City will try again for a grant to add firefighters

Wichita Falls city councilors on Tuesday voted to try again to beef up the fire department. They voted to apply for a grant of about $2.2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to hire nine new firefighters for three years.

Fire Chief Donald Hughes said the grant could cut down on overtime pay and keep the department compliant with state and federal standards. Applying for the grant does not guarantee the city will get the money because the grants are approved through a competitive process. Wichita Falls lost an earlier application, Hughes said.

Councilors also signed off on applying for a FEMA grant for $141,156 to add a deputy fire marshal to the Fire Marshall’s Office. The city would be required to match 5 percent of the amount. This application is also subject to a competitive process.

Councilors overrode the city’s Landmark Commission’s denial of a request to enclose the entry vestibule of City Hall with windows.

Council action is necessary because the measure did not pass the commission with a unanimous vote. The enclosure would cost $175,000 to $200,000 of the $19 million devoted to city offices renovations paid for from $29 million Wichita Falls got in COVID-19 federal relief money.

More:Costs of City Hall overhaul surpass $19 million

In a closed-door session, councilors discussed city-owned properties at lakes Arrowhead and Kickapoo. A proposal at an earlier council meeting to raise lease fees at the lakes brought outcry from lake residents, so councilors tabled the move. No action was taken on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: City will try again for a grant to add firefighters