GILPIN COUNTY – The Timberline Fire Protection District held its regular meeting on February 10, 2025, at 6 p.m. 

All board members were present, including President Rick Wenzel, Vice Chairman John Bushey, Members at Large John Carder, Mary Kate McKenna, and Kristin Turner. Also in attendance were Fire Chief Paul Ondr and Administrative Chief Jennifer Hinderman. 

The meeting began with a moment of silence for the late Charles “Chip” Smith, who served with the district for over 17 years in roles including firefighter, captain, and board president.

The Board reviewed the Treasurer’s Report, which provided an overview of the district’s January 2025 unaudited financials. There were no questions and they approved the report.

Station 3 Addition

A significant part of the meeting focused on selecting a contractor for the Station 3 Bay Addition project. TFPD Captain Clay Bosworth, a member of the Station 3 Project committee, presented the current proposals from two companies: MW Golden Constructors and Krische Construction (KCI).

MW Golden noted their experience in fire station construction, highlighting past projects for Roaring Fork Fire Rescue and other municipal clients. Their approach stressed transparency, local knowledge, and effective project management. 

Bosworth observed that the MW Golden bid does not include the design cost and their budget is presented as a good faith estimate.

KCI presented their expertise in adaptive reuse and sustainability, referencing their recent work on a fire station for the Lefthand Fire Protection District.

Bosworth reported that KCI is close to budget, whereas MW Golden is double the budget and does not include design costs.

Ondr pointed out that KCI can meet TFPD’s budget, which includes grants and $253,000 for capital improvements already set aside in the budget, equaling approximately $1.9 million total. 

One topic was the cistern location and timeline. Ondr added that KCI can have the addition’s exterior mostly done by September 30, 2025.

“Every meeting we’ve had with them [KCI] we have felt comfortable,” said Ondr, who will hire Arete as the architect. 

Ondr said that KCI will likely have a presentation ready for the Board in May when the final plans are finished. 

Carder asked if the grants they have received have deadlines. Hinderman said the DOLA grant does have a deadline, but not until 2026. 

Wenzel said he believes KCI can meet the District’s needs. He went on to comment that the next step is the notice to proceed to the survey. Ondr said the survey is included in the price. 

Board members deliberated over the proposal, considering factors like budget management, building requirements, and project timelines before voting to authorize Ondr to move forward with the KCI topographic survey and contract. 

District reserves

District reserves were discussed. Wenzel said the District must keep a $500,000 reserve in the General Fund. According to a 2019 resolution that sets this amount, the District can only dip into the reserve if there is an emergency, or with approval from the Board.

Currently, the District is under its minimum for reserves since it allocated funds for recent cost savings.

Carder observed that the reserves resolution is too vague, and that future boards need more direction in determining what qualifies as an emergency. Wenzel asked everyone to review the current policy and submit any suggestions by the next meeting. 

Impact fees and collection 

The conversation then turned to impact fees. The Board discussed the shift of fee collection duties from Gilpin County to the District itself. Members discussed how the change will affect funding, operations, and administrative control.

Ondr remarked that the Gilpin County Commissioners had approved TFPD’s collection of impact fees and an IGA (Intergovernmental Agreement) has been submitted to them. He said that instead of receiving a quarterly deposit from the County, the District  will receive their fees online directly from residents.

Maintenance bay lease

Next, the Board reviewed a lease agreement with Murphy’s Garage for a maintenance bay in Rollinsville. The agreement includes a monthly rent of $1,000, with utilities paid by the lessor. 

The space will be used for maintaining District fire vehicles and equipment. After some discussion about insurance coverage and lease terms, the Board voted to approve the lease agreement, with all in favor.

Chief’s Report

Ondr provided his monthly report, noting that the district responded to 59 calls in January. 

One major incident on January 20 involved a fully involved travel trailer fire, which saw seamless collaboration with Black Hawk Fire. Ondr said the cause was likely a propane space heater left on inside the trailer. 

The report noted that Tender 54 and Engine 58 are temporarily out of service for routine maintenance. Wildland mitigation efforts are progressing as weather permits, and Brush 52 recently returned from a deployment to the Palisade fire.

He also announced upcoming events, including a wildfire awareness film screening on March 15, a chili cookoff on March 9 at Very Nice Brewery, and a blood drive at Station 5 on June 7. Chip Smith’s memorial will be held at noon on February 16, 2025, at the Gilpin County School.

Recruitment efforts are going well, with seven new volunteers preparing for onboarding. The District also plans to attend a recruitment event at Aims Community College in March.

At 7:28 p.m. the Board entered executive session to discuss personnel matters related to seasonal wildland employees. After returning to public session, the meeting adjourned.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for March 11, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Station 3, 19126 Highway 119, Black Hawk.