Nash elected mayor, Aguilar mayor pro tem

• As he steps down as mayor of Sulphur Springs, John Sellers presents a special coin to Harold Nash Sr., who was selected this month by Sulphur Springs City Council to serve as mayor.
• Place 7 Councilman John Sellers hold the Bible whil Sulphur Springs City Secretary Natalie Burling administers the oath of office to Place 3 Councilman Oscar Aguilar, who will serve asnother term on Sulphur Springs City Council. Aguilar was selected to serve as mayor pro tem. Staff photos by Faith Huffman
• Sulphur Springs Mayor Harold Nash Sr. offer thanks to his wife for her support of him for the past 50 years and presents her with a yellow rose, a token of thanks for her support during his time on Sulphur Springs City Council.
• Jay Julian takes the oah of office to serve another term as Place 1 Councilman on Sulphur Springs CIty Council.

Council makes numerous city board, commission appointments

Sulphur Springs has a new mayor and mayor pro tem, selected by the City Council during the regular June meeting. Three councilmen were administered the oath of office for another term, and appointments to a number of city boards and commissions the city has a partnership in were also made by Sulphur Springs City Council when the elected officials met earlier this month.

City Council

At the beginning of the meeting, City Secretary Natalie Burling administered the oath of office to Place 1 Councilman Jay Julian, Place 2 Councilman Harold Nash and Place 3 Councilman Oscar Aguilar. Julian and Nash were unchallenged in their bid for reelection to the City Council; Aguilar beat out Seth McDaniel in the May election, allowing him to serve another three-year term in Place 3.

Place 5 City Councilman Gary Spraggins and Place 6 Councilman Tyler Law nominated Harold Nash Sr., who has been serving as mayor pro tem, to step up to become Sulphur Springs’ mayor for the next year. The City Council unanimously approved the motion.

Spraggins and Law then nominated Place 3 Councilman Aguilar to serve as mayor pro tem. Aguilar said he’d be glad to serve in the position if selected. During a previous term on the City Council, Aguilar served as mayor. The City Council unanimously voted for Aguilar to serve a term as mayor pro tem.

In his final act as mayor, Sellers presented Nash with a silver coin designed to “commemorate our heritage and greatness of our city.”

City Manager Marc Maxwell offered a gift of two wine glasses with a map of the city etched into them in appreciation for his 6 1/2 years of service as mayor.

Aguilar noted there are “good things in the works” designed to help keep “the city the best,” including “a lot of new stuff that hopefully with brighten everyone’s future.”

City Boards and Commissions

The City Council also approved as recommended a number of city board and commission appointments, and agreed to postpone one appointment to the Board pending further consideration for a recommendation to fill the seat that was held by Adam Teer, who is unable to serve because he is no longer employed at Clarion Pointe and thus unable to serve as the hotel/ motel management representative on the board. The board requires one representative each from the arts community, Chamber of Commerce, historical community, hotel/motel management and at-large.

Civic Center Manager Alina Sanders was initially recommended to fill Teer's seat on the Tourism Board. While she could serve in the at-large seat, that seat has been filled by Meredith Caddell since 2017. Kelly Lee has been designated to replace Amanda Treadway, who stepped down as the Chamber of Commerce's represenattive due to a job change. Lucy McCorkle has served as the arts representative since 2006, and Don Fausett the historical representative since 2013. That means the final opening must be filled by a management representative from the hotel/motel community.

Mark Beggs will continue to serve a two-year term on the board on the Sulphur River Municipal Water District Board. Beggs was first appointed in June 2023 to replace Linda Barnes, who replaced Keith Shurtleff on SRMWDB. The Water District Board is comprised of representatives from the cities of Sulphur Springs, Cooper and Commerce to consider complex issues critical to the future of the lake and how it is used.

Place 6 Councilman Tyler Law was recommended to replace Doug Moore on the Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation; Moore had served in the seat since his appointment in 2018 to fill the remainder of Clay Walker’s unexpired term on the EDC. The appointment is a three-year commitment. The EDC’s purpose is to encourage business development by providing existing and prospective businesses incentives, resources and information.

Sharon Burney and Mack Pitts agreed to continue serving on the Library Board. Burney was first appointed in 2012 and Pitts was appointed in 2022 to replace Kim Roberts.

Councilmen John Sellers, Gary Spaggins and Harold Nash Sr. are to continue serving on the Ark-Tex Council of Governments.

Mark Meadows, Jerry Brewer and Kurt Sehnert are to continue serving on the Airport Advisory Committee. Meadows and Brewer were first appointed in 2004, and Sehnert replaced Scott Sarine in 2008 and has continued to serve on the AAB since.

Mark Beggs was recommended to replace Craig English on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Sergio Ramirez agreed to serve; he was administered the oath of office on Monday, June 18. Matthew Mattson agreed to continue serving on the P&Z Commission. Mattison had tendered his resignation, noting some upcoming commitments which might require him to miss 3-4 monthly meetings a year. His fellow board members convinced him to stay on and chair the P&Z Commission, then elected Twila Gill vice chair, who is willing to step up as needed when Mattison is unable to attend. The Planning and Zoning Commission has the responsibility of guiding the creation and maintenance of the city’s comprehensive plan; make policy recommendations; review and approve all subdivision plats in the city and its extra-jurisdictional territory jurisdiction; make recommendations regarding applications for zoning amendments; and recommend updates of zoning subdivision and community facilities policies text as needed.

Gary Clem agreed to continue serving on the Zoning Board of Adjustment; he was first appointed in June 2023 to replace Matthew Johnson. Jack Crouch was recommended to replace Brad Burgin, who had headed the board. The ZBA is authorized to make decisions not approved by the City Council. They hold hearings and decide special exceptions, request of grievances, temporary buildings, height extensions, requests for reconstruction of a non-conforming use structure and alternations or enlargements for non-conforming buildings. Board members are appointed to a two year term.

Wayne Cooper, first appointed in 2024, and Gary Stribling, appointed in 2010, agreed to continue serving on the Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals. Zack King and Charles Westbook agreed to continue serving as alternates, stepping in if the requisite number of board members are unable to attend the meetings. King was first appointed in 2009 and Westbrook in 2010. The Construction Board of Adjustments has the duty to conduct public hearings where it is alleged there is an error in any order, requirement, decision or determination of the building official.

Butch Burney, Phyllis Roundtree and Robin Boshears Patrick agreed to serve another term on the Downtown Revitalization Board. Burney was first appointed to the post in 2022, in place of Helena Martinez. Roundtree was first appointed to the DRB in June 2015, in place of K.K. McKenzie. Patrick replaced Mike Horn on the DRB in June 2011 and has continued serving. Terms for the DRB are two years.