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

The City of Murphy regular city council meeting was called to order at 6:01 PM on June 2, 2026, by Mayor Scott Bradley. The meeting included presentations, public comments, consent agenda approvals, individual consideration of a police department position, elections for Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem, an executive session, and action on a construction plat. The meeting adjourned at 8:02 PM.

Presentations

• Scholarship Awards: Luke Trahan and Steve Dault of the Murphy Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Foundation presented six students (Macy, Maha Risby, Sevy, Surrey Lang, Diane Quadler, Rohemet Aleya Mohammed) with scholarships totaling $174,000 over the program's history. The foundation thanked the Parks and Recreation Department and the city for support.
• Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Update: Staff provided updates on various projects. Completed: 2025 street panel replacement and Gables Road repair. In bidding/contracting: FM544 pedestrian bridge (awaiting TxDOT consensus to reject bids), East Turner Road/Tall Tree intersection improvement (pre-construction meeting June 4, construction start late June/early July, 120-day duration), FY2026 sidewalk repairs, and copper service line replacement (bids open June 4). In design: FM544/McCreary right-turn lane (budget increase from $650,000 to $682,516 approved by MDD, budget amendment to council next meeting); McMillan Road pavement/drainage (advertise October 2026); cast iron water main replacement (advertise July 2026); Rodeo elevated storage rehab (design complete, construction estimate $840,000, original budget $675,000, budget increase of $272,000 recommended). Hawthorne pump station improvements postponed (VFD not needed now, $80,300 budget moved to water service line replacement). CIP dashboard now live on city website with projects categorized by design, construction, and completed. Costs and locations are interactive.
• Juneteenth Announcement: Councilmember Janay Butler introduced Tanya Johnson from the Juneteenth Organization of Wiley, inviting the community to the 7th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration on June 13 from 10 AM to 3 PM at Old City Park in Wiley. The organization also hosts First Fridays in Wiley (June 5 at Tailgators).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mary Lang: Expressed gratitude to the Murphy Parks and Recreation Department and staff (Matt Foster, Jared McDonald, Jacob Shenk, John Burton, Colton Nations, David Lovato) and North Texas Stonemasons for their work on the Murphy Veterans Tribute. She is commander of American Legion Hill Combat's Post 315 and serves on the Veterans Tribute board.
• Maynard Little: Delivered extensive testimony opposing the stormwater fee increase. He stated he has repeatedly requested meetings with council members and staff to understand the basis for the increase but has been refused or canceled on. He provided detailed budget vs. actual expenditure data for the drainage improvements line item: FY23 budgeted $85,000, actual $13,930; FY24 budgeted $110,000, actual $4,007; FY25 budgeted $160,000, actual $5,260; FY26 budgeted $110,000, zero spent halfway through. He claimed the FY25 original budget had a $21,000 adjustment for a vacuum truck repair (questioning why that was classified as drainage improvement). He stated that total FY25 stormwater budgeted expenses were $522,000 but actual expenses were $349,000, leaving a $10,000 shortfall against $339,000 revenue, with a fund balance of $173,000 far exceeding the 20% reserve (~$70,000). He argued the fee increase was not needed and should be rolled back. He accused the city of lacking transparency and stonewalling his requests.

Consent Calendar

• Items A, B, D, and E were approved unanimously. Item C (not specified) and Item F (police department position) were pulled for separate discussion.

Discussion Items

• Item F: Addition of one full-time patrol officer in police department – Councilmember Kevin Kelly asked about overtime costs covering two officers on military leave. Staff noted hiring a certified officer at a lower step (cadet level) provides cost savings, but overtime will not be fully eliminated due to minimum staffing, sick calls, and training backfill. The motion to approve passed unanimously.
• Item 9A: Election of Mayor Pro Tem – Scott Smith was nominated and elected unanimously for a one-year term.
• Item 9B: Election of Deputy Mayor Pro Tem – Ken Altman was nominated and elected unanimously for a one-year term.
• Executive Session (6:46 PM – 7:57 PM): Council recessed to discuss consultation with attorney regarding pending or contemplated litigation under Texas Government Code Chapter 551.071, specifically code enforcement nuisance litigation and 103 Pioneer Path Drive. No action was taken upon reconvening.
• Item 11 (originally item 8C tabled): Case 2026005 – Enclave at Maxwell Creek Phase 2 construction plat – Motion to disapprove because the plat does not substantially conform with the approved concept plan per Section 28.02.004(F) of Murphy Code of Ordinances due to inclusion of detention ponds. Motion passed unanimously.
• Future Agenda Items: Councilmember Janay Butler requested future discussion on: e-bike/scooter education for youth and adults regarding roadway rules, and park signage; making health inspection scores mobile-friendly on the city website; and providing detail on inspection violations. Staff noted health inspections are done by a third party and violation details are available via public information request but cautioned against publishing potentially detrimental information. A future presentation on e-bikes was agreed. Dog parks were also mentioned for future discussion.

City Manager Staff Reports

• Sounds at Sundown concert series kicks off June 5 (rain date TBD if needed) with Emerald City Band from 7-10 PM, running through June.
• Next council meeting: June 16, 2026.
• City Hall closed June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Approved (items A, B, D, E).
• Item F (Police Position): Approved unanimously. One full-time patrol officer added.
• Mayor Pro Tem: Scott Smith elected.
• Deputy Mayor Pro Tem: Ken Altman elected.
• Executive Session: No action taken.
• Plat Disapproval: Case 2026005 (Enclave at Maxwell Creek Phase 2) disapproved unanimously due to nonconformance with concept plan.
• Future Agenda: Staff to bring presentation on e-bike regulations and signage; IT to improve mobile formatting of health inspection scores; dog parks to be discussed later.