Smiley agrees to turn over all VFD assets to ESD 2

The City of Smiley officially released the Smiley Volunteer Fire Department and all its assets to Gonzales County Emergency Services District No. 2 on Tuesday, May 21 — an important step towards the eventual creation of a consolidated Gonzales County South Fire Department.

The decision comes almost exactly one year to the date after ESD 2 announced they were trying to restructure the Smiley VFD in order to keep it operational due to a void of certified personnel on the department roster.

The new department would absorb both Nixon Fire and Rescue and the Smiley Volunteer Fire Department and create a single department. Station 4 would be what is currently the Nixon Fire Department station at 209 N. Congress in Nixon, while Station 5 would be the current Smiley Volunteer Fire Department building off Farm-to-Market Road 108 in Smiley, said Nixon Fire Chief Mark Mendez, who has also served as Smiley’s interim chief for the past year.

Smiley City Council members voted 3-1 to hand over to ESD 2 “the Smiley Volunteer Fire Department, all fire trucks, the Smiley VFD building, the real property from FM 108 to Pouncey Street, all funds that are currently in both accounts the money market account and operations account (minus any unpaid bills), all firefighting-related equipment and all firefighting equipment currently at the recycling center.” The sole vote against was Ellis Villasana.

The city’s only conditions in doing so were that it would retain real property that sits between Pouncey and Anglin streets and “the city would like to have it in writing from the ESD that the city can continue to host city-related events that benefit the community at the volunteer fire department building,” said City Secretary Scott Jewett.

“They are afraid that when this transaction happens, you guys won’t have a say so,” Jewett explained to Mendez and Assistant Fire Chief Lester Warzecha.

“That is the only place we have in our city right now to be able to hold anything,” Lori Price said, pointing out the property’s  past use by not only for a farmer’s market, but also by the Smiley Bantam Activity Group (SBAG) and other non-profit organizations.

“As long as we have anything to do with it, I don’t see there being any problem,” Warzecha said.

In April 2023, ESD 2 intervened because Smiley VFD did not have any “qualified, trained personnel” to take command when responding to calls, which violated the department’s contract with ESD 2.

The problem was brought to light during an April 6, 2023, incident when a lightning strike caused a tank fire at a Westhoff SWD (salt water disposal) plant on US 87 and there were no certified Smiley firefighters on site — forcing Nixon to step in and assume command of the scene and expend thousands of dollars in foam and other resources.

In order to keep the department active and able to be “toned out” to calls, the city of Smiley, at ESD 2’s recommendation, named Mendez interim fire chief so he could help restructure the department and implement records management and training protocols. Smiley VFD was allowed to keep their equipment and was able to continue to receive money from the ESD to fund operations.

Eventually, it was decided that the best way to keep a firefighting presence in Smiley would be to combine the Nixon and Smiley departments into a single department with coverage responsibility for all of the south Gonzales County area already individually covered by the separate departments.

ESD 2 was scheduled to discuss the incorporation of the two departments into one at its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, May 22, at the Gonzales County Courthouse.

Coincidentally, both departments responded under Mendez’ command on Friday, May 17, to an explosion at the Advantek Waste Management Services LLC saltwater disposal plant in Westhoff which killed one individual. The ensuing fire prompted emergency officials to evacuate residents in the Westhoff area for a period of time to ensure their safety.

In other action Tuesday, the Smiley City Council indicated a desire to increase the city’s general sales tax allocation by a half-cent from 1 percent to 1.5 percent. Currently, Smiley is the only city in Gonzales County that does not take a full 1.5 percent sales tax.

In order to make that change, the city would have to call for an election by adopting an ordinance by a majority vote of its own members. next succeeding uniform election date not less than 30 days after the passage of the ordinance calling the election.

If Smiley were to hold an election on the next uniform election date — the same date as the November general election — it must pass an ordinance no later than 30 days prior to the Nov. 5, or by Oct. 6.