Coppell City Council Regular Meeting – June 9, 2026

The Coppell City Council met on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, beginning with a Work Session at 6:08 p.m., followed by a Regular Session at 7:37 p.m., and concluding with a resumed Work Session at 8:35 p.m. that ended at 9:15 p.m. The meeting covered bond refunding parameters, a proposed special district for Old Town, a non-park facility naming policy, several proclamations, public comments on drainage issues, approval of a school special use permit, and consent agenda items.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: Approved the minutes from May 26, 2026, by unanimous vote.
• Resolution Supporting Mayor Wes Mays for TML President‑Elect: Approved unanimously (Enactment No. RE 2026-0609.1).
• Contract with Emergicon, LLC for ambulance debt collection services under interlocal agreement with Euless; City Manager authorized to sign. Approved unanimously.
• Award of $443,918.29 to Custard Construction for locker room remodel at The CORE, funded by CRDC. Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kimberly Herald (104 Heather Glen Drive) addressed the Council regarding severe flooding and drainage issues on Heather Glen Drive. She stated that the city recently replaced the sewer system but did not address drainage, which she called a hazard, and requested that the drainage project be moved to the top of the city's priority list. She provided photos and video not displayed during the meeting.
• During the Work Session (not open for citizen comments per policy), no public comment was heard.

Proclamations

• New Driver Safety Week (August 23–29, 2026): Presented by Mayor Mays to Sunya Ajani, a Coppell High School graduate who survived a crash at Parkway and Denton Tap in 2022 and now advocates for safe driving.
• Park and Recreation Month (July 2026): Presented to members of the Coppell Community Experiences team. Megan Beaujean highlighted upcoming events including a July 14 celebration in Old Town and July 4th festivities for America’s 250th anniversary.
• Ainsley Bramer Day (May 16, 2026): Recognized Ainsley Bramer, a Coppell High School student who won the UIL state shot‑put championship with a throw of 45 feet. She signed with the University of Texas.

Discussion Items

• Bond Refunding (Agenda Item 8) : Kim Tiehen, Director of Strategic Financial Engagement, and Jason Hughes, Senior Managing Director of Hilltop Securities, presented a revised parameter sale ordinance for refunding the 2013 and 2016 Certificate of Obligation bonds (totaling $10.34 million outstanding). The previous ordinance required a true interest cost (TIC) no higher than 2.75% and minimum present‑value savings of 5%, which were unattainable because of market volatility (the 10‑year municipal rate had moved from 2.91% to 3.17% and back to 2.95%). The new recommended parameters set maximum TIC at 3.25% and minimum savings at 3% (approximately $310,200 in present value). Current savings stood at 2.17%. If rates drop about 0.2 percentage points, the 3% threshold would be met. Councilmember Ramesh Premkumar, who had earlier advocated for a higher threshold, stated he now supports the 3%/3.25% parameters after understanding industry standards. The Council also received a preview of a separate CRDC revenue bond refunding (outstanding $21.295 million) with similar parameters, which will go before the CRDC Board on July 20 and return to Council on July 28.
• Proposed Old Town Special District (Work Session Item C) : Staff presented foundational framework decisions. Discussion centered on four components:
  • Alcohol Consumption Provision: Council agreed to include a statutory provision allowing alcoholic beverages purchased from permitted establishments to be carried and consumed within the district boundaries, subject to future local ordinances. Mayor and Council expressed support for broad flexibility, with the ability to tailor rules (e.g., restricting consumption to certain hours or areas) through city ordinance. Residents and businesses must be regulated by the city’s charter or ordinance.
  • Naming: Council selected “Old Town Entertainment District” (OTED) to convey the intended purpose. Five of six members present (excluding Councilmember Biju Mathew, absent) gave verbal or visual approval.
  • Governance Structure: Council directed that the initial board shall be the City Council itself (temporary council board), with a mechanism to change board composition via ordinance adopted by a majority (or supermajority) in the future. This allows future flexibility to create a hybrid board that could include business or residential representatives or appointed directors. Spending authority for tax‑revenue reinvestment will remain with the City Council.
  • Geographic Boundaries: Staff presented a map with expansion areas. After debate about including residential neighborhoods and the senior center area, Council directed that the initial boundaries be the full proposed area (yellow plus areas 1‑5) as presented, with an understanding that the senior center area (east side) would be included but would be clearly delineated. A final map and language will be brought back for future approval. Council member Kevin Nevels advocated for including the wooded tract east of the senior center for future redevelopment flexibility.
• Non‑Park Facility Naming Policy (Work Session Item D, held after Regular Session) : Deputy City Manager Traci Leach presented a draft policy for naming facilities not covered by the park ordinance (e.g., Town Center, service center, fire stations, Justice Center, Life Safety Park, hangar, animal services building). After discussion, Council reached consensus on the following modifications:
  • Eligibility service thresholds: City Council members: 9 years (minimum three terms, non‑consecutive okay). Volunteers: 10 years. Employees: reduced from 25 to 20 years of service to the City of Coppell.
  • Initiation process: All naming proposals must be sponsored by a City Council member. Citizens may request a council member to sponsor a nomination.
  • Funding: The requirement for the applicant to pay for signage was eliminated entirely; all costs will be covered by the city whether council‑initiated or community‑sponsored.
  • Renaming restrictions: Once a facility is named, no changes are allowed for 25 years. After that period, renaming requires a supermajority vote (6 out of 7 Council members). This moratorium applies even if no living descendants remain in Coppell.
  • Approval threshold: Any new naming or renaming will require a supermajority vote (6/7).
  • One facility per person: An individual may only be honored on one facility.
  • The policy does not apply to parks; those are governed by the existing code.

Key Outcomes

• Bond Refunding Ordinance (Agenda Item 8): Unanimously adopted (Ordinance No. 2026-1647), repealing Ordinance No. 2026-1646 and authorizing issuance of General Obligation Refunding Bonds with maximum TIC of 3.25% and minimum present‑value savings of 3%.
• Special Use Permit for St. Constantine School (Agenda Item 9): Unanimously approved, with conditions that the school must be licensed under state law, serve Pre‑K3 through 12th grade, and have a maximum enrollment of 130 students. The school currently has 69 students (from 32 families) and expects 97 enrolled for the upcoming year.
• Consent Agenda: All four items approved unanimously (Enactment No. RE 2026-0609.1 for the resolution; contract and award approved).
• Old Town Entertainment District Framework: Council provided direction to include the alcohol provision, adopt the name “Old Town Entertainment District”, establish a temporary council board with a future amendment mechanism, and proceed with the geographic boundaries as presented (with the east‑side expansion noted). Staff will return with refined language and a finalized map.
• Non‑Park Facility Naming Policy: Staff directed to revise the draft policy incorporating the consensus points listed above, and will bring it back for formal adoption at a future meeting.
• Other: The Coppell Arts Center update was deferred to the July 14, 2026 City Council agenda (due to absent Councilmember Biju Mathew).