R2019-137 2019-05-20 RESOLUTION NO. R2019-137
A resolution of the City Council of the City of Pearland denying Harris
County's request for the provision of emergency services in the Harris
County portion of the City's ETJ at no cost, and directing staff initiate
the process for the termination of initial call response for fire protection
and emergency medical service in the Harris County portion of the
City's ETJ, with the exception of Tom Bass Park.
Whereas, the City has historically provided the primary initial emergency response for fire
department services, inclusive of emergency medical services, into the unincorporated portions of
Harris County located within the City's ETJ; and
Whereas,the City's provision of fire services in the ETJ has been predicated on the eventual
incorporation of the ETJ into the incorporated limits of the City, and was initiated as a service into
the ETJ when the City's provision of fire services was much smaller, less complex, and far less
expensive to the City and its taxpayers; and
Whereas, areas located in the Brazoria County portion of the City's ETJ have Emergency
Service Agreements, Strategic Partnership Agreement's or Sales Tax agreements that compensate
the City for Emergency Services ("ETJ Contributions"),while the Harris County portion of the City's
ETJ make no financial contributions to the City and receive fire services at no cost; and
Whereas,the City's annual Fire Department annual budget continues to grow with additional
stations, staffing and equipment; in addition to debt service for fire stations, administration,
coordination overhead, and support; and
Whereas, the current demand on City fire services in ETJ where there are no ETJ
Contributions negatively impacts the City's available resources and response capacity for City's
residents and businesses as well as areas of the ETJ that make ETJ Contributions; and
Whereas,the Texas State Legislature recently amended long-standing annexation laws for
municipalities that previously allowed for the planning and provision of services to ETJ based on the
eventual incorporation of the ETJ, such that the future annexation of the ETJ is difficult under the
revised law that applies to Pearland but very few other cities; and
RESOLUTION NO. R2019-137
Whereas, the City Council recently directed staff to initiate the process of evaluating and
identifying viable opportunities for areas in the City's ETJ that make no ETJ Contributions, to
develop a plan to secure ETJ Contributions by December 31, 2018; at which point the City will notify
county emergency officials that the City will no longer be the initial primary responders to fire
services in the ETJ that do not make ETJ Contributions; and
Whereas, the Brazoria County portions of the Pearland ETJ acted and voted to create two
new Emergency Service Districts with taxing power that will contract with the City of Pearland for
emergency services with payment; and
Whereas,the City of Pearland can continue,without substantive burden on City services,to
provide emergency services to the Harris County-owned Tom Bass Park that is tax exempt and has
been served by the City of Pearland to date; and
Whereas, Harris County did not respond to the City's request for the development of options
to secure financial contributions from property owners in the Harris County portion of the City's ETJ;
and
Whereas, Harris County has submitted a request that the City provide emergency services in
the Harris County Portion of the City's ETJ.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS:
Section 1. That the City Council of the City of Pearland hereby denies Harris County's
request for the provision of emergency services in the Harris County portion of the City's ETJ at no
cost, and directs staff initiate the process for the termination of initial call response for fire protection
and emergency medical service in the Harris County portion of the City's ETJ,with the exception of
Tom Bass Park.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this the 20th day of May, A.D., 2019.
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TOM REID
RESOLUTION NO. R2019-137
ATTEST:
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APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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DARRIN M. COKER
CITY ATTORNEY