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Wise County Committee on Aging wins replat approval; board asks council for help after $200,000 federal cut
Summary
Council approved a replat allowing the Wise County Committee on Aging to rebuild its Decatur senior center; the group told council it faces a roughly $200,000 reduction in federal funding and is seeking support and space for a larger facility and kitchen.
The City of Decatur approved a replat (RP25‑0005) for property at 1200 North Miller Street that will allow the Wise County Committee on Aging (Meals on Wheels) to demolish and rebuild its senior‑service building. Council also took the first reading of a specific‑use permit (SUP25‑0002) required to operate a philanthropic use in a single‑family zoning district.
Planning Director Lisa Hannon described the replat as a legal reconfiguration of Lot 5R, Block 3 (about 0.847 acres) that includes a dedication of right‑of‑way for North Miller Street. Staff said the parcel meets subdivision standards and noted that a SUP application for the philanthropic use is running concurrently with the replat. Fourteen property owners were notified; staff received no written objections.
Shelby Hicks, speaking on behalf of the Wise County Committee on Aging board, outlined the group's services and financial challenges. Hicks said the organization serves roughly 450 county seniors and prepares about 68,000 meals annually. She told the council the program currently spends about $8.85 per meal and has recently lost approximately $200,000 in federal funding that the group previously relied on. Hicks said the loss led to cutbacks in the number of service days and portion sizes and that the organization is pursuing a plan for a new centralized facility with an on‑site kitchen to improve efficiency and services.
Hicks said the organization operates in multiple locations and would prefer a single facility in Decatur that could house a kitchen and congregate services; she described staff and board plans to evaluate the roughly one‑acre property and pursue fundraising for construction.
Council members thanked the group for its long service and asked clarifying questions about the scale of operations, how frequently meals are delivered and which funding source was cut. Hicks and board representatives said the funding reduction came through the North Central Texas Council of Governments and described the cuts as federal in origin.
Council approved the replat by motion; the SUP was presented as a first reading of the ordinance and will return for subsequent readings required for final approval.
What happens next: the committee will continue its SUP application process and work with staff on site planning. Council members discussed possible support options but did not commit city funding at this meeting.
