Brownsburg board approves budget amendment, adopts conduct policy and tables owner-rep contract for new fire station

At a meeting of the Town of Brownsburg board, members approved a 2026 budget modification, adopted an employee conduct policy change, approved an EMS precepting affiliation and voted to table the Kramer contractor services agreement until September while staff clarifies inspection fees and contract details.

The board’s actions followed public comments about a July 9 apparatus accident, questions about a Hazmat unit, and several agenda items related to the fire department’s budget and equipment. Jim Murphy, 10726 North State Road 267, Brownsburg, asked the board for “more information” on the accident investigation and on “the contract with the Kramer” and whether inspection costs are additional to monthly fees. David Lyon, PO Box 513, Brownsburg, questioned a nearly 30% increase in a budget line and details about camera systems for new trucks.

Why it matters: the votes affect fire-department operations, vehicle recording systems and a consultant contract tied to building a new fire station; the contractor matter was deferred to allow the board to confirm whether inspection fees are included and to clarify other terms before authorizing a signature.

Board discussion and staff responses

Chief Alcorn (Fire Chief) responded to questions about the department’s camera system and the accident investigation. On the cameras, Alcorn said the current system relied on SIM cards and did not notify staff when a camera was offline; the new subscription service will use Wi‑Fi, store recordings locally if Wi‑Fi is unavailable and upload to the cloud when a connection is restored. “It’s recording all the time. It stores all the data in the cloud,” Alcorn said. He added the system will notify staff when a camera is offline and that “only a couple of us can get into them, by policy, just so it’s safeguarded.”

Alcorn gave a dollar figure for the subscription: “That is, dollars 9,200 a year for the contract,” referring to the ongoing cost of the camera subscription. He said equipment is provided up front and the subscription covers storage and service; adding vehicles later would raise subscription costs by a few hundred dollars per vehicle per year.

On the July 9 apparatus accident, Alcorn said the investigation is complete and cited “several factors, weather conditions, the road conditions” and some driver error. He said a group has been formed to recommend remedial steps, likely including additional training on vehicle operation and on the particular vehicles involved.

Hazmat unit and equipment

A citizen asked about the Hazmat vehicle listed in the packet; Alcorn said the unit handles decontamination and tank pump‑offs and that the department had purchased a vehicle from Pike Township that has experienced motor problems. He said the vehicle runs out of Station 133 and is at a shop for work to “bulletproof the engine.”

Kramer contractor services and owner‑representative fee

Board members and staff discussed a proposed 24‑month owner‑representative contract with Kramer (spelled “Kramer” in the meeting record). Alcorn described the owner‑rep work as including an immediate request for proposals to hire the design team and architect, which he said typically takes about six months, followed by 16–18 months to build the station. The contract amount cited in the packet was $11,250 per month; a board member noted that “11,250 times ’24 is $270,000.” Alcorn said the 24‑month term was longer than typical but part of the owner‑rep responsibilities would include the design procurement process.

Board members sought clarification whether inspection work would be billed separately. Alcorn and other members agreed that the inspection description in the draft was unclear; one board member read an inspection rate of $85 per hour from page 2 of 3 of the draft but asked whether that was a developer rate and whether it was separate from the monthly owner‑rep fee. After additional clarification requests, the motion to approve the contract and to authorize the chief to sign was withdrawn and the board voted to table the Kramer contractor services agreement until the September meeting so staff can provide the requested details.

Policy and EMS affiliation votes

The board approved an amendment to the employee conduct and work rules (listed in the packet as General Order 20257‑701) adding a line addressing “conduct unbecoming” at the firehouse while on or off duty (the board discussed that the added line is intended to apply to conduct at the firehouse). The board also voted to approve EMS precepting and affiliation with Henrich Regional as presented in the packet; a board member said the packet included changes and that a subject‑matter expert was available for questions.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes from July meeting — motion passed (unanimous voice vote; 3 present). - Approval of July expense and revenue reports — motion passed (unanimous voice votes; 3 present). - Approval of 2026 budget modification request (agenda item 8.1) — motion passed (unanimous voice vote; 3 present). The packet showed copier maintenance increased from $9,000 to $14,000 and noted a near‑30% change in a fee line questioned by a citizen. - Adoption of General Order 20257‑701 (employee conduct and work rules) — motion passed (unanimous voice vote; 3 present). - Approval of EMS precepting affiliation with Henrich Regional — motion passed (unanimous voice vote; 3 present). - Kramer contractor services agreement — motion to approve and authorize signature withdrawn; new motion to table until September passed (unanimous voice vote; 3 present). - Change of verbiage from “safety board” to “merit commission” in the policy manual — motion passed (unanimous voice vote; 3 present).

What was not decided or remains unclear

Board members left the Kramer contractor services agreement on the table to allow staff to confirm whether inspection fees are included in the owner‑rep monthly fee or billed separately and to clarify how the 3% fee referenced in discussion applies to the overall project estimate. The packet and public comments referenced an estimated project range of $9 million to $12 million but the board said final cost estimates will depend on completed design.

Next steps and follow up

Staff will return with the requested clarifications on Kramer’s inspection language and fee structure at the September meeting. The packet included other staff reports; the chief said he would provide details from the accident investigation and recommended remedial training steps as they are finalized.

Meeting closing

The board adjourned after routine board comments and public comments; the transcript records that the next meeting date and time were set but the specific date was not provided in the meeting record.