Texarkana Board of Directors Meeting – November 18, 2025

The Texarkana Board of Directors held a regular meeting on November 18, 2025. The board adopted a seven-item consent agenda, approved a resolution to bridge a health insurance premium increase, granted a parking lot franchise, and tabled a proposed food truck ordinance amendment after hearing public comment and board debate.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of November 3, 2025.
• Resolution declaring public works equipment surplus.
• Resolution authorizing a contract for a 500,000-gallon elevated water storage tank (Lakewood Elevated Tank Project).
• Resolution authorizing change orders for the Nick's Creek Sewer Improvements Project.
• Resolution authorizing the purchase of emergency lighting for seven patrol vehicles and one K9 kennel.
• Resolution authorizing the purchase of Motorola WatchGuard dash and rear seat cameras for seven patrol units.
• Resolution authorizing a construction contract with Contact Contractors Inc. for the Bi-State Crime Lab and offices rebuild project.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Israel Gamble (611 Ferguson Street, College Hill) complained that a neighbor parks a loaded 18-wheeler flatbed truck on the residential street, blocking sightlines and creating a safety hazard. Mayor Brown and Director Harris confirmed the vehicle violates the commercial vehicle ordinance and stated code enforcement would be sent out to issue a citation. The city manager agreed to coordinate with the police chief on weekend enforcement.
• Lydia Robertson (Mount Addition neighborhood) expressed frustration with her ward representative (Director Davis) over ongoing Tri-State noise and smell issues, accusing him of not addressing the neighborhood's complaints compared to other ward directors. She asked if she could call for his resignation if he does not step up.
• Lamaria Blackwell (WC4, which has a contract with the city to promote Front Street) expressed concern about the proposed $50 temporary vending fee in the pending food truck ordinance. She stated that the new fee could hurt out-of-town vendors at their events, as they already pay a vending fee, and asked for clarification on its origin.
• Freddie (local food truck owner, speaking during the food truck ordinance discussion) asked the board to align food truck operating hours with entertainment district venue hours (closing at 2 a.m.) rather than the proposed 10 p.m. restriction, stating that vendors pay taxes and should be allowed to serve customers while venues are open.

Discussion Items

• Item 8: Health Insurance Premium Increase Resolution. Sheena Brown (city finance) presented the 27% premium increase from the Municipal Health Benefit Fund (MHBF). The increase for employee-only coverage was $179.21 (to $841.71) and for employee-plus-family was $401.83 (to $1,887.33). The city’s loss ratio was 150% ($3 million in claims vs. $2 million in premiums). Director Harris and others questioned wellness programs and rising claims. The board unanimously approved a $52,452.83 payment to cover the increase for January 2026 to allow time to finalize the budget.
• Item 9: David Boone Ministries Parking Lot Franchise. Tracy (Public Works) presented an ordinance granting a non-exclusive franchise to David Boone Ministries Inc. to use the public right-of-way at 1800 Dudley Street for a parking lot. Director Harris raised concerns about pre-existing drainage issues on the adjacent street. The ordinance was read three times and adopted unanimously with an emergency clause.
• Item 10: Food Truck Ordinance Amendment. Roger Douglas (Public Works) proposed amendments to the 2018 ordinance to regulate individual mobile food vendors citywide, including a $50 temporary event fee, a 20-foot setback, and written property owner permission. Directors Holobush and Brewer raised concerns over fee structures, operating hours (7 a.m. to 10 p.m. or midnight with permission), and unclear language in the text. A motion to table the ordinance passed 4–3 (Directors Jewel, Smith, and Roberts opposed; Assistant Mayor Harris, Director Brewer, and Mayor Brown in favor). The board discussed holding a workshop before the next meeting to allow vendor input.

Board of Directors Commentary

• Director Harris delivered an extended critique of the city’s street bond allocation, alleging the $34,000 engineering study was biased against poorer communities. He listed over a dozen streets near churches in Wards 4 and 5 that received $0 in bond funding, contrasting them with streets in other wards. He stated that neighborhoods like College Hill and Carmichael Hill were not receiving fair treatment compared to others.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda adopted unanimously.
• Health insurance premium resolution adopted unanimously (6–0).
• David Boone Ministries parking lot franchise adopted unanimously with emergency clause.
• Food truck ordinance amendment tabled (4–3); a workshop was proposed before the next regular meeting.
• Meeting adjourned.