The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular monthly board meeting Feb. 21. All directors were present, along with Richard Shearer, legal counsel for the district.Treasurerís reportFire Chief Trent Harwig reported that the fiscal year was 8 percent complete as of Jan. 31. The district has received 1 percent of its anticipated revenue and general fund expenses are at 6 percent. Expenses included the districtís annual payment for workersí compensation insurance and the lease-purchase payment for Station 4.Incident statisticsFFPD received 233 calls for service in January ó a 33.1 percent increase over January 2017.ReservistsDeputy Chief Jeff Petersma reported that FFPD reservists (volunteers) logged 228 reserve standby hours for January. He said two reservists from the current recruit class have been released to the line and will start completing their task books. The remaining eight recruits have passed their Firefighter I certifications, and are currently working on hazardous materials operations; they will complete wildland firefighting training after that. A new recruit academy will begin in April.U.S. Highway 24/Meridian Road intersection redesignDirector Tom Kerby reported that the project is scheduled to begin later this year.Shiloh Mesa exclusionAttorney Richard Shearer reported he has heard nothing regarding the Shiloh Mesa exclusion. He has been waiting for information such as property descriptions, but the contact for the exclusion effort has not returned emails. Shearer recommended that FFPD refund a deposit for expenses related to the exclusion effort, noting that the group can reapply for exclusion when it is ready to do so.Station 2 cell tower leaseHarwig said county records show that the lease for the cell tower at Station 2 could have expired. He said Fidelity Towers is willing to extend/renew the lease but he does not know whether the company would be willing to go through the whole process again if the lease has lapsed.The board discussed options for leasing the site. Petersma noted that AT&T may be interested since it has a contract for FirstNet, which is a new broadband service intended for use by first responders.Harwig will follow up on the cell tower lease agreement.Public safety task forceHarwig said a public safety task force is being assembled to study the issues the district is facing (see FFPD special board meeting Jan. 24). Invitations have been sent out but so far only a few people have committed to participating. He said the goal is to have diverse representation from around the district.The first task force meeting is scheduled for March 15. The last meeting will follow the June board meeting, and the task force will present its recommendations at the July board meeting.Gallagher and TABORHarwig said the Colorado State Fire Chiefs organization is trying to address the negative financial impact to fire agencies and other special districts created by the Gallagher amendment and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). The organization wants legislation passed that extends the current residential property tax assessment rate of 7.2 percent for two more years, rather than enacting another downward adjustment so soon after the previous rate decrease.Harwig noted that any solution comes with risks, such as assessment rate decreases that occur during a decrease in real estate values. However, special districts also cannot continue to absorb the loss of potential revenue. Harwig estimated that FFPD would have received about $213,000 more this year if the residential property tax assessment rate hadnít adjusted under Gallagher. Over time, that number grows to millions in lost potential revenue.The board also passed Resolution 2-21-2018-1, authorizing a polling place election.
