What happened: Midland City Council met Tuesday, Aug. 25, and accepted a $5 million state grant to study and begin planning for a potential vertical rocket launch and reentry site at Midland International Air and Space Port. Midland is one of multiple locations the state is evaluating as Texas determines where to develop vertical launch capability.

Council also approved the first reading of a settlement that will raise Atmos Energy natural gas rates beginning in October and adopted its annual Vision Zero road-safety report, which showed overall crashes declining by 77%.

Key points:

  • $5M vertical launch grant: Council accepted a $5 million grant from the Texas Space Commission for planning and design, federal licensing work, and initial infrastructure related to a potential vertical launch and reentry site at Midland International Air and Space Port.

The grant does not mean Midland has been selected as the location for a vertical launch facility. Mayor Lori Blong said other entities received similar grants and will conduct feasibility studies as the state evaluates competing locations. Midland’s work will include coordinating with the state to determine whether the Space Port is a suitable location and, if so, where to build a launch site.

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“Where the state decides to intercede and make things happen, we’re going to be welcoming those dollars to make sure that if we can provide a launch facility that is a state funded or with private partners that are out there working to make something happen, then this is a good industry for Midland,” Councilman John Burkholder said.

Blong said state and federal officials are interested in moving some vertical launch capability inland from coastal areas for national security reasons, and Midland’s open land and airspace could make it a contender. She said potential users could include communications companies launching satellites and defense companies pursuing federal contracts.

  • Atmos rate increase: Council approved the first reading of a settlement with Atmos Energy over the utility’s requested rate increase. City staff said Atmos sought a $13.3 million increase across its West Texas service area, but Midland and other West Texas cities negotiated the increase down to $10.3 million.

The new rates will take effect Oct. 1. The meeting materials did not specify how much the settlement will increase the average Midland residential customer’s monthly bill.

  • Traffic crashes down: Council adopted the annual progress report for the city’s Vision Zero Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, a program adopted in 2023 with the goal of eliminating roadway deaths and serious injuries by 2050. The initiative uses crash data to identify and prioritize safety projects, including changes to roads and intersections, sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and lighting.

City staff reported a 77% reduction in overall crashes since 2023, while fatal injuries fell from 18 to 11 over the past year. Blong said participation in Vision Zero has also made Midland eligible for state and federal transportation funding it otherwise could not receive.

Staff said Midland was awarded an $8.6 million federal grant for traffic safety infrastructure. An earlier $75,000 grant funded adaptive signal technology on Andrews Highway, and staff reported that signal optimization using real-time traffic data reduced crashes by as much as 47% on some roadways.

  • Police traffic stops report: Council received Midland Police Department’s annual state-required racial profiling analysis. MPD conducted 21,688 traffic stops in 2025, about 70% of which resulted in a verbal or written warning. The consultant said warning rates were consistent across racial groups.

Officers conducted searches in about 7% of stops and found contraband in 49% of those searches. About 6% of traffic stops resulted in arrests, with 54% of those arrests involving Penal Code violations and 36% involving outstanding warrants. MPD received no complaints alleging racial profiling in 2025.