Meeting Archives

CPVA MEETING MINUTES

MINUTES APPROVED

Date: April 18, 2005

Time: 7:30 p.m. (board meeting 7 p.m.)

Topic: Fire/Emergency Service

Board Meeting Notes:

Board meetings have been moved to 7:00 p.m. Meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Moved to 7:00 so that the regular meetings at 7:30 won’t be bogged down by board (bored?) discussions of accounting methods and dates for submission of expenses and so forth.

Purchased a BBQ/cooker for events.
1. Inaugurated the cooker at the official opening of Avalon Park in Grogan’s Forest, 4/16. Park opening had 80+ folks. Great turnout.
2. Cooker will be kept in storage facility and used for social events in Grogan’s Forest and Harper’s Landing.

Voted to purchase domain name for www.villageofcollegepark.com website for the next 5 years.

Voted to participate at bronze sponsorship level of the 4^th of July parade. Theme this year: “Forever in our hearts: salute to the troops.” This is Woodlands’ wide. We don’t select the theme. But we do need help with the planning and the construction of the float.

Approved minutes from March meeting.

Treasure’s report presented. $10,000 was received from TWA and the current account balance is $12,807.85. Ron Schultz presented the proposed budget. This budget was voted on and approved by all present.

Organized committee to plan the Spring Fling/free-day-at-the-pool, May 21^st. Interested in joining the committee and/or helping? You are MOST welcome and wanted! Contact Susan Kooiman, secretary and social chairman.

Regular Meeting Notes:

1. Scholarship awards: 3 recipients.

(Note: CPVA normally has money only for 2 awards. Last year, however, we presented only one scholarship, leaving the funds available for 3 this year).

We had a number of outstanding candidates. Two of our winners:

a. Kristen Briggs. A young lady on the track and swim teams of The Woodlands High School and an active member of her church youth group, holding the position of President this past year. Will be attending Brigham Young University this fall with an emphasis on nursing and education.

b. Kalpesh Patel. Will be attending Montgomery County Community College this fall to knock out some hours, then transferring to the University of Houston and on, from there, to dental school. He is on the student board at The Woodlands High School, as secretary. Also working on the Relay for Life in the fight against cancer, serving as team captain.

2. Announcement:

We have tickets available for the Astros v. Mets, July 30. “The Woodlands Day” at Minute Maid. More importantly, it’s the first weekend Carlos Beltran will return to Houston. Will be an absolute sellout. Tickets are $15 and include bus transportation to and from the game. Contact Gail Carney.

Speakers

1. Relay for Life

Cheryl Llamas gave a great song and dance (literally, to the tune of Nancy Sinatra’s one and only hit). She needs folks to join or form a team to relay around the track of the high school, from June 3^rd, 7 p.m. until June 4^th, 7 a.m. All proceeds go the American Cancer Society.

*** This is a great opportunity for all the young folks who still enjoy staying up all night to come out and do it. Your parents will know where you are and you’ll be doing a service that will help save the lives of people fighting this challenging disease.

2. Fire Department Issue

Guests: Kristy Adai, administration of The Woodlands Fire Department

Chief Alan Benson, The Woodlands Fire Department

Chief Greg Carter, Needham Road Fire Department

Joel Deretchin, TWDC and member of The Woodlands Fire Department board

History, provided by Joel Deretchin:

In the mid 1990s, circa 1995-1996, The Woodlands Operating Company saw the need for a combined fire service for all the villages. Each village, down to different parts of villages, had pre-existing service agreements with various fire districts. Expansion of the villages was creating chaos among the boundaries and had the potential for confusion in service. TWOC formed its own fire and emergency response system.

In 1997, legislation passed that enabled villages to opt out of the pre-existing services and elect to be served by the services of The Woodlands. By doing so, villages would no longer have to pay both entities: The Woodlands and other service. Cochran’s Crossing was the first to do so.

Fire/emergency service from The Woodlands did not create an instant hike in assessment fees. With so many home owners paying TWOC each year, there was plenty of money available to handle the addition of fire/emergency service.

Harper’s Landing was created after 1997. It initially was zoned only for industrial use. The industries at that time did not want the services of TWOC; they didn’t need residential trash pick-up or pathways and parks and so forth. Therefore, they opted to remain under service of ESD #4, the Needham road facility.

In the latter part of the 1990s, TWOC realized that the industrial division idea wasn’t really taking off. They looked at Imperial Oaks, a successful community in an industrial area, and decided to try residential development here. It worked.

Joel mentioned also that this is the fourth time he has attended a meeting in Harper’s Landing regarding this issue….

Synopsis:

Removal from ESD #4 services, if the petition is signed and presented, would occur as of 1/1/06. The Woodlands Fire Department will be building a new fire station on the campus of Montgomery College, right at the entrance of 242, whether the petition is signed or not. If the petition is signed, TWFD and Needham will continue a mutual aid agreement where they both respond to emergencies, until the new station is fully operating. After that, they both will continue to respond to structure fires and trade off other responses according to whichever station is most available. TWFD will respond most often. If, for instance, TWFD is responding to a vehicle accident at 242 and Gosling, Needham will respond to a cat caught in a tree in Harper’s Landing.

Q/A:

Can we alter the covenants to where we don’t pay TWFD for service?

Not really. It would take ratification of 85% of the folks in TWA, not just Harper’s Landing. That would mean 85% of folks in Alden Bridge, Panther Creek, etc. The covenants establish uniformity of service at a specific rate for all members of TWA.

Will assessment fees increase?

Not because of the new fire station. Back during the early years of the formation of The Woodlands, area representatives (not TWOC) created by-laws to determine when new fire stations would be built. A number of circumstances have to be met for a new fire station to be put into place. Every village in The Woodlands has gone through this: build first, fire station later. With the development of the 242 corridor and with the construction of the new high school, enough of the criteria for a new station have been met.

So TWDC has enough money for a new station and new personnel lying around?

Um, yes….Plus there’s going to be a new tax (who’d have figured?) rate on businesses along 242 and in the new town center. It may be across all areas of The Woodlands, I (secretary writing these minutes) just don’t know. That tax was mentioned during last month’s meeting. I think it’s going to fund the new waterfalls and such in the town center, along with other things. It’s a half-cent or cent tax.

Will response time increase?

Depends on who answers the question. Needham Road chief says yes, TWFD chief says not significantly. TWFD has one of those nifty devices that change traffic lights. And they WILL drive on the wrong side of the road if needed, to get where they need to go.

What about trains?

Trains are pretty much on a pre-determined schedule. But TWFD will probably enter on the south side, just to make sure.

Insurance rates?

Needham Road currently has a rating of 4. The lower the rating, the better. TWFD currently is 3. Both are expecting to be rated as 2, next time evaluations come around. Evaluations are expensive. But lower ratings also translate to lower homeowner’s insurance.

Frequency?

Needham Road responded to 34 calls to Harper’s Landing last year. TWFD will be closer than it currently is, once the new station is built. I believe they also responded to the calls, or worked with Needham to determine if 2 services were necessary.

Emergency service?

This is where it gets a little tricky. The fire station we pass everyday on Harper’s Landing Blvd. houses a Conroe hospital district ambulance. They’ll respond to medical emergencies in Harper’s Landing. If they are unavailable, TWFD and/or Needham Road respond. TWFD has fully certified paramedics, able to administer drugs and conduct advanced cardiac care. Needham road has folks available for medical service but unable at this time to administer cardiology care or drugs.

Extras?

Needham Road fire chief lives in Harper’s Landing. TWFD chief doesn’t. Needham Road has been gracious to Harper’s Landing in the past, allowing us to hold board meetings there free of charge, sending fire fighters to National Night Out and providing a Santa Claus. TWFD hasn’t. But then, I don’t know if they were asked.

Charges?

By law, Needham Road can charge extra for services. Yes, we currently are paying a tax to enable them to respond. By Texas law, code 775.040, they are allowed to assess an additional fee for response to non-structure fires. The chief said if Harper’s Landing pulls out, removing a significant source of his funding, he may do so. That translates to the ability to charge roughly $400 for motor vehicle accidents.

What happens to Needham if we opt for TWFD?

Funding gets creative. Needham, in anticipation of the chance of a funding change, is utilizing grants. If, however, Needham finds itself in a financial crunch, it will stop mutual aid. 24% of the budget comes from Harper’s Landing. On the other hand, TWFD has additional stations and mutual aid agreements with other FDs so that we would never have a situation of no response or response in unacceptable time parameters.

Why not just de-annex from Needham in a few years?

Could do that. Any debt accrued by the station in the meantime is also accrued by Harper’s Landing and must be paid off. They currently are in the process of trying to purchase a ladder truck. Ladder trucks are expensive.

What’s the bottom line?

De-annexation saves $0.10 per $100 assessed home value, or $150/yr for $150,000 house. Tax assessments in Montgomery County are continuing to rise, especially after failure of the Texas legislature to pass a law preventing an uncontrolled rise in homeowner rates.

Any other bottom lines?

We must continue to pay TWDC for service, regardless whether we opt to continue with Needham or go with TWFD. It is an agreement we all signed upon moving into The Woodlands, and as noted at the beginning of the Q/A section, something that in reality can not be changed.

Both chiefs and both fire departments have mutual respect for and camaraderie with each other. Whatever the decision, neither chief will have animosity toward the other. Chief Carter and Asst. Chief Bittner worked together years ago in Baltimore and are working together again, in our area.

Next meeting: Summer Gardening, May 16