In a stunning announcement during the Willow Park City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 9, Mayor Teresa Palmer was excluded from part of the executive session concerning a lawsuit between the cities of Willow Park, Aledo, and Fort Worth.
The lawsuit involves the annexation of more than 300 acres of land that is being developed by Beall-Dean Ranch. The annexation occurred under her predecessor, Doyle Moss, whom Palmer upset in the 2025 mayoral election.
Just 10 minutes after going into executive session the council returned, at which point Councilman Scott Smith made a motion to exclude Palmer from any discussions about the lawsuit. Council approved his request.
“My name is on the litigation, but let’s do it,” said an obviously angry Palmer.
To which Smith replied, “I did.”
Council then returned to closed chambers with attorneys to discuss this matter and others. Palmer was allowed back in, but only after the discussion concerning this particular lawsuit was concluded.
While not outright saying that Palmer had interfered with proceedings, Smith did acknowledge, “I have it in good faith that things are being discussed outside of our legal team that could put us in jeopardy.”
When asked to comment further on the council’s decision, Palmer refused and said her attorneys are handling the matter.
Also concerning the lawsuit, Councilman Eric Contreras requested an invitation be made to the Aledo City Council for a joint meeting in the next couple of weeks to work on coming to an agreement.
“No one really knows what it’s (the lawsuit) about. The goal posts keep getting changed,” Contreras said. “That’s why we’re trying to seek clarity and resolution from our friends in Aledo.
“The judge ordered us to mediate. This is a good faith effort on behalf of Willow Park.”
And yes, Smith said he will make the same request to keep Palmer out of this and any other ongoing discussions concerning the lawsuit.
“I will ask it every single time, 100 percent,” he said.
Council approved having staff look into preparing an ordinance concerning data centers and flock cameras - cameras that photograph the license plates of vehicles passing by.
Smith requested that any verbiage about data centers be removed from future ordinances.
“Willow Park is not a place for data centers,” he said. “I don’t want a data center, never have, never will.”
Contreras followed by requesting regulation for water usage by any data centers, should they be built in the area. Data centers are renowned for their massive use of water in whatever community they are in.
Concerning flock cameras, Contreras asked that they require a special use permit and be restricted to areas such as Interstate 20 so as to catch vehicles committing crimes such as traveling through with drugs.
“I think our citizens like our privacy,” he said.
Council also authorized city staff to work with Robert Beall to remove verbiage of data centers in the Beall-Dean Ranch development.
Council approved entering into a new interlocal agreement with Parker County for street repairs and improvements.
Palmer pushed for immediate approval of certain roads with chip seal, but was told the bigger need is repairing infrastructure.
“The next year that truck drives down that road it’s going to tear it up again,” Smith said. “We’ve got to go under the substructure, fix the substructure, then we can pave it.”
Also, there was much debate over where the funding was coming from and how much is actually needed, a large discrepancy from the $500,000 Palmer was requesting and the $1.4 million estimate on the agenda item.
City Manager Toni Fisher told Palmer that Public Works Director Chase McBride and Assistant City Manager Michelle Guelker are already working with Parker County officials to see when work can be scheduled. McBride had previously told council that whereas the county repaired 13 roads in 2025, their summer schedule is not as open this year.
Resident Marcy Galle, who recently lost a council election to Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Crummel, had already addressed council numerous times during the evening about the matter. She and another council candidate, Houston Wingard, who lost to Smith, went out on their own to discuss road repairs and costs with the county.
Galle accused Fisher and the council of not adhering to a capital improvement plan in which Fisher had earlier said, “That will be applied to your roads.”
When Palmer called upon Galle to speak yet again, Fisher responded, “She’s spoken three times. Staff is already working on it.”
As a recipient of federal funds through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), cities are required to comply with various non-discrimination laws and regulations. A Title VI non-discrimination Plan has been developed to comply with the requirements and provisions of Title VI the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Council approved this at Tuesday's meeting. The plan will be updated every three years to reflect changes in Title VI compliance operations.
In preparation for the 2026-27 Fiscal Year Budget, council approved a calendar for such.
On Saturday, July 18, council will meet at 9 a.m. and go until all funds have been completed.
A budget and tax rate public hearing will be held on Aug. 25. The budget will be adopted on Sept. 8.
Four out of five of the council members need to be present to vote when the budget is officially adopted. The mayor does not constitute a quorum to meet this requirement.
Council approved an auction for the sale of surplus items from the city's public works department. This small and minor equipment is 15-plus years old and is no longer used due to failure or has been replaced over the years.
Such items include trailers, tanks, etc.
In an effort to aid the Aledo School District Police Department, council approved the donation of a Willow Park Police Department patrol car to the district. The vehicle being donated is a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe.
Over the past couple years, city staff and the informational technology department have evaluated multiple software solutions to improve the experience of permitting, inspections, plan review, code enforcement, and interdepartmental coordination across the community development operations.
Currently each department uses the same software for permit, planning, and building review, as well as separate software tailored to specific departmental need. However, it lacks integration and duplicates efforts.
Tuesday, council approved a contract with GovWell Technologies to provide a modern system that consolidates permitting, inspections, code enforcement, electronic plan review, document management, workflow automation, and public-facing online services into one place.
The software is designed specifically for local governments and is intended to significantly improve internal efficiency while also creating substantially better experience for residents, contractors, and applicants interacting with the city.
It was noted this will also give staff the opportunity to combine software costs and remove unnecessary costs prior to the upcoming budget workshops.
Council approved a study for city staff compensation. Palmer once again pushed for a pay increase exclusively for the police department, which is lagging behind neighboring cities in pay.
Palmer had asked for a $10,000 pay increase across the PD, with council responding that is not in the current budget, but that it would be a top item in discussions about the 2026-27 fiscal year budget. She was also informed that any such requests and research would have to include all city employees.
Council heard a presentation from Andrew Franko with Freese and Nichols Constructing and Engineering about a proposed Parker County Public Utility Agency Water Supply Initiative.
The goal of the initiative is to help provide solutions to short-term and long-term needs. Benefits include:
Statistics show Parker County had the highest number of water well drillings in the state between 2003-25 with 15,488. That’s more than twice as many as the next highest county, Wise.
The report also showed that going forward, wells will have to be drilled deeper, but capacities are rising. Water shortages are also expected to rise.
“This area, specifically, has a high concentration of ground water level,” Franko said. “We’re having to go deeper, it costs more money, and we’re getting less water.
“Without water we’re not going to grow and develop.”
Franko said ground water is no longer a viable option for sustainability. He also said the need eclipsing the supply of water if growth continues as it is currently will be around 2040.
Willow Park water sources include 600-plus domestic wells within two miles of the city limits for ground water. For surface water, the city works within an agreement with the Tarrant Regional Water District via Fort Worth and Weatherford.
Franko pointed out that a major difference between a water district and a PUA is that a district is legislatively founded and works through the state, whereas a PUA is developed at the local level. He also stressed that a PUA is not a taxing authority.
A suggested proposal for a board would be to have four-year staggered terms with no limits, members must be at least 18 years old and a qualified Texas voter.
“Every entity that signs up will have a board member,” Franko said.
Potential partners with Willow Park in the PUA include Aledo, Annetta, Aqua Texas, Brock, Hudson Oaks, Millsap, Rio Brazos Water Supply Corporation, Springtown, Walnut Creek Special Utility District, Weatherford, and Parker County.
Each fiscal year would run from Oct. 1-Sept. 30. The initial agreement would be five years to start, renewable annually after the initial term.
In terms of cost sharing to participate, the estimate is $20,000 for Willow Park and $350,000 for all cities and the county, based on population size.
Concerning why the initiative would be formed:
Franko was asked about what impact data centers and their massive use of water would have on the project. He said a symposium in November will likely address that topic.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here