November 17, 2025 Regular Council Meeting Minutes

November 17, 2025

The Hamlin City Council met for a regular meeting on November 17, 2025, at 6:00 P.M. Those present were Mayor Tucker Teague, Councilwoman Brooke Houghton, Councilman Ronald Crouch, Councilman Caleb Gabriel, Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis, City Secretary Tonya Harughty, City Manager Brian Weaver, Public Works Supervisor Andres Arce, Police Chief Jay Strong, MDD Director Dr. Randy Burks, LoAnne Hines, Scott Neff, Brooke Benavides, Lanett Ponder, Katie Ngo, Peggy Davis, and Terri Spalding.

Call meeting to order by Mayor Tucker Teague at 6:00 P.M. Invocation and pledge were led by Mayor Tucker Teague.

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

Councilwoman Shelby Teague was not present.

Open Forum-Person who sign in between 5:30 P.M. and 6:00 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.

No one spoke to the Council.

Visitors with appointments: No one with an appointment

ACTION ITEMS

Take appropriate action on the minutes from the previous Special Meeting on October 30, 2025.

Councilman Ronald Crouch made a motion to accept the minutes as written on the Special Meeting on October 30, 2025, seconded by Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on adopting Ordinance No. 25-009; AN ORDINANCE REGARDING THE CITY OF HAMLIN’S TEXAS MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM BENEFITS AUTHORIZING (1) A CHANGE IN THE CITY’S MATCHING RATIO: (2) ANNUALLY ACRUING UPDATED SERVICE CREDITS; AND (3) ANNUALLY ACCRUING ANNUITY INCREASES, ALSO REFERRED TO AS COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS (COLAS) FOR RETIREES AND THEIR BENEFICIARIES.

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 25-009; AN ORDINANCE REGARDING THE CITY OF HAMLIN’S TEXAS MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM BENEFITS AUTHORIZING (1) A CHANGE IN THE CITY’S MATCHING RATIO: (2) ANNUALLY ACRUING UPDATED SERVICE CREDITS; AND (3) ANNUALLY ACCRUING ANNUITY INCREASES, ALSO REFERRED TO AS COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS (COLAS) FOR RETIREES AND THEIR BENEFICIARIES, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on adopting Ordinance No. 25-010; AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A WATER LEAK ADJUSTMENT (FORGIVENESS) POLICY FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS; PROVIDING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, ADMINISTRATION, AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERETO; PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

Councilman Caleb Gabriel made a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 25-010; AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A WATER LEAK ADJUSTMENT (FORGIVENESS) POLICY FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS; PROVIDING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, ADMINISTRATION, AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERETO; PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE,  with an amendment to Section 4 to apply up to one hundred precent of the water and sewer charges with the correct documentation, seconded by Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Discuss adopting a Hotel Occupancy Tax within the city limits and ETJ of Hamlin, TX.

The Council agreed to move forward with an ordinance for a Hotel Occupancy Tax.

Consider and take any necessary action on leasing vehicles for the Police Department.

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to lease three vehicles for the Police Department from American National Leasing Company at a five-year buyout with a down payment of $49,187.06, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

Consider and take any necessary action on the road project on NW 3rd Street with Calco.

Councilman Ronald Crouch made a motion to accept the bid from Calco to clean 3rd Street, patch the holes in that area, and lay the two-inch hot mix, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries. 

Consider and take any necessary action on the Official Ballot to elect Board of Directors 2026-2027 to Jones County Appraisal District.

Councilman Ronald Crouch made a motion that all 213 City of Hamlin Votes go to Tucker Teague, seconded by Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis.  All in favor.  Motion carries. 

Consider and take any necessary action on allowing Jones City Solar to have a water tap for their O&M building located at 7136 CR 194, Hamlin, TX 79520.

Katie Ngo, representative with Lightsource BP spoke to the Council.  She explained they are building a solar farm about 10 miles south of Hamlin.  She asked the council if they would provide clean water for the crews that will be working for them. 

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis made a motion to allow Jones City Solar to have a water tap for the O&M building located at 7136 CR 194, Hamlin, TX 79520 not to exceed 100,000 gallons per month, seconded by Councilman Caleb Gabriel.  All in favor.  Motion carries. 

Discuss adopting regulations for RV parks within the City limits of Hamlin, TX.

Mayor Tucker Teague stated there is a data center, solar farms and several other things coming.  He has been receiving complains regarding the RV parks in town being built next to people’s homes.  At this point, there is nothing we can do unless we adopt zoning.  The Council should be aware that’s the situation that people complain about. 

City Manager Brian Weaver stated the biggest problem is location and without a zoning ordinance we can’t govern location.  That is part of the grant we are in application for. In order to get a zoning ordinance you have to have a land use survey.  You have to have a reason you zone these.  Location is almost out of our hands until we can do that.  We can pass regulations on how they’re built and what they do.  Those ordinances are retroactive if you want to update to that.  That includes our RV park, which would require a lot of work on passing those.  The commonsense ones that were brought to my attention centered around are they labeled correctly, name of the RV park at the location, legal description, name of the owner/operator, addresses, phone number.  The rest centers around emergency services.  Is there a number on the lot for emergency services to get them if there’s a call.  

Councilman Ronald Crouch stated we have a lot of growth coming.  I agree that some of that has to be controlled, but I also think if we are going to promote growth we have to support it, too. 

Councilwoman Phyllis Lewis stated she agrees.  I think it makes the City look more organized if there are family housing, businesses, apartments, duplexes, RV parks.  It just makes it look more organized and people won’t be complaining we got this RV park over here and this neighbor has chickens and goats and stuff in their backyard.  Some are grandfathered in so you can’t do anything about them.  I think it makes the city look a whole lot more professional.  Enticing more people to come in and want to build here.  I think some ordinances need to be set up.

City Manager Brian Weaver stated if we do regulations on retroactive zoning, anything that exists now will be done legal as long as it’s been used that way.  Anything new would have to be up to code.

Mayor Tucker Teague stated the biggest complaints he is receiving is the RV Parks going in by the schools.  People are concerned about their kids.  He asked Chief Strong if drugs were prevalent in RV parks.

Chief Jay Strong stated people build up their dreams in an RV.  It’s easy.  Then, due to backgrounds, they don’t get a job.  They get here on that hope and they have nothing.  They have to resort to something.  That’s what I’ve experienced, personally.  I can’t say it’s going to happen, but based on my experience, it makes a lot of prevalence. 

It could happen in an RV.  In a rent house.  Chief Strong stated that what he and Chief Hernandez would like to see is clearly marked RV lots. 

Department Reports

City Administrator – Brian Weaver stated on SW 3rd there are sections that are exactly what we expected and there are sections that I have concerns over.  I did talk with Todd and some of the things that aren’t right, they will come back in six months to fix.. 

Chief of Police -  Jay Strong stated he is so proud of the men and women in the police department.  If you don’t know, they were involved in a burglary ring that went to seven towns and we’re up to eighteen arrests.  Have probably one half million dollars’ worth of stolen property in evidence.  These men and women are dang good at their jobs.  They don’t just sit.  They wear the patch of the city proudly.  We are 24/7, 365 days a year for the first time in twenty years.  There will always be a police officer here. 

City Secretary – Tonya Harughty has nothing at this time.

MDD Director – Dr. Burks I agree.  I am proud of what the police are doing.  The MDD met and approved the sale of about thirteen acres on NE 6th for the development of an RV Park.  We met with a group of investors from Abilene that are interested in building single family homes.  In the conference at Texas A&M last month it brought state leaders together to look at challenges for rural communities.  I’m still working with the drug store in Haskell on bringing a store to Hamlin.  The City of Hamlin conveyed some lots to MDD for development on Highway 83 and SW 6th.  These lots are currently being replated to include a portion of the west railroad avenue.  We are in support of the hotel occupancy tax.  The duplex project on the northeast side of town, we finalized the MOU and they got their financing.  Now we are trying to clean up things with the title company.  The Welcome/Community Center, we are currently seeking bids for project manager to build this building.  Right now it’s estimated to be about 3,600 sq ft. 

Fire Chief – Not present.

Municipal Court Judge – Not present.

Public Works – Andres Arce has nothing at this time.

Council Members – Councilman Caleb Gabriel stated he is thankful the police busted those thieves.  Councilman Ronald Crouch stated he thinks the police force is making great strides.  Water department is working hard.  Brian and Tonya are working hard. 

Mayor – Mayor Tucker Teague stated he was able to pick up a street sweeper and he donated it to the City.

Adjourn.

Councilman Caleb Gabriel made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:26 P.M., seconded by Councilman Ronald Crouch.  All in favor.  Motion carries.

ATTEST: __________________________                               _________________________

City Secretary Tonya Harughty                                                Mayor Tucker Teague