Copperas Cove city council to look at results of Public Protection Classification survey

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press 

The Copperas Cove City Council will discuss and take action regarding the 2022 Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification survey and proposed plan to maintain the city’s current PPC rating during their regular meeting Tuesday evening. 
The survey results showed that the city’s Public Protection Classification rating would be downgraded from a 2 to a 3. The day after receiving the results, Fire Chief Michael Neujahr was directed to develop a presentation to the city council to inform them of the results, discuss the deficient categories and obtain direction on possible solutions to maintain the city’s PPC rating. 
The ISO is affording the city one year to develop a plan for improving areas identified as deficient in the survey. The city must obtain an additional 2.3 points in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule to reach the 80th percentile and maintain the current PPC rating of a 2. 
The areas needing improvement include firefighter staffing, additional fire stations and fire apparatus and fire prevention measures. 
Other areas include modifying aerial apparatus deployment, pre-planning inspections within the community, and improve fire department staffing.
The council can direct the City Manager to proceed with at least two measures that will increase the city’s overall PPC score. These measures include implementing a back-up emergency dispatching system between the Fire Department and Police Department, and another is funding live fire training for every firefighter twice per year at an expense of $19,000. 
The city council will discuss and provide direction on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Budget and Plan of Municipal Services during their workshop meeting. During the regular meeting, the city council set date for the public hearing for the proposed budget for the next fiscal year. 
The city council will also take a vote on a resolution relating to giving notice that the city will issue its 2022 Certificates of Obligation (CO) bonds. 
Tax-supported projects proposed to be funded with CO bonds include the property purchase for Fire Station #4 ($900,000), Suja Lane Reconstruction ($649,232); City Park renovations to existing amenities ($460,000), plus $1.06 million in capital outlay projects. Altogether, there are $7.765 million worth of certificates of obligation funded projects for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. 
The city council will appoint four members from the local development and civil engineering community to serve on the Subdivision Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The applicants include James W. Clark II, Paul E. Russell, Mike W. Kriegel and Scott A. Brook. 
The city council will also vote on authorizing the city manager to execute a “Water Provider Agreement” with the Hill Country Community Action Association, Inc. to participate in the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program to provide assistance to the city’s qualifying utility customers.  
The city council is being presented with a professional services agreement with the RJN Group to complete the Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey and Rehabilitation project and the Sewer Capacity Analysis project. The cost for this is $571,652.00, to be funded by the 2021 CO Bond Issuance and supplemented by the 2022 CO Bond Issuance.
The city council will also take action on a resolution suspending the June 17, 2022, effective date of Oncor Electric Delivery Company’s requested rate change, permitting the city of Copperas Cove time to study the request, to establish reasonable rates, and approving cooperation with the Steering Committee of Cities Served by Oncor to hire legal and consulting services and to negotiate with the company and direct any necessary litigation and appeals.
Oncor filed an application last month with cities retaining original jurisdiction seeking to increase system-wide transmission and distribution rates by about $251 million or approximately 4.5 percent over present revenues.  They are asking the city to approve an 11.2 percent increase in residential rates and a 1.6 percent increase in street lighting rates.  If approved, a residential customer using 1,300 kWh per month would see their bill increase by about $6.02 per month.
This resolution suspends the effective date of that rate increase for the maximum period permitted by law to allow the City, working in conjunction with the Steering Committee of Cities Served by Oncor, to evaluate the filing, determine whether the filing complies with law, and if lawful, to determine what further strategy, including settlement, to pursue. 
The workshop meeting starts at 5 p.m., with the regular meeting starting at 6 p.m. or 10 minutes following the workshop meeting. The City Council meetings take place in the Technology Center located at 508 S. 2nd St.