OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

OCN > mfd > Page 4

mfd

Monument Fire District, Aug. 23 – Station 3 rebuild plans revealed; Station 5 remodel approved

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Monument Fire District (MFD) meeting on Sept. 23, the board received a presentation for the rebuild of Station 3, approved a contractor and funding for the Station 5 (Highway 83/Stagecoach Road) remodel, approved securing the production of two engines with a proposal for purchase, and held an executive session to discuss a land purchase agreement.

Secretary Jason Buckingham and Director Tom Tharnish attended via Zoom. Directors Randall Estes and Roger Lance were excused.

Station 3 future rebuild plans revealed

Fire Chief Andy Kovacs introduced Principal Lead Architect Kevin Schaffer and Associate Principal Architect Eric Becker of OZ Architects, and John Sattler, vice president of NV5 Program Management, representing the district during the Station 3 rebuild and the remodel projects for Stations 2, 4, and 5.

Becker and Schaffer gave a presentation on a preliminary design for Station 3, and said the following:

  • The team conducted a feasibility study in 2022 and realized the existing site on Woodmoor Drive did not meet the district’s needs. See https://www.ocn.me/v22n9.htm#mfd.
  • Three sites were selected within the district and the best location for the Station 3 rebuild was determined to be a site north and adjacent to the YMCA on Jackson Creek Parkway.
  • The site is far enough away from Station 1 on Highway 105 and will include the district administration offices, and meet the needs of the growing community.
  • The plan includes four apparatus bays, administration and living areas, bunk rooms, kitchen, a gym, combined workstation areas, apparatus support area, decontamination area, bathrooms, and a workshop.
  • A training and community room function will be included, community accessible, but will remain separate from the fire crew.
  • The site leaves some room for growth and expansion of the station and area, with the possibility of adding an additional bay.

Division Chief of Administrative/Fire Marshal Jamey Bumgarner said the original Station 3 on Woodmoor Drive was built in 1973.

Vice President John Hildebrandt asked if any lessons were learned from the remodel of Station 1 that was completed in fall 2021.

Kovacs said the Station 1 design lacks office space and wished that it had been included earlier in the project, but that has been addressed in the design for the Station 3 rebuild. Quiet space to allow study time for promotional or degree exams will be incorporated into the dorm areas, he said.

Note: The Station 1 remodel added 1,800 square feet of space to include dorms, kitchen, dayroom offices, a training classroom and gym.

The team from OZ Architects answered the board director questions and said:

  • The Station 3 design will be solar ready.
  • Apparatus bays will be 64 feet deep and 78 feet wide to allow double stacking/additional apparatus parking.
  • The selection of room types is standard for today’s fire stations.
  • The original Station 3 site has shared access with Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, with restricted room to expand the footprint. The new station is estimated to be about 20,320 square feet.
  • The build time will be about 10-14 months depending on when the construction begins.

Kovacs said the district’s administration offices will be located at the new Station 3, architectural design will be incorporated, with parking spaces a priority, and the design will ensure it meets the future needs of the district, he said.

Station 5 remodel

Kovacs said Sattler had reviewed three bids and identified Flintco LLC as the recommended vendor to perform the remodel of Station 5. He requested the board approve authorization for Flintco to perform the Station 5 remodel and approve $422,562 to fund the project. The original budget allowed $250,000 each for the remodels of Stations 5 and 4 (Gleneagle Drive), and just over $1 million for Station 2 (Roller Coaster Road)—all were underestimated. He suggested the board consider completing Station 5 this year, begin Station 4 in early 2024, and begin Station 2 in 2025, and that will allow funds to be rolled over to complete each station. Station 5 was prioritized to accommodate extra staff from Stations 4 and 2 during the remodels, he said.

Sattler said mechanisms are built into the contract to deal with building materials, shortages, and rising costs of steel. The bid is locked in on the prices for a period, and once the contract is executed it is difficult to change prices. This type of contract reduces if not fully eliminates downstream costs for escalation, and it will be the contractor’s duty to demonstrate rising costs beyond its control, but “sometimes monkeys fall out of trees.” Flintco estimates starting on Oct. 10 with completion on Jan. 24 2024 if permits are received on time. The contract is a payment performance bond, said Sattler.

The board authorized Flintco to complete the Station 5 remodel in a 5-0 vote.

Fleet purchase proposal

Bumgarner said ordering engines in 2023 will guarantee receiving the current type of engine before the EPA standards change. Fleet purchases before 2010 were budgeted out for 10 years, and the department staff identified the apparatus, received board approval, ordered the apparatus, and received it within 12 months. Post 2020, the process is the same except chassis are in short supply, difficult to find and can involve using different manufacturers. Availability is delaying production, including motor and engine availability, and when production began again after the pandemic it was slower. Prices will continue to escalate, and the district staff is planning three to five years out. He requested the board scrutinize the apparatus plan to allow the executive staff to make quick decisions, without coming back to the board.

Kovacs requested the board approve the immediate purchase of two engines, for $946,336 each, with financing from OshKosh Capital Credit Union. The executive staff is ensuring only three apparatus are financed at a time, and there are no prepayment penalties. By the time the new engines are delivered, the two engines with the most use will be ready to go into reserve. The new engines have reduced overall height and length, carry 750 gallons of water, and lower hose beds for safety. The shorter wheel base provides greater maneuverability, and the district would expect an August 2026 delivery, he said.

President Mike Smaldino said he appreciated what Bumgarner has taken into consideration, and the district is just one accident from having an engine out of commission, with no backup.

Kovacs asked the board to approve the purchase and allow the executive staff to move quickly in the future to make purchases.

The board approved proceeding with securing production of the engines, 5-0.

Bumgarner said he will sign to secure production and the board will be presented with the purchase agreement next month.

Kovacs said the two stock engines the district recently purchased carry 1,000 gallons of water, and that is causing excessive tire wear and maintenance issues. The district is planning to purchase smaller fire engines in the future after recently spending $20,000 and $15,000 on repairs to engines, he said.

Financial report

Treasurer Tom Kelly read the financial report as of July 31, and said the following:

  • Property taxes received year to date were about $10.9 million, representing 100.4% of the budget with projected annual revenue.
  • Overall revenue received year to date was about $14.3 million, representing 86.3% of the projected income budget set at about $16.5 million.
  • Overall expenses year to date are about $8.2 million, representing 58.9% of the projected total expense budget set at about $14 million.
  • The larger payments were: $6,508 to Rhode & Associates for Wildfire Pre-plans, $69,680 to OZ Architecture for station designs, $20,568 to Seawest Fire Fighting Equipment for Personal Protective Equipment, $9,009 to Wex Bank Inc. for the fleet fuel, and $4,465 to Motorola Solutions for radios.

The total checking and savings balances went up about $3 million from about $13.8 million to $16.8 million; the majority was transferred to the Operations/General Fund that increased from about $7.3 million to about $10.4 million.

The board accepted the financial report as presented, 5-0.

Technology for the board

Bumgarner said the district had identified purchasing seven iPads to assist the board with notifications and board documentation for about $7,000 ($1,000 per Apple iPad) and about $35 each per month for cellular, and with Microsoft Office licenses the annual cost will be about $3,528 after the initial purchase of the iPads. The technology will be a good depository for documents, allowing directors to search prior information, and the district will be able to provide information quickly via the included app, he said. Each director will have a district email address.

Smaldino requested the iPad technology for the board at the June meeting to save printing documents and to aid communication. See www.ocn.me.v23n8.htm#mfd.

Kovacs said if the board is in agreement, the cost will be added to the 2024 budget.

Chief’s report

Kovacs said the following:

  • In the latest meeting with state senators, he discussed the issues regarding the state Legislature and the potential impact that Referendum HH might have on fire districts.
  • The district was scheduled to receive the initial property tax assessment in August, but it could change after the election. The outcome of the November election is likely to have a large impact on property taxes.
  • Battalion Chief Shannon Balvanz has taken over as the district training officer.
  • Firefighter/Paramedic Taylor Neill is leaving the district to join the Grand Junction Fire Department. The vacated position will be filled.
  • The mutual aid agencies in El Paso County that respond to American Medical Response (AMR) mutual aid requests are proposing the Colorado Springs Fire Department put its squads into service before AMR calls other agencies.
  • The frequency of AMR requests for assistance continues to trend lower, and the district is billing for the calls.
  • The ambulances take on wear and tear, and a new Frazer ambulance is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2024. The district has three ambulances in service at Stations 1, 4 and 5, and requests from AMR will not be accepted if an ambulance is needed in the district.

Note: The entire chief’s report can be found at www.monumentfire.org.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 8:42 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4)(e) to develop strategies for and instruct negotiators on negotiations for a land purchase agreement.

After the executive session, Kovacs confirmed to OCN that no action was taken.

The meeting adjourned at 9:49 p.m.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Station 1, 18650 Highway 105. For Zoom meeting instructions, agendas, minutes, and updates, visit www.monumentfire.org or contact Director of Administration Jennifer Martin at 719-484-9011.

Natalie Barszcz can be reached at nataliebarszcz@ocn.me.

Other Monument Fire District articles