New Sheridan Fire Board Holds First Meeting

The new Sheridan Fire Board conducted their first meeting Thursday night in Sheridan at the Fire House. Board members Ashley Rush, Sharon (Hunt) Paxson, and Kendra Pickering were sworn in Monday by Judge Joel Miller after having been appointed by Judge Roger Prokes earlier that afternoon. Their first order of business was to gain access to the bank account so they could take care of bills that were as long as 3-4 months past due. The next order was to set the tax rate and undergo mandatory NIMS training. Board members are also in the process of getting bonded. The board agreed to have Kenny Teeple bond them for a cost of $150/year. Another item was to set up a procedure to report fire calls to the state; the Fire Department has not received any fire calls in the past few months.

The board elected new officers. Sharon Hunt was named President, Kendra Pickering Vice President, and Ashley Rush Secretary/Treasurer. Rush said that there was enough money in the bank account to pay the bills based on statements received. The account has an estimated $9,100, with an estimated $3,700 in bills to pay. When doing the petition drive requesting Judge Prokes to appoint a new board, Rush said that people had expressed interest in passing a new levy, putting the Fire District on a better financial footing. Fire Department members requested that the board set up a separate account for donations. Fireman Tyler Paxson said that all the other fire departments in the area had such an account. The Fire Department routinely receives donations from people, sometimes after they come and put out a fire. "We've been fortunate to operate off of donations for a number of years," said Paxson. This would allow Fire Chief Butch Thomas to authorize repairs or equipment purchases without waiting for board approval; the board would be responsible for tax dollars. There would be two signers for board members to write checks. The board agreed to look into setting up a donation account. There has been an agreement in the past with the Ambulance Board to house the ambulance in the Sheridan Firehouse; however, no copy of such an agreement could be found. The goal of the board is to get a written agreement.

The board has retained David Baird to guide them through the process of forming a legal board and take care of legal issues. Thomas said that the Fire Department was going to undergo grain bin training. One of the board's goals is to seek grants for the Fire Department and they said they wanted to raise money for matching funds; they will invite Economic Developer Tyler Steele to a future meeting for that purpose.

One goal will be to bring down Sheridan's fire rating for insurance purposes. Currently, Sheridan is at an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most expensive and 1 being the least expensive. When the water line project is completed, that could clear the way for Sheridan to drop to a 7. The project will include new hydrants for the town.

The board will hold a special tax rate meeting on Monday the 31st at 7, and then hold a regular meeting on Thursday, September 3rd at 7 at the Firehouse.