Council meets for last time in 2023

The last meeting of the year for the Weatherford City Council, held on Dec. 12, was one that had a large agenda with a full chamber of concerned citizens - and one item up for approval that three council members debated for over 35 minutes before Mayor Paul Paschall decided to referee the situation.

Alcohol near church voted down

The council was tasked with a request for authorizing a variance for the sale of alcohol at a location less than 300 feet, door to door, from Victory Baptist Church. Normally, the sale of alcohol is prohibited by state regulations within 300 feet of a church, public hospital, or a public or private school.

The controversy arose due to an incorrect measurement by both the city and the Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, City Manager James Hotopp explained.

“The city measured from the church door to what we believed was the point of origin to measure to. The TABC also made the same mistake and after the correct ending point was determined, the front door to door measurement was 246 feet and not the required 300 feet,” Hotopp said.

Even though the variance was not approved, staff and the business owner are still in discussion.

Downtown debates

The item that took the most time and most discussion concerned the approval of a Chapter 380 Economic Development Agreement with Downtown Weatherford Square Initiative for a one-year term retroactive to Oct. 1, 2023 in the amount of $150,000.00. Board member Zack Smith researched the company and found a small discrepancy in their accounting when they filed taxes.

Mayor Pro Tem Heidi Wilder had several concerns on how that would reflect on the image of the City of Weatherford if they hired a firm that made financial mistakes. Council member Kevin Cleveland was quick to let everyone know that the company in question was indeed doing the right things, and that their work was not a reflection of the small, financial error in question. 

The three council members would go back and forth over the next 35 minutes explaining each one’s reasoning for either approving or not approving the motion that was up for vote.

The debate reached a point where Paschall stepped in and asked if all parties involved could discuss this matter further at a more appropriate time. The time for a vote followed a few minutes later and there were three yes votes and two nos, thus approving the motion after all.

Other items

• The appointment of Howard McClurkin to the Municipal Utility Board and the reappointment of Mayor Paschall to Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Boards No. 1 and No. 2. Zack Smith was also appointed to both to TIRZ boards. TIRZs are used as forms of tax increment financing, which is an economic development tool to incentivize both development and redevelopment.
• The proposed purchase of shade structures for a pickleball complex was canceled. The council all agreed that the city could use the $407,850.00 funds another way to benefit the citizens of Weatherford.
• A 1.6-acre tract of land was rezoned from an entertainment center to suburban living. It will be divided into three residential lots. One home is currently on one of the lots and the other two will be future projected home sites.
• A zoning map for the Sapphire addition, located at 504 Center Point Rd., was amended from agriculture to heavy commercial. The change is so a storage area can be constructed for the heavy-duty equipment.