The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular board meeting July 16. All directors were present except Joan Hathcock, who was on vacation. Attorneys Richard Shearer and Alan Call, legal counsel for the district, were also present.Pension board vacancyThe trustee position for the volunteer pension board remains vacant. The district will continue to contact eligible members to fill the position.Treasurerís reportFire Chief Trent Harwig reported that with 50 percent of the fiscal year complete, 91 percent of anticipated revenue has been received. Total expenses, including the lease purchase payment for Station 1, are at 54 percent.Vehicle maintenance costs are at $19,000 for the fiscal year, with another $3,000 pending. Harwig said much of this expense can be attributed to aging of the fleet. He also said repair costs for fire apparatus are much more expensive than similar repairs on nonemergency vehicles.Harwig noted that amounts allotted for election costs, legal expenses and tax abatement refunds will likely exceed their respective budgets. However, he said the districtís overall expenses should still be under budget at the end of the fiscal year. ìThereís no indication that weíll have to amend the budget for any reason,î he said.Since the 2015 final lease purchase payment will be about half the previous payments, the board plans to begin setting aside funds for major equipment, apparatus and facilities expenses.Attorneyís reportShearer said the board orientation session will be postponed until next month because of Hathcockís absence.Shearer advised the board to put the 2009 International Fire Code on its agenda soon, since itís not clear what the fire districts can and cannot do in terms of fire code implementation and enforcement. He also said the county is not being cooperative on the issue.Shearer recommended that the board update its bylaws to reflect changes in the membersí handbook, new election laws and a new policy currently being developed that will address social media use by district personnel.Fire chief contract renewalShearer said that he and Harwig have been working on the new contract; the proposed terms are almost identical to Harwigís previous contract. Shearer and board members discussed an option that allows the contract to automatically renew each year. This automatic renewal would be subject to appropriations, which means the contract will terminate if the board doesnít approve funding for it. The contract would also include a 90-day notice for termination that could be executed at any time during the contract period. Shearer described this contract configuration as beneficial to both the chief and the board, since it doesnít leave the chief without a contract and gives the board options for contract renewal or termination.FPPA resolutionsThe board voted to approve two resolutions modifying district employee retirement plans administered by the Fire & Police Pension Association of Colorado. The first allows district clerical staff to choose whether to participate in the FPPA plan or Social Security at no additional cost to the district. The second increases employee contributions from 8 percent to 12 percent through an annual half-percent increase over the next eight years. This increase was approved by a majority vote of FPPA members statewide and supported by 100 percent of Falconís eligible employees. The districtís contributions will remain at 8 percent.
