[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6043904,"mediaKeyId","3624922-7f81ee011dbd0fed94cd950b48970665","parentId",3624922,"title","Council asks staff to explore leadership training for new fire leadership","audioSeconds",79,"startMs",1529000,"endMs",1608000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624922-7f81ee011dbd0fed94cd950b48970665&start=1529&end=1608","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624922-7f81ee011dbd0fed94cd950b48970665/thumbnail_1529000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6043904/Big-Spring/Howard-County/Texas/Council-asks-staff-to-explore-leadership-training-for-new-fire-leadership","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6043904-a11f63df22f273cf62a295b196d3b8d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145892&Signature=nAL1HtKU7jucHOXahEfFmrPsWM~MqGqFZ6r5waUimLCQ5x-2PX4aCusosb~btc5Roo~M---IAXh5eyyirSuUgkt3pCT0yh0SxUFDj9ZNVg7jmQ3JKDW-cO0~UnTA9bVWnCkLlOFKNhRWu-aatTVj8Vu0zYerdK1QcCNuMdH664gdIC0TRRwNXx7estO3CYWfZ1GS9~MEwlQu61xSEkYOSVKncCX9dwuxt2fR0PA3y~k55Vr-RIOGIk9X~KEc6N4WIyegibal~CivRKgi3NVRe6aDZQdMkX-ohtD1fDcH6LmR7BmdPgUFs98saMDn1uIWLcZO~zD5vX4eXBBdT50NyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Big Spring City","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","Councilor Dompkins asked city staff to research leadership training for recently promoted fire captains and battalion chiefs at the January 2025 City Council meeting. Dompkins said turnover in the fire department left many supervisory positions newly filled and that leadership training would help supervisors manage and lead their teams.

\"I've asked the city staff to look into what type of curriculum and training might be available and to bring something back to council,\" Dompkins said during council input. He added the training could also benefit police department supervisors and others in new leadership roles.

City staff did not provide a timetable or estimated cost during the meeting; Dompkins said the request may require a budget amendment and asked staff to return to council with options.

Why it matters

Council direction to research training does not itself authorize funding but signals a priority for staff follow-up. If the city pursues formal training, that could require procurement, budget allocation or use of outside vendors and would return to council for approval when staff present recommendations.

What was said

Dompkins cited a leadership article in Forbes to describe leadership as both an innate and a learned skill and said he had discussed the idea with Jake Sparks, a tenured battalion chief, before bringing it to council. He asked staff to compile curriculum options and cost estimates so council could consider a formal program.

Next steps

Staff were asked to investigate curricula and return with recommendations; no timeframe was set during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Big Spring City Council Meeting January 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A council member requested that staff identify leadership training options for recently promoted fire captains and battalion chiefs; staff were asked to report back with curriculum and cost details.","taxTitle","Big Spring, Howard County, Texas","taxId",69528,"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},6043910,"Big Spring council approves nuisance abatement, infrastructure bids and sets May election",1071,362000,1433000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624922-7f81ee011dbd0fed94cd950b48970665&start=362&end=1433","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624922-7f81ee011dbd0fed94cd950b48970665/thumbnail_362000.jpg","/articles/6043910/Big-Spring/Howard-County/Texas/Big-Spring-council-approves-nuisance-abatement-infrastructure-bids-and-sets-May-election","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6043910-e0810460e4c7dced4780f1b39be5cab4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145892&Signature=XNmRAuuO0UfAKq9awG1x7hjqs6mQ7DuFdD7Rxq3l3GVtWXJ0yaOk~Ib8E40g7a7e9L4EZKTDFo7f1paE01yq8KhtxnEBWjycPKk-H4VzjJuxqqV-5iPLETvzAJ68MvTPw3htz86V2wAcNYCT5LRp9P4NnoRhr9~9kptBeopbquoE0PFgvxVUbfijqI-kEzkWiwRWAyh31aKL-qqPWrFCP7Tp3bb233EyrKjFyHZ1-bLXVL4-ScB0jZYJBrLGX7l74zPbNWF9Dt8-T8ZKpKUlkTgSZX3YA5~pT1Z2N3tv7XGkaCRkH5SXw1j7YjuTDaEo2aJTBWc8fKASO-pCBpQdUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Big Spring City Council on a January 2025 meeting unanimously approved a series of routine and capital items, including an abatement order for a derelict property at 206 Northeast Sixth Street, awards for a 2024 water and sewer line replacement project and park paving, and a resolution calling a May 3, 2025, general election.

The actions bring forward capital work on the city’s water and sewer system, new accessible parking for a donated playground, and routine administrative items including vouchers and a joint election agreement with the Big Spring Independent School District.

Votes at a glance

- Nuisance abatement at 206 Northeast Sixth Street: After a public hearing, the council voted to issue an order to abate the property at 206 Northeast Sixth Street, finding two unoccupied, unsecured, weathered structures that present safety and public-health risks. The council approved the abatement unanimously following a motion and second.

- Vouchers: The council approved vouchers presented for January 2025, described in the meeting as $2,692,041.14 and $1,264,901.73 for two voucher batches; the approval passed unanimously.

- 2024 water and sewer line replacement project: The council awarded a construction contract to begin water and sewer line replacements for $971,674.50. The project scope described in the meeting includes replacing a 6-inch water main on Sixth Street from Owens to Birdwell, replacing a 6-inch water line on San Antonio and replacing a sewer line on Lincoln (about one block, behind an easement). The award passed unanimously.

- Fairway mower for Comanche Trail Golf Course: A budgeted purchase to replace a 1999 Toro fairway mower was awarded to Barones of Alvarado, Texas, for $64,370. The council approved the award unanimously.

- ADA-compliant parking lot at Comanche Trail Park: The council awarded a paving, striping and signage contract for an ADA-compliant 24,000-square-foot parking lot to serve a new all-abilities playground. The meeting noted a playground donation of $750,000 toward the project; the paving award was recommended to Permian Paving of Midland for $68,750. The vote to award the contract passed unanimously.

- Election resolution and election agreements: On first reading the council adopted a resolution calling a general election on May 3, 2025, for mayor and District 5 council seats. A separate election-services contract with the Howard County Elections Administrator was discussed but postponed so staff could resolve questions. The council approved a routine joint-election agreement with Big Spring Independent School District to share election costs, and the joint-agreement vote passed unanimously.

- Event funding and board appointment: The council approved a $4,000 event funding request from the Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Desert Athletic Company’s Together Trail Race and reappointed Veronica Zuniga to the Zoning Board of Adjustments (District 5). Both votes passed unanimously.

How the council framed the items

City staff presented the public-works and parks procurements as budgeted capital or grant-adjacent work. The Comanche Trail Park parking lot award was described as a complement to a donated all-abilities playground; staff noted street-department work on base preparation reduced contractor costs. Staff also emphasized outreach on the city’s rollout-container ordinance and described sticker-based notice and public-service announcements to inform residents of a requirement to return containers after pickup (with ADA exceptions handled through a separate placard process).

What the council did not decide

Council members deferred awarding the election services contract to the Howard County Elections Administrator pending staff follow-up; staff said the delay would not interfere with the May election timetable.

Next steps and timing

Approved construction and procurement awards will proceed to contracting and scheduling per staff timelines. The election resolution establishes May 3, 2025, as the date for the general election; detailed execution of election services is pending follow-up on the contract in a future meeting.

","At its January 2025 meeting the Big Spring City Council voted unanimously on a nuisance abatement, multiple procurement awards including water/sewer replacement and park parking, approved vouchers, and adopted a resolution calling a May 3 general election.","actionData","errors"]

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Council asks staff to explore leadership training for new fire leadership

Big Spring council approves nuisance abatement, infrastructure bids and sets May election