Waxahachie council approves audit, zoning permits, water and park projects

The Waxahachie City Council unanimously accepted the city's annual comprehensive financial report and single audit for the year ended Sept. 30, 2024, and approved a slate of zoning, water, infrastructure and parks contracts during a regularly scheduled meeting.

The council opened the meeting with a presentation from Pattillo Brown & Hill, whose audit partner Paula Lau told the council the firm had issued an "unmodified opinion" on the city's financial statements, commonly called a clean opinion. Finance Director Chad Tusteson introduced the new assistant director, Anna Dunn, and staff described healthy fund balances in the general fund and positive unrestricted net position in enterprise funds, including water and wastewater.

Beyond the audit, council actions included specific use permits for an electronic message center at 2271 N. U.S. 77 and an oversized accessory structure on Howard Road, approval of a short-term rental permit at 302 Farley Street, a set of engineering and construction contracts for water and dam work, a raw-water purchase contract, a replacement of membrane modules at the Sokol water plant, a playground replacement contract, and authorization to pursue eminent domain to acquire a 518-square-foot sewer easement on property at 1413 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

City staff said the South Prong Dam spillway shows longitudinal and horizontal cracking; a consultant recommended removing the top 12 inches of roller compacted…