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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Murphy City Council Meeting January 20, 2026: Public Comments, Fire Marshal Oath, and Development Agreements

City Council — Tuesday, January 20, 2026

BodyIdaho Falls, Idaho

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, January 20, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:56:55

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0:00

Thank you.

0:04

All right.

0:06

Welcome as I call to order the January 20th City of Murphy regular city council meeting.

0:12

The time is 6 p.m.

0:15

Rise with me as I offer the invitation to leave the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:23

Our Heavenly Father, bless us as we consider the agenda in front of us tonight.

0:28

Give us the wisdom to act with compassion and vision for what is best for the community.

0:32

Bless and watch over our public safety officers and the community they serve.

0:35

In your name we pray.

0:37

Amen.

0:39

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:46

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

0:56

All right.

0:57

At this time, I'll turn the time over to City Secretary for roll call and certification of a quorum.

1:02

Mayor Scott Bradley.

1:03

Here.

1:03

Mayor Pro Tim Elizabeth Abraham.

1:05

Here.

1:06

Deputy Mayor Pro Tim Janay Butler.

1:08

Councilmember Place 2, Scott Smith.

1:11

Here.

1:11

Councilmember place three, Andrew Chase.

1:13

Here.

1:14

Council Member Place 4, Ken Oldman.

1:16

Here.

1:16

Council Member Place 5, Laura Dill.

1:18

Here.

1:19

Mayor certify the presence of a quorum.

1:21

Thank you.

1:22

All right.

1:23

I'm going to move on to item four, public comments.

1:28

I had a conversation with as many people as were here earlier to kind of lay out how this is going to work.

1:35

Public comments is an opportunity for you to address counsel on an item that is not on the agenda this evening.

1:41

There's nothing on the agenda this evening that uh that is relating to the conjure concerns of the vast majority of the people here.

1:51

That being that, council is prohibited by law for discussing those items.

1:57

But we can listen and we will listen intently.

2:00

Uh if this is going to be a rather long meeting for us in exec tonight, but coming out of exec, we'll have some uh we'll have some uh some motions.

2:11

Uh and if anyone wants to stick around uh and have a conversation, uh continue the conversation we were having earlier, or if you weren't opportunity to have further conversation, I'll make myself available at that time.

2:26

A request has been made to have some kind of a town hall.

2:29

I'm gonna be looking at that as an opportunity for uh sometime in the future uh based on uh the best timing for the for that kind of a thing to happen.

2:39

So with that uh said, I'm going to open this up.

2:42

There's been a number of people who weren't comfortable giving their names, so I'm gonna do this a little bit differently.

2:48

If you have filled out um, and I've gotten a lot of them, a form, fantastic.

2:54

If you haven't, just place it up on my desk.

2:57

Uh and I'm just going to give you guys an opportunity to come up and speak to speak with counsel on your concerns tonight.

3:05

Uh just uh a organized line behind here.

3:10

If you feel like you've already heard what you said, you can say great.

3:14

Uh but you have everybody has an opportunity to speak tonight and be heard.

3:18

Go ahead.

3:21

Uh we need uh the mics on for I am really short, so pull it towards you.

3:28

Yeah, well, unfortunately, so it's five minutes.

3:30

Five minutes.

3:31

Okay.

3:31

So, dear city council, I have lived in Murphy for 11 years and coming to you today with deep concern that is long overdue.

3:37

Over the last few years, I've witnessed Murphy become a town that is growing more and more unrecognizable at lightning speed.

3:43

New developments, some quite literally literally in our neighbor's backyard are springing up left and right, and there seems nobody speaking up and pointing out blatant issues that these developments come with today and in the long run.

3:52

As of today, the silence is over with.

3:55

If nobody else has spoken up before, then I will.

3:58

I have been a licensed real estate agent for seven years and have a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in urban geography.

4:05

My main goal is to make sure that Murphy makes decisions that help maintain Murphy's small rural Texas charm that thousands of us fell in love with and call home.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Planning And Zoning█████████████████████21%

Community Engagement██████████████████18%

Procedural██████████████14%

Miscellaneous██████████10%

Public Safety█████████9%

Religious Accommodations████████8%

Public Engagement█████5%

Racial Equity████4%

Transportation Safety██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Murphy City Council Regular Meeting Summary – January 20, 2026

The City of Murphy City Council held a regular meeting on January 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included a significant public comment period where residents expressed opposition and concerns regarding several development projects, particularly the Islamic Center of Knowledge and related mosques. The Council also swore in a new Fire Marshal, approved a resolution for sewer line engineering services, nominated a council member to a 911 board, and took action on executive session items including an economic development incentive agreement and a fair housing ordinance.

Public Comments & Testimony

Multiple speakers expressed opposition to Case Number 2025-017, the Center of Islamic Knowledge on Murphy Road, and the mosque on McMillan Road. Concerns included traffic congestion, road deterioration, parking, safety, noise, light pollution, environmental impact on Maxwell Creek, and compatibility with the residential character of Murphy.
Several residents alleged that the developer of Oasis Springs Manor has discriminated against non-Muslims in the sale of residential lots, citing personal experience and the development's street names honoring Islamic figures. They argued this violates the Fair Housing Act and creates a segregated community.
Many speakers urged the Council to deny or delay approvals for the parking lot and other projects, citing the need for more studies on traffic, water infrastructure, police and fire services, and the potential cost to taxpayers. Some referenced the ongoing litigation by the Texas Attorney General's office.
A few speakers provided theological arguments against Islam, quoting Quranic verses and referencing the Explanatory Memorandum from the Holy Land Foundation trial, asserting that Islam is a political-legal system incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.
One resident requested a town hall and better communication from the city, including clearer agenda notifications and meeting procedures.
A resident reported that Councilmember Laura Dill took photos of citizens waiting to speak before the meeting was gaveled in, suggesting it might be perceived as intimidating.
One resident who identified as Muslim defended the community, noting that Muslims are taxpayers and citizens, and asked whether the opposition was based on racism. A follow-up speaker clarified the issue is segregation, not Islamophobia.
Several speakers from outside Murphy (Fairview, Sherman, Denison) expressed solidarity with Murphy residents and urged the Council to delay or deny the projects.

Oath of Office

Fire Marshal Scott Eckstein was sworn in as both Fire Marshal and Texas Peace Officer. He has 21 years of experience with Richardson Fire Department, holds multiple master certifications, and will complete his master's degree in public service administration from Texas A&M University in May 2026.

Consent Calendar

Approved the minutes from the January 6, 2026 regular council meeting (motion passed unanimously).

Discussion Items

Sales Tax Reauthorization for Street Maintenance: Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance calling a special election on May 2, 2026, to reauthorize the sales tax allocation for the street maintenance repair fund. The goal is to align the election with a year when no other election is scheduled, saving costs. (Approved unanimously)
Sewer Line Engineering Services: Approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a $174,900 agreement with Neil Schaefer Inc. for design and engineering services to rehabilitate approximately 3,800 linear feet of sanitary sewer line along Skyline Drive. The project is proactive maintenance to replace undersized and aging pipe, with an estimated six-month design phase. (Approved unanimously)
911 Board Nomination: Council nominated Janae Butler to serve a two-year term on the North Central Texas 911 Board of Managers. (Approved unanimously)
Fair Housing Ordinance: Following executive session, Council approved an ordinance establishing fair housing standards. (Approved unanimously)
Economic Development Incentive Agreement: Following executive session, Council approved an economic development incentive agreement between the city of Murphy and Convenium Investments LLC for the purchase of land, pending final legal review. (Approved unanimously)

Key Outcomes

No action taken on the public comments; the Council clarified that the topics raised were not on the agenda and no votes were scheduled. The next City Council meeting is set for February 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on February 5, 2026, but no final decision is expected at that meeting.
The Council committed to better communication with residents, including possibly scheduling a town hall in the future.
All votes (minutes, sales tax election, sewer line contract, 911 board nomination, fair housing ordinance, and economic development agreement) passed unanimously.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. All right. Welcome as I call to order the January 20th City of Murphy regular city council meeting. The time is 6 p.m. Rise with me as I offer the invitation to leave the Pledge of Allegiance. Our Heavenly Father, bless us as we consider the agenda in front of us tonight. Give us the wisdom to act with compassion and vision for what is best for the community. Bless and watch over our public safety officers and the community they serve. In your name we pray. 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. All right. At this time, I'll turn the time over to City Secretary for roll call and certification of a quorum. Mayor Scott Bradley. Here. Mayor Pro Tim Elizabeth Abraham. Here. Deputy Mayor Pro Tim Janay Butler. Councilmember Place 2, Scott Smith. Here. Councilmember place three, Andrew Chase. Here. Council Member Place 4, Ken Oldman. Here. Council Member Place 5, Laura Dill. Here. Mayor certify the presence of a quorum. Thank you. All right. I'm going to move on to item four, public comments. I had a conversation with as many people as were here earlier to kind of lay out how this is going to work. Public comments is an opportunity for you to address counsel on an item that is not on the agenda this evening. There's nothing on the agenda this evening that uh that is relating to the conjure concerns of the vast majority of the people here. That being that, council is prohibited by law for discussing those items. But we can listen and we will listen intently. Uh if this is going to be a rather long meeting for us in exec tonight, but coming out of exec, we'll have some uh we'll have some uh some motions. Uh and if anyone wants to stick around uh and have a conversation, uh continue the conversation we were having earlier, or if you weren't opportunity to have further conversation, I'll make myself available at that time. A request has been made to have some kind of a town hall. I'm gonna be looking at that as an opportunity for uh sometime in the future uh based on uh the best timing for the for that kind of a thing to happen. So with that uh said, I'm going to open this up. There's been a number of people who weren't comfortable giving their names, so I'm gonna do this a little bit differently. If you have filled out um, and I've gotten a lot of them, a form, fantastic. If you haven't, just place it up on my desk. Uh and I'm just going to give you guys an opportunity to come up and speak to speak with counsel on your concerns tonight. Uh just uh a organized line behind here. If you feel like you've already heard what you said, you can say great. Uh but you have everybody has an opportunity to speak tonight and be heard. Go ahead. Uh we need uh the mics on for I am really short, so pull it towards you.

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