Trophy Club council workshops town rules for group homes, seeks registration and inspection path

Trophy Club councilmembers on Monday held a workshop to review proposed regulatory changes for assisted-living facilities, community homes and unregulated group homes and to seek direction for ordinance language, registration and inspection procedures.

Town staff said the review is part of the council’s 2024 business goals to establish permitting best practices for senior group homes and boarding homes and to align local rules with state law. Tamara Smith, assistant town manager, briefed council and residents on current ordinance gaps, proposed registration and inspection requirements and a reasonable-accommodation application and appeal path.

"This is not an action oriented, no action on this," Mayor Jeanette Tiffany said at the start of the workshop, noting the session was for discussion and to prepare the town for future permit requests.

The presentation summarized existing regulatory distinctions in Trophy Club’s code: assisted-living facilities (ALFs) are licensed under Chapter 247 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, convalescent homes are regulated under Chapter 242 and Chapter 554 and by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, while "group homes" for people with disabilities are currently unregulated in local code. Smith and legal staff recommended harmonizing town definitions with state law, adding registration and annual inspections tied to…