Mineral Wells Area News

Reporting By Amy Meyer | Mineral Wells Area News

MINERAL WELLS — After one year on the job, City Manager Jason Weeks says Mineral Wells is no longer operating the way it once did — and that transformation begins with the team now in place.

“I think one of the biggest accomplishments this last year is that I’ve assembled the A-team. We got the A-team ready to go,” Weeks said.

From restructuring departments and replacing leadership to redefining expectations for employees, Weeks said the past year has focused on rebuilding the city’s internal operations to support long-term growth.

“We are stuck in the ’80s and the ’90s on a lot of things we do,” he said.

Now, he says, the goal is to modernize city government while building a culture centered on accountability, customer service and transparency.

Building a new culture inside City Hall

Weeks said one of his earliest priorities was defining what customer service should look like across all departments.

“One of the biggest things that I learned is customer service means something different to everybody,” he said. “We want to make sure that the customer feels appreciated, understood, heard and cared for.”

A key part of that shift involves how employees are evaluated — something Weeks said has not been consistently done in the past.

“Currently, right now, our employees are not evaluated on how they do,” Weeks said, calling the system “outdated.”

He said the existing structure allowed employees to receive the same pay increases regardless of performance.

“In the past, we programmed 2% for everybody… that’s not fair to your employees that are providing great customer service and go above and beyond,” he said.

Moving forward, the city plans to tie evaluations to measurable expectations such as communication, transparency and customer service.

“Making sure you’re representing what my expectation of the organization is,” Weeks said.

Expanding communication beyond social media

Weeks said improving communication with residents has been another major focus, including efforts to reach those who are not active on social media.

“We want to make sure that our community is informed in a timely manner… and find other ways to communicate, other than Facebook,” he said.

The city is currently working to update its website, which has not been significantly updated in years, and plans to add a feature that will allow residents to view city social media posts directly from the homepage.

“If you don’t have a Facebook page… you can actually scroll through there,” Weeks said.

In addition, Weeks said the city is exploring new tools such as a regular newsletter to provide updates and improve transparency.

While the city continues to expand its communication efforts, Weeks said residents also play a role in staying informed.

“I think if we’re going to put information out there, I think the public needs to be committed… in wanting to be educated and do their part,” he said.

Restructuring leadership and departments

Weeks said much of the past year has been spent reorganizing departments and ensuring the right people are in the right roles.

“When I first did a presentation, I talked about wanting to make sure that we have everybody on the correct bus, and if they’re on the correct bus, maybe they are not in the right seat… and then have those conversations where maybe you just need to get off the bus,” Weeks said.

That restructuring has included the creation of a new Development Services Department, which will oversee building, permitting and inspections as the city prepares for future growth. The city recently hired Richard Glass to lead the department. He comes from La Porte where he and Weeks once worked together and begins on April 13.

Weeks said the newly created department is critical to improving consistency and customer service for builders and developers.

“It’s been bad customer service,” he said, referring to inconsistent inspections under the city’s previous system.

The city has also made changes in public works leadership, bringing Howard Huffman into the role of Director of Public Works.

Huffman previously served as general manager of the Palo Pinto County Municipal Water District No. 1 and led development efforts on the proposed Turkey Peak Reservoir project. With that project currently on hold, Weeks said the decision was made to bring Huffman into the city organization rather than lose his experience.

“The last thing we want is to possibly have him going out to the private sector and have to lose that institutional knowledge,” Weeks said.

Huffman’s project management background and familiarity with the city’s infrastructure made him a strong fit to help guide public works moving forward, according to Weeks.

Difficult decisions and organizational change

Weeks acknowledged that changes in staffing and structure can affect morale but said they are necessary for the city to move forward.

“It’s a business decision, and that’s what Council hired me to do,” he said. “There were some that were just holding back the departments and creating a toxic environment.”

He said many of the personnel issues had existed prior to his arrival but had not been addressed.

“Most people knew it was coming,” Weeks said.

Infrastructure, growth and financial challenges

Weeks said infrastructure planning, particularly streets and water, remains one of the city’s most pressing priorities.

The city plans to bring in a third-party firm to analyze street conditions and prioritize repairs.

“Last thing we want to do is go in and repair the street and then have to come back and redo it,” Weeks said.

He also emphasized the need for careful financial planning as the city works to address long-term needs.

“The low hanging fruit is gone,” Weeks said of the budget trimming they have completed so far.

Weeks said the city must focus on improving efficiency and identifying new revenue sources rather than relying on higher taxes. “Tax increases are not an answer,” stated Weeks.

Water supply stable as long-term solutions develop

Weeks said while long-term water planning remains a priority, the city’s current supply is stable.

“There’s no development that’s going to come here that will make us go negative right now,” he said.

He said the city has been able to maintain water levels through conservation efforts and operational strategies, including blending water sources to offset losses from evaporation.

Weeks said the city is also taking a phased approach to water infrastructure, prioritizing the most critical needs first.

“The priority is water treatment plant, water lines in the city, Brazos pump station, smaller water lines and then Turkey Peak,” Weeks said.

“If the water treatment plant goes out, no one gets water,” Weeks said.

He said the focus is on ensuring the current system remains reliable before investing in larger, long-term projects.

At the same time, the city is working on additional long-term solutions, including improvements to the water treatment process, exploring reverse osmosis and evaluating reuse of treated wastewater.

Addressing homelessness and public safety

Weeks said one of the city’s growing concerns is homelessness and its connection to broader public safety issues.

“My focus is our homeless population and the drug problem,” he said.

“I have not met a homeless person yet here that didn’t have a mental problem or a drug problem,” Weeks said.

He said the city is working on ordinances, enforcement strategies and partnerships to address the issue.

“The majority in the community are tired of it,” he said.

Vision for Mineral Wells

Looking ahead, Weeks said his goal is to grow Mineral Wells while maintaining its small-town identity.

“I want a resident to love to live here and have all the big city things here, but in a small community,” he said.

Weeks said the work underway — from restructuring leadership to improving infrastructure and communication — is aimed at positioning the city for long-term success.

He said the challenges facing the city are significant but he remains focused on finding solutions.

“This is what I enjoy. I’m a problem solver,” Weeks said.

---