Fort Worth City Council Work Session – September 29, 2026

The Fort Worth City Council held a work session on September 29, 2026, convening at 10:04 a.m. No formal votes were taken. The agenda included flood preparedness, employee recognition, informal reports on capital and zoning matters, future agenda requests from councilmembers, and a presentation on the Good Natured green space initiative. No written agenda or minutes were available for this summary.

Opening and Emergency Preparedness

• City Manager Jay Choppa convened the session and called on Lauren Prier, Director of Transportation and Public Works, to address the weather. Prier reported a flood watch in effect for Wednesday overnight into Thursday, with two to five inches of rain expected and up to eight inches in some areas. She reminded everyone to 'turn around, don't drown' and said crews are on emergency assignment until the weather event ends.
• A District 5 councilmember asked whether TxDOT was prepared for flooding in construction areas along Loop 820. Prier said every construction project has a flood management plan, TxDOT is part of emergency operations planning, and she would send the specific flood plan to the councilmember.

Organizational Updates and Recognitions

• Kristen Smith, HR Director, announced a mobile mammogram screening at City Hall on October 1 for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As of that morning, 11 of 20 appointment slots were filled, leaving eight spots available. She said the city health plan is ahead of benchmark on cancer screenings. A councilmember noted the district office has pink moolies for participants and shared that his two sisters are breast cancer survivors.
• Code Compliance Director Brian Daugherty and Councilmember Flores recognized Code Officer Jeremiah Courtright. Officer Courtright helped a resident referred to in the transcript as Ms. Baring, who was living without air conditioning, running water, or electricity, connect with the Neighborhood Services Department and Community Action Partners. He also brought her food, water, and cat food, and helped with SNAP paperwork. Ms. Baring later returned to teaching mathematics at a Fort Worth middle school. Mayor Pro Tem read a formal recognition honoring Officer Courtright.

Informal Reports

• 2026 Council Schedule: The city secretary presented the proposed schedule with 52 meetings, compared with 44 the previous year; the city charter requires 44. It includes six extra work sessions, an extra day meeting, an extra budget work session, and a canvassing meeting for the May elections. She noted no regular meeting is scheduled for the November 3 election date, only a possible executive session/work session. Councilmember Hall asked about placing public comment earlier in meetings; the secretary said public comment has historically been at the end and speakers would still wait regardless of placement.
• 2026 and 2027 Debt Plans: Alex Loffer presented both informal reports; no questions were asked and councilmembers thanked him for the concise summary.
• McCart Avenue Hub / Transportation Technology Corridor: Kelly Porter said the corridor from Sycamore to Loop 820 has reached schematic design and will be submitted for federal grants. A COG funding call is open, and a pedestrian and bicycle project could add sidewalks. Councilmember Hall thanked staff for outreach and asked about the timeline; Porter said transportation elements should begin quickly.
• Permanent Asphalt and Concrete Batch Plant Zoning: DJ Harrell described a cleanup text amendment. Temporary batch plants must be 600 feet from residences, but permanent plants have no such supplemental standard and are currently allowed in IJ and K industrial districts. The proposal adds a 100-foot setback from residences and schools and limits permanent plants to K zoning. Councilmember Flores thanked staff, noting the issue came from case EZ 25185, and asked staff to review whether the limit should apply only to properties already developed as A5 to prevent a rush to the permitting office.
• Public Improvement District Policy: Brady Kirk presented proposed updates to the operating policy; no questions were asked.
• Monroe and Taylor Street Properties: Marilyn Marvin said June Crown Properties, a local Fort Worth buyer, is the proposed purchaser of 900, 908, 910 Monroe Street and 917 Taylor Street. The sale is scheduled for the October 13 agenda. The buyer plans to repurpose the buildings for office, condo, and retail use without tearing them down. City Manager Choppa clarified the parking garage is not part of the sale.
• Convention Center SBE Engagement Plan: Cynthia Sanchez Serrano and David Crabtree reported that phase one of the convention center project was completed in December 2025, and phase two is valued at $606 million. The phase two CMAR team has committed to meet or exceed the city's 30% SBE utilization goal even though the requirement was not written into the procurement. To date, $22.7 million has been awarded in early phase two packages, and about 430 small business firms have been identified as available to bid. Councilmember Peters asked how progress will be monitored; Crabtree said it will be tracked monthly or weekly during procurement, and all three chambers of commerce are engaged.
• Opportunity Zones 2.0: Jessica Rogers reported that Fort Worth submitted 42 eligible tracts out of 87 for designation; seven were selected by the governor's office. Texas was capped at 605 tracts statewide, equal to 25% of eligible tracts. Rogers said the city is waiting for feedback on why the number was low. Councilmember McCrane asked about practical effects; Rogers explained that private investment through qualified opportunity funds drives the program, with capital gains tax deferred and potentially waived for investments held 10 years.
• Renewable Natural Gas Facility: Cody Whittenberg said the city entered an agreement about two years ago and executed it about 14 months ago to develop a renewable natural gas facility at the Southeast Landfill. A partner is building the facility at no charge to the city; 30% design is expected in January. About $1.3 million in development fees has already been banked, and landfill gas will be cleaned and injected into the natural gas pipeline.

Future Agenda Items and Council Concerns

• Councilmember Flores asked staff to revisit Neighborhood Empowerment Zone boundaries citywide, including whether to exclude areas that have succeeded and how NEZ incentives interact with tax increment finance districts. Staff explained the question arose because projects inside a TIF cannot receive the NEZ tax abatement, citing a project on the north side of 28th Street.
• A councilmember requested an informal report on the street lane closure process for construction projects, particularly third-party utility and construction work in the medical district, including when contractors contact the city and how notification is handled.
• Another councilmember requested informal reports on the new animal shelter funded in the bond, on squatting and code compliance with police coordination and a possible vacant property registry, and on how city departments coordinate on multi-department projects. A recent Marine Creek town hall had 98 residents online and left questions about interdepartmental coordination.

Good Natured Green Space Initiative Presentation

• Alison Docker, the city's green space champion, presented the Good Natured vision launched by Mayor Parker in 2023. The initiative has three goals: increasing access to green space, preserving natural heritage through conservation, and recognizing green space as critical infrastructure.
• Docker highlighted Fort Worth's Trust for Public Land park score, which improved from 91 to 72 to 58, with a goal of breaking into the top 50 next year.
• She described progress in green spaces (open space acquisitions, native plantings), green infrastructure (riparian protections, floodplain management, strategic tree planting), and green access (trail connectivity, Fort Worth ISD playground access, Broadcast Hill activation, and a Lake Worth trail study).
• A councilmember asked that Broadcast Hill trail work avoid the maintenance problems seen at Tandy Hills. Councilmember Flores praised the initiative and mentioned the Quarry Falls item, MNC 260908, which will add more than 12 acres of parks. Mayor Parker announced a conservancy event for October 14.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes, ordinances, or resolutions were acted on during the work session.
• Staff will send the District 5 flood management plan for Loop 820 and coordinate with TxDOT ahead of the forecast storms.
• Staff will prepare informal reports on NEZ/TIF boundary review, street lane closure processes, the animal shelter, squatting and vacant property, and multi-department project coordination.
• The Monroe and Taylor Street property sale is scheduled for city council consideration on October 13; the conservancy launch event is planned for October 14.
• The work session adjourned, with an executive session scheduled for noon and the regular council meeting at 1 p.m.