Amarillo City Council on Tuesday accepted the resignation of City Manager Grayson Path in accordance with Section 9.A.d. of his employment agreement with the City of Amarillo. The council voted 4-1 to accept Path’s resignation during its regular meeting. The resignation is effective Tuesday (September 22). Path has served as Amarillo city manager since 2024, when he was selected by thecouncil following a nationwide search. As city manager, Path has overseen the day-to-day operations of the municipal organization under the policy direction of the council. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the City of Amarillo and its residents as city manager. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the governing body, dedicated city employees, community partners and residents who care deeply about Amarillo’s future,” Path said. “I am proud of the work accomplished during my tenure and of the relationships formed along the way.  “Amarillo is a strong community with a capable and committed city organization, and I have great confidence in its continued ability to serve residents well and build on the important work underway. I wish the governing body, city employees and the citizens of Amarillo continued success and all the best in the years ahead.” As part of Tuesday’s action, council designated Deputy City Manager and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Freeman as acting city manager for a period of up to 60 days. Freeman has been with the City of Amarillo since 2017 and was promoted to deputy city manager in 2023. He previously served as interim city manager from September 2023 to March 2024. During the 60-day period, the city will work with Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to identify an experienced municipal administrator to serve as interim city manager while council determines the process for selecting Amarillo’s next city manager. Additional information regarding the interim city manager selection and council’s process for selecting a permanent city manager will be provided as those decisions are made.

 An unauthorized discharge of approximately 200,000 gallons of untreated wastewater has been contained at Lift Station 40 located at 7100 Cliffside Road.  Wastewater did not reach any natural waterways.  The discharge began on Sunday (September 20) at 12:30 p.m. and was contained at 3:15 p.m. The cause of the discharge was a pump malfunction causing the lift station to overflow from the manhole. Remediation and disinfection of land surface areas is complete.  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been notified of the spill. Repair and remediation efforts have been completed by City of Amarillo Wastewater Collections personnel.  For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at 806-378-5219 or by email at david.henry@amarillo.gov. 

John Baines tells a story that symbolizes Repair Cafe and its unique mission. At a recent Repair Cafe event at the Warford Activity Center (WAC), two small girls brought in their bicycles with flat tires. “They pushed their bikes to Warford,” said Baines, 77, a U.S. Army veteran and retired registered nurse for more than 40 years, including at Northwest Texas Healthcare System. “No one knew how or was willing to fix them for them.” A Repair Cafe volunteer stepped up and patched the tires and repaired the bike chains. And the girls were on their way. “The girls were so excited when they got to ride their bikes home,” Baines said. “They were tickled to death. They had not been able to ride their bikes for months.” This is what makes Repair Cafe special for the Amarillo community. Baines is one of more than 20 volunteers for Repair Cafe, a free semiannual event by the City of Amarillo (COA) Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) where volunteers help residents repair/fix broken items such as lamps, bicycles, clothing, etc. Repair Cafe returns Saturday at the WAC from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Many of the volunteers are active in the 50 and Better programs provided by the WAC. Myrl Betts is another volunteer and most likely one of the first faces you see when you enter the WAC for Repair Cafe. She is more or less the official greeter for Repair Cafe.  “People come in for repairs that they probably would not have been able to pay someone to do,” said Betts, who is 84 years young with two grown sons, five grandchildren and five great-granchildren. “Just seeing the joy on their faces when they leave with their items repaired is really special.” Betts, who retired from Pantex three times (they kept asking her to come back, Betts said with a laugh) and IBM once, serves the

There is hope for that broken appliance, torn sweater or bicycle that needs a repair. Don’t toss it. Bring it to the Repair Cafe (a program of the City of Amarillo Parks and Recreation Department – PARD) on September 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Warford Activity Center, located at 1330 N.W. 18th Ave. The free semiannual event is about building community while helping residents repair broken items. Whether it’s a lamp, a favorite sweater, or a small appliance, volunteer fixers will be on hand to work and repair it. Plus, participants get the chance to learn simple repair skills to fix items themselves in the future. Here are the details: Each family is welcome to bring one item for repair. If time allows, volunteers may be able to accommodate additional items. Residents must stay with their items during the repair process – this is a hands-on experience, and residents will be learning alongside volunteer fixers. “Repair Cafe isn’t a typical repair shop. It’s a fun, community-focused event centered on sustainability and sharing knowledge,” said PARD Senior Services Coordinator Kari Bachman. “It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and learn new skills.” No registration is required. For more information, contact Kari Bachman at (806) 678-8359. Also for more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at 806-378-5219 or by email at david.henry@amarillo.gov.