1. Plans for a Financially-Sustainable Future
Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District
Community Meeting
August 1, 2018
Introductions: if there are members of the public, include how long you’ve lived in the area and how long you’ve served on the Board (mention that you’re volunteers)
As Board members, it’s our responsibility to provide ongoing financial oversight and ensure this organization is financially sustainable
That’s what we’re here to talk about tonight.
But first, for those who may not be as familiar with our organization here’s a quick overview (transition to next slide)

2. ICFPD AT-A-GLANCE
Founded and built by volunteers in 1956; still primarily volunteer-led today
Our responsibility is to protect people and property
Responded to ~500 emergency calls last year; that’s a 23% increase from two years ago
The majority were medical emergencies
We’ve seen a recent increase in multi-call days
Own and maintain five stations and 15 vehicles
We rely on about two-dozen volunteer firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, which means our first responders have full-time jobs, families and other responsibilities
They spend about 2 hours/per emergency call away from work or their loved ones
And given the volunteer nature of our organization, our 15 vehicles and 5 buildings are aging and some are at the end of their useful life
But we, along with many fire districts is the state, are facing a financial crisis which makes it’s difficult to maintain our level of service, buildings and vehicles (transition to next slide) 2

3. ICFPD BOUNDARY 52-square-mile boundary
Population of 8,000, about 2/3 are 50 and older 3

4. FUNDING SOURCES
90% of our funding comes from residential property taxes
In the 80s, we collected $420 on a home valued at $400,000; today, we collect $304 on a $400,000 home
Due to the 1982 Gallagher Amendment the state must maintain a balance of property tax revenues between residential (capped at 45%) and commercial (capped at 55%)
As residential values outpace commercial values, the state was forced to drop the residential assessment rate to maintain that 45/55 ratio
Medical reimbursement is another source, but there’s been a 60% reduction in EMS Revenue
Inter-Canyon is not different than any other fire districts in that we have one primary source of funding
And that source of funding has decreased significantly over the past 30 years and is expected to continue to drop
We have very few options to supplement property tax dollars; there are limited grants available and they are competitive and earmarked for specific purposes (transition to next slide) 4

5. EMS CALLS V. REVENUE 2012 - 2017 Year Revenue EMS Calls
Average Revenue/Call
2012
$84,948
176
$482
2013
$88,354
201
$435
2014
$88,085
223
$386
2015
$72,329
225
$321
2016
$65,125
228
$285
2017
$65,396
259
$252
47% decrease 5

6. 2018 MAJOR EXPENDITURES Total Budgeted Expenditures: $840,240
You can see that about 45% of our total budget this year will go directly toward fire and medical emergency response, including all the costs to maintain the equipment and infrastructure (buildings) needed to aid response 6

7. CASH FLOW AND RESERVES
We’ve built up our cash flow and reserve, which establishes a solid financial foundation and provides cash for both planned and unexpected expenditures
$1,600,000 in the bank today
$500,000 cash reserves
$450,000 working capital
$278,000 committed to tactical tender purchase
$150,000 unrestricted 7

8. CURRENT FINANCIAL STATE
Despite our cash flow and reserve, we’ve seen cuts
Due to funding cuts in 2017:
Did not hire an additional firefighter/paramedic for daytime emergencies
Delayed replacement of primary wildland/structural engines
Delayed station replacement (non-compliant with ADA and does not have facilities for our firefighters or space for emergency vehicles)
Continued cuts are expected and will make it nearly impossible to hire personnel to meet the current increased demand; the real impact will happen two or more years out so we must plan now
Despite rising home values, the annual revenue we receive has been steady or decreased for the past several years
Yet, our costs for fire and medical emergency services continue to increase
We’ve conducted a comprehensive needs assessment to identify our highest priorities (transition to next slide) 8

9. FIRE DISTRICTS IN THE NEWS
You can see here that there’s been talk all over Colorado about the many years of reductions in property tax revenue for special districts like ours
As an elected Board of Directors, one of the most important roles we assume is helping to ensure the organization is financially stable and sustainable
Before we talk about what we do about this, it’s important to understand why and how this is happening (transition to next slide) 9

10. NEEDS ASSESSMENT
We conducted a comprehensive needs assessment, projecting out 5 years to determine our priorities
Year 1 – move from about 1.5 positions currently to 3 positions; new hires would be focused on EMS and wildland fire training and citizen prevention resources
Year 3 – replace two of our Type 3 engines, which we need to navigate the topography and terrain here in the canyon
Year 5 – replace/remodel two of our oldest stations (built in 1956 by volunteers and with donated materials)
If we were to secure a 3-mil increase, we’d be able to take care of many staffing and maintenance needs that have been deferred for several years 10

11. IMPACT OF AN INCREASE
Following our needs assessment, we analyzed the impact of a 3-mil and 4-mil increase and determined 3 mils would help us sustain the financial foundation we’ve built and take care of priorities
Secure a full-time position dedicated to wildland fire prevention and education (constituents greatest concern)
Maintenance and replacement of infrastructure
Impact to property owners
3 mils = ~$86/year for a home valued at $400,000
4 mils = ~$115/year for a home valued at $400,000 11

12. MIL LEVY COMPARISON/IMPACT12
*Assumes RAR remains at 7.2%; there’s talk about it decreasing again to below 7%

13. CONSTITUENT FEEDBACK
Kicked off a public outreach and communications effort at the end of last year
Surveyed residents: 430 responded, 322 completed
97% agree wildland fire is among the greatest priority
81% support a 3-mil increase, 60% support 4 mils
Talked to hundreds of residents at events this spring and summer
Common thread is concern over wildland fire preparedness
The Board made public engagement a priority and has been heavily engaged in outreach to and with constituents
Following tonight’s meeting, we’re hosting a community form on this very topic to gather additional input 13

14. NEXT STEPS Continued outreach and communications to residents
Continued Board discussion and analysis; decision expected at August meeting 14

15. STAYING IN TOUCH Sign-up for email updates on our website
Intercanyonfire.org
Facebook.com/ICFPD
Twitter.com/ICFPD
Nextdoor.com
Look for us at community events 15