The July 28 meeting produced no ordinances or contracts, but it advanced several of the summer’s running threads and added new friction. Two items were tabled again — the City Manager’s employment contract and the ETJ data-center subdivision rules — and a new item from Mayor Palmer, framed as her removal from the agenda-setting process, drew a direct disagreement: the City Secretary and City Manager described the current email-based process and said she is not excluded, and the Mayor Pro Tem said nothing had been “abruptly” changed. No action was taken on it.
The Council approved the July 14 minutes with a correction, presented the postponed Aledo High School baseball proclamation, and heard reports on the deer population, the new wastewater plant (94–95% complete and entering testing), and the departments’ quarterly work. Executive session covered continuing litigation and personnel matters plus a new economic-development negotiation, and produced no reportable action. Several of these items return on the August 11 agenda.
Called to order: 6:00 PM. Presiding: Mayor Teresa Palmer. Present: Councilmembers Eric Contreras, Chawn Gilliland, Scott Smith, and Nathan Crummel. Absent: Councilmember Buddy Wright (recorded votes total four). Staff: City Manager Toni Fisher; City Secretary Deana McMullen; City Attorney Judy El Masri (for Andy Messer). Invocation: Pastor Ted Kitchens, Christ Chapel West. Adjourned: 9:19 PM.
Six residents addressed the Council during the public-comment period: Kenna Hannah, Tara Stark, Marcy Galle, Chris Wood, Gene Martin, and Bill Green. The minutes record their sign-up to speak; comments made on specific agenda items are noted with those items below.
The Mayor opened with her standing comments. The proclamation postponed from July 14 was presented, recognizing the Aledo High School baseball team for its 2026 Class 5A state championship. The item is ceremonial; no Council action was taken.
The Council approved the July 14 regular meeting minutes, incorporating a correction to that meeting’s record.
| Motion | Approve the July 14, 2026 minutes as corrected |
| Moved / Seconded | Crummel / Gilliland |
| Result | 4–0 (Wright absent) |
The correction, requested by Mayor Palmer, added a statement to the July 14 record. It was entered as an on-the-record statement, not a Council finding of fact; the correction is described in the July 14 recap, and the full wording is in the approved minutes.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife representative addressed the Council about the local deer population. There was no definitive resolution and no formal action, but there was general agreement that something should be done.
Director McBride reported the new wastewater treatment plant at 94–95% complete, with the next roughly two months to be the testing phase. He said that once testing is complete and the new facility goes online, the city would work with its engineers to decommission the existing plant, and that no timeline for that yet existed. No action was taken.
The item to consider subdivision regulations in the extraterritorial jurisdiction as they relate to data centers — returning after being tabled on July 14 — was tabled again.
| Motion | Table the item to a future meeting |
| Moved / Seconded | Contreras / Crummel |
| Result | 4–0 (Wright absent) |
The item does not appear on the August 11 agenda.
The City Manager’s employment contract was tabled.
| Motion | Table the item to the next meeting |
| Moved / Seconded | Smith / Crummel |
| Result | 4–0 (Wright absent) |
Councilmember Smith, who placed the item, moved to table it after saying he had the information he needed. Mayor Palmer objected because she had a letter she wanted to present, but as the item’s sponsor Smith was able to table it. The subject returns on the August 11 agenda, in both open and closed session.
Mayor Palmer raised an item stating she was being left out of setting the meeting agenda. The City Secretary and City Manager described the current email-based process for placing items on the agenda and said the Mayor is not excluded from it, and the Mayor Pro Tem said nothing had been “abruptly” changed. No action was taken.
Department heads submitted their 2nd and 3rd quarter reports. During the discussion, the City Engineer answered questions about the Bankhead Highway roadwork, and the Kings Gate Road bridge project was discussed. The reports were informational; no action was taken.
The Council recessed into executive session to discuss four items: the Beall-Dean Ranch annexation suit (CV26-0175); charter and charter-commission legal issues; the Police Chief position; and economic-development negotiations involving Bandidas Willow Park, LLC. After reconvening into open session, there were no motions or actions on any item discussed.
During Council and Mayor comments, Councilmember Gilliland asked that the advertisement for the Police Chief position on the Texas Municipal League site be halted, effective 5:00 PM that day.
With nothing further, the Council adjourned at 9:19 PM.
