The Whitney City Council met in a regular session Thursday, December 18 and appointed members to the city’s Parks Advisory Board.
The board will meet regularly and help guide the city’s activities related to parks and recreation. Ten individuals applied to serve on the board, and five were selected.
The WWFL youth sports organization has a guaranteed spot on the board, and President Kevin Threadgill was appointed to a seat that expires in October 2026. The other selected applicants were: Rigoberto Farias, who was appointed to a seat expiring in 2027; Stephania Shelby, who was appointed to a seat expiring in 2026; Jason Sneed, who was appointed to a seat expiring in 2027; and Sandy May, who was appointed to a seat expiring in 2026.
Board members will normally serve two-year terms, but some seats will need to be reappointed next October to set up an alternating annual schedule for appointments.
The council discussed setting up a city utilities advisory board after Jana Strange, a citizen who has had issues with her water bill, suggested creating a board to assist the city in identifying issues and communicating with citizens.
City Administrator Billy Pribble said that he had not found an example of a city Whitney’s size having a utilities board. While the initial recommendation was for a water advisory board, there is now citizen interest in having a comprehensive utilities board. Since the only utility the city owns is its water and wastewater systems, Pribble said that more research into how the board would operate is needed.
Council members were in favor of the board, but the issue was tabled pending additional guidance on its structure.
A public hearing was held on the proposal to annex over 56 acres into the city for the East Lake Subdivision being developed by Baker Opportunity Properties. One individual asked questions about impacts to city infrastructure. Pribble said that the subdivision will have its own on-site sewage and all roads will be privately maintained by a homeowners association. Residents will have city water, but the subdivision was included in a recent study of the city’s water system and there were no issues.
The annexation was approved, with council member Amy Teal abstaining and all other members voting in favor of the motion.
The council also held a public hearing on zoning the annexed property as SF 1. Pribble said that the subdivision will include single-family homes on large acre tracts.
The council voted to recommend the proposed zoning, with Teal abstaining. A final vote will be held at a future meeting.
A request to abandon an alley at 405 South Colorado was back before the council. Eva Baker requested the abandonment after a recent survey showed that a portion of the home she now owns encroaches into an unused alley.
Last month, City Attorney Jennifer Richie advised against the abandonment due to a sewer line in the alley. According to the survey, a portion of the home’s kitchen, which may have been added on at some point, is built over the city’s sewer line. The issue was tabled at that time pending a review of the survey.
Baker said that she purchased the property from the previous owner without a survey.
Council members were sympathetic, but they agreed that abandoning the alley is not an option with a major sewer line under the structure. The issue creates liability for the city and would obstruct future repairs to the sewer line.
The current owner or buyer will likely have to demolish the add-on.
The council discussed a proposed operational and use agreement between the city and Lake Whitney Public Library Foundation regarding operation of the library. The city and foundation have maintained a relationship to operate the library since 1988. The most recent agreement was established in 2014, and work has been underway to update the agreement.
Pribble said that the council’s guidance was needed to move forward with the updated agreement. Council member Teal said that she would like more information about the per capita cost of the library and the library’s service area.
Pribble asked council members to email their questions to city staff, and more information will be presented for discussion at an upcoming meeting.
The council also approved an update to the city’s library ordinance, which was originally adopted in 1994. The ordinance was updated to reflect current practices and needs. Library Director Christie Rogers presented two options to the council, with one including a library advisory board and one without the requirement.
Council members voted to approve the ordinance that included the creation of a library board, with Valery Peacock abstaining; Cheryl Taylor-West voting no, saying she wanted to do more research on library board responsibilities; and other members voting in favor.
The council’s next regular meeting date is Thursday, January 15.
