August 4, 2026 Town Council Meeting — Recap

The August 4, 2026 Town Council meeting — what the Council did on each agenda item, with the recorded votes. Vote details below are taken from the meeting recording.

Who was present

Full quorum — Mayor Critton, Vice Mayor Thomas, and Council Members Jordan, Randolph, and Mack were all present at the start of the regular meeting. Jordan stepped away from the dais during the Special Magistrate vote, with no reason stated on the record, and is marked absent for that vote only.

HostDime presentation

HostDime was scheduled to present but did not appear. During discussion, Council Member Mack said the Town had provided HostDime $200,000, characterizing it as money given "for nothing." Interim Town Attorney Greg Jackson responded on the record that the money was an infrastructure reimbursement rather than a direct grant. Under the 2016 development agreement the Town agreed to reimburse the company up to $200,000, one time, for the water and sewer lines it had to build to connect; how much has actually been paid is not established on the record. The presentation and its written backup are covered in the agenda breakdown.

Dr. Phillips Charities and staff reports

Both remaining presentations were given without producing a vote or an outcome of note: the Dr. Phillips Charities update on the Hungerford property, which the charity has asked to deliver at every Council meeting, and the department head staff reports.

Resolution 2026-44 — Beautiful Gate mammography event

Passed 5-0. Moved by Jordan, seconded by Mack. This was the night's only consent item — the sole entry under Section VI of the printed agenda — and it drew discussion before the vote rather than passing without comment. Council Member Randolph provided details on the annual mammography event, which the cover sheet places on Saturday, September 12, 2026 and "ongoing on an annual basis"; the resolution text itself names no date. Mayor Critton spoke in support and noted the event as a budget-prioritization item going forward. Town Clerk Veronica King reiterated the resolution's preamble. The partnership and its $1,750 budget line are described in the agenda breakdown.

Resolution 2026-41 — Hungerford transparency / SPLC lawsuit support

Tabled. Randolph moved to approve the resolution, seconded by Jordan; Mack then moved to table it. Randolph stated the resolution's language had been reviewed at the prior meeting, and referenced a recent case update she wished to insert into the resolution before a vote. Vice Mayor Thomas said the update was new information to the board and supported tabling to allow time for review. Mayor Critton stated her concerns had not been addressed in the redraft, and separately argued a resolution in support of Sunshine Law is unnecessary. Mack said the board needed more information before acting.

Jackson gave an update on the lawsuit the resolution concerns: he reported that the motion to dismiss was denied on all three counts, so the case goes forward, and that trial is set for October 27, 2026.

An initial motion to table was withdrawn; a renewed motion to table passed 4-1, with Randolph the lone no. This was 2026-41's second tabling, and Mack moved to table it on both occasions. The resolution's text and its two failed predecessors are covered in the agenda breakdown.

Engagement of TG Law as Town Attorney

Passed 5-0. Moved by Thomas, seconded by Mack. Mack and Mayor Critton disagreed over process during the discussion.

The motion approved the proposal and nothing further: it did not choose between the firm's two pricing options, and it did not authorize any Town official to negotiate or execute a contract. The packet contains no engagement letter or agreed fee schedule, so what the Town is now bound to, and what it will pay, is not settled on the record.

Earlier in the meeting, a separate motion by Jordan to issue a new RFP for Town Attorney services died for lack of a second; Mack stated a new RFP risked no responses, leaving the Town to engage TG Law regardless.

The firm's two pricing options and the evaluation-committee record missing from both packets are covered in the agenda breakdown; the same-night vote is Item 3.

Appointment of Attorney Greg Jackson as Special Magistrate

Passed 4-0, with Jordan absent for the vote. Moved by Thomas, seconded by Randolph. The conflict question raised in the agenda breakdown — Attorney Jackson serves as General Counsel to the CRA, whose grant program is built around code compliance, while a Special Magistrate decides the Town's code enforcement cases — was not raised on the record before the vote. A Special Magistrate is an independent officer who hears the Town's code enforcement cases and can impose fines and liens. Jackson's proposal, its $250 hourly rate and its conflict disclosure are covered in the agenda breakdown; the same-night vote is Item 4.

Resolution 2026-45 — Eatonville Heritage Tourism District

Passed 5-0. Moved by Mack, seconded by Critton. Questions were raised by Thomas, and CRA Executive Director Michael Johnson — the resolution's sponsor — was asked to the dais; the exchange was not audible on the recording. The district's boundaries, its sixteen catalyst projects and the CRA's $22.5 million county funding request are covered in the agenda breakdown.

Closing remarks

The Chief Administrative Officer's, Interim Town Attorney's, and Council reports were delivered without any notable items.

Sources. Meeting recording · August 4 meeting packet · August 4 workshop packet