Harlingen commissioners to vote on single-member districts today

HARLINGEN - City commissioners will vote today on the final reading of an ordinance to allow residents to decide the issue of single-member City Commission districts.

Commissioners approved the first reading of the proposed ordinance on Aug. 6. If approved today, it would give the following options to voters:    

* Five single-member district city commissioners and an at-large mayor

* A hybrid system of three single-member district city commissioners; two at-large city commissioners and an at-large mayor or

* Neither of the proposed systems, maintaining the current at-large system

Cameron County Elections Administrator Roger Ortiz will attend today's meeting to give a presentation about the procedures that would be required for a special election.

Ortiz will address issues such as polling locations, staffing, equipment and related costs.

Also tonight, the commissioners will decide whether to authorize a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for more than $1.3 million to assist with Hurricane Dolly damage repair costs at the Valley International Airport.

The grant provides $120,000 to repair the airport fire station, $630,000 to replace drainage outfalls and $50,000 to replace a rotating beacon.

The grant also provides $550,000 to replace the emergency generator and to buy another generator to enable the airport terminal to run without commercial power if needed.

City commissioners will also vote on a resolution to adopt a WaterWorks five-year capital improvement plan for 2009-2013.

Some of the projects in the plan include relocating water lines that interfere with street and drainage projects, installing a gravity sewer line between the Arroyo Colorado and the landfill, phase one of a master plan to replace the lift station, phase one of a master plan to increase the capacity to process sludge at wastewater treatment plant 2 and extend and install sewer lines in different areas of town.