Well, we got six o'clock. We'll call
this uh regular city council meeting of
August 24th, 2026, 6 p.m.,
will you lead us in a prayer?
>> Yeah, let's pray. Father, we thank you
for your blessings. Uh we thank you for
the rain last week and ask you to send
more and and cool it off, please. We
pray for the families that have lost
loved ones and have sick and hurting
ones right now. I ask you to bless them
and heal them and bless thou heart,
Texas in Jesus name.
» I aliance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the standy
and justice for all
of the flag. I pledge allegiance to the
Texas one state
one and indivisible.
» We'll move on to the consent agenda.
Approval of the minutes from August
10th, 2076 regular council meeting and
approval of July financials and bills.
>> Make a motion we approve the consent
agenda. July financials and bills.
Second
>> a motion and a second. Any further
discussion? All in favor? I.
>> Any oppose? There are none.
>> Move on to public comment. I don't have
any public comment.
We'll move on to item two.
Public hearing. The city council act as
a city of Delhart building and standards
commission will hold a public hearing
regarding property located at 102 east
first street dart Texas substandard
structure consider act and issue
necessary orders regarding the
substandard structure located at 102
East 1st Street Delhart Texas
make the motion that we open the
>> so uh public hearing regarding
location 10002 East Street.
>> Second.
>> Motion second. Any further discussion?
All in favor?
>> I.
>> Any folks? There are no hearing is open.
>> Tonight is just a public hearing uh
regarding this property. This property
we've been working on for a while.
Just going to kind of walk you through
where we're at and what our possible
next steps were. And like I said,
tonight's just the public hearing.
» So, I'm presenting this um here to you
guys for like like you mentioned, the
public hearing. We've been in the
process of this since June 7th, 2024.
This property has been an issue um with
a public nuisance when it comes to um
just the structure. It's unsafe, the
fire hazard, the nuisance that's caused
for the neighbors around um the property
as well.
Um,
we first initially entered this property
on June 6th of 2024 and it was be uh
because of the Dowart Police Department
is what got me in initially. Um, they
called me in for concerns of the safety
of the property um and living
conditions. um the inside of it at the
time. These are updated um the most
recent ones, the ones that were from the
beginning um were a little bit more uh a
lot more debris and trash from the
inside. Um electrical wire was exposed
from the walls. Um let's see. The
utilities for atmosphere for gas wasn't
on. Excel was discontinued that day due
to the wires hanging out of the walls.
Um so XL did come and pull meters that
same day. Um
then to the water department here to see
their active water act.
There's people living inside this home.
There still is. They're still in active
inside and out. Um when we first
initially gave them the information for them not to be able
to be inside um that same night we think
police department issued three citations
for three people found to sleep inside.
Uh citations were issued. They had to go
through Miss Bethmore. Um
this was during our previous ordinance
as well. We just did a new one which was
approved recently and that's where we're
doing the new notices and this is where
we bring it to you guys. Before it was
through the district courts. Um now this
new ordinance has allowed us to present
it to you and for you guys to look over
and just kind of look over the um
information that we have received from
any of the the nuisances that we've or
that were caused with this one. So, um
I know per our ordinance um that we do
currently have now once we present to
you guys, the next step would be we
would have another which we're going to
issue for an act on for the next meeting
that we have with you guys. Um and it's
going to be an act which would be if you
guys would approve. Um and what we're
looking at here is for the property to
be demolished and or removed. um
depending on y'all's decisions on how we move forward this. But I feel that
since June 7th of 2024, we were pretty
lenient. I was pretty lenient with
notices giving her time to get in. Um
and there was just nothing ever done. Um
as y'all see the the top of the home,
I'm not sure what they were doing from
on top. I mean, when all this went
through, they removed the roof. So, I'm
not sure what their plans were, but
there still it still looks the same.
Nothing's been done, and they haven't
done any There's no progress that's been
done to it.
» I'm guessing they're not here tonight.
Yeah, three right here.
>> I'll let them speak here in just a
minute.
I want to hear from him and then we'll
Yes. King
» I'm not sure. I don't know your name.
Come on up.
» And um Okay. I inherited the place and
had no idea honestly. I I just moved in
the second apartment because it's duplex
and my family had lived in that one
which was Ben. Well, three months after
he moved me in the other apartment, he
died and I got left the whole thing,
which was sudden. And then due to a a
boy that my daughter was hanging out
with is why the cops were there that
time and they called her in. Okay. They
told me that it was a fire hazard and to
fix everything or to that I had I had to
fix the the wiring, right? Well, I was
diag I got diagnosed with cancer in
November of 24 and went through chemo
and and radiation and all that. And
right after in November of 24, she came
to me with a guy from the water
department and told me that they were
going to tape it off for demolition.
Okay, she that's the only thing she has
talked to me about since is demolition.
And and I was working on it. We actually
intentionally like literally put
everything we had into this last
inspection, right? And she she told me a
week before inspection, she said, "Well,
I don't know why it's it's sagging down
right there in the middle, which is the
garage. It's not the house." And uh so
what do we do? We we try to fix that.
And that's where that came in. Okay. And
the hole in there. The only reason why
it's there is cuz she told us it was
sagging down. We had to fix it before
the inspection. Well, when she came the
day of the inspection, I had just a
friend of mine was a blessing bought me
the plywood and everything because mind
you, I'm on I'm on social security right
now. You know what I mean? I don't have
the money to fix it. I didn't go
purchase this home. I just it's my my
residence, you know what I mean? So, I'd
put in as much to it as I can as I go.
And before the cancer and then after,
you know, I'm just still struggling. But
I'm on social security. That's all I
have now. But the day of the inspection,
she refused to even go in and look at
the house. And we had done everything
but the roof. Everything. All the little
stuff that she told us to do. I didn't
get the electrician and the plum and the
plumber there, but everything else had
been done. and she didn't refuse to go
in and look at it because the roof
wasn't done. He was up there working on
it when she came. So she I mean she the
whole time we've been steady trying to
do what I can. It's not like we've just
been not doing anything and we haven't
done anything since that day because she
told us I couldn't. She told me I could
not work on it no more that I've hearing
from their lawyer and I've been hearing
that probably for about a year and a
half from her. Okay. And I've I've I've
reached out. I've asked her for a list
of specific things that needed done
before that inspection. She never would
give them to me. She told me she works
on pictures. Okay. Well, all the
pictures that she gave me the first day
are all of a the other apartment. Okay.
None of them were the apartment I was
fixing up except one. Okay. First of
all, second of all, it's came it came a
long ways. It It really did. And the
other one I would like to um ask y'all
if there's any way possible if we could
inspect that one and maybe let me keep
the other apartment, get it ready now
because the other one I mean I could
still do that one too. I mean, but it's a long road and it's been hard.
cuz I ain't got the money
and I've been trying to do what I can
and she but demolition is basically the
only thing she's been telling me. She
told me $25,000 that I would be indebted
to the city for the demolition and that
I'd have to pay that back before I could
do anything. I mean, it's just
unbelievable. I don't know how y'all
work or how it goes, but I know that
that's definitely not, you know what I
mean? I'm living in it trying to fix it
up. I'm It's not like abandoned or
nobody's doing anything. You know what I
I'm doing what I can and it's not it may
not be much but it's it's what I can
right now. All I ask is please think
about it and maybe let me fix the other
one and if you have a list of what needs
done or something for y'all or something
in a timely manner it needs. I don't
know. I don't know what else to do. It's
my home
and it's just me by myself now. So I
don't know what else.
>> Well, hang on. Do y'all have any
questions for her?
>> So Lacy, you you're living in one side
of it. since the folks came, they they
told me I couldn't live in it. So, I
I've been living in my car out front in front of this house for two years
because I mean that's my home. I don't
have money to go put into something else
if I'm still going to have this. You
know what I mean? I don't want it to
just the taxes and everything to add up
and add up on it and me be somewhere
else. You know what I mean? I didn't see
the point in that. And I had dogs and I
really couldn't I really didn't have
anywhere to go. So, I've been steady.
I'm trying to go back to Hod's little by
little, you know what I to work. But I
still have my social security and I mean
it's it's hard. I've been staying in my
car though trying to make things work.
» This is my daughter by the way.
>> Do you live in the residence as well?
>> At the time.
» Yeah.
>> Okay. Um, so yes, she uh there the first
time that they went and the citations
got issued the after that everybody
moved out of it. After the citations and
the they got tickets, everybody moved
out. Nobody lives in the house. Nobody
stays in the house. Nobody sleeps in the
house. There's in the house. There's no
furniture to live in the house. There is
nobody occupying that space at all. Now
there's constantly probably people
outside and you know going in and out
because my mom is trying to do whatever
she can to keep it but it's not nobody
else is staying there anymore. We've
done we've tried to follow what she said
and every time I ask my mom you know
what I mean well what exactly needs to
be done. She didn't have any she had no
idea what to do and she's single like
she she doesn't have anybody to help
her. It's just her. If anything could
y'all please just give her some more
time. I finally got a job now. I mean, I
am working and I will do what I can to
make improvements or demolish it even,
but she has nowhere else to go. And it
was a blessing from God that she even
got this place. And I just beg y'all
please to give her another chance
because she hasn't been specific and she
has been no she hasn't she just hasn't
been specific and she's said she's been
lenient and what and whatnot, but she's
I really feel like she's just been I
don't know. I just I just hope that
y'all give my mom another chance because
we didn't know what we were supposed to
do, what we could do, what we couldn't
do.
It wasn't fair. So, to correct her on
that, I have notices that I've provided
to Liy. She had notices sent to her
every single time um from the first of
the uh ordinance that we first had. Then
we had this new one that came in and I
also send notices then too. So, it's not
that they never received. They received
notices on the structure of the building
of the home and the correction. I I even
went and did my own little inspections
on there and then would give them a
paper which I do have here. Anything and
everything. I'm a very documentative
person. So, I make sure the documents
that I have are provided to them as well
and then I would sit notice. So, um if
they have their notices on them, that is
on them. But I do have copies. So
>> I've done my part from the city of D for
us to make sure that we're following our
proper procedures.
>> Notice you would have to
>> Yeah, I have
the original. No, she would never give
it to me. The original the first day
those the violation then she wouldn't
give it to me. Tell me she operates on
her pictures. And mind you, when you
look at these pictures, they raided me
before they called her. So they
destroyed my house on top of what what
was there.
>> That's a PD matter. It's not a code
matter.
>> I think that's what those pictures
» mean. I will say we've been working on
this for two years. This has been a
sticking point of mine. I ask for
updates quite regularly on this where
we're at, how
>> police reports as well. Again,
>> forward. Is there progress being made
there? And
>> she told me not to do anything after the
last inspection though.
>> And there's still progress with there's
been a lot of progress made
>> since day one. Yeah, there has been. But
like two years
>> I I had a camper out in my driveway and
I got a violation and put they put on it
as if it was a a semi in a residential.
Like what is that? You can't be in no
alley or a public street, but it was in
my driveway. She was asleep in this RV
and when we went in there we had to
remove her from the RV where the police
department again found paraphernilia
inside.
>> Had to remove me from the
>> Yes. We asked you to come out.
>> Had two people. This was coming from her
and that I mean all kinds of stuff. She
went and called the cops to come take
her through there and make sure it was a
safe structure. Well, it was always a
safe structure before. So, I don't know
why it wouldn't have been there. You
know, I mean, it's been a constant
battle with her. She has not nothing but
demolition has been her solution since
day one. That's all she wants to do and that's
all she'll hear. And I just don't think
that's fair. I mean, I don't know any
people out here who are working on their
house and that y'all are out there doing
that. You know what I mean? There's a
semi that's parked a block away from me
every night. Every night full semi
parked right there and they don't tell
me nothing. I feel like it's been a
straight harassment since day one. And
I'm sorry, but that's my my thoughts on
it.
The day after I freaking found out I had
cancer, I talked to her. That's when
they were taping it off for demolition.
And that was in 20 in 24 in November 24.
>> And I'm going to correct that. We have
not we have not scheduled the demolition
date one time.
>> No, we haven't scheduled demolition for
anything.
>> That's all. She threatened me with it.
That's what she told me. Then
>> all she told me, I've been dealing with
it for a while, y'all.
tell me my cancer didn't lay well with
her schedule. I mean, me and her have
had words and and she's been in my face
yelling at me and it's been it's been
bad. I mean,
>> okay, we're we're here to discuss this
matter, not not a personal agenda here
for for this council. We just need to
know the facts as far as the property is
concerned.
» Far as the property is concerned, I went
the legal process. We made sure we
issued the warrant properly through the
judge. It was signed for us to enter and
that's where we got these pictures for
the second part. So the first part was
the initial um what Tai has in his hand
right now. That was the first initial
entry is whenever the warrant was issued
with PD. What got me in to begin with?
Um this is the second search warrant
that was for code that got me in for the
second one.
I want to say this.
Yeah, I like too.
Is there another like little apartment
that he's talking about or is that
>> the duplex? Um,
>> it's all the same,
>> but they they have the same they use the
same water meter.
>> They have two separate water meters in
the same bill.
>> They only had one meter, which we that's
what we checked for and it hasn't been
active since 2023.
» I got to
have water. We had water.
>> We really did water.
>> We just turned it off at the meter
because the pipe busted in the winter.
There was water on there from the time I
>> I used to be the water supervisor for
the city
for 20 years and I know there's only one
water meter there. So
>> water
>> is that is it habitable? I mean is it
>> the left side is not the right side
looking at right now.
>> Okay.
>> The left side is where all the debris
and trash is in right now. The right
side is what we're looking at.
» Correct me if I'm wrong is but you
cannot reside in by plumbing code with
anything without water.
>> Correct.
>> Our ordinance if you do not have running
water any electrical any utilities
placed into the into the per our
ordinance is what it states is that they
have to have active utilities to live
inside city limits.
the apartment.
>> This is the one of the duplex. Yeah,
>> this is the right side or the left side.
>> This is the This was all the right.
>> Say that again.
>> All the trash here. Is that the left?
>> The left side. Yes. If you're looking at
the home to the left, that would be what
all that is right there. And then to the
right. So that's all pictures of the
whole thing when we entered starting
from the right to left.
These pictures here that are presented
to you on the screen, those are from the
right side. Now when the last entry that
we made in with the circle does she want
to live in
>> the right side, which is this side right
here since June 24. It's just that it's
clear it out.
» Two electric meters.
>> Yes, two different electric.
>> Yes, there was two electric meters in
the
One water for sure.
Get a little.
So, you're living in your car on the
property, correct?
that middle part where there's no roof,
that's the garage anyway. So, it's not
even part of the house. It's the actual
garage. It's a double garage in the
>> picture that's in the screen right now
showing that was the living room. That
shows the exposure of where the garage
is right into her living room.
the back side away from the street
process in doing this. What's the
thought like? So there's public hearing
Jordan walk me through the scenario to
make a decision. Tonight's just the
public hearing and then on the 14th we
were going to put on the agenda for
action yay or nay this house. Then after
the after
decide which way if you say yes then she
goes and post that
>> they have a 30 days and vacate
>> vacate after that
after it gets
wor
the property would be my mom's
>> property the the property would still be
hers but there would be a lean against
it
>> yes
>> foriz
» we don't know what practice
» I don't
>> 25 grand came from a male individual she
tried to sell the property to for 25
grand and he came and asked
>> yes I clearly remember that
>> our office cuz we have not we have not
priced it bid it or anything
>> we haven't done anything for demo
process on this no pricing
>> have to go for bids anyway
>> and how many square feet is it
>> um for that property it's 5600 square
feet
>> the piece of property or just the home?
>> The whole property.
» Shots fired.
>> That'll be between 8 and $12,000 to
demo.
Pretty close.
» When there's a lean, she still can't
live off.
I mean, there's not a
>> there's no structure there for you to
live on if there's nothing there. And RV
won't be allowed there to live on
either.
» Okay. This is just a public hearing. So,
anybody have any more questions? We'll
want to still review these
more questions. I see correspondence all
the way from June all the way through
into 25
to close.
» Are you ready to close?
Have a motion and a second close public
hearing. Any fion?
All in favor?
Okay.
Hearing is closed.
>> Thank you all.
Move on to item three. Discuss or act on
resolution 20 2621. A resolution to city
council city Texas approving a project
of the economic development corporation
4B to purchase and install wayfinder
signage in conjunction with the proposed
phases of text rightway petriation
project providing a seability clause
providing a savings clause and providing
an effective date.
>> Good evening mayor and council and this
is an amendment to the first resolution
that included just the beautifification.
We're adding wayfinder signs. The reason
that we're doing this uh in chunks this
way is to keep from overwhelming and uh
um because you know naturally we think
about the la we remember the last thing
that we heard but we're far down the
road from the last thing. We're still in
step one. So this is the next phase
that's going to run in line with the
beautifification uh to add wayfinder
signs. That way we can go to text dot
for one ask uh that encompasses
everything that we're trying to do
within the city for the beautifification
and the wayfinder system.
» Remember pictures of
>> and so when I first moved here that's
the first thing I said was there's no
sign tells you get off the highway.
>> Yeah.
>> So I think this is a good step forward
>> and what we're doing with the wayfinder
signs of course is creating route
behavior. So, uh, we want people to get
off. We've got to give them a reason to
get off the the highway.
>> We had a study done as I got study. I'm
not maybe de
remember that. But even at back then,
they said if you even get 1% off the
highway, it would be more than a million
dollars in sales tax.
» We've got a lot of great assets. I mean,
prospects that I brought to town, they
see the lake and they see the coliseum,
the rodeo arena, and even the hospital
district. They didn't even know we had
that great of assets in the in the
community cuz there's no signage
pointing it, you know, pointing to them.
>> Sales tax is bringing in what now about
700 800,000.
>> Um, yeah, my budget's my budget's gone
down about 90,000 this year
last year.
I'll make a motion we we uh adopt
resolution 2026-21.
>> Second.
>> Have a motion. Second. Any further
discussion?
All in favor?
>> Any opposed? There are none.
We're on to item four, city dollar 2026
2020. That's workshop number two.
>> We haven't changed anything uh from the
last meeting. Um, I'll be happy to
answer any questions uh that y'all have
over it. I mean, like I said, it's a
pretty tight budget, but I think we're
going to get everything done that we
need to get done.
If you had a chance to look over, I'd be
happy to answer any questions that y'all
have over it.
>> Very tight budget.
>> And it is, but I think it's a it's a
good budget. It's a conservative budget.
Uh it is a budget that sets us up nicely
for the future. So uh which is a good
thing because I mean we have a lot of
big ticket items that are going to have
to be addressed in the next 5 to 10
years that we need to figure out
starting now how we are going to pay for
in the future. So
there any questions? Well, I think there
some of them weren't here
because I think this is going to be what
is it a cent and a half reduction in the
>> uh Yeah, we'll talk about that. It's a
little over a penny.
>> Just Yeah.
>> So that they understand that this budget
incorporates a cent and a half reduction
in property tax.
>> Yeah. So, but uh for anybody that missed
last when I did the first workshop, I'll
be happy to meet with you and go over
and walk you through kind of what I'm
thinking and where we're at as a whole.
That goes for the public, too. Anybody
back there that wants to listen to a
budget presentation, I'd be happy to
give it to you.
I'll entertain a motion.
» On to the next. Yep. Next.
>> Ready for your
>> Okay. Number it on item five. Discuss or
act upon approving proposed tax rate for
2026 27 for the publication. Uh yes, we
are going to if y'all approve the tax
rate that I proposed tonight, we will uh
send it off for publishing tomorrow. And
uh what that will entail is
uh we're going to run it in the paper
not once, but we're required by law, but
we're going to run it twice. Uh the
public hearing will be set. We set that
last uh meeting
for the 14th of uh September uh with
everything ran and put up on the website
and out front. That gives us ample time
and the public ample time to come ask
their questions and go over it. But uh
for the 2026
27 fiscal year uh uh property tax that
I'm proposing this year is uh 0.4284
420284
that is a decrease of roughly 1 and a
half uh cents and it will be for the M
side which is the maintenance and
operation side uh will be 394298
that's 39 cent basically 39.5 cents and
on the interest and syncing side for the
bonds that we do have out that that
property tax services will be 025986.
So 2 1/2 cents uh will of property tax
rate will make up the debt payment for a
total of 42 cents
total which is 4.420284.
And before you make a motion and uh
vote, this does have to be a roll call
vote. The city secretary has to record
each vote individually.
>> And the second one was for the debt
service.
>> Yes. The interesting bond that we have
on
>> Yes.
>> We don't have a choice now.
» I'll be more than happy to answer any
questions
or walk you through the calculation
worksheet. Anybody have any questions?
>> Make a motion that we approve the
proposed tax rate for 2627.
>> Second.
>> A motion. Second. I want to start with
you, Dennis.
I
>> I
need Wendy.
>> Yes, sir.
>> Okay.
Uh okay. Move on to item six. discuss
our act upon renewal of the municipal
judge contract.
>> Uh, as y'all all know, Beth Moore is our
municipal judge. Um, her contract comes
up at a yearly basis. I think she does a
great job. She still wants to continue.
Why? I'm not sure, but she does. And
>> and uh I would recommend that we uh
renew her contract for another year. uh
basically the same terms, but she does
want to change her dates a couple times.
Do you want to elaborate a little bit on
that?
>> Can you hear me from back there?
>> Sure, ma'am.
>> After January 1, I would like to change
my days from I'm working now Monday,
Wednesday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
in the afternoons from 1 to 4. I would
like to go to more hours on Tuesday and
Wednesday.
>> I will no longer be in the JP office.
And I think it work it would work better
because we do have a lot of people that
come in here in the mornings and if
she's here two full days that be
wonderful.
>> As long as we publicize that, I don't
have issue with that at all.
>> That is the hours that
Gergen and Judge Rain both had those
hours. So we would be going back to what
we were doing before.
Make a motion that we renew the
municipal vict.
Any further discussion?
All in favor?
>> Any post? There are none.
>> Item seven, discuss or act upon lease
agreement with Vive Broadband.
>> Yeah, every uh Vive offers uh internet
service throughout the city. This is um
basically a yearly renewal, but they had
been how many years had been since we
actually worked a brand new lease. It
had been several years. We worked with
the city attorney and and Vive and we
came up with a brand new lease. We
really didn't change any terms of the
lease, but it is a brand new lease and
it's just a lease to that they can
continue to operate and offer services
for customers within the city limits.
>> I had one question I forgot about. So,
if we didn't change any of the terms, I
think they provide a cable to the jail
for free under that contract.
>> I believe you're correct, but I I'll
double check on that. We really didn't
change any, right?
>> We didn't change any of the terms. We
just worked a new lease,
so we didn't renew it. It was
>> It's just good practice for every few
years to have a brand new le tower up
there on
the curve.
So
» make a motion that we approve the lease
agreement with VI broadband.
>> Second a motion to second. Any further
discussion?
All in favor?
>> Any opposed? There are no
>> Is this um I know we've done this
before. I think I don't remember numbers
and we can call it executive session for
staff issue.
It it needs to be publicized.
>> I mean, it got to be on the agenda.
>> It has to.
>> Okay. I thought there was I thought we
did this before. We could talk about
something.
>> The school board does. It's on there.
>> Yeah.
>> Every month.
>> Attorney's on. You could
>> Brian.
>> Yeah.
Brian. Brian, are you there?
Yes. Can you
>> How are you? This is Terry Steall. I
feel like in the past I was able to call
an executive session for a stash staff
issue that occurred
during a meeting. Am I wrong about that?
>> Yeah, it would need to be on the agenda
um
to be able to go into an executive
session. So since it's not we can add it
to an upcoming meeting uh agenda
and and yeah personnel exception that
relates to a certain employee um you
know then that employee uh when we
announced going into executive session
on personnel matter they can they can
request that it be done in open but yeah
it would need to be at a separate
meeting. Good question.
>> Thank you.
I knew that.
>> Make a motion that we
have a motion second. All in favor?
>> We are journed.
>> Bye y'all.
>> Thank you.
Hey, do you need every anybody else's
information for get airlines?