The Cuero City Council meeting on April 14 covered several key points that included requests from senior citizens, renegotiation of the solid waste contract, upgrade of law enforcement radios, and the appointment of a municipal judge.
Appointment of Associate Judge
The council approved the resignation of Associate Judge Hallie Hall, effective March 21, and appointed Nora Denise Martinez as the new associate judge. City Attorney James K. Crain III swore her in, and she will serve the remainder of the previous judge's term, which ends on July 7, 2026.
During her introduction, Judge Martinez provided a brief overview of her legal experience.
“I am currently a municipal judge for the city of Stockdale and have spent 10 years working in municipal law. Additionally, I serve as the city prosecutor for Pleasanton, Pearsall, Carrizo Springs, and Somerset, and I also handle truancy cases under the same jurisdiction,” she stated.
Senior Requests
During the public comment session, Larry Knuckles and Ronnie Dietz spoke separately about the need for support for senior activities. Knuckles reminisced about the NRA building used for senior citizens' gatherings and requested a similar space for the seniors of DeWitt County. Citizen Ronnie Dietz followed up on requested funds for the city’s Senior Bingo, first addressing the Council on March 10th. He reminded the Council that Senior Bingo is a non-revenue generating event.
“We just want a place to meet for fellowship and fun. Yes, sir, and give everybody a chance to go home with something. Absolutely, with our bingo, everybody wins,” he exclaimed.
Solid Waste Providers Texas Disposal Systems vs White Trash
The City of Cuero has a 10-year contract with Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) set to auto-renew unless terminated by either party. Due to TDS amendments and 4% annual price increase, the council approved terminating the existing TDS contract effective September 30, and authorizing City Manager Wayne Berger to negotiate the new TDS contract with potential additions like weekly bulky collections.
James Griffin of TDS was present to answer questions. Although the details are still being finalized, TDS has proposed maintaining the current rate while increasing the number of roll-off containers and offering bulky brush trash collection twice a year on a weekly schedule. Residents will have the option to individually schedule a pickup.
“This helps customers who don't have the ability to haul it up to the collection station or get it up there during free week. They would call in straight to TDS,” he said.
To clarify the load size, TDS stated, 'The size must be manageable for the crew to pick up by hand and load into the rear-loading truck. We are looking at a dimension of three feet by three feet, or a ninecubic- foot size, which is roughly equivalent to a washer and dryer.'
As for the proposed 4% annual increase, it is based on the waste industry index.
Also offering waste management services, Doug Zelkowski of White Trash Service (WTS), located at 96 Enterprise Drive in Victoria, spoke before the Council in Public Comments. He presented WTS services as a local solid waste provider, already servicing municipalities in the Golden Crescent area and various homeowners' associations through existing contracts.
Zelkowski highlighted several advantages over larger companies, stating, “Our team is familiar with the Cuero area since we travel through it daily, and many of our residents and employees are from the region,” he said.
One of the unique benefits of their service is their FEMA certification.
“What that means is that if a hurricane comes through, you won’t have to wait. You will automatically be bumped in front of the line for brush and debris pickup. You won’t experience the delays you might have with other providers, and you will still be eligible for reimbursement through FEMA— a significant advantage if you’ve lived through hurricanes or storms before,” Zelkowski explained.
Police Department Radio Upgrades
Cuero Police Chief Steven Ellis highlighted the need for new dual- bandwidth radios due to communication issues caused by the current single-bandwidth VHF Motorola radios, which only work within DeWitt County.
Surrounding counties, including Lavaca, have switched or are going to switch to dual- band systems, limiting communication for DeWitt County officers. In a recent incident, a car pursuit on April 7th led to delayed communication, as officers had to rely on County Dispatch to connect with Yoakum PD.
“My officers had to contact County Dispatch. Dispatch had to stay on the phone with Yoakum, PD. So, we got this little chain going on, and we got delayed communication. Officers were luckily able to get the offenders. It was a stolen vehicle that they recovered from here in town,” Chief Ellis recounted.
Ellis expressed concerns for officer safety given the current situation.
“It's that type of situation that scares me. We work quite often with Lavaca and Yoakum on special operations,” he continued.
Motorola offered a credit for the recently purchased radios with a 20% restocking fee, but the deadline to accept is May 31st. The dual-band handheld radios cost $9,000-10,000 each, and the City Council approved a resolution to purchase sixteen radios for $128,000, funded from the General Fund despite not being budgeted this year.
Other topics
In addition to proclamations, many City Council members received recognitions. The Council honored the Cuero Development Corporation for being awarded the Texas Economic Excellence Award. Cheryl Merzbacher of Cuero Collection & Recycling Center accepted the Keep Texas Beautiful Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Recycling Efforts 2024. Additionally, the Council declared three proclamations: the Proclamation of Economic Development Week, which is celebrated from May 11 to May 17; the Arbor Day Proclamation which emphasizes the importance of trees and the city’s commitment to urban and community forestry; and Fair Housing Month Proclamation, which is issued for the month of April, highlights the significance of fair housing laws.
The fiscal year 20242025 audit report by Melissa Terry with Harrison, Waldrop & Uherek, LLP, was approved. The council also approved rebranding Farmers Market to Cuero Artisan Market, the final Turkey Fest panel design of the Turkey Fest walkway, highlighting the history of the event from 1972 onwards, and $28,375 for a hard shade cover for the fitness park.
Upcoming events include an Easter egg hunt and a 'Shop the Blocks' event on April 26, and Hometown Harvest on April 28.
The next regular City Council meeting will be held on May12 at 5:00 p.m., located at City Hall Council Chambers.
