OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Weatherford City Council Meeting: May 12, 2026 – Election Results, New Council Members, Office Renovation

City Council & Boards — Tuesday, May 12, 2026
BodyWeatherford, Texas
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateTuesday, May 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 49:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good evening.

0:01

Thank you for being here tonight.

0:04

Before we call the meeting to order, I'm going to invite David Slider to come up from Gray's First Presbyterian Church.

0:10

He's going to lead us in our invocation.

0:12

David, thanks for being here this week.

0:14

Sorry, I missed last time I was honkered down.

0:16

Most people, most people do stay home when there's a tornado, sir.

0:19

So that's wise choice.

0:21

Let us pray.

0:23

Gracious God, we thank you for this day.

0:25

We thank you for sunshine and rain.

0:28

We thank you for uh springtime.

0:30

Uh flowers popping up, grass turning green.

0:34

God, we thank you for this community.

0:36

We pray that as decisions are made tonight that they would better this community.

0:41

We pray that you give this council's um wisdom and guidance as they continue to lead this community of Weatherford.

0:49

We pray these things in Christ's name.

0:51

Amen.

0:52

Amen.

0:52

David, thank you, sir.

0:54

It is 6 p.m.

0:56

on Tuesday, May the 12th is time.

0:57

I'll call the meeting to order and announce that we do a quorum.

1:00

All council members are present this evening, and we appreciate your service.

1:03

Item three on the agenda is Pledges of Allegiance to the United States and Texas flags below by Mayor Pro Tim Zach Smith.

1:27

On our Texas flag.

1:32

One state on our indivisible.

1:42

Item four on the agenda is items of community interest.

1:46

Aaron Spicer, welcome.

1:47

Mayor and Council, if anyone was hoping for a quiet month, Weatherford did not get that memo.

1:53

We've got parks, pools, school celebrations, and plenty of reasons to get out of the house before the sidewalks turn into lava.

2:01

This month, city employees and leaders have been busy showing some love to our schools through career fairs, summer reading kickoff fun, kindergarten classroom visits, book deliveries, and a few extra doses of school spirit.

2:12

Councilmember Smith also helped feed the team at Wright Elementary because building a strong community sometimes comes with a lunch.

2:19

We're proud to support the students, teachers, and schools helping make helping shape Weatherford's future.

2:26

And during National Police Week, we're taking a moment to recognize the men and women of the Weatherford Police Department who serve our community with courage, professionalism, and heart.

2:36

We're grateful for their commitment to keeping Weatherford safe, supporting our residents, and showing up for our community every day.

2:46

The pulling for police and fire clay shoot is coming up on May 13th, bringing together friendly competition, great food, and a solid excuse to yell, pull like you know exactly what you're doing.

2:58

Proceed support Weatherford Police and Fire Foundation, helping provide training, equipment, wellness resources, and other support for the first response.

3:08

And the new splash pad at Love Street Park is set to open Memorial Day weekend just in time for the Texas summer.

3:14

It's got a dump bucket, interactive water features, shade canopies, seating, and a new fishing pier that's already in place.

3:21

Love Street Park is about to become the go-to spot for summer fun.

3:26

And Cherry Park Pool opens for summer on Saturday, May 23rd, which means it's officially time for sunscreen, swim bags, and pretending the walk across hot concrete doesn't hurt.

3:36

Grab your goggles and get ready for another season of summer fun at one of Weatherford's favorite places to cool off.

3:44

And if you need a few more ideas for things to do around town, we've got movies in the park this Friday at Heritage Park Amphitheater featuring how to train your dragon.

3:53

On May 21st, you can test your spelling skills at the Buzzed Bee Adult Spelling Bee presented by the library at Sheps.

4:00

It's spelling but with teams, laughs, and way less pressure.

4:04

And then on May 27th, the Weatherford Animal Shelter will host Whisker Wednesday, helping community cats through free spay and neuter services.

4:13

Details on all this are at ExperienceWeatherford.com.

4:18

And tonight we have a couple of very special guests with us.

4:22

First, I'd like to introduce Chris Hodges.

4:26

If you'll come up to the front.

4:29

He recently completed the World Marathon Challenge, which is seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days.

4:37

Antarctica, South At South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and North America.

4:43

Back to back to back to back.

4:45

Wow.

4:50

He and his wife, Monica are also working towards completing marathons in all 50 states.

5:00

And beyond those miles, they serve others through mission work in Guatemala, support cancer research initiatives, and coach fellow runners to accomplish things they never thought possible.

5:06

We'd say Weatherford is lucky to have him, but truthfully, his impact reaches far beyond our community.

5:13

Chris, thank you.

5:17

Hey, Chris.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement████████████████████████████28%
Procedural█████████████████████████25%
Historic Preservation███████████████15%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████11%
Personnel Matters████████8%
Public Safety███████7%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Affordable Housing██2%
Transportation Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Weatherford City Council Meeting: May 12, 2026 – Election Results, New Council Members, Office Renovation

The Weatherford City Council met in regular session on May 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM. All council members were present. The meeting began with an invocation, pledges, and community interest announcements. The council recognized two community members, honored outgoing council member Heidi Wilder, canvassed the May 2 general election, swore in new council members for Places 1 and 2, adopted a proclamation for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, approved the previous meeting minutes, appointed a new Planning and Zoning Commission member, and authorized two contracts for the administrative office renovation project. The council also held an executive session on real property but took no action. One citizen provided public comment.

Presentations & Recognitions

  • Chris Hodges was recognized for completing the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons on seven continents in seven days). He shared his experience and answered questions.
  • Bill Warren was recognized as the 2025 recipient of the Texas Historical Commission's Ruth Lester Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to historic preservation.
  • Outgoing Council Member Heidi Wilder was honored for nearly two decades of service. Highlights included her role in public safety improvements, quality of life projects, economic development, and financial stewardship. She received a street sign and gifts from the fire and police chiefs.

Election Matters

  • The council passed Resolution R2026-07 canvassing the May 2, 2026 general election results: Place 1: Rodney V. White received 386 votes (56.35%) to Heidi Wilder's 299 votes (43.65%). Place 2: Zack Smith received 588 votes (100%, unopposed). The vote was unanimous.
  • Certificates of election were presented, and oaths of office were administered. Zack Smith was sworn in by his wife, Brittany Smith (Brittany is also the 2026 Teacher of the Year at Bill Wright Elementary). Rod White was sworn in by his father, Morris White.

Proclamation

  • The council adopted a proclamation recognizing the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The proclamation noted a plaque dedication ceremony on June 13, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial at Soldier Springs Park.

Consent Agenda / Routine Approvals

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the April 28, 2026 City Council meeting were approved unanimously.
  • Appointment to Planning and Zoning Commission: Terry Hughes was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission by a unanimous vote.

Discussion Items and Votes

  • 8B – Amendment to Professional Services Contract with Elements of Architecture, Inc.: The council authorized the city manager to execute an amendment for $29,950, bringing the total fiscal year expenditure to $225,950 for the design of the Administrative Office renovation project. The amendment includes geotechnical, structural, MEP, and expanded architectural services for a 2,500 sq ft addition. The project is funded from the building fund (cash on hand, $3 million total). The motion passed unanimously.
  • 8C – Construction Contract with DRI Construction: The council authorized the city manager to execute a construction contract for $98,515 (total aggregate fiscal year expenditure $953,627) for preliminary demolition work via the TIPS purchasing cooperative. The work includes demo of plumbing, HVAC, data, deteriorated exterior walls, and non-load-bearing interior walls to prepare for redevelopment. The motion passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution R2026-07 canvassing the May 2, 2026 general election results was adopted.
  • Rod White and Zack Smith were sworn in as council members for Places 1 and 2, respectively.
  • The proclamation for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
  • The minutes of April 28, 2026 were approved.
  • Terry Hughes was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
  • The amendment to the architecture contract for the admin office renovation (8B) was approved (motion by Luke Williams, second by Zack Smith, unanimous).
  • The construction contract with DRI Construction for demo work (8C) was approved (motion by Zack Smith, second by Matt Ticzkus, unanimous).
  • No action was taken on the executive session items regarding real property at 221 N. Main St. and 119 Palo Pinto St.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Catherine Lewis (612 State Street) spoke about dangerous traffic conditions at the intersection of Park and Foster and urged the city to address low-income housing needs to prevent homelessness.

Future Agenda Items

  • None were discussed.

Adjournment

  • The meeting adjourned at 7:43 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Thank you for being here tonight. Before we call the meeting to order, I'm going to invite David Slider to come up from Gray's First Presbyterian Church. He's going to lead us in our invocation. David, thanks for being here this week. Sorry, I missed last time I was honkered down. Most people, most people do stay home when there's a tornado, sir. So that's wise choice. Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you for this day. We thank you for sunshine and rain. We thank you for uh springtime. Uh flowers popping up, grass turning green. God, we thank you for this community. We pray that as decisions are made tonight that they would better this community. We pray that you give this council's um wisdom and guidance as they continue to lead this community of Weatherford. We pray these things in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. David, thank you, sir. It is 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May the 12th is time. I'll call the meeting to order and announce that we do a quorum. All council members are present this evening, and we appreciate your service. Item three on the agenda is Pledges of Allegiance to the United States and Texas flags below by Mayor Pro Tim Zach Smith. On our Texas flag. One state on our indivisible. Item four on the agenda is items of community interest. Aaron Spicer, welcome. Mayor and Council, if anyone was hoping for a quiet month, Weatherford did not get that memo. We've got parks, pools, school celebrations, and plenty of reasons to get out of the house before the sidewalks turn into lava. This month, city employees and leaders have been busy showing some love to our schools through career fairs, summer reading kickoff fun, kindergarten classroom visits, book deliveries, and a few extra doses of school spirit. Councilmember Smith also helped feed the team at Wright Elementary because building a strong community sometimes comes with a lunch. We're proud to support the students, teachers, and schools helping make helping shape Weatherford's future. And during National Police Week, we're taking a moment to recognize the men and women of the Weatherford Police Department who serve our community with courage, professionalism, and heart. We're grateful for their commitment to keeping Weatherford safe, supporting our residents, and showing up for our community every day. The pulling for police and fire clay shoot is coming up on May 13th, bringing together friendly competition, great food, and a solid excuse to yell, pull like you know exactly what you're doing. Proceed support Weatherford Police and Fire Foundation, helping provide training, equipment, wellness resources, and other support for the first response. And the new splash pad at Love Street Park is set to open Memorial Day weekend just in time for the Texas summer. It's got a dump bucket, interactive water features, shade canopies, seating, and a new fishing pier that's already in place. Love Street Park is about to become the go-to spot for summer fun. And Cherry Park Pool opens for summer on Saturday, May 23rd, which means it's officially time for sunscreen, swim bags, and pretending the walk across hot concrete doesn't hurt. Grab your goggles and get ready for another season of summer fun at one of Weatherford's favorite places to cool off. And if you need a few more ideas for things to do around town, we've got movies in the park this Friday at Heritage Park Amphitheater featuring how to train your dragon. On May 21st, you can test your spelling skills at the Buzzed Bee Adult Spelling Bee presented by the library at Sheps. It's spelling but with teams, laughs, and way less pressure. And then on May 27th, the Weatherford Animal Shelter will host Whisker Wednesday, helping community cats through free spay and neuter services. Details on all this are at ExperienceWeatherford.com. And tonight we have a couple of very special guests with us. First, I'd like to introduce Chris Hodges.

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