Red Oak project updates: parks, splash pad, Station 3 and Live Oak parking move forward; library and events report strong attendance

City staff reported progress on multiple parks, public-works and public-safety projects during the July 15 Red Oak City Council meeting, and introduced a new fire marshal.

Fire Marshal John Garvin, introduced by the chief, joins Red Oak from the Rowlett Fire Department where he served as assistant fire marshal. According to remarks read into the record, Garvin has more than 10 years of experience in fire prevention, investigations, plan review and life‑safety codes; he will begin his role with the city on Wednesday, July 16.

Parks and recreation remarks noted July is Park and Recreation Month and highlighted the departments awards, recent field improvements and a splash pad due to open near the end of the summer. Parks staff reported Hargrove Park restroom construction is about 80% complete and the splash pad roughly 90% complete; the department said dry weather is the remaining condition needed to pour sidewalks and complete final testing, with a tentative opening if conditions allow in about two weeks.

Public works and facilities updates included progress on Station 3 construction: most grading is complete and piers are being installed, though recent wet weather slowed some work and groundwater required a quick fix at the site. Utility work includes an in‑progress water tower: crews had completed approximately seven lifts of a total 15 and had reached roughly 77278 feet at the time of the report.

The Live Oak Street parking‑lot expansion and road renewal project is at final design, staff said. The project will add about 118 parking spaces (112 regular and six ADA), remove parallel parking on Live Oak, add crosswalks, and include an asphalt overlay from north of Waller to Davids and the drive to the baseball/softball fields. Staff said the bid package is expected to be released later in July, opened in mid‑August, and returned to council for award in September.

Other departmental highlights - Library: The library reported its busiest month of the year with more than 2,400 patrons, 40 programs and nearly 4,000 checked‑out items; an outreach"pro truck" drew more than 150 visitors. - Events/communications: The city estimated approximately 5,000 attendees at the Red Oak "Red, White and Blue" event and said the city mailed an event mailer to about 17,000 addresses. The city is partnering with Chick‑fil‑A for a charity run on July 26. - Building/permits: Staff reported 40 new home permits in June and noted ongoing budget and audit work for finance and utility billing. - Hiring: Departments reported several new hires and open positions; human resources also issued a medical‑insurance RFP due back this week. - IT: Staff reported installation of a new finance/ERP server, planned migration of records-management and CAD/RMS servers in August, replacement of aging laptops/desktops, and testing of Microsoft AI tools versus open alternatives in line with state recommendations; the city said it will present use cases and an AI policy update at a future meeting.

What this means for residents The Live Oak Street and parking improvements, water tower construction and Station 3 are municipal capital projects staff expect to deliver in the months ahead; the council will see the Live Oak bid results in September and standard site‑plan and permitting processes will govern future development related to the annexation and PD items. Parks staff said the splash pad opening depends on a dry spell to complete sidewalks and final testing.

— End of report.