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YOU'LL DOWN HISTORY WON'T GO ON HISTORY.
[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]
I CALLED TO ORDER THIS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON THURSDAY, JUNE 25TH, 2026 AT 5:36 PM AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM.UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH CITIZEN COMP.
[1. CITIZEN COMMENTS Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, prohibits the City Council from discussing, deliberating, or considering, subjects for which public notice has not been given on the agenda. Issues that cannot be referred to the administration for action may be placed on the agenda of a future City Council Session.]
WE DON'T HAVE A, UM, CITY CLERK.Y'ALL ARE COORDINATED TONIGHT.
WAS THIS PLANNED WITH THE PINK? AND WAS THIS PLANNED WITH THE PINK AND BLACK TODAY?
SO IT'S MY FAULT THAT HE SHOULD, BECAUSE I ASKED FOR THIS.
LIBRARY CARD, AGENDA ITEMS. TAKE, TAKE A SHOT EVERY TIME THEY LIBRARY CARD, EVERYBODY BE DRUNK.
SO WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN COMMENT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, THE PURPOSE OF CITIZEN COMMENT IS TO GIVE ALL INTERESTED CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.
EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST OF FOUR YEAR OR EMAILED THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH CITIZEN SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF YOUR COMMENTS.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON ONE MINUTE TO SPEAK.
A CITIZEN MAY PASS, MAY PASS HIS OR HER TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS REQUESTED TO SPEAK.
HOWEVER, NO CITIZEN REMARKS SHALL EXCEED THREE MINUTES IN TOTAL.
EITHER THE ONE MINUTE OR THE THREE MINUTE LIMIT MAY BE EXTENDED BY MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNSEL.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
WE CANNOT DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE ON ITEMS FOR WHICH PUBLIC NOTICE HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ON THIS AGENDA.
AND I HAVE A ISSUE WITH FLOODING, WHICH I HAD BROUGHT UP TO, UH, ON THE REQUEST AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY, UH, RESPONSE ON IT.
THIS ISSUE'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE I LIVED AT 8 0 3 CEDAR BAY ROAD SINCE HARVEY.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED THAT.
THE LAST TIME I EXPERIENCED THAT WAS ON THE 21ST OF JUNE, AND IT'S STILL GOING ON.
THANK YOU THERE BEING NO ONE ELSE DESIRING TO SPEAK.
THIS CONCLUDES OUR CITIZEN COMMENT PORTION OF THE AGENDA ON TO TWO A.
[a. Receive an update on the Baytown Fire Training Center.]
RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON THE BAYTOWN FIRE TRAINING CENTER.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I AM GONNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE FIRE TRAINING CENTER.
AND, UM, IN CASE YOU WEREN'T AWARE ORIGINALLY WHEN, UH, THE TRAINING CENTER WAS TALKED ABOUT, THERE WAS A STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED.
SO I'M GONNA START BY TALKING ABOUT THAT.
THEN I'LL GO THROUGH THE HISTORY AND TIMELINE, THE CURRENT STATUS, UH, USAGE AND REVENUE, TALK ABOUT FUTURE PHASES, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL END IT WITH SOME CONSIDERATIONS.
AS I MENTIONED IN 2009, THERE WAS A, UM, A STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN DEVELOPED FOR THE FIRE TRAINING CENTER.
AND IN THAT MASTER PLAN THEY HAD, UH, IDENTIFIED TWO PHASES THAT WOULD COMPLETE THE ENTIRE BUILD OUT.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE TWO PHASES ARE HERE AND THE COSTS, UM, WHICH CERTAINLY AREN'T ACCURATE TO TODAY'S COSTS.
BUT, UM, THOSE TWO PHASES WOULD'VE BEEN ALL THE COMPONENTS OF THE FIRE TRAINING FACILITY BASED ON THAT ORIGINAL PLAN.
THIS WAS THE LAYOUT OF THAT PLAN WHEN IT WAS MADE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE RED BOXES ARE THE, UH, BUILDINGS AND PROPS THAT ARE ON THE SITE.
THERE'S ALSO OTHER TYPES OF STRUCTURES AND, UM, TRAINING COMPONENTS
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ON THE SITE.YOU'LL NOTICE AS WE START TALKING THROUGH THIS, THAT, UH, A LOT OF THE PROJECTS AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE OUT THERE DON'T REALLY LINE UP WITH THIS ORIGINAL PLAN.
I KINDA REFER TO IT MORE AS A, UM, AS A, A PROPOSAL OR A A, YOU KNOW, AN IDEA PLAN AND NOT REALLY SPECIFICALLY A, A BUSINESS PLAN TO FOLLOW.
IT WAS MORE OF A GUIDE 'CAUSE SO MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
AND ORIGINALLY WHEN THEY PUT THIS PLAN TOGETHER, THEY DID A VIDEO, AND I'M GONNA SPARE YOU THE VIDEO, BUT WE DID DO A SCREENSHOT OF IT HERE.
AND THIS IS KIND OF A MOCKUP OF WHAT IT WOULD'VE LOOKED LIKE, LOOKED LIKE BASED ON THE ORIGINAL PLAN.
UH, THE DIRECTOR SAID, IS THAT A SHIP IN THAT PICTURE? YES.
UH, UH, A MARINE FIRE RESCUE PROP WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL IDEA.
UM, THAT, UH, LONGER BUILDING IN THE MI MIDDLE WAS AN EXISTING BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY, UM, THAT WAS GONNA BE REFURBISHED.
THAT, UH, EVENTUALLY GOT TAKEN DOWN BECAUSE IT WASN'T WORTH IT.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SEE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WHERE THE CLASSROOM PORTION IS AT THAT WE HAVE CONSTRUCTED NOW.
UM, THERE'S A FIRE STATION IN THE PICTURE WHERE THE PARKING LOT IS AT.
SO, UM, THE, UH, THE FIRST COUPLE PHASES HAVE KIND OF GONE AWAY FROM THE PLAN BASED ON A LOT OF THINGS.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
SO THIS IS THE TIMELINE OF THE FIRE TRAINING CENTER, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN OH EIGHT.
UM, WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY WORKING WITH EXXON IN 2009 IS WHEN THAT STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN WAS DEVELOPED.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE PHASES THAT WERE, UM, COMPLETED OVER, UH, OVER THE ALMOST DECADE.
AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF WRITTEN UNDER THERE, LIKE PHASE ONE, UM, THE PHASE ONE IS THAT TWO STORY BURN BUILDING THAT WE USE PROBABLY THE MOST.
UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT'S PROBABLY, IT'S PROBABLY THE, THE PROP THAT WE GET THE MOST BENEFIT OUT OF.
AND THEN, UH, UNDER, IT'S THE FIRE PROPS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE STRUCTURE IN PHASE ONE.
PHASE TWO LISTS A COUPLE THINGS.
YOU CAN SEE THE 60 FOOT RESCUE TOWER, THAT WAS NOT ON THE ORIGINAL STRATEGIC, UM, PLAN.
IT WAS A FOUR STORY TOWER, UM, HOTEL PROP.
AND SO EVEN IN PHASE TWO, THEY KIND OF WENT AWAY FROM THAT ORIGINAL CONCEPT, UH, UH, PHASE CONCEPT.
SO PHASE THREE WAS DONE IN 2017.
WELL STARTED IN 2017, ACTUALLY IT WENT OVER, UM, SEVERAL YEAR OR A FEW YEARS.
AND DURING PHASE THREE, WHILE WE WERE DOING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT, WE ADDED A, UH, A PROJECT WHERE WE ADDED PROPS TO THE BURN BUILDING THAT WAS DONE IN THE PREVIOUS PHASES.
AND THEN ALSO WE DID A SLAB REPAIR, UM, TO THE BURN BUILDING.
WE STARTED GETTING CRACKS AND THE FLOOR STARTED TO LIFT.
SO THERE'S QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT WENT ALONG WITH, UH, PHASE THREE.
UH, I'VE BEEN ASKED ABOUT THE COSTS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN PAYING, UH, OUR ANNUAL PAYMENTS, DEBT PAYMENTS TO THE TRAINING FIELD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
WE HAVE TWO YEARS LEFT OF PAYMENTS.
AND, UH, THOSE ARE PAID OUT OF FIRE CONTROL PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DISTRICT.
ONE THING I WANT TO HIT ON, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PHASE THREE A PHASE THREE, UH, INCLUDED THE CLASSROOM BUILDING AND OFFICES.
IT ALSO INCLUDED, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE BACK FOR THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL PROP.
I'LL, I'LL REFER TO IT AS A PROCESSING UNIT TO FOR BETTER CLARITY AS WE TALK THROUGH THIS.
AND, UM, AND THEN WE HAD A COMPONENT WHERE THEY BROUGHT IN FIRE PROPS TO BUILD INSIDE THE PROCESS UNIT, UH, THAT, UH, PROCESS UNIT WAS COMPLETED.
THE, UH, PROPS, THE FIRE PROPS WERE INSTALLED, BUT WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH UNDERGROUND LEAKING OF THE FUEL LINES.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR MANY YEARS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION TO THAT.
WE DO, UH, RENT OUT THE PROCESS UNIT STILL.
WE DO, WE RAN OUT FOR RESCUE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, EXXON AND THOSE INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS DO RUN OUT THAT COMPONENT, THAT'S JUST THE FIRE PROPS WITHIN THAT COMPONENT OF THE ONE PIECE THAT ISN'T OPERABLE RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION TOO, THAT WHEN THESE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN, THIS PROJECT, UH, THE, THE INDUSTRIAL PROP PROJECT, UH, WAS PART OF PHASE THREE THAT STARTED 2017.
IT WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME THAT I GOT HERE THAT THAT PROJECT HAD ALREADY STARTED.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO IF WE HAD GOTTEN THAT COMPONENT UP AND RUNNING.
AND IT WOULD'VE REQUIRED ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.
WE WOULD NEED, UM, IGNITION OFFICERS, SAFETY OFFICERS, MAINTENANCE PEOPLE.
WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WE WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO RUN AT LEAST THAT COMPONENT.
BUT IN, IN TOTALITY OF THE WHOLE FACILITY, WE REALLY NEEDED MORE PEOPLE FOR IT.
AND THEN ALSO WITH THAT PIECE, WE WOULD NEED A MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT FOR THE PROPS.
WE HAVE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS FOR THE FIRE PROPS THAT WE HAVE IN THE BURN BUILDING.
SO GOING BACK TO THE PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO FROM THE ORIGINAL PLAN, I HIGHLIGHTED THE STRUCTURES, PROPS OR COMPONENTS THAT ARE, THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED AND ARE AT THE FACILITY.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE ONLY GOT ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THOSE IN PLACE.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHEN WILL THE FACILITY BE BUILT OUT.
[00:10:01]
THERE REALLY IS NO END DATE.IT'S ONCE WE GET A PHASE DONE, WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT.
WE LOOK FOR FUNDING, WE BUILD WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE NEED AT THE TIME.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST THOSE THREE.
AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU WE'VE SPENT A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN $20 MILLION ON THOSE, THOSE COMPONENTS ALREADY.
SO, AND THERE'S STILL A LONG WAYS TO GO.
IT WAS, UH, VERY CONSERVATIVE NUMBERS WAY BACK IN OH 8, 0 9.
SO WHO USES THE TRAINING FIELD? WE ARE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE PRIMARY, UM, USER OF THE FACILITY.
AND I'VE LISTENED IN HERE JUST A FEW OF THE MANY THINGS THAT WE DO OUT THERE.
UH, WE DO OUR LIVE BURNS OUT THERE.
WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE BOTH THE PROPANE FED PROPS WHEN THE BURN BUILDING.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, OTHER AREAS WHERE WE CAN DO ACTUAL FIRES.
WE HAVE, WE DO OUR ANNUAL PHYSICALS, EMS TRAINING.
WE DO OUR, OUR MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING.
UH, WE DO OUR HIRING TEST, PHYSICAL ABILITY, UM, TESTING OUT THERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO IT FOR.
ALSO, ISO REQUIRES SOME TRAINING.
UM, AND ISO YOU GET CERTAIN POINTS FOR USING A FACILITY AND SO IT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED A FACILITY.
SO WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT, UM, THAT, UH, CENTER OUT THERE THAT WE CAN GET THE CREDITS PRETTY EASILY.
'CAUSE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUT THERE.
A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS THAT DON'T HAVE THESE TYPES OF TRAINING FACILITIES END UP HAVING TO COME USE OURS TO GET THE, TO GET THOSE CREDITS.
ALSO, OTHER CITY PARK CITY DEPARTMENTS USE IT.
AND WE'VE ALL BEEN OUT THERE FOR BUDGET WORKSHOPS AND, UH, A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS.
I'VE JUST LISTED A FEW THINGS THAT ARE EITHER CITY DEPARTMENTS OR CONNECTED TO CITY DEPART DEPARTMENTS.
BUT THE LIST IS, IS QUITE LENGTHY.
I JUST DIDN'T PUT 'EM ALL ON HERE.
AND DOWN THE BOTTOM YOU CAN SEE I PUT 65% OF THE SCHEDULED TRAINING.
UM, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT'S THE SCHEDULED TRAINING THAT THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CITY DEPARTMENTS USE THE FACILITY 65% OF THE TIME ON ALL SCHEDULED TRAININGS FOR THE, WHETHER IT'S, UH, ONE OF THE BUILDINGS OUTSIDE OR IT'S THE CLASSROOMS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT, WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS EVERYBODY ELSE THAT USES IT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S A LENGTHY LIST.
I JUST GRABBED A COUPLE OF 'EM OUTTA HERE.
OUTSIDE AGENCIES, A LOT OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UM, COME AND USE THE FACILITY.
SAN JACINTO COLLEGE DOES THEIR FIRE ACADEMY BURNS OUT THERE.
UM, THERE ARE PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT COME OUT THERE AND TEACH.
AND SO A LOT OF OUTSIDE AGENCIES, INDU INDUSTRY PARTNERS, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN OUT THERE.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE USING THE TOWER, SOMETIMES THEY'RE USING THE, UM, THE PROCESS UNIT.
UH, THEY ALL USE THE CLASSROOMS. AND SO, UM, THE FACILITY GETS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF USE.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE COMMUNITY, UM, UH, EVENTS AND MEETINGS AND ASSOCIATIONS OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S VERY CONVENIENT TO THEM AS A, IT'S A GOOD SIZED SPACE.
UH, 35% OF THOSE SCHEDULED TRAININGS OCCUR WITH THESE GROUPS.
BUT I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE ON THIS, THAT NOT ALL OF THESE ARE, ARE REVENUE GENERATING.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, OF FOLKS THAT, UH, USE A FACILITY FOR FREE.
SOMETIMES WHEN, UM, PRIVATE COMPANIES COME IN TO TRAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE GET SLOTS FOR OUR FOLKS TO GO IN, SO WE SAVE THAT MONEY.
SO WHILE THEY'RE NOT BRINGING IN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT PAYING US, WE'RE SAVING ON OUR PERSONNEL PAYING.
SO THERE'S KIND OF A LITTLE TRADE OFFS THAT ARE MADE.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, THE 35 TO 65% IS NOT ALL THE OTHER, UH, FACILITY USAGE.
WE ARE OUT THERE ON THE WEEKENDS.
OUR FIREFIGHTERS DOING TRAINING.
THAT'S NOT PART OF THE SCHEDULED STUFF.
AND SO I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE 85% OF THE TIME IT'S US USING THAT FACILITY.
AND EVERYBODY ELSE KIND OF WORKS IN IT AROUND US.
BUT IT IS AN EXCELLENT FACILITY.
AND, UM, UNLIKE A LOT OF OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, THEY DON'T HAVE CLASSROOMS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
MOST FIRE TRAINING FACILITIES THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE, USUALLY HAS A TOWER, MIGHT HAVE A BURN BUILDING, MAYBE A COUPLE OF THEIR PROPS.
THEY DON'T USUALLY HAVE PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO IT.
WHEN WE OPENED UP THE CLASSROOM PORTION, WE DIDN'T ADD PEOPLE, BUT WE MOVED OUR DIVISION CHIEF OF TRAINING OUT THERE AND WE MOVED AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT OUT THERE TO HELP SCHEDULING 'CAUSE ADDITIONAL WORK.
AND THEN WE HAD TO MOVE, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF OUT THERE AS WELL BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD TWO PEOPLE THAT CAN OPERATE THINGS, MAKE SURE THE GATES ARE OPEN, MAKE SURE THE FACILITY'S READY TO GO.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE BEEN OPERATING IT AS BEST WE CAN.
AGAIN, MOSTLY IT'S FOR US, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF ALLOWING OTHER PEOPLE TO COME IN AND RENT THE FACILITY, PARTICULARLY THE CLASSROOMS WHICH ARE THE MOST POPULAR, UM, BUT ALSO OTHER PARTS OF THE FACILITY.
UH, I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS.
AND IN THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS, THEIR PROJECTION IS THAT WHEN THE FACILITY IS COMPLETELY BUILT OUT, THAT'S PHASE ONE AND TWO THAT YOU SAW LISTED THERE, ALL THOSE COMPONENTS, ONCE ALL THAT WAS DONE, THEIR PROJECTIONS WERE THAT IT WOULD STILL LOSE MONEY, UM, UNTIL ABOUT YEAR EIGHT.
UM, IF IT WAS RENTED OUT IN THE WAY THAT THEY HAD, THEY HAD ALL THESE FORMULAS, UM, THAT, UM, THAT WOULDN'T SAY THEY'RE GUESSES, BUT, UM, THEY JUST DID DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, TRY TO COME UP WITH THE FORMULA OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF PEOPLE RENTED IT OUT.
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UH, TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE EXPENSES OUT AND WHAT WAS LEFT.I DIDN'T PUT THAT FORMULAS IN HERE BECAUSE IT WAS QUITE LENGTHY STUFF THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
BUT BACK THEN THEY EXPECTED AGAIN THAT IT WOULDN'T START MAKING MONEY UNTIL ABOUT YEAR EIGHT.
AND THAT IS AFTER AGAIN, THE WHOLE THING WAS BUILT OUT.
AND THEN, UM, IN YEAR 25 OF THAT, AFTER EVERYTHING WAS BUILT OUT, THEY, THEY EXPECTED REVENUE TO BE ABOUT 150,000.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW WE BRING ABOUT $50,000 A YEAR FOR THE FACILITY AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO DO JUST ABOUT THE SAME THING NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE REVENUE.
WE'VE HAD SOME, A LITTLE BIT BETTER YEARS IN IN SOME OF THE PRIOR YEARS RIGHT AFTER WE OPENED THE CLASSROOM.
BUT I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WAS, UH, THE CITY DISCOVERED THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER SPOT WHERE WE CAN USE IT FOR MEETINGS AND STUFF, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND THEN, UM, WE END UP BOOKING IT FOR A LOT OF THE CITY STUFF WE DON'T CHARGE FOR, OBVIOUSLY.
AND SO THE REVENUE GOES DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY MEETS A SIGNIFICANT NEED FOR THE CITY DOING IT THAT WAY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN BEEN DOING FOR FUTURE PHASES.
I, I DID WANNA MENTION, UH, SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT, WHAT DO WE HAVE COMING UP NEXT.
UM, WHAT WE DO IS ONCE WE GET A PHASE COMPLETE AND WE GET IT PAID FOR, SO ONCE WE FINISH, UM, PAYING OFF THE, UM, THE DEBT FOR PHASE THREE, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT'S NEXT FOR US.
AND SO IT'S JUST LOOKING AT WHAT OUR CURRENT NEEDS ARE.
AND SOMETIMES THAT MEANS WE MIGHT BE BUILDING ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT'S IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, OR MAYBE WE'RE ADDING ONE THAT WASN'T IN THERE.
AND THERE MAY BE EVEN SOME IN THERE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA DO.
LIKE THE, THE SHIPBOARD FIREFIGHTING, THE MARINE PROP.
THERE ARE, THERE'S ONE THAT'S BEEN BUILT NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY.
AND AS LITTLE AS WE DO IT, WE CAN GO TRAIN THERE.
SO WE WOULDN'T WASTE THE RESOURCES TO BUILD IT HERE WHEN WE CAN DO OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
UM, SO THERE'S NO COMPLETION DATE ON, ON ANY OF THIS.
IT'S JUST WE HIT A PHASE AT A TIME AS WE GET THERE.
I, NOW WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT A POTENTIAL PHASE FOUR COULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE POLICE CHIEF AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SOME IDEAS IN THE ORIGINAL STRATEGIC PLAN, THERE WAS AN I, THERE WAS A COMPONENT THAT WAS CALLED A, UM, A TRAINING BUILDING.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING BECAUSE WE'VE ADDED SOME THINGS TO IT THAT WE THINK WE NEED.
AND WE DO HAVE IT IN THE CIP OUT, I GUESS FIVE YEARS OUT OR SO.
AND, UH, THIS TRAINING BUILDING WOULD ALLOW US TO ADD, UH, SHOWERS AND LOCKER ROOMS OUT THERE, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE, UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE GOT PEOPLE USING THE BURN BUILDING AND EVERYTHING.
UM, ALSO OUR PHYSICAL ABILITY TEST IS OUTSIDE, SO WE GOT LADDERS OUTSIDE AND THINGS THAT FIX PROPS THAT SIT OUT IN THE WEATHER.
AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME TRAIN OR WE COME, PEOPLE THAT, THAT TEST AND DO THE PHYSICAL ABILITY, THEY CAN'T, UH, IF THE WEATHER'S BAD, THEY CAN'T DO IT OR IT'S INCONSISTENT WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING AND TESTING.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD PUT INSIDE WITH THIS BUILDING AND THAT WOULD SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
THIS IS, THIS IS PICTURES FROM I THINK GEORGETOWN.
UM, ANOTHER THING IS A SEARCH MAZE, WHICH IS BENEFICIAL TO FIRE AND TO POLICE.
UH, WE DO IT FOR OUR, UM, SEARCHING.
WE BLACK OUT MASKS AND WE DO SEARCHES AND STUFF.
THEY WOULD USE IT FOR SWAT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH IS WHAT THIS FACILITY THEY'RE USING IT FOR.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT BE A PART OF THIS PHASE.
AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE A CATWALK ABOVE IT FOR INSTRUCTORS TO LOOK DOWN AND BE ABLE TO EVALUATE, YOU KNOW, THE PERSONNEL THAT ARE DOING THE TRAINING.
AND THEN A MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE THEY USE, THEY HAVE A CROSSFIT IN THIS ONE, BUT MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE CAN BE DONE FOR A LOT OF TRAININGS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER WHERE WE CAN GET INSIDE.
AND SO AGAIN, THIS, ALL OF THIS IN THIS COMPONENT WASN'T ALL OUTLINED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT THAT'S WHAT'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED A, A, A NEED THAT WE CAN RESOLVE WITH THIS.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO AS A POTENTIAL PHASE FOUR, ONCE PHASE THREE IS PAID.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE GOING FORWARD, WE, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE PROPS THAT WE USE THE MOST.
THE, THE TWO STORY BURN BUILDING IS THE PROP THAT WE USE THE MOST BY FAR.
THE CLASSROOMS GET EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF USE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE BIG ONES.
BUT, UM, WE WANNA UPGRADE OUR PROPS.
IN FACT, WE'RE WORKING ON A BUDGET THIS YEAR TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY INTO UPGRADING THE FIRE PROPS WITHIN THE BURN BUILDING.
UM, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UH, GET A LITTLE MORE OUT OF IT.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO SOME OTHER PROPS THAT NEED SOME WORK.
AND THEN LOOKING AT THE PHASE FOUR, WE TALKED ABOUT THE MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING AS ANOTHER, UH, THING TO START REALLY LOOKING AT GETTING, RE GETTING THE FUNDING FOR, UM, I PUT NOT RECOMMENDING, UH, THE INDUSTRIAL PROP PROCESS UNIT.
UH, WE'LL TAKE SOME MONEY TO GET THE BURN PROPS WITHIN IT UP AND RUNNING.
AND, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE US FOCUSING FUNDING ON SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE USE THE MOST FIRST AND KIND OF WAITING ON THIS AND THEN ADDRESSING THIS AS WE GO WOULD BE, WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WE DO SOME, WE, WE DO SOME INDUSTRIAL FIREFIGHTING.
[00:20:01]
FIRE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T DO MUCH.I I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT THE, UM, BIGGER FACILITIES HAVE THEIR OWN FIRE BRIGADES.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES, LIKE WHEN WE GET AN INCIDENT IN EXXON, WE GO THERE AS, UM, MEDICAL TRIAGE AND THEY DO THE FIREFIGHTING ON THE FIRE.
NOW, IF THEY GET A BUILDING ON FIRE, IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
UM, WE'RE STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTERS, THAT'S WHAT WE TRAIN AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
UM, BUT UM, THERE ARE SOME SMALLER FACILITIES WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND WE WOULD BE CALLING FOR ASSISTANCE PROBABLY FROM THEN THROUGH M OR AMBI OR ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF, UM, ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THE, UM, INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS HAVE CONSOLIDATE THEIR RESCUE RESOURCES.
AND SO, UM, ALSO KEEPING IN MIND THAT AT THE POINT THAT WE GET THE FIRE PROPS UP AND RUNNING IN THE, UM, PROCESSING UNIT, UH, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE STAFFING NEEDS THAT WILL GO ALONG WITH THAT AND ALSO THE MAINTENANCE, UH, THAT'S GONNA GO ALONG WITH THAT FACILITY.
SO IT, IT IS, IT'S NOT A A, A LOT OF, IT'S NOT A BIG BANG FOR OUR BUCK BECAUSE WE SIMPLY DON'T USE IT.
WE WOULD BE, WE WOULD BE GETTING IT OPERATIONAL AND WE WOULD BE RENTING IT OUT AND CONTROLLING IT FOR OTHERS TO USE AND IT WOULD CREATE EXTRA WORKLOAD.
AND RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST BENEFICIAL TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN ALSO OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND JUST SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER.
UM, THAT AGAIN, THE BAYTOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE PRIMARY USER OF THE FACILITY.
IT'S THE REASON WHY IT WAS, UM, IT WAS DESIGNED IN THE FIRST PLACE AND IT MEETS A LOT OF THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
WE HAVE A LOT OF REQUIRED TRAINING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
IT ALSO IS A SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO, UM, THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE CONTINUE TO FIND MORE AND MORE USES FOR THEM.
AND SO WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
AND AS WE, IF WE INCREASE USAGE FROM OUTSIDE, UM, OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS AND AGENCIES, UM, IT REQUIRES, UM, MUCH MORE CAREFUL COORDINATION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
AND SO I KNOW IT'S NOT BEEN AVAILABLE IN SOME OF OUR, OUR BUDGET MEETINGS THAT WE WERE GONNA DO.
IT'S NOT BEEN AVAILABLE FOR SOMETIMES WHEN WE WANT TO GO OUT AND TRAIN BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE BURN BUILDING FOR THE COLLEGE AND SOMEONE'S USING THE TOWER AND ALL THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO WORK AROUND THAT.
SO INCREASING THAT, WHILE IT COULD BRING IN A LITTLE BIT MORE REVENUE, UM, DOES AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO OPERATE.
I I THINK THAT THE ORIGINAL PLAN THAT I CALL A CONCEPT, THAT STRATEGIC PLAN AT SOME POINT STARTED BEING REFERRED TO AS A BUSINESS PLAN, THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE SOME TYPE OF BUSINESS, THIS BIG REVENUE SOURCE FOR US.
UM, IT WOULD, AGAIN, IT WOULD REQUIRE IF WE'RE GONNA RUN SOMETHING AS A BUSINESS, WHICH I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT TO DO, UM, IT WOULD REQUIRE THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL TO DO THE SCHEDULING AND BRING PEOPLE IN IT.
ALL THE MAINTENANCE COSTS WOULD GO UP OUT THERE.
AND SO, UM, I KIND OF WANNA LEAVE IT AT THAT.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA, UH, CLOSE ONE FINAL THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I'M GONNA READ THIS OUT FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T SEE IT, BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT AND IT IS WITHIN THE PLAN ITSELF.
IT SAYS FINALLY, IN SPITE OF ALL THE POTENTIALS FOR REVENUE AND EXPANDED SERVICES, HISTORICALLY, EVIDENCE POINTS TO PROBLEMS. WHEN THESE CONCERNS BECOME TOO IMPORTANT, MANY FACILITIES HAVE FALLEN INTO THE TRAP OF TRYING TO GENERATE REVENUES BY CATERING TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO PAY A HIGHER PRICE FOR TRAINING.
WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS IS THIS BENEFIT COMES AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AGENCIES THAT WERE THE INSPIRATION FOR THE FACILITY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
ONE OF THE GREATEST DIFFICULTIES IN OPERATING A FACILITY SUCH AS THE ONE PROPOSED IS IN SCHEDULING.
IF REVENUE BECOMES THE DRIVING FACTOR, THEN THE PRIMARY USER OFTEN GETS SCHEDULED OUT OF THE PICTURE OR BECOMES LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO TRAIN THIS EFFECTIVELY AND NEGATES THE REASON THE FACILITY WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND SO WHILE THEY HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION, THAT ORIGINAL PLAN, AND THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT REVENUE COULD BE, I LEAVE THIS CAVEAT THAT YOU FOCUS TOO MUCH ON THAT YOU END UP HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ORGANIZATION THAT IT WAS MEANT TO BE BUILT FOR.
WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS? I GUESS WHAT, I MEAN, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM US? I KNOW YOU HAD SOME ITEMS THERE.
WHAT YOU, YOU RECOMMEND OR NOT RECOMMEND, BUT I GUESS WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM COUNCIL? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST QUESTION.
I, I, I'VE KIND OF LET YOU KNOW MY THOUGHT PROCESS OF WHERE I'M GOING.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO FOCUS ON THINGS LIKE THE TWO STORY BUILDING.
UM, WE'VE TRIED THE INDUSTRIAL PROP IS THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT IN QUESTION MM-HMM
AND WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED SOME IDEAS.
WE'VE, WE'VE REACHED OUT AND TALKED TO, TO EXXON ABOUT THEY DO, THEY WANNA PARTICIPATE.
IT WOULD END UP BEING A DEAL WHERE THEY WOULD PUT SOME MONEY INTO IT AND THEN THEY WOULD GET TO USE IT FOR FREE.
AND THEN IT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN AND WE DON'T GET REVENUE OUT OF IT.
AND SO IT BECOMES JUST MORE WORK FOR US.
AND THEN IT PULLS US AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL THINGS THAT WE WERE GONNA DO.
SO, UM, I'M JUST KINDA LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT THE DIRECTION THAT I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M, I'M MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THAT IT EVERYONE CREATES TO THAT.
THANK YOU CHIEF FOR, FOR, UM, BRINGING THIS, UH,
[00:25:01]
ITEM FOR DISCUSSION.UH, I KNOW SEVERAL PAST FIGHTER FIGHTERS HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME AND, AND ASKED, UH, WHAT ARE THE FUTURE PLANS FOR THAT FACILITY? AND UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY TALKING WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ON COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO HEAR WHAT BENEFITS YOU GUYS MOVING ON IN YOUR ABILITY TO DO YOUR JOB EFFECTIVELY.
AND I THINK YOU GAVE US A REALLY GOOD DIRECTIVE OF IF WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND THAT ACCORDING TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, THAT WE DO IT, THAT WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT HELPS THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF WHAT THAT IN THE SPIRIT OF WHY THAT'S OUT THERE.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT AN ECONOMIC DRIVER, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PLACE WHERE Y'ALL COULD TRAIN AND AND SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS SO YOU CAN PROTECT OUR CITY, UH, THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED, PROTECTS IT BETTER FOR OUR CITIZENS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IF WE ARE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT, IN THAT SAME SPIRIT.
I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE, THE TRAINING BUILDING AND THE SHOWERS.
UM, UH, CAN THAT TRAINING BUILDING BE ALSO A FACILITATOR FOR OTHER, IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE THAT, UH, IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS NEARBY WHERE THEY MAY BENEFIT OR, OR COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY? YEAH, TO I, YEAH, I EXPECT THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY GET OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS CERTAINLY THAT WOULD WANT TO MM-HMM
COME OUT AND USE IT AND WE COULD EVEN DO JOINT TRAINING WITH THEM.
AND SO I THINK FROM THAT ASPECT, UM, ALSO ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TOO IS, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENTS LOOKING FOR KIND OF A DRIVE, WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT SOME TYPE OF DRIVING COURSE OR SOMETHING.
THERE WAS A, UM, IN THAT PLAN OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ORIGINAL ONE, THERE WAS A BIG, UH, DRIVING AREA FOR FIRE TRUCKS THAT WAS OUT THERE AND THAT'S NOW RETENTION AREA.
SO, UM, THERE'S THE POTENTIAL TO DO THAT SOMEPLACE OUT THERE.
UM, WITH PARTNERING WITH EXXON, THEY HAVE A PROPERTY ALL AROUND THERE AND WE JUST STILL HAVE SOME OF IT THAT WE CAN EXPAND OUT TO.
SO THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR US THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, RIGHT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, FUTURE IF WE'RE, AGAIN, IF WE'RE GONNA GO FORWARD WITH IT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT IN A WAY THAT BEST FUNCTIONS YOU GUYS AND, AND ALSO DOESN'T CREATE A, UH, YOU KNOW, AN ADDED, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONAL MAINTENANCE WHERE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, STILL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON PUBLIC SAFETY IS TRYING TO, UH, COMPETE FOR, UH, TRAINING SPACE TO DO THEIR, THEIR FACILITY.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I STAND WITH THAT, IS WE WANT TO, UH, GROW THAT AREA IN A WAY THAT, THAT IT GETS UTILIZED BY OUR POLICE AND FIRE, UH, DEPARTMENT FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR THEIR TRAINING.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE CLARITY AS TO THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN, EVEN WHEN WE HAD OUR OTHER STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, AND THIS IS NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THOSE THAT WORKED ON THIS, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, IT IS A GUIDE.
UM, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT BEFORE WITH OUR OTHER FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO I TAKE IT AS SUCH WHERE IT COULD CHANGE WITHIN THE SCOPE A BIT, BUT STILL DRIVING TO ITS ORIGINAL INTENT.
UM, SO, UH, BECAUSE THIS WAS DONE BEFORE OUR TIME, I REALLY WASN'T SURE AND, UM, WHEN I CALLED, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, 'CAUSE I WAS GETTING CALLS ABOUT IT AND I'M LIKE, WELL, IT'S IN YOUR DISTRICT, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, SO DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT AND, UH, MOST IMPORTANTLY APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATIVE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE WITH OUR OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO ADDRESSING NEED BECAUSE I, I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE CATWALK FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE THEY COULD ALSO USE SOME OF THOSE MAZES, UM, FOR SOME OF THEIR TRAINING.
UM, AND IT'S, THE CATWALK IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UM, I AM, I'M COMFORTABLE HEARING, UH, THE PRESENTATION AS YOU LAID OUT YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
AND I KNOW WE ALWAYS WANNA USE THE, THE NEWEST, UM, THING WHEN IT COMES TO OUR TRAININGS AND, YOU KNOW, CITY USAGE WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET, UH, PREP AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA HAVE NEW FACILITIES, WE'LL HAVE AN EXPANDED MEETING SPACE AT THE LIBRARY, UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE FIREHOUSE IS, UM, BEING UTILIZED BY THOSE THAT IT WAS INTENDED FOR.
UM, AND, BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO SHARE A SPACE WHEREVER SPACE IS AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY, UH, MOVE OUT OF THAT IN, IN ESSENCE.
BUT, UM, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WELCOME SPACE FOR THE LIQUID, UM, CIVIC ASSOCIATION, SO I APPRECIATE OPENING YOUR DOORS FOR THEM.
SO, UM, I I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR ME.
IT'S ANSWERED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS AND THEN, UM, MAYBE WE
[00:30:01]
CAN GET AN UPDATE ONCE YOU START MOVING ON ANY ADDITIONAL PHASES.UM, I LIKE EVERYTHING THAT, THAT WE'VE I GOT ADDITIONAL.
WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, I MEAN, AND I KNOW, I GUESS WHEN THE, WHEN THESE PHASES WERE FIRST STARTED, I MEAN, WE WEREN'T UP HERE, SO IT'S HARD MAYBE WE'D BE SPECULATING ABOUT SOME OF THE IDEAS BEHIND WHY CERTAIN PIECES WERE SELECTED.
BUT I MEAN, IT DEFINITELY LOOKS LIKE TO GET THAT INDUSTRIAL PROP RUNNING, THERE'S A, LIKE YOU SAID, AN OPERATIONS COST, MANPOWER, COST MAINTENANCE, ALL OF THAT.
BUT I MEAN, SO I GUESS WHY DID WE BUILD IT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT.
IT WAS, UM, IT WAS CAME TO COUNCIL IN EARLY 17, I CAME AT THE END MM-HMM
AND THE DIRECTION I HAVE IS WE'RE BUILDING THIS FACILITY OVER HERE AND WE MOVED FORWARD IT, SO I, I PERSONALLY, I SCRATCHED MY HEAD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT BUILDING A PROP THAT WE WOULD NOT USE MUCH OURSELVES THAT WOULD CREATE MORE WORK FOR US.
AND SO I, I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION, I GUESS WAS THAT, DID THAT PLAN SHOW THAT THERE WOULD JUST BE, I MEAN IT WAS GONNA BE REVENUE, THAT PORTION OF IT WOULD BE REVENUE GENERATING WAS BECAUSE LAURA AND I WERE ON COUNCIL AT THAT TIME AND THAT WAS 2017? YES, WE WERE, WE GOT ELECTED AT 16.
AND THE CONVERSATION WAS IT WAS GONNA BE REVENUE GENERATING THAT A LOT OF INDUSTRY, AND I WAS WORKING IN INDUSTRY AT THE TIME, I WAS A FIREFIGHTER IN THE INDUSTRY AND THAT WAS THE TALK OF THE TOWN WHEN THIS WAS COMPLETED.
IT WOULD BE UTILIZED BY INDUSTRY.
AND I'M GLAD THAT THIS WAS BROUGHT FORTH BECAUSE I NOT ONLY, I NOT ONLY GOT CALLS FROM FIREFIGHTER, FORMER FIREFIGHTERS, BUT I WAS GETTING CALLS FROM INDUSTRY PARTNERS SAYING THAT THEY WERE CALLING ASKING WHY IT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RENTED BY THEM.
AND THEN WHEN I ASKED THE QUESTION, IT WAS BECAUSE OF BROKEN LINES.
SO WAS IT EVER OPERATIONAL? IT WAS OPERATIONAL.
WE FIRED IT UP AND UM, WE GOT SOME NICE FIRE OUT OF IT AND THEN WE STARTED SEEING LEAKS UNDER THE CONCRETE MM-HMM
AND IT WAS YEARS OF TRYING TO GET IT FIXED AFTER THAT THERE'S NO WAY OF FIXING WHAT'S UNDERGROUND.
WE WOULD HAVE TO JUST REBUILD THE LINES ABOVE GROUND.
MUCH LIKE THE IN INDUSTRY IS AND PROBABLY THE WAY IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST FIVE.
SO IT WASN'T OPERATIONAL LONG ENOUGH TO ESTABLISH LIKE A BASELINE OF HOW MUCH WOULD INDUSTRY PARTNERS USE IT? NO.
AND, AND THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
WELL, THE TWO QUESTIONS I WAS GONNA HAVE, WHAT WOULD IT COST TO BUILD THE LINES ABOVE GROUND? BECAUSE THE FACILITIES I'VE WENT TO, MAINLY THE ONE AT A AND M AND WHOOP FOR ALL YOU A AND M VANS OUT THERE MM-HMM
UM, ALL THE LINES WERE ABOVE GROUND.
I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT THIS WAS DONE UNDERGROUND.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION, WHO THE CONTRACTOR THAT DID IT, DID WE EVER GET BACK WITH THEM TO SEE IF BONDING INSURANCE OR SOMETHING ON THOSE LINES WOULD'VE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS? BECAUSE WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY ON THIS TO, UM, FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO EVER USE IT FOR THE USE THAT WE HAD INTENDED FOR.
SO DID WE EVER CONTACT THE CONTRACTORS THAT AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU SPEAK TO BUT YES.
YEAH, WE, WE, WE WORKED IT, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO THE STORY
THEY WERE, THEY WERE RUN AS SEPARATE PROJECTS BUT TOGETHER.
AND SO WHEN THEY BUILT, UH, THE CLASSROOM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE INDUSTRIAL PROP WAS A PART OF THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE PROJECT OF THE PRO FIRE PROPS WITHIN THE INDUSTRIAL COMPONENT.
AND SO EVERYTHING WAS DONE RIGHT.
THE LINES WERE PLACED UNDERGROUND, THEY WERE TESTED, EVERYTHING WAS GOOD.
AND UM, BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE COMPANY TO COME OUT, UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF HICCUPS THAT ONE, THEY CAME OUT AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROPANE TANK WASN'T BIG ENOUGH.
MANY, MANY, MANY MONTHS TRYING TO BUY A BIGGER TANK MM-HMM
AND, UM, THAT WAS A EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THEN THE COMPANY WAS ANOTHER YEAR OUT FROM COMING BACK.
'CAUSE THEY GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND CONNECT THESE PROPS.
AND THEN COVID HIT AND COVID HIT AND THAT COMPANY, ONE OF THEIR, THEIR UM, WORKERS PASSED AWAY.
AND SO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT YEARS WENT BY, WE WERE OUT OF WARRANTY FROM THE ORIGINAL.
'CAUSE THE BUILDING WAS, WAS, UH, EVERYTHING WAS COED AND EVERYTHING.
'CAUSE WE WERE USING THE BUILDING.
ALL OF US WERE USING THE BUILDING, BUT THE UNDERGROUND COMPONENTS WERE WHERE THE LEAK WAS AT.
AND THEN WE HAD PUBLIC WORKS CUT INTO THE CONCRETE.
WE DID SOME ABOVE GROUND STUFF AND IT JUST, IT WAS JUST CHASING OUR TAIL WHEN WE REALLY WERE WANTING TO FOCUS ON ALL THE OTHER PROPS THAT WE WERE USING.
IT'S, IT, YOU WOULD ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT COSTS, IT COULD BE BETWEEN 500,000 AND A MILLION DOLLARS TO DO ALL ABOVE GROUND STUFF.
AND I ASKED THAT QUESTION SO THAT RESIDENTS WOULD KNOW WHAT ALL WENT INTO IT.
UH, I WANT THEM TO REALIZE THAT NO STAFF
[00:35:01]
AND COUNCIL DIDN'T STAND BY AND NOT PURSUE, UM, A FIX.SO YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, RIGHT? YEP.
UM, MAYOR, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ACTUALLY.
AND I DO LIKE HEARING THAT THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT SOME MORE THINGS OUT THERE.
UM, I SEE VALUE IN THE PROPS BEING USED BY INDUSTRY BECAUSE INDUSTRY SURROUNDS US AND IF, AND IF THEY CAN USE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BUILT TO FIGHT FIRES BETTER INSIDE, AND WE HAVE NO SAY SO WE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO IN AND DO THAT.
BUT IF WE CAN AID THEM IN BEING BETTER PREPARED, I THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE BECAUSE IT MAKES OUR, IT MAKES OUR CITIZENS FEEL SAFER KNOWING THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE TRAINING.
THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO TRAVEL TO A AND M OR LOUISIANA.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SAYING THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, IF, IF, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE SEE THAT SEE FIT TO DO IT, I LIKE HEARING THAT IT'S STILL AN OPTION AND WE WOULD PUT TOGETHER A PLAN ON WHAT EXACTLY PERSONNEL NEEDS AND STUFF WE WOULD NEED.
AND, UM, JUST TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, TURING, UM, CHEVRON AND, AND EVEN EXXON AND THEY TALKED ME THROUGH THEIR WHOLE FIRE DEPARTMENT UNIT AND HOW THAT OPERATES.
SO, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, THEY TRULY ONLY CALL US IF IT'S SOMETHING STRUCTURAL, BUT THEY ALSO HELP TRAIN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IS, AM I CORRECT IN THAT? 'CAUSE UH, WHEN I WAS TALKING TO EXXON AT THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID THAT THEY SOMETIMES HAVE Y'ALL COME IN AND, AND TRAIN AND JUST SEE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT THE FIREHOUSE.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
BUT I DO AGREE THAT IF THEY WANT TO USE IT, UM, I'M OKAY IF THEY WANNA GET FUNDING TOWARDS IT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE A FREE THING.
UM, BECAUSE IT STILL NEEDS TO BE SCHEDULED.
IT'S STILL, THEY'RE STILL GONNA BE USING IT AND UH, IF IT'S A BENEFIT FOR THEM, I DON'T SEE WHY THEY WOULDN'T PAY FOR THAT BENEFIT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE GIVEN UPFRONT FUNDING.
UM, BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD HAVE IT RIGHT HERE PRETTY MUCH NEXT DOOR, UM, TO WHERE THEY'RE AT.
AND SO, UH, AGAIN, THERE'S NOTHING TO SAY THAT WE CAN'T EXPAND ON THIS IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO, UM, IF WE TAKE CARE OF THE PRIORITIES NOW AND THEN IN THE FUTURE AS WE GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UM, OR WE GET OTHER GRANT FUNDING FOR IT, IF IT'S STILL NEEDED, THEN WE CAN BUILD OUT ON THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'M NOT OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT TOO, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT WILL THEY BE FUNDING THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE? BECAUSE I HEARD ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THERE IS PERSONNEL.
SO IF THERE'S A PLAN WHERE THEY'RE ALSO FUNDING THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE FOR US TO RUN IT WHERE IT'S NOT HINDERING WHAT YOU GUYS DO IN TRAINING FOR STRUCTURAL FIRES, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.
BUT, UM, IF, IF WHAT IF WHAT WE FUND TAKES AWAY FROM WHAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS DO TO KEEP OUR CITIES, OUR STRUCTURES SAFE AND THEMSELVES AND THEMSELVES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING I HOLD RESERVES FOR, BUT, BUT WE'LL LOOK AT THAT IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT THOSE PLANS, BUT YEAH.
SO CHIEF AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT FORMULA IF YOU CAN GIMME THAT FORMULA.
I WANNA SEE JUST HOW COMPLICATED IT IS.
I THOUGHT WHEN IT CAME TO MONEY YOU JUST ADD AND SUBTRACT SOME THINGS.
WELL IT, IT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT IT'S COMPLICATED.
IT'S THAT THE, IT'S THE FUZZY MATH THEY USE UHHUH AND THE WAY THAT YOU, I'LL HAVE TO SHOW IT TO YOU.
I LIKE TO SEE LETTERS AND STUFF THERE.
NO, THAT, JUST PICK SOME WEIRD STUFF.
I, I THINK AN ACTUAL OVER HERE, THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE OUR LIBRARY CARD TO GO DO SOME RESEARCH ON THAT.
BUT THANK YOU CHIEF, APPRECIATE.
I'M GONNA TAKE A SHOT OF WATER
WE ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 6:14 PM.