[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6530638,"mediaKeyId","3646953-78b08f46fb3c2efa86af4337beabb682","parentId",3646953,"title","Forney council removes Board of Adjustment alternate and fills multiple boards and commissions","audioSeconds",1978,"startMs",1542000,"endMs",3520000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3646953-78b08f46fb3c2efa86af4337beabb682&start=1542&end=3520","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3646953-78b08f46fb3c2efa86af4337beabb682/thumbnail_1542000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6530638/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-council-removes-Board-of-Adjustment-alternate-and-fills-multiple-boards-and-commissions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530638-fb8a5560e0dcfe3a9fda6d939e2e2314/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152166&Signature=Epis-9wloYEfKC5NX9mWHXYJw1aAmD0P4AUlPJ69LBPVK6rYRTKoBMR1pR8hHGgag3U27gys40kAMqhvuLQ~FCRWEEoxJy6Itj~MpxVi02VIqrBBkROsB0oUUt1yS-QuehjY8PQVG1X5QuvMozCGn5egm1BacPG52vzfCT9We5mYZLoxowu6irinGQgBUJzDsSK6tHHmQ5ja0q4fTyakeslADNgEOrWDlJ5F1db6qDEeNt-aa9HCF44p5xHi31f5a869mm9hQppYlTYNAGwhpvT6gE7EE0wvnW07PdFiWHZyE5WsN5YolX0Jal0LN-oj47Xyh3AKjovZbV29VWqy1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Forney","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","The Forney City Council held a public hearing on June 3 and voted to remove Amanda Taylor from the Board of Adjustment alternate seat No. 4 for failing to complete required open-government training within the time frame set by city policy. The removal was considered under Texas Local Government Code section 211.008; the council motion to remove was made by Council Member Helm, seconded by Council Member Chambers, and the council voted to approve removal.

After the public hearing, the council considered nominations and appointments to multiple boards and commissions. City staff presented vacancies, special qualifications for several seats and the reappointment process. Ms. Rios, city staff, explained that the city charter empowers the council to make appointments and that some seats carry special residence or profession qualifications.

Council members nominated and voted to appoint residents to a series of boards. Appointments recorded on the June 3 meeting record include:

- Board of Adjustment: Cecilia Gomez (appointed to Seat 4/alternate) and Clinton Kirk (reappointed); one additional vacancy was held over until the June 17 meeting.
- Building Standards Commission: Cass (Kaz) Tankersley was appointed to Seat 1; remaining seats were held to solicit additional applicants.
- Forney Economic Development Corporation (EDC): Jessica Browning (reappointed), Scott Collins (reappointed), Scott Burrows (appointed to Place 7), and Fred Alexander (appointed); other appointments to the EDC were processed during the meeting as shown in the record.
- Historic Overlay District Architectural Review Board: Christie Conaway and Richard Cunningham were reappointed; some existing members had not yet reapplied and those seats were held until the next meeting.
- Parks and Recreation Board: Obed Santano (reappointed), Robert Neely (appointed), and Diane McPherson (reappointed) were approved.
- Planning and Zoning Commission: Natasha Rivera (appointed to Seat 4) and Lawrence McCall (appointed to Seat 5); the council held Seats 2 and 7 until the June 17 meeting.

Council members generally used show-of-hands voting for appointments; where motions and seconds were recorded the meeting minutes note the nominator and seconder and then indicate the motion “passes.” In several instances the council chose to hold seats open to solicit more applicants before the June 17 meeting.

Why it matters: boards and commissions advise the council on planning, development, historic preservation, parks and economic development; filling vacancies affects city review processes, local advisory capacity and the pace of projects requiring board-level review.

Notable procedural points: staff reminded appointees that the oath and statement of office and other forms must be filed within 14 days of receiving the board-member packet; several seats require special qualifications (for example, a licensed local veterinarian for the Animal Adoption Center Shelter Advisory Committee). The council directed staff to re-advertise open positions prior to the June 17 meeting to attract more applicants.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Forney - City Council - Jun 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Forney City Council held a public hearing on June 3 and removed a Board of Adjustment alternate for not completing required training, then nominated and appointed residents to multiple city boards and commissions.","taxTitle","Forney, Kaufman County, Texas","taxId",69540,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6530643,"Forney reports $253,000 in initial rental-registration fees; staff flags hundreds of unregistered units",223,448000,671000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3646953-78b08f46fb3c2efa86af4337beabb682&start=448&end=671","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3646953-78b08f46fb3c2efa86af4337beabb682/thumbnail_448000.jpg","/articles/6530643/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-reports-253000-in-initial-rental-registration-fees-staff-flags-hundreds-of-unregistered-units","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530643-855d179eb31ba1adc0e96a2edc354246/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152166&Signature=WQ9TzD3fMkoru6lvO6BmoIdsjqWZS18KZNWFhOw8s2den2efT2DkOG5Kk~fY8xuNEDS7Fxr3oiJJgPXIuVtw-UUMzMMolS~nv1EgBwcfqNH2ajGfEUo0boxgk6zzs3k~izTzrkYiD6H3v679qfxyYvOm6cgORbdtPMLC4JysHozZ2KDiUuZbSWJlM6oS1q-V4sowYgb1wIBdrB3bU9Dnvww3WWt1MKr9PRjRNLzjOb3~KCC5KGGa41ZhGADZZ2Y1glI7f7d~~T17NPlRmR5XGdSRdX6BAzOssIvVkAkglPecHCjTS0tPXfzHK8vlK1tKA6y--crVVTjgwXSIRcLfcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Forney city staff presented an update on the city’s rental-property registration program at the June 3 City Council meeting, reporting hundreds of registrations since October 2024 and $253,000 in initial fee revenue.

The update noted that the program’s records since Oct. 1, 2024, show 743 unique properties registered for the 2025 annual registration cycle and that initial rental fees collected totaled $253,000. Peter Morgan, city staff, told council the fee revenue is being used to fund a new rental-registration inspector position and an additional code-enforcement officer “which we are using to, start to provide services on the weekend.”

Morgan said the city saw an increase from 596 registered properties in 2024 to 785 registered properties in 2025 in another portion of his presentation, which he explained reflected both the city’s intensified identification work and new registrations. “The main reason for that is because we do have the new position which is working very hard over the last couple months to identify properties that are not registered and to get them registered,” Morgan said.

City staff also provided enforcement data. Year-to-date in 2025 the city had opened 709 total code-enforcement cases; 285 of those cases were opened after staff identified properties that were not registered under the rental program. Staff said there were 424 other code-enforcement violations in 2025, and only 69 of those were registered rental properties. Morgan cautioned the data do not show that registered rental properties are inherently more likely to violate codes: he said the numbers reflect the large number of rentals overall and the city’s recent emphasis on finding properties that had not registered.

Council members asked how the city enforces the program’s required crime-prevention lease addendum for rental contracts. Morgan said the police department notifies staff when reported criminal activity meets the ordinance criteria, and the city then notifies the property owner that eviction proceedings should be initiated. If an owner cannot initiate eviction because the lease lacks the required addendum, Morgan said the owner can be cited for violating the rental-registration ordinance and the city would pursue a notice of violation. Morgan added that requiring a copy of each lease or addendum at every tenant turnover would be “real tricky” administratively and that he would want to discuss formal enforcement mechanics with legal staff before changing the intake process.

Council members and at least one private-sector speaker recommended making the crime-prevention addendum an inspection checklist item or an application requirement so the city can confirm compliance before issuing a registration permit; Morgan said staff would review that suggestion with legal.

Council members also asked how the city identifies suspected unregistered rentals. Morgan said staff cross-checks partial data from the county appraisal district and looks for indicators such as an owner address outside Forney’s 75126 ZIP code, different owner and property addresses, or ownership by an LLC.

Morgan summarized enforcement timing and penalties: notices are issued and reinspections scheduled (for example, seven days to correct high grass/weed violations, then a final notice and another seven days), and municipal-court fines for zoning-code violations can be up to $2,000 per offense, subject to the court’s discretion. He said the court typically pursues compliance rather than punitive fines on a first-offense case.

Morgan concluded by saying the presentation materials would be posted prominently on the city website and invited council and residents to request further details.

Why it matters: the registration program affects landlords, tenants and neighborhoods by creating a city record of rental properties, funding additional enforcement resources and tying compliance to possible municipal-court action. The city’s next steps include legal review of enforcement mechanics for required lease provisions and continued identification of unregistered units.

","City staff told the Forney City Council on June 3 that the city has registered hundreds of rental properties since Oct. 1, 2024, collected $253,000 in initial fees and opened hundreds of code-enforcement cases tied to unregistered units; staff said the fee revenue is funding a rental-inspector position and an additional code-enforcement officer.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6530633,"Forney council forms EMS subcommittee to work with consultant on ambulance RFP",297,3551000,3848000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3646953-78b08f46fb3c2efa86af4337beabb682&start=3551&end=3848","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3646953-78b08f46fb3c2efa86af4337beabb682/thumbnail_3551000.jpg","/articles/6530633/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-council-forms-EMS-subcommittee-to-work-with-consultant-on-ambulance-RFP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530633-61ea7d7ec365e759d2b0bf0297ed6af4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152166&Signature=VXt62VLfPXWx312JNnTdAoZ9kANjq1Q0WLeBaW5WHuvBLmH4EffdJ0EutcLqq~f1YX-G~NzkEmm8KJt8~DxsDvvO8ouAc4RMqWk7~IgBqO51jJE6KF8RR7TBcehxlL91MrJVi0fpWpQxGFfilyO41hPLP26zL7a0tPY9c1Jy6laGO1KvVJLS1Kx0gigLUlrX7CvNFz8mco4ceS7omP8mlZ2yzculmjuRtsSWwl4tOaw05kYksBO3xfbwkUCJpsk331mobkmi8sqtveiRsOeFVyecLFddmxafjLyRlNk6m-MjujHsYGw1c2Ra0~a9bZ-IEic4DD3u-A~X9F~GOgmqYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Forney City Council voted June 3 to create an Emergency Medical Services subcommittee of the council to work with the city’s consultant on drafting a request for proposals (RFP) for emergency medical services and related response planning.

City staff said the subcommittee’s charge is to collaborate with the consultant, Fitz and Associates, to define scope of services for the RFP, including response-time targets, number and placement of ambulances, station locations and associated cost estimations. Mr. Thatcher, city staff, told council that the consultant “would work with the city in putting together that RFP and could...mold that to whatever we would be comfortable with and what type, putting, whatever, response times that we would be looking for and help us to understand what cost would be associated with that.”

Council agreed the subcommittee should include no more than three council members to avoid creating a quorum of the full council. Council members Traylor, Salgado and Schlenzker volunteered and the council voted to appoint Council Member Traylor, Council Member Salgado and Council Member Schlenzker to the subcommittee, with city staff participation and the consultant assisting. The motion to appoint the three members and authorize staff participation was made by the mayor and seconded by Council Member Schlenzker; the motion passed.

Council discussed including fire-department leadership and possibly police representatives on the team; several council members said they preferred staff and the fire department be involved as technical participants rather than additional council members.

Why it matters: the subcommittee will help define the city’s expectations and technical requirements for emergency medical service delivery and will shape a forthcoming RFP that could affect response capacity, staffing and costs for Forney and the local emergency-services district.

Next steps: the consultant will work with the subcommittee and staff to draft the RFP and return recommendations to the full council for any policy decisions and final action.

","The council voted June 3 to form an Emergency Medical Services subcommittee of three council members to work with consultant Fitz and Associates on a request-for-proposals for EMS service and station/ambulance planning; staff and fire department representatives will participate as support.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Forney council removes Board of Adjustment alternate and fills multiple boards and commissions

Forney reports $253,000 in initial rental-registration fees; staff flags hundreds of unregistered units

Forney council forms EMS subcommittee to work with consultant on ambulance RFP