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.
Estrella residents will be paying more for water starting New Year's Day 2016. Tonight, the Goodyear City Council held a public hearing on the proposed utility rate hikes. They also voted on the rate hike proposal. The vote on the city’s proposed five-year utility rate plan:
Goodyear is dedicated to protecting the city's water supply. Concerns about the reliability of water and wastewater systems spurred this move. But the city knew it had to deliver the highest quality service at the lowest cost possible. Goodyear's water wells are aging. Some up to 75-years-old. Our city needs more than $50 million to rehab, replace, and build wells. We, the ratepayers, will pick up the tab. It's an investment in our future. It's not a luxury. It's a requirement," Vice Mayor Sheri Lauritano. (Estrella resident.) How much more will we be paying? The experts at tonight's meeting report it could be up $20 a month more over the next five years. Rates will be raised in January of each year to 2020. How did the Water Planning Committee come to this conclusion? Here is the full report.
City water and sewer customers primarily living south of Interstate will be affected by the plan. The new rates would not affect those living north of the I-10 who receive their water from Liberty Utilities," City of Goodyear. Council approved a resolution for a water planning committee in April 2014. The City began a search for committee members in May 2014. The goal was to get it up and running by August. The committee met for the first time just one year ago. Goodyear Water Planning Committee: 11 volunteers consisted of residents, two water employees from Southwest Valley cities, and Arizona State Rep. Lynne Pancrazi (D) The committee examined multi-family and commercial rate structures and cost of service. Water Specialist working with the committee: Carollo Engineers Inc. It completed a Five-Year Capital Improvement Program. They assessed the immediate needs for water, wastewater and reclaimed water systems and condition. They also did a condition assessment to identify additional water and wastewater capital projects needed. Economists.com analyzed the best rate plan. The committee was tasked with "looking at cost-effective methods to treat and deliver water to its customers while maintaining infrastructure." Jumping hurdles to find water and pay for it is nothing new. When I was on the city council in 2012-13, we frequently had meetings discussing water stores and funding for the next 100 years. In fact, it's state-mandated that municipalities have enough water supplies to expand while cities grow. Like most West Valley cities, we do not have the water supplies for buildout,” said Mark Holmes, water resources manager for the city of Goodyear. “We feel strong that we’re good for the next 15 years of solid growth. We’re looking for new water supplies needed for the next block of growth (2030-2045). A rate hike should NOT come as a surprise. A community meeting was held this past June so residents and business owners could find out more about the infrastructure upgrades. It was announced by the city in multiple email blasts and on the city website, it was in the newspaper, and we even mentioned it on our private residents Facebook page here. Customers also received direct mail and bill inserts about the committee's work. The committee also determined the wastewater treatment plant needed improvements and the Central Arizona Project needed water funding, line oversizing, and increases to operational costs. Review the committee meeting minutes here. According to the committee's report, the last major change to Goodyear's utility rates was adopted by city council in May 2009. At that time, average customers saw a less than $2 increase to their overall water and wastewater bill. Unfortunately, that rate hike wasn't enough to cover operating expenses. The new rates approved tonight will affect businesses, too. Here's what those rates would look like. City sanitation rates were not factored into this project. Just water and waste water rates changed. The Goodyear Water Planning Committee also recommended a new Conservation Committee be established in 2016. We'll let you know if we hear anything about that and how to apply. Giving of your time to ensure the water supply... Thank you. Giving of time is what makes us a great community. We truly appreciate what you've done," Councilmember Pizzillo speaking to the committee. HOW DID WE GET HERE? Let’s rewind for a moment. Three years ago, the City of Goodyear hired water-resources manager Mark Holmes. I don’t know that I’ve ever met someone so passionate about their job. He’s a walking encyclopedia on water and truly cares about our city’s future. He walked in to a very complex water-policy challenge. And he’s tackled it brilliantly. Goodyear just earned its second national recognition as a leader in implementing innovative water use. In fact, this year, our All-America City was the ONLY Arizona city to win a Top Ten Award from the Water and Waste Digest. Goodyear is dousing its spring training complex with water that once was polluted as part of a Superfund site but that now has been cleaned and is delivered to the city complex at no cost,” Arizona Republic - May 7, 2015. Our city’s Water Resources Division won this incredible recognition for the remediated water line from the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport South Superfund site to the Reds and Indians practice fields. City of Goodyear and Phoenix Goodyear Airport South Superfund Remediated Water Line Water and Waste Digest Last year, Goodyear also received the Top Ten Award for the Vadose Injection Project in which high-capacity wells on city land were designed to store more reclaimed water. This project maximizes our water supply to ensure sustainable water resource management. In fact, construction on the wells starts in January 2016. MY TAKEWhen water issues came to us on the city council in 2012-13, I brought up the fact that just a couple of the council members actually live south of the I-10. Remember, residents north of the I-10 depend on water coming from another utility company. They are NOT impacted by tonight's water rate hike. I fully believe lawmakers should have to live by the rules and rate hikes they vote for. Estrella residents should keep this in mind when they vote... if they do vote... which is another blog for another night. I applaud Mayor Lord for pointing out how difficult it is to be on committees like this. Raising rates never goes over well with neighbors and fellow residents. But as Mayor Lord said, "This is leadership." As much as it pains me to say it, the rate hikes are something we simply have to do. I never realized how dire our water situation was until I joined the city council three years ago. Making these fixes now will help us in the future. The city is planning for our future 100 years down the road. Think about that. I'm guessing I wouldn't even recognize our little city at that point. Going forward, I would like to see the city find a way to get the H2OwnIt Landscape Awards program back on track. I had the pleasure of working on this committee in the summer of 2013. It appears some updates and education need to be done with Home Owner Associations to make the program work. I will keep you updated... Kudos to the City of Goodyear. I'm proud to be a resident here. GET WATER WISE Fixing a Leak NOW Could Take You Out to a Ballgame in 2016 The Goodyear Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians challenge you to fix a leak or make other changes that save water. If you act now, you could receive two outfield box tickets, compliments of the teams to attend a Spring Training Game at Goodyear Ballpark. You would be able to choose which game you attend during U. S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense Fix a Leak Week—March 14-20, 2016.
High water users can reduce outdoor water usage by 20% to 30% if they consistently change their practices. Goodyear's H2O365 program offers all households in good standing with their municipal accounts the opportunity to check their water efficiency. The focus will be on checking the outdoor irrigation system for leaks, missing or malfunctioning parts and reasonable timing. Those customers south of I-10 who use over 13,000 gallons of water per month on average and those customers north of I-10 who have a combined water bill of over $94.30 per month are considered high users. What would cause your water use to increase?
ESTRELLA'S POPULATION I sent a note in to the City of Goodyear to ask for an updated population number. I appreciate the quick response! The estimate comes to 11,431. Estimating a population is an "inexact science." I'm told this number may be a little low. And that's why it is so important for us to respond to the U.S. Census workers. The Special Census is expected to last through November. OCTOBER 26, 2015 COUNCIL MEETING GALLERY *Note: Estrella's facilities need work, as well. See the photos in our gallery below.
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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. Archives
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