The Whitney City Council approved a zoning ordinance update during a regular meeting held Thursday, December 19.
A crowd gathered for the meeting after social media posts began circulating about the ordinance, which includes language about home-based businesses. Several attendees spoke during a public hearing on the update, expressing concerns about vehicle parking restrictions, signage restrictions and penalties for violating the ordinance. Some also asked for action to be delayed until after the holidays to allow more time for review.
As the council began discussing the agenda item, Operations Director Billy Pribble said that the update was intended to incorporate state laws that have been passed since the last update in 2020, correct areas that were contradictory in the last 2020 update, and open up home-based business opportunities to more citizens.
“Currently, in this 2020 zoning ordinance, the only place you can have a home occupation is in an agricultural district,” said Pribble. “That means everybody that has been operating a business wasn’t in compliance. We tried to make this open for everybody. Now it goes into SF 1, SF 2…every residence can now have a home occupation. Agricultural was the only one that was allowed prior to that.”
Regarding the sign ordinance, Pribble said that it was added because citizens were complaining that lighted signs coming in to town were too bright. “You have rights, but so do your neighbors, and your rights aren’t more pressing or more important than their’s,” he said.
He said that a reference to a fine of up to $2,000 for violating the ordinance came from state law and would be up to a judge. “That is language right out of state law, and there is judicial discretion if you do happen to get a fine,” he said.
Pribble presented some minor errors that needed to be corrected and recommended that the council completely eliminate a section restricting business hours for home-based operations. He said that the original language was drafted with service-based businesses in mind, but many are computer-based now.
Pribble said that the city has been trying to navigate the 2020 ordinance, which contradicted itself in areas. “In 2020, when it was put in front of you as a council, it was terrible, and we’ve been surviving as a city trying to make heads or tails of this,” he said.
“We had a citizen come to us that wanted to open a home business in his house. By this (2020) law, it is illegal. This all spawned by trying to promote business – not restrict it,” he said. “And let me be very clear — home businesses are not under attack. We are trying to open opportunity for citizens, not restrict it.”
Pribble said that one of the projects he took on when he started his position was to update the city’s zoning map, which now includes all of the zoning changes that have been made to a property. “The zoning ordinance consists of two things: the map and the text. There is no zoning ordinance without a map. Your city has been operating without an effective zoning ordinance since 2020, the last time it was rezoned,” Pribble said.
When the ordinance came before the council for a vote, Sam Pierce and Vicki Wilson voted in favor. Valery Peacock and Cheryl Taylor-West voted no, saying they wanted to see a final draft. With Jason Ince absent, Mayor Janice Sanders broke the tie in favor of passing the ordinance.
Pribble also spoke during open forum, stating that he was speaking only as a resident of the city. He told the crowd that his family moved to Whitney when he was 14, his wife was born here and they have raised their children here. “When we first moved here it was a tight-knit community,” he said. “Everyone knew everybody and would go out of their way to help one another. We were welcomed here like we had lived here our whole lives.”
Pribble said that he has seen a change in the past five to 10 years, and referred to how polarized society has become. “We live in a time when a self-proclaimed anarchist will fight every rule and regulation even if it enhances the community,” he said. “We live in a time when people will try to have you arrested going all the way to the state attorney general because you asked them to get a building permit or even clean up their yard.”
He said that he has tried to lead with integrity, treating each person in the town the same no matter what their last name is or how well connected they are. “When I served in Iraq, we had a motto — ‘Standards, no compromise’ —and that is not just a motto but a code which I live by,” he said.
“I am not a perfect man —there has only been one perfect man to walk this earth — and I pray every day for guidance and the ability to carry out my duties according to his will. I am going to make mistakes, but I will always do what I believe is best for the city and make the best decision I can with the information I’ve been provided. We will not always agree and that’s okay, because good productive debate is what makes government work.”
Pribble asked everyone to commit to working together better in 2025 and beyond. “This city is primed for great opportunities, and it is up to us collectively to make things happen,” he concluded.
In another agenda item, the council heard from the owners of AusTex Machine and Design, a business previously based in Austin that is relocating to Whitney. The company develops and creates machined parts and mechanical designs, ranging from medical devices to parts for the aerospace industry. The owners said that the available space in Whitney and the city’s proximity to Texas State Technical College were two factors in their decision. They look forward to offering well-paying jobs and working with the local high school to grow talent.
Council members also approved closing portions of San Jacinto Avenue and Harrison Avenue at 605 South Bosque Street. The city will sell the property to Perry Auten, who owns storage buildings in the area, for $4,760. The city will retain utility easements in the area.
The council voted to approve financing by the Whitney Cultural Education Facilities Committee for the benefit of a building project for Lake Country Christian School in Fort Worth. The council heard a presentation last month about a state law that allows cities to act as conduits for private entities to get tax-exempt government bonds for projects. The city has no liability in the arrangement and will receive $12,500 for its participation.
Pribble presented an agenda item regarding the frequent flooding problems at Whitney Creek, asking the council to support the mayor requesting that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers request a feasibility study under the terms of the 1948 Flood Control Act. Pribble said that he has been trying unsuccessfully to address the issue with the Corps of Engineers, and the city will attempt to formally request a study into the problem.
Council members also updated the city’s investment policy as required and voted to file a lien on property at 304 West Cleveland Avenue for abatement costs.
The council’s next regular meeting date is Thursday, January 16.
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