The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular monthly board meeting Dec. 9. All seated board members were present, as was Richard Shearer, legal counsel for the district.Director vacancyThe district received one letter of interest from Mike Collins for the director vacancy position. Collins is a previous board member and Falcon Fire Department volunteer, who currently serves as the districtís senior fire chaplain. Board members voted unanimously to appoint Collins to fill the vacant seat, and board president Dan Kupferer administered the oath of office. Collinsí term will end in May 2016.Treasurerís reportFire Chief Trent Harwig reported, that as of Nov. 30, the fiscal year was 92 percent complete. The district has received 101 percent of its anticipated revenue, and total general fund expenditures are at 82 percent.Harwig said he anticipates the district will end the year about $210,000 under budget. The district has received about $85,000 more revenue than originally anticipated, with some of these funds coming from grants.StatisticsThe district responded to 188 incidents during the month of November, bringing the year-to-date total to 1,835. By comparison, last yearís total was 1,825 for the same period.Community Wildfire Protection PlanThe board tabled the second reading of the CWPP because feedback from the county had just been received the day of the board meeting. The CWPP has been posted to the FFPD website, but no public comment had yet been received.Peyton FPD use of FFPD Station 6The district has received the signed agreement from the Peyton Fire Protection District regarding its use of FFPD Station 6 to store a water tender for the winter. Peyton FPD will pay the propane bill to heat the building.Apex Ranch cisternHarwig reported that about $2,300 had been spent for parts and labor to refit the cistern at Apex Ranch.Station 4Kupferer and Harwig met with developer Jeff Mark, president of the Landhuis Co., and county land development representatives regarding a building site for Station 4. Board members reviewed preliminary sketches for the approximately 1.2-acre site. A contract to purchase the land had not been executed but was anticipated.2016 budget hearingThe district received no public comment regarding the 2016 budget. The board approved resolutions to adopt the 2016 budget totaling $2,957,750 in approved expenditures and maintaining the current property tax rate of 8.612 mills.2016 board meeting scheduleThe board established the 2016 meeting schedule. Regular board meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, except for the budget hearing, which will be held Dec. 14, 2016. The pension board will meet in May and November. All meetings will be held at FFPD Station 3 administration building located at 7030 Old Meridian Road, beginning at 4 p.m.Pay, Leave, and Allowance ScheduleHarwig said the Pay, Leave, and Allowance schedule is ìright in the ballparkî when compared to similar-sized departments, and now includes a driver/operator position. The board approved the salary portion of the schedule for implementation in the first pay period of 2016. Harwig said the remainder of the schedule needs to be revised because of recent changes in the health care flex spending benefit.Designated election officialMandy Kirk will be the new designated election official for the directorsí election to be held in May 2016. FFPD administrative assistant Gretchen Tetzlaff will serve as the deputy DEO.
