[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6654853,"mediaKeyId","5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a","parentId",5442543,"title","Council discusses parks, library, public works and possible reuse of municipal sites","audioSeconds",1281,"startMs",2965000,"endMs",4246000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a&start=2965&end=4246","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a/thumbnail_2965000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6654853/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Council-discusses-parks-library-public-works-and-possible-reuse-of-municipal-sites","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654853-475ff28d6c4db07d5229909f3394484b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770755786&Signature=efw6F6Uwjb4LSHHn2kg3fHMsi9RbeXQBuqPMP01cHBZ-66BFAwi5YPTBXNGMdn~S5JphZ7Q-dGkhBW94fb7y1Ygh33N3gQgJno72Qr3oAYLRwznK-XrIlxPwC9CzeJhPFWSaLDpu6CqwRbKUKlMtMm96KiSPzd~1Fknpe6-HHI0ciELiVa39t111BIpPCBUqRjwoDyWidoKeJZZqu1wXOOiUNeDyvFTr9WhQk5ALSsM0VB8fj66pDTMhIdwVlmQpwg6fCjNTVLh-QXt1aSa8~ThtTTGi~PJBSRVqmnSG3fdwCUX9JD7xLzHtRZUUjij0oCwHwG4iuHdVCQ0~fRkl6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Forney","date","2025-07-21T00:00:00Z","article","Councilmembers and department heads discussed parks and recreation needs, a potential new library, public-works storage pressures and how vacated municipal buildings could be repurposed if the city builds new facilities.

Parks Director told the council the city is behind National Recreation and Park Association standards and that Community Park, now 13 years old, experiences heavy use and recurring maintenance needs (for instance, the splash pad has required multiple repairs). The parks master plan recommended renovation and expansion options that would be costly to implement, the director said.

Public Works staff said current facilities are out of space for personnel, vehicles and equipment and that the city recently spent $1.3 million on renovations that improved capacity but did not solve long-term laydown-yard needs. \"We are definitely still out of space on the public works end,\" the director said, noting cramped parking and limited secured vehicle storage.

Consultants and several council members raised the Encore facility as a potential purchase or site to consolidate public-works yards, equipment storage and vehicle maintenance, creating space at current municipal properties that could be repurposed for community amenities. Brian Wyatt said the former Encore site could be acquired and retrofitted to centralize heavy equipment and reduce conflict with residential neighborhoods.

Library proponents on the council argued for a visible, walkable location downtown and raised the possibility of occupying a vacated municipal building if public safety departments relocate to a new campus. The consultants estimated a broad cost range for a library depending on scope and site; council members requested narrower, site-specific estimates so taxpayers can compare renovation versus new-build options.

Ending

Staff will return with more precise cost estimates and site concepts for park renovations, library options (renovation and new build), public-works consolidation (including the Encore site), and potential funding strategies for each project.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Forney - City Council Workshop - Jul 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council and staff discussed park master-plan needs, options for a new library, public-works space pressures and the potential purchase/use of the Encore site as a consolidated laydown yard and operations center.","taxTitle","Forney, Kaufman County, Texas","taxId",69540,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6654856,"Fire chief urges three new stations; council hears ESD role and ISO implications",351,2427000,2778000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a&start=2427&end=2778","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a/thumbnail_2427000.jpg","/articles/6654856/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Fire-chief-urges-three-new-stations-council-hears-ESD-role-and-ISO-implications","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654856-73a14ba119f851e6c38bf2386e94fef2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770755787&Signature=h1Th4mVQ9AQjn2ALnqiv2v15LG9h9ibX634OU-5zBFJUcrz4y1hOA7lDAWNEPy1EqH6gQF1D3lGCLDfhipr-nCWm5MYjQEVA5PbxHZ51ClCMYT1IKyiez89crc7dEjJJI3XiOHtxD05z3E0Svivy8fhKFQC2lL6kSVa5-6Ho2oJmdliop~LowSZatoulSyHQvgbUaeAopl1S~PlmJTN4EjNX6j~SzT1Nccxh1Iv3swYtt~SQ1GyJ5b2SftA3vc-B65j-5q5hlnEgsDbw8pY1UI5KPIEuu8mol08TVB73A02X2AjfooEO7BPT-aq~rGkL6o-eOfBMZgi4SIAM6xKFRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Forney's fire chief told the council May 20 that the city needs additional fire stations to keep response times within national standards and to preserve the community's favorable ISO rating.

\"We added to Station 3. That actually decreased that time back down to 6 minutes,\" the chief said, recounting recent changes to response-time performance. He warned that response times had trended upward since 2019 as traffic and call volume increased and said the city needs additional stations to restore and maintain the department's target response times linked to ISO ratings.

The chief outlined a plan that would include four stations inside the city limits and four to five additional stations in the Emergency Services District (ESD) that covers developed areas outside city boundaries; the ESD, he said, currently funds about 50% of the fire department budget under a contract. The ESD is pursuing multiple station sites and can finance construction independently using ESD-authorized property tax levies, expanded sales tax options and debt issuance.

Council members asked how the city's choices affect homeowners. One councilmember urged staff to quantify the likely insurance-cost impact if the ISO rating worsened, saying that higher insurance costs may outweigh the debt cost for new stations. \"If we don't build a fire station, then ISO rating drops, insurance rates go up,\" one councilmember said, urging staff to present that comparative analysis at the next workshop.

Staff and consultants flagged near-term next steps: identify priority station locations based on call volume and growth forecasts, coordinate with the ESD on timing and cost-sharing for construction and operations, and return with cost estimates and funding plan options.

Ending

Council requested that staff and consultants present station siting, construction cost estimates, and an analysis of how station changes would affect the city's ISO rating and resident insurance costs at the next meeting.","Forney's fire leadership said response times have increased with growth and recommended adding stations; council discussed funding roles for the Emergency Services District (ESD) and the potential homeowner insurance impact of an ISO downgrade.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6654861,"Forney police department to reach building capacity by 2028, chief warns",4570,2206000,6776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a&start=2206&end=6776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a/thumbnail_2206000.jpg","/articles/6654861/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-police-department-to-reach-building-capacity-by-2028-chief-warns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654861-7578c29da88b9b24db1708ac9807711c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770755787&Signature=YodngAVmwTUuXS1B5vUPGhMVeWwJgbhvoqZfIII0-bYPxKerXJO5q7BWyTkqZGL1BGZNiy1awz5u4TMURJk40kjNMKDTi9owOYs1cI3nh-FhXMdpv3fRq8kAMWvZ99EKeYa9aQUbE6LlWhlKnxAkUnTXV5AZDsudxgr0rjiryTsRQyzayuC4HX8KMaa4gD9u-KwJiOpiS~0dYMeN4Odz~2HRvOpXYGS~6DgUg1yIs18S7SD08rVo3V80h6EiCkJyYgxje8pJT0oGDIfJMhEgrXZkBA72wPyPjnjxtLbX0Hl~cFtAn2i3nfT0IRAx9xsnLZThjFCDmxvTwCeOKNBGCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Forney police officials told the City Council May 20 that the department's current building will reach its practical capacity by 2028 if staffing grows as projected, prompting council members to request detailed design and cost options for expansion or relocation.

\"I'll be at capacity in that building in 2028,\" said the department chief, presenting a staffing and facility timeline the city first studied in 2009. The chief said the earlier facility study projected full capacity around 2029 based on population, while a 2023 staffing study incorporating call load projects 111 total staff and 69 sworn officers by 2028.

Council members and consultants discussed two primary paths: expand the existing police facility with additions and renovations, or build a new, co-located public safety complex that would house police, fire and shared emergency operations and evidence facilities. Brian Wyatt of WRA Architects said a new public-safety campus could produce \"force-multiplier\" efficiencies by centralizing emergency operations, evidence storage and shared administration.

Police leaders said the department currently lacks sufficient locker-room space, evidence storage and training/training-room capacity. The chief said temporary fixes have already been implemented, including repurposing back rooms and requesting renovation funds in the 2026 budget to expand dispatch and housing for traffic and records units.

Council asked staff to return with estimates showing the cost difference between an addition to the current police station and constructing a new facility, and to illustrate how a new public safety campus could free space for other municipal uses (for example, converting vacated facilities into a library or municipal offices).

Ending

Staff agreed to produce site and cost exhibits for police expansion versus a new public safety complex, including square footage, a preliminary schedule and the expected debt-service impact for the council's review.","Police leadership told the council the existing station will reach maximum staffing capacity by 2028 and asked for design options for expansion or a new public safety campus.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6654866,"Forney council workshop reviews 10-year facilities plan and financing options",7237,85000,7322000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a&start=85&end=7322","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442543-67c7265cf6819adc2f78c19e336da15a/thumbnail_85000.jpg","/articles/6654866/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-council-workshop-reviews-10-year-facilities-plan-and-financing-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654866-9cbd018b826f01203a8143864aa71366/orig.mp4?Expires=1770755787&Signature=E0qfKP00nvGtsO73Iuv59NLP6WexDaT2yJiBPeK4x4Ea77CbYQEKCZS0~KtYHx4j4Nun5jW-~HFQBHQQ~DHFElEeydkJ5iuqv8JmNAuqBlCbrQ92rLQJU-iwHzczFRDQJFnqWVj9o16xMxs65RZ5ZzL-A57-0-iS2kwCKEKkyENSMycX-B9QozyWyjisCiKIRHOCrLVe05zRyPqniLSRhi~f41m5VarpJoAhSok6MeQTCpQ74TRMTQkDYgWtvlUkL3MSWx50o2LmtKejYyplyShyF4hdC~Od79QjiyQBJ6hHcMJ0lTXBwUeCPp46hlXiul4yfDHZ0xx5YWrzS1jW~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Forney City Council held a workshop May 20 focused on a long-term facilities plan and how to pay for it, hearing presentations from the city's municipal advisor and WRA Architects on debt capacity, legal constraints and possible project packages.

City staff and consultants said the city's debt profile declines sharply in coming years, creating capacity for new projects without substantially increasing the interest-and-sinking (I&S) portion of the tax rate. \"The city's debt profile declines very rapidly,\" Nick Bulash, the city's municipal advisor from Hilltop Securities, told council members, adding that Forney currently carries AA/Aa2 ratings from Standard & Poor's and Moody's.

Bulash summarized legal and practical options for financing new buildings: general obligation (GO) bonds, certificates of obligation (COs) and tax notes. He noted key state constraints enacted in 2021 (House Bill 1869) that affect whether costs for certain projects can be placed in the I&S portion of the tax rate or must be counted on the maintenance-and-operations (M&O) side for rollback and truth-in-taxation purposes. \"Renovating, improving, and equipping existing city facilities\" is a category likely eligible for nonvoted debt under the law, he said, while new stand-alone facilities often require voter approval.

The consultants presented multiple issuance scenarios. Using conservative assumptions about growth and interest rates, Bulash showed that a single $60 million issuance would create an I&S peak roughly in line with the voter-information estimate the city provided in 2022; a $120 million single issuance would create a larger spike. \"If you were to stagger issuance,\" he said, \"it gives your tax base more time to grow,\" which reduces pressure on the tax rate.

WRA Architects framed a multi-decade facilities strategy and recommended a phased approach: begin with high-priority public safety work (design and construct a public safety/emergency response center), then pursue park improvements, a library and other municipal facilities in later phases. Brian Wyatt of WRA urged the council to identify the \"large rocks\" first and defer smaller, tactical items to later or separate meetings.

Councilmembers emphasized public safety and asked staff to return with more specific cost, site and timeline options for prioritized items. Several council members said they would prefer to fund core public safety projects via certificates of obligation if permitted, reserving voter-approved bonds for large community amenities. Staff agreed to produce more detailed exhibits showing square footage, estimated construction costs, and the debt-service impact (I&S tax-rate movement) for the prioritized projects.

The workshop did not include any formal votes or final decisions; staff and consultants were asked to return with refined financial models, site concepts and cost estimates at a subsequent meeting.

Bulash and WRA provided written attachments to the presentation including the 2022 bond-authorized project list ($52.7 million authorization) and a CO-eligibility \"cheat sheet\" used to determine what could be funded without an election.

Ending

Council directed staff to return with detailed, fiscally specific options for the projects that received the most support in the workshop'primarily a public safety complex and related renovations or reuses of vacated municipal buildings'and to include debt-service impacts presented to the penny so council can compare CO versus GO bond approaches.","City staff and consultants presented a long-range facilities strategy and debt scenarios, including bond and certificate of obligation (CO) options, and requested direction on priorities such as a public safety complex, library and parks improvements.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council discusses parks, library, public works and possible reuse of municipal sites

Fire chief urges three new stations; council hears ESD role and ISO implications

Forney police department to reach building capacity by 2028, chief warns

Forney council workshop reviews 10-year facilities plan and financing options