Mineral Wells Area News

By Gary Norman | Mineral Wells Area News

The Mineral Wells City Council addressed a wide range of issues Tuesday night, including airport fuel pricing, updates to the Master Fee Schedule, adjustments to utility account deposit rules, and approval of a new city logo. The council also held several public hearings and made appointments to numerous city boards and commissions.

The meeting was gaveled to order by Noah Leavelle, a senior at Community Christian School participating in the Honorary Council Member Program. Mayor Regan Johnson introduced Leavelle and read a statement from teacher Suzan Nicholson, who described him as “an amazingly engaging young man” with “a quirky love of humor and random facts.” Leavelle plans to attend the University of North Texas to study video production.

City Service Milestones Recognized

Before regular business, the council recognized several employees for years of service:

• Marisa Martin, Public Works — 10 years
• Matthew Henry, Public Works — 15 years
• Mike McKinzey, Public Works — 15 years
• Officer Gary Chipps, Police Department — 20 years

Consent Agenda Approvals

Council approved several items without discussion, including the following:

Utility Billing & Printing – Authorized continued use of Matrix Imaging Solutions for printing and mailing monthly utility bills and notices, at a cost not to exceed $82,000 for FY 2026.

Leasing CPR Machines – Approved a five-year lease of two CPR devices from Stryker Sales, LLC, not to exceed $57,428.17. A disclosure noted the City Manager’s son works for Stryker’s finance department, though the City Manager has no financial interest, and the city has used Stryker equipment long before his employment.

Airport Technology Agreement – Approved a Non-Disclosure and Restricted Use Agreement with Bell Dancey Industries related to the city’s participation in the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies consortium. The two-year agreement governs confidential discussions and testing of proprietary technology at the Mineral Wells Regional Airport.

Public Hearings & Items Considered Separately

Preliminary Plat Approved – Council approved the preliminary plat for 6.611 acres at Old Millsap Highway and Withers Road, subdividing it into four residential lots. The Planning and Zoning Commission previously recommended approval.

Airport Fuel & Oil Pricing Formula – Council adopted a formula to publicly establish fuel and oil pricing at the Mineral Wells Regional Airport. As the airport is an Enterprise Fund, pricing must recover expenses without impacting the General Fund.

The formula includes:

Wholesale Cost + Administration Fees + Profit Margin

The profit margin is currently set at $1.50 per gallon and will increase to $2.00 in FY 2026, with a proportional adjustment for aviation oil.

Airport Manager Haley Cuevas said some customers expressed concern.

“They’re not pleased,” Cuevas said. “They do worry that it could restrict their business revenue.”

Cuevas noted that fuel prices at the airport remain competitive with nearby airports and that high-volume customers may qualify for discounts. The profit component will be reevaluated annually during the budget process.

Master Fee Schedule Adjustments

Council approved updates to the Master Fee Schedule, with one major modification after debate.

Utility Account Deposit Proposals

City staff proposed the following:

• Deposit exemptions for teachers, law enforcement, and government employees
• 25% deposit reduction for customers on automatic ACH payments
• Refund of deposits after 12 months of on-time payments

Mayor Johnson questioned whether exempting government employees appeared inequitable:

“My only concern is that, to me, it looks a little bit like if you work for the City, you don’t have to pay a deposit.”

Other council members echoed concerns about fairness. Council Member Beth Watson noted the policy would also benefit higher-income individuals, not necessarily those most in need.

Following discussion, Council Member Kyle Kelly moved to remove the proposed utility deposit exemptions entirely, direct staff to explore credit-worthiness-based options, and approve the remaining fee schedule changes. The motion passed.

Other Fee Schedule Changes Approved

• Inclusion of parkland dedication and park development fees
• Standard 3% credit card surcharge
• Aviation product margins set at:
• $2.50/gal for Jet A ; $2.00/gal for Avgas ; 37% markup for aviation oil

New City Logo Approved

Marketing and Communications Manager Brittany Brown presented three updated logo designs from Black Dog, reflecting feedback from council and the public.

Council voted 5–0, with one abstention, to adopt Option #1.

Mayor Johnson abstained, reiterating concerns about the contractor’s performance.

“Because I just didn’t have full confidence that we got the best of the best,” she said. “I do think this logo is functional. It will be recognizable for all of the different applications it needs to be used for.”

Appraisal District Board Votes

The City cast its 479 votes for the Palo Pinto Appraisal District Board as follows:

• Bill Arneson — 96
• George Geldard — 96
• Rowdy Glover — 96
• Marty Logan — 96
• Clint Myrick — 95

For the Parker County Appraisal District, the City cast its two votes as:

• Richard Barrett — 1
• Joe Wilkinson — 1

Board and Commission Appointments

Following executive session, Council appointed members to various boards:

Charter Commission

• Krystle Cline

Airport Advisory Board

• Kent Olson
• Shawn Hood
• Philip Budenbender

Main Street Advisory Board

• Stefon Rishel
• Travis Montgomery
• Angela Hurtado
• Leslie Bradshaw

Economic Development Corporation

• Jason Thomas

Palo Pinto County Municipal Water District #1

• Tim Hopkins
• Rich Kidwell
• Kelly Rawlings

No future agenda items were requested. The meeting adjourned without further comment.

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