CERTIFICATION OF QUORUM Attendee Name Title Status Eugene Bustamante Mayor Present Kyle Wallis Mayor Pro Tem Present Blake Barger Council Member Present Jeff Allgayer Council Member Present Tom Coblentz Council Member Present David Hodges Council Member Present John Hancock Jr Council Member Present City Staff: City Manager Courtney Sladek, Assistant City Manager/Personnel Director Rene Garcia, City Secretary Kaylee Koudela, Municipal Court Judge Michelle Roy, Planning Director Krystal Hasselmeier, Police Chief David Marcaurele, Finance Director Brittni Nanson, and City Attorney Ronald Collins. Media: Wharton Country Leader-Journal Publisher Shannon Crabtree. Guests: Daniel Sepolio, Stephen Zetsche, Cathy Garcia, Michael Montijo, Katie Moss, Mike Moss, Patsy Coblentz, John Bieltz, Dan L. Harris, Anne Ramos, and Bobby Perez. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION Mayor Bustamante led the Pledge of Allegiance and the Texas Pledge, and then Councilman Coblentz followed with the Invocation. 4. PUBLIC COMMENTS Cathy Villareal Garcia, 801 E Jackson, took to the podium to speak about a recovery relief program offered through the Texas General Land Office for those that experienced damage or loss as a result of Hurricane Beryl. Anne Ramos with Leedo Cabinetry took to the podium to request that Council consider what is in the best interest for the City when negotiating the trash contract. Dan Harris, 2308 Hancock Lane, took to the podium to speak about his previous oversight board experience and to express interest in continuing to serve on the Board of Adjustment. 5. CONSENT AGENDA City of El Campo 1  Council Member Barger made the MOTION to Approve the Consent Agenda items, as presented, and Council Member Coblentz seconded. Vote was unanimous. RESULT: PASSED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Blake Barger, Council Member SECONDER: Tom Coblentz, Council Member AYES: Eugene Bustamante, Kyle Wallis, Blake Barger, Jeff Allgayer, Tom Coblentz, David Hodges, John Hancock Jr 1. Approval of City Council - Regular Meeting - June 22, 2026, 6:00 PM Minutes 2. Approval of City Council - Special Called Meeting - June 30, 2026, 6:00 PM Minutes 3. Resolution R2026-37 Accepting Certain Drainage Easements for the Tres Palacios Creek Expansion Project on Property Located in El Campo, Texas; and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Documents to Receive Such Easements; and Providing for an Effective Date: Parcels 24 and 30 The City of El Campo is advancing the Tres Palacios Creek Expansion Project, a flood mitigation and drainage improvement initiative intended to increase conveyance capacity, reduce localized flooding, and improve stormwater resilience in the surrounding area. The City must acquire permanent drainage easements on the following: Parcel #24: 0 Blue Creek Road, El Campo, TX, described as a 0.48 acre tract in the I. & G. N. Railroad Company Survey, Abstract 252, Wharton County, Texas, being out of and a part of that certain tract of land in deed to Joe Polasek recorded in Volume 324, Page 344, Deed Records, Wharton County, Texas, with all bearing based on the Texas Coordinate System of 1983, South Central Zone, based on GPS observations. The easement area is more fully described in the metes and bounds survey prepared by Quiddity Engineering, LLC (February 8, 2022). The City will acquire the drainage easement for a total amount of $3,182.00. This cost will be paid for entirely with grant funds as part of the Tres Palacios Creek Expansion Project and will not impact the City’s General Fund. Parcel #30: 1103 South Mechanic Street, El Campo, TX, described as a 0.13 acre tract in the John B. Morford Survey, Abstract 521, Wharton County, Texas, being out of and a part of that certain called 1.0 acre tract recorded in Volume 615, Page 755, Official Records, Wharton County, Texas, with all bearings based on the Texas Coordinate System of 1983, South Central Zone, based on GPS observations. The easement area is more fully described in the metes and bounds survey prepared by Quiddity Engineering, LLC (March 29, 2022). The City will acquire the drainage easement for a total amount of $4,286.00. This cost will be paid for entirely with grant funds as part of the Tres Palacios Creek Expansion Project and will not impact the City’s General Fund. Property owners have executed agreements conveying the necessary drainage easements to allow for construction, access, and long-term maintenance of drainage improvements associated with this project. Acquisition of these easements will allow the City to: Construct and maintain drainage and flood mitigation infrastructure; Improve stormwater flow and reduce flood risk in the surrounding area; and Ensure long-term access for inspection, maintenance, and future improvements. 6. CONSIDERATION OF AND ACTION ON 1. Resolution R2026 -34 Expressing Support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (S. 315 and H.R. 979) Congress is currently considering the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (S.315 and H.R.979), legislation that would require auto makers to keep AM radio in new passenger vehicles. The legislation is intended to keep access to AM radio broadcasts (especially for public safety and emergencies). City of El Campo 2  While advances in technology have expanded the ways residents receive information, AM radio continues to serve an important role in rural communities like El Campo, and during emergency situations. AM radio signals are capable of traveling long distances and often remain available when other communication systems are disrupted by severe weather, power outages, or infrastructure failures. For the citizens of El Campo and the surrounding region, KULP has long served as a trusted source of local news, weather information, community event coverage, and emergency notifications. During hurricanes, tropical weather events, flooding, and other emergencies, local radio stations provide information that is specific to our community and often unavailable through national media outlets. Mayor Pro Tem Wallis made the MOTION to Approve Resolution R2026 -34 Expressing Support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (S. 315 and H.R. 979), as presented, and Council Member Hodges seconded. Vote was unanimous. RESULT: PASSED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Kyle Wallis, Mayor Pro Tem SECONDER: David Hodges, Council Member AYES: Eugene Bustamante, Kyle Wallis, Blake Barger, Jeff Allgayer, Tom Coblentz, David Hodges, John Hancock Jr 2. Resolution R2026-35 Authorizing the Submission of an Operation Lone Star Grant Application and Authorizing the City Manager to be the Official Representative in All Matters Pertaining to the City's Participation in the Operation Lone Star Grant Program The Police Department currently has a system enabling us to unlock cell phones in order to extract data related to criminal investigations. The system software is Cellebrite. We have received Operation Lone Star (OLS) Grant funding in the past to cover costs associated with unlocks. Looking to the future we propose to ask for additional OLS funding to extend our ability to do unlocks. We have current funding through December of 2027. In this OLS request we propose to get an additional 5 years of unlock funding (January 2028 – December 2032). This cost is $68,400.00. This area of expertise is constantly evolving and therefore we also propose asking for funds to cover additional training in this field. This cost is $21,336.00. Resolution R2026-15 authorized the submission of the Operation Lone Star Grant Application that was due 03/12/2026 via the eGrants online portal. The Office of the Governor changed their resolution requirements. This ordinance reflects the updated required wording as well as the updated amount for the grant (Total Training/Hotel/Meals/Travel increased by $1,660.00, for a total training budget of $21,336.00). Resolution R2026-35 Authorizing the Submission of a Operation Lone Star Grant Application and Authorizing the City Manager to be the Official Representative in All Matters Pertaining to the City's Participation in the Operation Lone Star Grant Program, is attached. Financial impact: The total OLS grant request would be $89,736.00. This grant is a no match grant. City of El Campo 3  Council Member Hodges made the MOTION to Approve Resolution R2026-35 Authorizing the Submission of an Operation Lone Star Grant Application and Authorizing the City Manager to be the Official Representative in All Matters Pertaining to the City's Participation in the Operation Lone Star Grant Program, as presented, and Council Member Barger seconded. Vote was unanimous. RESULT: PASSED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: David Hodges, Council Member SECONDER: Blake Barger, Council Member AYES: Eugene Bustamante, Kyle Wallis, Blake Barger, Jeff Allgayer, Tom Coblentz, David Hodges, John Hancock Jr 3. Resolution R2026-36 Authorizing Change Order No.2 to the Contract with J4 Fencing & Service, LLC for the HMGP Water Plant Generators Project (DR-4485-TX) in the Amount of $14,883; Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Documents; and Providing for an Effective Date On October 13, 2025, City Council approved Resolution R2025-50 awarding Contract 1-2025 for the HMGP Water Plant Generators Project (DR-4485-TX) to J4 Fencing & Service, LLC in the amount of $850,224.23 and on May 26, 2026, approved Change Order No. 1 in the amount of $153,602 bringing the total contract award to $1,003,826.23. J4 Fencing & Service, LLC subsequently submitted a request to the City for a contract amendment through Change Order No. 2 in the amount of $14,883. Pursuant to the project specifications, J4 Fencing & Services, LLC has submitted Change Order Request No. 2 requesting an increase of $14,883.00 to the natural gas service allowance. The original contract included a $15,000 allowance for utility-provided natural gas service, with the contract specifically providing that this allowance would be adjusted by change order based on the actual costs invoiced by the utility. CenterPoint Energy's actual charges totaled $29,883.00 for service at the City's three water plant sites, resulting in the requested adjustment. No additional contractor overhead, profit, or labor costs are included in this request. Per the City’s grant coordinator, Langford Community Management Services, the additional change order amount will continue to qualify for reimbursement at the project’s established 90% FEMA reimbursement rate, as the total revised project amount remains below the original grant award amount approved for the project. Fiscal Impact: Original Contract Amount: $850,224.23 Change Order No. 1: $153,602.00 Change Order No. 2: $14,883.00 Revised Contract Amount: $1,018,709.23 Based on the anticipated reimbursement, the additional $14,883 change order is expected to result in an approximate additional local cost to the City of $1,484. Councilman Coblentz made the MOTION to approve Resolution R2026-36 Authorizing Change Order No.2 to the Contract with J4 Fencing & Service, LLC for the HMGP Water Plant Generators Project (DR-4485-TX) in the Amount of $14,883; Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Documents; and Providing for an Effective Date, as presented; Councilman Hodges SECONDED. Councilman Barger moved to AMEND the motion by adding "Contingent upon FEMA reimbursement"; Councilman Hodges SECONDED the motion to amend. The motion passed unanimously. City of El Campo 4  Council Member Coblentz made the MOTION to Approve as Amended Resolution R2026-36 Authorizing Change Order No.2 to the Contract with J4 Fencing & Service, LLC for the HMGP Water Plant Generators Project (DR-4485-TX) in the Amount of $14,883; Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Documents; and Providing for an Effective Date, as presented, contingent upon FEMA reimbursement, and Council Member Hodges seconded. Vote was unanimous. RESULT: PASSED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Tom Coblentz, Council Member SECONDER: David Hodges, Council Member AYES: Blake Barger, Jeff Allgayer, Tom Coblentz, David Hodges, John Hancock Jr, Eugene Bustamante, Kyle Wallis 4. Distribution of FY27 Proposed Budget Document The FY27 Proposed Budget Document will be available on the City Website after the meeting. The Proposed and Adopted budget book this year is in a digital budget document. Please request a paper copy if you desire to have the hard copy. Please note that the staff will be offering in-depth presentations regarding the budget in August and later this month. Staff will not receive certified appraised values until July 25th; the tax rate to support the budget will be presented once available. City Manager Sladek affirmed that the FY27 Proposed Budget is published to the City of El Campo website and that physical copies will be available upon request. 5. Board of Adjustment Appointment At the June 22, 2026, City Council meeting, the Council appointed Dakota Bubela and Edward Vallejo IV to the Board of Adjustment and reappointed Chair Bobby Perez and Holly Willis. At that meeting, the term of existing Board member Dan Harris expired and he was not reappointed. This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of Councilmember Barger to allow the City Council to reconsider its previous appointments. Specifically, the Council is asked to consider whether it wishes to retain the appointments made at the June 22 meeting or replace one of the newly appointed members with recently-removed Board member Dan Harris. No recommendation is provided, as this is a policy decision for the City Council. If the Council chooses to make a change, action should include identifying which current appointment, if any, will be replaced by Mr. Harris for the 2-year term from June 2026 to June 2028. Council Member Barger made the MOTION to Approve to remove Edward Vallejo IV from the Board of Adjustment and to appoint Dan Harris for the remainder of the 2-year term from June 2026 to June 2028, and Council Member Coblentz seconded. Vote was unanimous. RESULT: PASSED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Blake Barger, Council Member SECONDER: Tom Coblentz, Council Member AYES: Eugene Bustamante, Kyle Wallis, Blake Barger, Jeff Allgayer, Tom Coblentz, David Hodges, John Hancock Jr City of El Campo 5  6. Grievance Board Appointment - Councilman Barger At the June 22, 2026, regular City Council meeting, Council made their appointments to the Grievance Board. Being that Councilman Barger was absent from that meeting, it is appropriate for him to do so at this time. The current members of the Grievance Board are included below: GRIEVANCE BOARD: Name Councilmember Year Appointed 1 Year Term Richard Turner Bustamante 2021 6/26-6/27 Anthony Collins Barger 2022 6/25-6/26 Derrick Bodungen Wallis 2025 6/26-6/27 James Russell Allgayer 2020 6/26-6/27 Craig Hathway Coblentz 2023 6/26-6/27 Melvin Parker III Hodges 2020 6/26-6/27 Jody Erwin Hancock 2020 6/26-6/27 City Charter Sec. 4.01(b) states that employees, excluding the City Manager, City Attorney, Municipal Court Judge and Department Heads, shall have a right to appeal a termination to a grievances review board appointed by Council. The City of El Campo Personnel Policies and Procedures Handbook states in Section 13.04: City Council shall create a 7-member Grievance Review Board to serve one or more one-year terms. Financial impact: None. Councilman Barger affirmed that he was re-appointing Anthony Collins to the Grievance Board. 7. CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION Council retired into Closed Executive Session at 6:31 PM. 1. Closed Executive Session Pursuant to Section 551.072 Deliberation Regarding Real Property Texas Local Government Code Sec. 551.072 DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY; CLOSED MEETING. A governmental body may conduct a closed meeting to deliberate the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property if deliberation in an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the position of the governmental body in negotiations with a third person. 8. RECONVENE AND TAKE ACTION Council exited Closed Executive Session and resumed the Open Session at 6:47 PM. Mayor Bustamante affirmed that there would be no action taken as a result of the Closed Session. 9. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to address, Mayor Bustamante adjourned the meeting at 6:47 PM. Attest: ____________________________ ____________________________ Kaylee Koudela, City Secretary Eugene Bustamante, Mayor City of El Campo 6