by carla gray
carla@themonitor.net

TOOL‑The Tool City Council met Sept. 17 for its monthly meeting, where residents raised concerns about the proposed Live Oak Vista development on property identified in Henderson County records as ID #230004. After meeting in executive session, the council decided not to enter into a letter of intent with the developer.
During the public hearings, several residents asked the council to place a hold on agenda item 15: “Consider and Discuss a Planned Development consideration for Live Oak Vista, located at Property ID #230004, as identified in Henderson County Appraisal District Records.” According to the agenda summary which was provided in the council packet, staff had been approached by a group seeking to invest in Live Oak Vista, a 79-acre development along Joe DuPree Road within the Tool city limits.
The property is currently zoned RA-Agricultural. The proposed planned development would divide the 79.36 acres into four tracts designated for residential, business and multifamily uses. According to the project representatives MMA Engineering and developer Tufan Kilinc.
Mayor Vera Bennett opened the discussion by urging the council to slow the process and establish a development review committee. “We need to have people look at this and get some answers to your questions. We need to look deep into this I’m not saying I’m against it. We need to know how we’re going to do this if we’re going to do this, and if it’s going to work for us. There are so many unanswered questions. I’m asking this council to table this. Let’s get a committee together. Let’s have more people talking to these developers and let’s get a plan that will work for the developers and work for the city, that’s in the best interest of the city and put the brakes on this just a little bit.”
Council Member Robert Sykes said Tool lacks the resources to negotiate a development of this size. He suggested hiring a company to represent the city and negotiate on its behalf.
Council Member Greg Figueroa said the city should follow its established process while recognizing that investors are willing to invest in Tool. He added that officials must proceed responsibly and that residents should trust them to negotiate on the city’s behalf. Figueroa stated, “But at the end of the day, I will tell you that this project will not cost this city any upfront money. And any money that’s paid by the city is going to be all from new tax revenue. If the project generates a dollar, let’s just say it’s a 50/50 split, the city gets 50 cents, the developers get 50 cents until they’re paid back. So, this is still all up in the air, but I don’t plan on negotiating anything that’s not where the city has any upfront money. So, I’m asking you to be patient. Let the process work out. Tonight’s the first step, it’s for discussion.”
Bobby Gaddis, a civil engineer with MMA Engineering, told the council that the firm has worked on the project for nearly two years. “The developer engaged us to start having a lot of the concerns that are addressed here, traffic, drainage, just the general conceptual engineering, linear engineering of this development. We have done a traffic study that’s gone to TXDOT, this is all part of the process, and we will have to present that, and it’s required by the city to present all of that engineering.”
Gaddis said the immediate goal is to secure zoning that would separate the property for a variety of uses. “So that’s what we’re looking for tonight is just feedback on that document and any of the uses that are allowed in there, setbacks, anything like that that we can take back to take a look at and see what revisions may need to be made or adjustments in order to incorporate any comments in there,” Gaddis stated. 
When the council reconvened after executive session, Bennett announced that it had decided not to enter into a letter of intent. Instead, the council would move forward with the zoning process as quickly as possible.

In other business, the council:
• Approved a contract with Jantech Solutions for IT services in city hall in the amount of $400 a month.
• Heard from Malakoff Chief Academic Officer Brandi Sutton concerning the VATER.
• Was introduced to the new City Controller Jonathan Wilson
• Heard the maintenance barn was nearing completion.
• Heard from Traffic Engineer Jody Short concerning Plantation Drive.
• Approved installation of curve sign, pavement markers and yellow double lines in the middle of Plantation Drive
• Approved Michael Fladmark for Henderson County Appraisal District Board of Directors.
• Approved Notice of Election for the General Election on November 3, 2026.
• Approved 2024-2025 fiscal year audit.
• Approved Y.W.R.D., PC for auditing services.