Council approves resolution to revive 2019 land-swap for North Wharton and East Jackson parcel

The El Campo City Council approved Resolution R2026-19 to update the execution date on a 2019 land-swap agreement so the owners can sign and move forward with financing and construction.

The city manager explained the original land-swap for the corner of North Wharton and East Jackson "happened in 2019, but was never executed, meaning it wasn't signed by the owners," and said the city attorney advised bringing the agreement back to update the date so it can be executed. The manager said the unsigned agreement is "standing in the way of them starting construction."

Council discussion focused on the parcel's relationship to an expanded facility and parking adjacent to the stockyard. One councilmember described the back parcel and how it connects to the existing property and said the owners are finalizing a financing package for the project. The city manager confirmed the lack of signature on the 2019 documents caused the delay.

A councilmember moved to approve Resolution R2026-19 "as presented." The motion received a second; the clerk called the vote and announced the motion passed. The resolution updates the date on the previously negotiated 2019 land-swap to allow the owners to sign and proceed with their financing and construction plans.

What happens next: with the resolution approved, the city anticipates the owners will execute the updated agreement so they can finalize financing and begin construction; no owner statements or contract documents were included in the transcript.