Stephenville council meeting gets heated over regulations proposal

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By RUSSELL HUFFMAN
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (February 3, 2016) – Jerry Warren, Stephenville Councilman got a public reprimand from fellow Councilman Boyd Waggoner who took exception to a newspaper advertisement in which Warren claimed Waggoner voted for a “$40,000 rip off”.

Stephenville City Councilman Boyd Waggoner called out fellow Councilman Jerry Warren over an incorrect newspaper ad.
Stephenville City Councilman Boyd Waggoner called out fellow Councilman Jerry Warren over an incorrect newspaper ad.

Warren pays for a newspaper ad/column titled “Show and Tell” in which he wrote, “The Planning and Development Committee heard an update on the Thoroughfare Plan by FNI. I don’t have a figure on the cost of this plan but it will be expensive. This committee was asked to consider the proposal from FNI to update the Subdivision Regulations at a cost to the city of $40,000. Committee members McDanel, Waggoner and McClinton voted in favor of this proposal, committee member Warren voted no. In short, to pay FNI $40,000 to update the Subdivision Regulations would be a total 100% rip off.”

Councilman has called a proposal to update subdivision regulations a 100 percent rip off. Warren said the regulations have been tweaked over the years and don't need an update.
Councilman has called a proposal to update subdivision regulations a 100 percent rip off. Warren said the regulations have been tweaked over the years and don’t need an update.

There’s only one problem – Warren voted for the same “rip off” or rather Warren and the entire Stephenville City Council voted to update the city’s subdivision regulations. The vote to approve funds came during budget cutting time when all the hacking and trimming was occurring to save money and making room for the new Stephenville Economic Development Authority’s budget.

According to Waggoner, the matter was discussed last Tuesday during a meeting of Stephenville’s Panning and Development Committee, and Warren, who is chairman of the committee, did not comment on the matter when Freese and Nichols Inc.’s proposal was discussed.

However, Waggoner said Warren never spoke at the meeting, voted against the proposal and complained about it before taking out an ad in the newspaper.

“An ad calling out me for voting on something that was a 100 percent rip off, put my name in the paper and saying he didn’t vote for it,” Waggoner said. “I want to point out this $40,000 was passed during the budget meetings about a year ago. It was unanimously passed and he (Warren) voted for it!”

Waggoner added he didn’t understand why Warren was now changing his stance but the proposal was a good idea and it had been 25 years since updates had been done.

“To answer your question,” Warren said before being interrupted by Waggoner who quipped, “I didn’t ask any question.”

Warren went on to state the regulations done in 1991 are still good today and the planning and zoning commission has updated the regulations over the years.

“They have tweaked it as I pointed out in the ad I paid for,” Warren said. “It’s been updated over the years and it doesn’t need anything and to pay $40,000 for it is a 100 percent rip off.”

Warren went on to add Freese and Nichols were bad mouthing the 1991 regulations and they didn’t seem to realize they were the same company that did them the first time.

“It’s study, after study, after study,” Warren said.

There’s only one problem – the item before the council was about accepting a proposal from Freese and Nichols to perform an update of subdivision regulations. The budgeted money was for approved work needed and not a study because state laws have changed Stephenville’s regulations have to also be in compliance with state law.

Mayor Kenny Weldon heard it from both sides as he tried to explain some potential confusion due to only a single proposal being submitted.
Mayor Kenny Weldon heard it from both sides as he tried to explain some potential confusion due to only a single proposal being submitted.

Mayor Kenny Weldon explained the decision before the council was not about studies and instead about determining if Freese and Nichols and their proposal met the needs of the city. Weldon also suggested only one proposal being submitted may have led to some of the confusion. Surprisingly, Weldon ignored a request from Warren for a roll call vote on the matter, which was passed with both Warren and Rhett Harrison voting against the proposal.

Stay plugged into The Flash Today for more about Tuesday’s council meeting

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