Weatherford City Council Regular Session – January 13, 2026
Weatherford City Council Regular Session – January 13, 2026
The Weatherford City Council met in regular session at 6:01 PM on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at City Hall. The meeting included an invocation, pledges, community interest announcements, approval of minutes, a consent agenda, and two regular agenda items related to economic development tools. The meeting adjourned at 6:22 PM.
Items of Community Interest
- City Secretary announced: Parker County Restaurant Week (January 19–25), railroad crossing at North Main closed January 17 and 18 for repairs, Coffee with a Cop (January 15 at 9 AM), Weatherford Public Library Book Sale (January 22–24 during library hours), and city offices closed January 19 for MLK Jr. Day (trash/recycling runs as scheduled).
- A birthday wish was extended to the city secretary.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (Item 5a): The minutes of the December 16, 2025 City Council meeting were approved unanimously by a motion from Mayor Pro Tem Smith, seconded by Council Member Williams.
- Consent Agenda Items 6a, 6b, 6c were approved by a single motion (Williams, seconded by Ticzkus):
- 6a: Authorizing the Mayor to renew Division Chief Michael Baldwin as Emergency Management Coordinator.
- 6b: Adoption of Ordinance O2026-01 amending the FY26 Adopted Budget (1st quarter budget status).
- 6c: Authorizing procurement of waste disposal services from Waste Connections, Inc. (not to exceed $450,000).
- Item 6d (Change Order No. 1 for 221 North Main Plaster Removal project, not to exceed $39,000, revised total $194,000) was pulled by Mayor Pro Tem Smith for discussion and later approved (see Discussion Items).
Discussion Items
- 221 North Main Plaster Removal – Change Order No. 1 (Item 6d): Director of Public Works Matt Leppla provided background on the property acquired in 2014 for a planned bypass that was later abandoned. Previous expenditures totaled $870,000 (from acquisition through prior renovations). The change order covers exterior restoration work (remortaring, brick repair, window painting) revealed after plaster removal. Leppla confirmed this change order completes the exterior project, bringing total expenditure to $913,000. Mayor Pro Tem Smith questioned the total cost and contractor selection; Leppla explained the use of the TIPS program for qualified contractors. Council members expressed support, noting restoration projects often reveal unforeseen issues. The motion (Smith, seconded by Wilder) passed unanimously.
- Creation of Weatherford Local Government Corporation Number 1 (Item 7a): Economic Development Director Ashley Seiler presented Resolution R2026-02 to create a non-profit LGC as a financing and development tool within Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 (TIRZ 1). She emphasized that the LGC is wholly controlled by the city, does not bypass transparency or council authority, and any future project requires council approval. The board would consist of the mayor, four council members, and the city manager as president. Council Member Wilder asked for clarification on transparency; Seiler confirmed that LGC meetings are public and subject to the same open meeting laws. The resolution was approved by a motion (Williams, seconded by Smith).
- Interlocal Cooperation Agreement (Item 7b): Seiler also presented an interlocal agreement between the City, the TIRZ 1 Board, and the new LGC, defining working relationships. The LGC would manage daily operations of TIRZ 1 while the council retains authority over debt approval, budget, and oversight. Seiler stated there is no immediate financial impact. The agreement was approved by a motion (Williams, seconded by Ticzkus).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Audrey Swatt (resident): Addressed an alley behind her property that has become overgrown and impassable; one property owner erected a fence encompassing city property. She requested the city either enforce property rights or pursue abandonment of unused alleys to generate property tax revenue. She noted assistance from Scott McDonald but expressed that further action is needed.
Key Outcomes
- The meeting adjourned at 6:22 PM.
- All votes were unanimous; no roll call votes were recorded.
- The creation of the Weatherford Local Government Corporation Number 1 was authorized via Resolution R2026-02.
- The Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between the City, TIRZ 1 Board, and the LGC was approved.
- Change Order No. 1 for the 221 North Main project was approved, increasing the contract to $194,000 and total project expenditure to $913,000.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here. Order and ask uh Pastor Neil Rowe from Waterhouse Church to come up and lead us our invitation. Pastor, thank you for being here, sir. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the honor to govern your city. And Lord, we ask for wisdom. We ask for knowledge. But we also pray for the safety of the community. Lord, that justice is done. That you provide all that we need in the city to do all that you've wants us to do in it. And Lord, I pray protection over the city council. God, I pray uh blessings over their family and over the employees of this city. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you so much for that, sir. All right, it is 6.01 p.m. I'm gonna call the meeting to order and announce that we have the form present seemingly. All council members are president accounted for and we thank you for your service and thank you for being here. Item three on the agenda is pledges of allegiance to the United States of Texas flags be led by Mayor Pro Tim because that's been please join me. I pledge one Justice Raw. One is four on the agenda is items of community interest. Welcome to the podium mayor's box. Mayor and Council, just a quick update this evening. Things around town have been a little quieter after the holidays, but there's still a few community notes worth sharing. The second annual Parker County Restaurant Week runs January 19th through the 25th, featuring local restaurants and some signature dishes. Everybody supports the Terrant Area Food Bank West and families in our own community. The details are at Young Business Leaders Weatherford.com. Finally, a week where eating out counts as getting back. My kind of week. A quick heads up for the weekend. The railroad crossing at North Main will be closed January 6th or 17th and 18th for repairs. Considered as your official reminder to avoid the area and come up with an alternate route. And we'd like to take this time to wish a very happy birthday. Thank you for keeping us organized on track and out of trouble. Here's to another year of herding cats. I mean serving the city. And if you're looking for some more fun around town, you can start your morning with Coffee with a Cop on January 15th at 9 a.m. at the senior center. And book lovers, this is your sign to buy some more books. The Weatherford Public Library Book Sale returns January 22nd through the 24th during regular library hours. And just so everyone's aware, city offices will be closed in observance of MLK Junior Day on January 19th. The trash and recycling will run as scheduled. For more information on these and other events, you can visit ExperienceWeatherford.com. Thank you for that. Let's see here. Council, any items of community interest? All righty. We'll shift down to item six on the agenda, which is items of community. Excuse me. Item five on the agenda, which is approval of the minutes.
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