GOLDEN GATE CANYON — The Golden Gate Canyon Fire Protection District Board approved a draft of the 2027 budget pending future changes during its meeting on September 24 at the Grange and online.

Board members present for the meeting were Deb Curlee, president; Marith Reheis, vice president; and Mike Sever, treasurer. Karla Grahn, secretary, attended online and Dave Primmer was excused.

Treasurer Mike Sever introduced a discussion of the 2027 Draft Budget. He said the process for developing the budget went extremely well thanks to Bookkeeper Chris Creech.

The budget committee was composed of Sever, Reheis, Creech, and Chief Kyle Benson. They looked at the 2026 budget as a base and then added the wildlife mitigation team and other new initiatives. They examined expenditures and how to most efficiently plan the budget without overages.

Upcoming election costs still need to be factored in. There will be two board positions open.

A top priority is vehicle maintenance because of delayed maintenance needs, Benson said. Staff have cared for most of the fleet, so they can decrease that amount in the budget to a total of $25,000 for the year. Working with Golden on maintenance has made a big difference.

Another big change involves ending the redundancy in communication among multiple internet providers. With new technology, the District can remove landlines and go to voice-over internet, moving away from one internet provider at Station 81 to match the rest of the district.

Reheis explained the budget must be planned assuming the mill levy won’t pass. The District has proposed a mill levy increase for vehicle maintenance and replacement, to be voted on in November.

John Neer, a member of the public, said if the mill levy passes, the budget then shoots up to $40,000. Creech explained districts have to create budgets, but they don’t always spend up to the budget. The budget looks big, but a lot gets transferred to reserves.

The final budget isn't legally required to be passed until after the mill levy election. A meeting about the election is planned for October 21.

Creech said the District may need to buy a new engine this year, and a truck that needs replaced immediately. Curlee noted that, even if the mill levy passes, they might not be able to buy an engine in the first year.

Grahn said she hoped to prepare something like a 2026-to-2027 comparison before the October meeting.

Benson added the board could create the budget narrative early. The Board agreed and approved the 2027 draft budget, pending future changes.

Regarding the Budget Committee, Benson said when he first started, the process was very messy. This year, it took an hour and a half because processes are more efficient.

“It’s the fruit of our labor," he said, "and it’s working very well."

Other business

During old business, the Board approved a motion to ratify the official TABOR notice for the upcoming mill levy election. Benson said it’s best if the board ratifies the paper notice that has already been submitted to Jefferson County on September 22, and he is forwarding it to the Board.

“It’s a done deal,” he said.

Grahn introduced an item regarding paying for email newsletter service Mailchimp. She said she has had “hiccups” with the platform. The district is using it the free version for now, but it will cost $120 annually to upgrade to the paid version.

Sever shared his positive experiences with Mailchimp through his job, where he works with a paid subscription, and suggested that might resolve some of the issues.

“If we are having problems, and we could solve it for $120, that is good,” he said.

Right now, bulk email is almost nonfunctional, Benson said, calling the upgrade money well spent. The Board approved upgrading to the paid version of Mailchimp.

During his report, Chief Benson said Jefferson County has no fire restrictions. Fire danger has decreased, but they are remaining cautious. They had a fire within the district after the fire restrictions were canceled. He advised people to be careful with chainsaws and outdoor grilling, always making sure there is water handy.

The District has had 78 incidents to date and are moving into the phase of the year when they will get busy for a few days, Benson said. They have had a small fire and motor vehicle accident happen at the same time.

The District will have a volunteer recruiting effort and has received 41 interest forms before advertising. They are not looking for a large group, but rather a handful of operational and mitigation staff. They will keep the number of new recruits under 40.

For slash collection, there will be an 80-yard dumpster delivered to the District free of charge from Jefferson County Open Space, Benson said. Slash removal will be on October 3.

The Grange will have a CPR class on October 24, but it’s getting close to full. Anyone interested should email Drew Kenyon to get it scheduled.

During Community Organization Reports, DeDe Ramstetter said the Auxiliary held the annual pig roast on Saturday, which was a great success. Everything was bought at the auction.

The next regular Board Meeting will be on October 22 at 7 p.m. at the Grange, 25201 Golden Gate Canyon Road, Golden.