Council to vote next week on $311,000 impact-fee payment to West Jackson Fire District for engine

City officials told the council they negotiated an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the West Jackson Fire District to apply $311,000 in developer impact fees toward the district's purchase of a new fire engine.

"We were able to give them 311,000," the mayor said during the meeting, explaining the amount is drawn from impact fees collected from developers. The mayor said Chief Ben Stevens and the fire district board support the arrangement and that she has already signed the IGA; the council will vote next Thursday to authorize payment.

City staff said the engine purchase price is larger than the city contribution (chief estimates put the vehicle price higher, "close to a million" according to a staff remark), and the district secured additional funding to complete the purchase. Chief Stevens attended the meeting to represent the district.

A council member proposed the fire district consider placing a plaque or decal on the engine recognizing Houston residents' contribution; the chief's board had approved the arrangement at a recent meeting. The IGA will be presented for a formal council vote at the next regular meeting, after which staff said the city will issue payment to the West Jackson Fire District under the terms spelled out in the IGA.