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Monday night, Goodyear City Council will attend a worksession to discuss... their own salaries. In the Agenda, City Staff is recommending: "Staff is seeking guidance on moving forward with establishing an ad hoc Council Compensation Committee. In an effort to provide for an efficient process, staff also seeks Council direction and authorization to select members from existing applications for Boards and Commissions, and conduct meetings as necessary to determine a compensation recommendation. Staff would return to City Council in the fall with a final recommendation on the compensation package for the Mayor, the Vice Mayor and councilmembers." ~City of Goodyear Staff If it turns out they get a raise, it'll take effect when the next councilmembers are elected in June 2019. 
REVISED AGREEMENT Take a look here at the First Amendment to the Estrella Development and Fire Services Agreement. In June 2016, we were tipped that the City's agreement with local developers had lapsed. Our sources told us the agreement was "allowed to expire" and that funding for a second fire station was not in place. At the June 27, 2016 meeting, City Manager Brian Dalke publicly stated he spoke with a Newland representative just that week. His specific words were... And talking to Bill Olsen this week, there has been an understanding that the bones of an agreement are in place. It can be argued some of those elements may or may not apply. The fact of the matter is one of the partners - if you will - back to the earlier agreement is no longer there. So CantaMia for example - is AV Homes - will be part of any discussions.” ~GOODYEAR CITY MANAGER BRIAN DALKE, JUNE 27, 2016 Let's emphasize "WILL BE PART OF ANY DISCUSSIONS." Future tense. Whether talks had been in the works for years prior or not... It appears from public commentary that the real push to update the agreement was prompted last summer. The amended resolution dated January 24, 2017 now shown in a snapshot states: 
 PRIORITIES SHIFTED In March 2016, Goodyear City Council participated in a work session to discuss the FY17-26 Capital Improvement Program. About half way through the meeting, the presentation turned to "General Funded Programs - Projects Requests." City staff initially recommends fire stations be listed on deferral for future impact fees. We added fire stations to your list simply because of your recent conversations just to put it up here and let you know it’s on our radar… but that we know the study is pending and we’ll wait for that project. ~Lauri Wingenroth, Budget and Research Manager
This document - Goodyear's Capital Improvement Plan for FY16-25 - shows funding for a Fire Station at Harrison and Citrus for FY22 and a Fire Station in Estrella in FY22. An additional Fire apparatus wasn't in the plans till FY23. FY16 and FY17 funding totaling $66,366,257 was slated for:
We have NEVER stated the City had "no priorities for" nor "didn't care" for fire service as we've been accused throughout various social media threads. I'm personally aware that our City Council and Mayor support public safety as shown by their previous actions over the years. This has been a process in the works since December 2015, (and most likely sooner than that), and these things do take time to work out. The fact is, the priorities for the Estrella station were moved up after 2016 Council meetings and the fire station study this past year. I'm not sure why this is being made out to be a bad thing by social media followers as it's really good news for Estrella and Goodyear residents. Many of us - and myself included - are thrilled about Council's decision to listen to the people to make this happen. Their ability to collaborate with other leaders and the developer to move up the construction timeline is a win for everyone. 2017 AND BEYOND It should be noted again that Goodyear has several fire station needs and projects in the near future. In December 2016, we also read over the entire tax payer funded, 210 page fire station study to see all needs for fire service in Goodyear. It also recommended "building a new fire station in west Goodyear and having it operational by the year 2022. The optimal location is at Citrus and Yuma. An additional engine company would be expected to operate from there. This station would have a workload similarly modeled to other stations in the city." Operational by 2022 means funding for this station needs to be moved up, as well. Tomorrow night, as it turns out, Goodyear City Council will hold a Special Meeting with the City Attorney and City Manager "to provide instruction/direction to City Attorney and City Manager regarding City's position in connection with contractual negotiations associated with West Goodyear development agreements." This meeting is private and we can't be 100% sure this is related to fire service. But, we're hoping to find out more regarding a west Goodyear fire station this spring. We'll keep you posted. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 5:30PM Special Meeting 6PM Regular Meeting Location: 14455 W. Van Buren Street, Suite B-101, Goodyear, Arizona 85338 Meeting agendas and to Watch Online Here
Estrella Mountain Residents is happy to report an agreement is now in place to locate and build Estrella's much needed second fire station. This comes after more than a year of reporting on City work sessions and council meetings regarding demands for fire service in our community... and after a devastating house fire leaving one Estrella family homeless on Easter morning 2016. THE BACKSTORY IN A NUTSHELL The City of Goodyear, Newland, and then partner "Tousa" agreed to develop a second fire station in Estrella which was to be built and running by 2009. The economy tanked and the station was never built. It was to be constructed at Willis and Rainbow Valley Roads. The City of Goodyear actually still owns that land. In 2015, Fire Chief Luizzi addressed council about growing fire service demands throughout the City of Goodyear... and in Estrella. Over the next few months, he explained to council City triggers and thresholds which would cause the construction of an additional fire station in Estrella. I think it's important to remind our readers that when the Fire Chief was to present in January 2016, his presentation was interrupted so many times that he was unable to finish. We asked that the City give him the opportunity to address Council once again with a full report. He was given that opportunity and fully explained the triggers and thresholds criteria - a good read if you want to fully understand what's happening in Estrella. EASTER MORNING FIRE Tragically, an Estrella family found themselves the victims of a house fire on Easter morning. Their dog, Daisy, lost her life. The Estrella community pulled together raising over $20,000 in money and donations for the family. Estrella Mountain Residents studied the response times for the house fire and reported on what really happened here. And the results left us asking... "What can we afford? We hope it's not lives."  At the Estrella house fire on March 27, 2016 - 9 minutes into the alarm - just 5 fire people were at the scene. Goodyear was first to respond at 8 minutes and 10 seconds. The national standard recommended 15 people weren’t on scene until 14 minutes and 58 seconds into the alarm. That’s 5 minutes and 58 seconds later than the NFPA 1710 standard. THE AGREEMENT In June 2016, we were tipped that the City's agreement with local developers had lapsed. Our sources told us the agreement was "allowed to expire" and that funding for a second fire station was not in place. Report here. At the June 27, 2016 meeting, City Manager Brian Dalke revealed he spoke with a Newland representative just that week. And talking to Bill Olsen this week, there has been an understanding that the bones of an agreement are in place. It can be argued some of those elements may or may not apply. The fact of the matter is one of the partners - if you will - back to the earlier agreement is no longer there. So CantaMia for example - is AV Homes - will be part of any discussions.” ~GOODYEAR CITY MANAGER BRIAN DALKE, JUNE 27, 2016 During all of this, City lawmakers continued to approve building permits in the Estrella community.
A RESIDENT PETITION In June, Estrella Mountain Residents started a petition. The residents of Estrella in Goodyear, Arizona respectfully request the City of Goodyear prioritize funding for Fire Station 186 sooner than the current timeline." ~iPETITIONS, JUNE 2016 Our goal was 250 signatures in a short time prior to a Goodyear City Council meeting. We surpassed 300 signatures and delivered it to Council. Residents chimed in.... The city manager along with the city council should save 65,000 dollars of our citizens tax dollars and allow the IAFF get the free study done and put that money to use for other more critical needs of the city. Please build Fire Station 186 city of Goodyear for the protection you want your tax paying citizens pay for. Amen! Overdue for 2nd fire station in Estrella. Safety for the residents of Esteella should come long before the proposed park. Let's roll!! We are definitely in need of another fire station in Estrella. The study has already been done, new homes are being started everyday. Please do not make someone lose their life or their home before we "git ur done"!!! Goodyear is constantly growing and if the trucks out there are on other calls when an emergency arises, the trucks in my area (Yuma and Sarival) would have to respond, leaving us unattended. TAXPAYER FUNDED STUDY
SEEING IS BELIEVING The taxpayer funded fire study reports the optimal location for a second Estrella fire station would not be at the current designation of Willis and Rainbow Valley Roads... but rather near Estrella Parkway and Willis Road. So, the 3 party agreement covers Capital Contributions, as well.
NOW WE WAIT The City of Goodyear must give a 180 day notice of intent to begin design with Capital Contributions. Because the action item was not on last night's meeting, the City was unable to give that notice. In fact, the City Attorney signaled it could be a couple more months before that action was taken... possibly around budget discussions. Members of the Council expressed desire to move up that timeline. Councilmember Stipp said, "June is too long to wait." It does appear the Council wants to get the construction of Estrella's second fire station going sooner rather than later. RESIDENTS ARE PART OF THE "TEAM" I was stunned to hear Council say, "Leadership made it happen." Council members patted themselves, staff, and developers on the back for making this agreement come together. However, it was Mayor Lord who acknowledged the citizens of this All-America City had an impact, as well. .. and also I want to compliment the citizens. They weighed in on this, made a little noise, told us how important it is, and that helps council make decisions, too. It’s a team effort and thank you very much." ~MAYOR GEORGIA LORD, January 23, 2017 THE VOTE A vote for a first Amendment to Development and Fire Service Agreement between the City of Goodyear, NNP III-Estrella Mountain Ranch, LLC and AV Homes of Arizona passed 7-0. In Attendance: Mayor Georgia Lord Vice Mayor Sheri Lauritano Councilmember Pizzillo Councilmember Campbell Councilmember Hohman Attending by Phone: Councilmember Stipp Councilmember Osborne Jen's Two Cents: This past year of reporting on this issue has been well worth the effort. I've learned a lot about the process... and I've learned a lot about the people who make the laws in our city. I stand behind all of my reporting despite public criticism and push back by two city leaders. Estrella needs a voice to make positive change. I'll continue to monitor fire service in Estrella as it's a moral obligation for our elected leaders to provide this basic service for us... and for generations to come. ~Jen Barber/Estrella Resident
PREVIOUS REPORTS Make no mistake about it, the West Valley is no longer getting the local government coverage it once had. This concerns us. And that's why we feel we have a responsibility to keep Estrella residents informed. To get up to speed on what we've covered so far, please visit these links: Waiting Game: July 11, 2016 CantaMia Growth and Fire Service Demands: July 10, 2016 Estrella House Fire Response Times: June 29, 2016 Goodyear Under Fire: June 28, 2016 Fire Station Funding: March 17, 2016 Triggers, Thresholds, and Fire Service Demands: March 10, 2016 Saving Lives, City Budgets, and Growth in Estrella: January 26, 2016 Community Paramedicine: December 2015 You will not find this extensive coverage anywhere else. SEPTEMBER 2016 UPDATEInfo from staff notes here. Goals of the paramedicine program are: The pilot project staff goals are; reducing the burden on the 911 system, creating more fiscal responsibility with tax payer dollars, decreasing unnecessary emergency room visits, opportunities for regional collaboration to maximize resources and creating a public/private partnership. New info: On June 1, 2016 the department was notified it received a service agreement for a regional pilot project for $120,000. Fiscal Analysis for 1 calendar year: The pilot project is supplied by Phoenix Health Plan Inc. who is owned by Tenet Healthcare and requires no match by the city. The grant will fund the development of training programs, provider training and the actual process of meeting with patients in the different cities. Salary costs and other associated equipment costs will be covered under the grant for all of the participating cities. THE COST PER CALL IS $270 USING A FOUR-PERSON RESPONSE CREW. See the city work session and review meeting minutes here.       ESTRELLA FIRE STATION UPDATE
COUNCIL RETREAT These issues will be discussed at the Goodyear City Council annual retreat. The public is welcome to attend to listen. OCTOBER 21 - 22, 2016 Goodyear Justice Center JEN'S TAKE Mayor Lord is doing a great job allowing the fire chief give his full presentations before council members start asking questions and interrupting. These meetings are so much easier to follow and understand.
We sincerely ask local media outlets to start paying attention and reporting on these issues. Resident tax dollars and livelihoods are on the line. ~jen Note: I am a resident of Estrella. I am not an expert in fire protection. In 2010, Goodyear fire fighters responded to an arson fire at my home in Estrella. This is what I was able to pull together from last night's Goodyear City Council work session. Yes, my opinion is interjected in this article. ~Jen
The chief is in a difficult position. He's got a union behind him saying, 'We need more people.' He's got a city manager who says, 'Holy smokes, we can't spend all of our money on fire protection.' We have a community that says, 'We want parks, we want this... we can't put all of our money in fire stations.' And, oh by the way, we got a police chief who's gonna sit there and say, 'Hey, what about us?' ... It's all a balance, but we need to have the information to make the right decision. And right now, saying this is a 'requirement' and this is how it lays out, we need to understand the foundation for the information. And right now, for me, it's a wobbly ground. ~Councilmember Bill Stipp Estrella is made up of three villages. Mountain Ranch, which opened in 1988, is the northern most area of Estrella. Mountain Ranch is 74% built out and has nearly 4,700 lots being developed. The next two villages are south of the Ray Road alignment. The first is Montecito. Opened in 2007, it began construction south of the Ray Road alignment. The next is CantaMia which began construction in 2009. As of November 2015, 647 homes had been built south of the Ray Road alignment. It's anticipated the land south of the Ray Road alignment will have 4,000 rooftops.  The Ray Road alignment - marked in a dashed blue line - marks the growth area headed south and the subject of the work session considering fire service delivery demands in our community. The Ray Road alignment is where Calistoga Road is today. Over the past nine years, the City has issued an average of 9 new single-family home permits a month south of the Ray Rd. alignment; in the last three years the City has issued an average of 14 new single-family home permits a month. ~Goodyear Staff Report CURRENT FIRE SERVICE DELIVERY TO MONTECITO & CANTAMIA Estrella's Fire Station 182 - the station just near Estrella Mountain Church - started out as a temporary awning in the mid-1990s and was formally constructed and completed in 2003. This work session was put on the agenda to again discuss the construction of a second fire station in Estrella... Fire Station 186, previously called 804. The 2006 DA originally contemplated that the fire station would be completed by 2008 and fully manned in 2009. However, due to the downturn in the economy, the construction of the station was put on hold in 2008. ~Goodyear Staff Report This map shows miles and minutes for Estrella's current fire station - Fire Station 182 - to currently service the area south of the Ray Road alignment.  THE COST TO MOVE FORWARD Council members discussed conservative ways to improve services to homes south of the Ray Road alignment. But, it appears going conservative may not be the answer. What would be the cost to add... a truck... or add additional personnel to the station we have? ~Vice Mayor Sheri Lauritano & Estrella Resident This is what we were able to compile during what was a very choppy back-and-forth discussion:
When I did come to you in 2014, you specifically said from the council that, "Don't think that you have to have all three triggers hit in order for you to come back to us.' ~Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi In the effort to find cost cutting measures, Council member Campbell also asked what it would cost to add just a two man "medical" crew at the current Estrella fire station. The responses are worth taking note. We could do something smaller or different, could we not? ~Wally Campbell, City Councilmember From a station standpoint, I don't know that you want to build a small one because eventually you're going to have to add on as the population starts to grow, the call volume starts to grow, and that you're adding on additional costs in later years to a station. My standpoint is prudent to build one station once and build it as we currently build our fire stations with three bays. ~Fire Chief Paul Luizzi This proposed fire station is designated as being a battalion station. At some point we'll have a battalion chief in Estrella. Why? Most of Goodyear's growth will happen SOUTH of the Gila River. THE REAL COST? LIVES. Adding just a two-man crew to the current station would be a "clock stopper" move. They'd be first to arrive. Because they'd be medical... they wouldn't be able to help on a structure fire at all. "So you're still waiting the time for additional support to come," states Fire Chief Luizzi. Even if you just put in a two-man crew, you still have a time and distance issue south of Ray Road. ~Fire Chief Luizzi Council member Bill Stipp has a great deal of knowledge on this topic and provided some thoughtful input that seemingly put this discussion on track. We know based on years and years of study that a two-person EMS companies are not nearly as effective as four-person EMS companies. So when we're talking about delivering service, what we're really talking about is just getting somebody there. That's it... Let's ask ourselves, 'What level of service do we want to provide?' If we want to provide just band-aids and a rub on the shoulder or rub your back, then two people is the way to go. If we want to provide advance life support, we need to be all in. ~Councilmember Bill Stipp
Fire Chief Luizzi maintains the council told him to come back with information as the demand for a station began apparent. While the next station... don't hit all of them, [triggers], there are some of them... The response time is greater than 8 minutes. ~Fire Chief Luizzi Also note, some of the development south of Ray Road is creeping towards 6 miles away. "The area is certainly starting to develop and grow," Fire Chief Luizzi tells council. NATIONAL STANDARDS VS. ESTRELLA STANDARDS Council member Stipp reminded participants that the city previously had a discussion on triggers for a new station and how did the city come up with its own standards. His statements and input should be noted by residents: A response time greater than 8 minutes for 30% of the time exceeds all of the national standards. National standards are 4-6 minutes. So we're doubling the national standard by saying we're okay with 8 minutes. ~Councilmember Bill Stipp Council member Stipp goes on to say, "The Insurance Services Organization which rates insurance companies that sets our insurance rates says, 'The stations should have a geographic response area of a one-and-a-half circle.' The industry says, 'If you were to take a two-and-a-half mile polygon... and lay it in the same place, you're going to have to cover about the same area, but it's about two-and-a-half miles." So even if we were to apply both of those standards, 6 miles is still well outside of that." ~Councilmember Stipp BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME. BUT, IS GOODYEAR READY? City council approves a lot of things. They've approved rooftops. But, what about approving the safety mechanisms for those lives? An ah-ha moment was had... My fellow council members, we are pretty darn close. [Meaning close to hitting all the triggers for a new fire station.]~Councilmember Stipp So, we're dealing with sprawl. ~Mayor Georgia Lord We are doing this to ourselves.... That's another sprawl scenario that we keep approving households in. ~Councilmember Stipp This triggers and thresholds was provided to us in the staff report as ‘requiring’ this [construction of a new station in Estrella]. This is a self imposed restriction. And ‘we’ as a collective council don’t have the ability to overcome that. The staff report says, ‘This is what’s required.’ Well it’s not required. It’s recommended. And we need to have a discussion about 8 minutes, 6 minutes, 4 minutes, a hundred fire stations or five fire stations. What level of service do we want? ~Councilmember Bill Stipp DEVELOPER DEALS & WHAT'S IN PLACE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN According to a 2006 city council action form, "... representatives of Newland Communities and City Staff have been negotiating a Development and Fire Services Agreement to satisfy the zoning stipulation requiring a second fire station in Estrella Mountain Ranch with the 501st building permit south of Ray Road." Again, from what we've been able to piece together in a choppy discussion, this is what we believe to be the facts:
Because of a lack of organization and time... this conversation was put on hold. Here's my opinion. And it's just that. I feel the fire chief is trying to tell council it's time to build a station. I feel Councilmember Stipp is questioning why the city isn't gunning for top notch fire protection. And I feel other council members are advocating for conservative measures despite the current need. Let's hope this topic gets put back on the agenda and is discussed all the way through without a time limit. We need our city leaders to come to a conclusion on this. And the people need an answer. Jen's Opinion: Work sessions have been historically hard to follow. The presenters come into these meetings with a thoughtfully laid-out presentation. However, council members interrupt with questions and take the conversation off the beaten path. Questions that could be answered in a thoughtfully presented manner could be answered... and lead to better discussions. I beg of council to let the presenters give their presentations then open up for discussion. This topic needs more discussion and has now delayed the important issue at hand... "When will Estrella get a new fire station?" Our fire chief was forced to hurry up his presentation and the topic was cut short due to the regular council meeting about to begin. This is not a good way to represent residents when lives are potentially at stake. When questioning the staff report, various members of the council said they did not have the information. We were easily able to find the information on the city's website in the agenda for this meeting. In fact, we've pulled some quotes directly from those reports. We're posting the agenda here for anyone who would like to review the documents. When sending out agendas to council, I recommend staff follow up with each council member to make sure they have all they need BEFORE a council meeting... even if it means pointing out where to find all the documents.
Additionally, the correct pronunciation of Estrella is Es-Tray-Uh. Double ll's in Spanish are silent. This community is growing. And it's a disservice to the history of this land to keep pronouncing it improperly. Finally, thank goodness for Bill Stipp. He provided the most eye-opening material and we are fortunate to have his expertise on this. Having a diverse council with various backgrounds is incredibly important... and this meeting is a great example of why voters should be paying attention to who they're voting for. Saving money is important. Saving lives is more important. You never need a fire truck... until you need a fire truck. What are YOUR thoughts? Discuss on the Estrella Mountain Residents Facebook page here.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Barber is a Goodyear resident resident of almost 20 years and a retired broadcast news journalist. Involved in various nonprofit and city organizations since 2008, Barber has a unique view of what's happening in the West Valley of Arizona. 
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