By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian
04-16-25
Top Picture: Elected board members (L-R) Jim Shoemaker, Santa Perez, Juli Alvarado, Mario Valdez
Approximate 65 people packed the meeting room at El Progreso Memorial Library Tuesday evening for the Windmill Water Supply Corporation’s board meeting. The Windmill Water Supply Corporation serves as the water utility company in the Uvalde Estates. The current board of directors had served for many years with infrequent meetings, and it is unknown when the last board elections were held.
Many citizens voiced frustration early in the meeting with a tense exchange early in the meeting where Uvalde Estates Resident Jim Shoemaker spoke to one of the board members stating, “That’s a lie.” responding to an account of a happening at a previous meeting.
Tensions reached a climax later in the meeting on the matter of board elections with several citizens shouting from the audience demanding elections be held as stated in the by-laws. The motion for holding an election was made and seconded. At one point in the meeting, Uvalde County Constable Emmanuel Zamora addressed the audience calling for a peaceful and orderly meeting or the meeting could be shut down.
Attorney Justin Wolbert was at the meeting and spoke with the three presiding board members during a recess of the meeting and when the meeting reconvened, he said the existing board had agreed to step down and not run for reelection.
Wolbert presided over the elections with six candidates running for four board positions. Paper ballots were used as each of the Windmill Water Supply customers with a meter and owned property at the Uvalde Estates were eligible to vote for four of the six candidates.
As the paper ballots were collected, the votes were tallied by Constable Zamora and Diana Olvedo-Karau. The meeting concluded with the following candidates being announced as winners: (L-R) Jim Shoemaker, Santa Perez, Juli Alvarado, Mario Valdez.
The meeting adjourned just after the audience applauded the outgoing board for its 10 years of volunteer service to the water supply corporation.
