Council’s slim quorum fails to pass street lighting vote

By Marc Robertson - Editor | November 20, 2024

Councilors responding to a request by a local resident and former councilor that the city of Cotulla pay to install street lights on a bridge over Mustang Creek failed to second a motion, leaving the agenda item to die on the table Thursday evening, November 14.
The same failure occurred on a following agenda item, when the council was asked to install additional street lighting on Pecos, Goodwin and Martinez streets.
On each occasion, Councilor Gilbert Ayala filed a motion that the city work with American Electric Power (AEP) for the installation of light poles where none presently exist or to have lights added to poles already in place. Ayala received no second, however, from Councilors Trish Garcia and Mary Koraleski.
Councilors Alejandro Garcia Jr. and Manuel Rodriguez were absent from the meeting. Mayor Sandra Luna does not have a vote on council agenda items except to break a tied vote.

At issue in both requests by Eloy Zertuche was a concern that children are having to walk to and from school in darkened stretches of street and over the Mustang Creek bridge.
Councilors learned, however, that some pedestrians in the area are using a shortcut through the creek, which is not lit.
Zertuche, who formerly held the seat now occupied by Councilor Trish Garcia, said he believes Poole Street poses a danger to pedestrians because of its poor lighting when it serves as an alternate traffic route in the event of a Hwy 97 closure nearby.

Recent reconstruction work on Hwy 97 prompted a traffic diversion via Poole and over Mustang Creek through residential neighborhoods. Councilors voted this summer to install temporary speed humps on Poole and other streets to slow traffic taking the diversion.
That traffic included a number of freight trucks and school buses traveling between FM 624 and the downtown area.
The total cost for commissioning AEP to install lighting on Poole Street at Mustang Creek had been quoted at $2,122.
Mayor Luna supported the measure.
“My biggest concern is safety and the hazard when the creek floods,” the mayor said at Thursday’s meeting. “It’s also a safety issue for city employees. Those areas are dark.
“There is also a criminal element,” Luna added. “There is a lot of theft going on in town. It’s not just people walking through there with a flashlight.”
The council was first asked to consider the lighting additions at at its October meeting.
“When we tabled this, I went myself,” Councilor Koraleski said. “Mr. Zertuche’s house is right there. I went there at night. The street is totally lit. The creek is dark.
“There are neighborhoods that need a street light and don’t have one,” Koraleski said. “The kids should not be walking in the creek or playing in the creek.”
“This is a little give-back to the citizens,” Mayor Luna said of the lighting proposal. “The creek has been a topic for a while. We shouldn’t wait until something bad happens.”
“There is no pole there,” City Administrator David Wright said. “Engineering would have to be done. If there is a pole in place, lighting is installed free of charge. The city pays for the electricity.”
“I’m requesting this because Poole Street is very dangerous,” Zertuche said.
“I’m surprised that high school kids are walking to school,” Councilor Koraleski said.
Councilor Ayala proposed that the city pay $1,728 for a light pole and $394 for a light on Poole Street but was met with silence.
“I want to thank the councilor for saying yes,” Zertuche said after the motion died, “and for those who said no, your time will come.”
Ayala then made a motion that the council approve light installation on Pecos, Goodwin and Martinez streets where poles are already in place. The installation would have been free of charge by AEP and was recommended by the city administrator. That motion likewise died for lack of a second.
Later on Thursday night’s meeting, councilors approved spending up to $15,000 on Christmas lights and downtown decorations, but noted that the expenditure comes from the municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues, not from the taxpayers’ general fund.
Hotel tax revenues are directed to a special account at City Hall and may only be used for downtown beautification, tourism promotion, festivals and other expenses that relate to promoting the city for visitors and economic revitalization. Monies from the fund were used for the restoration and reconstruction of a former garage on Main and Carrizo Streets now serving as City Hall, and the purchase and restoration of the former Stockmens Bank and current City Hall Annex at 101 Front Street, where last week’s council meeting was held.
The motion, again made by Councilor Ayala, was supported unanimously.
The expenditure has since been lowered to a maximum of $12,000.
“So you’re saying that you want to spend $15,000 on Christmas lights for three weeks,” Zertuche said when given an opportunity to speak from the public benches, “but not two thousand dollars for permanent lighting?”
Zertuche said after leaving the council meeting that he believes the city has an obligation to its residents to light all of its residential streets at approximately every 300 feet for security at night.
The darkened area in which Poole Street crosses Mustang Creek, he said, stretches 800 feet.