Wylie bond committee backs $110M package; council narrows public-safety facility plan after CPSM review

Wylie — A citizen advisory committee recommended a $110 million bond framework on June 23 and council members combined that advice with an independent standards-of-cover review for fire and EMS to shape a preliminary, lower-cost public-safety ask.

Citizens Bond Advisory Committee: Committee chair Mitch Herzog presented a prioritized bond recommendation totaling about $110 million, with the committee declining to include some items (notably, $15 million in unspecified improvements at East Fork/Avalon Lake pending more information) and recommending $39.5 million as a placeholder for consolidated fire/police/public-safety items. The committee recommended downtown improvements, South Ballard/Saksay Road widening and bridge work, new public-works and animal-shelter facilities, Founders and Community Park upgrades and other projects. Herzog said the group aimed for consensus and made recommendations after multiple meetings.

Standards-of-cover briefing: The council received a data-driven Standards of Cover from the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM). CPSM senior adviser Corey Parker told council that Wylie runs roughly 7,391 calls per year (about 20 calls/day and 37 runs/day) with ~66% EMS demand; the city's PSAP (911) and turnout times were near national recommended standards for some measures but exceeded NFPA travel-time goals in outlying areas. CPSM recommended measurable targets (turnout, travel and 90th-percentile response benchmarks), adding operational supervisors for EMS, and stationing options (including planning for a future Station 5) to address coverage outliers.

Council direction on facilities: After substantial discussion of options (remodel both FS1 and FS2, move administration behind Station 2, redevelop the Station 2 site, or add about 6,000 square feet of admin space at the Public Safety Building by reconfiguring the courtroom), council coalesced around a pragmatic package: many members favored funding roughly $10 million to expand administrative and support space at the existing Public Safety complex (potentially moving some court functions) and seeking about $15 million combined to remodel Stations 1 and 2, for a combined public-safety facilities ask near $25 million. Mayor Pro Tem Gina Maleche led a push to prioritize admin expansion and Station 2 work in the short term; other members wanted both stations addressed but asked staff to tighten cost estimates. Staff will return with refined cost estimates and phased options for ballot language and design.

Next steps: Council asked staff to prepare refined cost breakdowns and to present bond proposition language at the next meeting so bond counsel can draft ballot language; council also requested consolidated project descriptions for voters and asked staff to consider funding mixes (utility fund or 4B support for applicable elements) and whether any projects should be issued as certificates of obligation rather than voter-backed bonds. The bond question remains subject to final council direction and voter approval.