The Whitney City Council voted to seek bids on trucks for the fire department after Fire Chief David Gilmore made a presentation on the status of the department’s equipment at a Thursday, October 26 meeting.
Gilmore told the council that the department is currently borrowing a fire truck from Mansfield because Whitney’s primary engine, a 2003 model, has been in the shop, and the backup engine that was being used, a 1997 model, has a major leak and was losing nearly 1,000 gallons of water each day and a half.
“This is how bad it’s gotten in the department,” he said, pointing out that the average age of each piece of equipment is 19 years.
The chief said that fire standards call for trucks to be in reserve status after 14 years and be retired in 20 years unless they can meet all standards. Some of the department’s equipment is 30 years old or older.
Gilmore said that a rough estimate provided for repairs to the engine in the shop totaled $44,500 for labor alone. It would also likely be in the shop until next spring.
He presented options to the council, asking for guidance on whether to pursue the repairs on a truck that likely doesn’t have much life left, or to pursue the purchase of replacement vehicles.
He presented a quote for a 2014 pumper priced at $399,000 that the city could obtain quickly, and a new 3,000-gallon tanker/pumper priced at $421,000 that the city could take delivery of by next summer.
Council members asked Gilmore if the department has applied for grants, and he said that he is still pursuing grant opportunities.
Because the purchases were not included in the city’s recently adopted budget, amendments would have to be made to buy the trucks.
City Operations Director Billy Pribble said that it is important for the community to note that the city is currently protected thanks to the truck on loan from Mansfield. Fire response outside of the city’s coverage area has been suspended, but the department is capable of response in the city.
Due to the cost of the proposed purchases, the city will have to seek bids for trucks. The council voted to seek bids for a new tanker/pumper and a used engine.
Gilmore said that if the department purchases equipment, there will be an emphasis on maintenance going forward to get more life out of the trucks.
During his monthly update to the council, Gilmore also provided information about the department’s recently reinstated nonprofit status. The chief said that a little over a month ago he learned that the department had been revoked as a nonprofit fire department in May 2019 and has been operating as a revoked entity. “We have not reported taxes to the IRS since 2019, so we’re in the process of working on fixing that now,” he said.
The department had to reorganize and write new bylaws and determine how it was going to go forward and not allow this situation to occur again. “Thank God we wrote it well enough that they accepted it, so they gave us back our nonprofit status and we can now start receiving money again for donations,” he said. The department has now had a 501(c)(3) status since October 19.
“We are in the process now of auditing the books from 2019 up to now to see what damage will be done and what we’re going to have to go back and pay the IRS,” he said. “That will be our final thing to fix that problem.”
In other updates, Gilmore said that the six tires purchased with $11,703 in grant funds have been installed on Brush 325, and the grant also covered a spare tire. The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) will be conducting a hazardous materials awareness class for the department in November, and nearby firefighters have also been invited to sign up. The department will also receive refresher training on COVID-19 and carbon monoxide heading into the winter months.
In other action, the council held a public hearing on an application for a specific-use permit for alcohol sales at 100 North Brazos Street downtown. Owner Gordon Rogers requested the permit, which would allow Juniper Cove Winery to expand its operations. There were comments for and against the change, with Whitney Fellowship Pastor Dell Glenn presenting opposition. He said that the church is against additional alcohol sales near its building, citing issues with litter due to a nearby bar. He also expressed concern about the business expansion causing parking issues for the church.
Business owner Anne Chastain said that the winery is not seeking a liquor license and will never be a bar. She and Rogers also said that the business operations would not interfere with parking during church services, and the church would be welcome to continue using parking in the area. Chastain said that the business expansion would add value to the city as a whole, and Tami Gardner also spoke, saying she was there to support Chastain and felt that the business would serve the community well.
There was no action, as only a public hearing on the matter was on the agenda.
Ayushi Agarwala of AVSM Investments was on the agenda to request a 260 square-foot sign in the general location of 200 North San Jacinto Street. She said that the sign would provide a directory of businesses located in the former hospital building, which she said is essential for business recruitment as she works to lease space in the building. The current zoning only allows for a 100 square-foot sign. The council approved her request.
The council heard from citizen Latonya Anderson, who was on the agenda to discuss drainage issues in the area of West Railroad Avenue. She requested that the city replace tin horns and dig trenches due to the horns being blocked and some being crushed. She said that the water is not able to run properly through the trenches, causing knee-deep water in her area at times. She also requested the reopening of the nearby road and bridge by the city park, saying that debris has caused an issue with drainage since its closure.
Pribble said that drainage continues to be a problem in the city and noted that this is one of the issues that was supposed to be addressed in the 20-year plan he discovered from the year 2000 that was never followed. He said that the city needs an engineer and a drainage plan. Council members ultimately voted to work on the ditch in the area in an attempt to improve drainage issues.
Citizen Brandon Ward was on the agenda to request speed bumps on South San Jacinto Street near the intermediate school. Ward said that he regularly witnesses vehicles driving at high rates of speed and endangering children in the area. He reported that drivers going the wrong way during school hours is also a problem, as well as off-road vehicles speeding in the area. The council voted to install three speed bumps on the street in an attempt to address the issue.
The council approved a contract with UniFirst to provide uniforms for the Public Works Department. The city sought quotes for uniforms after the expenditure was approved in the 2023–24 budget.
Mindy Foster was appointed by the council to the Whitney Housing Authority board. Executive Director Stacey Waits recommended Foster’s approval after Melissa Brown recently resigned from her position on the board.
A special event permit request submitted by Kolby Clark for a slow-pitch softball tournament to be held last Saturday at the city park was approved to benefit the Maddison Lassetter Scholarship.
The council also approved special event permits for the trunk-or-treat event scheduled by the city and chamber and the annual Christmas Bazaar planned by the chamber in December.
The council approved a resolution selecting The Lakelander as the official newspaper of the city. Local government code requires that the city select a public newspaper with general circulation in the city for the publication of required notices each year.
In departmental reports, Library Director Denise Carter made a special presentation, thanking volunteer John Moore for his nine years of service to the library. She told the council that Moore is a dependable volunteer who does many jobs at the library, including assisting the staff and patrons by creating manuals and helping them with tasks, such as navigating state websites and other needs they may have. The library had 564 visitors in September and issued 46 new library cards. More information about the library’s current and upcoming activities are available in a newsletter at http://www.whitneylibrary.org.
Public Works Supervisor Chris Brennan said that the department addressed 12 water leaks for the month and has been patching potholes. As of the meeting date, 660 of the new water meters had been installed so far.
Police Chief Kyle Nevil reported that the department answered 284 calls for service in September, made 110 traffic stops, wrote 96 citations and issued 34 warnings. Four arrests were also made, including an arrest made in conjunction with Hillsboro authorities after a threat was made towards Whitney High School.
In the public forum, Highland Drive resident Susan Swilling once again approached the council about sewer issues in her neighborhood. Residents of the area have been experiencing sewer issues for some time and are seeking a resolution to the issue. Swilling said that she is also interested in a recycling program that would benefit the community.
The council convened in closed session for discussion and voted when open session resumed to terminate the employment of Kate White. Another vote was taken to hire EMS Director Megan Leeman.
The council’s next regularly scheduled meeting date will be Thursday, November 16.
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