HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/2004 City Council 008005
May 18, 2004 Public Hearing
MINUTES OF SPECIAL SESSION OF COUNCIL
HELD ON
MAY 18, 2004
The Special Session of the City Council of the City of The Colony, Texas, was called to order at 7:00
p.m. on the 18th day of May 2004, at City Hall, 6800 Main Street, The Colony, Texas, with the
following roll call:
John Dillard Mayor Present
Allen Harris Councilmember Present
Scott Ward Councilmember Present*
Joe McCourry Mayor Pro-tem Present
Lynda Bayliss Councilmember Present
Perry Schrag Councilmember Present
Joel Marks Councilmember Present
(*Councilmember Ward arrived at 7:15 p.m. and remained in the back of the room during the public
heating.)
And with six council members present a quorum was established and the following items were
addressed:
1. Public Hearing regarding Fire and EMS services and Fire Station locations.
Fire Chief Van Mon-ison began his presentation by reviewing the purposes of this
presentation and public hearing, and gave some history of The Colony's fire and EMS protection
services. He reviewed the existing staffing level of fire personnel, adding that the need for
expanding the staffing level will continue to grow as the population grows. Chief Mordson then
reviewed the test methods used to determine response times from various locations in the city
and stated they are not consistent for the city as a whole. He added that a maximum time for a
response should be five minutes or less.
Chief Mon'ison explained the plans under consideration, which include a new central
station at North Colony and FM 423, the closing of Station 1 on Blair Oaks (which would not
close until the Austin Ranch sub-station is complete) and Station 2 on North Colony Blvd.
Wynnwood Peninsula is another future location for a sub-station. Retired stations could
eventually be used for other city services.
Construction costs of a proposed 11,000 square foot facility is estimated at
$3,150,000.00, not including personnel. He compared personnel costs between a three station
scenario and a four station scenario.
Chief Morcison summarized by saying that a more centrally located fire and EMS station
is the logical thing to consider because it addresses the needs of the city as a whole, which would
be the main benefit. Also, the city's ISO ratings could improve, possibly reducing the cost of
homeowners' fire insurance.
1
May 18, 2004 Public Hearing
Mayor Dillard read two citizen letters. The first was fi.om JeffConnelly who requested
the council wait on the hiring of a new fire chief(due to the pending retirement of Chief
Morrison), and that they consider the good of the community as a whole. The second was a letter
of commendation for the fire and police departments from David Gibson who said he recently
experienced a home fire and stated the fire department had a quick response due to the existing
location of Station 2. Mayor Dillard then called upon those citizens who had signed up to speak
to the council.
The following citizens addressed the council with their concerns: David Christenson,
Norbert Galvan, Gerri Marks, Andy Longo, Ed Wellman, Richard Kuether, Janet Wellman, Mike
Lynch, and Bill Longo. Among their concerns were the traffic at the proposed location, the
potential closing of Station 2 and the money already invested in re-opening this station, and the
need for more equipment. Several stated they understood the need for additional sub-stations.
Mayor Dillard advised no decisions would be made; this meeting was for public input
only.
And with no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
APPROVED:
/.hn Dillard,
Mayor
ty of The Colony
Christie Wilson, TRMC, City Secretary