What happened: Midland City Council met Aug. 12 and approved the $16.2 million Midland Development Corporation (MDC) budget, considered stricter conditions on a downtown bar, and adjusted the city’s purchasing policy.

Key points:

  • MDC budget: Council approved the $16.2 million MDC budget 6–1, with Councilwoman Robin Poole opposed. She said she would only vote on individual items, not the budget as a whole. However, Councilman John Burkholder noted that the budget is a planning document rather than a binding commitment. Addressing a question raised during discussion, MDC Director Sara Harris said existing commitments, payable over the next decade, are more than offset by projected revenues, even if collections fall below recent years.

  • Hot Shots: Council reviewed the bar’s Specific Use Designation (SUD) requiring two Level II guards Friday–Saturday, 9 p.m.–1:45 a.m. The bar sought renewal in April for a permit that had lapsed since 2017. Police data then showed it wasn’t a top-incident bar, but council imposed strict conditions after a complaint from BTA Oil Producers. This 60-day review found incidents largely unchanged since the conditions began.

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Planning and Development Officer Elizabeth Triggs said, “It’s not really clear that the security guards make a difference.” Staff cited an unreported weeknight violent incident as reason to expand security to Tuesday–Saturday until 2:30 a.m. Councilman Jack Ladd called the recommendation anecdotal and lacking data, warning against singling out one bar.

Council has asked for a citywide enforcement framework for bars, but staff have not provided one. Because the SUD cannot change without restarting the process, members voted unanimously to send it back to Planning & Zoning before two more council readings. The current SUD stays in place until then.

  • Purchasing policy: Council adopted a new purchasing policy effective Sept. 1, incorporating a state-required update and most staff-recommended changes. Staff had proposed raising the council-approval threshold to $200,000, which would cut 10–15 days from procurements, but council kept the $100,000 limit over fiduciary concerns.

  • Airport lighting: Staff withdrew a $650,000-a-year decorative lighting contract for the airport. Council asked them to prioritize permanent improvements over temporary décor and return with options by Aug. 26. Any unspent airline enplanement fees after Sept. 30 must be split evenly with airlines. “We want to make sure those dollars are allocated to the highest and best use,” Mayor Lori Blong said.

  • Wildcatter Trail: Council approved $640,600 for Phase I design and engineering of the Wildcatter Trail linking Midland and Odessa. The project is funded by a $3.6 million TxDOT grant and a $1 million city match. Design will take 9–12 months, with construction potentially starting March 2026. The project follows more than six years of collaboration among both cities, their chambers, and the University of Texas Permian Basin.

  • GPS paving: Council approved $2.2 million for a GPS paving system on three pieces of equipment to reduce human error, improve ride quality, and expand in-house capacity without adding staff.

  • Beal Park: Council approved specifications for a $15.8 million plan at Beal Park, including a splash pad, amphitheater, playground, soccer fields, and parking improvements.

  • Community development: Council adopted the Department of Housing and Urban Development Analysis of Impediments to maintain eligibility for Community Development Block Grants. Findings cite an affordable housing shortfall, especially in District 2, a need for zoning reforms to lower costs, and special-exception fees that burden projects.