SAN ANTONIO – District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo said she’s trying to address community concerns about recycling and salvage yards.
“What we learned and what we heard from the community is this went on for far too long,” Castillo said. “How can we relook at that policy to where there’s a quicker trigger and more accountability sooner?”
Castillo said she wants more accountability for these types of facilities, and she’s pushing a Council Consideration Request, or CCR, that she recently filed to do so. Its top order is to create a task force to recommend changes to San Antonio’s Code of Ordinances, specifically for Chapter 11 Fire Prevention and Chapter 16 Licenses and Business Regulations.
“There should not be confusion on what those violations are when you received them,” Castillo said.
Castillo first filed this CCR back in November 2023. It has yet to move to the governance committee for which the mayor sets the agenda. She filed it days after neighbors raised concerns about Monterrey Iron and Metal on Frio City Road. The recycling center had multiple code violations and only recently came into compliance. But Castillo said more has to be done.
“It’s not to just focus on compliance with the Monterrey, but the entire industry as a whole,” Castillo said.
Neighbors like Debra Ponce are leaning on this CCR to create change in the city.
“That’s what is necessary in order to hold these recyclers accountable,” Ponce said. “All so that they keep their area safe for the rest of us.”
Some of these codes were last updated in 2012. But recycling centers like Texas Auto Salvage say it takes more than amending city codes to create change.
“It’s not a bad thing as long as they enforce it equally upon everybody,” said Daniel Hack, the president of Texas Auto Salvage.
This request is only in its early stages. The big question for many community members is who will fill the stakeholder task force if the CCR moves forward.
Castillo said, ideally, each city council member would select a community member. She said she agrees with some concerned neighbors that companies with code violations or who have had code violations shouldn’t have a part in shaping future codes.
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