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1. We’ve already got an emergency dispatch center. Why do we need to spend another $11 million?

Since 2007, the dispatch center staff has nearly doubled in size from 19 employees in 2007, to 35 in 2019 (not including the addition of 21 Police officers after the annexation of Greatwood and New Territory housed in the same building). The expanded dispatch center is consistent with a recent assessment by industry experts who recommended the expansion to address the expanded city population. 

The most recent department assessment recommends hiring an additional eight dispatchers to meet the public safety demands of our growing city.  The proposed dispatch center is designed to accommodate the additional needed employee space as well as to expand the city’s emergency operations center (EOC).  The EOC is used to manage city operations during significant emergency events such as hurricane Harvey and our most recent flooding event in May of 2019. 

2. Why are we spending $10 million for a public safety training facility?

The public safety training facility is intended for police and firefighters who provide the public safety services to the residents of the city. Having training facilities within the City limits allows Fire-EMS responders to train on duty while maintaining their ability to respond to emergency calls eliminating the need to go out of the City to train.

3. Does development, including adding new municipal facilities to our community, have a negative impact on the City’s drainage?

No. City ordinance requires any development and construction to result in no adverse impact to surrounding or nearby properties. The drainage impact of the proposed new municipal facilities (Animal Shelter and EOC/Dispatch Building) has been taken into account with the existing drainage system. The proposed new Public Safety Training Facility will include required drainage improvements to avoid any negative impact to surrounding areas.

4. What does public facility rehabilitation mean? Why does it cost $3 million?

Public facilities rehabilitation refers to repairs and renovations to the City’s buildings. As buildings age, key building systems must be repaired or replaced. This project focuses on building envelope repairs and/or roof replacements at locations such as City Hall, the Fire Administration/City Hall Annex building, the Police Department, Fire Stations and the Public Works Service Center. Interior renovations will also be conducted at various Fire Stations, the Fire Administration/City Hall Annex building and the Public Works Service Center. In addition, the City’s fuel system will be expanded to accommodate the City’s fleet of vehicles. The City of Sugar Land manages over 70 buildings across the City. We utilize our Facility Condition Assessment and facility maintenance records to identify projects that need to be completed, the timing associated with the projects and the estimated cost.  

5. How does the City ensure it is maximizing its current resources before making decisions like adding new City buildings?

The City has a Facilities Master Plan that we utilize to guide decision-making processes when considering the utilization of resources and the construction of new buildings. The most recent Facilities Master Plan update was completed in 2014 and focuses on facility requirements that are based on department growth that is generated by population growth or other City Council approved programs.