Apr 19, 2022 BAYTOWN FIRE CONTROL, PREVENTION, AND EMS DISTRICT

[00:00:20]

GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN FIRE CONTROL PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING CALL.

I'LL CALL MEETING TO ORDER NOW, WE DO HAVE A CALL.

FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS

[a. Consider approving the minutes of the Baytown Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Medical Services District Regular Meeting held on January 18, 2022.]

I MAKE A MOTION PROOF.

SECOND.

MOTION IS SECOND.

QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

A OPPOSED LIKE SUN MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

UH, NEXT WE'LL RECEIVE THE

[a. Receive the FCPEMSD Quarterly Financial and Investment Reports for the Quarter Ending December 31, 2021.]

THANK YOU.

MAD PRESIDENT.

SO THIS IS THE STORY UP UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER.

UM, I DON'T YET HAVE THE FINAL FIGURES FOR THE CURRENT QUARTER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE SURGE IN SALES TAX CONTINUES SO YEAR ON YEAR WE'RE ABOUT 15% UP.

IF YOU REMEMBER IN THE PRIOR YEAR WE WERE IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS UP ON THE YEAR PRIOR TO THAT.

SO, UM, THAT SHOULD ALL OTHER THINGS WE NEED WILL GIVE YOU AGAIN, A VERY HEALTHY SURPLUS IN THE CURRENT YEAR.

UM, SPEND, I MEAN IT'S LARGELY AS EXPECTED AT SOME SIGNIFICANT EXPENDITURE STILL TO COME.

I ANTICIPATE BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IF YOU CONTINUE WITH THIS BUDGET, YOU'LL BE ON TRACK TO TURN IN A SURPLUS, PROBABLY IN EXCESS OF 300,000.

OH WOW.

YEAH.

SO, OR AS WE CALL IT AN AMBULANCE.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

SO I'M JUST PUT, AND THE REASON I'M PUTTING THAT OUT THERE IS, UH, WE MIGHT, THE NEXT TIME WE MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT, UM, WHETHER YOU WOULD LIKE TO DEPLOY SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES EARLIER THAN WE ORIGINALLY HAVE ANTICIPATED.

SO JUST HOLD THAT THOUGHT.

UH, IT'S A VERY GOOD NEWS STORY FOR YOU.

IT IS THE SAME WITH THE CHRONIC CONTROL DISTRICT AND INDEED FOR THE MDD AND THE CITY GENERALLY SALES TAX CONTINUES TO SHOW SIGNIFICANT GROWTH.

NOW, ONE OF THE ISSUES IN THAT IS WE'RE ALL EXPERIENCING, UM, IS INFLATION.

SO THINGS ARE COSTING MORE, BUT IT'S MORE SALES TAX.

WELL, IT DOES ERGO SALES TAX.

HOWEVER, HOWEVER, I WOULD SAY THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE SPENDING A LOT OF DOLLARS IN THINGS THAT, UH, AREN'T NECESSARILY, UM, CORE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.

SO, UM, I DON'T WANT TO KIND OF, UM, CUT MY CHICKENS NECESSARILY.

SO LET'S, AT OUR NEXT MEETING HAVE A LOOK AND SEE WHERE WE'RE PLACED.

THAT WILL BE HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, MADAM PRESIDENT.

AND AS I SAY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT IF WE HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BANK.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THERE TO BE SPENT ON THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SPENDING MONEY ON IT.

IT IS NOT THERE FOR ME TO PUT IN THE BANK TO MAKE NOT VERY MUCH INTEREST ON.

'CAUSE EVEN THOUGH INDUSTRIES ARE GOING UP, WHAT WE EARN IS STILL FAIRLY LOW.

SO WITH THAT THOUGHT, MADAM PRESIDENT, VERY MR. FOR QUARTER, WELL DONE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WELL SPEND IT IN LIKE ANOTHER AMBULANCE, LIKE YOU SAID, RATHER THAN, OH, THE PRICE WENT UP 7% LAST YEAR.

WELL, WE GET WHAT 0.0002% ON LOAN OR WHATEVER SAVINGS.

YEAH.

SO WE'VE, WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT, UH, KIND OF AN REMEMBER NOT TOO LONG AGO WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO KIND OF AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE SOME, UH, SOME ENGINES.

AND SO OBVIOUSLY THE SURPLUS WILL ALLOW US TO ADDRESS THAT QUICKER THAN THEN BEFORE.

WE HAVE, UH, ENGINE THREE, ENGINE THREES COMING IS COMING.

YES, SIR.

ENGINE THREES COMING, UH, PART BEGINNING OF JUNE, BEGINNING OF JUNE.

THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GOING TO WISCONSIN.

OKAY.

ENGINE ONE AND ENGINE SIX WILL GO TO THE DRAWING IN OCTOBER.

SO THAT WOULD BE THE FOLLOWING 2023.

SO THE CITY DID SOME UNDERWRITING TO TRY TO, TO JUMP ON THAT EARLY.

SO WE DID NOT INCUR THOSE PRICE INCREASES.

SO THE SURPLUS A ACTUALLY WILL HELP US, UH, DO THAT.

NOT THAT WE WERE COUNTING ON THAT.

I THINK WE WERE FINE GOING DOWN THE PATH THAT WE WERE GOING, BUT THIS WILL OBVIOUSLY ALLOW US TO, UH, TAKE SOME PRESSURE OFF OF THAT UNDERWRITING THAT WE DID.

AND IF, IF, UH, OUR, OUR FOLKS THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AGAIN AND REPLACE AN AMBULANCE, OR THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY THEN TO LEAK FROG TO YET ANOTHER ENGINE, UH, ON THAT, UH, THEN I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO LOOK AT THAT.

WE HAVE, YEAH.

AND WE HAVE ONE GAP

[00:05:01]

I'VE HAD QUITE A FEW YEARS ON IT AND SO I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT ONE.

AND THEN THINGS WILL START TO LEVEL OUT.

SO THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD 'CAUSE IT MIGHT ALLOW US TO GO AHEAD AND REPLACE THAT AND THEN PUT US IN A REAL GOOD ROTATION AFTER THAT.

SO THE MODERNIZATION OF OUR, OF OUR FLEET HAS JUST BEEN A VERY, VERY HIGH PRIORITY.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE LACKED RESERVE ENGINES THAT WERE RELIABLE.

AND SO WHEN WE REPLACE THESE ENGINES, WE NOT ONLY GET NEW APPARATUS, BUT WE GET RELIABLE RESERVES.

AND WE'VE SEEN PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO YEARS, WE REALLY NEED THOSE RESERVES SOMETIMES.

AND THEY, THEY NEED TO BE AS RELIABLE REALLY AS OUR FIRST LINE VEHICLES.

SO, AND I LOVE THE NEW DESIGN.

I REALLY LIKE IT.

IT'S MORE NIMBLE.

I THINK IT'S MORE MODERN AND, UH, MORE FITTING FOR THE JOBS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN OUR NARROW STREETS AND KIND OF A HIGHLY DENSE, HARD POPULATED, SHORTEN THEM BABIES UP, GET SOME OF THAT TRUCK EQUIPMENT OFF, GETTING ANOTHER LADDER TRUCK ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

AND WE DON'T NEED ALL THAT.

INSTEAD OF HAVING A 10 KW GENERATOR ON EVERY PUMPER, JUST HAVE 'EM ON LITTLE LADDER LADDER.

WORK ALL THAT INTO THE PLAN TOO.

PLAN TOO.

AND THEN YOU GOT MORE LIKE A QUICK ATTACK BUMPER.

SHORTER, MORE.

YEAH, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S COOL.

I LIKE IT.

I LIKE IT COME A LOT.

I'M NOT SURE HOW THE, THE BUGEYE, HOW'S THAT GOING THROUGH THE, IT'S AN ACQUIRED TASTE .

I LIKE IT'S, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S THE WAY THEY'RE GOING FOR VISIBILITY.

I CAN, I WAS SURPRISED THAT THEY, THE, THE COMMITTEE SPECED IT THAT WAY.

BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, THAT THERE'S GOOD REVIEWS ON VISIBILITY WITH THAT STYLE.

RIGHT.

AND SO I WAS GOOD IF, IF IT GIVES US BETTER VISIBILITY.

IT'S A DIFFERENT LOOK.

YOU GOTTA GOTTA GET USED TO IT.

I WAS THINKING ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE TREES AND STUFF.

YEAH.

NOBODY'S TORN ANY OFF YET, HUH? YEAH, WELL ON ITS WAY HERE.

.

IT'S NEW.

IT'S PART OF OUR TREE TRIMMING PROGRAM.

YEAH, RIGHT.

LET YOU GO THROUGH.

ARE YOU MR. SINGH? I THINK SO.

OH, ALRIGHT.

UM, THANK HOW ARE YOU? PLEASE COME IN.

WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THE MEETING.

I CAN SIT IN THE FRONT AND UM, I SHOWERED.

SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER.

HI, I'M JOHN.

HEY, FREE.

NICE TO MEET YOU GUYS KNOW SOME, OKAY, HOW ARE NOW? ARE YOU NEIGHBOR? I, BRENDA SMITH.

NICE TO MEET YOU SMITH.

SO, UH, THANK YOU.

WE, WE JUST FINISHED ITEM TWO A AND WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM

[b. Present an update regarding the Baytown Fire Training Field.]

AND MY NAME IS KENNY DOBSON.

I'M THE FIRE CHIEF.

WE HAVE A NEW FACE HERE.

UM, UH, MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT CHIEF MADANO RETIRED.

AND SO WE MOVED, UM, ASSISTANT CHIEF GASKIN OVER TO OPERATIONS AND MOVED, UM, PREVIOUSLY BATTALION CHIEF RYAN TUCKER UP TO UM, ASSISTANT CHIEF.

AND HE IS OUT OF THE TRAINING FIELD.

HE'S IN, HE'S OVER PLANNING, WHICH INCLUDES THE TRAINING FIELD AND HE'S GONNA GIVE THE TRAINING FIELD UPDATE.

ALRIGHT, SO, UH, JUST TO LEAD OFF THE BIG NEWS, ILLA, WHICH IS THE COMPANY THAT'S GONNA FINISH PHASE THREE OF THE INDUSTRIAL PROPS.

THEY MADE IT ON SCENE TODAY.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TODAY.

I SPOKE TO THE FOREMAN OF THE PROJECT AND HE'S GIVEN AN ESTIMATED TWO WEEK TIMEFRAME TO GET IT FULL INFORMATION.

THAT'S THE PERFECT SCENARIO.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.

BUT MEN EQUIPMENT TRUCKS ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW, SO THAT'S FAR BETTER THAN WE EXCEEDED.

UM, AS FOR THE FIELD ITSELF, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON.

WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT, UH, OUTSIDE AGENCIES, COMPANIES COMING IN.

UH, WE HAVE EXXON, CHEVRON, COVESTRO, SO MANY DIFFERENT PARTNERS AROUND HERE.

OVER THERE WE'RE, WE'RE BUSY PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY AS WELL AS THE CITY USES US FOR, UH, DIFFERENT EVENTS.

WE HAD ONBOARDING OF NEW CITY EMPLOYEES TODAY.

IT HAPPENED HERE.

WE HAD THE CITY MANAGER RETREAT TOMORROW AND ACTUALLY THIS FRIDAY, MEMORIAL HERMAN AND LIFE FLIGHT IS SHOOTING A COMMERCIAL FOR LIFE FLIGHT AT THE FIELD TO WHICH WE ARE GONNA GET THE RAW FOOTAGE, THE STILLS AND THE UH, VIDEO THAT WE CAN USE FOR OUR PROMOTIONAL STUFF FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY.

AND, UH, JUST REAL QUICK WITH SOME NUMBERS, WE RAN AND IN 2001 WE INVOICED $64,000 AND WE'VE, UH, RECOVERED 52,000 OF THAT SO FAR, WHICH THAT'S NOT BAD.

WE'RE INVOICE.

I MEAN, IT TAKES A WHILE TO PAY, BUT, UM, AS THIS YEAR SO FAR WE'VE INVOICED 51,000 AND WE'VE GOT 26 PAID.

SO, UH, SOME OF THE ISSUES COME WITH, UM, WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS THE PORTAL TO GET THEM TO PAY THROUGH THE PORTAL AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH, WITH, WITH PAPER CHECKS AND MONEY.

UH, AND WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH GETTING MAIL THERE 'CAUSE MAIL WOULD COME THERE, BUT THEN IT WOULDN'T GO THERE AND IT WOULD GO TO OUR ADMIN OR IT'D COME HERE.

WE HAVE A, A MAILBOX THERE, IT'S ALL SET UP.

SO THINGS ARE GETTING TOWARDS, UH, MORE CENTRALIZED SO WE CAN, UH, TAKE CARE OF THAT.

SO THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, THAT

[a. The next Baytown Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Medical Services District Special Budget Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at 4:30 P.M. in the Baytown Conference Room located at City Hall, 2401 Market Street, Baytown, Texas.]

[00:10:01]

THAT DOES NOT GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND.

THAT IS, THAT IS ALL MONEY THAT'S BACK INFUSED TO HELP US MAKE OUR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ON PHASE THREE PRIMARILY.

AND WHICH THEN ALSO ALLEVIATES, UH, THE PRESSURE ON OUR, UH, CAPACITY TO PURCHASE APPARATUS.

SO, UH, I THINK THAT NUMBER'S GONNA BLOSSOM OBVIOUSLY WHEN, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THE, THE FIRE, THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL, UH, DISASTER COMPONENT ONLINE AND REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO A GRAND RIBBON CUTTING, HAVING ALL OF YOU THERE, UH, FOR THAT, UH, STAY CLOSE TO, UH, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH LEEWAY, BUT WE WANNA INVITE ALL OF YOU THERE AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL AS ANY JURISDICTION WE THINK MIGHT WANT TO UTILIZE THIS VERY UNIQUE FACILITY.

BECAUSE THE IDEA WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T REMEMBER THAT WE, AGAIN, USING THE WORD UNDERWRITING, WE UNDERWROTE THIS PROJECT WITHOUT ANY EXPECTATION THAT WE WOULD GET ANY KIND OF REVENUE BACKWARDS.

SO IT'S, IT'S LIKE FROSTING ON THE CAKE.

SO, UH, EVERY DOLLAR WE GET ALLOWS US TO BUY MORE APPARATUS.

AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE MAXIMIZE THE USAGE OF THAT FACILITY, ESPECIALLY BY OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

THE BETTER THEY ARE AT, AT THESE EXERCISES, THE SAFER WE ARE AS A, A LARGER COMMUNITY.

SO WE, WE HAVE AN INTEREST IN THAT.

UH, WE, UH, WE WILL HAVE A BUDGET MEETING, UH, WITH YOU NEXT, THAT WILL BE ON JUNE THE 21ST.

UH, SO THAT'S WHEN WE'LL HAVE OUR BUDGET PROPOSAL, UH, BEFORE YOU, UH, ANTICIPATE GOOD THINGS, UH, FROM THAT.

I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE GOING FORWARD HERE IN THE, IN THE DISTRICT.

AND, UH, WITH THAT, UH, ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, I'M, I'M WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THOSE.

ANY QUESTIONS? NO.

WELL, AS THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS ON OUR AGENDA, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SECOND.

MOTION IS SECOND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU ALL.