Monument Fire District, Feb. 22 – Community outreach/public information officer position approved

Community outreach/public information officer position
Fire technician position update
Financial report
Snow removal cost questioned
Station remodel presentation
Station 1 Training Center update
Palmer Lake ambulance contract update
Chief’s report
2022 annual report
Board of Directors election update

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Monument Fire District (MFD) meeting on Feb. 22, the board approved a new staff position and heard the fire technician position would be filled. The board requested a review of snow removal costs and received a presentation on three future station remodels and an update on the district training center. It also received an update on the ambulance service agreement with the Town of Palmer Lake.

Directors Terri Hayes and Tom Tharnish did not attend.

Community outreach/public information officer position

Fire Chief Andy Kovacs said the executive staff had been evaluating all the administrative needs as the organization grows, and future needs such as a mechanic, a data analyst to assist the accreditation manager, fire prevention staff, and an additional training officer. The community outreach/public information officer position would help the department be more efficient as an organization and allow executive staff to focus on primary tasks. The district identified a potential candidate for the position during the fire technician position interviews, but the position will also be open within the department.

Kovacs requested the board approve a community outreach/public information officer position and said a portion of the unused allocated wages from the recently vacated full-time administrative assistant position was available in the budget, and that position will not be filled, he said. See www.ocn.me/v23n1.htm#mfd.

The board approved the new position, 4-0.

Fire technician position update

Division Chief of Administration/Fire Marshal Jamey Bumgarner said the district received six applications for the newly created fire technician position. However, only four interviewed, but all were outstanding, and an offer of employment has been extended.

Kovacs said the position is designed for an entry-level person interested in pursuing a career in the fire service, and it is intended to be a revolving-door position. The fire technician is due to start on March 15, pending a background check and physical exam, he said.

Financial report

Treasurer Tom Kelly presented the January financial report and said:

The overall revenue year to date was about $225,906 (includes specific ownership taxes $91,871, ambulance revenue $79,866, and impact fees $6,216).
The district has projected an income of about $16.5 million for 2023.
The overall expenses year to date were about $1.2 million (includes administration expenses $150,948, building expenses $10,470, wages (largest expense) $698,591, and benefits $328,238).
The district budgeted about $14 million in expenses for 2023.
The district has about $11.5 million in total checking/savings (includes reserves and funds, and about $3.7 million in the operations/general fund).
The district expected to receive a small amount of property taxes in February, and the bulk will arrive in March.

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

Snow removal cost questioned

Vice President Roger Lance questioned the $4,350 bill for snow removal from Greater Grounds Landscaping that was noted in checks over $2,500 in the January financial report.

Director of Administration Jennifer Martin said the bill covered all five stations for January. Snow is only removed when it accumulates over 2 inches, and the rates are billed per plow, per hour, with extra charges applied for snow removal via truck. The district had received a lower-than-average bid, she said.

Bumgarner said the bill will likely be higher for February, because the snow piles are mounting and may need to be trucked away. The district does have a plow, but there is nowhere to push off the snow, he said.

President John Hildebrandt and Secretary Mike Smaldino both said the cost was outlandish and they had never noticed the snow removal amount in the financial report before.

Kovacs said it was never noticed before because it never exceeded $2,500 per month when the district had three stations, but this is the first winter with five stations.

Hildebrandt said the board needs to know more data on how many times the stations were plowed, for how long and at what rates. At the current rates, the district could be charged as much as $24,000 for six months of plowing, he said.

Kovacs said the bill included four storms, with plowing for 30.5 hours at $140 per hour, which is less than the market rate. Maybe the fire technician could take care of snow removal in the future, he said. The district just needs to establish a vehicle that can handle the plow, which is currently attached to the 1997 Hummer. The district inherited the vehicle and plow during the merger process with Donald Wescott Fire Protection District, but the district is planning to sell the vehicle, he said.

Lance suggested the executive staff and the board discuss the plan for snow removal in the late summer or early fall, but the contract cannot be changed this winter, he said.

Kovacs said the district will request bids for winter 2023-24 and consider other options. In a couple of months, the district will ask the board how they would like to proceed, he said.

Station remodel presentation

Bumgarner presented the board with three remodel designs created by OZ Architects for Station 2 (Roller Coaster Road), Station 4 (Gleneagle Drive), and Station 5 (Highway 83/Stage Coach Road). The district allocated $1 million for the remodel of Station 2 in the 2023 budget.

Smaldino requested OZ Architects revisit the design for Station 2 to include an additional bedroom and said he would prefer the board allocate additional funding if needed to accommodate a more flexible staffing model in the future.

Bumgarner said the design could be reconfigured, and he would revisit the plan with OZ Architects.

Kovacs said expanding the Station 2 footprint is difficult due to the lot size, and he envisioned Station 2 being a single Type 3 Engine station with four personnel rotating with a water tender or a Type 6/Brush Truck. The Station 2 ambulance service would move into the core of the district where calls are highest, and Station 5 would service that area of the district for ambulance service, he said.

Bumgarner said the remodel of both Station 4 and 5 allows for expansion of crew size. All plans are preliminary, and crews will be consulted before moving ahead with the remodels, he said.

Station 1 Training Center update

Division Chief of Operations Jonathan Bradley said the district had narrowed down a few potential companies to build the training/tower building. The partnership between the district, Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD), and Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District is exciting, and ongoing discussions will ultimately shape the configuration of the training facility. The aim is to avoid the duplication of training facilities in the area. The training center will not necessarily be on one site, but rather spread around the north end of the county at three or four sites and use the different facilities of partner agencies. The district is exploring all the options for the training center and could still use a portion of the Station 1 site for trench extrication/rescue training, he said.

Bumgarner said the district budgeted $500,000 to purchase land for a future Station 6/training center, and the district could purchase land for $12 per square foot in an area zoned for light industrial use off Baptist Road, he said.

Kovacs said the district has identified a parcel just over 4 acres owned by the QuikTrip Corp. The owners have offered to sell the land for the initial purchase price. The 14 acres the district owns at Station 1, initially purchased for the training center, has generated interest from a Front Range repair facility, and the Town of Monument may also want to purchase some acreage for a park. The district may be able to recoup some costs toward the southwest site, he said. See www.ocn.me/v23n2.htm#mfd.

Palmer Lake ambulance contract update

Kovacs said that on Jan. 12, the Palmer Lake Town Council had unilaterally approved a 90-day termination notice of the intergovernmental agreement that provides ambulance service to Palmer Lake. Since the January board meeting, he said Dawn Collins, the Palmer Lake town administrator/clerk, had requested data showing past EMS service calls, ambulance transportations, and canceled calls (the district does not bill for calls that are canceled).

Hopefully a meeting will happen between both parties before the 90 days expire, and the contract can continue to provide a service that is mutually beneficial for everyone, he said. See www.ocn.me/v23n2.htm#mfd and #plbot.

Chief’s report

Kovacs highlighted the following:

The Local 4319 has established a $1,000 student scholarship to a student at Lewis-Palmer, Palmer Ridge, and Discovery Canyon High Schools. The local will work with school staff to identify students that demonstrate outstanding leadership and the district’s three core values: character, connection, and commitment.
Seven district firefighters are attending the CSFD fire academy in a class of 37 recruits.
The district completed 732 hours of training in January.
Lt. Chris Keough installed new mounting brackets in each ambulance to secure the cardiac monitors during transit. The monitors were previously secured with bungee cords.

The January chief’s report can be viewed at www.monumentfire.org.

2022 annual report

Kovacs said the 2022 annual report highlights the district’s achievements from the previous year. The report is intended to capture all the good things that happened within the fire district.

The report can be viewed on the district website at www.monumentfire.org, and copies are available at the district administration office located at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 102, Monument.

Lance said the report was a good document and very well done.

Board of Directors election update

Lance said that after further consideration he had reversed his decision and will run again for a board position this year. See www.ocn.me/v23n2.htm#mfd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.

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Meetings are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at Station 1, 18660 Highway 105. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for March 22 at 6:30 p.m. Meeting attendance is open to the public in person or via Zoom. For joining 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.