Edinburg City Council Approves Pool Renovation, Budget Amendment, Fountain Pool Contract at July 21 Meeting

Edinburg, Edinburg City Council, Omar Ochoa, National Night Out, Jaime Ayala, Space Monkey Arcade, Villages on Closner, budget amendment, Los Lagos Golf Club, Edinburg International Airport, Fountain Pool, GlobalConstruction and Design, ARPA, Civil Service Commission, Roman Rodriguez, racetrack, Zoho, public comments

ARNOLDO MATA

Edinburg TX – The Edinburg City Council held its regular meeting Monday, July 21, 2026, approving a budget amendment, a pool pump house renovation contract, a new insurance agent of record, and several consent agenda items, while receiving a detailed preview of the city’s upcoming 30th Annual National Night Out celebration.

National Night Out Proclamation

The council presented a proclamation recognizing Aug. 4, 2026, as the 30th Annual National Night Out in Edinburg. Police Chief Jaime Ayala addressed the council with details about the event, which will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. at Promenade Park and the ACE Center.

“We are part of the National Association of Town Watch,” Ayala said. “The last two years, we’ve come in ninth nationally for our National Night Out efforts that we document and submit in a competition.”

Ayala said this year’s event will feature a free carnival, a car show, a backpack and school supply giveaway, face painting, Lucha Libre, a petting zoo, free music, food vendors, moon jumps, and watering stations. Parks and Recreation will also showcase summer program performances at the ACE Center.

Mayor Omar Ochoa challenged the community to make this year’s event the best in the nation.

“We placed ninth in the nation with our National Night Out last year. Now, I heard we got robbed. I didn’t say it. I’ve heard other people say it, that we got robbed last year, that we should have been much higher, maybe even first,” Ochoa said. “My goal for the entire community is to come out and let’s leave no doubt that we are the number one National Night Out event in the entire country.”

Ayala also recognized city communications staff for their work in documenting and submitting the city’s entry. “I wanna thank Roxanne and her ECN team because they put the package together for us, all the videoing and capturing of it so that we can submit.”

City Highlights

Mayor Ochoa highlighted two upcoming events both scheduled for Saturday, July 25: Fairy Fest 2026 at the Edinburg World Birding Center beginning at 6 p.m., and the Cultural Arts Summer Concert Series featuring K-Pop Princesses at Promenade Park Amphitheater, with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. and the performance beginning at 8:30 p.m. Ochoa noted the concert is free and family-friendly.

Public Comments

Three speakers addressed the council during the public comment period.

Roberto Cuellar urged the council to reconsider the terms of its RFP for the Edinburg Racetrack, arguing that some requirements are too stringent to attract viable operators. He cited the lack of a contract duration and a requirement that lessees contract ambulance service through the city as particular concerns.

“The racetrack, if it’s looked at by the city as a revenue-making machine, it’s not gonna give you that much,” Cuellar said. “All I’m asking is just look at it more carefully.”

Diane Teeter praised the consent agenda’s grant applications as essential to the city’s financial health and warned the council to study water demand implications before approving further development tied to Zoho’s planned campus in north Edinburg, citing cautionary examples from Corpus Christi and Brownsville.

“Edinburg must not repeat the same mistakes,” Teeter said. “We need transparent engineering-level water projections before approving additional rezonings or expansions tied to this development. Water security must come before corporate business convenience and profit.”

Fern McClarty raised concerns about city spending on the golf course director salary, the downtown parking garage, and the courthouse project, arguing that bond spending should prioritize needs over wants in a community where a significant portion of residents live in poverty. She also requested explanations of items 9A, 10A, and 13A on the agenda for the benefit of constituents who had contacted her with questions.

Space Monkey Arcade Special Use Permit Approved

The council approved a routine public hearing item granting a special use permit for on-premise consumption of alcoholic beverages for late hours at Space Monkey Arcade, 1204 E. Canton Road. The owner appeared before the council to offer to answer questions, noting no opposition was present.

“Just to let everybody else know, I know we’re all for the Readers Choice Awards for the Monitor. Let’s do an Edinburg sweep,” he said. “I’m voting for you, sir. And all Edinburg businesses. So let’s get Space Monkey Arcade on that winning list also.”

Villages on Closner Variance Approved

The council approved a variance request for the proposed Villages on Closner Subdivision at 500 E. Russell Road, allowing the developer to install a cedar fence rather than a required masonry block wall along a 600-foot section of the property that borders single-family residential lots.

Planning and Zoning Director Jaime Acevedo explained that the city intends to do sewer improvements in that area in the near future, making it impractical to install a masonry wall that would need to be torn out. He also noted that the city’s upcoming Unified Development Code revisions are expected to reduce the masonry wall requirement between multifamily and single-family residential properties citywide, aligning with practices in surrounding cities.

The development totals 220 lots, each designated for a fourplex, for approximately 880 units across 29 acres of multifamily, with seven acres along Closner designated for commercial use. No complaints were received from neighboring residents.

Budget Amendment Approved

The council approved an ordinance amending the 2025-2026 fiscal year budget, providing additional revenues and appropriations to the General Fund, Los Lagos Golf Club Fund, Edinburg International Airport Fund, and the Opioid Fund. Finance Director Cesar Alonso said the amendment totals approximately $2 million, with $77,500 coming from a capital lease escrow and $1,935,398 from the fund balance.

“Most of the items are matches for grants we received after October 1st,” Alonso said. “We’re still maintaining a healthy fund balance after this. We’ll still be at a fund balance of 26.95%, which is above the required 25%.”

Notable items within the amendment include a match for the state’s $20 million airport capital improvement project, and ADA compliance software required by law to bring the city’s website into compliance.

Bids and Contracts

The council approved the following:

• RFQ No. 2026-1 for Agent of Record, authorizing the city manager to negotiate and enter into an insurance services agreement
• Bid No. 2026-11 for the Fountain Pool Pump House Renovation rebid, awarded to GlobalConstruction & Design LLC, the lowest aggregate bidder meeting specifications

Appointment

The council reappointed Roman Rodriguez to the Civil Service Commission.

Consent Agenda

The council approved consent agenda items A through F. Item 13A, an ARPA budget amendment, drew a question from the council. Grants Administration Director Claudia Farias explained the item reallocates cost savings from completed utility projects to a Street Improvements Phase 2 project, with all ARPA funds on track to be fully expended ahead of the December 2026 deadline.

“There were 23 projects that were allocated funding,” Farias said. “Out of the 23, 21 are completed. Every cent is being expended.”

Mayor Ochoa took the opportunity to thank the city’s Public Works Department for its street repaving work.

“They have literally repaved dozens of streets throughout the city. They even took on the project most recently of completing the top layer of Alberta, and they did it literally in record time,” Ochoa said.

Executive Session

The council returned from executive to approve to economic development items identified as Project Brunch and Project Komida. No details were provided as to the nature or elements of the two projects.