Mertzon City Council September 21 2026
Updated: Sep 26
A. Agenda Analysis
Ordinance 20.03, item 5: This item appear last week with an incorrect citation to Ordinance 20.02. Here is the current (March 2025) version of 20.03. The Council heard from business owner Jayton Lindley last week but failed to take action because of the incorrect citation. Mr. Lindley owns an trailer park and is requesting the Council to re-evaluate how it counts water meters at RV parks. This could open up additional water meters in the City. See my commentary below.
B. Meeting Review
Here are the meeting documents.
Though no formal vote was taken regarding Ordinance 20.03 relating to how water meters are counted at trailer parks, this was an excellent meeting. The Counsel spent more than an hour deliberating with Jayton Lindley on the issue, and the discussion wasn't always easy to follow. The deliberative process in an open meeting often can't be precise or linear; sometimes it takes multiple discussions. The Council will be receiving more information at its next meeting on this issue.
More on Robert's Rules: I always pay attention if there is a motion on the table and whether it is seconded. During this meeting, a council member stated an motion, without the call of the Mayor, and immediately the motion was discussed, and discouraged, before a second for the motion was ever made.
When all members are cordial and getting along, this is a fine approach. If there is motion on the table when folks aren't getting along, sparks might fly. As I understand Robert's, one way to formally "kill" a motion is for the Chair to ask for a second. If there is no second, the motion dies on the spot. If there IS a second, then it has to be voted upon. This method prevents there from being multiple motions on the table at the same time. If board members aren't getting along or have don't share the same opinion on the wording of a motion, the rules on how to dispose of competing motions become more important.
C. Commentary
Accuracy matters in posted agenda items. This agenda is an excellent example of how careful governmental bodies have to be when drafting agendas. Last week it was announced during the meeting that the citation to the ordinance was incorrect. The proper course of action, as was done here, was to repost for the following meeting with the correct posting. The Council was barred from taking action under the incorrect agenda item. "Taking action" typically means voting, so the Council last meeting could not have voted on an incorrectly cited ordinance. They did hear from Mr. Lindley last meeting, though, as he was permitted to speak. No action was taken then, and no discussion was had about his comments.
765 kV update: A very technical remand related to the issue of whether the line currently proposed through Irion County is needed has been filed by the PUC. The PUC appears to be siding with Oncor and LCRA that the ALJs were wrong in the PFD that recommended a denial of the line because it was not needed. My strategy is developing. I am waiting to see what the revised PFD recommends.
In the meantime, read this article from the Texas Scorecard. A reader asked me after the Senate Business and Commerce Committee came out recommending denial of the 765 kV applications whether the PUC had to follow the Senate committee's wishes. My answer is, no, but if they don't they will see their appropriations from the legislature decrease this next session. Those dominoes are starting to fall, because it is becoming increasingly transparent that the PUC and ERCOT do not wish to follow the Senate committee's (and the Lt. Gov.'s) recommendation. To understand the pressure being applied in the background the missing piece is that the PUC Commissioners must approve and pay the salary and contract of the ERCOT CEO. In other words, the PUC is being placed in a position of challenging the Lt. Gov., who has lost confidence in ERCOT. Watch for the pressure to be increased as we near the session, only 4 months away. And, keep in mind, the Senate's interim charge report on the 765 kV's has yet to be completed. As reported by the Texas Scorecard, the ERCOT CEO is proposed to receive $4.4 million next year.
Copyright 2026 G. Noelke
