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A City Council hopeful took to the podium during its March 4 meeting with cutting remarks for Elgin officials, condemning the choices that she claims led to inoperable fire hydrants during a recent development fire.
Ward 3 candidate Tiffany Pierre, who is challenging incumbent Matthew Callahan in the May 3 general election, criticized the council for what she called years of neglectful decisions — citing the March 2 fire in the Eagles Landing subdivision that scorched 10 backyards, and unusable hydrants forced firefighters to rely on nontraditional water sources.
“I’m not interested in pointing fingers at exactly who turned off the water,” Pierre said. “I am here to ask (the council) how you plan to hold yourselves accountable for this incident.”
Pierre asserted that residents have repeatedly voiced concerns over building materials, small lot sizes and development practices she believes place families at risk.
“For years you’ve dismissed our concerns,” she added, saying officials ignored warnings that such conditions could lead to a disastrous fire. “You labeled us peons on social media. Well, I’m here to remind you that we are not peons — we are your constituents. We are hardworking, taxpaying American families, and your decisions have real consequences.”
The candidate stressed that the hydrant failures could have led to greater destruction, asking “What would you have done if it was (catastrophic)? Offer affected families thoughts and prayers as they face the unimaginable? Let this be a harsh reminder to the dangers that you have created for your constituents with the decisions that you have made.”
Bastrop/Travis County ESD No. 1 reported that no homes were damaged in the Eagles Landing fire, and no mutual aid was needed, though responders had to use alternate measures to keep the flames from spreading.
“The only reason we were able to handle this effectively was because we have dedicated our department to consistent training on rural water supply management and operations,” officials said. “We have bolstered our ranks by utilizing every bit of available budget to increase pay, increase benefits and increase the number of personnel so that stations are staffed 24/7. This strategy, coupled with our dedicated volunteers’ response, has been able to effectively handle the massive increase in volume.” While the department is managing demand, according to Fire Chief Chris Botello, resources are being stretched thin.
Additional staffing and a new fire station on the west side of Elgin will be needed soon, he said, looking to include the project in next year’s budget plan.
