Built over 25 years ago, Fire Station 1, 700 Avenue N in Marble Falls, currently uses a window as a fire escape in lieu of a door. Replacing the window with a door is at the top of Fire Chief Russell Sander’s renovation wishlist. Staff photo by Nathan Bush

The Marble Falls City Council took a second step in renovation plans for Fire Station 1 when it approved a $246,500 expenditure for design and architectural services during a regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 3.

While current projections show the project will be $3.3 million total, the design process should reduce costs.

Proposed improvements include larger showers, an elevator, and increased compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“There are some of us that are more advanced in years, and we are happy to have an elevator,” said Fire Chief Russell Sander. 

Another key addition is a door to replace the window that currently serves as the station’s main fire escape. 

“We’ll be able to utilize the exterior staircase that is the emergency exit,” Sander said.

Houston-based architecture firm Martinez Architects will handle the architectural and design process of the renovation. The firm plans to ensure the exterior of the station, 700 Avenue N, visually meshes with the Marble Falls Police Department’s building next door.

“My vision is to look at the exterior and see if we can’t at least try to change it to match next door so that whole public safety area has continuity,” Sander said.

Built over 25 years ago, the fire station originally served the volunteer department before being retrofitted to house the city’s department.

“Literally, the showers upstairs were small enough that I think a middle school kid would have a hard time getting out,” Sander said. “The design was more like a school than a functional fire station.”

Once building renovations are complete, the department hopes to improve accessibility to the station’s parking lot.

“During this whole process, we want (Martinez Architects) to redesign the entire parking lot to make it more user-friendly, make it more easy to navigate,” Sander said. “Then, we’ll sweet talk the public works crew about coming in and pouring some liquid asphalt and helping us repaint.”

Renovation talks began in last summer after the council approved a $13,575 feasibility study for the proposed project. During the June 7, 2022, meeting, Sander mentioned possible mold and other harmful contaminants inside the station’s infrastructure. An environmental study confirmed the presence of mold inside the facility; however, the investigation found the mold did not pose an immediate health risk to the station’s staff.

“I’m happy to report the environmental assessment of the building came back with no major health concerns,” Sander said. “That was a blessing.”

Potential health risks associated with the station hit close to home. Two members of the Marble Falls Fire Rescue team have been diagnosed with cancer over the past several years.

“Two firefighters out of 18 of us total — that’s a lot,” Sander said. “That’s something in my recommendation in the beginning that we do this so that we can at least protect our employees the best we can.”

Marble Falls Mayor Richard Westerman was happy to approve the expenditure motion as a show of support for the city’s first responders.

“I think this is one of the reasons we got elected here: was to take care of the fire department and the safety in our town,” he said. “It’s a priority.”

The Marble Falls City Council’s next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in council chambers at City Hall, 800 Third St.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said an environmental study found no presence of mold in Fire Station 1. Mold was actually found but presented no health risks to staff, according to the investigation.

CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story said the project’s total cost would be $3.3 million. Officials clarified that the total cost should be reduced through the design process.

nathan@thepicayune.com

The Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees is holding a special meeting on Friday, Jan. 6, to discuss the hiring process for a new superintendent. The meeting comes on the heels of the Tuesday announcement that Superintendent Dr. Chris Allen is the lone finalist for the top job at the Midway Independent School District. 

Allen has been the MFISD superintendent since his 2015 hiring.

The special meeting starts at 4 p.m. in the community room at the MFISD Central Office, 1800 Colt Circle. Discussions about the hiring process will take place behind closed doors in executive session. The board could announce an interim superintendent after the executive session ends.

Board President Kevin Naumann spoke to DailyTrib.com about Allen’s tenure, the future of the district, and what qualities he’d like to see in the next superintendent.

“We’re definitely sad to see him go, but there’s also excitement knowing he would not have left Marble Falls except for this opportunity at Midway,” Naumann said. “(Midway ISD) is the right place for him to be with his parents and his kids while they’re in college. I think God presented the right opportunity for him with the right timing, and I’m excited to see what he does at Midway.”

Naumann said Allen’s legacy at Marble Falls ISD can be defined by the superintendent’s dedication to upholding the district’s mission statement to love every child.

“I think the culture that has been established from the top down has given people freedom to love kids and people,” Naumann said. “It’s been a culture of love that has focused on loving every human being because they’re a human being. We take it for granted here a lot, but you really don’t see that in other places.”

In a Jan. 4 letter published on the MFISD Facebook page, Naumann noted that Allen’s nearly eight-year tenure has placed the district in a strong position as the board searches for his replacement.

“(Allen’s) diligence and servant’s heart have provided an example for others to emulate and has been a foundational reason for our overall success,” Naumann wrote. “We are stronger now as a district in academics, athletics, fine arts, culturally, relationally, and strategically than perhaps ever before, certainly since my tenure on the Board.”

As the board moves forward in the job search process, Naumann hopes to find candidates committed to serving the district for longer than a few years.

“Generally, superintendents stay in a place for about three years, and then they bounce somewhere else,” Naumann said. “Having someone that can commit and say, ‘I’m in it for the long haul. I want to be a part of the community. I’m not interested in the bigger and better thing for the money’ is what I hope we find. We should want someone that is invested in our kids. I know that’s a hard thing to find, but that’s my priority.”

At the moment, the district does not have a timetable for finding Allen’s replacement.

Naumann and other trustees encourage parents and residents to offer their own vision for the next superintendent.

“We are always open to talking to people and hearing from people,” Naumann said. “All of the board members are fairly open. People may be drawn to giving better feedback to one of us than others based on our connections. We’re totally willing to sit down with people and visit.”

Those wishing to speak to a trustee about the process should email Administrative Assistant Krystal Saunders at ksaunders@mfisd.txed.net or call the district’s main office at 830-693-4357. 

nathan@thepicayune.com

The view from a trail at Doeskin Ranch, part of the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. The Burnet County Democratic Club is holding its first ‘Love DEM Hikes’ event at the ranch on Jan. 14 starting at 1:30 p.m. Staff photo

The Burnet County Democratic Club is starting 2023 on the trails with its inaugural “Love DEM Hikes” event on Jan. 14 at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge’s Doeskin Ranch. The hike starts at 1:30 p.m. at the trailhead, located on FM 1174 off of RR 1431 East.

Trail options range from very easy to moderately difficult.

Hikers can meet the club’s newly elected president, Dr. Sue White, while getting some fresh air and exercise. After the hike, join the group at Flanigan’s Texas Distillery and Winery, 330 N. Lampasas St. in Bertram, for an Irish Afternoon Tea with a selection of Irish- and Texas-inspired foods and house-made cocktails, wines, and spirits.

For more information, email the Burnet County Democratic Club at info@bcdctx.org or visit the “Love DEM Hikes” webpage, which includes a map to the trailhead, a trail map, and other details. Reservations are not necessary for the hike but are requested if you plan to go to Flanigan’s afterward.

Follow BCDCTX on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook or visit the its website for more about the club and its events and meetings. The group meets regularly and holds social and candidate-related events periodically.

editor@thepicayune.com

Auctioneers Mark West and Scotty Gibbs will lead the live auction at the 2023 Chuck Wagon Chow Down and Dinner hosted by the Highland Lakes Service League on Jan. 28. Courtesy photo

The Highland Lakes Service League’s annual Chuck Wagon Chow Down Dinner and Auction is Saturday, Jan. 28. The fundraiser begins at 5:30 p.m. at the YMCA of the Highland Lakes at Galloway-Hammond, 1601 U.S. 281 South in Burnet.

The event features a barbecue dinner by Pok-e-jo’s, live music from David Horner and Patrick Russell, live and silent auctions, a wine pull, and a chance to snag a getaway to the winner’s choice of either Tuscany, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, or Colorado, according to a Service League media release. Live auction items include golf and vacation packages, unique collector’s items, and customized sporting adventures.

Tickets are $75 each or $800 for a table of eight and can be purchased online.

The gala is aptly named for a critical component of any successful cattle drive: the chuck wagon, the nonprofit organization proclaimed. 

“And in much the same way that a chuck wagon cook gathered a few simple ingredients that could sustain an entire cattle drive, the Service League Chow Down hopes to gather in a harvest of contributions that will support programs for the entirety of 2023,” the release said.

Proceeds from ticket sales and the auctions fund the following community programs:

• scholarships for women returning to work or seeking updated training and certifications, addressing critical local labor force needs;
• grants to Highland Lakes organizations to provide community services to a diverse and growing local clientele (over $65,000 in grants were awarded in 2022);
• and funding for important outreach activities, including the annual Special Needs Christmas Party.

The Highland Lakes Service League is supported entirely by volunteers, so every dollar donation goes directly into the community, the release said.

For more about the organization, visit its website at hlsl.org.

editor@thepicayune.com

Granite Shoals will hold its first Coffee with the Council of 2023 from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, at the community center, 1208 N. Phillips Ranch Road. Residents can sit down with officials and discuss city business, ideas, and concerns in an informal setting.

Councilors Samantha Ortis and Kevin Flack, Mayor Aaron Garcia, and Interim City Manager Peggy Smith will be at Sunday’s meeting. The council plans to hold quarterly Coffee with the Council events.

The informal setting should allow for more fluid discussion with council members and city officials than the restrictive parameters of a council meeting, which requires an agenda item and specific protocols to be in compliance with the Open Meetings Act. However, a quorum of council members may not be present at the coffees.

“People tend to get more out of it than they would at a council meeting,” Ortis told DailyTrib.com. “This is a great way for us to get good information.”

She went on to say that these casual conversations with residents give the council insight into what matters to different people across the city and allow for better decision making.

dakota@thepicayune.com