Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Compiled from the record with an editorWednesday: the Sept. 17 council packet is posted, and it puts numbers on tomorrow's votes: a 77-foot gap in the Shell alcohol variance, a $20 food truck registration, $300 short-term rental permits, and the golf cart rules a licensed driver would have to meet
Why it matters. The 93-page packet, posted on CivicClerk, carries the staff memos behind every item on tomorrow's agenda, the draft food truck and fee-schedule documents for the work session, and the Sept. 3 minutes the council will be asked to approve, which record the votes on the Oncor and Atmos steering committees, the Axon agreement and the 112 Robert Street rezoning.
The city secretary's memo says Aledo Shell, 401 S FM 1187, applied for a Wine and Malt Beverage Retail Dealer's Off-Premise Permit; the code prohibits alcohol sales within 300 feet of a school, the store sits across the street from Aledo Middle School and Vandagriff Elementary, and the property-line distance is approximately 77 feet, so the council must grant a variance under Section 14-137(f) for the permit to proceed. The police chief's memos say Ordinance 2026-O-24 would allow golf carts on streets posted 35 mph or less, driven by a licensed driver, with a license plate, two headlamps and tail lamps, reflectors, a parking brake, mirrors, a slow-moving-vehicle emblem and proof of insurance, and Ordinance 2026-O-25 would require helmets for riders under 17 on bicycles and e-bikes, with parental accountability. The city manager's work-session memo on food trucks lists the open policy questions, including whether individual trucks may operate outside food truck parks, minimum lot sizes and a proposed $20 annual registration; the draft FY 2027 fee schedule adds a $100 short-term rental application fee, a $300 permit, a $150 renewal and a $65 inspection.
77 feet
the distance, property line to property line, from Aledo Shell at 401 S FM 1187 to the schools across the street, per the city secretary's memo; the code's limit for alcohol sales is 300 feet, and the council may allow a variance More
Source: City of Aledo, Sept. 17, 2026 agenda packet, Item 8a staff memo (City Secretary Staci King)
Weather
Today: sunny, high near 100, with temperatures falling to around 98 in the afternoon, heat index values as high as 102, south wind 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: mostly clear, low around 76. Thursday: mostly sunny, high near 100, heat index values as high as 102.
Source: National Weather Service, Fort Worth, forecast read Sept. 16, 6:35 a.m. CDT; no active alerts for Aledo
The record
The Sept. 17 packet: a 77-foot variance for Aledo Shell, the golf cart and e-bike rules in full, a $20 food truck registration and $300 short-term rental permits on the table, and the Sept. 3 minutes with the Oncor, Axon and Robert Street votes
Item 8a, the public hearing. The city secretary's memo says Aledo Shell contacted her office about an initial application for a Wine and Malt Beverage Retail Dealer's Off-Premise Permit. Section 14-137 prohibits the sale of alcohol within 300 feet of a school, hospital or church, measured in a direct line from property line to property line; the memo says the store is located across the street from Aledo Middle School and Vandagriff Elementary and that the distance is approximately 77 feet. Section 14-137(f) lets the council allow a variance if it makes the findings the code requires. The attachments are the Sept. 1 variance request, the application and a 300-foot buffer list.
Items 9a and 9b, the ordinances. Police Chief Carol Riddle's memo says Ordinance 2026-O-24, drafted after the council's Sept. 3 direction, would allow golf carts on highways with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less, operated by a licensed driver, and would require what state law lists: a license plate from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, two working headlamps and two tail lamps, reflectors, an operational parking brake, mirrors, a slow-moving-vehicle emblem and proof of financial responsibility; it limits riders to the number of seats and addresses farm-to-market roads and roads that are part of the state highway system. Ordinance 2026-O-25 would require riders under 17 to wear a helmet on a bicycle or e-bike, sets parental accountability for offenses by juveniles and references the state rules on e-bike operation and right-of-way. The chief recommends approval of both.
The work session. City Manager Candice Edmondson's memo says the draft food truck ordinance, prepared after the July 16 discussion, would create an annual city registration for individual trucks with requirements on location, parking, signage, noise, waste, insurance and operations, keep food truck parks under a Specific Use Permit, site plan and certificate of occupancy, and leaves policy questions for the council: whether individual trucks may operate outside food truck parks and where, minimum lot sizes, and a proposed $20 annual registration fee. The FY 2027 fee schedule memo says new fees are marked in green, revisions in yellow and removals in red; the draft lists a short-term rental application fee of $100, a permit of $300, a renewal of $150 and inspections at $65, and a $100 contractor registration.
The minutes. The Sept. 3 minutes, on the consent agenda for approval, record that Ordinance 2026-O-23, rezoning 0.242 acres at 112 Robert Street from R-2 to C-2, passed with Todd Covington dissenting; that Resolution 2026-R-15, membership in the Oncor Cities Steering Committee, passed unanimously; that the professional services agreement with Axon Enterprises passed with Covington dissenting; that Covington pulled item 6d from the consent agenda for discussion before the amended consent agenda passed unanimously; and that two residents, Michael Colvard and Brian Trice, addressed the council on golf carts, bicycles and e-bikes. The closed-session memo lists Aledo and Fort Worth vs. Willow Park, the Capital Lane Advisors proposal, Dean Ranch development standards and downtown development for consultation with the attorney.
Read: The packet (PDF, 93 pages) · The agenda, item by item · Sept. 3: golf carts, e-bikes and the water agency · Dean Ranch: the development, the case, every vote
What you can do. The Shell variance is a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aledo Municipal Complex, 200 Old Annetta Rd.; the work session on food trucks and fees is discussion only, and citizens may speak on either during citizen appearances after signing in.
The consent agenda should carry the Sept. 3 minutes, which will show the votes on the $932,729 FM 1187 design contract and the sheriff's-office renewal.
Where it stands: Raised by the police chief June 4; work session Sept. 3. Ordinance No. 2026-O-24 (golf carts, ATVs, off-road, utility and recreational off-road vehicles) and Ordinance No. 2026-O-25 (bicycles and e-bikes) are on the Sept. 17 agenda for approval; the Sept. 3 minutes were not posted as of Sept. 13.
Source: City of Aledo, Regular City Council Meeting, September 17, 2026, Agenda Packet (93 pages, CivicClerk file 3273): staff memos for items 4a, 4b, 7b, 8a, 9a, 9b and 12; draft ordinances; FY 2026-2027 fee schedule; minutes of September 3, 2026. Read Sept. 16.
Ross Fire: InciWeb's incident page lists 93% containment this morning; the Sept. 15 daily update put it at 88% with crews in mop-up and patrol; Parker County stays under a burn ban, one of 213 counties
The Sept. 15 update, posted at 10 a.m., lists the fire at an estimated 90,400 acres and 88% containment with the cause still Equipment Use, Under Investigation; it says crews completed a firing operation and continued mop-up, and that ground crews across all divisions were reinforcing containment and verifying no residual heat near the control line, with continuous patrols along the established line. The incident page's summary figure had moved to 93% by this morning's read. The Texas A&M Forest Service's county list, stamped 9/15/2026 12:11:10 PM, carries 213 counties under a burn ban, Parker among them.
Read: Parker County burn ban, live
Where it stands: 90,400 acres in Palo Pinto County, 83% contained as of InciWeb's Sept. 12 update; cause listed as equipment use, under investigation. Parker County remains under a burn ban, one of 209 counties on the Forest Service list stamped 9/11/2026.
Source: InciWeb, Ross Fire Daily Update, Sept. 15, 2026, 10 a.m., and the Ross Fire incident page read Sept. 16; Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Burn Bans county list, 9/15/2026 12:11:10 PM
The Coaches Show: Robby Jones on the Trinity win and on Granbury, which he says has a big line, a big tight end and a dual-threat quarterback; the Bearcats open district play Friday at 7 p.m.
On Monday's Aledo Coaches Show on 92.1 Hank FM, head coach Robby Jones said the defense stood up to a Trinity team that likes to run right at you, that the offense was consistent in a way the staff had preached all week, and that Tre Williams' game was the best ball he has thrown as a Bearcat; Jones said he talked with Williams leaving the field about what to carry forward and called it a learning curve. He said the two return touchdowns called back in two weeks, Jordan Hall's kickoff return against Midway and Cooper Hull's punt return against Trinity, were lost to blocks behind the play that the team has to clean up, and credited the punting's hang time and the pooch kickoffs. On Granbury, Jones and the hosts said the Pirates, coached by Bobby Allison, formerly the defensive coordinator at Justin Northwest, put up nearly 600 yards in their win over Irving, have a big offensive line and a big tight end, and are led by dual-threat quarterback Caleb Johnson, described on the show as more than 430 yards passing and nearly 300 rushing with 11 total touchdowns. The show's guests were senior safeties Cooper Hull and Blaine Fisher, who said the defense's fourth-down stand after the opening interception set the tone. The hosts noted the district winning streak the Bearcats carry into Friday, 135 games dating to 2007, and that the game airs on Hank FM with kickoff at 7.
Read: Aledo vs Granbury: the game page, with Granbury scouted from MaxPreps · District 3-6A standings · Game day: tickets, bags, tailgating, BNN
Where it stands: First season in Class 6A; 1-2 after the 31-7 win at Euless Trinity on Sept. 11, following the 26-0 loss at North Crowley and the 28-21 loss to Waco Midway, per MaxPreps. District play opens Sept. 18 at Granbury.
Source: Aledo Bearcats Coaches Show, Episode 4, Season 4, posted Sept. 15, 2026 (92.1 Hank FM), transcribed by the Ledger and read as text; player names as the MaxPreps roster lists them. Granbury's figures are as stated on the show and were not checked against MaxPreps for this item.
Coming up
Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m.: Aledo City Council, Aledo Municipal Complex, 200 Old Annetta Rd.
The packet above: the Shell variance hearing, the golf cart and e-bike ordinances, the food truck and fee-schedule work session, the investment policy, and the settlement and Dean Ranch items in closed session.
Source: City of Aledo, CivicClerk
Friday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m.: Bearcats at Granbury, district opener
What you can do. BNN streams it; Hank FM carries it; the Ledger has the score, the standings and the radio account Saturday morning.
Where it stands: First season in Class 6A; 1-2 after the 31-7 win at Euless Trinity on Sept. 11, following the 26-0 loss at North Crowley and the 28-21 loss to Waco Midway, per MaxPreps. District play opens Sept. 18 at Granbury.
Source: per MaxPreps and Aledo ISD Athletics
Friday, Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m.: Bearcats volleyball at Arlington
Source: per Aledo ISD Athletics
Friday, Sept. 18: last day of Willow Park's application window for its Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee, per the Sept. 8 packet's briefing sheet
Source: Ledger daily edition of Sept. 9, from the City of Willow Park Sept. 8 agenda packet, Item 15
Monday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Parker County Transportation Town Hall #1, Peaster Intermediate School Cafeteria, 3401 Harwell Lake Rd, Weatherford
Source: Parker County, News Flash posted Sept. 8
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 9 a.m.: Parker County Commissioners Court votes on the 2026 tax rate; 6 p.m.: Transportation Town Hall #2, Weatherford High School Cafeteria
Source: Ledger calendar, from the county's notices
Tools
Know an Aledo household who would find this useful? Forward it to them. They can subscribe free in about 20 seconds: aledoledger.com/subscribe. · Send the Ledger your news.