What to watch: Midland City Council will meet Tuesday, Sept. 22, to authorize land acquisitions for the Sinclair Avenue extension and Wildcatter Trail, consider a $4.2 million annual purchase of drinking-water treatment chemicals, and move forward with an $800,000 traffic signal at Wadley Avenue and Crowley Boulevard.

Council will also consider a contract to develop the Midland Development Corporation’s (MDC) West Texas Aerospace Corridor master plan, a preliminary plat for the next section of Vista del Pueblo, and possible enforcement action against three substandard residential properties in District 2.

Key points:

  • Three substandard homes: Council will consider declaring three District 2 residential properties substandard: 2407 Camp St., 805 N. Baird St., and 203 N. Carver St. The homes have a history of trespassing and crime.

The city’s standard process allows owners to demolish the structures themselves, pay the city about $10,000 per property to handle demolition, or allow the city to demolish them and recover its costs through a lien. City officials have previously said using the city is generally less expensive than hiring a private demolition company.

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“These are places that truly are a hazard to our community,” Mayor Lori Blong previously said. “We have engaged with the property owners, and we’ve given them opportunities here.” City Manager Tommy Gonzales added that staff is working through a list of more than 100 unsafe structures citywide.

  • Land for Sinclair extension: Council may authorize the city manager’s office to acquire private property needed to extend Sinclair Avenue west to a new County Road 1250 connection and extend CR 1250 north from State Highway 191 to Sinclair Avenue. The city can negotiate and pay up to the property’s fair-market value, but purchases above that amount must return to council for approval.

This follows council’s Aug. 11 approval to spend $7.5 million from certificates of obligation, new debt issued in 2025, to extend Sinclair Avenue west from Kirkland Drive to future County Road 1250 in the fast-growing area around Costco. Council then approved an agreement Sept. 8 under which Midland County will contribute $3 million toward construction of the Sinclair Avenue and CR 1250 project.

  • Wildcatter Trail property: Two items would allow the city to begin securing private property needed for the Wildcatter Trail, a planned pedestrian and bicycle corridor linking Midland and Odessa. The project is funded by a $3.6 million TxDOT grant and a $1 million city match.

One item authorizes possession-and-use agreements, which let the city access and use land needed for the trail before the final purchase is complete. Payments under those agreements would be capped at 10% of the property’s fair-market value.

A second item gives the city broader authority to negotiate and purchase property needed for the trail for up to fair-market value. Anything above fair-market value would require additional council approval.

  • $4.2M for drinking-water treatment: Council may approve approximately $4.2 million for the city’s estimated annual supply of chemicals used to treat Midland’s drinking water during fiscal year 2027. The purchase includes chlorine, aluminum sulfate, activated carbon, and several other treatment chemicals and would be paid from the Utilities Fund.
  • $800K traffic signal: Council may move $800,000 from the Engineering Services operating budget into a project account to build a new traffic signal at Wadley Avenue and Crowley Boulevard across from Abell Junior High School.

The agenda packet states that traffic has increased along Wadley Avenue since the road was extended to State Highway 158, sending more vehicles through the Wadley and Crowley intersection. Based on current traffic conditions, city staff says a traffic signal is now warranted as a safety improvement.

  • West Texas aerospace plan: Council may approve a $655,000 contract for a consulting firm to develop a master plan for a West Texas aerospace corridor stretching from Midland to El Paso, with the study scheduled for completion before the end of July 2027. The study will map out what West Texas already has to support the aerospace industry, what it is missing, and where future public and private investment could go.

The MDC board approved the contract Sept. 14. The study will not cost MDC locally. MDC will initially pay the consultant but will be fully reimbursed through a Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund grant administered by the Texas Space Commission and awarded to El Paso County.

  • Vista del Pueblo expansion: Council may approve the preliminary plat for Vista del Pueblo, Section 4, covering roughly 20 acres east of Todd Drive. The plat lays out the lots, streets, and other basic framework for the next section of the residential development.

In February, council unanimously approved an agreement allowing a developer to construct public water improvements serving Vista del Pueblo. Once complete, the infrastructure will become part of the city’s public water system.