CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 A routine update on city water projects erupted into a heated debate Tuesday after one councilman questioned whether the long-delayed Inner Harbor desalination project was still alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs city staff still working on Inner Harbor \u2014 or is it dead?\u201d District 1 Councilman Everett Roy asked.<\/p>\n
The question reopened a divisive conversation many thought had been put to rest.<\/p>\n
Mayor Paulette Guajardo responded quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to jump in here \u2014 Peter, you probably should have,\u201d she said, referring to City Manager Peter Zanoni. \u201cWe\u2019ve had conversations, because desal is still on the table. If desal is going to die, let five people kill it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zanoni acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the project\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mayor\u2019s talked to me about bringing it back November first,\u201d he said. \u201cBut other councilors have said, \u2018No, don\u2019t,\u2019 so I\u2019m a little conflicted. I don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city is awaiting a third letter from the Texas Water Development Board about reallocating Inner Harbor funds to other projects \u2014 despite the agency stating twice that such a move is unlikely.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Oct. 11, the city officially ended its contract with the project\u2019s contractor, Kiewit, citing \u201ctermination for convenience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inner Harbor desalination project ignites tense council meeting<\/p>\n
Some council members remained skeptical about bringing the project back.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not our number-one project that\u2019ll get us water the fastest, so I don\u2019t agree with the mayor about bringing it back,\u201d said District 2 Councilwoman Sylvia Campos.<\/p>\n
\u201cMayor, you need to be cognizant of how we\u2019re going to lead the people forward with confidence \u2014 not take them backwards,\u201d added District 4 Councilwoman Kaylynn Paxson.<\/p>\n
Roy clarified his intent: \u201cWe voted on canceling the contract with Kiewit. We did not vote on killing Inner Harbor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guajardo responded: \u201cAt the end of the day, like the councilman said, no one has ever said we\u2019re done with desal. It\u2019s coming back \u2014 I\u2019ll put it on the agenda myself. I don\u2019t need five people or four people or three people to do it. I have a lot of the public behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n
District 3 Councilman Eric Cantu strongly opposed bringing Inner Harbor back in its current form.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat screwed up this project is hungry people \u2014 self-serving politicians. That\u2019s why this deal got screwed up,\u201d Cantu said.<\/p>\n
He claimed former contractor Kiewit told him that some past politicians were \u201con the take.\u201d He then turned his attention to the mayor.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were against Inner Harbor when it was $309 million, and now it\u2019s $1.2 billion \u2014 and you want us to say yes to that? You said no back then.\u201d<\/p>\n
As tensions rose, At-Large Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn called for unity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to quit pointing fingers and start working together for the good of this city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
District 5 Councilman Gil Hernandez then tried to shift the conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to circle us back to groundwater.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the end of the meeting, there was no clear path forward \u2014 only more questions about where the project stands.<\/p>\n
Zanoni said it could be weeks before the Texas Water Development Board responds. He added that council plans to revisit the issue once that letter arrives.<\/p>\n
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