[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6515477,"mediaKeyId","3868965-b20f9a986da8a8b45602d8e2d2bd6d1d","parentId",3868965,"title","Forney recognizes Patricia Baird for life‑saving response to mother‑in‑law's medical emergency","audioSeconds",303,"startMs",88000,"endMs",391000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868965-b20f9a986da8a8b45602d8e2d2bd6d1d&start=88&end=391","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868965-b20f9a986da8a8b45602d8e2d2bd6d1d/thumbnail_88000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6515477/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-recognizes-Patricia-Baird-for-lifesaving-response-to-motherinlaws-medical-emergency","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515477-ebf2dc405a00200bb4c16b196b4cee8c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771033353&Signature=aLpMvt~8ycAEqE9e0-yGEQzp9feZjuUfDpMX44ZED9QynUg2P8~q26Chp-WD1gPUrDzNE7JpQTlvlCnIhQ9v-r7AQHF3-POv0LZjMrOXYter978DpBzyUHSTcf-wyhUXQKBP1vwWK14Y61yEi1CgCHbhzgIcmVfdndFsgWjYOteBQCmsbCIiXFKqNBvO2nJRLuyTfN604u~yasYrLpT6ZBIsP-6oKUlx8aiVYVtX9xbXj9HMa0rjde-8wXuk5Q3D4oZZHJyufCw-Kn8G64wzf9EHJ1lmfYNwMrXSt4zRXs-RdXBnZw-g4XVHTWUF3y1Y0XjJv1ArKlCpax-dI6XDKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Forney","date","2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Forney City Council presented a certificate of special recognition Tuesday to Patricia Baird for her role in assisting a family member during a medical emergency.

Family members told the council that Baird was watching children and that she turned back from an errand when she learned her mother‑in‑law was in distress. According to the family member who spoke at the dais, Baird called 911 and, when the woman stopped breathing, placed the patient on the floor and performed chest compressions together with the patient's daughter until the person began breathing again and emergency responders took over.

\"Patricia came in. She called 911 ... and basically started doing chest compressions and, basically got my mom breathing again,\" the family member said during the council meeting. The council read a certificate recognizing Baird \"for her courageous response in assisting her mother‑in‑law in her time of need. Her quick actions provided the critical time needed to reach the hospital.\"

Councilmembers and attendees applauded; the presentation was described in the minutes as a surprise recognition and the family said Baird had not known why she had been asked to appear at the dais.

Speakers at the meeting included Mayor Pro Tem Greg Hill and the Baird family member who recounted the incident. No formal action beyond the presentation was recorded.

Speakers quoted in this article are listed below in the speakers section and quotes are drawn from the council meeting transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Forney - City Council - Jun 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council presented a certificate of special recognition to Patricia Baird after family members said she performed chest compressions and kept the woman breathing until emergency crews arrived.","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},6515482,"Forney council approves zoning change for youth center, rezoning and auto‑repair permit, multiple appointments and SAFER grant application",3098,2138000,5236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868965-b20f9a986da8a8b45602d8e2d2bd6d1d&start=2138&end=5236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868965-b20f9a986da8a8b45602d8e2d2bd6d1d/thumbnail_2138000.jpg","/articles/6515482/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-council-approves-zoning-change-for-youth-center-rezoning-and-autorepair-permit-multiple-appointments-and-SAFER-grant-application","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515482-504adc3cd5bd853e75ad131b44df414c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771033353&Signature=bNkN4tpPlUIUnyH2RtbOpwMjNVU7-Jgrzs4zmAlJqzFXH3n6ozXrhqmiTJ3kZHXY093x81Fuqdl4OP~NPprduqN5ZF4n-PEKt6~5TrjYMAC6~s5sHIKL6ayEVNPYUmn1eoaUp7XvBoMjFi3tbssAy9JCopxrasWytF6cJz6i3zJ9o2Ei6od9xYgPoOs8aDg7tcrKTn-C8oSQ6bqnrgj1Mu2l~Jd5~ZLlFGpm8BPEbj~DuWhUOC4LR6H9VzTuQEM4Npo8hRDOUnMKtgg226JRdpp6IBikSDx5nEMM6j1NAvcEO2PYWMXxzjHTi2rkSEwu0eIAaaiK2ompOJrCEJHKVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Forney City Council on Tuesday approved a package of land‑use ordinances, appointed volunteers to several advisory boards and authorized the fire department to apply for federal staffing grant funding.

The council adopted an amendment to the city's comprehensive zoning ordinance that adds a definition for \"youth center\" and allows that use only by conditional use permit in commercial, general retail and mixed‑use districts. City staff said the change responds to a resident who asked how to open a teen youth club inside city limits; the ordinance creates the zoning category and requires any operator to seek a conditional use permit with site‑specific conditions such as parking, hours and screening. City Secretary Miss Rios read the ordinance as Ordinance No. 2509.

The council also approved a rezoning and a conditional use permit connected to Carter Automotive. The council rezoned 0.0944 acres at 305 Oak Street and an adjacent alley from single‑family residential to general retail to allow the business to expand outdoor vehicle storage behind 406 East Broad Street. Planning staff said the owner must provide screening for adjacent residences; the applicant proposed a 6‑ to 8‑foot wood screening fence. The rezoning was assigned Ordinance No. 2510 and the conditional use permit for auto repair minor was assigned Ordinance No. 2511.

In a separate action, the council voted to allow the fire department to apply for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant through FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. Chief Holcomb told the council the department is seeking authorization to apply for funding to add up to nine firefighter positions. He said the grant would cover a large portion of salary and benefit costs for the first two years with the third year requiring a larger local share; the department described the city share as roughly 25% for the first two years and roughly 65% for the third year under the grant's phased funding structure.

Appointments and other votes
The council completed multiple volunteer appointments across boards and commissions. Among appointments recorded in the meeting minutes:
- Paula Neely: Bridal Adoption Center Shelter Advisory Committee, seat 7 (appointment)
- Marcus McFarland: Bridal Adoption Center Shelter Advisory Committee, seat 9 (appointment)
- Jerilyn Isaac: appointed to a shelter‑related position per motion on the record
- Sharika Bankston: Building Standards Commission, seat 3 (reappointment)
- Randall Klein: Building Standards Commission, seat 5 (appointment); also appointed as an alternate on the Historic Overlay District Architectural Review Board
- Becky Lara: Historic Overlay District Architectural Review Board, seat 1 (appointment)
- Brandon Deaton: Historic Overlay District Architectural Review Board, seat 2 (appointment)
- Richard Hansen: Historic Overlay District Architectural Review Board, seat 3 (appointment)
- Thomas Graham: appointed as alternate seat 3 on the Building Standards Commission
- Winter (Britney) Flores: appointed as alternate seat 4 on the Building Standards Commission
- Warren Yancey Jr.: Parks and Recreation Board, seat 7 (appointment)
- Lawrence Ott: Planning and Zoning Commission, seat 2 (appointment)
- LaPortia Hurst: Planning and Zoning Commission, seat 7 (reappointment)

Other routine business: The council approved the minutes of the June 3, 2025 regular meeting and passed the consent agenda items 1–7.

How the votes proceeded (motions, movers and seconds as recorded)
- Minutes (06/03/2025): Motion to approve by Councilmember Salgado; second by Councilmember Schlenzker. Outcome: motion passes.
- Consent agenda (items 1–7): Motion by Schlenzker; second by Helm. Outcome: motion passes.
- Zoning amendment (youth center) — Action Item 1 / Ordinance No. 2509: Motion to approve by Councilmember Chambers; second by Ms. Delgado. Outcome: motion passes.
- Rezoning 305 Oak Street — Action Item (Ordinance No. 2510): Motion by Schlenzker; second by Weatherford. Outcome: motion passes.
- Conditional use permit for Carter Automotive (auto repair minor) — Ordinance No. 2511: Motion by Schlenzker; second by Weatherford. Outcome: motion passes.
- Building and other board appointments: Multiple motions and seconds recorded; show‑of‑hands votes recorded and minutes state motions passed.
- SAFER grant application authorization — Action Item 2: Motion by Chambers; second by Delgado. Outcome: motion passes.

The meeting minutes do not record individual roll‑call votes or numerical tallies for several approvals; the minutes note outcomes as \"motion passes\" or show‑of‑hands. Items that require later specific site plans or civil plan approvals — such as Carter Automotive's parking expansion — will return to staff review for technical compliance (screening, drainage/civil plans and code enforcement as noted by staff).

Speakers quoted in this article or who presented material are listed in the speakers section. Documentation: City Secretary Miss Rios read ordinance language aloud when ordinances were assigned numbers and staff presented exhibits and recommended conditions during the public hearings and CUP consideration.

Speakers in votes and approvals are listed below in the speakers section.","Council approved a zoning amendment to create a defined \"youth center\" use with conditional use permits, rezoned 305 Oak Street for Carter Automotive and granted a conditional use permit for vehicle storage, made multiple board and commission appointments and authorized staff to apply for a SAFER grant to add up to nine firefighters.",{"_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},6515486,"Forney commissions multi‑month fire station coverage study as population and calls climb",1700,414000,2114000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3868965-b20f9a986da8a8b45602d8e2d2bd6d1d&start=414&end=2114","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3868965-b20f9a986da8a8b45602d8e2d2bd6d1d/thumbnail_414000.jpg","/articles/6515486/Forney/Kaufman-County/Texas/Forney-commissions-multimonth-fire-station-coverage-study-as-population-and-calls-climb","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515486-fd5d6de3f753cc5c6c94baa5be7b3f66/orig.mp4?Expires=1771033353&Signature=jNeZqqAuCxYohgKhYSMWPC8q8GgdCX6mFOdK98jdVeYw3DzPORyDrQvCBj1cNmaHusckgaLjuqNIEmy394ePEFUCe~T2mAQQ6OCuLh6cWHn4KEOj6EfMtyycvrm9FmElputXjzqZmBjetOz8JK5sHJYvkGbfZX4FQzhVfncVtc09sVGtec-Wd-qksg0vX4jEQ91qTKaFiqfibSg9BQayDzX78WQ5R23yJV-A~3L-tcbqlhthpw-O50BA7cA8ybmRL2XXxUHZFtWJb~DMm5qwI4U4gC0AcLBZfgdOHr~F~DS9iJRAiemD8dLhjWJNb2FDv7zuZfkSbZIxtDnPmfgwYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Forney city leaders heard a detailed interim report on a fire station coverage study Tuesday that models current performance, projects future demand and tests potential station locations as the city and its emergency services district experience rapid population growth.

The study, led by Michael Rainey of Michael Rainey and Associates and commissioned jointly by the City of Forney and Kaufman County Emergency Service District No. 6, is measuring current response capacity against National Fire Protection Association standards and simulating how additional stations and apparatus would affect performance over the next decade.

\"For the council, as an update, for the standard to cover by definition, we're looking at the distribution and concentration of fixed and mobile resources within the agency,\" Rainey told the council. He said the team is comparing current performance to authoritative benchmarks such as NFPA 1710 and NFPA 1720 and projecting results through 2030.

Why it matters: Rainey's presentation tied the study to recent growth and rising demand in the Forney service area. The consultant reported a 78% increase in incident assignments from 2019 through 2024 and noted that the city has seen what he described as a roughly 51% population increase inside city limits from 2020 to 2023. Those changes are concentrated in particular corridors, moving population density farther from existing stations and increasing calls where people are clustered.

Key findings and figures
- Service area and land: The team estimated roughly 72.5 square miles in the primary service area, with about 56.5 square miles inside the emergency services district and about 16 square miles within the city limits.
- Call-volume growth: Rainey reported a 78% increase in incident assignments from 2019–2024; the district's assignments rose 157% over that period while the city saw a 37% rise overall.
- Station performance: Newly opened Station 3 was credited with a large increase in assignments; Rainey cited a 257% jump for Station 3 in the most recent year.
- Call mix: Medical and EMS‑related responses accounted for about 40% of calls; the top 20 incident types represented about 87% of all assignments in the analysis.

Rainey said the study will test five district‑nominated areas plus four city‑nominated candidate sites and run sequence‑of‑implementation scenarios to determine which combination and timing of station additions would yield the best operational return on investment. He also noted the team is coordinating with Kaufman County GIS to isolate district and city boundaries properly for the modeling.

Next steps and timeline
Rainey outlined a phased schedule: the consultant will deliver a baseline performance report next month, compare that baseline to benchmark targets in July to quantify gaps, and present a formal plan to close those gaps in August. He said a full projection analysis within about 90 days will show how proposed stations could reinforce one another or render other sites redundant.

Council and staff participation
Chief Holcomb introduced the work and thanked the consultant and the Emergency Service District for collaboration; board members Rick Barnes, Dana Curry and District President Mario Luna attended the presentation. Rainey repeatedly thanked local leaders for data access, saying the department's incident records allowed the study to progress quickly.

What the study does not decide
Rainey emphasized the report is analytical and will recommend options; final site selection, budget approvals and staffing decisions would require additional council action. \"We will be establishing a plan to improve and close that gap,\" he said, describing the study as preparatory analysis rather than a final decision.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the Forney City Council meeting and are listed below in the speakers section. The study will return to the council with further analyses and recommendation options in the months ahead.","Consultant Michael Rainey presented interim findings showing rapid population growth and large increases in incident assignments; the study will model new station locations and produce benchmark comparisons through August.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Forney recognizes Patricia Baird for life‑saving response to mother‑in‑law's medical emergency

Forney council approves zoning change for youth center, rezoning and auto‑repair permit, multiple appointments and SAFER grant application

Forney commissions multi‑month fire station coverage study as population and calls climb