Budget and Raises Approved

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board of Trustees approved the fire district 2015-2016 budget of just more than $255,500 at their meeting, Oct. 20. They also voted unanimously to give all employees a 2.5 percent raise.

The budget committee presented a balanced budget to the board for approval. Seeley Lake volunteer firefighter Michael Richards questioned the agenda’s wording that said the preliminary budget would be discussed. He felt there should have been more time for the public to comment on the budget.

The board agreed that if the public was concerned about the budget they would have been at the meeting and been allowed to voice their concerns. Having no one else comment, made them believe that the public trusted them to approve a budget that was fiscally responsible to the taxpayer. With very few questions from the board, the budget was approved with the condition that it be reviewed monthly to ensure the district was operating within the black.

Included in the budget was a 2.5 percent raise for the year for the fire district’s three employees.

In other business:

• Fire Chief Bob Vanden Heuvel presented the board with the legal information he had found regarding the night-time transport stipend the board had agreed to pay volunteers for transports to Missoula between 8 p.m. – 8 a.m. Based on IRS law, the district should only pay $60 per trip per person based on 20 percent of what a full-time paid medical responder would be paid for a 12-hour shift. Should the board decide to allow the stipend to be offered for transports from 5 p.m. – 8 a.m. it would be reasonable to offer $75 per trip. This will be finalized at the next meeting.

• Vanden Heuvel discussed his feelings on re-instating the cadet program. He said he’s not sure an active cadet program is good for the department right now. The board verbally agreed they would be comfortable waiting until someone turns 18-years-old before they can start with the department. Vanden Heuvel will write a policy for the program since they currently have cadets who have parents in the department. However he is resistant to actively recruiting new cadets for the program.

• While two different options were presented to the board to consider a change to the current overtime policy, the board took no action towards changing the current district policy. The district policy now states that an employee is only eligible for overtime pay after 40 hours worked. Unlike the current Missoula County employee overtime policy, sick leave and vacation time taken in a given week do not count towards the 40 hours worked.

• The district is now taking bids for snow removal. See the legal announcement page 15 of this issue of the Pathfinder.

• Three emergency medical technicians are currently in advanced training. Vanden Heuvel thinks this will be a great help with the new ambulance and to the community.

• Vanden Heuvel brought up a concern that the public expects the office to be staffed from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. He said that that is not always possible because, between he and Lynn Richards, may be out on a call, training, running errands and/or have time off. While no formal action was taken, it was suggested a sign be posted on the door.

The next meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Fire Hall.