At the Oct. 14 Fire Commissioners’ meeting, Orcas Fire Chief Mike Harris explained the revenue projections portion of the Fire District’s budget for 2009.
The draft 2009 budget, which is expected to be approved at or following the Nov. 11 Fire District meeting, is available at the firehall in Eastsound. It shows three figures for each item: the budgeted amount for 2009; the amount spent in the past three years; and the year-to-date expenditure as of Sept. 1, 2008.
2009 revenue
Revenue for 2009 is estimated to be $1,877,000. The operations budget is estimated to be $1,663,950 for 2009. The estimated $200,000 difference will go into the reserve or capital fund, Harris said.
In 2008, the comparable figures were $1,864,100 for revenue and $1,598,629 for operations.
Harris went over the property-tax formula that funds the Orcas Fire District’s budget, showing that revenue from property taxes, established in 1999 at $1.35 per $1,000 property valuation and now effective at $.94 per $1,000 evaluation, is expected to be $1,792, 285. The one percent allowed property tax increase, plus approximately $48,000 in land improvement and new construction taxes plus grants, contracts and miscellaneous revenue, brings the total to $1,877,000.
Division Chiefs
Harris referred back to the expenditure portion of the budget presented at the Sept. 23 meeting, saying that the projected pay rate for the fire-medics union had been negotiated.
As union fire-medics, the three existing fire-medics would be paid $63,488 per year. A fourth paramedic position, which Harris has said is needed to minimize overtime costs, is budgeted for $55,000 plus benefits. The total amount budgeted for the four fire-medic positions is $287,742 per year, which includes all possible benefits other than state retirement benefits, and includes a cost-of-living increase from last year.
Last month, Harris pointed out that the Division Chief proposal, in which the administrative duties of an Assistant Chief would be divided among the three union members – Valerie Harris, Mik Preysz and Patrick Shepler – has been separated out from the fire-medic salaries. In their administrative positions as Division Chiefs, the three will be paid $49,416 per year. Commissioner Clyde Duke said that the Division Chief pay is merit based rather than by union contract, and is effective for one year only.
The Division Chief proposal was presented to the “All-Hands” volunteer meeting on Sept. 30, and 29 members voted to approve, two voted to oppose, and two abstained.
Volunteer benefits
Volunteer benefits are budgeted at $135,200, down about $4,000 from 2008 and about $15,000 from 2007. However the year-to-date amount spent in 2008 is $78,505 and the amount spent in 2007 was $108,056. Harris noted that key objectives of the 2005 Strategic Plan – to increase volunteer training, call-and-drill pay and benefits – have been met.
Deer Harbor station
Updated plans for the proposed Deer Harbor station were distributed and Harris said that building permit applications would be submitted to the county on Oct. 17. This would “kick off the formal public input process” before the Hearing Examiner and county staff.
A boundary line adjustment is still to be negotiated, and the contract with Bill Trogdon also needs completion, Harris said.
New fire engines
The interlocal agreement with Skagit County fire department, by which the Orcas Fire Department will acquire four new fire trucks and a rescue unit, has been adjusted to cost $225,000 plus tax per vehicle.
The increased price, from $215,000 per vehicle, reflects mounting all-weather tires rather than street tires on the trucks, and installing larger pumps (1250 gallons-per-minute) than the 750-gpm specified for the Skagit County engines.
The commissioners also opened bids for an ambulance that will allow the department to “take advantage of a bargain,” according to Harris. The proposed Road Ready 2008 Ford E450 model was offered to the district at $119,140, compared to similar bids from Braun NW for $115,950 and $135,390 from Pacific Emergency Vehicles. The bids were for demonstrator models and all indicate $5,000 to $10,000 off the contract price, Harris said.
The commissioners will compare the bids and review them with department staff before making an offer.
For information about the Orcas Fire Department’s loan of an engine to the Friday Harbor Fire Department, go to www.islandssounder.com “Communities”
