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Stevensville council approves volunteer fire capacity grant application after tie resolved by mayor
Summary
The council approved a Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC) grant application on June 4; the grant is a 90/10 reimbursement program and the mayor broke a tie vote in favor of accepting the application, while staff agreed to research historic reimbursements.
Stevensville's Town Council voted on June 4 to accept a Volunteer Fire Capacity grant application used to fund wildland fire protection equipment. Fire Chief Mley explained the program is administered through the state (the DNRC) and typically operates as a 90/10 reimbursement: the department purchases equipment and later submits receipts for 90% reimbursement.
Chief Mley said the town had requested higher funding in the application for planning purposes (about $5,000) but actually purchased roughly $1,656 of equipment in the most recent cycle and expects to receive 90% of what was spent when reimbursements are distributed. He said typical reimbursements in the past had been in the $1,500–$2,000 range depending on available funds across 13 participating agencies.
Council Member Smith moved to accept the volunteer fire capacity grant application and Council Member Wer seconded. The clerk reported an abstention; with the result tied, Mayor Cruz broke the tie and voted to approve the application. Council asked staff to locate prior-year receipts and verify whether reimbursements since 2021 have been recorded in the town accounting system; staff agreed to search records and report back at the next meeting.
No amendment to the grant application was recorded; the council approved placing the mayor's signature on the application form so it could be finalized for state processing.
