City Council Briefs
City grants Cub Scouts 50-year lease on Scout Hut The City of Olney has approved a long-term lease that will allow Cub Scout Pack 414 to restore and maintain the Scout Hut at Tom Griffin Park, breathing new life into a building that has sat largely unused for years.
The City Council unanimously approved the agreement during its July 13 meeting after several weeks of discussion and revisions to protect both the city’s interests and the Scouts’ investment in the property.
The lease grants the Cub Scouts use of the building and the immediate surrounding area for 50 years at a cost of $1 per year, with an option to renew. Under the agreement, the Scouts assume responsibility for renovating the building, maintaining it, paying utilities and ensuring it remains safe for children and other users. Major improvements will require approval from City Administrator Andy Wolfe before construction begins.
City Attorney Dan Branum told council members he modeled the lease after similar agreements used by other organizations while tailoring it to the unique situation of a public building located within a city park.
“The goal of it is to give them the right to go to that building and kind of the immediate surrounding area, fix it up,” Mr. Branum said, noting that nearly all responsibility for improvements rests with the Scouts.
Cubmaster Chris Garcia said the organization hopes to eventually expand beyond its recently re-established Cub Scout pack by creating a troop for older youth. He asked whether the lease would remain valid if that transition occurred years down the road.
Mr. Branum said the agreement specifically acknowledges the Scouts’ plans to expand and that, if necessary, the lease could be amended in the future with City Council approval. City officials emphasized they would not unreasonably withhold permission for such a change should it become necessary.
Mr. Garcia also asked about the timeline for beginning renovations.
Mayor Rue Rogers said the lease became effective immediately upon council approval, allowing the Scouts to begin planning work as soon as funding is secured. Mr. Garcia said the organization intends to hire licensed professionals for electrical and structural work while volunteers handle painting and landscaping.
Council members praised the effort to restore one of the park’s longtime buildings.
“It’s going to be good to see that building come back to life and be utilized,” Mayor Rogers said before the unanimous vote.
The Scout Hut has long served generations of Olney youth but has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The lease provides the Scouts with the stability needed to seek grants, donations and volunteer labor while ensuring the building remains a community asset for decades to come.
Altmillers buy lot with plans for teacher housing A vacant, tax-foreclosed property on West Hamilton Street will soon return to the tax rolls after the Olney City Council approved its sale to Dustin and Rebecca Altmiller, who hope to eventually build rental housing for teachers and coaches.
The council unanimously accepted the couple’s bid of $10,002.02 for the property at 402 W. Hamilton St., exceeding the minimum required bid of $8,962.46. The lot is located directly behind Allsups and across the street from the Altmillers’ home.
Mayor Rue Rogers said the couple intends to first construct a fence along the alley behind the convenience store to reduce trash blown onto the property during strong north winds. Their longer-term goal is to build a small rental home that could provide housing for prospective teachers or coaches recruited by Olney ISD.
Dustin Altmiller serves as Olney ISD’s athletic director and head football coach.
The property includes a storage shed previously used by the city’s Public Works Department to store pipe and other materials before the department moved to its current facility. City officials said the materials have since been removed and the building cleaned out.
City Attorney Dan Branum said the proposal reflects the council’s longstanding goal of returning tax-foreclosed properties to productive use rather than allowing them to sit vacant or pass repeatedly through speculative ownership.
He noted that previous councils modified the city’s bidding process to require prospective buyers to explain how they intended to improve tax-foreclosed properties.
“I think this is probably a pretty good situation,” Mr. Branum said. “You’ve got a neighbor that wants to purchase a property... It’s a property that’s going to come onto the tax rolls and stay on the tax rolls.”
City Administrator Andy Wolfe agreed, saying every opportunity to place abandoned property back into productive use benefits the community.
The property is currently appraised at about $11,130, according to city officials. Once improved, it will continue generating property tax revenue while addressing a local need for workforce housing.
Council approves twoyear contract for Branum The Olney City Council voted unanimously July 13 to approve a new employment contract for City Attorney Dan Branum following a brief executive session.
Council members met in closed session for approximately 19 minutes to conduct contract negotiations with Mr. Branum before returning to open session to consider action.
Following the executive session, Councilman Steven Nurre moved to approve the agreement with one amendment, reducing the proposed contract term from 36 months to 24 months. The motion received a second from Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Stennett and passed unanimously.
Mayor Rue Rogers thanked Mr. Branum for his continued service following the vote.
“Thank you, Dan. Good to have you here,” Mayor Rogers said.
Mr. Branum was appointed city attorney earlier this year following the retirement of longtime City Attorney Bill Myers, who served the City of Olney for nearly five decades. Since taking office, Mr. Branum has assisted the council with a variety of legal matters, including economic development projects, real estate transactions, contract negotiations and municipal ordinances.
The new agreement provides the city with continuity in its legal representation as Olney continues work on several major initiatives, including housing development, tax increment reinvestment zones, water infrastructure improvements and downtown revitalization efforts.
OPD Trains 2nd Code Enforcement Officer As Olney continues to invest in housing, downtown redevelopment and economic growth, Police Chief Bryan Barrett says the city is placing renewed emphasis on code enforcement— not to punish residents, but to improve neighborhoods one property at a time.
In an interview following the July 13 City Council meeting, Chief Barrett said the department has added a police officer who will also serve as a code enforcement officer, giving the city additional resources to address neglected properties, nuisance violations and absentee ownership.
Chief Barrett said the city’s philosophy will emphasize education and voluntary compliance before enforcement whenever possible.
“Our goal is to help the community be a better community,” he said.
He compared the effort to the “broken windows theory,” the idea that well-maintained neighborhoods encourage residents to take pride in their surroundings.
“If I fix up my property, my neighbor feels obligated to fix up their property,” Chief Barrett said. “We need to make having trashy property not acceptable.”
Chief Barrett said many violations can be corrected with a simple conversation or written notice rather than citations.
“If it’s somebody that needs our help, let’s help them,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just an encouragement. Sometimes it’s a door hanger or a certified letter that says, ‘Hey, you’re out of compliance here. Fix this, please.’” One of the challenges, he said, is dealing with owners who no longer live in Olney but continue to own deteriorating property.
“There are a lot of folks that own property and don’t even live here,” he said. “They need to have some investment in our community as far as taking care of their property or getting rid of it.”
Chief Barrett acknowledged the city has numerous properties needing attention but said the department intends to prioritize the worst cases while working cooperatively with owners whenever possible.
The expanded code enforcement effort comes as the city is working to encourage new housing construction and attract additional economic investment. City leaders have repeatedly emphasized that improving neighborhoods and returning neglected properties to productive use are important parts of Olney’s long-term development strategy.
Council maintains retirement contribution above required minimum Olney will continue making employer retirement contributions above the state-required minimum after the City Council voted July 13 to keep its Texas Municipal Retirement System contribution rate unchanged for the coming year.
City Administrator Andy Wolfe told council members the city’s retirement fund remains exceptionally healthy, currently funded at approximately 117 percent of its projected liabilities. Because of that strong financial position, the city’s required contribution would fall to about 5.35 percent.
Instead of reducing contributions, staff recommended maintaining the current employer contribution rate of 6.21 percent.
“We’re already ahead,” Mr. Wolfe said. “There’s no reason to take the foot off the gas now.”
Council members unanimously approved the recommendation after a brief discussion, saying the higher contribution provides additional stability should economic conditions worsen in future years.
Olney sales tax collections climb despite slower July Although Olney’s July sales tax allocation dipped slightly from a year ago, the city’s overall sales tax collections remain on pace for another historic year, reflecting the continued strength of the local economy.
According to figures released by the Texas Comptroller’s Office, Olney received $48,945.08 in July, down about 7.3 percent from the $52,810.57 distributed during the same month in 2025.
The monthly decline, however, does little to change the larger upward trend.
Through the first 10 months of Fiscal Year 2026, Olney has received $517,439.27 in sales tax allocations—already more than 91 percent of last year’s record annual total of $565,037.91 with August and September still to be distributed.
Compared with the same 10-month period a year earlier, collections have increased by approximately 11 percent, continuing a multi-year pattern of steady growth.
The city’s taxable sales have climbed dramatically over the past decade and a half. Annual sales tax allocations totaled about $286,000 in Fiscal Year 2010. By 2020 they had risen to approximately $401,000, and since then the city has set or approached record collections nearly every year.
Last year’s total of $565,037.91 represented the highest annual sales tax allocation in city history.
City Secretary Tammy Hourigan said mixed beverage taxes generated by local alcohol sales remain relatively small— typically less than $250 per month—and are not a significant driver of overall sales tax growth.
She suggested that increased online shopping may now be contributing more to local sales tax collections than in years past.