Photo credit: City of Midland

What to watch: The Midland City Council will meet Tuesday, Aug. 11, to consider spending $7.5 million in 2017 road bond money to extend Sinclair Avenue near Costco, permitting 20 new oil and gas wells near Midland College, and adopting the city’s priorities for the 2027 Texas legislative session.

Key points:

  • $7.5M Sinclair Avenue extension: Council will consider spending $7.5 million from certificates of obligation, new debt issued in 2025, to extend Sinclair Avenue west from Kirkland Drive to County Road 1250. City staff says the new roadway will support residential and commercial development in District 4 and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 3. The agenda packet does not specify how long the new section of roadway will be.
  • 20 oil and gas wells near Midland College: Council will consider permits allowing Permian Deep Rock Oil Co. to drill 20 wells on Midland College property near the Midland Airpark as part of an oil and gas development project that college officials estimate could ultimately generate up to $200 million for the city. The required 30-day public comment period closed with no objections.

The permits follow the Midland College Board of Trustees’ March decision to lease about 53 acres of college-owned land for oil and gas development to local companies Midland-Petro D.C. Partners and Permian Deep Rock. Conditions include a 24-foot sound barrier around the drilling pad, a quieter frac system, drilling the wells together rather than one at a time, and locating the tank battery outside city limits.

Midland’s top stories. One quick email. Free, every Friday.
Get Midland Wrapped, our free weekly email for busy Midland residents. Each Friday, we break down the week’s most important local stories — what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next — so you can stay informed without the noise.

Council will also consider requiring Permian Deep Rock to contribute $75,000 toward road repairs associated with heavy truck traffic and another $250,000 toward repaving or reconstructing the portion of North Garfield Street it will use.

  • City and county road partnership: Council will consider reimbursing Midland County up to $616,972 from its 2017 road bond to rebuild two short segments of road within city limits while the county is already rebuilding roads in the area. A .2-mile portion of Gist Avenue from Midkiff Road to West Industrial Loop and .3-miles of Francis Avenue from Clark Street to Garfield Street.

The city says that the county will handle bidding, construction, and project management as part of its total $2.4 million project.

  • City’s 2027 legislative priorities: Council will consider adopting Midland’s legislative agenda for the Texas Legislature’s 2027 session. The city says the document establishes which legislation the city wants to support or oppose and what it will ask Midland’s legislative delegation to pursue.

The council packet did not include the proposed legislative agenda. The Permian Press requested a copy and will report separately on what the city is asking state lawmakers to do when the city releases it.

  • MDC Entrepreneurial Challenge: Council will consider final approval of the Midland Development Corporation’s (MDC) agreement with the University of Texas Permian Basin to operate the 2026-27 Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge. The agreement includes $500,000 in prize money and up to $66,701 in administrative and marketing costs.

The MDC board approved the agreement Aug. 3 after members questioned what taxpayers have received from the program’s nine years and $3.7 million in awards. UTPB’s program administrator said businesses report employment numbers annually, but they have never compiled those figures into a formal economic-impact report. He suggested a future agreement could require one.

  • $1.3M federal community development plan: Council will consider approving the city’s plan for spending $1.3 million in federal Community Development Block Grant money during 2026-27. Proposed spending includes $380,000 for stage upgrades at the MLK Center, $240,000 for New York Avenue sidewalks, $229,550 for sidewalks at Garrett Brown Park and $150,000 for code enforcement officers in Districts 2 and 4.

Council previously said that federal rules cap public service spending at 15%, pushing them to direct more funding to facility improvements. Twelve outside organizations and eight city projects submitted $2.4 million in requests for the $1.3 million available. The proposed plan funds five outside organizations and four city projects. Federal rules require at least 70% of the money to benefit low- and moderate-income residents.

  • Saltwater disposal well: Council will consider transferring a saltwater disposal well permit from Endeavor Energy Resources to Deep Blue Operating I LLC. Because Deep Blue plans to use North County Road 1160 to access the well, the city will also consider requiring a $25,000 road repair bond to cover potential damage.
  • One-foot garage setback: A homeowner at 2015 Sinclair Avenue wants to add a second story to an existing garage that sits about one foot from the property lines. The addition triggers the city’s current 10-foot setback requirement, so the owner needs a special exception to build upward on the existing structure. Staff recommends approval, and the city received no objections.
  • Solomon Lane lot split: Council will consider rezoning 1.7 acres at Solomon Lane and Acorn Lane from agricultural estate to single-family zoning so the owner can divide the property into two lots and sell one. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval Aug. 3.

The city received one objection from a resident who wanted to preserve the neighborhood’s larger lots. However, during the P&Z meeting, city staff noted several nearby lots are already smaller and only three or four properties in the immediate area still meet the agricultural estate district’s two-acre minimum.

What’s next: Council will reconvene the next morning, Wednesday, Aug. 12, for its budget workshop, where it will set the ceiling for the 2026-27 tax rate it can adopt this fall.