Present: Mayor Teresa Palmer, Councilmembers Eric Contreras, Chawn Gilliland, Buddy Wright, Scott Smith, and Nathan Crummel (Mayor Pro Tem). All five council members present — including Gilliland, whose absence at the March 24 meeting had forced the City Manager duties ordinance to be tabled.
A consequential meeting with several significant outcomes. The Bar-Ko annexation passed unanimously as Ordinance 936-26, clearing the legal path for Tractor Supply's zoning. Council awarded a $4.12 million utility construction contract to Skyblue Utilities. The WWTP is approximately 90% complete with startup potentially days away. And the City Manager duties ordinance passed 3-2 — the first split vote in 2026 — with Contreras, Gilliland, and Smith voting yea against Wright and Crummel. The rebranding strategy was tabled. Parker County Judge Pat Deen presented on a future transportation bond and raised the possibility that the county may own Bankhead Highway by prescription.
Following the public hearing, council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 936-26, formally annexing the 7.290-acre Bar-Ko Land Company tract into Willow Park's city limits. The property is located at East Bankhead Highway and Torri Court in the James Oxer Survey. The intended use is a Tractor Supply Co. retail store.
With this ordinance on the books, the city can now legally act on zoning for the property. The Bar-Ko rezoning to C Commercial comes before council on April 28.
Council voted unanimously to award a $4,122,003.40 construction contract to Skyblue Utilities, Inc. (Kingsland, Texas) for Phase 2 of the East Bankhead Water and Sewer Extension. Engineer Nick Kirk of Jacob & Martin presented the two base bids from Skyblue, which came in as the lowest of seven bidders. The engineer's preliminary estimate had been $5,771,150, so the winning bid represents significant savings.
This project extends water and wastewater infrastructure along the Bankhead Highway corridor, directly supporting both the Beall-Dean Ranch development and the commercial activity along Bankhead — including the Bar-Ko/Tractor Supply site. The sewer work has a 300-day construction timeline and the water work has a 150-day timeline.
Public Works Director Chase McBride reported the new 1 million gallon/day wastewater treatment plant is approximately 90% complete. Startup could occur in late April or early May, with full online operations expected in June or July pending required testing. Deconstruction of the existing plant site is expected to begin approximately 30 days after the new facility reaches full operational status.
This is the single most important piece of infrastructure enabling Willow Park's growth. Its completion timeline directly affects when new development — including the Beall-Dean Ranch and Clearion subdivisions — can come fully online.
Council approved Ordinance 937-26 amending Chapter 9 of the City Code (Personnel), modifying the "Nature and Duties of Position" for the City Manager. This item had been tabled at the March 24 meeting because co-sponsor Councilmember Chawn Gilliland was absent.
Yea: Contreras, Gilliland, Smith (3)
Nay: Wright, Crummel (2)
A 3-2 split on a personnel ordinance is unusual by Willow Park standards, where most votes in 2026 have been unanimous. The specific text of the ordinance amendments is not reproduced in the April 28 packet. The split is particularly notable given that the city is currently operating under two interim city managers (Fisher and Guelker) and a City Manager selection process remains active in executive session.
In addition to the Bar-Ko annexation, council unanimously approved Ordinance 938-26 to disannex 2,603 square feet of right-of-way that had been mistakenly included in a prior annexation. This was a ministerial correction of a scrivener's error.
Communications Director Rose Hoffman presented a City of Willow Park rebranding strategy. Council voted unanimously to table the item to a future meeting. No details of the proposed rebranding are included in the April 28 packet. The item may return in May.
Parker County Judge Pat Deen and Director of Strategic Projects Bryan Grimes presented information about a prospective Parker County transportation bond. Judge Deen asked Willow Park to partner with the county and update its Thoroughfare Plan.
Bryan Grimes noted that the county has maintained Bankhead Highway for decades and believes it may own the roadway by prescription — a legal doctrine where continuous, open maintenance and use over time can establish ownership. If the county does hold prescriptive rights to Bankhead Highway, that could have significant implications for Willow Park's control over development and permitting along its primary commercial corridor. No action was taken. This item may return as future agenda work.
Mayor Palmer opened the meeting and presented a Sexual Assault Awareness Month proclamation to Alyssa Lively of Freedom House. The meeting also included a Certificate of Recognition for the Home Rule Charter Commission members, as requested by Mayor Palmer at the March 24 meeting. The charter itself is undergoing legal review by City Attorney Andy Messer, with a target of the November 2026 ballot.
Interim City Manager Toni Fisher made a notable statement during the meeting, reminding the public that staff members should not be criticized or called "crooked" because they do their jobs following laws and ordinances. Mayor Palmer echoed the sentiment and urged ignoring social media criticism. This signals an elevated level of public tension around city operations — a backdrop worth understanding as the city moves through a period of rapid growth, active litigation, and leadership transition.
Council went into executive session to discuss six items: the Aledo/Fort Worth v. Willow Park annexation lawsuit, a police investigation, the Willow Park v. Halff & Associates litigation, the Trinity Christian Academy SRO officer contract renewal, the City Manager selection process, and a Municipal Court Judge personnel item. No action was taken on any executive session item upon reconvening in open session.
