At its Tuesday workshop meeting, the Killeen City Council will discuss awarding bids for a $22 million project for a new Killeen Fire Department fire station and training facility.
The project includes the construction of Fire Station #4, the Emergency Operations Center, a Support Services Building and a training academy facility.
The project is being paid for partially by Capital Improvement Plan funds from fiscal year 2022, including $11.9 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, federal dollars for COVID relief.
An additional $5.7 million in CIP funding was approved in the 2023 fiscal year.
The location of the new fire station will be at 9200 Trimmier Road.
If approved by the City Council, groundbreaking is estimated to take place in three weeks.
City staff recommends awarding the bid to MW Builders.
The City Council has been discussing the new fire station for at least a year.
Last year, Chief Jim Kubinski said the new fire station will help fill a service gap in south Killeen.
“This is an identified area where our response times are lacking,” he said. “Our national standard is to respond within six minutes 90% of the time. This area is our gap.”
The EOC will be used to train fire personnel and other city employees “on how to respond to a declared emergency as well as allow for enhanced response to needs associated with a declared emergency,” according to a staff report. “The construction and opening of a fire station in the identified area will help to improve response times, maintain the city’s Insurance Services Organization (ISO) rating and add much-needed resources to the city fire department.”
In June 2022, City Council members approved acquiring the 14.5-acre site from Killeen ISD for $360,000.
Another item on the agenda includes the appointment of Jeff Reynolds as executive director of Public Works.
Last month, Reynolds retired from his position. It isn’t clear whether he is coming out of retirement or if he is filling in temporarily.
Other discussion items include:
- An update from the Killeen Economic Development Corporation.
- Bell County Water Control and Improvement District #1 Improvements.
- An update on short-term rentals.
- A discussion on the State Attorney General and the Bell County lawsuits against the city of Killeen over marijuana decriminalization, which will likely take place in closed session.
The City Council meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at City Hall, 101 N. College St.
For those unable to attend the meeting in person, it will be livestreamed and archived for playback on the city’s website, KilleenTexas.gov. It will also be broadcast live on Spectrum Cable Channel 10.
