America’s fire infrastructure is very old, and government leaders are trying to remedy that situation. Approximately 20,000 U.S. fire stations are over four decades old. That is an alarming statistic because the estimated useful life of a police or fire station is between 20 and 50 years. That means thousands of fire stations in America are already or will soon be at the end of their anticipated life expectancy. It also means that most are no longer operationally sufficient. 

Over the past 15 years, the percentage of fire stations over 40 years old has increased by 11% to a total of 43%. The current cost of upgrading the country’s fire response infrastructure to an acceptable standard has been projected to cost about $70 billion. 

First responders are needed at the scene of emergencies as quickly as humanly possible, but their speed depends totally on the state of their infrastructure. The response time for emergency medical services should be four minutes or less for 90% of incidents. Firefighters, for example, are expected to leave the station 80 seconds or less after an alarm sounds. Having the necessary facility arrangement of equipment and other support makes that possible – or not. 

Funding for fire control infrastructure is not as available nationally as funding is for other types of critical necessities. Still, local government officials are working hard to find the required funding.  

The City Council of Mountain View, California, has announced the design phase of a new $200 million public safety facility designed to house police and fire personnel. The new facility will replace a 43-year-old building that is far too small and is not compliant with seismic safety requirements. The new public safety center will be a three-story, 75,000-square-foot facility with a multipurpose auditorium. The site will have a secure parking garage, the top level of which will be an enclosed 15-lane shooting range. The facility will also have K9 training areas and a communications tower. Construction is expected to begin in 2025.

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The University of Texas (UT) System will invest $175 million in projects across three university campuses. Plans include renovating a hall at UT Austin, building a sports training facility at UT San Antonio and converting a building at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The Board of Regents amended the FY 2024-2029 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) during their Feb. 22 meeting to include the projects. No contractor has been selected for any of the projects.

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(Photo courtesy of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.)

Residents in Copperas Cove will vote on a $175 million bond package to renovate a high school, upgrade facilities districtwide, increase safety and security and relocate health and athletics facilities. It has been nearly 20 years since the Copperas Cove Independent School District’s (CCISD) last bond election.

Click here for details on each proposal

(Photo courtesy of Viceroy Bob.)

Texas Sen. John Cornyn announced Thursday that he is running to become the next GOP leader in the Senate, making him the first to officially throw his hat into the ring to succeed Mitch McConnell.

“I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” he said. “I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news to anyone. The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it. … I am ready to get to work and look forward to continuing to engage with my colleagues.”

McConnell, of Kentucky, on Wednesday announced that he will not seek re-election for the leadership role, which he’s held since 2007. Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and John Barrasso of Wyoming are also expected to run for the top spot.

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert will become interim city manager of Dallas when T.C. Broadnax leaves office in June. Tolbert is the current deputy city manager and will assume the city manager's duties until a permanent replacement is found.

Broadnax submitted his resignation last month after seven years in the role, reportedly at the suggestion of the city council.

Tolbert began her career with the city of Dallas as an assistant to the city manager before leaving in 2008 to pursue other opportunities. She worked her way up to director of strategy and innovation for the North Texas Tollway Authority, where she worked for 11 years before rejoining the city of Dallas.

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Jennifer Ragsdale

Sr. Director of Information Technology

Angelina College

Public career highlights and education: I have worked for Angelina College a little over 20 years. Over the years I have gained so much knowledge from various positions within the department. In 2010, I received my Master of Science degree.

Currently I am the senior director of information technology for Angelina College. I am lucky to get the opportunity to work with talented, caring and supportive team members.

What I like best about my public service: Education is a great thing. I love seeing the success of the students and what they do for our community. Getting to contribute to something greater than yourself really drives you to help as much as you can.

The best advice I’ve received: Going back to when I was in customer services during college, "Treat Others How You Want to Be Treated." This always stuck with me. No matter why someone is upset and yelling, you can always bring kindness, professionalism and calmness to a situation.

People might be interested to know: I love hiking and the outdoors. There is something about nature that brings clarity to yourself. I am also the first female senior director of information technology at Angelina College.

One thing I wish more people knew about Angelina College: Angelina College gives opportunities for everyone to learn something new, obtain a new skill and/or earn a degree. All of these things can help build a better future for your community.

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) will use $30 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a terminal construction project and electrical upgrades on an existing terminal. The projects will help accommodate anticipated growth, which could jump from 10 million passengers annually to 15 million within the next 20 years.

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(Photo courtesy of the San Antonio International Airport.)

The Department of Energy (DOE) is offering a $2 million prize to encourage the production of secondary glazing systems to improve the efficiency of commercial windows.

The inaugural Building Envelope Innovation Prize is designed to find innovative ways to develop and commercialize secondary glazing systems, which are a low-cost solution to complete window replacements. The prize is sponsored by DOE’s Building Technologies Office (BTO).

Click here for more details on the window innovation prize

(Photo courtesy of Farrel Nobel on Unsplash.)

The city of Sugar Land and Wisk Aero, an advanced air mobility (AAM) manufacturer, have formed a private-public partnership (P3) to develop vertiport infrastructure for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) operations. The partnership is part of a plan to establish a larger AAM network in the city.

Click here for more information on Sugar Land’s air taxi future

(Photo courtesy of rural.gov.)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called on nine state agencies to assist with fighting wildfires in the Lone Star State’s panhandle region this week as part of a disaster declaration for 60 counties.

Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate those agencies’ emergency-response resources to support firefighters responding to multiple wildfires burning in Texas.

Click here to learn more about Texas’ wildfire mitigation efforts

(Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter.)

The Department of Energy has awarded $366 million to 17 projects to increase renewable energy development in rural areas. Spanning 20 states and 30 Native communities and Tribal Nations, the projects in remote parts of the United States include ensuring stable power for a health center, investing in hydroelectricity and bringing solar and battery systems to locations that are currently off the grid.

Click here to learn more about the awards

(Photo courtesy of Zbynek Burival on Unsplash.)

A coalition of Houston community groups and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee are suing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) less than a month after the agency strengthened its concrete batch plant permitting process. The lawsuit calls out TCEQ for failing to require existing concrete batch plants immediately comply with the agency's new standards for permits. Instead, the TCEQ gave plants up to 10 years to meet the revised requirements, which were adopted Jan. 24.

Click here for details on the lawsuit and standards

(Photo courtesy of the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association.)

Austin is working on a public-private infrastructure academy that would help usher in the next generation of construction and transportation workers. The Austin Infrastructure Academy would provide critical services to train, support and place local residents on career pathways in infrastructure development.

Click here to learn about the academy

(Photo: Rendering of the Project Connect Light Rail Line. Courtesy of Project Connect.)

The University of Houston System (UHS) has selected Sven Hahues as chief information security officer (CISO). He will serve as CISO for both UHS and the University of Houston’s UIT Security department.

Hahues previously served as CISO and deputy CISO for Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), a position he held since 2021. He was chosen to lead UHS’s UIT Security department based off his 15 years of experience with cybersecurity, networking and strategic leadership.

During his tenure at FGCU, he proved his expertise in project management, team development and implementation of advanced security measures and technologies. He spearheaded staff security awareness training and security protocol deployment such as Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

The city of Pearland will use $17.6 million for Phase 2 of the Hickory Slough Sportsplex, which includes building additional fields and expanding park facilities. The funds were approved as part of the city’s $181 million bond package. Currently in the design phase, the project will go to bid January 2025. Construction will begin June 2025.

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(Photo courtesy of the city of Pearland.)

New Braunfels Independent School District (NBISD) officials are asking voters to approve a $313 million bond measure in May to rebuild its high school, construct a multi-purpose stadium and make districtwide technology upgrades. Early voting runs from April 22 to April 30, with election day May 4.

Click here for details on each proposition

(Photo courtesy of New Braunfels ISD.)

Sara Hernandez will serve as the Rio Grande City Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) interim executive director. She will assume the responsibilities of former Executive Director Dalinda Guillen following her resignation. Hernandez has spent the last nine years working with Rio Grande City, most recently serving as executive assistant to the deputy city manager.

During a special meeting Feb. 20, the city of Eagle Pass unanimously voted to instate Homero Balderas as city manager. Balderas previously served as the city’s international bridge system general manager, a position he has held for the past seven years. He officially replaced George Antuna on Feb. 22.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced these appointments and reappointments from Feb. 23 through Feb. 29:

Sulphur River Basin Authority Board Of Directors

Kelly Mitchell - Texarkana (reappointed)

Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council

John Bash - Austin

Mark Stone, Ph.D. - Bryan

Dean Teffer, Ph.D. - Austin

Angela Wilkins, Ph.D. - Houston

Texas Government Insider is a free weekly newsletter detailing important happenings throughout the state and summarizing current political issues relevant to individuals interested in government.

Publisher: Mary Scott Nabers

Editors:

Adam Rollins

Dave Doolittle