HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 03/06/2025 - WorkshopI HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the
Workshop Meeting of the Corpus Christi City Council of March 6, 2025, which were
approved by the City Council on March 18, 2025.
WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, on this the l8th day of March 2025.
(SEAL)
Rebecca Huerta
City Secretary
Corpus Christi, Texas
City of Corpus Christi
Rebecca Huerta, City Secretary
P.O. Box 9277
Corpus Christi, Texas 78469-9277
(361) 826-3105
rebeccah@cctexas.com
SCANNED
City of Corpus Christi
Meeting Minutes
City Council Workshop
1201 Leopard Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
cctexas.com
Thursday, March 6, 2025
10:00 AM Council Chambers
A. Mayor Paulette Guajardo to call the meeting to order.
Mayor Guajardo called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m.
B. City Secretary Rebecca L. Huerta to call the roll of the required Charter Officers
City Secretary Rebecca Huerta called the roll and verified that a quorum of the City
Council and the required Charter Officers were present to conduct the meeting.
Charter Officers: City Manager Peter Zanoni, City Attorney Miles Risley and City
Secretary Rebecca Huerta
Note: Council Member Roy arrived at 10:07 a.m. and Council Member Cantu
participated virtually at 10:13 a.m.
Present 9 - Mayor Paulette Guajardo, Council Member Roland Barrera, Council Member Gil
Hernandez, Council Member Kaylynn Paxson, Council Member Eric Cantu, Council
Member Carolyn Vaughn, Council Member Everett Roy, Council Member Sylvia Campos,
and City Council Workshop Mark Scott
C. BRIEFINGS
25-0337 Presentation and Discussion of Alternative Water Supply Projects
Dr. Michael Mintz and Dr. Darrell Brownlow with Catahoula LLC presented information on
the following topics: project summary; brackish groundwater source; project cost; water
flowing downhill; groundwater database; groundwater permitting; pipeline design
considerations; pipeline route characteristics; and proposed schedule.
Ed Cross with Evangeline Laguna LLP presented information on the following topics:
Evangeline groundwater project; Evangeline groundwater project highlights;
reliable/drought-proof supply; and Evangeline groundwater is high quality.
Stacy Barna and Ruben Munoz with CDM Smith presented information on the following
topics: Barney Davis power station site; Barney Davis site pictures; Barney Davis
desalination plant -great potential; and advantages of Barney Davis desalination plant.
Sarah Garza with the Port of Corpus Christi presented information on the following
topics: permit process overview and status; regulatory strategy desalination at Harbor
City of Corpus Christi
Page 1 Printed on 3/12/2025
City Council Workshop
Meeting Minutes March 6, 2025
Island; six environmental precepts; overall plan; Harbor Island detail; intake structure;
diffuser; distribution line; summary of potential impacts (avoided or minimized); studies
and reports completed to date; intake and diffuser tunnels; intake structure; marine life
return system; and diffuser detail.
Tate Tussing and Alex Cagle with Noria Energy presented information on the following
topics: Noria Energy overview; who we are; leaders in floating solar: project
development; large-scale floating solar on reservoirs; development success story: first of
its kind; development case study: largest of its kind; FPV water quality benefits and
evaporative savings; evaporative rates across Corpus Christi; water quality issues; FPV
impact on evaporation and water quality; and next steps.
John Byrum with Nueces River Authority presented information on the following topics:
state agency territorial jurisdiction; water supply needs; discussion with Legislators; Port
of Corpus Christi working on 100 MGD Offshore Permits; summary of potential impacts
(avoided or minimized); and next.
Council Members, City Manager Peter Zanoni, Dr. Mintz, Dr. Brownlow, Mr. Cross, Ms.
Barna, Mr. Munoz, Ms. Garza, Mr. Tussing, Mr. Cagle, Kavi Ramakrishnan, and Mr.
Byrum discussed the following topics: since last year's negotiations were terminated with
Evangeline, they are now willing to sell their water rights to the City; the timeline for EV
Ranch's project is 30 months; there is no environmental cost associated with Evangeline;
Evangeline's completion timeline is 28 to 30 months; financing with a public sector would
be more affordable; Noria Energy could complete their project within 12 months and be
operational within 24 months; CDM Smith's financial cost is based on a further feasibility
study; the EV Ranch project's Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) would range from 1,000 to
5,000 milligrams per year; the total water capacity for Evangeline is 25 Million Gallons
Per Day (MGD); the quality and difference of salinity discharge at the Barney Davis Plant;
the Nueces River Authority's estimated cost per thousand gallons is based on bonds sold
over 20 years; how to minimize subsidence; the floating solar would have no negative
impact to the recreational use of the lake; the Port needs a TCEQ permit for water rights
and discharge; the state is exploring three plant locations; Evangeline does not need a
permit from TCEQ; and Noria Energy would need to complete a scope of work for a
feasibility study to determine cost for a solar package.
Chief Operating Officer of Corpus Christi Water Drew Molly presented information on the
following topics: Inner Harbor Water Treatment Campus Roadmap; and Inner Harbor
Water Treatment Campus.
Water Resource Manager of Corpus Christi Water Esteban Ramos presented
information on the following topics: La Quinta Seawater Desalination Treatment Facility;
and La Quinta Seawater Desalination Treatment Facility Roadmap.
Dan Olson with Garver presented information on the following topics: our agenda for
today; types of potable reuse; non -potable reuse (NPR) is the basic level of reuse
City of Corpus Christi
Page 2 Printed on 3/12/2025
City Council Workshop
Meeting Minutes March 6, 2025
requiring no advanced treatment processes; potable reuse comes in two primary
forms -both get introduced into your drinking water system; indirect potable reuse (IPR)
utilizes an environmental buffer; direct potable reuse (DPR) is similar to IPR but without
the environmental buffer; Corpus Christi Water (CCW) operates a decentralized
wastewater treatment system; infrastructure costs can outweigh some of the benefits of
certain IPR scenarios; CCW has identified an area that is favorable for Aquifer Storage
and Recovery (ASR); there are a growing number of potable reuse projects in the State
of Texas; scope of CCW water reuse project; task order number 1; and project timeline.
Director of Water Systems and Support Services Nick Winkelmann presented
information on the following topics: Mary Rhodes Pipeline (MRP) I and II; MRP I and II
water sources; pumping schedules; MRP condition assessment; program goal; AEP
upgrades; MRP system improvement project; AirNacuum valve installation; and
summary.
Director of Water Systems and Support Services Nick Winkelmann presented
information on the following topics: Nueces River Groundwater Well Program; historical
use; program goal; existing wells; new wells; well locations; new well construction; and
summary.
Stacy Barna with CDM Smith presented information on the following topics: who is CDM
Smith; background - CC Polymer Plant; potential water solution; and opportunities.
Council Members, City Manager Zanoni, Chief Operating Officer Molly, Director of Water
Systems and Support Services Winkelmann, Water Resource Manager Ramos, Mr.
Olson, and Ms. Barna discussed the following topics: what is the City's demand for water
in terms of the drought; a Council Member's request for the environmental cost, timeline,
permits, and how many gallons of water will be produced at Inner Harbor and La Quinta; a
request for more details in terms of next steps of the Inner Harbor project; the wastewater
reuse projects do not have a quick turnaround; the MRP pumping capacity is 79 MGD;
the treatment cost for the reuse projects depend on the size of the facility; the costs for
improvement of the MRP and the additional cost per thousand gallons of water on the
wells; a request for CC Polymer's cost per thousand gallons; whether water flow at the
desalination plant could be reduced, if necessary, to save on cost; a Council Member's
concern that the City does not have a data model; if an additional 10 MGD can be added
to the MRP; La Quinta's estimated cost is $1.1 Billion with a five year timeline; and the
importance of an accurate reflection of the City's water supply calculation.
D. Adjournment
There being no further business, Mayor Guajardo adjourned this meeting at 2:00 p.m.
City of Corpus Christi
Page 3 Printed on 3/12/2025