Fire Protection District Unification Information

Hello Community -

As North Fork Fire, Inter-Canyon Fire, and Elk Creek Fire move toward unification, we know you may have questions. We are trying to anticipate what those may be and have collected several here. We will continue to do our best to answer any questions you have and look forward to further conversations. Feel free to reach out.

Included here are images of our 5-page Info and Q&A document. It will also be on the website soon, and in the meantime, you can access the full PDF here: elkcreekfpd.colorado.gov/sites/elkcreekf...ts-Flyer-10-7-24.pdf

Unification Questions and Answers - Here is the second installment from our question and answer series. We are honing in on some specific questions, but don't forget to read our 5 page information flyer that we posted above.

Keep on eye out for more Q&A, and, please feel free to send us more questions and we will do our best to create a post dedicated to those questions. Thank you for learning the facts and asking for info where you need it!

Hello community! All these Q&As are important... but this one seems particularly important as we have learned there are some concerns within the community about where your emergency response will come from - which are completely understandable if you have heard a rumor about stations closing! Let's clear that rumor up! See below, and know that your services will still be coming from the same place, with the added benefit of one MORE 24/7 staffed station.

If you are feeling confused about the letter you received referencing "exclusion" and "inclusion", have a watch of this video and it should help clear things up! Yes, "inclusion" and "exclusion" are simply part of the unification process. Your emergency response locations are not changing or moving. Let us know if you if have any questions! You can comment below or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can get and share a link to this video here: vimeo.com/1022337170?share=copy#t=0

UNIFICATION PUBLIC HEARING
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2024 at 6:00 PM
11993 Blackfoot Rd, Conifer, CO 80433

The Elk Creek Fire Protection District has received various questions related to the proposed unification process. In preparation for the Public Hearing on Unification, scheduled for November 21, 2024, the District is providing the following information to assist in answering or clarifying recent questions from the public on the unification process and related public hearing.

Proposed Unification:

1. The proposed unification is based on a statutory process in Section 32-1-501(1.5) that allows for a fire protection district to initiate an exclusion of property at the Board level if another fire protection district agrees to immediately include that property.
2. No election is required if the district excluding property has a higher mill levy then the district that is including the property.
3. If approved, the proposed unification would result in the North Fork Fire Protection District’s (North Fork) boundaries being expanded to include the property currently located within Elk Creek Fire Protection District (Elk Creek) and Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District (Inter-Canyon). North Fork will then be renamed Conifer Fire Protection District.
4. The proposed unification will be based on the mill levies certified by each District for budget year 2025, not the current mill levies certified for budget year 2024.
5. If approved, the unification will not change the mill levy amount assessed in budget year 2025 for Elk Creek citizens. Elk Creek citizens will be assessed the mill levy certified by the Elk Creek Board of Directors for budget year 2025.
6. If approved, the unification will result in a single mill levy being assessed on the entire unified district (Conifer Fire Protection District) in budget year 2026.
7. The base mill levy of Conifer Fire Protection District will be 12 mills and could include adjustments for (i) refunds and abatements; and/or (ii) offsetting revenue decreases due to changes to the assessment rates.

Public Hearing Process:

1. The Elk Creek Board of Directors will preside over the unification public hearing.
2. The public hearing will be similar to a typical public comment period at Board meetings.
3. All individuals interested in speaking must sign up prior to the start of the meeting on the provided sign-in sheet.
4. The Board will not respond or answer questions. This is a time for citizens to provide their respective perspectives to the Board.
5. Each speaker will be permitted to speak for 3 minutes and provide comment to the Board related to the proposed unification.
6. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the Board will deliberate on the proposed Resolution and Order of Exclusion.
7. Approval of the Resolution and Order of Exclusion would authorize a completion of the unification process.

Questions about Unification?
Want to learn more about your fire districts?
Interested in volunteering and becoming involved?

Come and chat with your fire chiefs at an upcoming Coffee Hour or Happy Hour!

• November 9th, 8:00 - 9:00 AM at Lynn's Whistle Stop, 6328 S Turkey Creek Rd, Morrison
• November 13th, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM at The Perk, 28172 Main St, Conifer (formerly Aspen Perk Cafe)
• November 14th, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM at Coffee Bean & Bakery, 16 Mt Evans Blvd, Pine
• November 18th starting at 6:00 PM at Snowpack Taproom and Pizzeria, 11863 Springs Rd, Conifer

In light of the inclement weather and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to cancel tomorrow's Coffee Hour with Chief Shirlaw at Lynn's Whistle Stop. Please stay safe and warm and we will try to reschedule a future Coffee Hour. Thank you for understanding, and we hope you can attend one of the other Coffee Hours or Happy Hour instead!

Hello community, we’ve had a lot of questions on this topic, so here is a Q&A where we address it in the most straightforward way we can. As always, feel free to reach out if you have further questions! Our email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..