Jacinto City, TX. May 9, 2016 – Thursday’s Jacinto City Council Meeting had three of the five council members taking their Oath of Office which was administered by Justice of the Peace George Risner.
Jacinto City operates under a Home Rule Charter that calls for the mayor and five council positions to have staggered elections. The mayor and two council seats come up for election in odd numbered years and three council seats to be elected in even numbered years. The charter calls for a fulltime City Manager who conducts the day to day business of the city with the six elected officials serving part-time.
The Council unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance setting the monthly salaries of the mayor and council. The Mayor’s salary is $350 with a $300 car allowance and the Council’s is $300 with a $225 car allowance. Councilman Jimmy “JJ” Rivas was approved as Mayor Pro Tem to serve in the absence of the mayor.
The Council approved Fire Chief Rebecca Mier’s recommendations to amended both the Fire Department budget by $5,000 for a fire engine repair and to amended the EMS Department budget for $17,900 for ambulance repairs.
Chief of Police Joey Ayala got the Council to approve the Police Department’s Policy Manual to include a Body Camera Policy. Ayala said new body cameras would be obtained for all officers to wear from funds received through the Illegal Drug Forfeiture Law and possibly from a Federal Grant application being applied for and made available by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
The Body Camera Policy is to provide both police officers and the public on how and when the body cameras will be used. Officers will be required to activate their camera at all times when making contact with citizens in the performance of their duties. Whenever possible, officers should inform the public that they are being recorded. In locations where citizens have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a residence, they may decline to be recorded unless the recording is being made in pursuant to a legal arrest or search of the residence or the individuals.
The citizenry when in outdoor public spaces where they are legally present, they have the right to capture any image that’s in plain view. That includes pictures and videos of federal buildings, transportation facilities (including airports), and police officers.
The Mayor and Council presented a Proclamation to Rosalinda Lucio, retiring Jacinto City Children’s Librarian. Family members present heard from the mayor, council members and the citizens as they express how valuable she’s been to the community. Rosalinda tearfully thanked everyone for the kind expressions, said she would miss her job and everyone she grew close to.