HCPFD Board adopts budget, sets mil levy, pension
The other business of last week’s meeting
The main news of last week’s meeting of the High Country Fire Protection District (HCFPD), as reported last week, was a public statement that the Business Manager would not be fired, and another, at the end of the meeting, that the Chief would. The Board (Paul Britton, Roger Durham, Robb Kambic, Brian Lesher and John Rittenhouse) also dealt with the regular operational business of the department and conducted a meeting of the Pension Board.
Public Comment
Eric Douglas, President of the Golden Gate Estates Homeowners’ Association, requested the Board proceed with installing the cistern near the intersection of Highway 46 and Smith Hill Road where the new Station 6 is to be built, adding there are 57 homes near there and they need a reliable source of water in the winter when the ponds are frozen. Station 3 Captain Gary Gain said there were closer to 82 homes with those on Robinson Hill and most of the area is more than five miles from his station. The cistern at Station 5, located a distance up Smith Hill, has only 8,000 gallons he said. Britton said there was supposed to have been a workshop regarding the Station 6 cistern and asked Deputy Fire Chief Galen Koepke, sitting in for Chief Richard Bulich, the status on that session. It had not yet been done and Koepke said he’d have to check with the Chief for a timeline on it. Rittenhouse told Douglas the district had $167,000 budgeted for projects in 2010 and was waiting for a determination from Chief Bulich for prioritizing the spending. Golden Gate resident Jim Larsen said the station could be built at a future date but “the tank needs to go in.”
HCFPD resident, and CSFPD firefighter Judd Motchan recommended the Board badger County Commissioners for Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) money and also suggested any extra money found in the budget be added to the line item for medical equipment and supplies.
HCFPD firefighter David Halterman told the Board he wondered if he had reason for concern as an e-mail he had sent the Board seven months ago, and to which he attached a tracker, was being circulated by Roger Durham.
An HCFPD resident noted Board members sometimes voted on approval of minutes for meetings they had not attended. Board Attorney Mark Cohen said they should probably abstain.
80/20 TFA Split
The Timberline Fire Authority (TFA) Board is composed of three members from HCFPD and three members from Colorado Sierra Fire Protection District (CSFPD). At their November meeting, the CSFPD members agreed to proceed with merging the two departments via dissolving CSFPD and including it into HCFPD, if CSFPD voters approve. The combined departments would then become a new entity under the Timberline name. The HCFPD members agreed to have their board reconsider the 50/50 split of the costs, as called for in the Intergovernmental Agreement between the two departments. HCFPD followed through on that, voting unanimously to change the funding to a split of 80% for HCFPD and 20% for CSFPD.
Rittenhouse said he and CSFPD’s Chris Schimanskey had honed the TFA merger budget by $16,000, mainly by reducing the estimated attorney and election fees. All six TFA directors have committed to doing as much of the work needed themselves. The revision drops anticipated expenditures from $78,000 to $62,000 with HCFPD paying $49,600 and CSFPD, $12,400.
The TFA Board had also approved a single pension plan effective January 1, 2011, Rittenhouse said.
Money Matters
After adjusting the budget to accommodate the increased merger costs, the Board voted in three separate motions (with Robb Kambic abstaining) to adopt it, appropriate the necessary funding for all funds ($2,653,617) and set the mil levy at 8.439 mils (5.757 mils for the General Fund plus 2.682 mils for the Capital Replacement Fund). The mil levy is the same as is current. The budget information will now be sent to Gilpin County Commissioners.
HCFPD’s budget is available for public review at the district office at Station 3 on Highway 46, per the Budget Dispersal Policy. Rittenhouse said that policy was reasonable but also suggested making copies available at budget meetings. The rest of the Board agreed. Kambic suggested the budget be put on the TFA website under the HCFPD tab. Britton will pursue that at the next TFA meeting.
The Board directed Business Manager Shelia Kambic to look into arranging for a dedicated bank account to receive the funds from Boulder County that are restricted for cistern use. They also need to arrange read-only online access for the Business Manager for account information, balances in particular. A Cash Management Policy is in the works.
Station Ventilation
Koepke told the Board the cost for a Station 2 exhaust ventilation system had gone up by $1,200 as the earlier proposal had not included one of the needed air drops. All six trucks will have their own drop under the new proposal which brings the cost to about $10,000. Direction to install the system and funding for it had been approved last April, Roger Durham noted. The Board said the additional funding was covered and gave Koepke the green light.
Board Elections
There are three seats coming open on the HCFPD board in the spring election. Election Official Gary Gain said the paperwork has been sent to Boulder and Gilpin Counties. It was thought that candidates could begin their process with the Clerk and Recorder in January or February.
Old Trucks to New Homes
HCFPD has replaced several trucks. The old trucks would bring little in sale but could be useful for other fire departments. They were offered first to districts with which HCFPD has mutual aid agreements. After the logos have been removed, one truck will go to Central City and two trucks will go to Nederland fire departments. The Gold Hill department has first option on the fourth truck. If they don’t want it, Nederland does.
Training Update
Beginning next year, HCFPD Training Captain Jake Vassar, will be the training officer for TFA and trainings will include firefighters from both HCFPD and CSFPD. Vassar is to develop a policy regarding payment of invoices for training-related expenditures. Vassar asked to add the CSFPD firefighters to HCFPD’s new online training program (Target Safety). CSFPD will pay the expenses for their individual firefighters to use the computer software, but avoids an $800 set-up fee under Vassar’s proposal. The Board agreed, directing the arrangement to be set up under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CSFPD chief.
HCFPD will continue to contract for some outside trainings in 2010. Cohen is to provide a form Vassar can use in contracting with instructors who are not insured.
Computer Use Policy
The Board revisited the Computer Use Policy. Lesher pointed out that firefighters could access the internet training program from home. Rittenhouse added they could still access reporting from home. The policy is not different from those of other departments said Lesher, “It stops abuse, not use.” Both indicated they thought objections to the policy had been exaggerated. Durham asked how the policy would be enforced and also directed the Commanding Officers to give the Board suggestions for the language of the policy.
Structure Fire Debriefing
Many firefighters had shown up to help at the house fire on the South Beaver last week. In debriefing, it was realized there had been no Rapid Intervention Team identified and with so many departments responding, they need to find a better way of keeping track of who’s on the scene so they can account for everyone. Vassar said they kept everybody safe. Gain said the new tanker didn’t freeze up and they put over 12,000 gallons of water through it. The firefighters were commended for doing an excellent job in a situation made even more difficult by the bitter cold weather conditions.
Non-Response?
In a presentation to the Board last month, Station 4 Captain John Carder said there had been eleven calls between August and October in which no HCFPD firefighters had responded. Britton said he wanted to know why and what’s being done to correct it. The answers are to be provided at a future meeting.
Pension Board Meeting
Having Station Captains Mark Moyer and Gary Gain at the table completed the Pension Board and they discussed the requirements for training hours and call response needed to qualify for the HCFPD pension benefit. This year the district had initiated a point system to credit firefighters who respond to calls. It was found to be too cumbersome and time-consuming administratively. After first shooting down a motion to require only training hours (by a tied vote: Britton, Durham and Lesher voting against; Gain Moyer and Rittenhouse voting in favor; Kambic abstaining), they voted unanimously to return to a requirement of 10% call response. Firefighters must also complete 50 hours of training annually to be eligible for the pension. Without the response requirement, Lesher pointed out, a firefighter could be with the department 20 years and receive the pension having never gone on a call. “We need to be responsible to taxpayers, be ready and go on calls,” he said. Moyer, as the firefighters’ representative said the requirement might cause the department to lose people. Britton said that 10% means maybe 3 or 4 calls per month.
Business Matters
HCFPD had received an award (but no money, they lamented) for having no workmen’s compensation losses in the third quarter, said Business Manager Shelia Kambic. Auditors have set their audit date for June 2-3, 2010. The Special District Administration (SDA) dues are paid for the year and the Fire and Police Protection Association (FPPA) contribution check and state match would be on their way the next day. Kambic said she is in need of maps to complete the Transparency Notice for the state and still needs an accident report for damage to Station 4’s bay doors to turn into the insurance company. The Chief was to provide both.
Ambulance IGA
The Board directed Cohen to add back into the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Gilpin Ambulance Authority (GAA), the language relating to rules, liability for damages, number of days notice required, and dispatch of the ambulance to Boulder County. Then resubmit it to GAA, they said. Cohen speculated the GAA attorney had probably not seen the original IGA when developing the new one.
Executive Session
The Board held an executive session with their attorney following the public meeting. The result was the removal of Richard Bulich as Chief, direction to notify Deputy Chief Galen Koepke (who had already left the meeting and was headed out of town) and procuring Moyer’s agreement to act as Interim Chief until Koepke had returned.
HCFPD’s next Board meeting is scheduled for January 20, 2010.