North Richland Hills City Council Work Session and Regular Meeting – February 24, 2025

On Monday, February 24, 2025, the North Richland Hills City Council met in a work session at 5:30 p.m. and a regular meeting at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall, 4301 City Point Drive, North Richland Hills, Texas. All seven council members were present. The work session included a quarterly financial report, a traffic signal technology briefing, an efficiency study RFP update, and a closed executive session. The regular meeting included a police chief oath, public presentations, consent approvals, five public hearings, street maintenance approval, and fee ordinance approvals. The meeting adjourned at 10:05 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 7-0 the minutes of the February 10, 2025 City Council meeting.
• Authorized purchase of two 2025 Ford pick-up trucks, one 2024 Ford passenger van, and one 2024 Ford pick-up truck for a combined $334,779.06 from Sam Pack's Five Star Ford-Carrollton using BuyBoard Contract #724-23.
• Authorized Amendment No. 1 to the cooperative agreement with Wireless Watchdogs, LLC for managed mobility services, ratified prior purchases totaling $46,273, and set a cumulative limit of $81,250 through fiscal year 2026.
• Authorized hardware and software maintenance and additional technology purchases through a Department of Information Resources cooperative agreement with Red River Technology, LLC, not to exceed $2,500,000 through January 7, 2030.
• Authorized purchase of six 2025 Ford F-150 and three 2025 Ford F-150 4x4 pick-up trucks for $420,166.92 from Sam Pack's Five Star Ford-Carrollton using H-GAC Contract #VE05-24.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A procedural dispute arose over a citizen's request to show a video during citizens presentation. Mayor McCarty said city practice prohibits videos, flash drives, and embedded links on city property to minimize infrastructure risk, with the Birdville ISD bond presentation as a past exception. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Blake Vaughn appealed the ruling; the appeal failed 5-2. Council Members Tito Rodriguez, Suzy Compton, Russ Mitchell, Associate Mayor Pro Tem Ricky Rodriguez, and Mayor Pro Tem Kelvin Deupree voted against; Vaughn and Council Member Matt Blake voted in favor.
• Dustin Perkins, representing the Mid-Cities Arts Collective, said about 60 local residents supported a new community theater and requested the council create an NRH Arts Theatre Grant Program funded by Hotel Occupancy Tax and place it on a future agenda. He described community theater benefits, including social connection, economic activity, and family-friendly arts access.
• Bill Finstad of Terry Drive presented a petition signed by 32 people requesting a four-way stop sign at Terry Drive and North College Circle, citing a 300-foot stretch between road humps and nearby apartment parking issues.
• There were no requests to speak during the A.5 Public Comments portion.

Discussion Items

• At the start of the work session, Mayor McCarty raised the request to show a video during citizens presentation. City Attorney Bradley Anderle said the procedural question fell outside the scope of the posted work-session item; the issue was taken up later during citizens presentation.
• Director of Budget and Research Chase Fosse presented the quarterly financial report for the quarter ending December 31, 2024. He said 91% of property tax revenue had been collected as of the meeting, in line with budget; general fund sales tax was about $230,000 (6.3%) ahead of budget, largely due to a confidential state audit adjustment; general fund expenditures were about 23% of budget; and utility fund revenues exceeded expenditures by about $160,000. In response to a council request, Assistant City Manager Trudy Lewis said staff were reviewing options for posting accounts payable and registered vendor reports online and would report back in coming months.
• Director of Public Works Boe Blankenship presented on traffic signal technology. The city has 61 traffic signals, five TxDOT-maintained, and is deploying the iTerrance Clear Guide software platform; 44 signals are complete, five are planned in the current fiscal year, and 12 remain over the next two years. The presentation covered non-recording video detection cameras, emergency vehicle preemption, battery backup, maintenance alerts, reduced side-street wait times, and use of traffic data by police, planning, and economic development. Blankenship said about 15% of vehicles in a Davis Boulevard and Starnes Road analysis entered during red clearance and 48% during yellow clearance in the studied period.
• City Manager Paulette Hartman introduced Cori Reaume as the city's new Director of Planning; February 24 was her first day. Council Member Matt Blake asked staff to bring a future agenda item on live-stream analytics and possible Facebook streaming; no opposition was stated.
• Hartman reported efficiency study RFP responses: 13 for the permitting audit, 12 for the information technology audit, and eight for the fleet services audit. Staff planned to review proposals, meet with the council committee, and bring award recommendations. The minutes state the target was the April 14 council meeting, while the work-session discussion noted review could extend into late March or April and studies might begin later.
• Hartman reminded council of the revised March meeting schedule: March 3 and March 24.
• The council entered executive session under Texas Government Code Sections 551.072, 551.087, and 551.074 at 6:02 p.m.; the minutes note the session began at 6:09 p.m. and concluded at 6:40 p.m. After reconvening, the council acted on the personnel item under Section 551.074.

Public Hearings & Land Use Decisions

• C.1 (ZC25-0126, Ordinance No. 3892): Approved 7-0 a special development plan for a Ragle Inc. office building at 6320 Smithfield Road, 3.698 acres. Applicant representative Matt Shaylor said the district office would serve as a central hub for Ragle Inc. Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 5-0; no one spoke in the public hearing.
• C.2 (ZC24-0120, Ordinance No. 3893): Approved 7-0 a special use permit for Lifetime Commercial Roofing for a contractor's office with shop and garage at 5109 Commercial Drive, 1.046 acres. Applicant Joel Webb outlined improvements to the dumpster enclosure, fire lane, ADA access, lighting, and parking. P&Z recommended approval 5-0; no public speakers.
• C.3 (ZC24-0121, Ordinance No. 3894): Denied 5-2 a special use permit for a secondhand goods dealer at 6350 Glenview Drive, 1.72 acres. Applicant Jasmine Rangel presented Juanito's Giving Tree, said it would be a for-profit business, source inventory from cleaning-company clients, would not solicit donations from the community, and would address lighting, cameras, and trash. Staff reported written opposition from 26% of properties within 200 feet, requiring six affirmative votes; P&Z recommended approval 4-1. Eight Diamond Loch-area residents spoke in opposition, citing vagrancy, after-hours donations, trash overflow, safety, narrow alley visibility, lack of on-site storage, and proximity to homes. A motion to approve failed 2-5, with Council Member Tito Rodriguez and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Vaughn in favor. A motion to deny carried 5-2, with Associate Mayor Pro Tem Ricky Rodriguez, Compton, Blake, Mitchell, and Deupree in favor and Vaughn and Rodriguez against.
• C.4 (ZC25-0123, Ordinance No. 3895): Approved 7-0 a revised special use permit for Wing Aviation LLC's heliport and landing field at 6401 NE Loop 820, 25.09 acres. The approval extends the special use permit three years and requires permanent power within one year, removing generators from operation.
• C.5 (ZC25-0124, Ordinance No. 3896): Approved 7-0 a revision to Planned Development 36 authorizing a heliport and landing field as a permitted accessory use at 9101 North Tarrant Parkway, 24.65 acres. The two Wing Aviation items were presented jointly; applicant Josh Bucci said the sites support Walmart drone delivery, averaging about 30 deliveries per day per site. P&Z recommended approval 5-0 for both; no public speakers.

Additional Agenda Items

• A.3.a: Chief of Police Jeff Garner took the ceremonial oath of office, administered by City Manager Paulette Hartman. Garner said North Richland Hills is his home and that the department is stronger than ever.
• E.1: Approved 7-0 the 2025 Preventive Street Maintenance Program. Public Works Director Boe Blankenship reported the 2023 program, the largest in city history at the time, covered 17.46 centerline miles and 128 streets with a $2.7 million budget. The combined 2024/2025 program includes 78 streets, 11.3 centerline miles, and about $6.4 million, focused on asphalt overlays and rehabilitation, beginning in the northwest quadrant.
• F.1: Approved 7-0 Resolution No. 2025-019 appointing Marc Trevino to Place 7 on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, term ending June 30, 2025.
• F.2: Approved 7-0 Ordinance No. 3897 authorizing ambulance service fees, effective March 1, 2025. Director of Finance Jay Patel said the change from itemized billing to bundled ALS/BLS charges aligned with regional practices and should improve insurance reimbursement while keeping the 15% resident discount.
• F.3: Approved 7-0 Ordinance No. 3898 establishing notary service fees at the library consistent with Texas Secretary of State fee limits.
• G: Approved 7-0 authorization for the City Secretary/Chief Governance Officer to participate in the HUD/DCTA Texas City Clerk Pilot Program, as discussed in executive session.
• H.1: Council Member Matt Blake announced Play Today NRH at Green Valley Park on March 1 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., a pop-up art gallery at City Hall from March 4 through April 18 with an opening reception March 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and recognized Public Works employees Cory Widener, Tanner Gray, Will Taylor, and Vanessa Moreno for a timely sewer response.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved 7-0; all consent purchases and contract amendments authorized.
• C.1 and C.2 approved 7-0; C.3 denied 5-2; C.4 and C.5 approved 7-0.
• 2025 Preventive Street Maintenance Program approved 7-0.
• Zoning Board of Adjustment appointment, ambulance fee ordinance, and notary fee ordinance all approved 7-0.
• The council authorized participation in the HUD/DCTA Texas City Clerk Pilot Program 7-0.
• A future agenda item was added for staff to present live-stream analytics and explore Facebook streaming capabilities.