OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Murphy City Council Regular Meeting Summary – October 20, 2025

City Council — Monday, October 20, 2025
BodyIdaho Falls, Idaho
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, October 20, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:16:03

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

It was.

0:04

All right.

0:05

Welcome as I call to order the uh October 21st regular city council meeting.

0:10

The time is 6 p.m.

0:12

Rise with me as I offer the invocation and leave the pledge of allegiance.

0:21

Our Heavenly Father bless us.

0:22

We consider the agenda in front of us tonight.

0:24

Give us the wisdom to act with compassion and vision for what's best for the community blessing, watch over public safety officers of the community they serve.

0:32

Amen.

0:34

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:47

Turn the time over to see Secretary of Roll Call and Certification Forum.

0:52

Mayor Scott Bradley.

0:54

Mayor Pro Tim Elizabeth Abraham.

0:56

Here.

1:02

Councilmember Place 2, Scott Smith.

1:05

Councilmember place three, Andrew Chase.

1:07

Here.

1:08

Councilmember place four Ken Oldman.

1:10

Here.

1:10

Councilmember place five, Laura Deal?

1:12

Here.

1:12

Mayor certify the presence of a quorum.

1:15

Thank you.

1:16

All right, moving on to item four public comments.

1:18

Time we set aside on the agenda to allow residents to address council.

1:21

Item not on the agenda this evening.

1:23

We do have two public comment forms.

1:25

I'm going to start with Mary Lang.

1:37

Is it on?

1:38

Is it on?

1:39

Yes.

1:40

My name is Mary Lang.

1:41

I live at 804 Easter Drive in Wiley, Texas.

1:44

I'm on the Murphy Veterans Tribute Board, and I'm here to give an update on our progress.

2:02

And we met with him, and we're there's a lot of good progress that's going on, and we just wanted to say thank you for going ahead and progressing and everything.

2:11

So I just wanted to say thank you.

2:13

And also to invite everyone to come to the Wall that Hills.

2:16

It's coming to Wiley next week.

2:17

It's the traveling Vietnam Wall, and we're really excited about it coming.

2:21

It will arrive on Tuesday the 28th.

2:27

And then it will be set up on Wednesday, and they'll be available for viewing 24 hours a day until Sunday at 145, which will be the closing ceremony, and then it'll be taken down at 2 o'clock.

2:42

Thursday night at 6 o'clock, we will have welcoming home and opening ceremony, and the lead speaker will be Rick Grady, who has over who has a hundred brothers, veteran brothers that are on the wall that he served with.

2:55

Y'all have a great evening.

2:57

Thank you.

2:59

All right.

3:00

Next up is Mr.

3:01

Ern Lou.

3:10

Good afternoon, Mr.

3:12

Little.

3:12

How are you doing today?

3:18

Good evening.

3:19

Maynard Little 1004, St.

3:21

Mark Drive.

3:23

This evening, I would like to congratulate all of you.

3:28

You listened and understood the logic of a of a study for the stormwater fund that a resident provided without charge to the city and agreed with it by not raising a stormwater fee for FY25 for the from the FY25 amount.

3:44

You approved the FY26 budget containing a fee schedule on September 16th.

3:52

And then confirmed it on October 7th via the uh consent agenda.

3:58

Some of you may not be aware that you voted to keep the same as uh as it was in Flight 25 since the consultant recommended an increase.

4:08

However, ordinance number 2509-1394, page 300 A8.002 displays that the stormwater fee will remain unchanged from Fly 25.

4:23

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████████20%
Procurement█████████████████17%
Procedural█████████████13%
Trail-Oriented Development█████████9%
Planning And Zoning███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management██████6%
Public Safety██████6%
Procural██████6%
Technology and Innovation██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Murphy City Council Regular Meeting Summary – October 20, 2025

Note: The meeting transcript indicates the date as October 21, 2025, but the provided date of October 20, 2025, is used per instructions. This discrepancy is noted.

The Murphy City Council held its regular meeting on October 20, 2025. The meeting included public comments, a mayor's report on an overnight parking issue, presentations on capital improvement projects (CIP) and trails, a legislative update from the city attorney, and approval of several agenda items.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 8A: Approved unanimously. A motion to approve the consent agenda item as presented passed with no opposition.
  • Item 8B (removed for discussion): Resolution denying Encore Electric Delivery Company's rate change application. After clarification that denial is a standard step in the process to allow Encore to appeal, the item was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mary Lang (Murphy Veterans Tribute Board) provided an update on the traveling Vietnam Wall coming to Wiley, Texas (arriving October 28, opening ceremony October 30). She thanked the council for progress and invited attendance.
  • Maynard Little (resident) congratulated the council for not raising the stormwater fee for FY26, contrary to a consultant's recommendation. He argued the consultant used inflated expenses and omitted additional revenue from new construction (40+ new residential properties and a large commercial property). He claimed the fee increase was unnecessary and criticized the methodology.

Mayor's Report – Overnight Parking Issue

Mayor Bradley reported on an overnight parking problem in the Maxwell Creek subdivision caused by individuals from the neighboring city of Wiley parking and walking across the street. City Manager described a planned interim solution: installing no-parking signs with "no overnight parking" and towing enforcement, starting the following Friday. The HOA was in favor. Mayor had also spoken with the Wiley mayor about the issue.

Presentations

Capital Improvement Projects & Trails Update (Matt Reese)

  • Completed trail/sidewalk projects since 2023 were reviewed, including connections near Tom Cranbrough High School, McCreary Road, North Murphy Road, and the Timbers trail connection.
  • Future projects highlighted: pedestrian bridge under FM 544 (largest connectivity project), railroad crossing on 544 (if KCS closes the road), sidewalk on McMillan Road (north side, crossing the bridge to connect to Maxwell Creek Trail), and a gap on East Betsy Lane.

CIP Update (Donald)

  • FM 544 Pedestrian Bridge: 95% design submitted to TxDOT; 90-day review expected; advertisement possible spring/summer 2026. A $205,000 payment to CoServe for gas line relocation and a $97,000 water line move are pending. Additional TxDOT requirements could cost up to $234,000. The project received approximately $680,000 from TxDOT.
  • McMillan Road Paving and Drainage: 37-foot concrete road, curb/gutter, storm drainage, 8-foot sidewalk, new traffic signal. Design awarded September 2, advertisement planned October 2026.
  • Street Panel Replacement (FY26): 150 sites identified; contract awarded; construction beginning late October.
  • 2025 Street Panel Replacement: Focus on McCreary Road; list provided.
  • Cast Iron Water Main Replacements: Reduced scope to about 6,000 linear feet in Timber Ridge area; design contract pending.
  • Rodeo Drive Elevated Storage Tank: Reviewing condition to ensure budget covers full scope (including telecommunications equipment removal, based on prior experience).
  • Betsy Lane Street Lights: City is investigating non-working decorative lampposts. A 2024 survey of adjacent residents showed most opposed to additional lights. Council discussed balancing safety with resident concerns.

Legislative Update (Dr. Thomas)

  • Introduced new assistant city attorney Jonathan Moss.
  • Summarized notable bills from the 2025 Texas legislative session affecting cities, including:
    • HB 24: Lowers protest threshold for residential zoning changes (20% to 6 votes; now 4 votes).
    • Manufactured housing: Cities must allow by right in at least one zoning district.
    • Open meetings: New 3-day posting requirement affecting workflows.
    • Other items: Electronic notices, sign requirements, purchasing thresholds, and state-mandated records officer designation (City Secretary Candy).
  • Staff is already working on necessary ordinance amendments.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Items A and B approved.
  • Atmos Energy Franchise Renewal (Item 9A): Ordinance approved unanimously for a 20-year term (2025–2045).
  • Procurement Card Contract (Item 9B): Resolution awarding contract to Wells Fargo Bank approved unanimously after discussion of controls and implementation. The P-card program will replace the current credit card system to improve spending controls, fraud prevention, and compliance.
  • Future Agenda Items: None requested. Meeting adjourned at 7:15 PM.

Meeting Transcript

It was. All right. Welcome as I call to order the uh October 21st regular city council meeting. The time is 6 p.m. Rise with me as I offer the invocation and leave the pledge of allegiance. Our Heavenly Father bless us. We consider the agenda in front of us tonight. Give us the wisdom to act with compassion and vision for what's best for the community blessing, watch over public safety officers of the community they serve. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Turn the time over to see Secretary of Roll Call and Certification Forum. Mayor Scott Bradley. Mayor Pro Tim Elizabeth Abraham. Here. Councilmember Place 2, Scott Smith. Councilmember place three, Andrew Chase. Here. Councilmember place four Ken Oldman. Here. Councilmember place five, Laura Deal? Here. Mayor certify the presence of a quorum. Thank you. All right, moving on to item four public comments. Time we set aside on the agenda to allow residents to address council. Item not on the agenda this evening. We do have two public comment forms. I'm going to start with Mary Lang. Is it on? Is it on? Yes. My name is Mary Lang. I live at 804 Easter Drive in Wiley, Texas. I'm on the Murphy Veterans Tribute Board, and I'm here to give an update on our progress. And we met with him, and we're there's a lot of good progress that's going on, and we just wanted to say thank you for going ahead and progressing and everything. So I just wanted to say thank you. And also to invite everyone to come to the Wall that Hills. It's coming to Wiley next week. It's the traveling Vietnam Wall, and we're really excited about it coming. It will arrive on Tuesday the 28th. And then it will be set up on Wednesday, and they'll be available for viewing 24 hours a day until Sunday at 145, which will be the closing ceremony, and then it'll be taken down at 2 o'clock. Thursday night at 6 o'clock, we will have welcoming home and opening ceremony, and the lead speaker will be Rick Grady, who has over who has a hundred brothers, veteran brothers that are on the wall that he served with. Y'all have a great evening. Thank you. All right. Next up is Mr. Ern Lou. Good afternoon, Mr. Little. How are you doing today?

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