| August 19, 2009 Board Meeting Minutes 1. Call to order. The Board meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call of the Board Members. Board Members Present: Dan Atkinson Gary Selig Rick Parker William Dunlap Sr Randy James Board Members Absent: None The Board decided to do the presentations at this time. Chief Don Howard introduced Garrett Hall. Don stated that Garrett is the newest paramedic. The program has changed from a 9 month program to an 18 month program. Don stated that Summit has run on significant events that Garrett has been a part of for the past two weeks since he has been on board as a paramedic. Don stated that we wanted to make sure he was recognized tonight. Garret thanked the Board Members and the community for the opportunity he was given. Garrett stated that he is committed to the Department and the Community. Chief Howard presented the three new Captains. They are Fernando Hernandez, Brian Walsh and John Wesbrock. Don stated that we are excited about these three individuals. We went through a challenging process and they were selected for their character, hard work, passion and commitment on many different levels to Summit Fire. Don stated that we are excited to present them to the Fire Board and the Community. We are glad they are part of Summit Fire. There was a pinning ceremony where the family members pinned on the badges. Fernando Hernandez thanked his family, the Fire Board, the guys and the community for their support and he is happy to service as a Captain. John Wesbrock thanked everyone for the opportunity. John stated that this is a big roll to step into and he try to provide the best EMS and Fire service he can. Brian Walsh thanked the Department, the guys and the Fire Board for giving him the opportunity and he thanked his family for their support. Brian stated that he looks forward to the opportunity to serve the community as a Captain. 4. Approval of the Minutes: a. July 15, 2009 Regular Meeting There was a motion by Gary Selig to approve the minutes of the regular Board Meeting of July 15, 2009. There was a second by Randy James and the vote was unanimous. b. July 15, 2009 Executive Session There was a motion by Gary Selig to approve the minutes of the Executive Session of July 15, 2009. There was a second by Randy James and the vote was unanimous. 5. REPORTS a. Financial Report The Financial Reports were presented by Tina Dillahunty. There was a discussion of the reports. We have received some wildland funds and have billed on several fires. Tina stated that there are three small fires on her desk that she is working on the billing. Randy James asked about the items that showed a negative number. Tina stated that it was because we paid bills in June and received payment from Fort Valley in July so those accounts show the credit from Fort Valley. b. Administration Report The Administration Report was given by Tina Dillahunty. We are getting ready to start the Audit. Our office volunteers have left. They were a big help in the office this summer. c. Auxiliary Report The Auxiliary Report was given by Tina Dillahunty. We had 32 vendors signed up for the Swap meet on July 25th but only 27 showed up. We sold 2 cookbooks and took in $21.75 for coffee, donuts and water for a total profit of $289.29. We also had an accident. The wind gusted and blew one of our canopies into a parked car. It did put a dent in the car and our insurance will take care of it. We will make sure canopies are tied down in the future. The Legends of Country Music Concert is going to be held Friday, December 4th at 7:30 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets will be $15 each and should be available in a couple of weeks. The Auxiliary is selling Fall Flowers- the flowers can be bought on-line or we have brochures and order forms. The Auxiliary now has a link at the Web Page at the Summit Fire site. We would like to give a very special thanks to Torsten Palm for setting this up for us. The Swap meet will be this Saturday at Station 32. d. Local 1505 Report There was no Local 1505 report. e. Firefighter’s Association Report There was no Firefighter Association report. . 6. CALL TO THE PUBLIC There was no answer to the call to the public. 7. PURCHASE REQUESTS a. None 8. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a. Run Report The run report was given by Chief Don Howard. There were 110 calls to service for the month of July. Tim Steffen discussed the semi truck accidents on the highway. Tim stated that fatalities are rough and Garrett Hall, the newest paramedic, has been on two of them. One was on the entrance to Sunset Crater on North Hwy 89. Don discussed the two accidents. Tim stated that there were two short haul rescues within five days of each other. That was unusual because those don’t happen too often. There was a discussion of the rescues. b. Crew Cab up for Bid Chief Howard stated that we have put the 1994 crew cab up for bid. We are accepting sealed bids until noon on September 1st. The minimum bid is $2500. This is the well used crew cab that we bought used. c. Meeting with Mandy Metzger. Chief Howard discussed the meeting with Supervisor Mandy Metzger. Don stated that each month she hold a coffee meeting at the Coffee Beanery. It was very interesting. Don stated that APS was there and they discussed a project with solar energy. You must be on one service line to be part of this project. Mandy Metzger stated that she appreciated Chief Howard coming. Mandy Metzger stated that she had questions recently because of the tax bills and has referred people to Summit Fire for a better explanation. The meetings are the third Monday of each month from 7-9. Randy James stated that he attended a couple of meetings. Randy stated that the last time there was someone there from transportation that ran the buses. Don stated that he was able to discuss the question of wood. People wanted to know if they have access to the wood that the fuels projects clears. Don explained what we do with the wood and how we make it available. Some of the wood goes to the Tuba City Chapter House. There was a lot of different discussion at the meeting. Mandy Metzger stated that she was in Loop last weekend and was asked to do something about the smoke. It drove the point home that the Navahos have to heat with wood. She stated that if there is any way to make the wood available for them there is a real need. She asked for us to keep it in mind. d. AFC Leadership Conference Don Howard gave an update on the Arizona Fire Chief Leadership Conference. Don stated that he sits on the Board for the Arizona Fire Chief Association. This conference was moved from April to the end of July or beginning of August. Don stated this is the first time he has been able to go in seven years. Don stated that he asked a number of Captains and for Tim Steffen and Eric Lobstein to attend. Don stated that Southwest Ambulance brought in a gentleman from Illinois. He came in character as Abe Lincoln. He was an excellent speaker and stayed in character. He spoke of leadership in the Civil War, States rights and slavery. There was an hour to ask questions and he answered as Lincoln would have answered. Don stated that it was a memorable evening. Don stated that it was a wonderful conference. Tim Steffen stated that he went for one day and it was very interesting. His instructor was the Chief of a large fire district in Oregon. They have 22 stations. The Firefighters have put together a program where everyone puts in $1 per month and a board manages the funds. Cash is carried on the trucks so if the guys come across a resident on the road that needs help such as out of gas etc., they have a small amount of cash to help. Brian Parker stated that Summit does a lot of things to help the community and go the extra mile. We have built a culture that encourages us to go the extra mile but seeing the extent it was taken on a formal note was a pretty good deal. e. Station 3 Grand Opening The City of Flagstaff will have a grand opening for Station 3 on August 24th at 10:00. That is next Monday and everyone is invited to participate. They are moved in and running out of the station. f. Fort Valley Open House The Fort Valley Open House will be August 29th from 11-2 at Station 36. Don stated that at the same time we have the Annual Picnic at the Park. We hope to have our clowns at both events. g. Update on Wildland Assignments Sam Whitted gave an update on wildland assignments. Sam stated that we have had a really unusual fire season. Sam discussed the fires that we have had equipment and personnel on recently. These included the Wild Horse Complex, Chevlon Complex and the Taylor Fire. We currently have a Tender, Mike Gillespie and Martin Johns on the Taylor Fire. h. Health Care Forum There will be a Health Care Forum on August 20th from 7-9 at Station 33. Chief Howard discussed who would be at the Health Care Forum. Dan Atkinson asked what the purpose of the forum was. Don stated it is to discuss the health care issue being debated in the country today. i. Other Don stated that you might see a sign out front of Station 32. This is an Eagle Scout Project. The sign at Station 31 was done by an Eagle Scout. He is getting close to finishing the project and it should be completed next week. 9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. None 10. NEW BUSINESS a. Pinning of New Captains This was done earlier b. New Paramedic This was done earlier. c. Bear Jaw Fuel Module Presentation This was done earlier. 11. ACTION ITEMS a. Resolution 2009-01 Bill Dunlap asked for discussion on the merger of Summit Fire District and Fort Valley Fire District. Mark Sachara stated that he had been somewhat involved with the process. It has been going on for over five years. Mark stated that he is in support of what is going on. Mark stated that he saw the letter and he feels there are some misunderstandings in the letter. Mark stated he basically thinks that for a lot of reasons this makes complete sense. It is actually more of an inconvenience for the administrators of Summits. Summit would not be subsidizing Fort Valley. It would be taking the burden off Summit because of duplication of effort. We need to look at the bigger picture and not be closed minded and look at things around our corner. Mark stated that he commends the Board on the effort they have put in to seriously scrutinize this. Mark stated that he is hoping that one letter does not change your minds. Bruce Johnson stated that the Board has had the opportunity to hear his personal view. This letter was sent to the Board by Siri Mullaney who works in the finance office of the County. She served on the citizen committee. Bruce read the letter – see below: ** Note the letter sent by Siri had 35 names on it. Bruce presented the letter to the Board and stated that he added some names. There were 42 names typed on the letter. Chief Don Howard stated that he would like to address the letter. Don stated that he appreciates the interest of both Bruce Johnson and Siri Mullaney. Don stated that he and Bruce disagree on some issues. Don stated that he feels some of what is in the letter is not accurate. In the second paragraph it states that a main concern is that Summit taxpayers supporting the operations of Fort Valley. Don stated that we have proven over three years that Fort Valley can pay their way. Their capital carry forward was over $165,000. They have taken steps to build a good foundation while paying all costs on the contract with Summit which includes administrative costs. They did not pay administrative costs the first year but have for the past two years. They paid 2.5-4.5% on top of that for any and all additional costs not identified in the contract. Summit and Fort Valley have demonstrated they can pay their way. That is why we have waited on this merger. The differential pay is going away and we will have to deal with one management group and everything associated with that. Don stated that he would like to address the fourth paragraph. That paragraph deals asks is the Board willing to say that the Fort Valley crews will not be increased to three men to match Summit operations. Don stated that it will be looked at on a year by year basis based on need and financial ability. At this time we are not looking to increase the crew. The letter indicated that when the Fort Valley land is developed the additional tax dollars will need to go towards funding more stations and expanded services. Don stated that this is where she might not understand. We have two staffed stations and all the apparatus which Fort Valley has purchased. The stations and equipment are in place except for ongoing items. We don’t have and will not have a need for additional fire stations within the current confines of the district. We even talked about the possibly of moving into one fire station if we can find a good location. The letter discussed how district staff asserted the ability to fight a wildfire would be greater if the districts were merged. If we were merged we would have more freedom on a windy day and fully staffed to move things around. We can keep a small fire small and keep it from pushing through Schultz Pass by allowing us to move trucks and people around. We would be tied in to go in and remove fuel in that area. Don stated that this is my response to the letter and Don stated that he was to read this letter without hearing any other side to it he would probably sign the letter too. The Board will need to decide. Don stated that he feels it is in the best interest of the tax payers. Don stated that Mark Sachara did not pay a minor roll. Mark was one of the key players in getting Summit to evaluate if this was a worthwhile project. Gary Selig stated that he is for the merger but her recommendation to let the taxpayers participate has appeal. Gary stated that this has been talked to death. Gary stated that he feels that there is some momentum for tax payers to participate. Gary stated that it is their money if they want to spend it on an election so be it. Chief Howard responded that we have had multiple public meetings and put it in the newsletter. Gary stated that he realizes that but the idea of public participation appeals to him. Dan Atkinson stated that he read the letter several times today. Dan stated that he appreciates Siri and everyone. Dan stated that first, no merger is perfect. There are pluses and minuses. As a Board member he supports maintaining the present staff. Fort Valley does pay administrative cost. Fort Valley is self supporting. They are manned by Summit Firefighter and Administration. It makes sense to have one Board manage. The merger will help sustain long term strength of the combined department. Property taxes will not go up due to this merger. Some people think that if we merge taxes will go up. Dan stated that he hopes we can bring taxes down. Dan stated that the merger is in the best interest of both communities for protection and financially. Dan stated that he will continue to support the merger. He does not support and election. It is a waste of money. Dan stated that he has been voted in to make these decisions. He is a community member and gets no compensation for this. Dan stated that putting it to a vote would be a very bad idea. This merger has the support 100% of Administration, the Chief and the Firefighter Union and the Firefighters and hopefully the Board will support it. We should take into consideration the experience in the room and Administration. Dan discussed the experience of Chief Howard. Mark Sachara stated that he echoes what Don and Dan stated and emphasizes the money for administrative costs alone. Mark stated it is better to look at it that the surplus can be used through Summit. Right now it really is Summit. Right now it is Summit administration and personnel. Fort Valley operates in all practical purposes as Summit. This would offer security for the firefighters that were hired for Fort Valley. Brian Parker stated that as a taxpayer and a Captain he has been here for over ten years. His job is not tied to Fort Valley. Brian stated that he appreciates the input from the public. Brian reminded the Board that this is a very tiny portion of the public. Brian stated if he looked to get a letter signed he could get more signatures in favor. Brian stated that he would hate to see the Board make a decision based on these 40 signatures. This has been a long process and we have put our heart and soul in it. Bruce Johnson stated that he would like to rebut some of the things said. Bruce asked if the Chief can give any reassurance regarding the Fort Valley not going to three man crews. Bruce stated that they can’t afford to go to three man crews. Summit has over $1,000,000 capital carry forward. That will be available to benefit Fort Valley. The same applies to the debt. For the size of the taxpayer base they have a huge debt compared to Summit. Summit will contribute to the debt Fort Valley has accrued. Bruce stated that this department violated the open meeting law by not having minutes at the public hearing. What was discussed he has no way of knowing. Bruce discussed the articles in the newsletter and stated that they were not placed where they could be seen easily enough. Bruce stated that the district has not taken the opportunities to educate the public and get input. Bruce stated that Dan stated he wants to lower the tax rate but Dan was the only one who voted to lower the tax rate this year. Bruce stated that the public wonders if the Board is looking out for the taxpayers or for the district. Some of the public understands the district. There are people in the public who understand this issue. Bruce stated that the people who signed the letter feel Summit built an empire on their taxes. He did not go out and canvas the public. Bruce stated that there is nobody here supporting this that is not getting paid from the district. All they are asking for is a vote. Bruce stated that if he (Brian) can get signatures than you should let the public vote on it. Bruce stated that there are people who will challenge the Board and they will be angry people. They will vote for a reduction in taxes and if that has to happen it will be painful. Bruce discussed how the district has been built up over the years and stated that they have about the same number of runs. Bruce stated that the public will be heard on this sooner or later. Rick Parker stated that he received the letter too. Rick stated that he appreciated the comments the Chief and Dan made. Rick stated that if so many people were interested in what happens with this merger why are they not at this meeting. Rick stated that he also talked to people and they want a professional department. Rick stated that he knows there are some people out there who would like it if we had no fire department. Rick stated that he perceives that the people in this district want to progress the fire department. We have been working towards a professional department. Rick stated that with regards to the manning in Fort Valley we may or may not do it. We will look at it on a year by year basis. Rick stated that you keep saying we are going to pay for them. Rick stated that the people in his neighborhood pay more than people in other neighborhoods. It is not about making things bigger to spend more money. It is about providing service to people. Rick discussed how properties are taxed based on how much they are worth so people pay different amounts all over the district. Rick stated that we need to pay attention because of the economy. Rick stated that we will run based on what the budget will allow. Rick stated that we have had people in here and there were not all on our side and not all our your (Bruce Johnson’s) side. Rick stated that you can’t run a professional department by going back to three or four years ago. Rick stated that as for the merger we can do this and do it property and we will come out fine in the future. Randy James stated that these things have been brewing for five years. It has been a good five years and we have been able to hash things out. It hasn’t changed a whole lot. Randy stated that he forgot who suggested letting it go to the people. Maybe that would have been wise. At the time it came up it would have cost $12,000. In the old days when you merged it was the only option you had. This new statute came in a couple of years ago. We did surveys back when we did the Timberline – Fernwood and Doney Park Merger and they came back 96% in favor of the merger. We can get into taxes and into merger. Let’s try not to confuse the two. A couple of years ago the issue came up and the mil rate was put at 2.4 so we could merge. Randy stated that he brought up that it cost him 50.00 and what did he get for it. When we looked at voting for the merger there was four in favor and one abstain and the County Attorney took that as a no so we ended up back to square one. Randy stated that he has been uncomfortable from the beginning. Randy stated that he represents the Summit taxpayers. What benefit does the taxpayer get? Short term it will probably cost a little. Long term it will lower our tax money. Randy explained how we will need to give a raise or COLA and they will spend that $160,000 capital carry forward. Randy stated that the only way Fort Valley can do it is to raise taxes or cut back on a station. The forecast next year is to drop 12-15%. Randy stated that as far as the taxes go he does not care if someone wants to accuse him of raising taxes. Randy stated that the legislatures have put the laws in place so we can ride the wave. As values increase people pay more taxes. We don’t want to go back ten years to inadequate equipment. Ten years ago we had guys leaving for the city of Flagstaff. Keep the taxes separate. The capital carry forward will allow us to ride this out. Our income will decrease and it will be tight. Randy stated that in the projections provided by Administration there is only one year that has a 2% COLA. Even if we don’t merge it will be tight. Possibly we will have to raise taxes or lay people off. Randy stated, is this merger in the best interest of Summit Fire District, yes, it is a great deal. Let’s do it. Another point to remember is that this Board will cease to exist and the new Board will decide the Chief’s Contract, policy, wages etc. Bill Dunlap stated that we have been working on this for quite a few years. Either way we do it we won’t make everyone happy. Bill stated that as for as the cost that Fort Valley is to Summit they won’t be any greater than they are now. They money they pay now will go into the new department budget and will pay for the firefighters, stations and equipment. There may be some extra funds. We will see some benefit from running it as one department with one Board. Bill stated that he has to say for the merger he has some reservations but he feels it is the way to go. Bill stated that he doesn’t have as many reservations for this merger as he did for the Doney Park/Timberline-Fernwood merger. Rick Parker stated that if we go to a vote and the merger passes they will feel the same way. Rick stated that as far as the manning the intelligent thing is to look at it year by year. Rick stated that we can run this thing. We are willing to take the responsibility. Just because we merge does not mean we are going to through common sense out the window. Rick stated that he is ready to vote for the merger tonight. Rick stated that he thinks we can handle it. Randy James stated that if there were 100 people in this room he would be more inclined to listen. This has been posted. We have done nothing wrong with the way we have done this. Randy stated that we did not see a lot of opposition at the public meetings. He stated that he knows it is not perfect but the bottom line is that we have come a long way. We have the personnel and apparatus to do it professionally. What is the wroth for the lives we have saved? Gary Selig stated that the only place he has become cautious is the business side. The world has changed a lot since this started. There is always a need to continually do business in an effective manner. Gary stated that he believes the public support is out there. Gary stated that he was only concerned about the money but he does support the merger. Randy James stated that a positive factor is the FDAT money and he feels we have discussed that enough. Don Howard stated that he would like to address some of the things talked about. Don stated that he appreciates Gary’s point of view. We have a representative democracy. This debate goes back from the start of the American Revolution. The question of if elected to a position do I represent my point of view or my constituents point of view. There is the issue of the capital carry forward. We have put ourselves in a position to pay for four months of our costs before we get into our tax money so we don’t have to borrow it. Currently Fort Valley is paying all their debts. Summit taxpayers will not be paying off the Fort Valley dept with their assess values. The homes in Fort Valley are of greater value than the homes in Summit. Don stated that he would like to clarify a couple of other questions that came up. We did hold a second set of Public Hearings that were published and posted and mailings sent out. There was a quorum of the Board and minutes were taken. We went through the entire process. The first meetings we did keep notes instead of formal minutes. Don stated that he wishes people would come and talk to us. Don stated that he is very open and will listen and talk to people. Don stated that he truly believes the merger is in the best interest of the people. Don stated that the decision to merge by resolution or election is up to the Board. This is why the new legislation allows us to move forward with the Boards vote. Don discussed the new legislation that limits growth to 8%. Don stated that this hurts smaller departments. Don stated that if they want to grow they can’t. Even if a sub division comes in they can’t go above 8%. Don stated that the numbers are there. It makes sense to move forward this evening. We have battled a lot of opposition from the City of Flagstaff. This isn’t perfect but we can adapt and overcome problems and concerns that come our way. Don stated that he is in support of the merger as Chief of Summit Fire District and Fort Valley Fire District. There was a motion by Rick Parker to adopt resolution 2009-01 to merge Summit Fire District and Fort Valley Fire District. There was a second by Dan Atkinson and the vote in favor was unanimous. 12. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Mark Sachara answered the call to the public. Mark stated that he would like to clarify an issue that was brought up by Bruce Johnson. Mark stated that he is not a paid member of this fire department and he is in favor of the merger. Tim Steffen stated that he is currently on vacation and came to the meeting. Tim stated that he is very comfortable with the vote. Tim stated that as a taxpayer he appreciates the Board representing him after talking about it for five years. The timing is right. Dan Atkinson stated that he appreciated what Randy said. We can’t go backwards to broken down vehicles and we didn’t have young men. This is what we do. We are not going to raise taxes because of this merger. Dan discussed the house in Fort Valley that was saved and full of priceless art. Dan stated that is why he has spent 25 years here listening to this. We are not building an empire here. We are here to serve the community and Dan stated that he is very proud to be here. 13. ADJOURNMENT There was a motion to adjourn by Rick Parker and a second by Dan Atkinson. The vote was unanimous and the meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Tina Dillahunty |
Members of the Summit Fire Board of Directors:
This letter is to oppose your vote to merge with the Fort Valley Fire District. As a fair alternative to the residents of the Summit Fire
District, we would like to request that you take this issue to the district voters on the next available ballot. They deserve the opportunity to
decide what is best for their district.
The main concern about this merger that has not been sufficiently addressed by the Board relates to Summit taxpayers supporting the
operations of Fort Valley if a merger is to take place.
With both districts having the same tax rate, Summit is able to fund three man crews and a full administrative staff. They have been
consistently building up cash balance for the past several years. On the other hand, Fort Valley funds only two man crews and contracts out
administrative services.
If a merger is to take place, it seems apparent that Summit taxpayer dollars will go to support administrative costs of Fort Valley
operations. Can the Board prove that this will not be the case?
is the Board willing to say at this meeting that Fort Valley crews will not be increased to three men to match Summit operations? If not,
before a merger takes place, the Board needs to prove to Summit taxpayers that the cost to increase crews in Fort Valley will not be funded
at all by Summit taxpayers.
The Board and/or district staff has argued that a merger would enhance the long-term financial stability of the district because there is a
larger potential tax base of undeveloped land in the Fort Valley district. However, when this land is developed, the additional tax dollars
generated will need to go towards funding more stations and expanded services, and will not actually offset costs related to the Summit
district.
District staff has also asserted the ability to fight a wildfire would be greater if the districts were merged. This is a baseless assertion. If
there is a fire that comes to Summit from Fort Valley, there is no reason to believe it would be fought any differently if this was one district,
or two.
Thank you for considering our requests. Again, the voters of this district deserve the opportunity to decide this issue.
Sincerely,
Summit Fire District Residents
Casey Adkins Mike Eastman Cely Mullaney
Matt Anaya Jerri Garcia Erin Mullaney
Fran Anaya Danny Garcia Kevin Mullaney
Johnny Anaya Gabriele Gerlach Gilbert Ramirez
Brad Berg Bruce Johnson Terry Ramirez
Nancy Berg Cynthia Martinez Jerry Rudy
Elaine Beyal Ty Martinez Barbara Rudy
Michael Bishop Joleen Miller Dana Ruffenach
Becky Cullum Robert Miller Gergen Slim
Misty Drye Eileen Moe Kathy Weizinger
Chris Drye Sid Mullaney Danny Woods
Mary Eastman Johnathan Mullaney Carrie Maciulla
Robert Braatz Jim Maciulla Karen Braatz
Ann Eastburg Danye Johnson Ray Eastburg
This letter is to oppose your vote to merge with the Fort Valley Fire District. As a fair alternative to the residents of the Summit Fire
District, we would like to request that you take this issue to the district voters on the next available ballot. They deserve the opportunity to
decide what is best for their district.
The main concern about this merger that has not been sufficiently addressed by the Board relates to Summit taxpayers supporting the
operations of Fort Valley if a merger is to take place.
With both districts having the same tax rate, Summit is able to fund three man crews and a full administrative staff. They have been
consistently building up cash balance for the past several years. On the other hand, Fort Valley funds only two man crews and contracts out
administrative services.
If a merger is to take place, it seems apparent that Summit taxpayer dollars will go to support administrative costs of Fort Valley
operations. Can the Board prove that this will not be the case?
is the Board willing to say at this meeting that Fort Valley crews will not be increased to three men to match Summit operations? If not,
before a merger takes place, the Board needs to prove to Summit taxpayers that the cost to increase crews in Fort Valley will not be funded
at all by Summit taxpayers.
The Board and/or district staff has argued that a merger would enhance the long-term financial stability of the district because there is a
larger potential tax base of undeveloped land in the Fort Valley district. However, when this land is developed, the additional tax dollars
generated will need to go towards funding more stations and expanded services, and will not actually offset costs related to the Summit
district.
District staff has also asserted the ability to fight a wildfire would be greater if the districts were merged. This is a baseless assertion. If
there is a fire that comes to Summit from Fort Valley, there is no reason to believe it would be fought any differently if this was one district,
or two.
Thank you for considering our requests. Again, the voters of this district deserve the opportunity to decide this issue.
Sincerely,
Summit Fire District Residents
Casey Adkins Mike Eastman Cely Mullaney
Matt Anaya Jerri Garcia Erin Mullaney
Fran Anaya Danny Garcia Kevin Mullaney
Johnny Anaya Gabriele Gerlach Gilbert Ramirez
Brad Berg Bruce Johnson Terry Ramirez
Nancy Berg Cynthia Martinez Jerry Rudy
Elaine Beyal Ty Martinez Barbara Rudy
Michael Bishop Joleen Miller Dana Ruffenach
Becky Cullum Robert Miller Gergen Slim
Misty Drye Eileen Moe Kathy Weizinger
Chris Drye Sid Mullaney Danny Woods
Mary Eastman Johnathan Mullaney Carrie Maciulla
Robert Braatz Jim Maciulla Karen Braatz
Ann Eastburg Danye Johnson Ray Eastburg