Weatherford Economic Development Board – Regular Session Summary – November 19, 2025

The Weatherford Economic Development Board met in regular session on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 8:00 AM CT (14:00 UTC) in the City Council Chambers at Weatherford City Hall. The board approved a Chapter 380 utility extension agreement, considered but did not revise the facade improvement grant program, and acted on five facade grant requests. The board also approved the previous meeting minutes and heard no public comments.

Call to Order, Quorum, and Approval of Minutes

• Chair Ken Davis called the meeting to order and announced a quorum. Chandler Lacefield was welcomed as a new board member.
• The board considered the minutes of the January 17, 2025, Economic Development Board meeting. A motion by Zach Smith, seconded by John Hinton, passed with three yes votes and two recusals from members who had not been present at the prior meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No speaker cards were submitted, and no citizen comments were made during the Citizen Comments on Non-Agenda Items portion of the meeting.

Chapter 380 Economic Development Agreement with Mike Barakat (Item 3a)

• Economic Development Director Ashley Seiler presented a request to extend water, wastewater, and electric utilities to 2538 South Main Street for a Buttermilk Sky Pie location, described as a roughly $100,000 city investment supporting over $1 million in infrastructure investment.
• In response to a board member's question about return on investment, Assistant City Manager Chad Marbut said the extension would be designed and possibly constructed in-house, that ROI typically returns quickly once the surrounding property develops, and that impact fees paid at connection also repay the city.
• A motion by Zach Smith, seconded by Luke Williams, approved the agreement unanimously.

Facade Improvement Grant Program Revisions (Item 3b)

• Staff outlined possible revisions to the Central Business District Facade Improvement Grant, including adding a two-to-three contractor bid requirement, addressing rising construction costs, and adding minimum ROI, employment, or traffic requirements. Staff also noted opportunities to make eligible signage and permanent improvements more specific.
• Board members discussed the program's history, the balance between small and large grants, the city's 1.5% share of sales tax compared with the 6.25% state and 0.5% county shares, and the use of taxpayer dollars for private property that could later be sold or flipped.
• City Manager James Hotopp said the policy had been adaptive and supported the idea of broader council review. Zach Smith moved to make no revisions and leave the current policy unchanged; Luke Williams seconded. The motion passed 4–1. Several members suggested the program's future could be discussed at an upcoming City Council retreat.

Individual Facade Grant Requests (Items 3c–3g)

• 311 North Main (Item 3c) – approved for $84,217. The grant supports converting the former antique marketplace to professional office space for Baird Hampton and Brown, a civil engineering firm currently employing 22 people locally, planning to grow to 25 by the end of 2025, and with a long-term goal of 30 or more employees. Eligible facade work includes brick refurbishing and repainting, exterior painting, awning replacement, tree and fence removal, entry doors and lighting, nine new windows, and address signage. Total property improvements were listed at roughly $800,000, with facade costs of $178,434. Staff verified that expenses were limited to eligible items and no work had been completed. The motion to approve as presented passed unanimously.

• 118 College Avenue (Item 3d) – approved for $13,477.16. The building has been abandoned since the mid-1970s. Grant funds will support renovation for Grass Stains, a women's fashion retailer founded in Graham, Texas, expected to gross $350,000 to $450,000 annually. Work includes stripping the building to bare rock shell, new plumbing, gas, electrical, stud walls, sheetrock, HVAC, storefront windows and door, and a stucco facade covering. Construction was expected to take about three months, with a possible February 2026 opening. A board member noted the applicant's five-year lease with a five-year renewal option and suggested minimum lease terms could be considered in future policy. The motion by John Hinton, seconded by Luke Williams, passed unanimously.

• 122 York Avenue (Item 3e) – approved for $33,525. The applicant, the property owner, requested funds for a targeted renovation of Yesterday's Sandwich Shop's storefront, including replacement of transom and side windows, a new double door, wood scraping and sanding, painting of brick and woodwork, and a new awning. The request was based on the middle of three contractor quotes. The owner confirmed Yesterday's has been in the building about five years and recently signed a new five-year lease. The motion by Zach Smith, seconded by Luke Williams, passed unanimously.

• 203 North Main (Item 3f) – approved for $13,392.50, less than the $101,823.50 requested. Staff described the project as restoring the vacant building into the Weatherford Marketplace, a membership-based flexible office space with 22 rentable offices, two rentable conference rooms, a podcast room, a courtyard with occasional live music and food trucks, and other amenities. Interior renovation costs exceeded $500,000, and exterior work was estimated above $250,000. Board members raised concerns about temporary office leases and the food truck courtyard; Ashley Seiler said the food truck use would be permitted if it included a washable concrete slab and restroom access. The board also noted that some front-facing work had already been completed under an earlier application when funds ran out. Luke Williams moved to approve only the North Main-facing portion of the grant in an amount not to exceed $13,392.50, calculated from the North Main construction bid of $36,785 less the required $10,000 investment, divided equally. The motion, seconded by Zach Smith, passed unanimously.

• 209 North Main (Item 3g) – approved for $22,227. The grant supports H Co Design House, an interior design firm and Decorating Den Interiors franchise, in opening a design studio and showroom in downtown. Eligible work includes replacing deteriorated wood trim around second-floor windows, repainting the exterior with a historically appropriate palette, and removing and replacing the canopy. The business is expected to employ three to five people. During discussion, construction manager Jackie Fowler explained structural concerns with attaching new awnings to aging brick, and board members discussed the benefits of awnings on the east side of York Avenue. The motion by Zach Smith, seconded by John Hinton, passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved: three yes votes, two recusals.
• Chapter 380 agreement with Mike Barakat: approved unanimously.
• Facade grant program policy: no revisions adopted; motion passed 4–1 to leave the current policy unchanged.
• Facade grant approvals: 311 North Main ($84,217), 118 College Avenue ($13,477.16), 122 York Avenue ($33,525), 203 North Main North-facing portion ($13,392.50), and 209 North Main ($22,227), for a total of $166,838.66 in approved grants.
• No public comment cards were submitted.