The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular board meeting Dec. 10. All board members were present. Attorney Richard Shearer, legal counsel for the district, also attended the meeting.CorrespondenceThe El Paso County Elections Department sent the district a thank-you note for hosting the November election. The letter included voting statistics that showed 300 walk-in voters and 7,502 ballots dropped in the ballot box installed at the Station 3 parking lot.Trent Harwig, fire chief, said there was high traffic on the final day of voting, which added to traffic congestion at Highway 24 and Old Meridian Road, especially during rush hours. Although there were no serious issues with voters impeding fire apparatus access and egress, Harwig said the situation needs to be addressed before the next election.Treasurerís reportHarwig reported that the fiscal year was 92 percent complete as of Nov. 30. The district received 102 percent of its anticipated revenue, and general fund expenditures were at 90 percent. Harwig anticipated the district will end the year slightly under budget.Chiefís reportHarwig said the day room/kitchen remodel at Station 3 should be completed around Dec. 19.Firefighter health billRichard Shearer advised board members to enroll the district in the trust set up to help fire departments meet the statutory requirements of Colorado Senate Bill 14-172, Firefighter Heart Circulatory Malfunction Benefits, which mandates employer-paid benefits for full-time firefighters with serious malfunctions of the cardiac or respiratory system related to emergency responses or training. He said most fire districts are joining the trust, adding that doing so eliminates the hassle to meet the requirements of this bill.Harwig said benefits paid out under this statute are offset by other insurance coverage that firefighters already receive, such as disability, workersí compensation and individual insurance plans. The trust reimburses 100 percent of the cost for departments to join and is funded for 2015.The board unanimously passed a resolution to enter into the trust agreement.Volunteer pension boardThe volunteer pension board discussed and approved reducing the number of pension board meetings from quarterly to two per year (Feb. 18 and Nov. 18 in 2015), both coinciding with regularly scheduled FFPD board meetings. Pension board members will still review quarterly financial reports as they are received.Legal postingsIn the interest of saving money, required legal postings for special meetings, budget hearings, etc., will be published in The New Falcon Herald rather than The Gazette.Cistern at Black Forest ReserveHarwig reported that representatives for Black Forest Reserve have received the easement agreement for the new cistern location, and will forward it to their attorney for approval.Station 4Harwig and board members discussed the proposed site location for the new FFPD Station 4, which will be located in the vicinity of Constitution Avenue and Marksheffel Road. Planning, engineering and other initial costs related to the construction of Station 4 are included in the 2015 budget, with a goal of completing the project in 2016.2015 budget hearingThe board approved a resolution to adopt the 2015 budget and approve the pay, leave and allowance schedules. The 2015 budget includes funding for Station 4 initial planning costs; a Community Wildfire Protection Plan; cost of living wage increases for district employees; and the expenditure of existing Rural Water Fund monies to install a cistern in the Black Forest Reserve. The district will also pay off the lease-purchase agreement for Station 1 five years early, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars in interest and allowing the district to start saving for capital expenditures, such as Station 4 and apparatus replacement.
