The Brownfield City Council convened for a regularly scheduled meeting on the morning of Thursday, June 5, 2025. Following the call to order, the invocation, and the pledges of allegiance, there were no public comments. The minutes from the previous meeting were approved, and the Council then proceeded to address the main agenda items.
Item #3 involved considering an application submitted by the Brownfield Chamber of Commerce for funding through the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) Funds for the 13th Annual Grape Capital of Texas Vineyard Festival. According to Lorena Valencia, the Executive Director of the Brownfield Chamber, last year’s festival had impressive attendance, attracting around 400 people. This year, the Chamber anticipates an increase in attendance to approximately 500. The festival is expected to attract many attendees, who will be staying in local hotels for the event. The Council approved a maximum funding of $3,000, with $1,500 to be granted prior to the event and the remaining $1,500 to be provided after the event.
Next, the Council heard from the Water/Wastewater Supervisor, James Nix, on the quarterly report from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. Before Nix spoke on his reports, he recognized the Water/Wastewater employees.
Nix said, “I wanted give a little shoutout and appreciation to them because they work real hard for me, they work real hard for you, and they work real hard for the city of Brownfield.”
Nix then moved on to explain the quarterly reports. He first showed the Council that there were 225 dig test requests and 83 work orders that had been completed.
According to Nix, there were three issues that got a lot of attention. In his reports, he listed the “Water Leak Report,” which was located at D Street and Harris Street. In his overview, the Council was shown that on January 14, 2025, water was leaking from the asphalt at the intersection of D and Harris Streets. The leak was repaired with a 2″ x 12″ repair clamp. Then on February 2, 2025, a leak occurred again from the 2-inch valve box at the same intersection, and was repaired using two 2-inch dressers and a section of pipe. Then again, on February 26, 2025, a new leak developed from the Tee fitting connecting the 2-inch cast iron line to the 6-inch line on D Street. The 2-inch line was disconnected entirely, and the repair involved removing the Tee fitting and replacing it with a straight piece of pipe. An extension was then added to restore pressure to the 2-inch line on Harris Street.
During the initial inspection, Nix found the original 2-inch brownfield water pipe dates back to the 1940s or 1950s and is in poor condition, with significant rust and tuberculation, which reduces flow and allows iron-reducing bacteria to thrive. There’s no loop in the pipe, as it is capped off at one end. In contrast, the 6-inch pipe on D Street is in moderate to good condition, with minimal rust and bacterial accumulation that can be addressed by flushing the nearby fire hydrant. The 2-inch line connects to the 6-inch line via a Tee fitting that was likely installed during construction. The current configuration creates confusion for operators due to the limited number of isolation valves. A 4-inch PVC water main was installed next to the 2-inch line, extending from South C Street to East Harris Street and looping into the 6-inch main. After recent repairs, pressure checks revealed that homes on the East side of the D and Harris intersection had water service, while those on the West side did not, indicating a connection to the newer PVC line.
This led Nix to resolve these issues and improve water quality for Harris Street residents. The 4-inch PVC conversion should be completed while maintaining service from the 2-inch main until testing is conducted on the new line. It is recommended that the 2-inch cast iron primary and associated infrastructure be removed afterward to avoid future confusion. Engineers from Parkhill, Smith, and Cooper have been contacted to plan the project for inclusion in the Water Department’s 2025-2026 capital improvement plan.
The second major issue was the “Guar Resources Fire Hydrant Report.” The Water Department began receiving complaints from Brownfield Regional Medical Center (BRMC), the City of Brownfield Parks and Recreation, and several residents in the northwest corner of town regarding low water pressure during fire hydrant flushing operations along Bynum Street to Bridges Street. Investigations indicated that the water main supplying this area may have a closed valve or blockage..
Notably, fire hydrant number 239, located behind Guar Resources, was found to be open but had a rusted operating stem, rendering it inoperable. A review of maps indicated a valve should exist on Railroad Avenue to isolate the hydrant; however, this valve could not be found.
To isolate fire hydrant 239, operators installed a HydraStop insertion valve before the T-fitting supplying the area and discovered an abandoned 6-inch valve nearby. This effectively stopped the water flow to the hydrant. Upon inspection, the hydrant’s valve was seized, and the stem had rusted to less than a quarter inch. Therefore, a new fire hydrant was needed.
Additionally, 25 feet of 6-inch cast-iron main were removed to move the hydrant closer to the isolation valves, which aids future maintenance. A concrete thrust block was added behind the hydrant to prevent displacement, and a gravel pack was created around the weep holes, with excavated dirt replaced.
Finally Nix showed the third major issue for the quarter which he called the “Sewer Issue Report”. On February 19, 2025, the Terry County Law Enforcement Center (TCLEC) and Prosperity Bank reported sewage leaking from Prosperity Bank’s cleanout into the TCLEC’s parking lot.
According to Nix, the sewer department used a vacuum truck to jet a 6-inch sewer line running west from the manhole on the east side of the parking lot. The jetter hose became lodged, and despite attempts to remove it, it had to be pulled out, damaging 200 feet of hose in the process. The hose was cut and repaired using a hydraulic hose swager.
After the repair, the team tried to locate the next manhole downstream. They spent a day searching with metal detectors and geophones, ultimately submitting a dig test in the expected area. Unit 61 contacted the city inspector (Unit 31) for assistance and found an older map by Mr. Gibbs, which indicated that the manhole was buried under the foundation of what was once The Harvest House. The map also suggested adding three manholes for better accessibility to the sewer lines.
Once the pipe was exposed, cuts were made into the vitrified clay pipe, revealing a blockage of nylon and cotton strips likely from the jail. The vacuum truck successfully jetted the line to remove much of the clog, although significant grease buildup required a second jetting with a larger head. To simplify the installation of a new manhole, the department removed 10 feet of clay line and replaced it with 6-inch PVC pipe. They constructed a 6-foot by 6-foot concrete form 8 inches deep around the new PVC line.
Operators prepared the new fiberglass manhole from Premier Water Works by cutting access points and drilling holes for anchors. Concrete was poured into the form, and the manhole was lowered into place with a backhoe. Once the installation was confirmed level, the remaining concrete was poured over the anchors. The top of the PVC pipe would be removed after the concrete cured to ensure a clear channel for future maintenance.
The Council then heard from Cat Gonzalez, the Electric Department supervisor, regarding the quarterly reports and an outage that occurred on May 26th. Like Nix, Gonzalez also recognized the employees in the Electric Dept. He thank them for their hard work and dedication. In Gonzalez’s reports, he indicated that from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025, there were 40 power outages, with March accounting for 21 of them. Most outages during the quarter were isolated to a few streets and homes and were related to meter replacements, solar upgrades, blown fuses, etc.
On February 17th, a truck damaged a main pole at the northeast corner of Cedar and Tahoka, resulting in four outages at different locations in Brownfield. In March, of the 21 outages, 13 were attributed to high winds. The month featured three days of very strong winds: on March 4th, wind gusts ranged from 44 mph to 63 mph for 12 hours; on March 14th, gusts ranged from 62 mph to 77 mph, again for 12 hours; and on March 18th, gusts were between 52 mph and 76 mph, also for a duration of 12 hours. To provide some context, a category one hurricane has wind speeds ranging from 74 mph to 95 mph.
Gonzalez took the time to discuss and show pictures of the damage caused by lightning on the night of May 26. According to Gonzalez, the lightning strike occurred at the substation located at North 7th and West Hill, hitting the “Circuit 8 recloser.” A recloser functions like a breaker in a house. Gonzalez presented the Council with pictures of the recloser, which displayed melted and burned parts. He also showed an image of the control panel connected to the recloser, revealing further burn and melt damage inside the panel. Additionally, Gonzalez highlighted the exact spot where the lightning struck, showing a burned line running down the pole supporting both the recloser and the control panel. During this incident, the electric department had to replace seven of the main transformer fuses.
Gonzalez then presented to the Council the damage done to one of the main transformers, which resulted in a power outage lasting 21 hours in the western and southwestern parts of the city. According to Gonzalez, the city had an additional transformer located near the damaged one. The damaged transformer weighs approximately 29,000 pounds, while the extra transformer weighs around 50,000 pounds. The Electric Department ordered a crane to assist with the removal and relocation of both transformers. However, large cranes cannot operate on Texas roads or highways after dark, which meant that the crane would not be available until daylight, and the crane company needed to secure the proper permits. Once the crane arrived at the site, the operators began the process of moving the extra transformer and extracting the damaged one.
Mayor Eric Horton moved item #7 to the end of the agenda, and the Council entered into executive session. There was no action taken during the executive session, so the Council proceeded to item #7. This item involved discussing and considering an amendment to Ordinance No. 2161, Appendix “A”, Article 7.000, Section 7.700 of the Brownfield Code to establish revised electric rates for residential, commercial, industrial, and net metering customers.
The City of Brownfield, through its municipally owned utility, Brownfield Power & Light, has reviewed the current electric rate structure in comparison to regional benchmarks and internal cost recovery needs. Following a rate study conducted in 2022, several updates have been recommended to better align rates with actual service costs and support the long-term financial stability of the electric fund.
Under this ordinance, the Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF)—a monthly adjustment on your electric bill that reflects changes in the cost of electricity purchased from wholesale power suppliers—will become a fixed component based on the previous year’s average wholesale power cost. This change aims to ensure transparent cost recovery without volatile month-to-month adjustments. Additionally, there will be no change in the fuel adjustment each month unless the Council takes future action to revise the PCRF methodology.
The Council recognized the volatility of the energy market and decided that implementing a flat rate would be in the best interest of the community and its customers. They voted unanimously to amend Ordinance 2161. As a result, customers will soon see a flat rate applied to the electric portion of their city utility bill.
Mayor Horton said, “We really believe this will help every customer to know exactly what there rate is, instead of it being one rate one month and the next the rate could be higher. We heard our citizens, and we hope this will alleviate any mistrust of our citizens and surprise costs.”
Residential and Monthly Billing:
- Meter Charge $15.81
- Delivery Charge $0.05529 per kWh
- Power Cost Adjustment $0.07471 per kWh
Total Electric Charge $0.13000 per kWh
Commercial Rates:
- Meter Charge $21.45
- Delivery Charge $0.07822 per kWh
- Power Cost Adjustment $0.07471 per kWh
Total Electric Charge $0.15290 per kWh
The meeting was then adjourned. The next meeting is slated for Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 7:30 am in the Council Chambers at Brownfield City Hall.
