General Information

Government Type

Special Service District

Entity

Northwestern Special Service District (Washington County, Utah)

Public Body

Administrative Control Board

Notice Information

Add Notice to Calendar

Notice Title

DRAFT MINUTES OF REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING

Notice Type(s)

Meeting

Event Start Date & Time

November 11, 2025 06:47 PM

Event End Date & Time

November 11, 2025 07:57 PM

Description/Agenda

DRAFT MINUTES OF REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING Northwestern Special Service District Brookside Fire Station - 436 E. Wells Fargo Dr., Brookside, UT 84782 November 11, 2025 6:47 PM Attendance: Board Members & Staff Present: Mike Johnson, Chair - Veyo Mark Cain, Vice Chair - Central Slade Hughes, Public Affairs Officer - Veyo Rosemary D'Amato, Treasurer - Central (Excused Absence) Scott Holt - Gunlock (Absent) Paula Guthrie - NWSSD Clerk (Audio Link Unavailable) District Chief Guthrie, Veyo Chief Larsen, Central Chief Flores (Unavailable - On Emergency Callout) General Public: Darcy & Danny Nappi 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Invocation 4. Approval of Consent Agenda - The consent agenda is a means of expediting routine matters that come before the Board for approval. The consent portion of the agenda is approved by one non-debatable motion. If any Board Member wishes to remove an item from the consent agenda, that item becomes the first order on the Regular Agenda - Final Minutes of October 14, 2025 approved 3-0. 5. Due to District Chiefs currently being at an emergency, a motion was made to alter the Agenda to discuss items that don't require Chief Guthrie's input. The motion was passed 3-0. 6. Monthly Accounting - The board reviewed the district's financial status. The district is transitioning from its 20-year-old Quickbooks® accounting system to a new one from Pelorus Methods, which requires 'crosswalking' our old accounting codes to the new system's structure. - The 2024 income is temporarily inflated to approximately $441,000 due to a one-time, fully reimbursed, State CIB grant of approximately $250,000, for a new rescue vehicle package. The district's match was about $25,000. - Normal operating income (from standby fees), is around $213,000. As of November 10, 2025, total income is $441,000 and expenses are $284,000. - Other income includes $213,000 in budgeted standby fees, $7,400 in donations, and $4,700 in interest. - Approximately $70,000 in unpaid standby fees are transferred to the county tax roll annually. - Two CDs at Zions Bank ($25,000 and $10,000) generated over $1,000 in interest this year. They will not be renewed upon maturity, on November 21st due to falling interest rates; the funds will be moved to the state's PTIF account. - The district has $96,996 in its State PTIF account and has already repaid $25,000 of $50,000 transferred for CIB grant purchases. - Total Zions Visa card spending is $141,000 to date, generating over $2,000 in free cashback rewards. 7. Budget 2025 amendment update - Additional Radios: A total of four of eight new portable radios and one mobile radio have been purchased from the Utah Communications Authority. - The monthly cost for official Google Mail has been steadily increasing from $192 in January to $309 this month. In part, this is due to the increase in active mailboxes. 8. 2026 Draft Budget Discussion - Director Johnson noted that neighboring districts like Dammeron Valley, have much larger budgets (around $2.5 million) funded by higher fees and the renting out of equipment for wildland fires, a model that would be difficult for this district to replicate. - The board discussed paving the gravel lot at the Gunlock station due to safety concerns, in 2026, with an estimated cost of $16,000-$22,000. - The need for a new TV monitor at Brookside fire station for presentations was highlighted when a planned demo failed tonight. - The district's board insurance bond coverage limits appear to be outdated and require a comprehensive review. For example, the public official bond started in 2017, has a low cap ($57,000) and it has incorrect details; In the past, the district has always used an insurance broker without comparing prices (with other agencies). Vehicle insurance is currently about $7,000 annually. Director Cain will obtain quotes from at least three other insurance vendors. Malpractice coverage also needs to be verified for our paramedics and EMTs. A formal plan with a deadline to receive and compare quotes from at least three new vendors should be established to mitigate financial and legal risks. The old, unused ambulance in Veyo, costs $700 annually in insurance and should be sold. Conclusion - The board discussed preliminary items for the 2026 budget, including paving the Central station's driveway apron, replacing Gunlock's garage door openers, and purchasing four new atmospheric gas meters. Aging equipment will likely require applying for CIB grants in 2026. Due to the lack of 2 board members and the chiefs, the board was not yet ready to approve the provisional 2026 budget at tonight's meeting. - A work meeting between the board and chiefs will be held in the first week of December to finalize the budget. To allow for more preparation time, the public budget hearing has been rescheduled to Tuesday, December 16th, at 6:30 PM at the Veyo Fire Station. 9. Central Fire Station Medical Response Vehicle update - A new rescue vehicle will be ready after emergency equipment installation and is expected to be picked up by Friday. It will be equipped with a new Zoll cardiac monitor and rescue gear but is still awaiting funding for a CPR device for the Central Fire Station. - The district operates within a complex mutual aid system, relying on other agencies for ambulance transport. This state-licensed arrangement is not always efficient, as seen with the 17+ minute response time from Santa Clara-Ivins to Gunlock, compared to a potential 7+ minute response from Gold Cross out of Veyo Fire Department. The board can consider a request to rezone these service areas to improve response times, such as for Gunlock, to improve public safety. 10. Discussion & Approval of Volunteer Appreciation Event - After discussion and a motion duly made, the board approved 3-0, a budget of up to $3,000 for a volunteer appreciation event, to be funded by credit card cashback rewards and the board's discretionary fund. After not holding an event for over five years, the chiefs were volunteered to organize it. - Initially planned for December, the event has been postponed to January or February to avoid the holiday rush and improve attendance. - The board approved a motion to let the chiefs decide the final date. 11. Veyo office server training update & Website and Server Access - The district's new website is partially functional, with the online bill payment already tested and working. The next step is to partition the site for individual fire departments to place their photos and information. - A meeting is planned for Thanksgiving week with the Media Consultant to finalize website parameters, with a goal to have the basic site operational in early December. - Remote desktop access to the server is available with 15 user licenses, but there is a need to ensure all relevant personnel can access and use it. 12. Station Chief's Reports: Chiefs unavailable due to callout. 13. Directors Comments: Director Holt - Gunlock Absent Director Hughes - Veyo No additional comments Director D'Amato - Central Excused Absence Clerk Guthrie - Gunlock Unavailable Director Cain - Central No additional comments Chairman Johnson - Veyo No additional comments Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:57 PM

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

The NWSSD will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled members of the public to access meetings. Please call Chairman Johnson (435) 619-4495 or Chief Guthrie (435) 680-0401 if you have any special needs.

Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation

NA

Other Information

11/01/2025 Website under construction

Meeting Information

Meeting Location

436 E. Wells Fargo Dr.
Brookside, UT 84782
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Contact Name

Mark Cain

Contact Email

mcain@nwssd.utah.gov

Contact Phone

(435) 375-9699

Notice Posting Details

Notice Posted On

November 17, 2025 11:17 PM

Notice Last Edited On

November 17, 2025 11:17 PM

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