Weatherford City Council Regular Session – September 22, 2026

The Weatherford City Council met in regular session at 6:02 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at City Hall in Weatherford, Texas. Mayor Paul Paschall presided, and all council members were present. The meeting opened with an invocation, pledges, and community interest announcements. The council approved the September 8, 2026 meeting minutes, the consent agenda items, and all regular agenda items, including the Holland Lake Park playground, formation of the Parker County Public Utility Agency, and Weatherford Police Department participation in the 287(g) program.

Community Interest Announcements

• Staff highlighted upcoming events, including the Weatherford ISD homecoming parade on September 24, the Pioneer Heritage Festival, Downtown Weatherford Inc.'s Wine and Whiskey Walk on October 3, National Night Out on October 6, a college rodeo, Monster Bash on October 10, First Monday Trade Days on October 2-4, and a free pet vaccination and microchip clinic on October 15.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the September 8, 2026 City Council meeting.
• Approved items 6A and 6C-6F in one motion: the Axon Enterprise TASER 10 Certification Pro Plan agreement, not to exceed $303,383, through BuyBoard Proposal No. 798-26; FY26-27 contractual legal services with Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla & Elam, LLP, not to exceed $400,000; Ordinance O2026-35 adopting the FY27 municipal fee schedule; purchase of a 2027 Freightliner M2-106Plus with a Heil 27-yard trash body through Doggett Freightliner of Austin for $308,404; and additional Sames Auto Group expenditures for a 2027 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle and upfitting, not to exceed $120,000, bringing cumulative FY26 expenditures with Sames to approximately $488,985.
• The budget manager noted that page 12 of the fee schedule packet, covering commercial building fees, had been inadvertently omitted, and no changes to those fees were proposed.
• Separately considered 6B: annual renewal of fleet maintenance and repair contracts with 2033 Automotive and Black Fox Services in a combined annual amount not to exceed $175,000, with no price adjustment. The council approved the renewal.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Elizabeth White, a Weatherford property owner and taxpayer at 112 West Josephine Street, urged the council to vote no or postpone item 7G. She argued that the 287(g) agenda language was vague, that existing in public while Hispanic is not probable cause, and that the program raised Fourth Amendment and profiling concerns. She also said the proposed reimbursements were described only as potential or possible and were not sufficient financial guarantees. She asked the council to require constitutional policing based on conduct and evidence.
• No one spoke during the citizen comments on non-agenda items.

Discussion Items

• 7A – Council Policy Manual: City Manager James Hotopp said the manual was first adopted in 2000 and revised in 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2024. Changes reflected legislative updates, including Open Meetings Act posting notice moving from 72 hours to three business days, plus minor ethics training updates. Resolution R2026-15 was approved.
• 7B – Fiscal Year Meeting Schedule: The council approved a schedule keeping the second and fourth Tuesday meetings, with no meetings moved in November, one December meeting on December 15 instead of two, and adjusted Planning and Zoning and Municipal Utility Board dates in December and July.
• 7C – TMLIRP Board Election Ballot: The council approved casting the city's votes for Carey D. Neal Jr. for Place 1, Emily Crawford for Place 2, Ronda Perez for Place 3, and James Hotopp for Place 4 in the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Board of Trustees election.
• 7D – Holland Lake Park Playground: Parks Director Jaycob Kirkpatrick presented plans for an inclusive playground, including a 27-foot tower with cable netting, ADA merry-go-round and seesaw, multi-rider swings, dual-track zip lines, a two-to-five-year-old play area, poured-in-place rubber surfacing, and artificial turf. Construction was expected to begin late October with completion in June 2027; the existing playground would be demolished. Staff recommended approval, and a parks board member noted the parks board's support. The council asked staff to assess lighting and video surveillance around the site; staff said lighting would be on the trail and sidewalk, not inside the playground, and that video surveillance is standard. The council approved the $2,457,711 expenditure using BuyBoard Contract #781-25 and TIPS Contract #250104-02.
• 7E – Parker County Public Utility Agency: Water Utilities Director Rick Shaffer reviewed the proposed PUA formation with 14 participating entities. Weatherford would appoint one board member, participate on a one-member/one-vote basis for ordinary matters, and have an estimated 25% weighted vote, the maximum allowed, for debt and major contracts. Weatherford's annual funding commitment would be $50,000, about 14% of initial cost sharing, with termination mechanisms if the PUA was not formed by August 2027, once revenues exceeded 125% of operating expenses, or in September 2040. Shaffer said bylaws would be the PUA's first order of business, board members can be removed by the appointing entity, entities can withdraw before debt is issued, and debt issuance was likely five to ten years out. Councilmembers expressed concerns about the presentation framing, the value to Weatherford, board flexibility, and debt timing. A Freese and Nichols consultant said approvals were still being gathered, with the final entity expected to vote on October 12. The council approved Resolution R2026-20 and authorized the City Manager to execute the agreement.
• 7F – Impact Fee Public Hearing: Public Works Director Matt Leppla presented Resolution R2026-19 to set a public hearing on amendments to the 2021 Water and Wastewater Impact Fee Program and the 2025 Roadway Impact Fee Program. He said the update was a regularly scheduled requirement under Chapter 395, not a reaction to a specific development, and that the hearing date would be October 13, 2026. The resolution was approved.
• 7G – ICE 287(g) Task Force Agreement: Police Chief Jason Hayes requested authorization for the Weatherford Police Department to join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) Task Force Model. He said the program would not make every officer an immigration officer, would not create a separate immigration unit, and would not change legal standards for stops, searches, or arrests. He emphasized that victims, witnesses, and community members should continue to call the police for help. He cited Weatherford's location on Interstate 20, with more than 70,000 vehicles traveling through daily, and described past human trafficking cases with delayed federal response. Financial incentives included about $100,000 for a vehicle, $75,000 per task force officer per quarter for equipment, and $7,500 per quarter for technology, plus eligibility for certain federal grants. He noted the Parker County Sheriff's Office already participates and that the program is voluntary and can be discontinued. The council approved the memorandum of agreement.

Future Agenda Items

• The City Manager reminded the council that the next regular meeting is October 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
• The Mayor requested that, if the Parker County Public Utility Agency is formed, representatives return in about 12 months with a progress report and specific deliverables for the following year.

Key Outcomes

• All action items on the agenda were approved; no individual vote counts were reported because votes were cast electronically.
• The council directed staff to assess lighting and video surveillance for the Holland Lake Park playground.
• The council set the impact fee public hearing for October 13, 2026.
• The council authorized execution of the Parker County Public Utility Agency agreement and the 287(g) memorandum of agreement.