The West Metro Fire Protection District needs nearly $34 million in equipment, facilities and staff to provide an appropriate level of services, a blue-ribbon committee has concluded.
The panel, which released its final report Thursday, stopped short of recommending that the district pursue a mill levy and/or a bond issue in May.
“We decided to leave that up for the board to decide,” said Mike Feeley, the former state Senate majority leader who was co-chairman of the group. “They’ve got some tough calls to make.”
Co-chairman Mark O’Connor of FirstBank of Lakewood said the committee outlined what it thought was important and suggested the district board “make sure there is public support” for whatever it decides to put before the voters.
The district’s board will meet Tuesday to discuss a possible ballot issue, which must be decided before a March 3 county clerk deadline. An election is planned for May 2 because five of seven board seats must be filled.
“The board will use the blue-ribbon committee’s recommendations and some polling research to make a decision on a bond issue or a mill levy or both,” district spokeswoman Cindy Matthews said.
Matthews said the district has discussed $40 million to $45 million in bond projects, including a new training center and rebuilding four fire stations, and a 1-mill increase in the current 11.4-mill levy, which would yield $3 million annually for operations.
The district, which serves 265,000 residents of Lakewood, Morrison and south Jefferson County, has struggled financially for more than three years. It has used deficit spending, money from reserves and operations cuts as revenues dwindled and costs rose.
In October, the district laid off four civilian employees out of its workforce of 365, cut programs and froze salaries to balance its $41.6 million 2006 budget.
In particular, Feeley and O’Connor said, they were surprised by the conditions at several fire stations, which weren’t built to accommodate modern equipment or male and female firefighter sleeping facilities, and need significant repairs.
The committee recommended replacing or remodeling seven stations, redeveloping property at 3535 S. Kipling St. for a training facility combined with a new station No. 10, and pursuing national fire standards and accreditation.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
Panel recommendations
$9.3 million – equipment, staff, operations to achieve accreditation
$2.9 million – to rebuild/remodel/repair stations
$8.75 million – to build new training facility
$4.75 million – to build new station No. 10
$8.25 million – to restructure leased property debt
$33.95 million – total
