City of Murphy Regular City Council Meeting - February 2, 2026

The City of Murphy City Council met on February 2, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included several presentations, approval of the consent agenda, and an extended public comment period dominated by concerns about hate speech at the previous meeting and calls for inclusion. No formal actions were taken on the public comments.

Note: The meeting transcript is dated February 3, 2026, but the provided meeting date is February 2, 2026. This summary uses the latter as instructed.

Consent Calendar

• Council approved the consent agenda unanimously without removal of any items.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Maynard Little (1004 St. Mark Drive) criticized the lack of transparency regarding the stormwater fee increase and the new water rate structure that charges residential customers more than commercial customers at higher usage levels. He requested a meeting with each council member.
• Zafar Iqbal (248 Memosa Drive) shared his personal story of fleeing persecution in Pakistan as a human rights attorney and expressed fear that Islamophobic rhetoric at the January 20 meeting threatened his family’s sense of safety in Murphy. He called for council to promote interfaith understanding.
• Akhil Siddiqui (6 High Point Drive) clarified misconceptions about Sharia law and Islam, stating that Islam teaches no compulsion in religion and is compatible with Christianity. He urged council to treat all residents equally.
• Anonymous (Muslim structural engineer) spoke about serving the community regardless of faith, designing churches and temples without charge, and emphasized that Muslims do not segregate.
• Sayat Sana (Murphy resident) expressed concern that broad statements about an entire faith group create fear. He noted that Oasis Manor lots are publicly listed for sale and that HOAs cannot restrict ownership based on identity.
• Sabiha Sharif (resident since 2006) expressed shock at the hate speech at the January 20 meeting and requested that council formally treat speech maligning any religion as hate speech. She expressed fear for her safety as a visibly Muslim woman.
• Multiple unidentified speakers (referenced in transcript) gave historical context on the U.S. founders’ intent regarding religious freedom, criticized council for allowing unchecked anti-Muslim rhetoric, and demanded a written statement affirming the constitutional rights of Muslims in Murphy.
• Hassan Zuater (348 Abachi Trail) praised the police department and condemned the January 20 meeting as having crossed the line into hate speech targeting religion. He asked council to address water bill increases and uphold the oath of office.
• Don Worcester (Murphy resident) quoted Maya Angelou and recounted standing against protests at the East Plano Islamic Center. He asked council not to be swayed by false claims about Sharia and a Christian nation.
• Rany Okalana (Murphy resident) pointed out that in five years of local crime reporting, only two Muslim names appeared; she defended her choice to wear a head covering and urged residents to learn about halal properly.
• Hafsa Farou (Murphy resident, parent) argued that Islamophobia harms children and called on council to choose unity over fear.
• Hassan Masood (Murphy resident) cited a 32% rise in Islamophobia in the U.S. and attributed it to social media misinformation. He invited residents to meet their Muslim neighbors and quoted Master Yoda: “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
• Valita Logan (resident) asked about expiration dates and progress requirements for zoning approvals, citing a 2021 approval with no visible action. She urged council to consider the best use of land and not set precedents based on a developer’s requests.
• Owes Hassan (25-year resident) recounted the impact of the January 20 meeting, stating that council allowed false information and hate speech under the guise of free speech. He cited the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Texas Constitution, demanding that council publicly affirm inclusion and maintain order.
• Evan Hunt (Democratic nominee for Congress, 20-year Air Force veteran) stated he fought violent extremists but does not fear Muslims in the community. He urged council to uphold constitutional protections and religious freedom.
• Ishwak Ahmed (Sachse resident, Casa volunteer) spoke about Muslim community service, including food pantries and free clinics, and asked council to ignore hateful comments.
• Tammy Lefflet (Murphy resident) appealed for better communication and understanding of public meeting protocols. She raised concerns about capital project communication to homeowners, damaged electrical boxes, and budget planning for population growth. She also noted her own unfamiliarity with Islam prior to the controversy.
• Aliandra (unclear last name) stressed inclusivity and said that if one group has a prayer room, all should. She referenced an incident at Wylie High School where attendees were handing out Qurans and hijabs, questioning the separation of church and state.
• Michael Padilla (Murphy resident) opposed any restrictions on public comments, arguing that if government and Catholicism can be criticized, so can Islam. He welcomed those who wish to assimilate into American culture.
• Sri Azuddin (board member of IM Azid, Oasis Farms) clarified that CIK and IM Azid are separate organizations. He described the January 20 meeting as a platform for hate speech that dehumanized Muslims and warned that unchecked hate could lead to history repeating itself. He challenged claims of segregation in Oasis Farms, offering to sell his lot for free if anyone could prove an official policy excluding non-Muslims.
• Renee Phillips attempted to redirect the conversation to the original issue: a proposed parking lot that ultimately became a learning center (CIK). She opposed the learning center due to tax implications and questioned the legality of teaching 30 children in that space without proper fire safety.
• Aaron Petrosick (813 Shady Brook Drive) expressed concern about recent business closures (Christina's, Boomer Jack's, etc.) and asked if extreme rent increases were the cause. He suggested council create a commission to examine commercial leasing fairness.
• Ali Khan (President of CIK) clarified that the project is a faith-based learning center with online classes for about 30 students. He explained that the city asked for a parking lot because cars cannot park on grass. The property was purchased as a dilapidated site, and CIK renovated it. He stated that the vision is to remain small, contrary to fears of a large mosque. He urged council not to assume future expansion and said all documents are on file with the city.

Discussion Items

• 6A: Proclamation of Black History Month – Councilmember Janice Butler read a proclamation designating February 2026 as National Black History Month in Murphy.
• 6B: Police Department Statistics – Quarterly report (Oct–Dec 2025) showed a slight increase in calls for service, fewer offense reports, more officer-initiated stops, traffic stops up ~500, citations up, arrests down from 65 to 59 (including 9 mental health detentions). False alarms increased significantly (171); crashes increased from 135 to 156, with major crashes up. Council discussed repeat alarm offenders and targeted traffic enforcement.
• 6C: Capital Improvement Projects Update – Projects completed: Kenny Drive. Ongoing: 2025 street panel replacement (~75% complete, due May 2026), McCreary work finishing. In design: FM 544 pedestrian bridge (bid March 2026), FM 544/Mercury right turn lane (bid May 2026), East Render Road/Tall Tree intersection (bid Feb/Mar 2026), McMillan Road improvements (bid Oct 2026), copper service line replacement (bid Feb/Mar 2026), cast iron water main replacement (bid June 2026), Rodeo elevated storage tank rehab (construction winter 2026-27), Hawthorne pump station improvements (engineering design contract March 2026), Skyline sanitary sewer rehab (bid Aug 2026), sidewalk repairs (bid Feb/Mar 2026). Staff recommended deallocating $511,000 from water/sewer main projects on Oak Bluff, Postgres, Walnut, and Bunny Run because inspections showed they are in good shape, and reallocating $412,000 to design repairs in the Timbers area. A resolution approving this was on the consent agenda.
• 6D: Financial Report for Quarter Ending December 31, 2025 – General fund healthy; sales tax collections exceeded budget by 31.3% in October, 3.3% in November, and 11.7% in December. Total sales tax collected $1,564,896 (27% of budget). Fund balance was $62.1 million at Sept 30, 2025, projected at $63.6 million at Dec 31, 2025. Capital projects budget balance $26.1 million with $1.1 million spent.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved unanimously, including a resolution to deallocate $511,000 from specific water/sewer main replacement projects and reallocate $412,000 for design of repairs in the Timbers area (per item 6C recommendation).
• No votes on public comment topics. Council did not issue a statement on hate speech or inclusion, nor take action on business concerns.
• Future agenda items: None requested.
• Meeting adjourned at the conclusion of public comments.