Council Votes 4-1 AGAINST the DUMP.

By Gabriela A. Treviño
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

Laredo City Council passed a resolution Monday night in opposition to the proposed El Pescadito regional landfill, currently in the permitting process by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Councilman George Altgelt requested the resolution. Altgelt and councilmen Charlie San Miguel, Rudy Gonzalez and Alex Perez voted in favor of passing it.

Juan Narvaez, Roque Vela and Vidal Rodriguez abstained from voting. Vela had suggested to table the item.

Councilman Roberto Balli was the sole member of council to vote against the resolution to oppose.

Balli’s reasoning aligned with Assistant City Attorney Christina Hale’s counsel.

She said that if the council was to vote on the resolution, it would violate the city’s code of ethics. The code states that council should not vote on an item that does not directly effect Laredo’s jurisdiction.

Because the proposed landfill will be 18 miles outside city limits, Hale said it would be out of the city’s purview and that City Council is not directly responsible for the landfill.

This decision comes one week after Webb County commissioners voted unanimously to oppose the proposed landfill.

Mayor Pete Saenz abstained from the discussion due to a conflict of interest with one of the involved parties.

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