XAVIER ZARAGOZA

The Daily Dispatch

Water rates and Border Patrol agents were the topics of Tuesday's special city council meeting.

On April 1, Douglas residents will see an increase in their water and sewer rates.

At Tuesday's meeting, the council addressed an omission in the language of the ordinance.

Staff noticed that a permanent $5 capital improvement and surcharge had been inadvertently left out.

The legal notices that are required to increase the rates and the Pubic Report included language that the surcharge was to expire on Sept. 7, 2007. Ordinance 06-904 would make the surcharge permanent.

Citizens addressing the council

Douglas resident Windy Gomez addressed the council about an incident that happened in December 2006 involving Border Patrol agents.

Gomez said she and her husband, Dr. Mike Gomez, were in a truck on 10th Street when they were stopped by the Border Patrol, some of whom were wearing masks.

"I don't scare easily but I had nightmare that night," she said.

Gomez said that the Border Patrol stopped her and her husband unnecessarily.

Councilmember's Report

Councilman Mike Gomez expanded on the December Border Patrol incident.

Councilman Gomez said that he was told by the agents that a sensor on Geronimo's Trial had been activated and since the Gomez's were the only ones in the area, the agents decided to stop their truck.

Gomez and his wife Windy were on Geronino Trail before they had been stopped on 10th Street.

Gomez said the agents asked for his registration and the citizenship.

Gomez said that in the area of Geronimo's Trial and the Douglas Municipal Airport, the agents create a lot of dust when they spin around in their ATV's, "acting like Rambos out there."

The agents also drive across the runway at times when an airplane is attempting to land, he said.

"This can create a danger for the pilots as they are trying to land," Gomez said.

Gomez also addressed the environmental issues when agents drag tires across certain parts of the desert.

Border Patrol agent and Special Operations Supervisor Ulysses A. Duronslet addressed the council and encouraged all citizens to call the Border Patrol station, whether it's to commend an agent or to report a concern.

"We work and we live here and we want to hear from the community," Duronslet said.

Duronslet said that the agents drag the tires on different sides of the desert in order to give the land time to come back to its nature state.

Duronslet said the agents don't intentionally drive across the runway. But when they do, it involves a law enforcement issue.