(Banner Staff Photo by Don Treul) Jason Campbell expressed concerns about the emergency services contract at the Tuesday, Feb. 9, city council meeting. The Bullard City Council awarded a contract for emergency services at the regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9.

Representatives from East Texas Medical Center and Trinity Mother Frances presented a final pitch to provide emergency services for Bullard citizens.

The council awarded the contract to ETMC, which will provide an ambulance and be on call 24 hours every day of the week.

The only citizen to speak about the matter was Jason Campbell, who said he and his family had concerns that if a contract was awarded to Trinity Mother Frances, it would take too long for an additional ambulance to respond if the first unit was called to an emergency.

In other business, the council approved a resolution to annex three properties adjacent to U.S. Highway 69 on the east side of Bullard. The total is about 221 acres, including 109.715 acres adjacent to Pecan Valley Ranch and north of CR 3801; 34.723 acres about 1,300 feet south of F.M. 344; and 76.77 acres south of F.M. 344 and west of Pecan Valley Ranch. The three properties are considered agricultural land.

Two of the land owners, including Tom Roper, owner of the 109.715-acre Thomas L. Roper Tract, and Lee Teasdale, owner of the 34.723-acre L. Teasdale Tract, are looking to sell their land for commercial use.

Because the property is in the city limits, the city will be able to be involved with any future development.

Also, the council accepted a racial profiling report by Bullard Police Chief Gary Lewis. Police agencies are, by law, required to file a racial profile. For 2009, Bullard police reported the following data regarding racial profiling (as per the official report); citations- 1,426 white, 356 black, 250 Hispanic, 9 Asian and 21 other; searches conducted- 61 white, 24 black, 11 Hispanic and 1 Asian; consensual searches- 37 white, 17 black and 7 Hispanic; arrests resulting from stops- 23 white, 7 black, 2 Hispanic and 1 Asian.

Additionally, the council approved an interlocal agreement with Smith County and Bullard Independent School District for the May 8 election; and approved increasing the penalty for companies disregarding the trash dumpster roll-off provision in the city’s exclusive solid waste contract.