[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6477572,"mediaKeyId","5711576-9af3768470b9c4048193c82367a4ab22","parentId",5711576,"title","Fire district monthly finance briefing flags cash-flow pressure; board adopts debt policy, rules and wildland contract","audioSeconds",735,"startMs",3552000,"endMs",4287000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711576-9af3768470b9c4048193c82367a4ab22&start=3552&end=4287","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711576-9af3768470b9c4048193c82367a4ab22/thumbnail_3552000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6477572/Washoe-County/Nevada/Fire-district-monthly-finance-briefing-flags-cash-flow-pressure-board-adopts-debt-policy-rules-and-wildland-contract","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477572-dab4e762b5801dcbd9bc6cf71412b787/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434535&Signature=lAVbp1JrZ5n3qySxvTvwFZW9oeqB3ZaVvMQnAxM9guW3D6SEVD~NTGSS4xycfUG7n715mYhNmOBKe4mN1dgnYsDqXTUSJ~YFq4675Q-wS84wKOZJymsuaiPQS1hqumVXOeqyUnmka35qSzGrGHmKbjSr8MHJOxnnHUqj6XmnnweCc1gNj7ABTbyyZ2SJsF6VL8w~R0bNpu4vb2Xvi55bKU4rSjdq40gIrFGVIs7ulFzKuazZbrHa93mxEM-Q4jJUSKT5eyW~92OVCn2JjjGMZV81kjoDZf~~gqRgFxWNCtYv-IAf25d8hvQ15lYKkaZu4hlOcT-XZzdyuBhjPoVhdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washoe County, NV","date","2025-09-03T07:36:17Z","article","Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District officials told the Board of Fire Commissioners on Sept. 2 that the district faces short-term cash-flow pressure and a low planned fund balance for fiscal 2026, prompting a push for stronger reserve-building and regular monthly budget updates.

Cindy Vance, chief fiscal officer, presented the district’s July 31, 2025 budget-to-actual report and explained timing issues tied to a statewide move from accrual to cash accounting for consolidated-tax distributions. Vance said consolidated-tax distributions were delayed and that some receipts that historically posted to the prior fiscal year may require accrual discussions with auditors. “I think our cash flows are definitely top of mind,” Vance told the board.

Vance said the district’s FY26 budget currently projects a very small ending fund balance (described in the presentation as about 4% of fund balance in the FY26 budget projection), and she recommended rebuilding to a policy target closer to 12% — and ideally 16%–20% for an independent district — before adding other commitments. The board and chief discussed monthly reporting and possible short-term borrowing options; Vance said borrowing (for cash flow) is possible but would affect future debt capacity and credit considerations.

Chief Richard Edwards and commissioners also discussed operational statistics included in the finance briefing: July 2025 incident counts for the district were 1,865 incidents resulting in 2,667 unit responses; the district reported sending and receiving mutual-aid resources with neighboring agencies and highlighted major-incident summaries in the monthly report.

Debt management and capital planning

The board accepted the district’s debt management policy, indebtedness report and five-year capital improvement plan as of June 30, 2025. CFO Vance said the indebtedness report lists four outstanding debt issuances, including amounts tied to Station 37 and the Baron Way property; she said one debt balance was about $1.4 million, another was about $6.2 million (Baron Way), and a $5.2 million issuance related to Station 37 apparatus. Commissioners requested more detailed breakouts of the balance and liabilities tied to each district-owned facility.

Rules of procedure

The board adopted formal rules of procedure intended to align the commission’s parliamentary practices with county commission rules. Commissioner Garcia moved the rules; Commissioner Andriola seconded. The adoption passed 4–1, with Commissioner Clark voting no. Commissioner Garcia said he requested the rules to “have alignment with what we have at the county” and to address concerns about conduct and quorum practices.

Wildland fire protection contract (WFPP)

The board retroactively approved a two-year interlocal contract with the State of Nevada — the Wildland Fire Protection Program (WFPP) participation agreement — effective July 1, 2025, at $233,205 per fiscal year (total not to exceed $466,410). Wildland Division Chief August Eisenhagen described the agreement as a key lever for mutual aid, training and cost-share coverage with state and federal partners. Commissioner Andriola moved approval and Commissioner Garcia seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Consent calendar (item 5): Motion to approve by Commissioner Garcia; second by Vice Chair Hermann. Outcome: Approved unanimously. (No public comment.)
- Item 10 — Accept Debt Management policy, indebtedness report and five-year capital plan: Motion to approve by Commissioner Garcia; outcome: approved unanimously.
- Item 12 — Adopt rules of procedure: Motion to approve by Commissioner Garcia; second by Commissioner Andriola. Outcome: Approved 4–1 (Commissioner Clark dissenting).
- Item 13 — Retroactive WFPP interlocal contract with State of Nevada (07/01/2025–06/30/2027), $233,205 per fiscal year, total not to exceed $466,410: Motion to approve by Commissioner Andriola; second by Commissioner Garcia. Outcome: Approved unanimously.

What’s next

CFO Vance and the chief committed to monthly budget-to-actual reporting and to returning to the board with more detailed capital-debt breakouts, options for rebuilding fund balance and the feasibility of short-term borrowing if necessary. Chief Edwards said staff will propose a policy to restore fund balance over time, with a target range recommended at 16% for a district of this type.

No other formal voting items were taken during the Washoe Valley consolidated-station presentation; commissioners and staff agreed to continue pursuing grants, partnerships and design-cost reductions to address the station funding gap.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Fire Commissioners | September 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","CFO Cindy Vance told the board that delayed consolidated-tax distributions and the district’s FY26 budget projection leave a low planned fund balance and cash-flow concerns; the board accepted a debt management policy, adopted rules of procedure and approved a two-year wildland interlocal contract.","taxTitle","Washoe County, Nevada","taxId",2669,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477577,"Truckee Meadows Fire outlines $16 million estimate, alternatives for Washoe Valley consolidated station",2620,4860000,7480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711576-9af3768470b9c4048193c82367a4ab22&start=4860&end=7480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711576-9af3768470b9c4048193c82367a4ab22/thumbnail_4860000.jpg","/articles/6477577/Washoe-County/Nevada/Truckee-Meadows-Fire-outlines-16-million-estimate-alternatives-for-Washoe-Valley-consolidated-station","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477577-5f79c4b6141eb305ad0aa56af0c9a67f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434535&Signature=ovUsfUI-4zPOjOpO0rDN~eEsi5veEvAWDWKIKrn5jKpztlMZ4YEpqUmf-R4-ev~-mbnP~Z6RB-f8-YIWuLphiG11Ic5fYRZda3UCwXEZgEL9JlXhF3MZs7DqPhx6l5oD3f4SVpxGk23C07DdrXW9DsOisgncyswmSH9eel9CET-LGjIN8pmraWHWojHk73i6kM0lWioakTSjjbyYlstmhswkxWjksXI5~EhVrMpc3TPFHUDXEb1mru1SZbzzhrac0S-kXB4DEOZWhasibSkm4Ji2YRYi8CPOyLWZRWWIi2BI~Qu84PTCz3sReezu8VYMlLwbHPGghc7~aVXPeqsBMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Chief Chris Kettering outlined a range of design, land and operating costs for a planned Washoe Valley consolidated fire station, telling the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board of Fire Commissioners on Sept. 2 that the district “wanna[s] to build the station. We just need to figure out how we find it.”

Kettering’s presentation followed months of public comment from West Washoe Valley residents who urged a faster return of local fire protection after volunteer and state-run stations were closed or repurposed. The presentation summarized historical studies, current operational data, multiple financing attempts and interim options such as reuse of the Bellevue volunteer station and placing temporary modular facilities on the purchased site.

Kettering said the project’s estimated construction cost rose from about $7.5 million in 2022 to roughly $16 million in 2025, plus about $1.2 million in site-adaptation costs. He told the board the district purchased the site in 2020 for $475,000 and that if the district instead purchased the state-owned Station 30 property it would need to pay a market-value appraisal of about $275,000. He listed several non-construction expense items that proved costly in local conditions — commercial well infrastructure (estimated $1.0 million–$1.6 million), paving ($200,000–$250,000), a septic replacement (about $109,000), a diesel-exhaust recovery system (about $100,000) and other site utilities and equipment.

The presentation described staffing as a separate annual operating obligation of about $2.5 million if the district staffs a new station, with roughly $1.9 million of that attributed to personnel costs. Kettering said the district has kept several promotional or “floater” positions vacant to save money while the station remains unfunded.

Kettering reviewed prior financing attempts and constraints: a U.S. Department of Agriculture 40-year loan required market testing and the district received a private-market offer only for a 25-year loan that would have raised annual debt costs beyond what the district could afford; the district previously pursued a State Infrastructure Bank loan for other projects and did not have capacity to carry two large debt payments; ARPA funds and local grant opportunities were explored but did not yield a viable package; and outside federal-grant pursuit (via a consultant, Porter Group) would require further time and roughly $5,000 per month in consultant fees if the district pursued that route.

Kettering summarized interim alternatives under consideration: redesigning to lower construction costs (for example, non-block construction), installing a temporary modular building on the purchased site (modular estimate $261,000), reactivating and upgrading the Bellevue volunteer station (Station 300) which would require substantial site work, or redeploying seasonal wildland crews to provide limited presence in the valley. He emphasized the district’s priority: “We wanna build the station. We just need to figure out how we find it.”

Residents and local stakeholders who spoke during public comment said response-time changes since closure of staffed stations have affected insurance availability and perceived property values. Penny Brock, chair of the South Valley’s Washoe Valley CAB, told the board: “Safety and life and property is the number one issue that you are to address. Please help this area. We need that fire station.” Mike Goldie, a new resident, described a 20-minute emergency response and said the delay “was a long time” when a household medical emergency occurred.

Kettering also reviewed operational data used to justify the consolidation plan: combined population of the two districts covering Washoe Valley is about 7,303 people with roughly 111 square miles and about 2,700 buildings; the district’s standards of cover classify the area as rural, with a first-unit objective of 20 minutes 85% of the time and EMS zone standards that allow 20 minutes, 59 seconds for many priority medical calls. Kettering said data from Jan. 1–July 30, 2025 show Station 32 met the 20-minute rural objective about 95% of the time and produced an 11:56 average response time for many calls at the 90th percentile.

Board members and the chief stressed the difference between the district’s desire and its present fiscal ability to proceed. Fire Chief Richard Edwards told the board the district wants the consolidated station and would relocate personnel from Station 32 when a funded station exists, but “we still have to be able to make the loan payments. Today, we don’t have extra money in our budget.”

Kettering closed by asking the board to continue pursuing multiple funding sources, including federal grants, grants from local foundations, public–private options (for example, lease–purchase agreements with potential developers), and continued capital-savings efforts within the district. He urged increased outreach to the South Valley CAB and pledged regular updates.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation; commissioners asked staff to continue exploring funding options and return with more financial specifics and updates to the community advisory board.

Residents who asked for specific short-term relief repeatedly urged reopening Bellevue or using ARPA or other local funds as temporary measures until a funded consolidated station can be built.","Deputy Chief Chris Kettering presented options and detailed cost estimates for a proposed consolidated Washoe Valley station, citing construction-cost escalation and limited district cash flow as the primary barriers to building and staffing a new station now.","actionData","errors"]

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Fire district monthly finance briefing flags cash-flow pressure; board adopts debt policy, rules and wildland contract

Truckee Meadows Fire outlines $16 million estimate, alternatives for Washoe Valley consolidated station