GILPIN COUNTY — The Timberline Fire Protection District met January 12 at Station 3. The meeting was routine in structure, but the discussion centered on financing and construction progress for the district’s largest current capital project.

The board approved minutes from the December 10, 2025, regular meeting. 

Lease-purchse agreement

The key action of the night was approval of a second lease-purchase agreement with Holman Capital Corporation. The agreement authorizes up to $1 million in supplemental financing for the Station 3 modernization project. The resolution allows the district to execute related documents to complete the transaction, including escrow and site lease agreements.

The added financing supports construction of three new fire truck bays, a 30,000-gallon water cistern for rapid refilling, a backup generator, utilities, and fire sprinklers. The full contracted project cost is $2,446,900. 

A USDA Community Facilities Grant covered $908,279. An earlier financing package accounted for $700,000. The new lease-purchase fills the remaining gap and adds contingency funding.

Under the agreement, rental payments begin July 12, 2026. The term is two years at a 5.97 percent interest rate. Total payments over the term are projected at $1,119,400, including $119,400 in interest.

Board members were told that funding for the lease-purchase was expected to occur the following day.

Construction updates indicated the project was entering its final phases. Concrete work at the rear of the building is complete. The cistern pad was scheduled to be poured the next day. 

Floor drains were being installed, with bay floors expected to be poured within two weeks. A crane was scheduled to arrive shortly to install the stairway and roof.

Chief's report

Chief Paul Ondr reported that the district responded to 159 calls in December. That brought the 2025 total to 826 calls, the highest annual total on record for the district. The previous high was 756 calls in 2017.

Fire incidents accounted for 16 calls in December. Rescue and EMS made up 45 calls. Hazardous conditions were the largest category, with 64 calls. The remaining calls included service calls, good intent calls, false alarms, and severe weather responses.

The district’s average response time in December was just over 10 minutes. In Gilpin County, the average was 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Boulder County mutual aid calls averaged just over 18 minutes.

The district received a Foothills Regional Emergency Medical & Trauma Advisory Council (FRETAC) grant for a suction unit and advanced airway devices for Engine 55 and Brush 55. Station 5’s generator project was reported complete. Brush 59 is available for national deployment.

Wildland and mitigation efforts also continued. Residential mitigation work is ongoing. The district was awarded a 103-acre mitigation project in the Pinecliffe Association that will extend into late 2027.

On the staffing side, Ondr reported 19 interviews scheduled and 23 additional invitations sent for March onboarding. Training for the month focused on water supply.

With financing secured and construction advancing, Station 3 is now in the final stretch toward completion.

The meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. 

The next regular meeting of the TFPD board is scheduled for February 10 at 6 p.m. at Station 3 at 19126 Highway 119.