The Falcon Fire Protection District held its regular board meeting June 20. Board members present were Thomas Kerby, Dan Kupferer, Mike Collins and Cory Galicia. Ray Hawkins was absent. Also present were Fire Chief Trent Harwig and attorney Joan Fritsche, legal counsel for the district.Treasurerís reportHarwig presented the treasurerís report and said that 50% of the fiscal year was complete as of June 30. The general fund had received 64% of budgeted revenues, and expenditures across the categories were at 37%. Transfers to other funds will be reflected next month. Vehicle fuel actual expenses are at 72% of the budget; by the middle of August, Harwig said the fuel budget will probably be exhausted; he said fuel costs could go over the budget by $20,000 at the end of the year.The ambulance transport fund has received 36% of budgeted revenues; all expenditure categories are at 39%. The district is at 58% of collections on transport.The capital projects fund is at 45% revenue per quarterly transfer from the general fund, and total expenses across all categories are at 39%. There is $710,362 left in the lease-purchase category.There has been no activity in the rural water fund. Kupferer inquired about the future of the fund; and, after a short discussion, Harwig said itís a beneficial fund to keep.Financial statements audit updateHarwig reported that the auditor is not finished with the audit, but they are working on it and asking questions. They have not yet arranged for the presentation of the audit report to the board. Fritsche expressed a concern about the auditorís timing of the presentation to the board. The extended filing due date is in September.Staff/operations reportsDeputy Chief Jeff Petersma reported the call volume was up in May by 386 calls, compared to 259 in May 2021. In July, there has been an uptick in responses to Cimarron Hills Fire Department. CHFD started an ambulance service on July 1 and both departments agreed to cover each other due to proximity, when the other department does not have an ambulance available. Petersma anticipated that aid from American Medical Response will decrease because Cimarron will be requested more as long as it is available since there is a real-time advantage over AMR. Petersma said that FFPD worked closely with Cimarron Hills FD, when CHFD started their ambulance service. Kerby asked about the status of building a new ambulance, and Petersma reported the schedule for the build has been moved up from January 2023 to September 2022.EMS Division Chief Jon Webb reported that May was a busy month with 156 transports; June had 120 transports. Over a period of 24 months, the cash per trip sits at $560.04. Year to date, there have been 810 transports, the district collected $464, $540 and $573.51 per trip.Administrative buildingThe board reviewed the approval of invoices and change orders for work on the administrative building on Old Meridian Road. Harwig mentioned there are many finishing touches being done like paint, electric trim, countertops, appliances, etc. Harwig also pointed out the exterior metal was rejected because of poor installation and scratches; the subcontractor did a substandard job, and new metal is on the way. Harwig also brought up office desks, and a discussion ensued regarding ordering desk skirts. Kupferer questioned Harwig about the selection of the general contractor, and Harwig expressed his overall satisfaction with iiCon Construction Group despite a few setbacks. Harwig said that given the complexity of the project, they were the right choice.Board meeting time changedThe board meeting time was changed to 3 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month, starting with the August meeting.The FAMLI programHarwig presented an update on the Colorado Family and Medical Leave program details and the districtís options. Special districts have an option to opt out and their employees can still opt in individually. The benefits are the same, the cost of individuals signing up is the same. His recommendation was for the district to opt out. The issue was tabled for now, as there is no immediate action necessary.New FFPD handbookDirectors were provided a draft of the new FFPD handbook. There were no comments and the draft was approved.Public commentBattalion Chief Joseph Cosgrove participated by phone. He expressed appreciation on behalf of himself and the staff to Harwig and the board for approving the June cost of living pay increases. Kerby expressed the boardís gratitude for the teamís dedicated service, adding that the people who serve in this department were some of the finest people he knows.The next meeting is Aug. 17 at 3 p.m. at Station 1.Stay connected with the Falcon Fire Protection DistrictWebsite: http://www.falconfirepd.orgFacebook: Falcon Fire DepartmentTwitter: @FalconFireDeptNextDoor.com
