Mansfield City Council Regular Meeting - September 28, 2026

The Mansfield City Council met in regular session on September 28, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:17 p.m. at Council Chambers, 1200 E. Broad St., Mansfield, TX. Mayor Michael Evans presided with Council Members Todd Tonore, Tamera Bounds, Juan Fresquez, Todd Simmons, and Jim Vaszauskas present; Brent Newsom arrived at 1:40 p.m. during the work session. The meeting included a work session on the Commercial Drone Delivery Ordinance with a live Zipline demonstration at the H-E-B drone operations site, an executive session, a consent agenda, two public hearings, citizen comments, and council and staff comments.

Recognition

• Bernadette McCranie, Director of Communications and Outreach, recognized the Communications team for winning four awards from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) and the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA), including the Award of Honor for best program in video for "Road Scholars," TAMIO's highest level and a national Silver Circle for the "Behind the Desk" photography campaign, and the Savvy Award—the highest national award—for "Council Chat."

Work Session: Commercial Drone Delivery Ordinance

• The Council relocated to the H-E-B drone operations site (1670 E. Broad Street) for a live Zipline demonstration, touring the staging area and kiosk with Zipline representative Hector Soliman-Valdez, then reconvened at City Hall at 1:54 p.m. (The meeting adjourned for the field trip at 1:11 p.m.)
• Clayton Comstock, Executive Director of Planning and Development, reviewed the ordinance history: City Council direction in April, three Planning and Zoning Commission sessions, and a first reading on July 27.
• Zipline's Mansfield site operates approximately 36 drones at capacity, with about one-third currently active; average delivery time is about 15 minutes, with roughly four deliveries per hour per drone, and a range of about five miles out (10 miles round trip), suggesting two to three hubs could cover Mansfield.
• Zipline representatives stated operations are automated, with two air traffic control centers (North Carolina and South San Francisco) and deconfliction devices on all drones, and that drone delivery eliminates traditional delivery vehicles and associated traffic.
• Council Member Bounds asked about generator noise buffering; staff noted no current ordinance language on sound buffers for ground equipment, and she suggested reviewing the city's gas well ordinance standards for temporary generators.
• Council members requested volume and trip data from Zipline to estimate traffic reductions; Zipline representatives said they would provide follow-up data.
• Council directed staff to require Specific Use Permit (SUP) approval for all Commercial Drone Delivery Hubs and Kiosks, including facilities otherwise considered accessory to an existing use; increase the allowable kiosk area to approximately the size of one parking space (about 160 square feet, up from 64 square feet); incorporate maximum noise standards and a sound study as part of SUP review; and further address temporary generator noise. The proposed separation distances of 300 feet for hubs and 150 feet for kiosks from noise-sensitive uses were discussed as baseline standards to be considered through the SUP process.
• The City Manager summarized the direction as SUP-only for both hubs and kiosks until more operational data is available, and staff was directed to incorporate the Council's direction into the ordinance for consideration at second reading.

Consent Agenda Discussion (Work Session)

• Luke Goralski, Assistant Director of Engineering Services – Capital Projects, presented three utility items. The 48-inch water line condition assessment (26-2733, $86,500 with Kimley-Horn and Associates) addresses a roughly 40-year-old critical pipe that has never been inspected and is nearing its assumed 50-year lifespan. The 30-inch Transmission Main Phase 2 (26-2746, $5,322,799.69 with L.G. Spades Construction, LLC and Raba Kistner, Inc.) extends capacity for future growth and wholesale customers, including Johnson County Special Utility District (currently about 9 million gallons per day, increasing to over 20 million) and Mountain Peak Special Utility District (about 2 million gallons per day). The OSHG (On Site Hypochlorite Generation) Building and Equipment design amendment (26-2759, $315,608 with Plummer and Associates) supports a new modular system using three 2,400-pound units to meet the same production threshold previously served by four 1,500-pound units.
• Troy Lestina, Deputy City Manager/Chief Financial Officer, presented the Bloomfield Homes Chapter 380 renewal (26-2750). Over the past four and a half years, the agreement generated $400,000 in sales tax, with the builder receiving 80 percent of the 1 percent general fund share (about $150,000), leaving a net of about $250,000 to the city. Bloomfield has roughly 100 remaining lots (36 Somerset, 10 Rockwell, 68 Lone Star Phase 3), and mortgage rates near 7 percent have slowed homebuilding.
• Casey Lewis, Executive Project Manager, presented:
  • 26-2763: Second Amendment to the High Five Mansfield PropCo, LLC agreement—an administrative amendment clarifying timelines and acreage after a Small Business Administration audit took 182 days; the building is 80 percent complete; certificate of occupancy required by June 30, 2027; base tax year set at 2028; a parking agreement to be executed before the end of 2026; no financial terms changed.
  • 26-2770: Go ECM, Inc. incentive—a computer chip module manufacturer and remanufacturer relocating its corporate headquarters from Grand Prairie to 2401 N. Highway 287 (former Mauser headquarters); 60 full-time employees by December 2027, increasing to 70 by 2028 and 90 by 2029; average salary $70,000 with several over $120,000; a $300,000 reimbursable Mansfield Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) grant for fire suppression, fire lanes, facade, and landscaping improvements, payable only after improvements are completed (expected 2028).
  • 26-2774: Housing Channel Chapter 380 agreement—not a cash grant; provides up to 50 percent fee waivers for eligible impact and building fees at Hunt Street and 2nd Street, south of downtown, similar to the prior Habitat for Humanity project.

Executive Session

• The Council recessed into executive session at 3:35 p.m. (called to order at 3:42 p.m., recessed at 6:00 p.m.) under Texas Government Code Sections 551.071, 551.072, 551.074, and 551.087 to discuss attorney advice on zoning and land use regulations related to alcoholic beverage sales and the November 2024 special election, due-diligence and background-check standards for economic development incentives, legal issues pertaining to economic development projects, land acquisitions (including Project #26-06), City Attorney employment and duties, board appointments, and Economic Development Projects #21-33, #22-24, #26-05, and #26-07.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ambika Sharma (7736 Whisterwheel Way, Fort Worth) discussed Tarrant County Appraisal District property tax calculations, stating that the August 12 chief appraiser report showed homes up to $200,000 were appraised at 106 percent while homes above $1 million were appraised at 71 percent, calling this a constitutional violation. She noted that more than 50 percent of Tarrant County taxing entities have had to increase tax rates, praised Mansfield for not increasing the rate and for adopting the maximum 20 percent homestead exemption, and announced her candidacy for Tarrant Appraisal District Place 2.
• Cheryl Litke (1331 Breckenridge Road) expressed concerns about the Parkside townhome community, comparing the approved renderings to the finished product and citing a lack of articulation, minimal facade variety, single building materials, painted aluminum garage doors, and a "trash-filled detention pond" instead of the planned water feature. She urged the Council to hold developers accountable, referencing a prior lot-split approval that she said caused neighbor flooding.
• Dr. Elizabeth Eb nchenge (2906 Woodleigh Drive), speaking as an individual, announced that the Czechia National Football Team donated an autographed 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer ball and an autographed team photograph to the Mansfield Historic Museum, commemorating the team's stay at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium.

Council Comments

• Council Member Vaszauskas expressed strong opposition to moving the Mansfield Independent School District Board of Trustees to single-member districts, citing three reasons: the division it has brought to the board, a shift in trustee accountability from the entire district to a single district, and Mansfield's status as a high-performing district (all A-rated high schools with 93 or higher rankings). He requested that the City Council create a Resolution opposing single-member districts.
• Council Member Simmons requested updates from the city's public-private partnerships (Stadium 063, Field House, Star Center, Mansfield National Golf Course, and Hawaiian Falls) at an upcoming City Council meeting.
• Mayor Evans expressed strong opposition to single-member districts, stating that "we are better together," and voiced support for a Resolution opposing the change.

Staff Comments

• Raymond Coffman, Director of Engineering Services, provided construction updates. Heritage Parkway Improvements: most new eastbound main lane pavement is complete; a traffic switch is planned in about two weeks (weather permitting) to open two eastbound lanes, with two westbound lanes expected in November, followed by sidewalks, utilities, median lighting, and final restoration. E. Broad Street Improvements: Phase 1 (one lane eastbound, two lanes westbound) is anticipated through December; Phase 2 will open two lanes in each direction beginning in early 2027, with the current traffic pattern and schedules posted on the city website. Council Member Fresquez raised driver-safety concerns about red-light running and lane blocking; Coffman said police have been assisting with speeding enforcement.

Actions Pursuant to Executive Session

• Motion by Council Member Vaszauskas, seconded by Council Member Simmons, to authorize the City Manager or designee to negotiate, execute, and finalize a Chapter 380 Development Agreement for Economic Development Project #26-07 with Dr. Sheppard for a new medical office building at 2881 FM 157, not to exceed $25,000 for eligible reimbursable infrastructure expenses as discussed in executive session—passed 7-0.
• Motion by Council Member Newsom, seconded by Council Member Bounds, to approve the extension of Victor Flores's service as City Attorney and authorize the Mayor to finalize and execute related documents—passed 7-0.

Consent Agenda

All consent agenda items were approved 7-0 (motion by Council Member Fresquez, seconded by Council Member Bounds):

• 26-2733 (RE-4592-26): Kimley-Horn and Associates professional services contract for the 48-inch water line condition assessment, funding not to exceed $86,500 (Utility Fund).
• 26-2746 (RE-4593-26): Contracts for 30-inch Transmission Main Phase 2 – Lone Star Road and Chambers Street, with L.G. Spades Construction, LLC for construction and Raba Kistner, Inc. for materials testing, funding not to exceed $5,322,799.69 (Utility Fund).
• 26-2759 (RE-4594-26): Amendment Two to the Plummer and Associates professional services agreement for OSHG Building and Equipment additional design scope, funding not to exceed $315,608 (Utility Fund).
• 26-2750 (RE-4595-26): Renewal of the Chapter 380 Agreement with Bloomfield Homes, L.P. (General Fund).
• 26-2763 (RE-4596-26): Second Amendment to the Economic Development Agreement with High Five Mansfield PropCo, LLC (General Fund, MEDC, TIRZ #4).
• 26-2770 (RE-4597-26): Economic Incentive and Performance Agreement between the Mansfield Economic Development Corporation and Go ECM, Inc. (MEDC).
• 26-2774 (RE-4598-26): Economic Incentive and Developer Agreement between the City and Housing Channel (General Fund).
• 26-2749: Approval of the September 14, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes.

Public Hearing and Second Reading: ZC26-001 – Seeton Road Townhomes (Tabled)

• The applicant (The John R. McAdams Company, Inc.) requested a continuance of the public hearing to the second City Council meeting in October for the 11.71-acre zoning change at 500 Seeton Road from PD to PD for single-family attached townhome uses (123 units proposed, with open space at the hard corner of National and Holland). The Council voted 7-0 to table the item. (Note: the transcript indicates Council Member Bounds made the motion, while the minutes record Council Member Vaszauskas as the mover; both show the motion passed 7-0.)

Public Hearing and Second Reading: ZC26-002 – Trez Shops at Broad Package Store (Approved)

• The Council considered a request by Trez Shops at Broad, LP to rezone 15.8 acres at 1741 and 1755 E. Broad Street and 101 Carlin Road from PD and C-2 Community Business District to PD for commercial uses and a package store. The applicant proposed a 22,000-square-foot package store and 53,000 square feet of additional retail across four out-parcel buildings (Building 1: 8,400 sq ft; Building 2: 8,800 sq ft along Carlin; Building 3: 8,100 sq ft along Broad; Building 4: 8,400 sq ft).
• Clayton Comstock noted the October 2024 package store ordinance requires package stores to be within a PD district with a minimum floor area of 25,000 square feet, with deviations subject to City Council approval, and that voters approved Proposition A in the November 2024 special election with 65 percent support for the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 6-0, and the first reading passed 5-2 on September 14.
• Applicant representative John Weber stated the prospective tenant's new prototype is 22,000 square feet and that the tenant very much wants to be in Mansfield; Weber said he is "stuck in a hard place" between the tenant's requirement and the ordinance. He committed to constructing a 37-foot-wide Carlin Road segment, adding two or three speed bumps (subject to fire marshal approval), and including "no trucks" language in tenant leases.
• Matt Jones, Assistant City Manager, clarified that Carlin Road is not designated as a truck route per ordinance, so truck deliveries must use Highway 287 (a truck route) or E. Broad Street (a commercial delivery route).
• Council Member Newsom said his vote was based on respect for the 65 percent voter approval but expressed displeasure with reducing the square footage from 25,000 to 22,000 and suggested the Council consider aligning the ordinance with 22,000 if approved. Council Members Fresquez and Vaszauskas also supported the item while expressing reservations about the smaller store size.
• Motion by Council Member Simmons, seconded by Council Member Vaszauskas, to approve the ordinance (OR-2455-26)—passed 6-1, with Mayor Evans voting no. The public hearing opened and closed at 7:16 p.m. with no speakers.

Key Outcomes

• Council directed staff to revise the Commercial Drone Delivery Ordinance to require SUP approval for all hubs and kiosks, increase kiosk area to approximately one parking space, add maximum noise standards and sound study requirements, and address temporary generator noise, with 300-foot (hub) and 150-foot (kiosk) separations as baseline standards.
• ZC26-001 (Seeton Road townhomes) was tabled 7-0 to the second City Council meeting in October (October 26, 2026, per staff).
• ZC26-002 (Trez Shops at Broad) was approved 6-1 (OR-2455-26).
• The Chapter 380 Development Agreement for ED Project #26-07 (Dr. Sheppard medical office building at 2881 FM 157) was authorized 7-0, not to exceed $25,000 for eligible reimbursable infrastructure expenses.
• Victor Flores's City Attorney service extension was approved 7-0.
• All eight consent agenda items were approved 7-0.
• The Council requested a Resolution opposing MISD single-member districts and an update on public-private partnerships at a future meeting.