The Brownfield City Council held a brief regular meeting on Thursday morning, August 7th. After the invocation, pledges, and public comments, of which there were none, the Council approved the minutes and began their work..
The Mayor took a moment to recognize two young ladies who recently graduated from high school, each of whom received a $1,000 scholarship from the City of Brownfield, to be distributed over two semesters. In addition to the scholarship, each recipient also received a laptop. These scholarships are awarded to children of parents and grandparents who are employed by the city. Alyssa Cavazos was one of the recipients; her mother, Kourtney Cavazos, is an employee at City Hall. The other recipient, Melady Olivas’ father, Johnathan Olivas, who works for Brownfield Power & Light. Alyssa plans to attend South Plains College this fall, while Melady intends to enroll at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, NM.
The Council next heard from the Brownfield Fire & Rescue Chief, James Woolard. Chief Woolard reported that there were 71 calls from April 1 to June 30, 2025, with 36 calls for the city and 35 for the county. The calls were broken down as follows: 27 were for vehicle accidents, 16 for grass fires, five for gas leaks, four for structure fires, four rescues, two vehicle fires, two trash fires, and one illegal burn.
In summary, Chief Woolard provided an overview of the quarter. Motor vehicle accidents have remained consistent with quarterly trends, stabilizing at current levels, largely due to TXDOT improvements on area roadways. The spring rains and recent onset of summer conditions have resulted in increasing fuel loads. Chief Woolard noted that the department anticipates potential loading for Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreak events as summer transitions into early fall. Current staffing is at full capacity, with four active volunteers and a total of 16 volunteer slots filled. The automatic aid agreements with Meadow and Wellman continue to be a valuable asset to the Terry County Fire Service.
The department is advancing towards accelerated training and continuing education units (CEUs) for personnel in the coming months. They conducted 11 annual fire inspections and numerous pre-construction walk-throughs. Plans reviews are ongoing for various projects and remodels. The new engine is now in full service and has proven to be a much-needed resource for the community. However, Ladder 1 is currently out of service as a firefighting apparatus due to failures in major hydraulic systems and electrical issues. The cost to repair this unit exceeds its overall value.
The Fire Department participated in and assisted with several events during this period:
- June 27: Battle of the Badges Blood Drive
- April 3: Flag raising ceremony at Hamilton Park
- April 11: Hosted Wellman Union for a tour at the station
- May 26: Flag ceremony at the American Legion
Municipal Judge David Cox was next on the agenda to present his quarterly report for the second quarter of 2025. According to Judge Cox, there were 311 new cases filed between April 1 and June 30, 2025. Of these cases, 182 resulted in guilty pleas or no contest. Additionally, 47 warrants were issued and 41 capias pro fine warrants were administered. Judge Cox also issued 35 magistrate warnings, handled 13 juvenile cases, and issued eight emergency detention orders. A total of 42 cases were resolved with jail credit. The total case revenue amounted to $49,748.00, of which $28,852.00 was allocated to the city and $20,896.00 to the state.
The next item on the agenda was for the Council to approve the reappointment of Rick Dunn to the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA) Board. According to CRMWA, the governing board consists of 17 members who are appointed by the member cities. Cities with a population of over 10,000 have two directors, while cities with a population of less than 10,000 have one director each. Dunn has served on the board for several years and has volunteered to be reappointed. The Council approved his reappointment. Here is a list of each board member:
- Richard Ellis, President – Levelland
- Tyke Dipprey, Vice-President – Plainview
- Johnny Mize – Amarillo
- Roy Urrutia – Amarillo
- Glendon Jett – Borger
- Eddie Edwards – Borger
- Rickey Dunn – Brownfield
- Cris Norris – Lamesa
- Ryan Hall – Levelland
- Jim Collins – Lubbock
- Jay House – Lubbock
- Charlie Vaughn – O’Donnell
- Jerry Carlson – Pampa
- Mac Smith – Pampa
- Virginio Ortega – Plainview
- Mark Meurer – Slaton
- Barry Pittman- Tahoka
Item #8 was to approve the post-funding allocation of Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds to the Brownfield Chamber of Commerce for the Grape Capital of Texas Vineyard Festival, which took place from July 18th to July 19th. The maximum amount of HOT funds that can be distributed per event is $3,000.00. The Brownfield Chamber has already received approval for the first half of $1,500.00 and is now approved for the second half of $1,500.00. There were over 300 attendees and eight hotel rooms utilized during the event.
The next four items of business were to consider applications for HOT (Hotel Occupancy Tax) funding for the following events:1. **Hope Over Dope: West Texas** – This event is scheduled for August 29th-30th.2. **St. Anthony’s Catholic Church** – Funding is requested for the 2025 Jamaica, which will take place on September 6th at Coleman Park.3. **Brownfield Chamber of Commerce** – Applications are submitted for two events: the Music and Motors Concert and Car Show, as well as the 78th Annual Terry County Harvest Festival. Both events will be held at Coleman Park. All four events were approved for HOT funds.
The Council adjouned. The Next regular meeting is slated for Thursday, August 21, 2025 at 7:30 am in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
