City of Corpus Christi | City Council Meeting June 2, 2026

The City of Corpus Christi held a City Council meeting on June 2, 2026, with extensive public participation focused primarily on water supply challenges and the proposed Inner Harbor desalination project. The council received a detailed briefing on the 2026 hurricane season and emergency preparedness, including sandbag distribution events. A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to public comments, with many residents expressing concerns about the environmental, financial, and community impacts of the Inner Harbor desalination plant, particularly its location near the Hillrest neighborhood and potential effects on local ecosystems. The council discussed water emergency policies, including curtailment allocations and surcharges for residential, commercial, wholesale, and large volume water users, with attention to multifamily housing allocations and regional equity. The council approved policies for level one water emergency surcharges with plans to revisit multifamily and wholesale customer allocations within 60 days. Additionally, the council approved three farm and grazing lease agreements with a shortened three-year term and committed to future competitive bidding. A comprehensive presentation on the farfield modeling study of the desalination plant’s environmental impact was delivered, highlighting minimal predicted salinity stratification effects localized near the discharge point, though some committee members and scientists expressed concerns about the study’s scope and the need for further biological impact analysis. The council was also presented with a design-build contract for the Inner Harbor desalination plant with a preliminary guaranteed maximum price of approximately $978 million and discussed the financial implications, including projected water rate increases for various customer classes and the importance of timely decisions related to Swift loan deadlines. The meeting reflected a complex balance between advancing water infrastructure projects and addressing community and environmental concerns.