Approval for the 2022 budget was the highlight of the Dec. 8 meeting of the Falcon Fire Protection District Board of Directors. The board met at station 1, where they will be meeting for several months until the new administration building is completed.Treasurer’s reportFire Chief Trent Harwig informed the board that as of the end of November, revenues in the general fund were at 99% and expenditures were at 85% of the budgeted amount. ìThere is no way we will go over budget,î Harwig said. In the ambulance transport fund, revenues were at 107% because of an increased collection of transport fees, and the fund was at 76% of expenditures. The capital projects fund was at 46% of expenditures. There was no activity in the rural water fund. ìWith one month left, we are under budget in all areas,î the chief said.Staff reportsThere were 191 and one-half reserve hours in November. As for COVID-19, Deputy Chief Jeff Petersma informed the board, ìAll of our precautions are still in place.î The board discussed changing the way ambulance collections are reported since collection usually lags behind transports.New station 3Harwig told the board there were only a few small items to be completed on the new station 3. The station is already occupied and the deputy chief and the EMS division chief now have their own offices in the new building.Old station 3A portion of the old station 3 is being demolished, and the building will be rebuilt as an administration building. After a discussion, the board decided the best way to deal with asbestos removal in the demolition of the building was by direct contract with the asbestos removal company rather than a change order. The board decided a change order would take longer and would delay the construction process.Sheriff’s substationThere was discussion of the transfer of district property at station 1 to the sheriff’s office for a substation. Board president Tom Kerby reported on a recent meeting he had with the sheriff’s office. Kerby told the board that the sheriff’s office did not want to do any work on the property until they had possession of the property. They agreed on several items necessary for the transfer of the title.Meeting dates in 2022The board set the third Wednesday of every month in 2022 as the board meeting date, except for the month of December, when the meeting will be held on the second Wednesday. Meetings will be held at 4 p.m. at station 1 until July. In August, the new administration building should be finished and the board meetings will be held there. The annual pension board meeting will be held in conjunction with the November board meeting.The 2022 budgetThe 2022 budget, as adopted by the board, consists of just over $13 million in expenditures. It will support 39 full-time and six part-time firefighters and EMTs, 19 vehicles and six administrative/support personnel. The budget consists of the general fund, the ambulance transfer fund, the capital projects fund and the rural water fund.The general fund is financed, in large part from property taxes, at a mill rate of 14.886, the same rate as last year. Because of an increase in property values, that mill rate is expected to bring in $8.4 million as opposed to last year’s estimated $7 million.The general fund budget will also be financed by $820,000 in special ownership taxes and $3,500 with the interest from deposits. The general fund is used for administration, operations, maintenance, training and fire prevention and safety. This year’s general fund includes a 5% cost of living increase in salaries and corresponding benefits. The other budget funds are primarily collected with transfers from the general fund.The ambulance transfer fund is used to support the operation of three first-out ambulances and two reserve ambulances. It will be financed by a $1.6 million transfer from the general fund as well as $802,000 in transport fees and $1,800 with the interest from deposits.The capital projects fund finances construction projects and purchase of equipment, including a new ambulance and a new battalion chief vehicle. It is funded by a $1.8 million transfer from the general fund, a $300,000 transfer from the ambulance transfer fund, $1,500 from the interest on deposits and $3,000 from dividend income.The rural water fund was originally funded by developers to build cisterns in areas that did not have water systems. Builders are no longer required to do this, so this fund has no current income except for a small amount of interest. It is being used to maintain existing cisterns until the accumulated funds are depleted. From this fund, $11,145 will be spent for maintenance and improvements to water systems.
