Wylie council accepts clean audit, updates fees and OKs two public-art commissions; discusses Corps lease and manufactured‑home proposal

Wylie City Council on Jan. 28 accepted the city's annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year 2023–24, approved an ordinance updating the city's comprehensive fee schedule and voted to commission two bronze sculptures for the municipal walking trails. In work sessions the council discussed a possible long‑term lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for East Fork and Avalon parks and extensively reviewed a proposed manufactured‑home community on property at the northeast corner of East FM 544 and Allen East Drive.

The most consequential item of the evening for taxpayers was the auditor's presentation on the city's 2024 financial statements. John DeVarro, audit partner for Weaver LLP, told the council the firm had issued an unmodified opinion on the financial statements and a separate report on internal control and compliance with "no findings, no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies." DeVarro said governmental revenues for fiscal 2024 totaled about $78.7 million, ad valorem tax revenue rose by roughly $3.5 million, and capital outlay spending increased substantially as large projects progressed.

City staff presented the audits and the city's annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) in the meeting packet and the council voted to accept the ACFR following the presentation.

Votes at a glance: - Acceptance of annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2023–24. Motion to approve by Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Forrester; second by Councilman Scott Williams. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved. - Approval of Ordinance No. 2025‑08 (amendments to comprehensive fee schedule: garbage/trash/brush, planning and zoning, police, public library and municipal court fees). Motion to approve by Councilmember Gina Maleche; second by Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Forrester. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved. - Approval of contract not to exceed $59,190 for artist Sunny/"Sonny" Behan (presentation packet listed Sunny Bahan) to install "Echoes of the Prairie" for municipal walking trails Phase 3, including the final design as amended. Motion to approve by Councilmember Gina Maleche; second by Councilman Scott Williams. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved. - Approval of contract not to exceed $60,000 for artist Seth Vandible (presented as Seth Vandel / Seth Vanderbilt/Vandible in the record) to install a companion sculpture, "Prairie Hunter," for municipal walking trails Phase 3. Motion to approve by Councilman Scott Williams; second by Councilman Dave Strang. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved. - Consent agenda (various routine items) approved. Motion by Councilmember Gina Maleche; second by Councilman David R. Duke. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved.

Why it matters The clean audit preserves the city's public financial transparency and indicates Weaver LLP found the city's audited statements "fairly presented in all material respects" and no reportable control deficiencies. The fee schedule ordinance aligns city code with current contract rates and updates several departmental fees; the art commissions use dedicated public‑art festival revenues rather than the general tax levy, according to staff. The Corps lease discussion and the manufactured‑home proposal could affect recreational access, land use, infrastructure needs and future annexation decisions.

Audit and finances: what the auditors said John DeVarro of Weaver LLP summarized the firm's risk‑based audit work and highlighted that the city received a clean opinion. He reported the city's governmental revenues of about $78.7 million, noting ad valorem and sales tax increases and a decline in intergovernmental revenue tied to prior ARPA spending. DeVarro said governmental fund expenditures rose about $29.9 million from the prior year, primarily because capital outlay climbed as projects advanced. He also noted the general fund's unassigned fund balance represented 43.8% of general fund expenditures, and the water and sewer enterprise showed a $7 million increase in net position driven by higher operating revenues and increased interest income.

Public art commissions The council approved two companion bronze sculptures for Phase 3 of the municipal walking trails behind the municipal complex and recreation center. The Public Arts Advisory Board presented the selections. Artist Sonny/"Sunny" Behan described a large bronze titled "Echoes of the Prairie," designed to reference local natural heritage; his presentation noted the piece would be cast via a foundry the artist uses in Cape Town and finished with a white patina and polished antlers.

Sculptor Seth Vandible (presented under variant spellings in the record) proposed a life‑size bronze "Prairie Hunter" representing a Caddo Native American hunter as a companion piece to the deer sculpture. Vandible said his work aims for historical accuracy in clothing, jewelry and accoutrements. Council members discussed coordination between the two pieces; the selection panel included Jeremy Zahn (noted in the record as Tunac and Choctaw) and staff said they had reached out to the Caddo Mound Museum in Alto, Texas, and a language specialist there to confirm authenticity. Council voted to approve both commissions as presented and included the final design changes discussed during the meeting.

Corps of Engineers lease — direction to staff In a work session the council discussed a Corps of Engineers feasibility study and the Corps's interest in entering a long‑term lease (staff said the Corps was considering a 50‑year term as an example). The Corps will finish its study by late July and will route the recommendation through its internal channels. Councilmembers expressed general support for providing a nonbinding letter of intent so the Corps can proceed with its review; staff indicated the letter would not commit the city to an agreement and that federal approval processes would follow. Councilmembers asked staff to explore longer terms than 50 years and emphasized that any city investment would require clarity on lease length and conditions.

Vicina Manufactured Home Development — extended work‑session review The council held a lengthy work session with First Step Homes (representatives: Kyle Verla and founder David Zulekich) on a proposed manufactured‑home community for property currently outside Wylie city limits and inside the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The developer's concept included annexation with a planned development (PD) zoning, 239 proposed units (including about 28 tiny homes), a clubhouse, pool, gym, pickleball and playgrounds, and replacement of an existing 90‑space RV park on the site.

Council members and staff raised multiple concerns and asked for revisions rather than endorsing the plan as presented. The principal issues discussed were: - Density and lot size: council members stated the proposal's density and lot dimensions differ from Wylie's comprehensive‑plan land‑use expectations for the area and noted the proposed lots are substantially smaller than standard single‑family lot sizes and Wylie's usual manufactured‑home lot standards. Several councilmembers asked the developer to increase lot sizes and to include more double‑wide homes rather than duplex configurations. - Infrastructure and sewer capacity: the site is not within the city's current sewer CCN. Staff and the developer acknowledged a sewer capacity study would be required before annexation or service could be approved; developers indicated they would be responsible for any necessary upgrades if the system required augmentation. - Traffic, access and road construction: the developer proposed extending Alanis Drive (Allen East Drive) to provide a primary entrance and said roughly 6,000 square feet of property or an easement would be needed from an adjacent owner (identified in the record as Veritas Church) to complete the intersection. Several councilmembers emphasized the need for clarity on who would build and fund offsite road improvements and timing tied to reconstruction of FM 544. - Schools and community impact: councilmembers asked about school‑district impact and property‑value concerns for nearby single‑family neighborhoods; developers said they had started conversations with the school system and that the superintendent had been favorable in preliminary contacts.

Council direction and next steps on the development Councilmembers generally praised the developer's product and amenities but asked the team to revise the plan to address density, lot sizing, unit mix (add double wides), sewer capacity, and access/road agreements before staff and the developer proceed with formal annexation and PD submittals. Staff noted that, because the property currently sits in the county, the developer could pursue county subdivision approvals, but adding the development to the city would require conformity with Wylie processes and a service plan.

What the council did not do No formal action was taken on the Corps lease or on the manufactured‑home proposal; both were work‑session items. The council recessed into executive session under Texas Government Code Section 551.071 for consultation with the city attorney on Trinity Valley Ranch LLC v. City of Wylie (cause number noted in the record) and returned to open session with no reportable action.

Ending Council members said materials from the meeting (including the ACFR and the public‑art brochures) are available in the meeting packet for residents who want to review details. Staff will prepare a nonbinding letter of intent for the Corps study if the council desires, and the developer of the Vicina project was advised to return with a revised plan that responds to council concerns before formal annexation and zoning applications.