Former Burleson assistant fire chief steps in as Keene city manager

Cleburne Times Review
By Monica Faram mfaram@trcle.com
July 18, 2023

New Keene City Manager Brent Batla assured residents on Thursday night that he was not using the city as a stepping stone.

“This is not a place where I plan for being for a couple years and going on to a bigger city or opportunity,” Batla said. “This is not a stepping stone. This hopefully will lead me into my retirement.”

Keene has long been considered home to Batla and his wife, Jessica, who met on the Southwestern Adventist University campus in 1994 as college students.

“This is where we met, this is where we made all our best friends so some of our best memories were forged right here in Keene,” he said. “This is the place we call home. I want to be here and I’m happy to be here. I don’t plan on going anywhere else.”

Those who gathered Thursday evening to meet Batla got to hear a little about his background. Born in Houston, Batla joined the Keene Fire Department the same year he started at SWAU, which kicked off a 28-year career in the fire service.

During his service he spent 22 years with the Burleson Fire Department before moving to Horseshoe Bay.

“Three and a half years ago we got a job opportunity in Horseshoe Bay as the fire chief,” he said. “That’s quite the opportunity in a beautiful community so I took it. It’s a great job, great budget, lots and lots of money, lots of property tax base, etc. You could pretty much get anything you needed.

“But during that time we both missed home so when we saw the posting for the Keene city manager posting I immediately sent it to Jessica kind of with an excited emoji. I said, ‘Hey, look at this. I’ve got to try, at least try.’

Luckily, Batla said with a laugh, he talked them into it.

Batla holds a master’s degree in fire and emergency management from Oklahoma State University and has an executive fire office certification through the National Fire Academy.

“With that background and perspective, I wanted to let you know that I will be dedicated to fostering community engagement, implementing strategic initiatives and ensuring effective and efficient governance,” Batla said in a letter last week introducing himself to residents. “I believe that this aligns very well with the values and expectations of our community.

“Furthermore, I recognize the importance of preserving Keene’s unique character while embracing responsible growth. I am committed to working closely with citizens, community stakeholders, local businesses, and Council, to ensure that our city continues to flourish in a manner that reflects the shared aspirations of our residents.”

On Thursday night he reiterated his excitement to be “home” in Keene and explained he has great plans for the city’s future growth.

“I will work as hard as I can to make this city better than we found it,” he said. “When I moved here in ‘94, even as a college student not interested in anything political city government wise, we could see it then. Things have progressed since then but some things progress quite slowly.

“I’m a ‘get things done’ kind of guy and I want to leave this place better than we found it. Not just make a plan but provide an execution to that plan.”