I recently posted a short video message providing some clarity to questions that came up from comments at a public meeting and on social media. I’d like to go into a little more detail here to ensure our residents are informed, and more importantly, ACCURATELY informed.
As many of you know, there was a meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission last month to discuss a zoning change request for apartments from The Shops at Highland Village. This has been a very controversial topic throughout our community for quite some time- about two years now. I wanted to say thank you to the members of the Commission for the hard work that they put in to study the issue closely, for the great questions they asked of the applicant and most of all, I wanted to thank them for their service to our community. I also wanted thank all of the residents who showed up for the meeting. I was at a separate event for most of the meeting but as I was driving home, I drove by City Hall and saw that not only was the parking lot at City Hall full but the parking lot at Brazos Park, adjacent to the municipal complex had cars parked there as well, something I’ve never seen before and clearly showing that our residents were both engaged and involved.
I’ve watched the video of the meeting and I wanted to express my gratitude to our residents for how well the P&Z meeting went. Residents in attendance spoke with passion and conviction. Those in attendance also allowed other speakers to express their opinions and residents listened intently and respectfully to both the representatives of The Shops AND the members of the Commission. Thank you for such a well-run, well-attended and respectful meeting! That’s who we are in Highland Village. We can have differing opinions and feel passionately about them but it’s our ability to do so in a respectful and professional way that teaches our younger residents how to properly handle conflict and disagreements in a productive way and believe me, while it may not always look like it, they ARE paying attention!
During the visitor comment section of the meeting, some incorrect information was shared regarding our fire department. I want to make sure that the information our residents have is accurate–especially where it concerns our public safety. The comments made were about our insurance industry ratings and about the fire department’s response times and reliance on mutual aid during a recent house fire in the city.
About a year and a half ago, the fire department went through an ISO audit. ISO is an organization that rates fire departments across the nation against a set of industry best practices and then those results are provided to various insurance companies. The result of the audit was a downgrade from a two rating to a three on a 10-point scale; one being you have a fantastic fire department and 10 being you essentially do not have one at all. So, while we did get downgraded, the rating we received was still very strong and since then, both the leadership within the department and those of us on city council have had conversations about what we need to do and what we CAN do to properly respond to the results in the audit. It is an ongoing exercise, but we are taking action.
Next, I would like to address the department’s response times and mutual aid. About a month or so ago, there was a house fire in the Willow Creek Estates subdivision. Our dispatchers answered the first call for service at 3:04 p.m., firefighters were rolling out of the fire station by 3:06 and were on scene by 3:08. All that equates to a four-minute response to the call for service. This was a very large fire where, in all, engines from at least eight stations in several cities responded. Unfortunately, the home was a total loss despite everyone’s best efforts. This brings up the topic of mutual aid. The reality is that when we have a structure fire, even a residence, it will always require multiple engines to properly respond. Because of that, we have what are called mutual aid agreements with our neighboring cities. They come to our aid when we need it and we come to theirs when they need help. The reality is that none of us–Highland Village, Lewisville or Flower Mound can fight a fire with just one engine. Mutual aid is something we ALL depend on and are appreciative for.
The message I want to communicate where our fire department is concerned is this: We have a fantastic fire department and the leadership is best in class. Our response times are continually well-within industry standards. They train hard and often on how to make those times even faster and more efficient and the city council is always looking for ways to enable better training, provide top of the line equipment and support to our firefighters. You should feel confident that if you have to call for help, they are going to be there quickly and you are going to receive the best care in the business.
Board Members Needed
It is time again for interested residents to submit an application to serve on a board or commission. The city secretary’s office accepts applications throughout the year from residents interested in volunteering their time by serving on one of our Boards or Commissions. Applicants must be a resident of Highland Village and a qualified voter. If you are interested in serving your community and want to be considered by Council for this year’s appointments, please complete an application and return it to the city secretary’s office no later than Monday, July 31. Applications and information on each board and commission can be found on the city website at highlandvillage.org/volunteer.
Celebrate Highland Village
We are looking forward to our annual event kicking off the beginning of summer. I hope you’ll join us on June 10 for Celebrate Highland Village. The Highland Village Lions Club is hosting a family fishing derby that morning at Doubletree Ranch Park and the Marcus High School Cross Country and Track Booster Club is hosting the Celebrate Highland Village 5K and Fun Run also at Doubletree Ranch Park. Then that evening at Copperas Branch Park we’ll have food trucks, a kid zone sponsoring by KidVenture, music by Bayou County, a Credence Clearwater Revival/John Fogerty tribute band, and then the fireworks. All the details, including parking information, can be found at highlandvillage.org/celebrate.
Finally, I want to say thank you to our community for their involvement and passion for Highland Village. One of the things I remind residents when I visit with them, be it at an event, during a conversation at City Hall or at my monthly Coffee with the Mayor is to always remain engaged and involved. As always, if you ever have questions or concerns about anything at all, please feel free to reach out- I am always available. Thank you!
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