North Richland Hills Charter Review Commission Meeting - June 9, 2025

The North Richland Hills Charter Review Commission met Monday, June 9, 2025, in the Council Workroom at City Hall. The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. and adjourned at 4:27 p.m. with a quorum present. No public comments were offered. The commission approved its prior meeting minutes, unanimously recommended final ballot language for proposed charter amendments, and discussed Senate Bill 1173 and its implications for the City Charter.

Minutes Approval

• Commissioner Mitchell moved, and Commissioner Roberts seconded, to approve the minutes of the May 27, 2025 Charter Review Commission meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

Charter Amendment Ballot Recommendations

• Staff member Bradley Adderlee presented the final ballot proposition language and redlined charter revisions prepared after the May 27, 2025 meeting.
• Discussion focused on Proposition A (moving city council terms to three years) and Proposition E (making planning and zoning (P&Z) commission terms consistent with council member terms). Staff explained that if voters approved Proposition A but rejected Proposition E, the charter would be inconsistent because the P&Z term would remain two years.
• One commissioner suggested wrapping the P&Z term into Proposition A so the two would be approved together. Commissioner McCarty and Commissioner Blake objected to combining propositions, saying it would make the ballot language longer, more confusing, and harder for voters to understand; Commissioner Blake said the commission's job would be to educate voters.
• The commission reached consensus to keep the propositions as presented (A, B, C, D, E). Commissioner Blake moved, and Commissioner Dupree seconded, to recommend the presented ballot provisions to the City Council. The motion passed unanimously.
• The amendments are expected to appear on the November 2025 ballot; commissioners noted that turnout may be low and that they would need to promote and explain the measures.

Senate Bill 1173 Discussion

• Mr. Adderlee briefed the commission on Senate Bill 1173, which raises the state competitive bidding threshold from $50,000 to $100,000. The City Charter, Article 9, Section 4, currently sets the threshold at $50,000 but includes language stating that the figure changes as state law changes.
• Staff said a charter amendment may not be required because of that adaptive clause, but the City may choose to remain more stringent than state law. Staff also noted that the City's internal purchasing policy would still require formal procurement, likely through request-for-quotes rather than sealed bids, for purchases between $50,000 and $100,000. In the past year, there were 27 purchases in that range; the process is expected to reduce bidding packet documentation from roughly 30 pages to 10 pages and could increase vendor interest.
• The City does not have set-asides for HUB (historically underutilized business) or minority-owned businesses, though it has outreach requirements above certain dollar amounts.
• Commissioners McCarty and Dupree supported amending the charter to remove the specific dollar figure and instead reference state law, noting that a fixed number could create confusion. Staff said no formal action was appropriate because SB 1173 is outside the commission's term-limits scope, but there was consensus to prepare a proposed amendment for the City Council's future consideration.
• Commissioners also confirmed that council members may promote the ballot measures privately but cannot use city funds or resources; city staff may provide purely educational materials only.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved the May 27, 2025 meeting minutes.
• Unanimously recommended the final ballot provisions (Propositions A-E) to the City Council.
• Directed staff to prepare a future charter amendment removing the $50,000 bidding threshold figure to align with Senate Bill 1173.