[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6548035,"mediaKeyId","3412248-0cd45227ef9c25ed3e267d5241067537","parentId",3412248,"title","Council approves minutes after members raise one-ballot error; council also confirms three Charter Review Commission nominees","audioSeconds",1746,"startMs",128000,"endMs",1874000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3412248-0cd45227ef9c25ed3e267d5241067537&start=128&end=1874","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3412248-0cd45227ef9c25ed3e267d5241067537/thumbnail_128000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6548035/Crockett/Houston-County/Texas/Council-approves-minutes-after-members-raise-one-ballot-error-council-also-confirms-three-Charter-Review-Commission-nominees","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6548035-0238ad5310c87f05a71a510a82caf006/orig.mp4?Expires=1776235955&Signature=jA-WzxFxWAdcflo3dvxNJDp6TG6~vmAp9099WAy8wopaH5VOGF~IWzCubzskmTMyUlFAFWE2JHo7fHSRiMTpZRbGwFWEOx20Gr3eqFU09u1HMjc8DDJ9Zn7yoyJn3ddI4-Igi5xe9ieu7K9Xsssm-c~R0PE5oN4HEPnEw-HK7qMkKenImSvdYUo4qK8eu3CAb619eRjYGqPDxToVYugSd7yrGi4iacl3fVhdVp0wi9XA3N~mzQG7uyUhLi~-u~V2tLjizM281t50Khl78mZb9T~fCGJiEK6z4YZdvZFBrojEehaT9z8LbrvAAR--Yv-6204bV8uQVfxdVy99q-97Rg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-20T11:49:52Z","article","The Crockett City Council approved minutes for a May 9 special session after a council member asked that a documented ballot-machine/ballot mix-up be noted in the record.

At the start of the meeting a council member said she had spoken with elections staff (identified in the discussion as Cynthia Long) about a canvass issue in which one or more voters were given the wrong ballot at check-in. The council member said three voters were involved: two were identified and given the correct ballots before voting and one voter submitted a ballot that did not include the mayoral candidate because the wrong ballot type had been issued. Staff confirmed the incident is documented in the election certification and that Cynthia Long’s notes record the event. The council member asked that the response and documentation be preserved in the public record so future reviews could reference it.

After the discussion, the council member moved to approve the minutes for the special session of 05/09/2025; the motion was seconded and the council approved the minutes.

Later in the meeting the council considered nominations to the Charter Review Commission. The council approved nominations for James Henry, Joseph James and Thomas Shelley to replace Ann Wells, Christopher Price and Louis Ball. The council moved, seconded and voted to confirm the appointments.

Council members emphasized the importance of record retention for election documentation and said staff had indicated the incident was recorded in the election certification. The council did not direct a formal re-canvass or other remedial election action in the meeting record; staff said the matter was noted in certification paperwork maintained by the elections office.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Crockett City Council Meeting - 05/19/2025","oneSentenceSummary","During approval of special-session minutes, a council member raised a ballot issue in the recent canvass — one voter was given the wrong ballot and three ballots were affected (two corrected, one already submitted) — and the council approved the minutes and later confirmed three nominees to the Charter Review Commission.","taxTitle","Crockett, Houston County, Texas","taxId",69526,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6548041,"Council updates city ordinance on coin-operated and amusement redemption machines; nonprofits eligible for exemption",708,1909000,2617000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3412248-0cd45227ef9c25ed3e267d5241067537&start=1909&end=2617","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3412248-0cd45227ef9c25ed3e267d5241067537/thumbnail_1909000.jpg","/articles/6548041/Crockett/Houston-County/Texas/Council-updates-city-ordinance-on-coin-operated-and-amusement-redemption-machines-nonprofits-eligible-for-exemption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6548041-98703cd58d0948d3b962e395455aed7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776235955&Signature=Rlt-Wa1GRrfuPlDyua408rY8~15~OFWcdUI59CXnla-NvUHQCNXoT8NSfjZm8vqTHftwfBB-YqRjUT7SDdJQTZAsbLSUTiw-p3q1a4RDUoj0axllFLukmIGnkgY9zovRa8taLBEEQScUC-X4mjELrDsjjXN~yGY26ZTuw2OLmomKUNf2ysYzEliC1Yaq1jfv1Dp5HLcHq-Zbvu6F36J2F1GBIRTdd7qem-JSXLqU9fnJm5OPDupr4nzKM9TH~42~YVdkbSjrwDT0Brt8koPqdnliisJWW~r7EDvtRUIFk8G5~YZ0ALzvaB8mxCdeWIALORTTGj1FUJl-6DeM99nazg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Crockett City Council approved an ordinance updating the city’s code to align with state definitions and oversight for coin-operated machines and amusement redemption machines (ARMs), city staff said.

City staff explained the state comptroller’s office now treats amusement redemption machines as a subset of coin-operated machines; the ordinance amendments update city definitions and cross-reference zoning limits to reflect that change. The amendments also require nonprofit organizations seeking exemption from the city’s ARM licensing and inspection fee to provide the city with a written notice from the Texas Comptroller (state comptroller) confirming the organization’s exemption status.

Under the ordinance as described in the staff summary, the state’s coin-operated-machine tax is $60 per machine and the city’s tax is $15 per machine per year. The city’s ARM licensing and inspection fee is $1,000 per ARM per year; the proposed amendment would exempt an eligible nonprofit from that city fee if it provides the state comptroller’s written notice. Staff said the change prevents the city from making exemption determinations that the state already handles and aligns local enforcement with state permitting and tax records.

Council members asked for more time to review the detailed definitions and examples of machine types; one council member asked for the item to be placed on the next agenda for additional review. Staff said the language had been prepared with input from code enforcement and the city attorney to ensure compliance with state law and the comptroller’s guidance. After discussion and a brief request for additional review from one member, a motion to adopt the ordinance amendment was made, seconded and approved by the council.

Council members and staff noted the complexity of machine classifications and the moving regulatory environment; staff said the ordinance ties local licensing to the state’s permitting and tax processes so the city can rely on the state’s existing oversight rather than attempt independent enforcement for every unit in local businesses.

The ordinance was approved on motion; council did not record individual vote tallies in the meeting transcript.","The council amended city code to align definitions and licensing with the state comptroller’s guidance for coin-operated machines and amusement redemption machines (ARMs); the ordinance clarifies fees and exempts eligible nonprofits that provide state notice of exemption.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6548045,"Crockett council approves zone change to allow truck stop on four parcels after planning commission recommendation",1083,740000,1823000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3412248-0cd45227ef9c25ed3e267d5241067537&start=740&end=1823","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3412248-0cd45227ef9c25ed3e267d5241067537/thumbnail_740000.jpg","/articles/6548045/Crockett/Houston-County/Texas/Crockett-council-approves-zone-change-to-allow-truck-stop-on-four-parcels-after-planning-commission-recommendation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6548045-c891d3ad119e4aa3b3eade9c3875dab5/orig.mp4?Expires=1776235955&Signature=YNB2roXJEH2NszV0inX-hf-prd4P6HNiBmnvJwHOyYBpJ~yBhOHb6CVHovsxFFI0VsUkr6Pda-H5nMEnLphmH~nI6CJ8MGUtXHENB6PMgtDwLCx8D25ckwDUcx9bjjb~xLEQMmRjjHWoQjTTxu4FfB0sTA0KDbhPsQekB~zuzn-s494S7CzB-QkExQ1zLlRgD6G42nQkN3YiBRvSp0EY3c937RB9xjB54M4Sa8xrKUpeo7~-mqiJaZUU3oVA0TeTSiRh3meD07QZLFxcifAcbESi4efsLraYLLaTzQ3doU8fLmMdSE55CJvJyge3Cit1~4FxAVdLTR4Z4-SIgD5tKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Crockett City Council voted to approve a zoning-district change for four parcels so a developer can consolidate the site and move forward with plans for a truck stop, Mayor (not specified) said during Monday’s meeting.

The change, requested by Kelvin Investments, Inc., follows a 4-0 recommendation in favor from the Planning and Zoning (PNZ) commission and was presented to council by city planning staff member John. City staff said the request arose because parcel boundary shapes recorded since the city’s 2006 zoning map adoption overlap multiple zoning categories on contiguous lots, leaving some property partly zoned residential (R-3), partly planned commercial (C-2) and partly manufacturing. The requested amendment would make the four parcels consistent under a single zoning classification to accommodate the investor’s proposed truck-stop project.

Council members and residents raised questions about notice and buffering. One council member said she only received the planning packet the week it was posted and expressed concern that council and some neighbors learned details “on the back end.” John told the council he had provided the information as soon as PNZ completed its review and that, for competitive reasons, prospective-business details are limited until after PNZ action. He said PNZ had worked with property owners and that the city is updating procedures to require planning-and-zoning review when parcel boundaries change so the city can record accurate lot configurations.

Residents and council members asked about how the proposed truck stop would sit relative to nearby housing. John said the site plan provided by the applicant places the truck-stop buildings nearer the road and separated from housing by a storm-drainage creek and open field; he also said existing zoning standards require visual and sound screening between residential and industrial properties, including “brick or wood” fencing rather than chain-link. Nearby businesses cited in the hearing included Crockett Ready Mix and Morse Transmission; the housing authority project near part of the area was noted as already zoned R-3 and not part of the proposed change.

The council approved the zoning-district change by motion; the mayor called for votes and the motion passed.

The zoning change will be recorded with the city after final ministerial tasks; city staff said the county appraisal district and county clerk will be asked to coordinate so future parcel boundary changes are routed through planning and zoning for accurate city records. Staff emphasized screening requirements between residential and industrial properties would apply once development proposals returned for site-specific permits.

Council members did not request a delay of the final zoning ordinance; PNZ’s recommendation and council approval mean the applicant can pursue the next steps required for site development, including building permits and any site-plan review.","The Crockett City Council voted to approve a zoning-district change requested by Kelvin Investments, Inc., to consolidate four parcels for a proposed truck stop after a 4‑0 Planning and Zoning recommendation; council members discussed notice to nearby residents and buffering requirements.","actionData","errors"]

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Council approves minutes after members raise one-ballot error; council also confirms three Charter Review Commission nominees

Council updates city ordinance on coin-operated and amusement redemption machines; nonprofits eligible for exemption

Crockett council approves zone change to allow truck stop on four parcels after planning commission recommendation