Former Inter-Canyon Fire chief allegedly embezzled $643,000

Wahrscheinlich werde ich, aber mit viel Liebe und Zuneigung

tongue:

"I'm thinking of keeping my mouth shut the whole time I'm in the Czech Republic."

:rofllol Can we start a betting pool on whether this is even possible!

I am sorry to hear that your aunt isn't doing well, I wish her a speedy and full recovery.

I did ask a Kuehster Rd homeowner whether they had opted out of ECFPD and their reply was no, they've always been in ICFPD's district. I also asked ECFPD, and Kuehster Rd has never been in their district lines. There has been some confusion in the past because the section of Kuehster Road shown in the Jeffco maps in Elk Creek is no longer named Kuehster Road; it was renamed to Gooseberry Lane due to confusion between it and South Kuehster. If you know of information otherwise, I would appreciate if you could provide proof that says so.

I have also spoken with the ECFPD firefighters, I've attended a couple of their membership meetings, I've seen them at BOD meetings, I went to the Open House and toured the fully open station, I've watched them (and the other area depts) play together at the Big Chili Cookoff, Mt Lugo Luge, Barrel Stave Downhill Ski, and Conifer Christmas Parade - I see a group that is united, cohesive, and committed to this community. I see a group that is in full support of its board and its Chief. What have you seen and where?

What comments of mine have been untrue?

I don't call names and be nasty, but I'm not going to pull my punches and be anything but bluntly honest either. I'm sorry if that upsets you, but everyone knows where they stand with me and what to expect of me. Just because I don't live in the district doesn't mean I'm "trying to cause trouble", but definitely does mean that I will step up when it's the right thing to do for the community because I did live here, I have friends who live and work here, and I work here and support this community. Not only do I pay through my rent, but I've donated money to the department voluntarily as well, in addition to hours of my time recording meetings for everyone to stay informed. And will continue to do so as long as it is run with integrity for this community. All I've done is provide information and answer questions, and ask questions of my own. You are free to vote however you like, and I thank you for participating in our democratic process. No, I can't vote on this issue, but I can make my voice heard and last I checked, that's not a crime or worthy of such condemnation as you've heaped on those of us in support of this measure.

If you don't agree with how ECFPD, or any local district is run, then get involved. I have attended almost every ECFPD BOD meeting for the last year and a half. You know how many people showed up to the last one to hear the Chief present his 2014 Budget? Three - me, Michael Davis, and one other FOECF member (Daniel Laverty from HTT popped in briefly, but had to run to another meeting).
You know how many usually show up, not counting firefighters and press? 0-3.
You know how many people voted in the last election for a BOD member? 171 out of over 5,000 in the district. Way to make your voices heard. BTW, I supported Grady in that campaign, and posted publicly on his behalf.
If you want to become informed, if you want things to change, then you all have to get actively involved.

A mill levy has been proposed because the department has never had one passed in the last 40 years and they've cut what they can and justified their need. Revenue is down and expenses are up - for everyone, including the fire districts. If you have other solutions, they'd be delighted to hear them. Complaints about how things have been run, or opinions about how things are without documented evidence to back up those claims, and no solutions as to how to make the department better are useless at best, counter-productive and harmful at worst. The proposed 2014 budget has been posted - I've not seen a single good recommendation to save money from what's proposed, or how to fund new equipment and gear for the firefighters, and pay for maintenance on the facilities - just like we have to do maintenance on our homes. Repairs of, and patches to, existing equipment do not solve the upcoming 2014 ISO rating review problem, and only kick the can down the road more and will cost more in the long run because those trucks will still need to be replaced in the near future. If not at 25 years of life, then when? 30? 35? Will you be up for passing a mill levy in the next 5 years, or 10? What they are asking for is pittance compared to what will be paid in insurance. What makes more sense? Your local fire department having to lower what level of service it can provide, continue operating with trucks that are past their lifespan and rating credit, have to cut more from its budget and do things like possibly close stations to save costs, AND have your insurance rates go up because the ISO rating is downgraded from a 5 to an 8 or 10? You don't have to believe Jennifer - call every other insurance agent up here and ask them what will happen for those homeowners within 5 miles of Station 1 if ECFPD goes to an 8 or 10.

Then call the local realtors and ask them if they think they'll have a tougher time selling homes to people when they find out what their insurance will cost, and that they have a fire department that has 25+ year old equipment and for many in the area the insurance companies basically consider them as if they don't even have a responding fire department. Ask local businesses what will happen when more homes sit empty and there are fewer customers patronizing them. This issue affects us all and will trickle down and up the board. It may cost businesses more to pay the tax, but their insurance rates will go up as well if it isn't passed, and all those costs will be passed on to us. Look at the big picture - it matters.

Again, I am sorry to hear that your aunt is not doing well, WindPeak's niece, and I hope she gets better soon. It is not my intention to upset anyone, but I will hold to my principles and speak up when I have learned all I can about an issue and feel it's for the best for the community. You are free to vote how you like, all I've asked is that you learn what's really going on and decide what's best for this whole community. The community will decide for itself and however it turns out, I know the members of this department will continue to serve as best they can, and I will continue to support it as best I can. Because it's the right thing to do.