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. Brief update on Goodyear's study to determine where fire stations are needed in its All-America City. We've been following fire service demands and the city's response to these growing pains for the past year. Council and city staff decided to hire an independent company to study the need for additional stations at the taxpayer's expense. On several occasions, as we've reported, the city manager stated the study would be completed and results reported to council by this month.
To get up to speed on what we've covered so far, please visit these links: Patient Care Coordination Update: September 18, 2016 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 On June 28th, council spelled out what a timeline might look like for a study, construction, and completion of a new fire station in Estrella and for west Goodyear. The original time frame for the study was outlined by Councilmember Osborne.
By the time this is all completed, all the triggers could be met or exceeded. An explanation of those triggers can be found here. 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, February 29, 2016 So, we continue to wait. YOU PAID FOR IT. How much? We don't know. Early expectations, were guessed at around $65,000.
We are expecting results and a council work session be pushed back to December. We'll be there. The HOA community-wide, annual meeting is Tuesday, September 27th. Hoping the HOA can answer why it's acceptable for these poles, wires, cases, etc... to remain this way. I first posted this photo on our Facebook page on February 18th asking for bets on how long it would take to fall over. March 14th, the sign was gone. But a leg of the sign has been standing for several months. Check the photo of it today. In a four-minute, slow drive down Elliot Road and over to the Parkway, we saw these.... I've got no time to scour the entire community. So, if YOU would like to report junk... post on our page and we'll send a full report to the HOA. Be sure to leave cross sections.
Even if they HOA blames this on the city, has the city been contacted? We want to know. #KeepEstrellaBeautiful
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 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 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!
I had a feeling this would be the result. When I was on council in 2012-13, a vote to approve another fast food joint in Estrella came to us. You could say I wasn't exactly "in favor" of the establishment. But, my councilmember 'hat' told me I had to make a "yes" vote. Votes are not made on emotion or desire. They're made on what's best for the greater good or as procedural "next steps." Just like the fast food joint. Just like tonight's vote. An administrative vote to approve this CantaMia plat was just that. An administrative nod. To look at the positive side, the council spent 30 minutes, on the record, discussing fire demands in Goodyear, Arizona. Watch the video and you can determine how you feel about what was discussed. I am encouraged by requests from Councilmembers Pizzillo and Stipp. Thank you, Councilmembers Hohman, Osborne and Vice Mayor Lauritano for your comments and input. City staff projects the study - the study we've referenced in past blogs to determine future fire station needs - should be completed in October. Then, the council will likely have a worksession to discuss the study. Then, the council will make recommendations to staff on next steps. Then, the council will take feedback from residents. (This was my only concern tonight. When the mayor mentioned there are people who don't want a fire station, I understood what she said. But, if the thresholds and triggers tell you your city needs a station, do a few voices of dissent sway you to reject it? Ugh. More questions.) Then, the council will have a few more talks... and a vote. If the vote is a vote to move forward with the construction of fire station in Estrella... Then, a fire station design for Estrella's Fire Station No. 186 needs to be finalized. And approved. (The design is about 80% completed as we reported this weekend.) Then, the city has to finalize the developer agreement with Newland Communities. (Go here to see what that's all about.) Then, the city has to find the money to build it. Then, the fire station has to be built. Then, fire fighters have to be hired, trained, and outfitted. Then... And that's just for Estrella. Two more fire stations may be needed in west Goodyear.
Sometimes the wheels of justice grind slowly." ~Terry Waite col·lab·o·ra·tion /kəˌlabəˈrāSH(ə)n/ noun noun: collaboration; plural noun: collaborations 1. the action of working with someone to produce or create something. When I think of Easter Sunday, I imagine celebration. When I was little, the day started with an egg hunt, (or maybe it was just my personal quest for chocolate... without guilt). We always made a trip to church in our Sunday best. And the afternoon involved brunch with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.... You get the picture. 2016 most likely won't hold the same sentiments for a few families in the Estrella community. Or... just maybe... this year holds more. LOSS AND LOVE One Estrella woman lost her 14-year-old daughter in a rollover accident. She got the news at our local bagel shop. Another Estrella family lost everything they own in an early Easter morning house fire... including their beloved pet, Daisy. The number of tears shed in this community cannot be measured.... Nor can the acts of kindness. "WE JUST WANTED TO DO SOMETHING." Thousands of dollars have been donated. Gift cards have been collected. Countless donations of clothing, toiletries, and kitchen utensils have been dropped off. Offers for additional support continue to roll in. It's astonishing. When called upon... this community fills the need. Our local Safeway donated... so did our Walgreens. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor even touched, but just felt in the heart.” –Helen Keller A friend contacted me to let me know the GoFundMe page had been promoted and reported it had more than 24,500 hits in less than 24 hours. Another family I know maxed out their daily ATM debit limit on Easter Sunday to deliver cash. And neighbors have set up meal trains for the next several weeks. HUMOR IN THE HEALING The A-M-A-Z-I-N-G people at Chase Bank contacted me yesterday offering to set up a fund for donations. The benefit of the account is that it will not charge fees on the donations. While I was sitting at Holly's desk, I was able to get the family on the phone with her. Right then and there, she was able to give them their account information and order bank cards. I don't know if I was just exhausted or overwhelmed. But, seeing this happen in person brought me to tears. It was one less thing the family had to do among a long list of "to dos" after their livelihood had been lost. As I left the bank... I told the branch manager I had no way of repaying this incredible act of kindness. She said to me, "We just wanted 'to do something.'" I've heard that comment so much in the last three days. No matter how big or how small. Many people just want to 'do something' to help. People have taken time from work to help. People have opened up their homes to take donations and house these people. (And... quite frankly... I think I've hit my max on cell phone calls in one year... Good thing for "limitless" minutes! Humor people. Humor.) Last night I met with my friend to help her gain access to funds. As we were trying to transfer the account... she had to come up with a password. What had been a very rough and draining couple of days suddenly turned into hilarity. I won't say much other than... this girl has a sense of humor! Hearing her laugh was priceless. More tears. PLEASE HELP My gift to our community is to be able to coordinate. It takes collaboration within the community to make an impact. Here are all the ways YOU can contribute. FUNDRAISER Estrella Mountain Church is taking funds for Robin. "You can bring a check to the church office, made out to "EMC" with her, Robin Godfrey's, name in the memo line. Or you can give online through our website emcaz.org, Click "Give" and then "Give Online." Put your amount on the Benevolence line, with 'Robin Godfrey' in the blank next to it. We will make sure she receives the money in a timely manner. Thank you for being a blessing!" ~Ann Knister DONATIONS LINK *If you can only donate to the Harmans through credit card, please go through the GoFundMe account. *Chase Bank can take money order, check, or a transfer from one Chase account into the Harman account. *Cash needs to go directly to the family. Drop off at 18544 W. San Carlos, Goodyear, Arizona 85338. YOGA IN THE PARK Lisa Bozeman has one more "Yoga in the Park" fundraiser on Friday, April 1st. Please meet at the park near the corner of 184th Drive and La Mirada Drive in Estrella just off San Gabriel West in the neighborhood of Mequite Ridge. Questions? 580-231-0278 SPECIAL PRAYER GATHERING Wednesday March 30, 2016 7pm Estrella Mountain Church Sanctuary Everyone is welcome! Jen's Note: From the bottom of my heart... Thank you. I'm completely humbled to see the generosity of this incredible community. These families will be able to get back on their feet quicker because of YOU. Collaboration is the key. You should all feel comfort in the kindness in our community.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. In fact, just tonight, workers are trying to shore up the home so they can actually get inside to see what might have started the blaze. It may be a while before anyone has any answers. The fact they got out of the house in time is a miracle. God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and although my family has never met hers, we would consider it a huge blessing to be able to help out our neighbor! ~Anonymous Estrella Resident To give you an idea of the scope of what has transpired today... I wanted to share some stories with you. People I don't know... and people who do not know the Harmans... have been contacting us all day. One family offered to help the Harmans get a car. Several families have offered up spare bedrooms in their homes. And one family even offered up their entire home, saying, "My husband and I have a vacant home here in EMR that is currently for sale. The house is completely empty but the Harman family is welcome to stay there temporarily, for free, if they would like. We don't know them personally, but ... Our realtor would be happy to change our home listing from vacant to occupied so that 24 hour notice would be given to the Harman family before home showings." Incredible. Just incredible. HELP IS STILL NEEDED Learn more about the Harmans in our #FridayFeature here. Click here to donate through GoFundMe until a bank account is established for the family. While I know some people are not fans of GoFundMe... it was the best solution I could think of on a holiday when everything else is closed. I will tell you, I spoke directly with the folks at GoFundMe this morning and they have been absolutely wonderful helping the Harmans. I have nothing but great reviews for this organization. I would turn to GoFundMe in a heartbeat. I hope I don't have to, though. When I first saw Ginger this morning, I had no idea what I could possibly do to help. YOU all showed me what it takes to be a community and how the smallest gestures make the biggest impact.
How blessed are we all to live in Estrella and know we're surrounded by good, caring people? Thank you. As it turns out, Next Care Urgent Care is coming to Estrella! This is fantastic news for residents as drives down the hill for urgent care can take anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes or more. My sources tell me the following:
Urgent care falls between emergency care and primary care. Urgent care is for the times when your illness or injury isn't life threatening... but also can't wait till the next day. Very happy to see this coming to our neighborhood! ABOUT NEXT CARE URGENT CARE *ON THE WEB
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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
March 2022
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