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Residents press Cedar Park for action on wildfire risk at Baker Bird Sanctuary edge and call for independent inquiry into fire department handling of apartment‑
Summary
Two public speakers urged the council to address wildfire risk along a sanctuary boundary and asked for independent reviews of a fire department investigation and withheld dashcam footage related to a 2023 apartment fire; city staff read a prepared statement describing personnel proceedings and jurisdictional limits.
Two residents used the city’s public‑comment period on March 11 to press the council on separate fire-related concerns: one urged the city to work on wildfire risk along the Baker Bird Sanctuary boundary, and another asked for an independent investigation into the local fire department’s handling of evidence following a 2023 apartment fire.
Lisa Lee Kelly, a Deer Creek Ranch resident, described a wooded boundary with the Baker Bird Sanctuary and recounted being advised by Cedar Park firefighters during a foster-home fire inspection that her backyard was a high-risk area. "The fire danger at the edge of Cedar Park is very real," Kelly said, describing dead limbs left after the 2023 ice storm and insurance cancellations she said affected neighborhood homeowners.
"So my question to you tonight: is there any part of this threat that lies within your jurisdiction and if so, how can we help you take action on that?" Kelly asked. The mayor said the city would take the matter offline and that it was on staff's radar.
A separate commenter identifying himself as David asked the council to initiate an inquiry after he said dashcam footage and firefighting records were withheld during a hearing that led to disciplinary action in the fire department. He said a hearing examiner had upheld the department’s findings in February 2024 but asserted that material evidence had been withheld from the hearing record and that portions of the fire investigation report were redacted or inaccurate.
"We believe a full unbiased inquiry into the fire department's handling of this case is essential," the commenter said, urging sheriff’s‑department and state fire marshal reviews.
In response, a city representative read a prepared factual statement from the city attorney: the matter had been an administrative personnel proceeding prompted by complaints of policy violations and misconduct tied to several August 2023 fires. The city said Chief Mallard offered a 60‑day suspension in lieu of indefinite suspension on Sept. 28, 2023; the employee rejected the offer and received indefinite suspension pending appeal. The statement said the employee appealed to an independent hearing examiner, who conducted a seven-day hearing between December 2023 and February 2024 and upheld the chief’s findings, resulting in permanent dismissal.
City staff emphasized that, because the matter was an administrative personnel issue, it was outside the council’s purview under the Cedar Park Charter and local civil‑service procedures, but they said the city would notate the public comments.
