LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A number of Wimberley area residents have asked me what happened to ESD #4 / Wimberley Fire Rescue’s (“WFR”) proposed new fire station at RR-12 and Winters Mill Parkway – adjacent to the new Wimberley Independent School District (“WISD”) elementary school project. Those residents questioned this because they said that prior to the vote for a $45.5M Bond initiative, which passed in 2018 there was some discussion that WFR would build a new station on that corner. They said their vote in support of the initiative was also a vote in support of a new fire station.

As an officer and the Chief of WFR for many years, I am committed to this community and respect each group, board, or entity that is also committed to this community and strives to make it better. This letter, in no way, is meant as an affront to the hardworking WISD. I am fully aware that an executive board is responsible for the well being of their organization. I am sure that the WISD board has made decisions on this matter that are in the best interest of Wimberley Independent School District. In being taxpayer supported entities, it is incumbent upon us, the boards and managers, to make decisions on the best and most effective use of every taxpayer dollar received.

That said I feel I owe those residents asking the question some explanation as to why a new WFR station is not included in the project. Some background: The Emergency Services District #4, Board of Commissioners and WFR had actually expressed interest in that corner property prior to WISD’s interest. Our interest did not result in a transaction, however as WISD was able to firm up a deal, there were plans discussed for a site for a WFR station and even a site for a new EMS facility. This topic was discussed at WISD’s Board meetings in 2017 and early 2018. ESD #4’s Board Treasurer and property acquisition committee member, Mr. Chuck Ware, and I attended these meetings to convey our interest. Additionally the WISD Board President, the project designer, our committee representative and I had several meetings to discuss and plan for a station at the site. When we met, ESD #4 / WFR offered to pay the same price per acre that WISD paid. (The thought being, ESD #4 / WFR are not commercial entities. We are funded by taxpayers. The taxpayers approved and will pay for the Bond that bought the property.) At those initial meetings, discussions centered on the acreage required, site needs, ingress and egress, and finally ESD #4 / WFR’s proposed price per acre. As the WISD plans evolved, the renderings showed the school moving towards the corner at RR-12 and Winters Mill, which initially was the proposed WFR station site. It was concerning that WISD’s plans narrowed the original area ESD #4 / WFR had considered as a viable and affordable possibility for the new station. At the January 21, 2019 Board meeting, I read a statement from our ESD #4’s Board of Commissioners. ESD #4 / WFR formally expressed interest to purchase the property, at the price WISD paid -- $38,000/acre. We voiced that our offer was pending on access (ingress and egress) for a fire station on Winters Mill Parkway. As the school building and footprint had moved toward the corner, the ability for WFR to place a driveway onto Winters Mill was very likely not possible. Under Texas Dept. of Transportation rules, there are restrictions on the distance a driveway can be placed before a traffic control light (stoplight). With a distance of 415’ remaining to the traffic light for WFR to place a driveway, there were serious concerns it would not be approved by the County. This was based upon information WFR had previously received from the County when the new station was proposed. The WISD Board members asked several questions including one about the driveway and also about the price per acre. One or two members said the price/acre was not decided and that one Board member couldn’t speak for the Board nor could they approve our offer. The WISD Board adjourned the public session and went directly into a closed door executive session. Following this meeting, WISD voted to pursue working with ESD #4 / WFR to purchase the property. There were a couple more meetings with the Superintendent and designers with the last meeting scheduled to include the County and TxDot. However, this last meeting did not occur. ESD #4 / WFR requested additional information and another opportunity to discuss our proposal with the WISD Board. There has been no response to this request and it now appears that ESD #4 / WFR will not be included in any additional planning. ESD #4 / WFR have not been advised what, if any further discussion occurred or decisions were made in that executive session concerning ESD #4 / WFR’s offer. It is also the last time we were included on the agenda.. These are the events as we know them, nothing more.

The current situation for ESD #4 is that Wimberley Fire Rescue has outgrown the central station -- and the price of property continues to climb. This was an opportunity to maximize taxpayer dollars by effectively using acreage purchased with tax dollars at a reasonable rate for public safety use. It appears that opportunity has been missed. We have an uncertain future in regards to a new station, yet that need remains. The increased growth that has caused property values to spike, also results in additional areas for WFR to cover. We currently have an Assistant Chief and two full-time firefighters. We rely on part-time firefighters and firefighters from neighboring communities. We also rely heavily on volunteers that are generous with their time and commitment to the community. ESD #4’s district area is 135 sq. mi. with a roughly 7 sq.

mi. area of infrastructure to support fire hydrants. WFR covers these 135 sq. mi. In these circumstances, our resources are sometimes stretched thin. However, my message to our district is, we at Emergency Service District #4 / Wimberley Fire Rescue will continue to respond rapidly and responsibly to the needs of our Wimberley community. The WFR station is your station too. You are welcome to stop by and meet our team.