August 18, 2025 City Council Minutes

August 18, 2025

The Hamlin City Council met for a regular meeting on August 18, 2025, at 7:00 P.M. Those present were Mayor Tucker Teague, Councilwoman Brooke Houghton, Councilman Caleb Gabriel, Councilman Ronald Crouch, Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis, City Secretary Tonya Harughty, City Manager Brian Weaver, Police Chief Jay Strong; Hazel Brown-Holloway, May Green, Wade Lakey, Leroy Arce, Jessica Villanueva, Tonia Cook, Heather Perez, Barbara Brown, James Clawson, Theresa Barr, Jen Donnelly, Jerry Dean, Ben Gonzalez, Doris Gonzalez, Rachelle Dennett, Melinda Guadalcazar, Michelle Jones, Monti Green, John Hudson, Curtis Collins, Charlie Jenkins, Bailee Jenkins, Russ Ponder, Patrica Barnett. 

Call meeting to order by Mayor Tucker Teague at 7:00 P.M. Invocation and Pledges were led by Mayor Tucker Teague.

Roll call: Mayor Tucker Teague, Councilwoman Brooke Houghton, Councilman Caleb Gabriel, Councilman Ronald Crouch, Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis.

Councilwoman Shelby Teague was not present.

Open Forum-Person who sign in between 6:30 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. will be allowed not more than five minutes each to speak to the Council.

*General comments from visitors who have signed up to address the Council.

Wade Lakey addressed the council.  He stated he has been a member of the Hamlin hospital board since 2020.  I feel communication is a two-way street.  I believe as a taxing district, if something is going to happen that involves us, we should be notified.  I don’t feel telehealth is going to help our clinic.   I believe we could lose 30% to 42% of our patients, income to our hospital district, clinic, our EMS, and our fifteen people we have working for us.  This is the glue that keeps our community together, our young, our elders.  Anson wants our district.  If that happens, we won’t have any say.  We will be paying higher taxes.   I don’t see the benefits in the long term where it helps the community.

Leroy Arce addressed the council.  I am going to piggyback what Wade was talking about.  I have information from MD Health Pathways and what they typically treat are colds, flus, allergies, joint pain, infections of the ear, throat, etc.  That is exactly what our clinic treats.  We feel if we lose those patients it will hurt.  We need those patients to come into our clinic.  If we lose those patients, it adds up over a duration of time.  We will lose our EMS.  We need EMS at sporting events.  We have fifteen employees.  Fifteen jobs.  It will affect us. No conversation with us prior to last week was frustrating.  We are trying to take care of our City.  During our sell of the hospital to the City, no medical facilities are allowed.

James Clawson addressed the council.  I am going to echo what Matt and Leroy said.  I think you’re headed down the wrong path.  We need our Clinic and EMS. One hundred percent vote no.  Thank you.

Doris Gonzalez addressed the council.    There’s a rumor going around.  Mr. Crouch is going around town telling people that I could not handle my work.  That is the reason I had left.  Because of the software the City is going into.  We haven’t even started it yet.  The only thing I was doing was transferring the accounts.  So, I would appreciate you stop the rumors.  And, another thing, I started on June the 26th, I had until July 22nd to get this done.  I tried my best.  I had no help from that woman right there.  That woman gave me a lot of trouble and Brian knows.  I talked to Brian twice about the things that she did.  It just made things worse.  I got tired of it.  I was stressing a lot.  I wish luck to the next lady that y’all hire. 

Visitors with appointments: No one with an appointment

ACTION ITEMS

Take appropriate action on the minutes from the previous Special Meeting on August 5, 2025.

Councilman Caleb Gabriel made a motion to accept the minutes as written from the Special Meeting on August 5, 2025, seconded by Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis.  All in favor. Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on MD Health Pathways telehealth program.

Jerry Dean addressed the Council.  I appreciate the comments that were said about the program.  Not trying to put anyone out of a job.  We were looking for an expansion of a healthcare program. We provide another option for limited healthcare.   Our calls are after hours.  We try to drive out non urgent ER visits.  We are not trying to put the clinic out of business.  What about under insured and noninsured.  We are not trying to be a threat to the city.  Hamlin needs healthcare and our program works.

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to not proceed with MD Health Pathways, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on changing the City Council meetings from 7:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Councilwoman Brooke Houghton made a motion to table this motion until the next meeting, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on purchasing a Vacuum Excavator Trailer from Kinloch.

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to table this item until the next meeting, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on purchasing a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab from Holiday Autogroup.

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to table this item until the next meeting in order to look into lease payment option, seconded by Councilman Ronald Crouch.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on adopting Resolution 25-006, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAMLIN, TEXAS, ADOPTING A PROCUREMENT POLICY IN RELATION TO FEDERAL GRANTS.

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to adopt Resolution 25-006, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAMLIN, TEXAS, ADOPTING A PROCUREMENT POLICY IN RELATION TO FEDERAL GRANTS, seconded by Councilwoman Brooke Houghton.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on adopting Resolution 25-007, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAMLIN, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE (GLO) FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT – MITIGATION (CDBG-MIT) PROGRAM; AND AUTHORIZING CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO ACT AS THE CITY’S EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE CITY’S PARTICIPATION IN THE CDBG-MIT PROGRAM.

No action needed because of prior approval.

VI. DEPARTMENT REPORTS

City Administrator – Brian Weaver announced he received an email from COG. They will be resubmitting our bid for the Army Corp of Engineer flood mitigation grant, which is a huge grant that can go a long way for flooding in town.  We have been asked to reapply. The COG is going to redo the application.  It’s a multimillion-dollar grant. 

Chief of Police – Chief Strong thanked everyone.  The back-to-school bash was a huge success.  I want to thank the council members that came out to help.  The citizens.  We had a great turnout for the first time.  School is back in session and the one-way street has not been a distraction.  Got a little tweaking on some stop signs that need to be put up.  It’s been a really good start to the year so far. 

City Secretary – Tonya Harughty had nothing at this time.

MDD Director – Not present but Mayor Tucker Teague announced that Dr. Burks has secured funding for the community center, but looking for a place to build.  They are thinking in the Get N Go area if they can work out a deal.  They are looking at a community center with a kitchen, a community area, a welcome to Hamlin type scenario.  Hopefully we can get that under construction in the next six months.

Fire chief – Mark Hernandez was not present.

Municipal Court Judge – Don Dennett was not present.

Public Works – Andres Arce was not present.

Council Members – Councilwoman Brooke Houghton told the citizens she is glad you came and spoke up.  We need that, in all honestly.  So, thank you for coming out.  Councilman Caleb Gabriel told the citizens it was great to see you.  That’s what we want.  Y’all put us in.  Let us know what you want and what you’re concerned about.  Show up.  We’ll do it together.  I think it was great that everybody was here.  Thank you. Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis said it’s better to get it taken care of than complain.  We got to hear it tonight, so that’s good.

Mayor – Mayor Tucker Teague announced the Hamlin Data Center is supposed to create five hundred jobs northwest of town.  They think they are going to break ground before the end of the year.  That is in the Hamlin School District taxing district, so that will be good for our school.  Swenson Solar Farm project is going to be two hundred jobs.  It is supposed to break ground in the next eight months.  It is also in the school district taxing district.  I was approached about another solar farm possibly going in east of town that could be another three hundred jobs.  Good things coming to town.

VII. ADJOURN

Councilwoman Brooke Houghton made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:55 P.M., seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

ATTEST: __________________________                               _________________________

City Secretary Tonya Harughty                                                Mayor Tucker Teague