[{"_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",6550861,"mediaKeyId","5374612-d40254372ca18f82d9c6f1e4da2bf38f","parentId",5374612,"title","Temple City Manager outlines FY2026 business plan: proposed 'pod' reorganization, new assistant city manager and $600M+ capital needs","audioSeconds",24837,"startMs",3137000,"endMs",27974000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5374612-d40254372ca18f82d9c6f1e4da2bf38f&start=3137&end=27974","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5374612-d40254372ca18f82d9c6f1e4da2bf38f/thumbnail_3137000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6550861/Temple/Bell-County/Texas/Temple-City-Manager-outlines-FY2026-business-plan-proposed-pod-reorganization-new-assistant-city-manager-and-600M-capital-needs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550861-c7434f1ca8feeec3e7d546d0c9c197b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501910&Signature=VH90y43P-RoWOcqX7U-OLv41SRjcMiTBSVzit1P5vrsgYspvyXrqx8aV5KJ~5k5Qu2worLLk5b62CWU7MefGcqOjlhCSQ8FcZ9aVxGo0l9~qnjPBGMxbVkSAgrb~XUObfNr6k6hpFa5XJBj9Ga-jYCWwjS20EyVqaTWKKmegTERR5QC-9OhQa54Xa26Bw5p1ZbxM9bKDArTw9ZlBVmF6lWLiQPHm0lTG91IBBx59INIviZGAC5YY1HpDqkHdDFSRHSnsFm8I~uPorZIjO6iYKIypJ2H6V0UTVwW08lH2O5o4bcaMOYOsw5cadiKSNAPVkn716Y0QPo-wUkslBttd8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Temple","date","2025-07-11T20:26:42.297Z","article","City Manager staff presented the City of Temple’s proposed FY2026 business plan during a July 11 special meeting, outlining an organizational rework, a long list of new and retitled positions, and a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar capital program to support rapid population and economic growth.

The presentation framed the recommendations around two broad themes: “structuring for success” (reorganizing operations and management to improve service delivery) and “scaling with growth” (adding staff and capital to serve a city that crossed 100,000 residents). The manager said the existing six‑year planning framework adopted in 2019 had helped Temple respond to rapid growth and to shocks such as the pandemic and last year’s tornado, but staff now recommend refinements to support the next phase of expansion.

Key organizational proposals
- Third assistant city manager: staff proposed adding one Assistant City Manager focused on public safety, information technology and people operations to better align management capacity with the city’s five strategic focus areas.
- Management “pods”: departments would be grouped into management pods aligned with five focus areas (Smart Growth; Places & Spaces; Health & Safety; Community Advancement/Communications; and High‑Performing Organization). Each pod would have an integrated support team for finance, legal, purchasing, information technology and human resources to streamline projects and service delivery.
- Program‑based structure: staff proposed standardizing how departments define divisions, programs, teams and individual contributors so service responsibilities are clearer, easier to manage and easier to scale.

Staffing and service delivery
Staff presented dozens of proposed changes and new positions phased over the six‑year plan. Highlights included:
- Customer service: expansion of a consolidated customer‑care function (311/311‑style intake) with additional solution specialists and a service delivery support function that would coordinate work between customer care and operating crews.
- Strategy and innovation: a new team to lead process improvement, data analysis and legislative monitoring tied to policy and service‑level mapping.
- Facilities and general services: additional maintenance technicians, custodial staff and trades specialists to manage roughly 600,000 square feet of city buildings and to oversee facility capital projects.
- Parks, recreation and libraries: new program managers, maintenance crews and a proposed park ranger program to increase presence and inspection of park assets.
- Public safety facilities: while Fire Station 2 was discussed separately, the plan proposes upgrading stations for multigender restrooms, private sleeping quarters and storm‑shelter capabilities.
- Utilities and water/wastewater: staff proposed multi‑year investments and a planning group to coordinate groundwater, ASR (aquifer storage and recovery), treatment expansions and trunk‑sewer rehabilitation; the water/wastewater program in the plan totals in the low hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Fleet and solid waste: a second shift for vehicle maintenance (night mechanics), fleet‑sharing coordination, and additional solid‑waste routes and supervisors to match growth.

Capital and revenue context
Staff showed a draft capital program and revenue pressures tied to rapid population growth and state programs. Notable figures presented by staff:
- A capital improvement program of roughly $600 million across multiple categories over the plan horizon.
- Mobility (streets, sidewalks, trails) projects totaling about $187 million included reconstructed corridors, extensions and right‑of‑way purchases.
- Utilities and water/wastewater projects (including treatment, storage and trunk‑sewer upgrades) in excess of $250 million; staff also referenced a water/waste figure used in planning of approximately $317.5 million across specific projects and basins.
- A state‑level disabled‑veterans property‑tax exemption program that reduces local tax rolls; staff noted the state reimbursement formula covers a fraction of the city’s lost revenue (historically about $0.15 on the dollar in earlier guidance) and that undercurrent underfunding adds pressure on local rates and budgets.

Staff emphasized the city will continue the six‑year business plan and annual budget cycle, but requested council direction about the level of resources it wants to commit to hiring, capital and service levels. The manager said staff will return with refined costings linked to any council guidance about tax‑rate or fee tradeoffs.

Quotations
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any which way will get you there,” the City Manager said, using an analogy to explain why the city needs a strategic, multi‑year framework to allocate resources to priorities.

Council questions and next steps
Council members asked for more detail on timelines, which positions are immediately needed versus phased, and how proposed changes would affect service levels and the tax rate. Staff said they would produce cost–service tradeoff models and bring back specific purchase or job‑classification items as formal agenda items. Staff also noted several items that will require future council action: the third assistant city manager position, new job classifications, and capital bond timing tied to the council’s direction on tax rates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Temple - City Council Workshop Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","City staff presented an expanded six‑year business plan on July 11 that proposes a third assistant city manager, four management \"pods\" aligned to five strategic focus areas, dozens of new and reclassified positions, and capital programs totaling roughly $600 million across projects for roads, utilities and facilities.","taxTitle","Temple, Bell County, Texas","taxId",2770,"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},6550866,"Temple decommissions Fire Station 2 after Stachybotrys found; firefighters moved to Station 1, city plans temporary housing and $1.1M renovation",1971,1164000,3135000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5374612-d40254372ca18f82d9c6f1e4da2bf38f&start=1164&end=3135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5374612-d40254372ca18f82d9c6f1e4da2bf38f/thumbnail_1164000.jpg","/articles/6550866/Temple/Bell-County/Texas/Temple-decommissions-Fire-Station-2-after-Stachybotrys-found-firefighters-moved-to-Station-1-city-plans-temporary-housing-and-11M-renovation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550866-7a3c04a177dbe9c67325f49a053a353c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501910&Signature=FKp1Z1B5qdQAnHW-fgpUacqFJ2A66XiKwZqdwQIGdXjzgv1UaKJsAf7sORtMOhGaIGkMuaQm4fKRPTlrOXQPfvTmti4qbciF0AZR14EPaZiAKfbwGv9FFG6ajkLd3t8hmPMbTa5uqYE6GfDViLjmi~rx33tCVXDwiz4AMMqS2k36EcWeZKLzImxNWsRRgxg3LV9XoTdnmFaUW5WQQEesvwTRGuT2LjsZLN4NFkEPJVcjhtegSrIk2xMAju6-NE2NtAWdmGoDiKwy-t8rEXKeeGFfsaHxgNLvXwSYgPP-JxzHAj9L48jSbrqtK3gsTVS~jxO-Z3ts26zwYOe~oz25MQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City officials announced July 11 that Fire Station 2, on the south edge of Wilson Park on East Avenue H, was taken out of service as a living facility after air and surface testing detected Stachybotrys mold in living quarters. Firefighters currently based at Station 2 have been temporarily reassigned to Station 1; their fire engines continue to operate from Station 2’s apparatus bays.

The City’s presenter said the mold problem was first raised in November 2022 and that staff and contractors have carried out multiple remediation steps since then, including replacement of HVAC equipment and removal of contaminated drywall. She said a targeted test on June 23 identified Stachybotrys, and city staff moved personnel out “as soon as we got those results.”

The city described the contamination as airborne and inside wall cavities rather than obvious surface growth visible on entry. “Mold is fungus…you just wanna control it,” the presenter said, adding that acceptable testing results should show outdoor spore levels higher than indoor levels. Staff said follow‑up testing showed the organism had spread from the quarantined sleeping room into other living spaces.

Immediate steps and timeline
- The city has been operating air scrubbers and dehumidifiers at Station 2 since May and June testing showed elevated Penicillium/Aspergillus counts in some areas. Staff said they did not receive the specific Stachybotrys lab report until July 3 and moved people out once the lab confirmed the species.
- As a temporary measure, the city is coordinating purchase and utility hookups for a single‑wide, 39‑foot Clayton mobile home (three bedrooms, two baths) to be placed adjacent to Station 2 so crews can remain in their coverage area. Staff said they hoped to have the unit in place the week immediately after the July 11 presentation and will seek formal council approval of the purchase at the Aug. 7 meeting.
- Fire apparatus will continue to operate from Station 2’s apparatus bays while firefighters live elsewhere; staff said response coverage will remain but that response times might be delayed in some calls during the transition.

Planned renovation and costs
City staff said Station 2 requires a more extensive renovation than the budget originally anticipated. An architect’s initial assessment raised the project estimate to about $1,100,000. Staff said the work will include remediation, improved building envelope construction, private bathrooms and additional bedrooms to meet multigender staffing needs, upgraded gear storage and ventilation, and enhanced construction to allow the station to serve as a storm shelter. The presenter characterized the station’s original envelope work as failing (tapes and foam backer board failing) and said the building appeared to have been constructed without the secondary sheathing and moisture barriers expected in modern construction.

Council discussion and next steps
Council members pressed staff on testing timelines, communication with firefighters and the public, and how the city will prioritize funds. Staff said the station renovation was already prioritized in the city’s business plan and that Station 2 is being elevated to the top of that list. Staff also said the temporary trailer used at Station 2 will be moved to Station 4 after the renovation is complete so it can be used elsewhere.

Quotations
“Mold is fungus…you just wanna control it. You want the levels of mold actually to be higher outside when you do testing than it is inside,” the presenter said when explaining why air testing compares indoor and outdoor spore counts.
“As soon as I read those [lab] results, I said, get them out of there,” a staff member said, describing the July 3 decision to relocate sleeping quarters.

What the city will bring back to council
Staff said the city will proceed with the mobile‑home purchase and bring a formal contract and funding request to the council on Aug. 7, and will seek competitive bids to carry out the station renovation once the design and contract documents are prepared.

Public‑health and operational notes
Staff emphasized the difference between visible surface mold and airborne contamination inside wall cavities and ductwork, and said comprehensive remediation, building‑envelope repairs and HVAC replacement are required to prevent recurrence. Officials said they will continue to provide updates to employees and the public as remediation, design, and procurement proceed.","City staff told the Temple City Council on July 11 that tests identified Stachybotrys (commonly called toxic \"black mold\") at Fire Station 2; crews were moved to Station 1 and a 39‑foot single‑wide trailer will temporarily house firefighters while the city prioritizes a renovation estimated at $1.1 million.","actionData","errors"]

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Temple City Manager outlines FY2026 business plan: proposed 'pod' reorganization, new assistant city manager and $600M+ capital needs

Temple decommissions Fire Station 2 after Stachybotrys found; firefighters moved to Station 1, city plans temporary housing and $1.1M renovation