Richland Hills City Council Regular Meeting - April 13, 2026

The Richland Hills City Council held a regular meeting on April 13, 2026 at 5:30 PM at City Hall. The meeting included the acceptance of the FY 2025 audit report, a discussion on the street sales tax reauthorization ballot measure, public hearings on a replat and zoning change for a church property and a planned development for an ice cream production facility, approval of an emergency wastewater repair, and adoption of an accounts receivable write-off policy.

Presentations – FY 2025 Audit

Daniel Hungerford of George Morgan Sneed presented the annual audit for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. The audit resulted in a clean opinion after significant cleanup. Key financial highlights: the general fund had $4,081,000 in unassigned fund balance (41% of expenditures). Revenues were $10,392,000, down $173,000 from the prior year, driven by a $104,000 decrease in sales tax. Expenditures were $9,122,000, an increase of $748,000, with $566,000 attributable to public safety personnel costs. The water and sewer fund had a positive net position of $3.7 million. Two material weaknesses were identified: bank reconciliations were not performed for the entire year, and cash collections were not deposited daily ($26,000 in checks and $5,000 in cash were found undeposited). Staff and the interim finance consultant reported that corrective action has been taken since November 2025. The council accepted the audit report (motion carried).

Street Sales Tax Reauthorization Discussion

City staff provided factual information about the May 2, 2026 special election to reauthorize the street sales tax (3/8 cent), which generates approximately $1.5 million annually for street and sidewalk improvements. If not reauthorized, the tax would be removed and the city would lose that dedicated funding. Council discussed the importance of clear communication to voters.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sid Wright (2741 Kingsbury Ave) expressed strong opposition to survey stakes placed in his yard marked “ROW” without prior notification. He referenced a sidewalk grant from 12–15 years ago that lacked funding for surveying and compensation and warned of potential trespassing claims if work proceeds.
• Doug Noulton (2749 Spruce Park Dr) spoke in support of the street tax reauthorization, urging residents to vote yes.
• Vicky Hammond (7905 Leslie Dr) raised concerns about the meeting start time being 5:30 PM rather than 7 PM, noting the city website and Facebook page gave conflicting information. She also clarified that online sales tax goes to the city only if the shipping address states Richland Hills.
• John Garza (7900 Leslie Dr) echoed concerns about inconsistent meeting times and reported difficulty accessing live streams and meeting archives on the city website.

Public Hearings

Replat of 3913 Norton Drive (Lot 1R and Lot 4R)

The Richland Hills Christian Church requested a replat to subdivide the property, creating a separate residential lot for the parsonage. Three variances were needed: side yard setback (14 ft vs 15 ft), lot depth (92 ft vs 100 ft), and accessory structure setback (0.5 ft vs 5 ft). Council discussed spot zoning but staff stated the use is consistent with the comprehensive plan. No citizen opposition was received. The church representative confirmed they intend to retain ownership and use the property for rental income. Approved (motion carried).

Zoning Change for Lot 4R (P to SF-7)

This zoning change is tied to the replat and would allow the separate lot to be used for single-family residential. The church stated they may use it as a parish house again in the future. Approved (motion carried).

Planned Development for 6557 Baker Boulevard (Ice Cream Production Facility)

The applicant Anal Desai proposed a planned development with a base zoning of light commercial or mixed use to permit food processing and limited outdoor storage. The use is a small-scale frozen dessert production facility (wholesale only) for Milwaukee Joe’s Ice Cream. Council expressed concerns that the use does not align with the comprehensive plan’s vision for a pedestrian-oriented mixed-use corridor. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval with mixed-use base zoning (4-1). Citizen Doug Noulton spoke in favor, while Athena Campbell opposed, wanting a more corridor-appropriate use. After discussion, the council voted to table the item to the April 27 regular meeting to allow staff to prepare a site plan with limited outdoor storage and to remove laundromat and warehouse from the list of permitted uses.

Discussion Items

Change of Meeting Date

The council discussed moving the May 25, 2026 regular meeting to May 26, 2026 due to the Memorial Day holiday. No formal vote was taken; consensus was to make the change.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes from the March 23, 2026 regular meeting was approved without discussion.

New Business

Emergency Wastewater Repair

Kelly Morris (Public Works) presented an emergency sewer main repair on the 2800 block of Willow Park Street and Spruce Park Drive. Pipe bursting was used to replace 420 linear feet of clay tile pipe with HDPE. The unit-price contract with XL4 totaled an estimated $105,041.20 (including 10% contingency), funded from the operational sewer system repairs line. The emergency occurred on March 8, 2026. Approved (motion carried).

Accounts Receivable Write-Off and Collection Policy

Staff presented a resolution to adopt a formal policy for writing off aged utility billing and municipal court accounts (totaling approximately $5.5 million). Write-offs would occur after defined inactivity periods (court: 3 years; utility: 12–24 months). The City Manager may approve amounts up to $5,000, notify council for amounts $5,001–$25,000, and require council approval for amounts over $25,000. The policy aims to remove uncollectible accounts from the balance sheet. Approved (motion carried).

Key Outcomes

• Audit Accepted: The FY 2025 audit report was accepted (unanimous).
• Replat Approved: Subdivision of 3913 Norton Drive into Lot 1R and Lot 4R, including variances.
• Zoning Change Approved: Lot 4R rezoned from P to SF-7.
• Planned Development Tabled: Item 3C continued to the April 27 regular meeting for further site plan development.
• Emergency Repair Approved: Wastewater main repair contract with XL4 authorized.
• Write-Off Policy Adopted: Resolution 464326 approving the accounts receivable write-off policy.
• Meeting Date Change: The May 25, 2026 meeting will be rescheduled to May 26, 2026.
• Next Steps: Staff to prepare a site plan for the Baker Boulevard PD and return for council consideration.