The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About26-08-11- Fire District Minutes DRAFT DANBY FIRE DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING August 11, 2026 Commissioner Westmiller called the regular meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. ATTENDANCE: COMMISSIONERS: OFFICERS: Kevin Faehndrich Joseph Freedman Charlotte Griggs Marvin Oltz Wayne Westmiller Sharon Gaden, Secretary, Deputy Treasurer John Gaden, Danby Fire Chief Robert McCray, West Danby Fire Chief (Absent) Ken VanEtten, West Danby 1st Asst. Chief Call to Order Bid Openings: CONCRETE work at both stations and floor repairs at West Danby station: Received one bid: Bomak Contractors LLC - $174,981.33. Discussion held. Commissioner Faehndrich moved to approve renovation of concrete around drains at Danby and West Danby stations by Bomak Contractors, LLC, subject to review of contract, warranties, and proof of insurances, all subject to review by attorney, seconded by Commissioner Freedman. 5 yes 0 no. Carried. Privilege of the Floor: Steve Cortright, member of truck committee for replacement of 1421. Steve presented his research for a possible replacement of 1421 through Colden Enterprises and submitted a quote and contact information for the Commissioners to review. Minutes: Preliminary minutes for July 28, 2026, Regular Meeting and July 28, 2026, Budget Workshop were sent to the Town Clerk on August 10, 2026, for posting to Town’s website and posted on District Website. Commissioner Griggs moved to approve the minutes of the July 28, 2026, Regular Meeting and the July 28, 2026, Budget Workshop. Motion seconded by Commissioner Oltz. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no (1 was unavailable to vote). Treasurer’s Report: • Emailed Financial Reports to Commissioners/Secretary/Chiefs o Balance Sheet o Profit and Loss o Equipment (100/200) o Fuel • McNeil Insurance 3rd Installment $6,528.00. • Additional 2% Fire Tax received $32.53. • Bank statements reconciled. • Pleasant Valley estimate for lights on Danby Station. $430.00. Commissioner Westmiller made a motion to approve up to $500.00 for Pleasant Valley to install photocells for last 2 lights on the outside of Danby Station (bays 4 and 5). Motion seconded by Commissioner Faehndrich. Motion carried 5 yes 0 no. • Municipality survey. Discussed and will send it back to the Town of Danby to complete. Commissioner Westmiller moved to approve the Treasurer’s Report. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 5 yes 0 no. Communications: • Email from NYS Archives • Email from NYCLASS Collateral Report • Email from NYCLASS month-end statement available • Email from PERMA regarding Work Zone Kit • Email from NYS Association of Fire Chiefs – The NYSAFC Bugle • Email from PERMA Safety Tip Tuesday • Email from Central Region of Fire District Association – 10/17/26 Educational Seminar at Cicero Fire District. Topics: Combination Fire Departments, insurance issues, district elections, issues and problems. $20 each, no cost for Fire Chief(s) APPROVAL OF BILLS: Commissioner Faehndrich moved to pay the vouchers as audited and approved on Operating Account Abstract 7-B $22,076.19, claims 186-192; Abstract 8-A $19,090.64 claims 193-209; and Abstract 8-B $13,927.02 claims 210-215. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs carried 5 yes 0 no. CHIEF’S REPORTS: DVFC: (Chief Gaden) • Written report for July was received. • Ward’s Apparatus will be taking 401 on 09/08/26 for preventative maintenance and pump testing. On 09/10/26 they will take 421. They are contacting Chief McCray to schedule 1401, 1421 and 1441. • On 10/13/26 hose, ladder and hard suction annual testing will be done at Danby Station. On 1014/26 hose, ladder and hard suction annual testing will be done at West Danby Station. • Training Requests: D. Dougherty, I. Ross and D. Peluso need to attend EMT Refresher class. Being held at TC-3 beginning 08/24/26 and goes through 12/17/26. Asking for tuition of $940.00 each. May put in for mileage but Chief Gaden is going to recommend they carpool and use 442. • Light broke on front of station by door #1 broke off. Emergency repair by Pleasant Valley was done. • 2 sets of EMS gear came in. Will be ordering the next 2 sets when IC students return. All 4 set were already approved. • Met with ISO representative to see if the rating can go down from 5 to 4. Will know in approximately 6 to 8 months. • August 29, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. is fire company picnic, commissioners, treasurer, and West Danby Chief, with families are invited. • Would like to purchase 6 minitor radio knobs from Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response. Commissioner Faehndrich moved to approve the purchase of 6 minitor knobs from Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response, not to exceed $100.00. Motion seconded by Commissioner Westmiller. Motion carried 5 yes 0 no. Commissioner Faehndrich moved to accept training request by D. Dougherty, I. Ross and D. Peluso to take EMT Refresher class at TC- 3 starting 08/24/26 through 12/17/26 and to pay the tuition of $940.00 each, D. Peluso is pending receipt of invoice to pay. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 5 yes 0 no. WDFC: (1st Asst. Chief Ken VanEtten) • Written report for July was received. COMMITTEES: PURCHASING: NONE (Commissioner Faehndrich had to leave) BUILDING/GROUNDS: • Chief Gaden reported that the water is better at the station and that the water softener still requires salt. GRANTS: • Commissioner Freedman will write a grant for nozzles. INSURANCE: Commissioner Freedman moved to adopt resolution to increase the 2026 budget by $3,149.00 from receipt of PERMA dividend check. Motion seconded by Commissioner Oltz. Roll Call vote was taken: Com. Faehndrich: (absent); Com. Freedman: Aye; Com. Griggs: Aye; Com. Oltz: Aye; Com. Westmiller: Aye. Resolution duly adopted. TECH: NONE TRUCKS • Chief Gaden reported 442 went to Maguires and had oil change, tires rotated, and NYS inspection completed. 441 will go next week and 443 in November. • 1st Asst Chief VanEtten reported 1443 went to Maguires and had oil change, tires rotated, and NYS inspection and recall work completed TOWN BOARD: NONE RECORDS: • Lens report • Fit Testing (update) – 09/14/26 make up class, not confirmed. • CPR Cards (update) – 08/24/26 at 7:00 make up class. • Retention/Grant for Management – January 2027 • Gear washers – reminder for Chiefs to bring all paperwork to District Office. POLICY: NONE MEMBERSHIP/TRAINING: NONE LONG RANGE PLAN: NONE AUDIT: NONE BUDGET: • Commissioner Freedman discussed the proposed 2027 budget. The 2027 budget target is $623k with the tax cap at 2%. The preliminary budget came in at about $648k. Therefore, we needed to reduce the budget by about $25k. In order to do that we did the following. Keeping mind that the fixed budget costs are around 58% of the total budget. 1. Reduced the transfers to reserves by $20k. That transfer number is arbitrary and we only transfer what remains in the contingency account as of year end anyway. Any other transfers to reserves do not take place until around March after we receive the tax levy. 2. Took $2k out of each stations equipment budget. 3. Reduced West Danby training by $1k. 4 Any residual difference was incorporated into payroll taxes. • Discussion followed Commissioner Freedman moved to adopt the Proposed Budget for 2027 of $623,000.00. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no.. OLD BUSINESS: NONE APPROVALS of TRAININGS, ITEMS OR SERVICES TO BE PURCHASED: Commissioner Freedman made a motion to approve the payment to Computer Room for $32.50 for conference about Staff Office computer. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Freedman made a motion to pay HSI $93.20 for digital certification. Motions seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Griggs made a motion to approve to pay $63.33 to Mirabito for fuel at the West Danby Station. Motion seconded by Commissioner Freedman. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Westmiller made a motion to approve the travel fee of $435.00 by Jerome for the annual servicing of the extrication tools. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Freedman made a motion to approve the emergency repair by Pleasant Valley of the broken light fixture at the Danby Station. Motion seconded by Commissioner Oltz. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Westmiller made the motion to approve the purchase of 3 pairs of extra small extrication gloves from Fire Store at the cost not to exceed $350.00. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Westmiller made the motion to approve 10 pairs of extrication gloves from Coldwell, instead of Jerome Fire, not to exceed $370.00. Motion seconded by Commissioner Oltz. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Oltz made a motion to approve the payment of $50.00 to the Town of Danby for the building permit for the concrete repair work at both stations. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Freedman made a motion to approve the payment of $167.95 to Maguires for the oil change, tire rotation and NYS inspection on 442. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Commissioner Oltz made a motion to approve the payment of $254.44 to Maguires for the oil change, tire rotation and NYS inspection on 1443. Motion seconded by Commissioner Griggs. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. Executive Session: Motion made by Commissioner Westmiller, seconded by Commissioner Freedman, to enter Executive Session for the purpose of salary questions. Those present: Commissioners Westmiller, Freedman, Oltz and Griggs; Secretary Gaden. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. The Board entered Executive Session at 8:10 p.m.. Motion by Commissioner Freedman, seconded by Commissioner Griggs, to end the Executive Session and to proceed with open session. Motion carried 4 yes 0 no. The Board returned to open session at 8:18 p.m. Those present: Commissioners Westmiller, Freedman, Oltz, and Griggs; Secretary Gaden, Treasurer Hart, Chief Gaden and 1st Asst Chief Ken VanEtten. No decision made in Executive Session. NEW BUSINESS: • Com. Westmiller received a telephone call from Vestal Fire Commissioner about having Danby member Micaela Metz being a mutual aid member with Vestal Fire Department while attending Binghamton University. They will be sending a mutual aid agreement to us. Next Meeting date and time: • 08/25/26 at 6:30 – regular meeting with budget workshop to follow is cancelled • 09/08/26 at 6:30 – regular meeting Meeting adjourned at 8:22 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon Gaden Secretary DANBY FIRE DISTRICT RESOLUTION TO MAKE ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUSTMENT TO 2026 BUDGET AS A RESULT OF STATE MANDATE TO KEEP BUDGET, GRANTS AND DONATIONS NET ZERO RESOLUTION 2026-08-11.1 WHEREAS the Danby Fire District has received $3,149.00 from PERMA as a dividend check. WHEREAS the money was deposited into General Account and will be used for reduction of insurance expenses. WE RESOLVE to modify the 2026 Budget to include the sum of $3,149.00 as added to General Account. WE FURTHER RESOLVE, with this modification, the 2026 Budget will increase from $611,000.00 to $614,149.00. Commissioner Freedman moved. Commissioner Oltz seconded, and the Board of Fire Commissioners voted as follows: Commissioner Faehndrich (Absent) Commissioner Freedman Aye Commissioner Griggs Aye Commissioner Oltz Aye Commissioner Westmiller Aye The foregoing resolution was thereupon declared duly adopted and approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners on August 11, 2026. __________________________ Sharon Gaden, Secretary Danby Fire District