Fort Worth City Council Work Session: June 23, 2026
Fort Worth City Council Work Session: June 23, 2026
The city council held a work session on June 23, 2026, covering multiple informal reports and presentations on topics including illegal fireworks enforcement, handbill distribution, workers' compensation appeals, the Net Force pilot program, the Engage Fort Worth Community Academy, the literacy initiative, and a proposed incentive agreement for Mock Industries. No formal votes were taken; most items are expected to proceed to a regular council meeting or inform future budget decisions.
Discussion Items
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Illegal Gunfire and Fireworks: Deputy Chief Andre Smith presented a coordinated plan between the Fort Worth Police and Fire Departments to manage illegal fireworks and gunfire through four core goals: protecting safety, ensuring resource availability, delivering community messaging, and reducing calls. The plan includes community engagement, event management, data-driven resource deployment, and enforcement operations. Councilmembers Foras, Crane, and Peoples expressed support and thanked community advocates Torchy Y and Cindy Bowling for their grassroots efforts with signs funded from their own pockets.
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Unwanted Handbill Distribution: Brian Doherty, Code Compliance Director, reported on a new strategy to address unwanted newspapers and handbills. The city will track reports via the My Fort Worth app and a new landing page that allows residents to opt out per address. A 51% neighborhood opt-out threshold is required for complete cessation by some distributors. Council member Warsdorf suggested exploring littering charges for unsolicited papers heavy with ads. Staff will evaluate the approach after 90 days and consider ordinance changes if needed.
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Workers' Compensation Surgical Appeals: Kristen Smith presented data from the past five years showing that only 5% of surgical requests resulting from workplace injuries were appealed. Of those appealed, 46% were upheld and 53% overturned after medical review or additional documentation. Councilmember Larsdworth raised concerns about the peer review process, noting that third-party doctors sometimes deny surgery recommended by in-network physicians, leading to delays in care. Staff clarified that peer review involves dialogue between the requesting provider and a neutral third-party physician.
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Net Force Pilot Update: Brian Doherty presented a six-month update on the Nuisance Enforcement Task Force (Net Force) pilot, which conducted concentrated multi-departmental inspections at three properties: Eco Motel (District 11), Southside Food Mart and Rockies 2 (Hemp Hill area), and Sandy Oaks Apartments. The team identified 509, 53, and 859 violations respectively. Eco Motel was declared hazardous after structural deficiencies and the owner shut down operations; Southside Food Mart entered a Chapter 125 agreement and also ceased operations; Sandy Oaks corrected all 859 violations. Police calls for service dropped at closed properties but may have shifted elsewhere. Total cost for the six-month pilot was approximately $174,000, far below the earlier estimate of $3.5 million. Staff proposed a permanent program at an estimated $2 million per year, focusing on a rotating list of properties. Councilmembers expressed strong support but raised questions about resource reallocation, recouping costs from fines, and displacement of nuisance activity. Councilman Nettles requested a database of high-call locations to prioritize.
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Engage Fort Worth Community Academy: Madeline Mackey presented a free, seven-session program launching in September to educate residents on city operations, decision-making, and civic engagement. The first cohort is limited to 25 participants, selected by a staff panel based on geographic diversity and representation from historically underserved neighborhoods. The academy will include evening sessions and Saturday field days, covering topics such as public safety, infrastructure, growth and development, and accountability. Cost for the pilot is $6,000. Council members suggested adding Spanish-language programming, ride-along opportunities with police, zoning education, and partnerships with organizations like Leadership Fort Worth. They also emphasized non-traditional outreach to reach unengaged residents.
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Literacy Initiative Update: Monique Hill, Midori Clark, and partners from Literacy Roundup and Rainwater Foundation presented an update on summer literacy programs. The Literacy Roundup has screened 200 students already this summer, identifying 64 at risk for dyslexia, on track to nearly double last year's total of over 400. The program has expanded to 13 community centers and five libraries. The Rainwater Foundation granted $338,000 to fund literacy support specialists who help parents advocate for services in school districts. The Mayor's Summer Reading Challenge has logged over 4.3 million minutes read this year. Councilmembers praised the initiative and highlighted the importance of follow-through from screening to school services. Councilman Beck noted the past chasm between diagnosis and services; staff confirmed they now provide advocates to accompany parents to schools.
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Mock Industries Incentive Agreement: Jessica Rogers, Economic Development Director, presented a proposed agreement with Mock Industries, an aerospace and defense manufacturer, to build an unmanned aerial vehicle integration facility at Alliance Gateway 34 in District 10. The project includes a $74 million capital investment ($6 million real property, $68 million business personal property) and creation of 600 to 1,000 full-time jobs with an average salary of $67,470. The proposed incentives are a 10-year tax abatement on 45% of real and business personal property (capped at $3.5 million) and an Economic Development Program Agreement (EDPA) job-based grant of up to $1 million tied to employment milestones. The public-private participation ratio is 2.7% with a $37-to-1 private-to-public return. Council members expressed strong support, noting the high-quality jobs and significant new payroll ($67 million annually).
Key Outcomes
- Net Force Pilot: The city will consider funding a permanent, year-round program in the upcoming budget, focusing on a rotating list of problem properties. Councilman Nettles will provide additional properties from his district to the list.
- Engage Fort Worth Community Academy: The program will launch in September; applications open June 24 through July 26. Staff will consider suggestions for future expansion, including Spanish-language options and partnerships with universities and civic organizations.
- Literacy Initiative: Continued expansion of dyslexia screenings and parent advocacy services; councilmembers encouraged to visit Freedom School and other sites over the summer.
- Mock Industries Incentive: The item is expected to be brought to a future council meeting for a vote. The company is expected to make a final location decision by the third quarter of 2026.
- Future Agenda Items: Councilman Larsen requested a work session presentation on e-bike and e-scooter regulations following a public safety committee update. Councilman Crane requested an update on the locution (public address) system installation at fire stations, either via an informal report or email.
The meeting then recessed into executive session for legal, real property, economic development, and security deliberations.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. I will call our work session to order and turn it over to Jay Choppa. Good morning. For upcoming and resale and events or organizational updates, I don't have any except that to say that this is the last work session and council meeting day until August the fourth. The city council will be going under summer break. And so I want staff to hold down the applause if you can. Under informal reports, the first one is uh Fort Worth population estimate and city rankings. Eric Flatiger is here to answer any questions. There are any questions for Eric from Council. Nope. The next one is illegal gunfire and fireworks. Andre Smith from police deputy chief is here to answer any questions. They want you up, Pondre. Okay, we may go ahead and just give an overview and we can take questions from council. Thank you. Sure. This uh this is a joint initiative with the Fort Worth Police Department and Fort Worth Fire Department to manage illegal fireworks and gunfire through core goals. And those four core goals are protecting the safety in residents and first responders, ensuring Fort Worth PD and FD have resources to remain available to respond to high priority calls, delivering clear community messaging, reduction of both fireworks calls and gunfire and violent incidents. To achieve these goals, the PD execute a coordinated plan using four interconnected strategies. Community engagement, which educate the public and streamline non-emergency reporting, event management, monitor and force compliance at organized gatherings, resource deployment, data driven deployment to divisional hotspots, which optimizes personnel to maintain high high visibility and five works enforcement plan to disrupt illegal sales, monitor the social media and covert field operations. That's the overview. Thank you, Chief. Councilman Foras. Uh yes, Chief. Um just cover for us. I don't know in the past we've done different approaches when it comes to trying to deter and uh you know illegal gunfire, celebratory gunfire, etc. You know, on uh you know days like 4th of July. Uh police, you know, again they respond to 911 calls, right? If there's fireworks going off, we uh you know we rely on fire in order to help us you know shoulder some of that load. Uh this time around I am told uh unlike years past, there was a number, a non-emergency number that would uh you know be used to call fire to tell them, hey, at this location, they're fireworks being set off. We're not doing that this year, is that correct? Yes, there's a fireworks hotline number. Yes. I wanted to be sure that uh that is available so people will know and hopefully it won't you know overwhelm you know our 911 system. Right. And they also could use the my Fort Worth app, and then it was also a campaign we do, which which is uh it's a QR code, so you scan that QR code and it takes them to the online. They can report it online as well. Thank you, sir. Councilmember Crane and the Council Member Peoples. Yes, I just wanted to acknowledge Torchy Y that has the sign back there, as well as Cindy Bowling. Who, as we know, these these initiatives work, but they only work better when the neighbors are pushing and supportive. And I know y'all have been pushing for a long period of time, so you can wave when it comes back to you with the sign. Appreciate it. Councilman Peoples. Well, I just want to thank Councilman Crane for taking the words out of my mouth, but we have two amazing champions, community champions who have been here and have led the fight, uh, Deputy Chief Smith, and I think you know that about illegal fireworks, and I'm gonna ask them not to stand but to uh but to not to waive but to stand so that people can see them and see their message. So Torchi and Cindy, will you stand? Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. I can add to what I think is worth pointing out too that these signs they use the payout out of their pocket. These aren't city funds that they're using, so thank you all.
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