Snyder City Council renews chamber tourism contract, approves equipment purchase and several routine reports; new grant project outlined

Snyder City Council on Feb. 2025 renewed its publicity and tourism agreement with the Snyder Chamber of Commerce, approved several routine financial and operational items and discussed a Texas Community Development Block Grant project that will repair streets in a low-income area on the north side of town.

The council voted unanimously to renew the publicity and tourism agreement after amending the proposed contract to set administrative pay for the chamber at $17,000 per month and limit that amount to no more than 50% of total hotel occupancy tax (HOT) funds. The council also approved a purchase order for a Caterpillar CB4.4 utility compactor for the street department at $89,650 and accepted the Snyder Fire Department's required 2024 racial-profiling report.

The chamber's quarterly and annual HOT (hotel occupancy tax) reports were presented during the meeting. The chamber reported fourth-quarter HOT revenue of $177,921.85 and annual HOT receipts to the chamber of $616,173.05 for 2024. Chamber representatives described plans to add three events in 2025 (a pickleball tournament, a gravel bike race and an additional tournament) and to pursue volunteers and partnerships if those events are awarded. Councilors requested that the chamber's proposed 2025 budget be revised to align with the city fiscal period that ends Sept. 30 and tabled final approval of that budget until the revision is provided.

Council members received an update on a Texas Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project (CDBG CDB23-0066 as referenced by staff) that will address streets in a north-side area bounded roughly by Huffman and College avenues. Staff said the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will take about six months to complete an environmental review; designs are under way with a consultant, and staff estimated bidding this summer with an award around November and construction likely to begin in January. A council member asked whether the grant requires a local match; staff said the grant amount in discussion was $50,000.

Councilors also discussed a recently acquired city parcel at 2425 College Avenue (the lot north of the former Brownfield Building). Staff asked whether the council wanted a community survey or other public input on reuse; councilors directed staff to gather community input and took no formal action on a specific reuse, leaving options such as a park or traffic improvements open for later consideration.

On public safety and code matters, the council took first-reading action to repeal and replace Article 5.045 (the fire prevention code) of the Snyder Code of Ordinances and adopt the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code with local amendments. Staff said the city currently enforces the 2015 edition and that moving to the 2021 edition aligns inspectors and reduces confusion for business applicants. Among the local changes noted, food trucks would have 36 months to comply with hood and suppression requirements; staff referenced statewide guidance and recent industry incidents discussed at fire marshal conferences. The ordinance passed first reading unanimously.

The council accepted the Snyder Fire Department's annual racial-profiling report for 2024 and voted to approve it. Fire Department presenter Keith Pines told the council the department logged six traffic stops included in the profiling report and said, "We're busy, man," in describing patrol activity.

Financial items on the agenda were approved by unanimous votes. Staff presented the monthly financial report for December showing $2,280,000 in revenue and $2,510,000 in expenditures for the period, yielding a reported deficit of $224,965; the report noted that the period included $315,774 of sales tax and that the city had collected 62% of budgeted property tax. The quarterly investment report for the period ending Dec. 31, 2024, showed $5,697,000 invested with $65,689 earned in interest and an average CD interest rate of 5.15%.

The council also ordered a general election for May 3, 2025, to elect the mayor and two council members at large.

Other business: the council approved a resolution nominating Jimmy McMillan to serve on the Scurry County Appraisal District board of directors; staff described McMillan as having lengthy local experience on agricultural and soil boards. No objections were raised and the nomination resolution was approved.

An executive session under Texas Government Code —7551.071 (consultation with attorney) addressed the publicity and tourism agreement; council returned from executive session at about 6:55 p.m. with no immediate action beyond the contract changes described above.

Votes at a glance

- Purchase of Caterpillar CB4.4 utility compactor, $89,650 (street department): approved (motion and second recorded; vote reported as unanimous; individual roll-call votes not stated in the public record).

- Resolution R250203a: nomination of Jimmy McMillan to Scurry County Appraisal District board of directors: approved (unanimous; individual votes not stated).

- Resolution R250203b: adopt policies in connection with Texas CDBG CDB23-0066 grant (project area on north part of town): approved (motion and second; vote unanimous).

- Acceptance of Snyder Fire Department 2024 racial-profiling annual report: approved (unanimous).

- Ordinance (first reading) repealing and replacing Article 5.045 to adopt 2021 International Fire Code with local amendments: approved on first reading (unanimous).

- Monthly financial report for December: approved (unanimous).

- Quarterly investment report (quarter ending 12/31/2024): approved (unanimous).

- Order general election for 05/03/2025 (mayor and two at-large council seats): approved (unanimous).

- Renewal of publicity and tourism agreement between Snyder City and the Snyder Chamber of Commerce with amendment (administration payment set at $17,000 per month, not to exceed 50% of HOT funds): approved (unanimous).

What happened next / context

Councilors asked staff to revise the Chamber's proposed 2025 budget to align the contract and the chamber budget with the city fiscal period ending Sept. 30; final budget approval for the chamber was tabled pending that revision. Councilors also directed staff to pursue a community input process (survey or forum) for planning reuse of the city-owned lot at 2425 College Avenue.

Who spoke (selected)

- Mayor Campbell, Mayor, Snyder City Council (presided) - Councilman Dominguez, Councilmember, Snyder City Council - Jimmy McMillan, nominee to Scurry County Appraisal District board (citizen) - Jackie Martin, name recorded as having submitted a nomination (affiliation not specified in the record) - Keith Pines, Fire Chief, Snyder Fire Department - Sandra, Snyder Chamber of Commerce representative (first name only in record) - Eli, staff member (first name only in record) - Kelly (first name only; multiple staff/visitor references in record)

Why this matters

The publicity and tourism agreement controls how Snyder spends a portion of hotel occupancy tax revenue used to promote tourism and events. The contract amendment and the council's request to align the chamber budget with the city fiscal year set the administrative payments and the timetable for future approvals. The CDBG project signals federally funded street repairs in a low-income area; staff outlined an environmental-review and design timeline that could put construction work into early 2026. Adoption of the newer fire code has implications for how restaurants and mobile-food vendors comply with hood and suppression requirements going forward.

Ending note

Most votes were unanimous and routine items were approved without extended debate. The council tabled final action on the chamber's 2025 budget to allow staff to revise the document to match the city fiscal-year period and to reflect the contract changes approved at the meeting.