Citizen Committee for Public Safety Facility Needs Minutes - 08/08/2024 MEETING AGENDA & NOTES
Project: Public Safety Assessment Committee
Job No: 23023 Date: August 8, 2024
Location: Travel Center Conference Room
City of Wichita Falls— Public Safety Assessment
PSA Committee Meeting #1
1. Call to Order
a. Chair Mike Battaglino called the meeting to order at 10:04 AM.
2. Committee Member Introductions
Present:
Chair: Mike Battaglino,City Councilor Tyler Methvin, Public Member
Bobby Whitley, City Councilor Tanner Wachsman, Public Member
Michael Smith, City Councilor Carol Murray, Public Member
Blake Jurecek,Assistant City Manager Dave Clark, Public Member
Derek Brown, IT/Facilities Manager Ford Swanson; Public Member
Manuel Borrego, Chief of Police Al Vitolo, Fire Dept./IAFF
Donald Hughes,Fire Chief Kevin Folmar, Police Dept.
Design Team:
Gina Irwin, BSW
Don Greer, BSW
Steve Wood, BYSP Architects
Absent:
Reno Gustafson, Public Member
3. Elect Secretary
a. Chair Mike Battaglino called for a volunteer to fill the role of secretary for the committee and to
document the meeting notes.Tyler Methvin volunteered for the role.
4. Review the Charge
a. Chair Battaglino shared the committee charge and shared the proposed committee meeting schedule.
5. Review of Current Public Safety Needs Assessment
a. Blake Jurecek provided an overview of the PSA work completed in 2023.
• Shared history of Public Safety facilities, previous assessments, and past funding sources for
facility improvements.
• Fire Station 3, 5, &7 were completed in 2000
• Public Safety Training completed in 2004
• Fire Station 8 was completed in 2008
b. Gina Irwin of BSWA presented the Police Department portion of the PSA report completed in 2023.
Including some of the following items.
• Shared the process and depth of study, meetings,tours, and staffing
• Provided examples of the Space Standards and process for determining space needs.
• Discuss parking study and determining adequate numbers of spaces required for a new PD
facility.
• Presented police department space allocations and process use to determine space needs.
• She shared the Police Department space needs process develop a main building square footage
of 76,274 GSF with an additional 12,223 SF Asset Building which totaled together equal 88,557
GSF needed for a new PD facility.
c. Don Greer of BSWA presented the Fire Department portion of the PSA report including some of the
following items.
• Don shared existing fire facilities included in the study, Central Station and sub-stations 2,4, &6.
• Like the Police portion, Don shared the process of fire department study.
• Presented the new code requirements and how facility standards have changed since the past
projects. Shared the process used to develop the space standards.
• Don shared renovation the first approach was to look at possible renovations of each facility.
• After the renovation study it was determined for stations 4& 6 a new substation concept would
be the preferred approach.
• Along with the new substations a new freestanding, two story Central Fire Station concept was
shared. Don mentioned these were just concepts and the real design process would be once
funding was approved.
d. Committee Discussion &Questions:
Councilor Bobby Whitley shared some perspectives from city councilors and the true need that existed
to provide better public safety facilities. He also shared the idea of multiple company stations being an
option to be more efficient and save building costs. One other comment was the durability of stations
and the need for them to last 50 years. He reminded the group these facilities are occupied 24 hours a
day and must be built to take the wear and tear.
Chief of Police Manuel Borrego shared about his current issue with overcrowding at the Police
Department.
Public Member Carol Murray stated her concerns about public understanding, and her desire to be
transparent with the information and have even more public member involvement.
Tanner Wachsman asked about a proposed bond layout, would it be one big$150 million dollar bond or
would it be broken into smaller separate bond proposals.ACM Blake Jurecek shared the committee will
need to evaluate those options and provide a recommendation to City Council.At this point there is no
set direction or timetable for a bond initiative.
Chair Mike Battaglino asked the committee their thoughts on new versus renovations,the group
discussed both briefly as potential options.
6. Other Business Matters
a. No new business was discussed
b. ACM Blake Jurecek said Pam Burch will send out an email for setting the next meeting.
c. Councilor Michael Smith asked if the committee could have a copy of the PSA presentation presented at
the meeting.The plan is for staff to email the presentation out next week.
7. Adiournment
Meeting was adjourned by Chair Battaglino at 11:29 AM.
Next Meeting: T.B.D.
Secretary: Tyler Methvin
Mike glino, Committee Chair Date