SOURDOUGH RURAL FIRE DISTRICT MINUTES

REGULAR MEETING JUNE 20, 2005

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Kraft at 7:50 PM. Present were trustees Dayhuff, Geddes and Bachman – Trustee Larimer was unavoidably absent. Rae Command Staff Lucas and Engle were also present as was COC Kandy Rose. Chief Crandell was delayed by his timely response to an EMS call.

Consent Agenda: The financial report was presented. Geddes moved and Dayhuff seconded that the Financial Report by accepted and the warrants > $500 be paid. It was noted that our 2005 annual payment on the FSB Loan for $144,823.69 is included in the warrants. Passed.
Regular Agenda: The May meeting minutes were presented. Dayhuff moved for approval and Geddes seconded. Passed.
Agenda shift to Election of Officers: Geddes moved to retain the existing District Officers as follows: Chairman, Dave Kraft; Vice Chairman, Steve Dayhuff; Secretary, Don Bachman and Treasurer, Pete Geddes. Dayhuff seconded and the motion was passed.
Review of policy for members approaching the board: The Chief has presented the “Draft Policy Regarding Internal Communications” (included in the record as part of the Chief’s Report) for consideration by the Rae Fire Service Area and the Sourdough Rural Fire District. The purpose is to provide an alternative path for members of the department to bring concerns regarding departmental operations to the Board. The trustees discussed the policy in terms of the SFD Executive Limitations (EL) contained in the Governance Policy. Since only SFD has adopted the EL, Board consensus is that the proposed Internal Communications policy should be examined as a stand alone document. This item will be addressed as Unfinished Business at the July Meeting.
Grant Applications: The Chief’s Report contained a section on Grant Applications which were addressed as a separate “New Business” consideration as follows: FEMA Grant for short term sharing of personnel costs over a 4 year period. This grant provides for funding of 4 command staff positions on a cost share basis The grant application is submitted on behalf of both the Rae and Sourdough Fire Departments. The Chiefs Report language follows: We are requesting four personnel. The personnel would support the current level of service the District provides. Their work would be focused on human resources management, operations and training, physical resource management, and community involvement. Their work schedule would match the support work they would be performing. The grant may be used only for salary and benefit, with a total per position cost per year calculated at $40,000.00. This is not the limit to what could be paid by the District, just the limit to the amount used for the funding request for federal funding. If the fire departments needed to pay more in salary and benefit, that cost is to be fiunded entirely by the fire departments. The fire departments would commit to full support of the personnel costs in year five. If the fire departments did not fully fund The grant funding would provide 90% for the first year, 80% for the second year, 50% for the third year, and 30% for the fourth year. the personnel the fifth year, they would be required to repay the entire grant funded portion of the personnel costs for the entire period of the grant.

Based on $28,550 salary, plus 40% ($11,420) for benefits

Here’s the local share breakdown for the fire departments:

Year 1 = $15,988

Year 2 = $38,275

Year 3 = $92,927

Year 4 = $131,843

Year 5 = $187,037

The trustees noted that as the grant sunsets, we would be able to apply loan repayment fund to the declining match. Geddes moved to direct the Chief to submit application for the FEMA grant as described in the Chief’s Report, and to commit to the matching cost for the personnel for the entire grant Period (5 years) and the full funding of the personnel for the fifth year. Bachman seconded. Passed.

A second grant involves hosting a training prop (burn trailer) that would be available to departments across Montana with no costs, liability or management load for SFD. Geddes moved that SFD apply and host such a grant and program with no costs, liability or management load for the department. Bachman seconded. Passed.

Continuing under unfinished business, under Critical Need Report; the Chief requested the Trustees authorized expenditure of up to $37,500 for the shared (with RAE) purchase of a tanker – probably one that has been located in the Pennsylvania area as a temporary replacement for the existing old, obsolete and unreliable apparatus currently posted to the Sourdough Fire Station. Geddes so moved. Bachman seconded. Passed.

Chief’s Report: The remainder of the Chiefs report was presented and placed in the record. At the request of the Trustees, the Rae and Sourdough Firefighter Application Form was also presented and placed in the record.

District assessment outreach and Mil-levy Proposal (combined items): Outreach efforts under the direction of Kandy Rose continues. The district is benefiting for the insights of our customers in the development of the Mil-levy proposal. Outreach will continue in the form of a newsletter to be published in August and updating our web page. The trustees reached consensus in principle for lower mil-levy requests at more frequent intervals (2-3 years) rather than infrequent (5 + years) larger (c. 40 mil) requests. Staff was requested to develop proposal in 15-18 mil range for discussion at the July meeting.

It was noted that each trustee had received copies of Commendation Letters from AMR and customers served in the pervious month period.

Landscaping of Cottonwood Station was deferred until July.

Retainer letters for Chris Grey will be presented for approval at the July meeting

The July 18 meeting will be proceeded by a Trustee Training Session to commence at 6PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 pm.

Submitted for approval at the July 18 meeting.