Frequently Asked Questions About PGVFD and the Fire MUD Plan
Why is PGVFD building a Fire Station on Farmer Road? The PGVFD went before the PG MUD four years ago and asked to build a Fire Station/Community Center on Plantation Drive within the levee system and large enough to provide room for not only the fire department but all services inside the district. The department was told, no by the PGMUD. The PGVFD has been working ever since then for an alternative location that would provide the same level of services for the whole district and would be out of harms way if a flood occurred. This new site was chosen for four reasons: 1. Mason Road is under construction and will move the high volume of traffic presently on Farmer Road to the new Mason Road away from the new Fire Station # 2 site. This will make fire trucks leaving the new site easier and less dangerous. 2. The site is two (2) feet higher than the PG levee across Oyster Creek. So all of PG would flood before Fire Station # 2 would. 3. The site was the only reasonably price location in the vicinity of where it needed to be 4. The site was a recommendation by the 2006 Insurance Services Offices (ISO) reprensentative's report on improvements that could be made. The new site is thirty (30) seconds from Pecan Grove and one (1) minute from Waterside Estates. Who will the new Fire Station # 2 serve? Fire Station # 2 will serve both Pecan Grove and Waterside Estates. Station # 2 first response area in Pecan Grove will start and move of Plantation Drive @ Old South Drive. Why has the way the PGVFD Board of Directors are chosen been changed? In early 2007, the PGVFD under Fire Chief Larry Perry the PGVFD came under fire for an audit of 2006 by the PGMUD because the PGMUD management company had a thief problem. The PGMUD advised they had heard rumors about the department funds problems. Then Chief Perry met with PGMUD provided an audit that the PGMUD later signed off on by Joe Taylor. At that time the PGVFD Board of Directors were from the Homeowner Associations. In late 2007 the PGVFD came under fire again about the PGMUD now wanting a more detailed audit. Chief Perry resigned and the same PGVFD Board of Directors from the Homeowner Associations hired Fire Chief LeDoux in January 2008. Chief LeDoux met with the PGMUD and was advised to straighten up the PGVFD and get compliant. An audit was started for 2007 and that would eventually look at the PGVFD books from 1982 until 2007. This large audit took almost 6 months to complete but was interrupted several times by other investigations that delayed it an additional 3 months turned out to unfounded. The audit was finally completed in October 2008 costing the department $50,000. The PGVFD Board of Directors still from the Homeowner Associations under direction of legal counsel voted on making the changes now in affect on how the Board of Directors are chosen. Legal Counsel designed the new election system to met State of Texas laws and IRS code. Any one from the Pecan Grove VFD service area may be nominated. The members of the organization just like the election process of all of the Homeowner Associations must elect the Board of Directors. The PGVFD got compliant per the PGMUD and the unintended consequences resulted in the change of how the Board of Directors are chosen. Since that change there has been no investigations into the PGVFD. NOTE: The investigations and rumors all happened during the time that the Homeowner Associations ran the Fire Board. Why does the PGVFD cover Waterside Estates? The PGVFD was approached six (6) years ago and was asked to provide fire protection and medical services to Waterside Estates. The PGVFD assessed the department's capabilities and the financial support that Waterside Estates would bring and the past administration with the blessing of the PGVFD Board of Directors (POA President Jim Ashmore was sitting on the PGVFD Board) approved the plan to provide coverage. This situation has been a win win for the department and both subdivisions. It has allowed the PGVFD to improve services to all areas just like Fire Station #2 will improve services to the northern side of Pecan Grove not just Waterside Estates. PGVFD services 6.5 square miles with two (2) fire stations. The City of Richmond services 70 square miles with three (3) fire stations. Who do you think has the better coverage? Where is this Fire Consultant Ken Campbell report? The Pecan Grove MUD is covering up this report. According to PG MUD Director Menchew the report will never to see the light of day! According to PG MUD Director Stolleis the Fire Consultant report was flawed. (Read next answer below for what PG MUD President Joe Taylor advised about the report) What kind of vision can the Pecan Grove MUD bring to the PGVFD? The sad answer is "none". The PG MUD Directors have no experience in the area of fire protection or medical services. This has now been proven by the hiring of a second Fire Consultant after the first Fire Consultant did not give them the answers they wanted. The problem for the PG MUD is President Joe Taylor admitted that the first Fire Consultant advised that the PG MUD was better off with the PGVFD as the district's first response fire protection and medical services provider. Where does the PGVFD Fire Chief live? The part time PGVFD Fire Chief lives six (6) minutes from Pecan Grove subdivision. The City of Richmond's full time Fire Chief lives in the City of Stafford not the City of Richmond. Many of the law enforcement officers who work for the Constable including the Constable himself do not live in the subdivision but do their best including risking their lives for this community. The PG MUD does not question where they live? The same goes for the PGVFD part time paid staff and its volunteer firefighters! All of these examples show that it is not necessary to live within the area or City you work for to do a good job. The PGVFD does a great job and provides the superb services that the community has come to depend on, that is the measurement of the job being performed by the department's administration not the location of where it's Fire Chief lives. Who is the PGVFD accountable to? Yes, the PGVFD is accountable to multiple groups and governmental entities. The first group being the citizens of the fire district through the Board of Directors of the PGVFD. Then to the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal. The State of Texas through the Non-Profit Corporation Act and finally to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States through the 501 (c) 3 non-profit code. Is the PGVFD transparent in it's operation? Yes, anyone can get a copy of our financial statements, By-Laws, Articles of Incorporation, Guidelines and other documents that are not covered by privacy laws of the State of Texas or the United States. The Fort Bend District Attorney reviewed the department's financial procedures and the department's 2007 audit and provided an oral opinion of that fact to the PG MUD. This after the PGVFD had to spend $50,000 to audit from 1983 through 2007 to satisfy the PG MUD. Does the PGVFD have a mortgage on its fire station? Yes, just like the average homeowner. The PG MUD gets to call its sixty million ($60,000,000) mortgage, bond debt! The PGVFD does not have the legal standing to issue bonds so the department must borrow money just like the average family. Does Waterside Estates Subdivision donate to the Pecan Grove Volunteer Fire Department? Yes, Waterside Estates homeowners contribute at a rate of 73% compared to 63% for Pecan Grove homeowners. In addition, Waterside Estates HOA made a capital contribution to the department for the construction of Station # 2 as has Pecan Grove HOA. The POA, CIA and the PG MUD have not made any capital contributions to this project. The CIA was approached about making a capital contribution to the renovation of Station # 1 on Pitts Road but has not chosen to contribute at this time. Is the President of the PGVFD Board of Directors from Waterside Estates Subdivision? Yes, the PGVFD Board of Directors elected a PGVFD Board of Director from Waterside Estates as President of the PGVFD Board. The present PGVFD Board of Directors is made up of: 2 Directors from the POA area, 1 Director from the HOA area, 1 Director from the CIA area, and 2 Directors from the Waterside area. Why were the fireworks cancelled?
"The PG POA, CIA and HOA along with the Pecan Grove Country Club, after consultation with the Pecan Grove Fire Department, regret to inform you that we will have to cancel our annual fireworks display due to dry weather conditions and the continued hot weather forecasted" posted by Jim Ashmore POA President.
What is a Fire MUD Plan? A Fire MUD Plan is a rule in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) that allows utility districts to develop fire protection services. Why does Pecan Grove need a Fire MUD Plan? The PG MUD answer is to improve services. The PGVFD's answer is we do not need a Fire MUD Plan. The PG MUD Consultant Ken Campbell study which the PG MUD has buried has probably already confirmed that there is no need. Ask the PG MUD for a copy of the study you paid for. Will Fire Station # 1 on Pitts Road be closed? NO, Fire Station # 1 will not be closed by this department. It might be closed by the Fire MUD Plan! Why is Fire Station # 2 so close to RFD Fire Station # 3? See answer to question 3. In addition no one seems to question why RFD Station # 2 and Sugar Land Station # 6 are almost as close. The answer is very simple and applies to the PGVFD Fire Station, they are built to cover the department's territory to provide the dedicated first response services that the Pecan Grove residents have come to expect.
More Questions and Answers to follow!
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