Donald Wescott Fire Protection District, Dec. 5 – Board holds final meeting before district dissolves

District merger update
Final comments

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District (DWFPD) special meeting on Dec. 5, the board received an update on the merger process with Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District dba Monument Fire District (MFD), the board heard about the final actions to officially complete the dissolution of the district and the merger process by year end, unifying the districts.

The meeting began at 2:32 p.m. with attorney Emily Powell of Ireland Stapleton Pryor Pascoe (ISPP) PC law firm joining via Zoom.

Former DWFPD board President Mark Gunderman was in attendance.

District merger update

Powell said her role in the merger process began with an in-person presentation to both district boards on May 13, 2021. See https://wp.ocn.me/v21n6mfd/. The final action in the merger process is to record the order of dissolution, and she is “on the cusp” of completing the process. The action was expected to occur on or around Dec. 20 with MFD district counsel Maureen Juran of Widner Juran LLP providing guidance and consent to ensure the documents are in the correct order to record electronically.

The recording will take place on the same day, and copies will be provided to Fire Chief Andy Kovacs. A letter advising of the court-ordered dissolution of DWFPD will then be prepared by ISPP to notify all the necessary state and county officials to include the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the State Auditor, the El Paso County Treasurer, Board of County Commissioners, the Assessor’s Office and any entity that has interaction with the district.

The minutes of the final meeting will need to be approved by the successor entity MFD at the next Board of Directors meeting on Jan. 22; then the merger will be completed, said Powell.

Final comments

Powell said everyone has been wonderful to work with, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of the project, and she would be in touch with Kovacs through the end of the year as the last steps wrap up.

Kovacs thanked Powell and said, “She had made the process painless and really quite easy.”

President Charles Fleece said, “The merger is coming to a good strong close and finish, after Powell’s hard work and time, along with Kovacs, and the number of hours and sweat everyone put into the merger process. It is a good feeling to pass the district over, the district is in good hands, and Gunderman is a MFD board director. A lot of work is turning into good fruition for years to come where we live and families are growing up. It literally hits home that the merger has been a good journey, and everyone’s efforts have been very meaningful.”

Gunderman agreed with the comments and said, “Fleece said it all.”

Secretary Mike Forsythe thanked everyone in attendance.

The meeting adjourned at 2:43 p.m.

Note: For additional information see the MFD article on page < 14 > and visit www.monumentfire.org.

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MFD meetings are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 22 at 4:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams and in person at Station 1, 18650 Highway 105. 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.

District merger update

Final comments

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