West Meadowbrook resident provides dogged support for his neighborhood

Mike Phipps is described as a champion of the West Meadowbrook neighborhood.

The owner of a pet care business, Phipps keeps a vigilant eye on the area, noting code violations, litter, and traffic and parking violations through his involvement as civics chair of the West Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association. He also frequents Fort Worth City Hall to testify about proposed zoning changes and the potential effects on the eastside neighborhood.

Phipps’ volunteerism to lift up his neighborhood earned him recognition in 52 Faces of Community, Fort Worth Report’s weekly series highlighting unsung heroes.

West Meadowbrook has been Phipps’ home for 27 years — part of the reason why he works to beautify the area.

“All of it goes down to keeping up what’s going on in the neighborhood,” the 66-year-old said. “Whether its board of adjustments, building standards, anything to do with safety.”

Among his accomplishments, Phipps launched an East Lancaster Task Force to address crime after residents on McLean Street asked for assistance. Phipps worked with city staff and Fort Worth police to address issues such as drug dealing, vagrancy and prostitution.

“Between the prostitutes and the open drug use, that’s what really started it,” he said. 

The task force addressed apartment complexes where people were selling drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, Phipps said. 

“We’ve had successes in some places, and we had roadblocks in other places,” Phipps said. “Overall, it gives us the opportunity to meet with the police department to try to figure things out.”

Carol Peters, president of the West Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association, said Phipps is involved in every aspect of improving the area.

“In his role as a small-business owner, he is out and about tending to animals,” Peters wrote in an email about Phipps. “He owns a pet sitting business. Mike observes bad behavior by neglectful landowners, code violations, littering, and traffic and parking violations every day. He documents them all, reports them, and never lets them fall through the cracks.”

Phipps worked with Fort Worth police to raise $10,000 to replace an older woman’s fence in December 2024, Peters said.

“Homeless people and drug users had used her wooden backyard fence as fuel for fires, leaving her home vulnerable to break-ins,” Peters said. “More than 60 volunteers and $10,000 in donations ended her misery. A metal fence, tree trimming, and general cleanup refreshed and protected her property. Mike is a true example of giving back.”

On a recent weekday, Phipps was taking care of another neighborhood issue. He came across three puppies that had been dumped in West Meadowbrook and worked to make sure they were cared for before calling animal control and police to rescue the trio.

Phipps, who lives with his partner of 42 years, also works to maintain West Meadowbrook’s beautification efforts. He is involved in the Trash Talkers group that regularly picks up litter in the neighborhood. 

He recently helped line Normandy Road with a mix of 51 free trees — Mexican buckeye, desert willows, redbuds, elms and pecans — all from the city’s forestry program. He went door to door to explain to neighbors where to plant, watering needs and arranged to dig holes for planting.

“You just don’t want to lose your curb appeal,” said Phipps, a native of Clarksville, Pennsylvania. “Otherwise, it looks unevolved. You have to think about the future — you want to leave it better than how you found it.”

Phipps is a frequent advocate of West Meadowbrook at City Hall. He often attends meetings about building standards, zoning adjustments, and rezoning and abatement issues. He supports projects that benefit the area as well as testifying about irresponsible property owners.

“I think (city officials) see it as if you’re willing to sit there and play out the day until your time comes to speak on behalf of your neighborhood, they’re willing to listen more,” he said. “I think being present before a committee, it speaks with more volume.”

Peters said Phipps “almost single-handedly resolved countless problems with dilapidated properties, gaps in (police) patrols, and massive illegal dump sites.”

Eliminating crime and other issues will make his neighborhood safer, Phipps said.

“Until you see kids playing in their front yards or riding their bikes on the street in front of their house, I’m not going to stop fighting for it,” Phipps said. “The area has got to be returned to the people.”

Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. 

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