Report on the Gold Hill Fire Protection District Board Meeting, 10/20/11

Posted on: October 28th, 2011

Report on the Gold Hill Fire Protection District Board Meeting, 10/20/11

By Gretchen Diefenderfer

Fire Board meetings are the third Thursday of the Month.  Next Meeting is November 17, 2011, 8:00 p.m at the Community Center

The meeting was called to order by general consensus.  Attending were Dave Sturtz, Leslie Finn, Darrell McConnell, Chief Chris Finn and guests Amy Hardy and Gretchen Diefenderfer.

Minutes of the last meeting were approved.  Gretchen asked again to be copied on the minutes.

Amy announced that there is a Community Meeting in Sunshine on Monday night to discuss Ballot Issue 5C.  Chris reports that all the fire districts are against it.

Old Business

 Darrell reported that he did call Kris Gibson and Bear Carlson about writing more grant proposals and both are willing to do more.  They did not discuss pay, but Kris would like a list of what the department is looking for.  She said it was a lot of work (although now they will be able to cut and past into new proposals), but it’s more work trying to find available grants. Chris reported that, hopefully, through the Rountable, the yearly State Forest Service Grants and the yearly AFG (Assistance to Firefighters, which is basically Homeland Security) we will be able to fund a lot of our needs.  On our list now are wildland firefighting gear and a paved apron in front of the firebarn.

Dave Sturtz reported that he went to the last Town Meeting and they are willing to entertain a grant but would like a proposal from the Fire Department.

 Chris pointed out the new sign for the Firebarn, which looks great.

BCARES (the Ham Radio people) are putting in a station at our Firebarn for emergencies.  They’ve put up an antenna, which is a repeater for the Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN) and are looking for a grant, maybe from United Way, for a propane powered generator in case the power is down.  The plan is to build a little shed right outside the barn for it.  Dave Sturtz volunteered his 8-10 20# propane bottles in an emergency.

Gretchen reported that she went to the Town Meeting and reiterated that the decrease in property taxes due to the fire will impact the Fire Department’s yearly budget/income to the tune of around $14,000 less in the first year.  She recommended that people consider donating to the Fire Department the difference between the old amount of the mill levy allocated for fire protection and the amount that will appear on next year’s property taxes.  We’ll still save a lot more than that on the rest of the tax bill, so it seems like a good thing to do. The people at the Town Meeting seemed receptive to the idea.

New Business

 Chris passed around an email from Mike Tombolato, Chief of Rocky Mtn. Fire, advising voting no on Ballot Issue 5C.  Chris agrees and suggested we send out essentially the same letter to our district.  He felt that there are too many unanswered questions, that it sounds like another layer on top of what the Fire Districts already have in place.  Leslie moved that the GHFPD copy this letter with GHFPD changes and send it out to the people of our District.  Dave Sturtz seconded and it passed.

Leslie presented the Community Use of the Gold Hill Fire Protection District Facility agreement that their lawyer has recommended they put together. Their lawyer sent them an agreement used by the schools and recommended they adapt it for the FPD.  All the board members have read and approved it.  Darrell moved that they adopt this agreement.  Dave Sturtz asked if Amy or I had any input.  I replied that I had requested that the Town Council be included in the discussion of this agreement regarding the use of the Community Center.  This resulted in a discussion between Amy and me, as members of the Town Council, and the Fire Board members present.  I said that, since the entire town built this building with the intention that the upstairs would be the Community Center and the downstairs the Fire Department, that the Town should be in on putting together the agreement.  Leslie disagreed and said that the Fire Department owns the whole building, is legally responsible for it, and the Town does not get a say.  She stated emphatically that the fire department does not have a problem with the Town Meeting.  She understands that there were objections to the walling off of the 8+ feet for the locker room, as expressed at the town meeting she attended and subsequently, but they had been discussing this for more than 2 years and it was the best, cheapest solution.  Amy replied that she came to this meeting to help improve communications between the town and the fire department, so that the town knows more about what’s happening with the department. The motion to adopt the agreement was seconded and passed.

Dave Sturtz then made a separate motion that, pursuant to adopting the Community Use of the GHFPD Facility agreement, the Fire Board grants the GHTM permission to use the building for meetings with any charges waived.  Leslie seconded and it passed.

Chris reported that they are revising their training procedure – bringing more of it back home.  Half of the trainings will be with the 3 departments and half in Gold Hill doing our own training on our trucks and extrication gear, etc.

Amy inquired about how to obtain Red Cards for firefighters who have fulfilled the qualifications so that they can participate in controlled burns, etc.  Chris replied that it would require a lot of time to fill out paperwork on the computer and our firefighters can go to Brett Gibson or Eric Bader who have already done the paperwork and can do it for them.

Chris reported that the AirVac system to suck out diesel fumes when the trucks are running is now installed in the Firebarn.  It turns on automatically when anyone opens the big doors, so don’t be surprised at the sound.

Chris passed out the Proposed GHFPD 2012 Budget.  They will advertise in the Camera that the budget has been submitted to the Board, it will be revisited at the November 17th Fire Board Meeting and there will be a special form to fill our to adopt it and submit it to the State.