Government
BY WESLEY GARDNER & JESSICA SHORTEN
Porter Fire Department plans new station The Porter Fire Department is set to construct a new fire station near Valley Ranch Town Center, officials announced in a May 27 news release. The details The project will mark the department’s sixth fire station in its 52-square-mile coverage area, per the release. PFD Chief Carter Johnson said initial estimates suggest the new station’s central location could reduce emergency response times by two to three minutes. “Our mission is to serve the community effi- ciently, and this central location will allow us to do just that,” Johnson said in the news release. A closer look The new fire station is coming as the populations in the New Caney and Porter areas continue to rise. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the total Law enforcement pay equity examined Montgomery County commissioners authorized the creation of a committee June 10 to look at law enforcement pay equity across policing agencies in the county. The committee must report back to commissioners by the beginning of budget workshops—which are currently scheduled for Aug. 12-15—and include: • Gap analysis
Precinct 4 approves amenity projects Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commis- sioner Matt Gray advanced two projects during Commissioners Court on May 27 to enhance the availability of amenities and senior services throughout his precinct. What residents need to know The first project—funded by a $5,000 grant from Entergy Texas—will help purchase supplies and expand health and wellness programs at the senior center, which serves around 200 seniors in Precinct 4 each week. Commissioners also approved the $50,000 purchase of 12 acres of land located at 23790 Park Drive in New Caney. The purchase was made on behalf of the East Montgomery County Sports Association to allow for expansion of public recreational programs offered by the organization.
VALLEY RANCH BEND DR.
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Proposed Porter fire station
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population of the New Caney-Porter area grew by nearly 30% over five years, rising from 60,140 in 2018 to 77,795 in 2023. “With the ongoing growth of the Porter-New Caney area, this new station represents a crucial step forward in meeting the needs of our expand- ing jurisdiction,” Johnson said in the news release. While an exact construction timeline and cost estimate have not been announced, officials with Valley Ranch developer The Signorelli Company said the project is estimated to be complete in three to four years.
Sheriff’s office restructuring enters Phase 2 of plan
Sheriff’s office restructured
The three new bureaus are lead by Assistant Chief Deputies Robby Sells, Eric Hensley and Rick Bass, respectively.
Support bureau • Logistics • Information technology • Homeland security • Night command
Justice bureau • Jail command
Following an internal restructuring, Mont- gomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle told commissioners May 13 that department efficiency, backlogs and call response times have improved. Montgomery County commissioners approved Phase 2 of the office’s reorganization May 27. Two-minute impact Doolittle said he restructured the sheriff’s office to a “bureau structure” to provide chain of command guidance and efficiency to commis- sioners on May 13. The new structure divides the duties of the sheriff’s office under three assistant chief deputies. The specifics Doolittle said he felt the biggest accomplish- ment in his first 100 days was the full staffing of the sheriff’s office and the reduction of wait times for calls to the 911 emergency dispatch center. He said 94% of calls to the emergency dispatch center are now answered within 15 seconds . “We were spending about five minutes on the
Operations bureau • Patrol command • Criminal investigations
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
• Budget health review • Tax rate considerations • Funding mechanisms What’s next
phone with those people trying to transfer those calls; but through working with IT and with our software, we’re now able to move those calls more efficiently,” Doolittle said. MCSO has also launched an automatic callback system for its emergency dispatch, which will call a phone number back if it disconnects. “It’s just amazing what will happen when you put a fresh set of eyes on a problem and think outside the box and look with people for com- mon-sense solutions,” Doolittle said. Additional challenges he said the department will be working to address include replacing inmate transport buses; staff and support space; and pay parities.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray said he would like the committee to bring a one-to-five-year plan for increasing law enforcement pay across the county. “We fund law enforcement, and we prosecute,” Gray said. “In light of law enforcement pay increase discussions in surrounding counties, I find it appropriate to have the same discussions here in Mont- gomery County.”
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NEW CANEY - PORTER EDITION
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