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Monday's Internet Edition, March 15, 2010.
WFD chief appeals to board on maintenance position
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Photo by Fran Soto
Wilton Fire Protection District Fire Chief Tom Dark asks the board on Feb. 17 to consider upgrading the vehicle and facilities maintenance position because of heavy workload and long hours.
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By Fran Soto
River Valley Times Staff
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Directors of the Wilton Fire Protection District (WFD) board agreed at the board meeting on Feb. 17 to consider upgrading the WFD Vehicle/Facilities Maintenance position held by volunteer firefighter Dan Kunz after hearing an appeal from Chief Tom Dark. “In 2007, our contract for vehicle maintenance with Elk Grove tripled, and we decided to do it ourselves,” dark said. “Doing it ourselves has been more time consuming than we thought. Dan has logged a lot of hours.”
Dark told the directors that the district has two options: one is to upgrade the position to compensate Kunz for his increased workload, and the other is to pay to have the work done by Kunz (for now) mostly on a volunteer basis. “We are not creating a new position,” Dark said. “These are the options. We either have a person on staff or hire out. This option is better than a pool of funds to pay someone.”
After some discussion on whether some maintenance duties could be delegated to other volunteer firefighters and shift firefighters, Director Joe Guardino requested a job description be presented to the board. “I would like to see a job description in writing, and I would like it defined so that in the future the intent is there in writing,” Guardino said. “It is only fair that we recognize the amount of hours that Dan (Kunz) puts in.”
Director Dan Speer, acting board chair in Director Obe Brown’s absence, asked that Dark submit his proposal in writing to each director within the week “We cannot discuss this between ourselves, but we can each submit our ideas to you,” Speer said to Dark. According to Speer, the board would agendize the request for the March 17 board meeting.
In his report to the board, Dark praised the ongoing work to improve facilities at Station 81 on Dillard Road. “As you can see, the blinds are up, and there is still some painting to do. But baseboards are in, and some floor work was done,” Dark said. “Also, the new green recliners were purchased, which is a nice addition.”
Dark also spoke to Guardino’s request that the district consider fencing at Station 84 on Alta Mesa Road to improve its appearance and secure the facility. He said that WFD Battalion Chief Brian Brown is looking into building a training facility at Station 84. “We are looking at a training facility in three phases in three years,” Dark said. “If we put up a fence, it could be something that would be in the way if we decided to do this.”
Guardino reiterated the need to secure the property. “I’m leaning toward fencing to make it look better and secure the facility,” Guardino said. “We need to look at the options. I want to be respectful of the neighbors.”
The next board meeting of the WFD will be Wednesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at WFD Station 81 at the corner of Dillard and Wilton roads.
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