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If you're a target of Estrella's Facebook ads, you've probably seen promotions for Lucero. It's a new community being built near Star Tower on Estrella Parkway. It's slated to open this spring. Since Spring 2016, we've advocated for an additional fire station in Estrella to cover the quickly expanding community. In March 2018, I last went to Goodyear City Council to ask about the timeline of the opening of Lucero and the construction of Estrella's 2nd fire station. The City sent a written response saying it did not know when families would move into Lucero. But, the additional fire station was on track to open in the Fall of 2019... "slightly later than the original timeline of mid-summer 2019." The city's website now shows that date pushed back again to December 2019. Why do we care? On March 26, 2016, an Estrella family found themselves the victims of a house fire early Easter morning. Their dog, Daisy, lost her life. The alarming response times and "tips" from within the fire community got us taking a closer look at the issue. You can find the history of our reporting and advocacy here.  At the Estrella house fire on March 27, 2016 - 9 minutes into the alarm - just 5 fire professionals 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. Even Goodyear City leaders have questioned why the response times in this All-America City are much longer than what they had been in the past. Eventually, Goodyear spent thousands of taxpayer dollars to hire a foreign firm out of the United Kingdom to study the city's fire services. (More.) The consultants came back and told Goodyear what it already knew. The city needed multiple new fire stations.
ESTRELLA'S SCHOOLS NEARING CAPACITYGranted, homes will take time to be built in Lucero. But the amount of construction in south Estrella, in Montecito and CantaMia, has exploded. The traffic is getting heavier. The grocery store is busier. Even the Liberty Elementary School District has discussed the timeline for opening up a new school. The Liberty Elementary School District recently discussed the issue of overcrowding in Estrella's schools. Link here. View the presentation from pages 51-66. 
Jen's Two Cents The lack of media coverage in the west Valley is concerning. Please pay attention to what your lawmakers are doing. And get informed before you vote. You have to make the extra effort because local media isn't cutting it.
Goodyear's council meetings are now broadcast on Facebook live. You also can find video recordings on its website if you miss the live show. Driving down Estrella Parkway, it seems our little town is really growing up. From new industry and small businesses to housing developments and homelessness... Goodyear has a lot on its plate.
Have you seen the construction next to the Goodyear Ballpark? That vacant land will be home to "Gates at Goodyear" - condos with mixed-use for the west Valley. Reportedly, "It will feature 80 residential units, with office, dining and retail space below. Noting Arizona’s heat and long-lasting sunlight as motivations, Fair also plans for the structure to be energy independent and efficient, with the goal of residents having net-zero energy consumption. One feature is that residents’ units will have what Fair describes as transition glass, which darkens when exposed to sunlight." The CEO is Andra Fair who got the idea from his land partner, David Byrd, who owns several Goodyear hotels. "The development also involves Sonnen home energy storage systems, so each unit will have two solar-powered batteries, allowing residents to go on or off the grid, he explained." We're chomping at the bit for Saddle Mountain's patio to open. Maybe October? Hopefully? We can't wait! MC85 at Lower Buckeye Road is going to take on new shape in Goodyear. Microsoft is moving in south of the Goodyear Airport. Check out more here. A new school! Litchfield Elementary School District is building a new school. "School 16" will be located at 18601 W. Campbell Avenue in Goodyear... just north of Indian School Road and east of Perryville Road. Pickleball courts at the Goodyear Community Park unveil September 22nd. Goodyear says, "The event will kick off with a tour of the court and remarks by city officials. Later, there will be on-court demonstrations by local pickleball players as well as mini-clinics covering the basics – from selecting the right paddle to understanding the rules of play. The celebration concludes with the courts open for general public play. The project, which was funded and approved in response to residents’ request, converted basketball courts to accommodate pickleball and maintain two high school-sized basketball courts." The cost to build these was $168,000. The project plan reports, "Repurpose the existing basketball court to include four lighted Pickleball Courts and two lighted high school level basketball courts. The courts will receive new court surfacing and striping." Dunkin' Donuts is reportedly opening this week on Estrella Parkway just south of Van Buren. Don't forget, there's a fabulous Sunrise Donuts just south of there at 725 S. Estrella Parkway, Goodyear, Az. They're a mom and pop shop with lots to offer! Rumor has it that a Culver's is opening in Goodyear. We checked with the company and they said they do NOT have plan for a Goodyear location. (Hope I'm proven wrong. Although, they are located in Avondale and around the west Valley.) They also sent the franchise link to me if anyone is wanting to open a Culver's. Anyone? NOW OPEN Dream Swirls, owned and operated by Estrella residents, moved to a new location. We stopped by during the grand opening and it was PACKED! I love mom and pop shops. Be sure to check them out. 15557 W. Roosevelt Street, Suite 102, Goodyear, Az. Near Robeks on Estrella Parkway. A quick jaunt into Litchfield Park for a moment... Teacup has opened. Its menu looks awesome and I hope to get there soon. HIREDThe City of Goodyear made two new hires in big positions. Lori Gary is the new economic development director. Goodyear states, "Prior to accepting the post in Goodyear, Lori was a senior project manager for the city of Mesa’s Office of Economic Development. Specifically, she promoted new investment, redevelopment and reuse, and job creation within Mesa’s Fiesta District, Falcon District, and West Mesa." Tammy Vo starts in October as the city's new communications director. "Tammy has spent the last six years working as the marketing and communications manager for the city of Phoenix. Before then, she spent 13 years in television news." Both positions seem to have high turnover in Goodyear. Let's wish them the best of luck in our growing city. Soon-to-be hired are interns for the Goodyear Spring Baseball Season. Check out opportunities here. CHALLENGES AHEAD At Goodyear City Council tonight, Police Chief Jerry Geier and Sgt. Justin Hughes of the Professional Standards Unit will discuss a difficult issue... Homeless Outreach. The agenda reads, "City Management requested that staff prepare information on the issue of homeless outreach and nuisance behaviors such as panhandling in order to ascertain the Council’s level of interest in pursuing an ordinance, policy revision, or other action. This issue has not come before Council in the past." When I assisted Goodyear with its All-America City application in 2008, Goodyear reportedly knew of just 11 homeless people. Now that the city has grown immensely, and so quickly, it's sadly obvious that number is growing. "Staff has compiled information on the issue of homeless outreach, including definitions, existing conditions, and information from other valley cities. Possible alternatives will be presented and direction will be based on Council feedback," Goodyear Staff Analysis. Homeless Youth Connection sent out an email today inviting the community to attend its Empowering Youth Breakfast. It's October 25th. You must RSVP. More here. UPCOMING ELECTIONIf any of the above issues interest you, I encourage you to run for office. In 2021, several termed-out seats will be open and we'll have, potentially, an all new council. Now is the time to brush up and get involved. We were beyond thrilled this week to see Councilmember Laura Kaino announce she's running for the position she was appointed to when Joanne Osborne vacated the seat. We worked with Kaino on the Goodyear Water Conservation Committee and hope she brings that knowledge and ideas to the table. Please follow her on Facebook. She's been very active in the community! Open Seats in the Goodyear Spring Election of 2019 are:
COMMUNITY NOTES
Finally, if you're looking to watch some great high school volleyball this weekend, please check out the Wolves Classic Invitational at Estrella Foothills High School. It's Friday/Saturday. The school's high school Homecoming Parade and Carnival follows at 5pm Saturday night. Best wishes to all the students and athletes this weekend! We'll continue to follow what's happening in Goodyear and the west Valley. Our mission to keep informed ramped up again this spring when a Goodyear City Councilmember falsely made accusations against us. She got us wondering about what's really happening. We know it's important to the community and taxpayers to stay informed. If there's something you'd like for us to check out, please contact us.
Goodyear City Council Work Session Recap PICKLEBALL OPPORTUNITIES Goodyear Parks and Rec Director David Seid admitted the department missed the ball and "the original scope and associated budget request were grossly underestimated" regarding pickleball courts. The City Staff Report states, "As a result, staff evaluated and identified the existing sport court area within the park as the ideal location for the pickleball facility. Staff determined that a modification of the existing courts could retain existing amenities as well as accommodate a new pickleball facility." And, "... staff explored an additional option (1) to accommodate adult softball play within Foothills Community Park. Staff determined that an expansion of an existing youth sized baseball field to an adult sized field could continue to accommodate youth baseball, as well as youth and adult softball. Adding additional user groups to the field does not impact current users as the scheduled use times do not conflict. Little League, the primary user of the facility, fully supports this option." Seid provided a couple of options about moving forward with pickleball courts and it appears Council is leaning toward Option 1... a $130,500 additional cost to complete ball field options at a total of $448,500. ESTRELLA FIRE STATION As we blogged last week, Goodyear Fire is looking at building Estrella's 2nd fire station at a previously dedicated site of Rainbow Valley and Willis Roads. As you may recall, a $53,000 fire station conducted by a foreign company identified Estrella Parkway and Willis Road as the most optimal location for a new fire station. During tonight's work session, it appeared Council is in agreement the Willis Road location will be the new home for the new fire station.
In 2016, I asked Council to delay construction of Lucero until additional fire services were in place. Estrella is a linear community and when one part of the community is stretched further... as Lucero will do... it puts additional strain on safety services. Goodyear already has 17+ minute response times to parts of CantaMia per the fire study. Now that construction is well underway at Lucero, I want to know what these two timelines look like today. Will a new fire station be up and running before the first family moves into Lucero? Goodyear's newest city manager, Julie Arendall, said the City would respond to me at a future date. THE NEW RESTAURANT AT THE PRESIDIO Also on the agenda tonight was a Series 12 Liquor License for Beach House Food and Spirit. Amy Jo Schlecht is the applicant for Beach House Food and Spirits which will operate in Estrella's Presidio Residents Club. MY TWO CENTS Tonight's Regular City Council Meeting was mostly attended by City staff.
The meeting ran late due to additional meetings... but residents are always invited to attend and get involved. Council won't know what resident needs are unless you go and speak up. We'd like to know what the point was for tax payers funding a 2016 Fire Station study. Why in the world did we pay a company out of England to tell us where to put fire stations when our local fire department will end up doing what they wanted to do from the very beginning???? ESTRELLA'S FIRE NEEDS
During all of the ongoing talks at the Goodyear level, fire employees told us response times in Estrella can take 17+ minutes in the southern portion of the community to CantaMia. The fire study confirmed that. Newland Communities is constructing Lucero, near Star Tower - a community of 1,250 homes your Goodyear lawmakers approved prior to building an additional fire station as I requested at a City meeting. Fire services are even more necessary than they were when I started voicing concerns in 2014. Estrella is a linear community stretching resources north and south and out to F.I.N.S., a hiking and biking trail near Westar. TRIGGERS AND THRESHOLDS
BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN
In addition to saving half a million dollars, a compelling reason Goodyear Fire wants the station be built on the original site location is due to convenience. "...the team evaluated turning movements to and from the site, access to the frontage and surrounding roadways, new short-term and long-term development of the area and proximity to other city facilities and infrastructure." Goodyear Staff Report MY TWO CENTS
"... 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
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
UPDATE JANUARY 2018 - BELLA VITA IS NOT IN BUSINESS AT THE PRESIDIO ANY LONGER
RESORT STYLE LIVINGMany residents have posted on the Estrella Mountain Residents Facebook community page about how nice the facility is and how wonderful the food is at Bella Vita Café. The reviews are completely understated. When we arrived, the gathering room to the left was empty. Being a Sunday, it didn't seem out of place. But, we could hear people to the right. Peek around the corner, and that's where the restaurant and fitness room are located. Before my daughter headed out to the pool, we were greeted by a warm smile and great humor. Bella Vita's restaurant was full of employees getting ready for the day and Jeremy was happy to answer our questions. I'm huge fan of friendly people and Jeremy was the perfect person to run into today! THE POOL AND PATIO
She loved the heated pool... and the HOA employee at the front desk was kind to show her how to start the splash pad fountains! BELLA VITA CAFÉ We chose to order some garlic cheese knots while waiting for a pizza at Bella Vita. Let's just say those were gone in a flash. The wind picked up and the temp dropped, so we left the patio and headed into the restaurant for lunch. Brittney was our server and was so kind and helpful. I truly don't remember the last time we had top notch service like this... we don't get out much... but today's service was exceptional.
FEW GLITCHES As with any new business, we had a few glitches. When I called the Presidio this morning for business hours, the recording mentioned I had called the "EJC" and to leave a message. It'd be helpful for the Presidio to have a custom greeting with hours and the address in the message. When I called later today, the phone was answered by an employee. So, I'm guessing the recording comes on after hours. Also, I posted the Presidio address and phone number on the Estrella Mountain Residents Contacts page. But, it'd be nice to see the Presidio have its own webpage or Facebook page. The HOA page still shows the Presidio "opening soon". I know the new HOA Communications Director is working on this. But, the sooner this facility is convenient for residents to find, the better.
Best advice? Trust Jeremy when he recommends the "Freak Show."
 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
Blog and opinion piece by: Jen Barber, Estrella Resident When a child is found at the bottom of a pool... seconds count. When a loved one is in cardiac arrest... seconds count. When you're having trouble breathing after a bee sting... seconds count. Odds of survival increase when a patient has quick care. That quick care can be dependent on response times by fire departments and EMS crews. For the past year, I've been following fire service demands and concerns being presented at Goodyear City Council meetings. Media resources have dwindled in the west Valley and I feel it important to hold our lawmakers accountable. Tragically, a friend's home burned down on Easter morning in Estrella which sparked my closer attention. And all the while, city council continues to approve construction in the Estrella community.
Portions of Estrella currently may not have the same luxury. Goodyear's own data show fire/EMS crews can exceed national standard response times to the Montecito and CantaMia communities in Estrella. By national standards, the response times to the Easter morning house fire in Estrella was more than 3 minutes too late, as well. That's not acceptable. After a series of work sessions and in an effort to determine when to build new stations and where they should be located, the City of Goodyear hired a foreign company, ORH, out of England to study local fire service demands.  I've read the 210 page report and believe it's important for residents to understand what's in it. Below is a brief synopsis. While long, it's an eye opening report. I'm most fascinated by the amount of growth about to occur in the southern portion of our All-America City. That expansive growth will create new and unique demands on city services. The results of this study leave me wondering if it would it be better to build now and grow into the stations rather than wait another 8-10 years as recommended by ORH fire study. But, that decision now falls in the hands of our lawmakers. Note: The Goodyear City Council will learn more about this fire station study during a work session on Monday, December 12th. You can attend the meeting or watch it online beginning at 4pm. ABOUT ORH - A FOREIGN COMPANY STUDYING LOCAL NEEDS  ORH is the organization the City of Goodyear hired to conduct the study. It's a management consulting agency located in the United Kingdom. ORH is the trading name of Operational Research in Health Limited and registered as a company in England. Its website states, “We are committed to getting it right, for the good of our clients and the people who rely on their services.” Regarding ORH, the City of Goodyear states: ORH, Inc. began their work on the Goodyear Fire Station Study in late August 2016. They collected incident data; analyzed current demand; reviewed historical trends; made site visits and assessed other factors to formulate the recommendations found in the 2016 Fire Station Study. The report was finalized on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. This company is no stranger to Arizona. In 2015, ORH completed its first USA contract for the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department. They looked at the distribution of fire stations. The 10-year plan resulted in recommending splitting an existing fire station into two new sites, adding a station in an area with high demand and development, and relocating stations “at the end of their functional viability.” THE COST TO TAXPAYERS - YOU PAID FOR IT Goodyear taxpayers spent roughly $53,000 as reported by KJZZ and reporter Mattew Casey. If you recall, I reported through this Estrella Mountain Residents blog in July, city staff estimated the fire study would be completed by October and presented to council. But, if you look at our reporting, the need for a fire study was first discussed in February, 2016. And the discussion over whether Estrella was in need of a second fire station was presented in January 2016. Council had a rough idea of where two new stations should be placed. So the questions was "why" hire someone to tell the city what it may have already known. This spring, Councilmember Bill Stipp asked Fire Chief Paul Luizzi what the real purpose would be of conducting a study. To establish the proper location for stations. To establish the proper response and trigger threshold for construction of new stations. And really what we should be using now as our current response time, goals, benchmarks, and baselines, as we start to move forward and kinda see the city in a light of the way it’s being constructed now.” ~Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi So, if we’ve already identified twice now what the locations are based on the projected growth… I’m having a difficult time seeing what a third study is going to tell us that we don’t already know regarding the location of the stations.” Councilmember Bill Stipp Chief Luizzi defended the reason for the study. Is it valuable looking at the current station locations and are they in the right spots? And our future plan’s growth - are we currently going in the right areas?” ~Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi ESTRELLA FIRE STATION HISTORY 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 additional station was originally planned for 2008.
With pressure on response times throughout the city, a work session held with Goodyear City Council in JANUARY 2016 - 11 months ago - was put on the agenda to again discuss the construction of a second fire station in Estrella... Fire Station 186.
EASTER MORNING HOUSE FIRE  Who could have predicted last spring - while council discussed the need for fire stations - what would eventually happen on Easter morning? A devastating house fire burned down a local family’s Estrella home and killed their pet dog, Daisy. In June, we analyzed response times to the Easter house fire in Estrella and compared the numbers to the national standards. The Easter morning fire in Estrella was within the current Estrella fire station’s boundaries. The Estrella house fire alarm was called at 2:10:21am on March 27, 2016. At the 5 minute mark, no one was on scene. In fact, the first personnel arrived at 8 minutes and 10 seconds after the alarm. According to the NFPA 1710 standard, that’s 3 minutes and 10 seconds late. You can read more about that fire here. Estrella Mountain Residents led the effort to pull the Estrella community together. Quickly the effort raised more than $20,000 in funds and donations for the Estrella family. They now wait for their home to be rebuilt. MORE ROOFTOPS. MORE DEMANDS ON CALL VOLUME. Despite the Estrella house fire and continued work session discussions, construction in Estrella has continued and been given the green light by council on more than one occasion.  Twice this summer, Goodyear City Council approved more rooftops to be built in Estrella despite concerns about fire service. On August 18th, Goodyear City Council voted to approve a Preliminary Plat adding 44 homes on Estrella Parkway south of Polaris Drive. They say it was an administrative obligation and they had no other reason to reject it. June 27th, Goodyear City Council approved the Lucero development going up near Star Tower. I attended the meeting and asked for a stipulation authorizing the construction of a fire station prior to approving this community to build. The request was rejected. TRIGGERS, THRESHOLDS, AND FIRE SERVICE DEMANDS In a blog, I requested the fire chief be given a second chance to discuss fire station needs after a debacle of a meeting in January. In February he got a second chance. Goodyear’s Chief Paul Luizzi, thoroughly explained the triggers and thresholds for building new fire stations through the city. He also discussed where the need currently is for improved fire service. In 2015, 58% of the calls to Montecito and CantaMia communities were reportedly MORE than 8 minutes from Fire Station 182. Calls increased 34% from 2014 to 2015 with a total number of calls to these southern villages being 147 annually. More than half of those calls were for EMS, not fire. Additionally, Buckeye Valley Fire District responded to 24 of these calls with a response time of 9 minutes and 58 seconds.  As shown here, the ORH fire study delivered to council this week backs up those numbers showing "hot spots" for response times.  This map shows current response times to portions of Montecito and CantaMia are over 11 minutes. HOT SPOTS - WHERE THE DEMAND IS The needs and types of calls vary throughout the city. Fire incidents take place more often in the central area of Goodyear, whereas EMS incidents are more common in the north. Hazmat has relatively few calls. And service calls are apparently high on W Indian School Road near the PebbleCreek Parkway.  Additional findings: MOST RESPONSES: STATION 184 BUSIEST STATIONS: 181 AND 183 Now, take a close look at this next blue graphic we found within the ORH fire study. In the south portion of Goodyear, average Effective Response Force or response times within 9 minutes are at 0%. The average ERF fire response time in the total area is at 17 minutes and 51 seconds.  The report states, "While the performance impacts are notable city-wide, the local effects can be more substantial. As the city grows to the west and the south, 'new' incidents in these areas would receive the longest response times." HOW THE RESULTS WERE FORMED You can download the entire report here.
ORH, the company which conducted the fire study, visited with the Goodyear Fire Department in the first week of the study. Our local fire department provided a "number of data sources for incident and response data." Then, ORH completed "a data cleansing exercise and discussed appropriate assumptions" with the Goodyear Fire Department. ORH calibrated travel times against actual journeys and worked to ensure the simulation model was "reflective of the real-life behavior of" Goodyear Fire's vehicles. ORH also reports it completed "sensitivity modeling" around station locations taking into account future demand rates and automatic aid. In fact, ORH "assessed the responses by GFD vehicles into neighboring departments and vice-versa." KEY FINDINGS Key findings for Goodyear Fire Service city-wide are as follows:
These changes would deliver substantial improvements to response performance compared to a 'do nothing' position. ~ORH ORH writes, "The demand increase is primarily associated with medical incidents, however Hazmat and Good Intent calls also increased." Service calls actually has decreased. The peak demand for service is reportedly between 10am and 10pm, with .85-.95 calls per hour. Incidents occuring at night are higher on weekends. SOUTH GOODYEAR WILL EXPLODE IN GROWTH ORH turned to MAG (Maricopa Association of Governments) data to project the future resident population. ... the resident population in Goodyear is expected to more than double from 2015 (77,800) to 2035 (167,360) ... The expected increases to population vary significantly between the reporting areas," ~ORH  MAG projections also show the number of people over age 65 will have tripled by the year 2035. Currently 15% of Goodyear's residents are over 65. In 2035, 21% of the population will be 65+. Why does this matter? Because this population has higher demands for EMS service. By 2035, "it is expected EMS demand in the South reporting area will have nearly reached the same level as the North..." CHANGES TO CURRENT STATIONS Fire Station 181 is located on the northwest corner of Yuma and Litchfield Roads in Goodyear. Because of environmental concerns, the building has been closed. Given the building condition of Station 181, GFD identified a pressing need to evaluate potential options for relocating the station. ~ORH Interestingly, Station 181 has the quickest average Crew Response time to all incidents in Goodyear. One option for Station 181 includes just redistributing this station's vehicles to other stations.
Recommended: Relocating Fire Station 181 to Litchfield and Van Buren and have it operational by the year 2019. The optimal location is Litchfield and Van Buren Roads. BUILDING OF NEW FIRE STATIONS IN WEST AND SOUTH GOODYEAR In terms of planning, ORH assessed different options requiring the following changes to the station configuration:
The new sites in West and South Goodyear would provide substantial improvements to response times in their respective local areas." ~ORH Fire Study OPTIMAL LOCATION FOR ESTRELLA'S FUTURE STATIONThis optimal location actually moves the future station east of what Goodyear originally had projected. Remember, Goodyear planned on placing it at Willis and Rainbow Valley Roads. Now, it's being recommended for building at Willis along the Estrella Parkway.   SHOW ME THE MONEY What’s been most disappointing is to find out the agreement to help fund a second fire station in Estrella was, as reported by our source, “Allowed to Expire.” On June 27th, the Goodyear city manager mentioned the city was in negotiations with Newland and AV Homes to re-negotiate the developer agreement to get funding for station 186 in the works.... and it appears fire stations may be in the FY18 budget. And talking to Bill Olsen [Newland Communities] 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.” ~Brian Dalke, Goodyear City Manager, June 27, 2016 Of course, speculation on funding came before the results of this study. This study says to wait for a station in Estrella. What will lawmakers do? THE PEOPLE WANT PARKS In March, 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 Priorities ahead of fire stations, listed at that meeting, included a recreation center and aquatics facility and ANOTHER STUDY TO THE TUNE OF $100,000 to find out where to place the train park. CITY'S NEXT STEPS REGARDING FIRE SERVICE THE CITY OF GOODYEAR SPELLS OUT NEXT STEPS AS: Monday, Dec. 12 – Staff and consultant will present to City Council the results of the study at the Goodyear Municipal Complex Justice Center, 14455 W. Van Buren Street, in a public work session beginning at 4 p.m. City Council will discuss the study, options, and next steps related to this data analysis. The 2016 Fire Station study is one of several pieces of data that will be considered through the capital improvement planning process to ensure that the short and long-term needs of the city are met through responsible planning and prioritization of all capital projects and new services. Oct. – Dec. 2016
JEN'S TWO CENTS Estrella's next fire station appears to be on hold for quite some time if this study's recommendation is taken into consideration. However, it's difficult to overlook response times, the projected growth patterns, and average age of future residents in south Goodyear. Is it prudent to wait?
Finally, candidate nomination papers for the Goodyear City Council 2017 spring election are due on November 14th. I previously advocated for more residents to run for council who live south of I-10. But, the fact is, all council members are to advocate for residents in all neighborhoods of the city. I do not give my vote to candidates simply based on where they live. All council members should be involved and concerned about what's happening throughout the city. *My vote also will be based on who's been attending meetings and their knowledge base on important issues such as this. The budget will be discussed during the spring election season. It will be several years before our city is split into districts. Goodyear's City Charter states: When the population reaches 150,000 as certified by a Decennial Census or a special census conducted for the purpose of determining the population of the City, the Mayor and Council shall divide the City into six (6) electoral districts not less than six (6) months after the certification of such census. Each electoral district shall be compact and contiguous, but shall be as nearly equal in population as possible. I am hoping Monday night's presentation to council will be well run. If the presenter can get through the information without interruption, it would be easiest to understand and follow.
We'll be watching.  Roughly 500 people attended the United Goodyear Firefighters L4005 annual 9-11 Memorial Ceremony this morning at Fire Station No. #183. The annual event honored the fallen on the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks which took the lives of civilians, firefighters, police officers and military personnel in the largest domestic act of terrorism on American soil in modern history.
Fire Chief Luizzi, Mayor Georgia Lord, and council members Hohman and Pizzillo also send their thanks and appreciation to the people of Estrella. The admins of Estrella Mountain Residents are sincerely grateful to the local businesses and caring residents who help us make it possible for our community to give to others. I am beyond humbled that, with relatively little organization, we can do so much good in the community. Thank you. ~jen  Estrella Mountain Residents Charity Donation to the United Goodyear Firefighters - 9.11.16 LOCAL BUSINESSES MAKING TODAY'S DONATION POSSIBLE ARE:  ALSO OF NOTE:
I was so impressed with their professionalism and knowledge. Very nice people and I'm hoping to learn more about this group. Explorers and the VIPS, Volunteers in Police Service, were all in attendance to lend a helping hand today! If you missed the event, you really missed out on this educational opportunity. Residents were able to meet with fire personnel and check out fire trucks, the police department's Special Assignment Unit, meet Sparky, and watch the fire department demo a vehicle extrication. We'll be sure to keep you posted on future community events!
  Explorers explaining the Police Department's Special Assignments Unite
 Vehicle Extrication Demonstration  Photo Courtesy: Emma Barber  Photo Courtesy: Emma Barber
Jen's Note: This is a blog opinion piece about my take from the Goodyear City Council worksession and in no way a representation of all residents in Estrella.
This worksession, February meeting, was very well run and I think our leaders are closer to making some headway on the topic. Unfortunately, the amount of time and tax dollars about to be spent is controversial. Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi was given the opportunity to make a full presentation regarding fire service in our All-America City. He thoroughly explained the triggers and thresholds for building new fire stations. He also discussed where the need currently is for improved fire service. The two main locations currently under review for building new fire stations are West Goodyear and Estrella... as discussed in this blog a month ago. TRIGGERS AND THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS What are triggers and thresholds? They are the requirements which must be met before building new fire stations within various areas around our dispersed city. In 2008, triggers and thresholds for building new fire stations were set at:
ESTRELLA FIRE SERVICE HISTORY As it stands now, we have one fire station in Estrella. Fire station 182 is located on Estrella Parkway and Spring Drive near the Estrella Mountain Church. Fire station 182 had a call volume of 756 calls in 2015 and an average response time of 6 minutes and 42 seconds. If you recall from our last report, the main concern under review is service to south Estrella where Montecito and CantaMia are located. This area is referred to as the area south of the "Ray Road Alignment." In 2015, 58% of the calls to this area were reportedly MORE than 8 minutes from Fire Station 182. Calls increased 34% from 2014 to 2015 with a total number of calls to these southern villages being 147 annually. More than half of those calls were for EMS, not fire. This is the second of three triggers. Additionally, Buckeye Valley Fire District responded to 24 of these calls with a response time of 9 minutes and 58 seconds.  The only "trigger" being met for building a new fire station would be response times over 8 minutes because the number of calls to this area is just 147 annually... not the 500 which need to be met. The distance from Fire Station 182 to the area south of the Ray Road Alignment is 4 to 5.1 miles - under the 6 mile "trigger." ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN IN ADDITION TO ESTRELLA West Goodyear is creeping up on meeting triggers and thresholds of its own. While no "triggers" are currently being met, the growth trends are showing it won't be long before they are.  SHOW ME THE MONEY The cost to build a fire station and staff it looks like this...  Goodyear's Director of Finance, Larry Lange, reports the city has $17 million dollars in GO bonding in which the voters already approved. So, instead of raising property taxes, the city can use these dollars to build the stations and use impact fees to pay for debt service. Since bonding is already approved, the city really needs to figure out a way to pay for the ongoing operating costs. Additionally, census funds can be used. AND the city reportedly holds $660,000 from Newland Communities and builders already collected to be used for constructing a fire station. A STUDY The Goodyear fire chief and staff essentially came to the worksession to discuss the option of conducting another study to see if the need is "now" for building these two fire stations. And boy... that questions rang some alarms. Here's a snapshot of the discussion. I guess the reason why I have a hard time getting my hands around it cause to me what should drive it, at least in my mind, is response times and what triggers happen to be. We’re not sure… We’re going to do a study today and 2 years from now, the whole growth pattern may change.” ~Councilmember Pizzillo Councilmember Joe Pizzillo says triggers should outweigh a study. Vice Mayor Sheri Lauritano, who lives in Estrella, has concerns about the redundancy in mutual aid and thinks a study would be good... and wants the study to include police service as the last study was conducted in 2008, a time when Goodyear was seeing exploding growth. We are getting a lot of medical calls.. and they say, ‘This might be a way to go’… I don’t know what the calls specifically are. But, I think the more information we get if we’re going to study it - let’s study it once - and get a plan because I know fire stations don’t magically appear in six months. We need some sort of plan in place as we grow.” ~Vice Mayor Sheri Lauritano Councilmember Joanne Osborne, who was not present for the January worksession, had some fantastic comments on this. She highlighted the concern of having response times over 9 minutes to Montecito and CantaMia in Estrella. She agrees with Councilmember Joe Pizzillo that staff should pin down triggers. She also points out that by the time the study is conducted, the next trigger of calls for service could be met. That’s critical to live saving. And that’s critical to brain damage, you know, any chance, you know, of having something be fixable. You’ve hit that for that threshold. And so, you know, it really does concern me when I see this eight minutes.” ~Councilmember Joanne Osborne Councilmember Osborne also asked if it would be feasible to partner with Maricopa County or the City of Buckeye to build the Estrella fire station south of Ray Road. Councilmember Sharolyn Hohman says studies are typically money flushed down the toilet. However, in this case, there's been so much growth and change since the last study in 2008 that it might make sense to conduct a fire service study. It would make sense that those plans may not be valid today, either, when we’re looking at fire and police for that matter.” ~Councilmember Sharolyn Hohman Last month, Councilmember Bill Stipp gave great insight into reasonable triggers and thresholds. While he was not at this worksession, he was able to provide input by phone. 1st, Councilmember Stipp asks Fire Chief Paul Luizzi what the real purpose is of conducting a study. To establish the proper location for stations. To establish the proper response and trigger threshold for construction of new stations. And really what we should be using now as our current response time, goals, benchmarks, and baselines, as we start to move forward and kinda see the city in a light of the way it’s being constructed now.” ~Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi So, if we’ve already identified twice now what the locations are based on the projected growth… I’m having a difficult time seeing what a third study is going to tell us that we don’t already know regarding the location of the stations.” Councilmember Bill Stipp Chief Luizzi defends the reason for the study. Is it valuable looking at the current station locations and are they in the right spots? And our future plan’s growth - are we currently going in the right areas?” ~Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi Then Councilmember Stipp points out the obvious. We know our police chief and our fire chief could want to say, ‘We need more,’ because we have allowed growth to occur in the pattern that we have and try to serve the community. So my concern is this report that we’re now going to PAY for - and I’m gonna tell you right now is going to be $50,000 and will police will be $65,000 to pay to have this report done - and it comes back and tells us that we’re ‘very short’ - what are we going to do then? Not that we don’t want to ask the question because we’re afraid of what the answer is, but we have to be prepared that intuitively we all know that we’re short and we all see the financial picture particularly as it’s laid out in the CIP that we’re not even talking about having, um, the development money till the early ’20’s… those could be five years too late.” ~Councilmember Bill Stipp Councilmember Stipp is in favor of putting the $65,000 needed for this study toward other needs. We gotta figure out a way to get ahead of this because… we’re maybe - what? - a year, year-and-a-half away, from just on the calls the western part just meeting on the number of calls. And it’s going to be more and more challenging up the hill [Estrella] when we get to south of Ray Road as a result of the redundancy with one outfit - or one station - not gonna be in. So nothing down there. And if you got a critical nature and it takes 10 minutes to get there, we’re gonna know what the result of that’s going to be. So, again, I think it’s real important to figure out a plan from a finance standpoint of how all this comes together.” ~Councilmember Joe Pizzillo Councilmember Joanne Osborne laid out the potential timeline for any real action to take place.
Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord pointed out the council and city staff need find a "balance" in the budget. What a shame we didn’t partner with Buckeye on a fire station.” ~Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord Mayor Lord is right on the money. The City of Goodyear is known for - and has been recognized for - its ability to partner with other cities and agencies to make great things happen here. While she knows there will be public criticism, she believes the majority of council is asking for finite stats. This is a very difficult, difficult situation to make decisions on.” ~Mayor Georgia Lord JEN'S TAKE This is a horrible decision to have to make. My concern is that the city continues to approve building permits resulting in more growth while these communities get closer and closer to tripping these triggers. Mayor Georgia Lord caps the discussion with this.... We did do this. When we have new communities, we notify the buyer, via their contract, on an addendum, what the response time was. And that we have a trigger of so many homes being built that that’s when it had to take place. So you have to be careful that you’re not gonna kill development. Cause if you kill the development, there goes your entertainment, there goes your retail, there goes all the things that you’ve all asked for and want. So it’s a really delicate balance here on how we end up with this.” ~Mayor Georgia Lord THANK YOU GOODYEAR for setting the tone for the meeting so the fire chief could be heard and not rushed. I also encourage the city to bring the next fire station "discussion" to Estrella so more residents will attend and be involved. We have one Estrella resident on the Goodyear City Council and decisions like this deserve more resident input. I appreciate your concern on this matter and taking the time to continue the discussion. Thank you. MEETING GALLERY LINKS GOODYEAR CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION FEBRUARY 29, 2016 HERE ESTRELLA MOUNTAIN RESIDENTS BLOG FROM JANUARY MEETING 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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