The December 6 City Council meeting started by swearing in Mayor Patrick McNulty and City Council member Rees Langston. Both won re-election in November. The council held a moment of silence for Eva-Jean Dalton, a beloved City Council member since 2018, who tragically passed away last Friday, December 1.
The discussion started hot, with the first topic being food truck fees for 2024. Food truck regulations have been the center of a debate for years, with owners and the city at odds over what they can and can't do on SPI. The council voted unanimously to keep prices the same for 2024, looking at potential changes in September or October.
A proposal to add five recyclable trash bins to the beach was approved. Kristina Boburka, the shoreline director for South Padre, was approached about this idea by Gulf Guardians, a non-profit group whose goal is to protect and clean the shoreline. These five recyclable cans will be spread out throughout different beach accesses, with a trial period of three months starting in January 2024. The goal is to recycle aluminum cans, which Gulf Guardians says is 70% of the trash found on the beach.
Palm Trees have been chosen and approved by the council for Laguna Blvd. 100 Phoenix Dactyliferous trees, 6-8 feet high, will be added. Laguna Blvd construction continues progressing, and Island Matters will monitor any updates.
The last City Council meeting of the year will be Wednesday, December 20.
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