Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment Decorum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Heated public comments over petition and decorum overshadow Willow Park council meeting
Summary
A contentious public-comment period at Willow Park's March 10 council meeting reignited debate over a petition that halted the Squaw Creek infrastructure project and prompted calls for clearer decorum and legal guidance on removing speakers.
Amy Fennell, a former Willow Park council member, used the public-comment period to accuse the mayor of undermining past council achievements and of not behaving like a mayor, touching off repeated interruptions by the presiding official. "Shortly after you took office, people started calling me," Fennell said, criticizing leadership changes and alleging inconsistent accounts surrounding security footage.
The mayor repeatedly warned Fennell about decorum and directed staff to enforce the council's public-comment rules; a council member attempted to appeal the chair's ruling and the council took a short recess. After reconvening, Fennell resumed and continued to press allegations about the mayor's conduct. Several members of the public later addressed related concerns: Shannon Brown urged the council to avoid silencing speakers and requested the city attorney review potential First Amendment issues; Carol Wagner criticized a citizens' petition that she said killed the Squaw Creek project and cited engineering costs and water-loss figures; and Bill Green defended the petitioners as holding leaders accountable.
Wagner told the council that the Squaw Creek project required water-line replacements and ditch and culvert work and said the city had experienced over 1.8 million gallons of water loss from six leaks in 2024–25. She warned that postponing the project could expose the city to interest-rate risk and higher costs in the future. "If interest rates go up by 0.5%, the city will pay an additional $500,000 to $600,000 in interest," Wagner said, summarizing an argument for moving forward with the project.
Shannon Brown, who identified herself as a Willow Park resident, urged consistent application of decorum rules and recommended that the city attorney advise council on free-speech implications of removing speakers: "Cities can enforce decorum rules, but they cannot use them to silence criticism," she said, citing a Texas Open Meetings Act FAQ.
The council did not take formal action tied directly to the public comments during the meeting. Council members and staff indicated an interest in reviewing decorum rules and seeking legal guidance where appropriate; a future agenda item on decorum was requested.
Ending: The council closed the meeting after an executive session and announced several follow-up items for future agendas, including a review of decorum rules and possible further action related to infrastructure projects.
