June 16, 2025 Council Minutes
June 16, 2025
The Hamlin City Council met for a regular meeting on June 16, 2025, at 7:00 P.M. Those present were Councilwoman Shelby Teague, Councilman Ronald Crouch, Councilman Caleb Gabriel, Councilwoman Brooke Houghton, Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis, Mayor Tucker Teague, City Secretary Tonya Harughty, Police Chief Jay Strong, Water Clerk Doris Gonzalez, City Administrator Brian Weaver, Jerry Dean, Jo Anne Hines, Gerald Rodgers, Scott Neff, Ben Gonzalez, Billy Cooper and Rachelle Dennett.
Call meeting to order by Mayor Tucker Teague at 7:00 P.M. Prayer was led by Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis and pledge was led by Mayor Tucker Teague.
Roll call: Councilwoman Shelby Teague, Councilman Ronald Crouch, Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis, Councilwoman Brooke Houghton, Councilman Caleb Gabriel, and Mayor Tucker Teague.
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.
Rachelle Dennett addressed the Council. Hi. I am here for Mrs. Barbara Brown. She asked me to come and talk to you today. She just had a couple questions. She is trying to find out if there is a City Ordinance for all the work vehicles that are on the residential streets. Saturday her husband parked his 18-Wheeler on a residence, like he did for 28 years. Then he was going to unload his truck. Before he could finish, a police officer pulled in front of him and stated that someone called and complained about his 18-wheeler being on 2nd street in a residential area. Some of the neighbors came out of their house to say it wasn’t them because they know that he always moves his truck after he finishes loading. We only have one new neighbor a couple houses over from us and it is the new officer that spoke to him. Why he put it off on the neighbors, I don’t know. What about all the other work vehicles in the neighborhood? Are you just worried about 18-wheelers? My husband was asked to stop parking on the city lot but other trucks are parking there, plus downtown where there are no parking signs. Where in town do they want us to park? I have lived in Hamlin all my life and just want it to be fair with everyone consistently. If you can’t park in the residence, then others shouldn’t be allowed to park there either. She wants to know where they are able to park their 18-wheelers if they are not allowed to park where they used to park. She wants to know where that City Ordinance is because she looked at ECode360. Hamlin app, can’t find it. She wants to know where it’s at. She also has pictures of other work vehicles that are in the neighborhood. There are like two other 18-wheelers that are parked in residential areas. Where are they supposed to park their 18-wheelers at and where it’s at in the city ordinance.
Visitors with appointments: No one with an appointment
ACTION ITEMS
Take appropriate action on the minutes from the previous Regular Meeting on May 19, 2025.
Councilwoman Shelby Teague made a motion to accept the minutes as written from the Regular Meeting on May 19, 2025, seconded by Councilwoman Brooke Houghton. All in favor. Motion carries.
Consider and take any necessary action on review and approval of Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, including audit results as presented by Gerald Rodgers, CPA from James E. Rodgers and Company PC.
Gerald Rodgers presented the Council with a packet containing the Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, which included the General Fund, Waterworks Fund, and Debt Services Fund.
Councilwoman Shelby Teague made a motion to approve the Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, prepared by Gerald Rodgers, CPA, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel. All in favor. Motion carries.
Consider and take any necessary action on appointment of Mayor Pro Tem.
Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to appoint Councilwoman Shelby Teague as Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by Councilman Ronald Crouch. All in favor. Motion carries.
Consider and take any necessary action on MD Health Pathways telehealth program.
Jerry Dean presented the council with a packet containing information on MD Health Pathways
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 appointing Jacob Cox as a board member for the Municipal Development District.
The Council may convene into executive session pursuant to Government Code Section 551.074. Personnel Matters. If an executive session is held, the Council may take action upon convening back into open session.
Councilman Ronald Crouch made a motion to appoint Jacob Cox as a board member for the Municipal Development District, seconded by Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis. All in favor. Motion passes.
Discussion on selling the City RV Park.
City Administrator Brian Weaver discussed the repairs that need to be made to the RV Park. The Park is not bringing in enough money to offset the costs needed to upgrade the park.
Councilwoman Shelby Teague made a motion to table this item until the next meeting in order to get estimates on work that needs to be done, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel. All in favor. Motion passes.
Consider and take any necessary action on Texas Health Benefits Renewal due June 30, 2025.
Councilwoman Shelby Teague made a motion to accept the Texas Health Benefits Renewal plan at $876.48 per employee, seconded by Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis. All in favor. Motion carries.
Discussion of ORDINANCE NO. 25-005: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAMLIN, TEXAS REGULATING THE USE OF GOLF CARTS AND UTILITY VEHICLES ON PUBLIC STREETS OR HIGHWAYS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS; PROVIDING FOR A FINE OF NOT MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200.00) FOR VIOLATION OF ANY PROVISION HEREOF; REPEALING ANY ORDINANCE INCONSISTENT OR IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR NOTICE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Chief Jay Strong explained the importance of passing an Ordinance for the use of golf carts and utility vehicles.
No action taken.
Discussion of ORDINANCE NO. 25-006: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HAMLIN, TEXAS, REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. _____ IN IT’S ENTIRETY; DEFINING AND ENUMERTING NUISANCES AND PROHIBITING SAME; PROVIDING FOR NOTICE AND ABATEMENT OF NUISANCES; PROVIING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY OF A FINE NOT TO EXCEED FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($500.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
City Administrator Brian Weaver explained this Ordinance adds the ability to abate.
No action taken.
Consider and take any necessary action on attendance for the TML Land Use Conference in Round Rock in August.
Councilwoman Shelby Teague made a motion for up to two (2) people to attend the TML Land Us Conference in Round Rock in August, seconded by Councilwoman Brooke Houghton. All in favor. Motion carries.
Consider and take any necessary action on attendance for the TML Annual Conference in Fort Worth in October.
Councilwoman Shelby Teague made a motion for up to three (3) people to attend the TML Annual conference in Fort Worth in October, seconded by Councilwoman Brooke Houghton. All in favor. Motion carries.
VI. DEPARTMENT REPORTS
City Administrator – Brian Weaver – Y’all should start seeing Vero all over town. With the weather delay everyone is starting to lay lines on Avenue F. The new curb got put in today on Avenue F. If the weather cooperates the roads should take about a week.
Chief of Police – Jay Strong – Our big thing is retention, retention, retention. We are three strong every day. Senate Bill 6 killed us as a City. That’s where counties have money to fund the officers, so we are well below pay. With only three people we do not get to go to training. We missed out on an active shooter training this week. Our goal is retention. That’s our biggest issue. I think our work is proven. I’m very proud of the citizens of Hamlin as whole because when something happened, they seen it, they saw, and they reported it. I am going on a recruiting campaign. We have a class that graduates tomorrow night. I’ll be there to talk with them. It’s hard to compete with $60,000 - $70,000 the sheriff offers. We’re struggling but we’re still going to do what we have to do.
City Secretary – Tonya Harughty – We worked hard with Gerald on the audit, and it went so much smoother and faster than last year. I learned a lot more so I’m excited about that.
MDD Director – not present.
Fire Chief – not present.
Municipal Court Judge – not present.
Public Works – not present.
Council members – Councilman Ronald Crouch – We’re going around citing people for yards and things like that when we have City streets that are three-foot tall because we are not grading all the way to the ditch. We’re still not fixing streets. If you go down some of these streets, and I can show you several where the property owner is mowing their part and our streets are three foot tall. Our City Hall looks like someone sat on a lawn mower and mowed where they could get with a mower. We got flower beds three feet tall. I think that’s unacceptable. We still have potholes. We have a hundred-thousand-dollar machine that probably doesn’t have twenty hours on it. I know we have material down there. We have potholes that you could lose a car in.
Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis – I think everyone is doing a good job. It’s going to take time.
Mayor – Tucker Teague – We will be starting the budget workshop soon. Be prepared for that so we can get the guys some help.
VI. ADJOURN
Councilwoman Shelby Teague made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:42 P.M., seconded by Councilwoman Brooke Houghton. All in favor. Motion carries.
ATTEST: __________________________ _________________________
City Secretary Tonya Harughty Mayor Tucker Teague