The Nederland Fire Protection District Board of Directors (NFPD) met on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 7 p.m. to review the first draft of their 2024 budget and to discuss Proposition HH, which increases state revenue while affecting property tax revenue.

Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann provided the NFPD with his Chief’s Report, detailing any calls of significance, equipment repairs, fire department purchasing, and firefighter training that occurred from late September through early October.

Nederland firefighters and EMS responded to the 4 a.m. call of a possible stabbing by sword in Nederland’s Old Town neighborhood; fortunately, nobody was found to have been stabbed, though someone was taken into custody. Crews also responded to a moose attack at Diamond Lake, and assisted an unconscious person at the Nathan Lazarus Skate Park.

Schmidtmann’s report indicated the completion of several vehicle repairs, including maintenance and fluid changes for the department’s plow trucks. The district’s application for a grant to fund the replacement of handheld radios and a fire department vehicle was, unfortunately, denied.

Firefighter Rick Henrickson had returned from his deployment to the SRF Complex fire in Northern California, while firefighter Eric Abramson’s deployment had been extended.

The Chief’s Report noted that active recruiting has begun for a Captain/ Paramedic position in the Nederland Fire Department (NFD). The posted salary range for this position is between $89,000 and $110,500. The district has received one application so far for the position as advertised, and another for part-time paramedic only.

Schmidtmann noted that he has received emails from other Boulder area fire departments that have also been seeking recruits for the same position.

The NFPD is actively working with Peak to Peak Human Resources to broaden their resources in order to better assist residents in situations when a trip to the emergency room is not necessarily the best course of action. Schmidtmann also reported about a collaboration with medical providers and County crisis workers to connect residents with chronic untreated conditions, such as mental health issues and substance abuse, to helpful services and resources.

CPR classes are currently being scheduled with the Nederland Community Center staff, Town staff, and Nederland Community Library staff, as well as with several businesses in town. Outreach and education on Narcan has also been continued throughout Nederland.

Schmidtmann’s report also mentioned the completion of a draft Psychomotor Skills examination policy and procedures, which was labeled as “both a burden and an opportunity to create EMS skills testing that more closely mirrors real work practice.”

Chief Schmidtmann also indicated that work on the first draft of the district’s 2024 budget had begun. The NFPD had discussed the first draft in detail during the October 11 meeting.

Fire Marshal Andrew Joslin’s report to the NFPD stated that the initial inspections of 15 buildings at Eldora Mountain Resort was complete within four hours, thanks to the implementation of new software. The job of inspecting Eldora has previously taken up to two weeks to complete. This year’s inspections of Eldora yielded 16 violations, compared to last year’s 80.

The NFD will be participating in the Town’s Trunk-or-Treat event on October 27, handing out candy; and representatives of the department will be judging the Chili Cook-Off on November 19 at Very Nice Brewing Company, with all proceeds going to the NFPD.

Schmidtmann led the NFPD through the draft of their 2024 budget and explained the several additions which resulted in a roughly $400,000 increase in the budget compared to this year’s.

The district requires a new brush truck, office equipment, new desks and furniture for the fire station, as well as upgrades to paint and carpeting. Gas and utility bills have also gone up in cost; Schmidtmann noted wanting to budget for an “energy audit,” to ensure the efficiency of the station.

$25,000 in capital was also budgeted for a mitigation/wildland team, and $32,000 for continued HR consulting. $20,000 was added to the EMS budget for additional and updated medical equipment, and $40,000 was budgeted for the construction of a burn building.

Due to the rejection of the District’s bid for a grant to fund new radios, $129,000 was budgeted for the purchase of 30 handheld radios, with an additional $5,000 budgeted for repairs and programming costs. Schmidtmann indicated that vehicle radio upgrades could be funded through another upcoming grant opportunity, but that the updating of handheld radios was more urgent.

Schmidtmann also noted that the cost of replacement bunker gear was added to the 2024 budget, considering there are five recruits currently in academy and that some of the department’s bunker gear needs to be replaced by 2026.

The budget accounts for a 6% pay raise for all personnel. Schmidtmann explained that the pay raise is consistent with most Front Range departments’, with Black Hawk the only district committing to a 7% pay raise. He added that the NFPD was “still playing catchup” regarding offering competitive wages.

The budget for staff incentives was also doubled, and Schmidtmann specified that he was drafting the idea and budget for creating pensions for volunteers. Schmidtmann has been meeting in person with NFD volunteers to ascertain what would further incentivize firefighters to respond to calls, regardless of the type of call or time of day.

The “reserve” portion of the budget, which includes budget lines for a vacation reserve, an operating reserve, and a Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) reserve, was also bolstered to increase their budgets closer to where they are calculated to be.

The NFPD voted to adopt a resolution recommending a vote of “No” on Proposition HH, formally stating their opposition to the proposition, which will appear as a ballot measure on November 7.

Proposition HH aims to reduce the residential property tax assessment rate and to subtract a specified amount of money from a property’s taxable value before applying the assessment rate, to create two new subclasses of residential property, to provide backfill funds to local governments for the decrease in property tax revenues, to institute a limit on local government property tax revenue, and to add a new cap on state revenue, which allows for the state to retain revenue up to the new cap, waiving the TABOR requirement to refund residents.

Proposition HH requires voter approval under TABOR as, if approved, it would increase state revenue.

Many special districts, in addition to the NFPD, are opposed to the proposition as it directly affects property tax revenue, which most special districts depend on as their primary source of revenue.

A sample resolution was provided, which stated the Boulder Rural Fire Protection District’s opposition to Proposition HH. It reads: “ Proposition HH will mandate reductions in local property taxes for at least 10 years, resulting in billions of dollars of lost revenue for local governments without any reduction in service obligations.

“Proposition HH undermines the short- and long-range planning efforts of Colorado’s special districts that are necessary to absorb inflationary pressures, to increase salaries and compensation for employees, to construct and maintain government infrastructure, and to respond to the needs and emergencies of Colorado’s communities.”

The Nederland Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Meetings can be attended online on Microsoft Teams. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 7 p.m. For more information go to: https://www.nfpd.org.