At the Oct. 15 meeting the Midland City Council considered and decided (or advanced) a number of legislative and administrative items. Many items were routine or previously reviewed by staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission; council votes on the ordinances and special use requests listed below were recorded as unanimous where noted.

Votes at a glance (item number — short description — outcome / key details):

- Consent agenda (call to order and routine consent items, minus items 5 and 16): Motion to approve the consent agenda passed 7‑0.

- Item 5 — Resolution nominating a candidate to the Midland Central Appraisal District Board of Directors and directing delivery of the resolution to MCAD: motion to approve carried unanimously (mover: Council Member Calder; seconder: Council Member Norman).

- Item 16 — Preliminary plat (Ottawa Estacado Estates, 91.9 acres, ~74 lots): council took no motion or second at the meeting; staff advised the plat met state requirements and that, absent council action, the preliminary plat will be approved by operation of law after the state shot‑clock expires (see full coverage in separate report).

- Item 18 — Ordinance amending the zoning map (Lot 1B Block 163 Werschel Park edition to RR Regional Retail) — second reading; motion carried unanimously.

- Item 19 — Ordinance amending zoning map (Crest Gate area to RR Regional Retail) — motion carried unanimously.

- Item 20 — Ordinance adding a prohibition on standing/remaining in certain areas of streets/sidewalks (public‑safety measure) — motion carried unanimously (maximum penalty $500).

- Items 21 & 22 — Public hearings on oil & gas well permit applications (Pioneer Natural Resources): public hearings held; no council action required at the hearings.

- Item 23 — Rezoning to TH (townhouse/attached dwelling) at 3100 Sunburst Drive — motion carried unanimously.

- Item 24 — Rezoning application (Austin Street/Princeton Ave area) — council deferred the item to allow staff and applicant to meet with neighbors and explore design/traffic access options; motion to defer passed 7‑0.

- Item 25 — Ordinance creating a Residential Overlay District No. 1 (approx. 100.84 acres) to allow SF‑3 development and reduce corner‑lot width requirement (to 50 ft) in the designated area — motion carried unanimously. Council members said the measure will remove barriers that previously required repeated rezoning applications for single‑family infill.

- Item 26 — Amendments to subdivision and platting code (remove sketch plat step, formalize submittal calendar, allow limited administrative plat approvals per state law, insert groundwater availability requirement when groundwater is proposed): motion carried unanimously. Staff said removing the sketch‑plat step reduces average process time by ~63 days for plats.

- Item 27 — Amendments to residential building code to add construction‑site debris and cleanliness provisions (aligns residential code with existing commercial code): motion carried unanimously.

- Items 28–30 — Specific use designations (SUDs) to allow on‑premises sale of alcohol tied to proposed new restaurants or event venues at identified addresses: all motions carried unanimously after public hearings and staff recommendations.

- Item 31 — Special exception for reduced lot width (corner lot) to allow single‑family construction pending rezoning — motion carried unanimously.

- Items 32–34 — Additional rezonings (various lots to SF‑3 or CB or RR as described in staff reports): motions carried unanimously.

- Items 35–37 — Resolutions/orders finding three vacant single‑family residences to be substandard and ordering owners to abate or allow the city to abate if they do not comply (addresses public‑safety and nuisance issues near schools and neighborhoods). Council approved orders unanimously; staff said the city will work with property owners where possible and lien costs back if the city abates.

- Item 39 — Council approved a letter of support for the Boys & Girls Club of the Permian Basin’s planned expansion and authorized the mayor to execute the letter on the council’s behalf (motion carried unanimously).

How votes were taken: Most motions recorded the mover and seconder on the record; where staff had already given public notice and a Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation, council moved to approve after the public hearing. Several items were second readings with prior discussion. Where council deferred (Item 24) staff will meet the applicant and neighbors to explore traffic and access solutions.

If readers want detail: council packets and the city’s published minutes include the full ordinances, staff reports and Planning & Zoning recommendations for each item; the planning items that were approved administratively or by operation of law are detailed in staff submissions included in the packet available on the city website.