Published: November 03, 2009 08:28 pm      

Joshua bond propositions pass

Voters approve money for fire station, road and drainage projects

Joshua residents voted to approve all three propositions in Tuesday’s election, totaling about $6.15 million in approved bonds.

Voters passed proposition 1, which will allow the city to issue $2.7 million in general obligation bonds for a new fire station in Joshua, with a 156-109 vote.

Fire Chief Wayne Baker said a new fire station would help ease the department’s transition to a paid staff over the next few years with offices and other amenities, but the main issue is still space.

“That’s our biggest concern because really we have no space for our fire trucks and apparatus or room for adequate training,” he said.

The current fire station, located at 200 Santa Fe St., is constructed of metal and has little more than 4,000 square feet with too few equipment bays, leaving fire fighters forced to expose equipment to the outside elements, theft or vandalism. The location also lacks sleeping areas and enough offices for its nine officer positions.

“It’s really all about space, and what we’re proposing with the new fire station if the bonds pass, it would be an approximately 12,000 square foot building that includes five drive through apparatus equipment bays that would accommodate all of our equipment,” said Joshua City Manager Paulette Hartman. “It would also provide some office space for the officers and some sleeping quarters so we can accommodate overnight shifts, and none of that exists in the current station.”

Voters also passed Proposition 2 in a 161-105 vote. That measure asked voters to approve the bond to reconstruct seven city streets at a cost of about $850,000.

“They’re streets that need to be completely reconstructed. Maintenance and things like that aren’t going to help with their condition,” she said.

Five streets — Edgehill Road, Pear Court, Hilltop Place, Ridgeway and Rosewood Place — are listed with a “fair” condition rating. Apple and Plum streets are labeled as in “poor” condition.

Proposition 3 passed 160-107, approving a $2.6 million bond for drainage and storm water improvements to help relieve flooding in the Coffield, Joshua Meadows and the Mountain Valley/Village Creek area.

The Federal 2010 Interior Appropriations bill includes $1 million for Joshua to add to the drainage reconstruction money, Hartman said.

“We have identified probably close to $8 million dollars in drainage improvements that need to be made in the city,” she said. “In some areas, flooding problems have developed over the years or maybe the drainage wasn’t installed to what it needed to be, so it’s intended to relieve some of those problems.”