Presentation by Chief to the Board: 2025 Amended Budget, 2026 Operating and Capital Budgets
Notice Type(s)
Meeting
Event Start Date & Time
November 11, 2025 06:30 PM
Event End Date & Time
November 11, 2025 07:30 PM
Event Deadline Date & Time
11/11/25 06:30 PM
Description/Agenda
05 November 2025: Agenda posted
12 November 2025: Audio recording posted
15 November 2025: Meeting Minutes posted
-------------------
DVF SSD Agenda November 11, 2025, 6:30 PM
2026 Budget presentation, 2025 Amended Budget presentation
1. Call to order/roll call/pledge Alan Burns, Chair
2. Approval of Agenda Alan Burns, Chair
3. Introduction and swearing in of new Board member, Olivia Anderson Alan Burns, Chair
4. Presentation of 2025 amended Operating Budget, Board discussion Fire Chief Chris Rieffer
5. Presentation of 2026 Operating Budget, Board discussion Fire Chief Chris Rieffer
6. Presentation of 2026 Capital Budget, Board discussion Fire Chief Chris Rieffer
7. Schedule public budget hearing for November 20, 2025, 6:30 PM Alan Burns, Chair
11. Public Comment Alan Burns, Chair
12. Adjournment
------------------------------------------
MINUTES: Chief's Budget Presentation to the Board
DAMMERON VALLEY FIRE SPECIAL SERVICE DISTRICT
11 November 2025, 6:30pm
1. Call to order: 6:30pm by Alan Burns, Chairman. Roll call: Curt Shelley, Alan Burns, Pat Johnson, Olivia Anderson, Jack Kuntz. Pledge led by Doug McEtchin.
2. Approval of Agenda: Motion to approve by Pat Johnson. Motion to amend item 3, swearing in by Pat Johnson, Clerk rather than the Chairman by Curt Shelley. Second by Jack Kuntz. Amended Agenda approved.
3. Introduction of new Board member, Olivia Anderson by Alan Burns, Chair.
Swearing in of Olivia Anderson by Pat Johnson, Clerk. This swearing in is noted
by the Clerk, and is an official record in the Minutes of this meeting.
4. Presentation of 2025 amended Operating Budget, Board discussion by: Fire Chief Chris Rieffer. $2,462,925.33. It is noted by Curt Shelley that since the budget is in excess of $1,000,000, and that actual revenue and expenses are significantly greater than the original 2025 Budget, that an Amended Budget is required. It is further noted that there will be no Board votes taken tonight on any Budget, this meeting is to enable the Chief to present the Budgets to the Board in a Public Meeting, prior to the formal Public Budget Hearing.
5. Presentation of 2026 Operating Budget, Board discussion by: Fire Chief Chris Rieffer. $2,334,979. The proposed 2026 Budget is approximately 95% of the 2025 Amended Budget.
6. Presentation of 2026 Capital Budget, Board discussion by: Fire Chief Chris Rieffer. The Capital Budgets 2026-2030 represent anticipated Capital Expenditures that are dependent upon revenues, grants, and other income sources: 2026: $1,944,933. 2027: $557,933. 2028: $160,933. 2029: $177,933. 2030: $123,933.
7. Schedule Public Budget Hearing for November 20, 2025, 6:30 PM. Alan Burns, Chair. Motion to approve this date/time and publish notifications and Budgets as required by Pat Johnson. Second by Curt Shelley. Approved. Note: the detail of the Budgets will be/is posted as attachments on the State Public Meeting website, the DVFR website, and at meeting notice boards near both West and East mailboxes.
8. Public Comment
Drea Markham - how many fires in Dammeron this year?
Doug Markham - congratulations for accomplishments, training, interns
Joyce Carlon - wildland: were we short of staff to deploy?
Note: comments are discussed and answered in 8.a-h below.
Further detail by Chief Rieffer in response to Public Comment:
a. The current Fire Academy graduates will provide 22 interns who will serve at least 4 shifts per month for a year. This enables minimum 4 staffing of the Fire Station 24/7/365. During 2025, the intern program has enabled DVFR to increase on-duty staffing by 100%, from 2 to 4.
b. One primary differentiation between the neighboring volunteer fire departments and DVFR is our ability to meet NFPA Standard 1710. Volunteer departments are commended/honored/respected for doing what they are able to do.
c. YTD, DVFR has responded to 9 structure fires, including 1 major incident, in Dammeron, Central, Gunlock, and Santa Clara. Responded to multiple other fires. Details will be provided in the Chief's Year End Report. It is noted that the response time from page to roll is less than 1 minute, thanks to Operations Chief d'Ambrosio and the firefighters.
d. There have been some missed deployment opportunities this year due to several factors, including cash flow. It was noted by Chief Wolfe that payments for deployments by the State vary seasonally, from 4 - 8 weeks, occasionally longer. Approvals process is cumbersome, inefficient.
e. All DVFR firefighters are trained in Wildland. Even when we are fully deployed, there is a Wildland crew and equipment here to protect the community.
f. Some graduates of the Training Academies do come back to serve in DVFR, as interns, and on deployments.
g. Dammeron Valley has been recognized as a FireWise community for the 2nd year in a row. This requires the residents to provide a minimum of $15,000 in contributed cash - or equivalent labor hours - in fire prevention, brush/tree clearing/fuels reduction. This year, there have been 2200 hours recorded in FireWise activities, which is the calculated equivalent of $76,000. Unfortunately, there were many additional hours contributed that were not recorded to the DVFR website.
h. HB48 continues to evolve: a Public Meeting will be held in Cedar City on November 18, residents are encouraged to attend in person or online. A recent update meeting held locally had 89 attendees. The presentation from that meeting has been posted on the DVFR website, and a summary was included with the 2026 invoices.
9. Adjournment: 7:25pm Motion by Curt Shelley, second by Jack Kuntz.
Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations during this hearing should notify the Dammeron Valley Fire Special Service District Chairman of the Board, Alan Burns, at least three days prior to the hearing.
Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation
Policy: This shall be known as the Dammeron Valley Fire Special Service District Electronic Board Meeting Policy.
In compliance with Utah State Code 52-4-207
Title 52
Chapter 4
Section 207
Other Information
DVFD is located on the east side of Highway 18, about half way between Mile Markers 17 & 18, the second building after the mail box pods on the North side of the street.
Alan Burns - Board Chair
Curt Shelley- Treasurer and Vice Chair
Pat Johnson- Clerk
Jack Kuntz - Member
-------------- - Member