SUBJECT
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A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Laredo, Texas, authorizing the City Manager to ratify and enter into a continuation contract from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) through the National Institutes of Aging (NIA) for the UTHSCSA SARS Alzheimer’s Grant, in the amount of $220,290.00 with no match for the City of Laredo Public Health Department for the term period from August 01, 2025 through July 31, 2026. Funds will be accounted for in the Laredo Public Health Department Fund – UTHSCSA SARS Alzheimer’s Program Grant.
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VIVA LAREDO PLAN ALIGNMENT
Alignment Rating:
Supporting goal(s)/policy(ies):
- Goal 7.1: Improve access to health services for all residents.
- Policy 7.1.1: Expand access to preventive and specialized health services in underserved neighborhoods.
- Goal 7.4: Foster a culture of health through education and public health initiatives.
- Policy 7.4.3: Support research and community health initiatives that address long-term health outcomes and chronic disease.
- Goal 7.5: Strengthen public health systems and partnerships.
- Policy 7.5.4: Promote collaboration with universities, research institutions, and healthcare providers to improve community health.
Summary of alignment: This resolution aligns with the Viva Laredo Comprehensive Plan by advancing research into the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 and genetic predispositions to Alzheimer’s disease. Through collaboration with UT Health San Antonio and the National Institute on Aging, the program strengthens public health knowledge, supports scientific discovery, and builds local capacity to address chronic conditions that disproportionately affect underserved populations. The initiative reinforces the City’s goals of expanding specialized healthcare, fostering innovation in public health, and developing partnerships that improve health outcomes across the community.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION
On January 28, 2025, Council approved Ordinance 2025-O-05
BACKGROUND
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), with UT Health San Antonio as the coordinating center, collaborates with the City of Laredo Public Health Department for research on Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 infection and genetic variation on the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in ancestral and admixed populations. Through this award, City of Laredo Public Health Department will support in illuminating genetic and other factors that predispose people to developing Alzheimer’s disease after COVID-19 and other infections.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Staff recommends that Council approve the Resolution.
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Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Year: 2026
Budgeted Y/N?: Y
Source of Funds: UTHSCSA Alzheimer’s Program Grant
Account #: 226-6410
Change Order: Exceeds 25% Y/N: N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The revenue account 226-0000-326-2012 and the expenditure division is 226-6410 with Project Number HESA02.