Montrose council appoints Kevin Triplet as fire chief, raises firefighter benefit and approves township contract rate increase

The City of Montrose City Council on Sept. 8 appointed Kevin Triplet as fire chief, approved an increase in the volunteer firefighter benefit level and raised township fire-protection contract rates.

The council voted to appoint Kevin Triplet to the fire chief position for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2026 and running through Dec. 2027. The motion to appoint Triplet was moved and seconded and carried with a recorded unanimous vote (5-0). Triplet, who addressed the council earlier in the meeting, had submitted the single letter of interest the city received for the position.

Council also approved Resolution 2025-21 to raise the city’s PAR benefit for vested firefighters from $5,000 to $6,000 per member per year. City staff said the PAR account was about 129.59% funded at the $5,000 level and that the increase would move the funded level to about 113.94%, maintaining a cushion while allowing the city to deploy funds as a recruitment and retention tool.

A motion to adopt Resolution 2025-21 was seconded and passed with the outcome recorded in the meeting as 3 yes, 0 no, and 2 abstentions (record displayed as "Passes 302"). The meeting transcript records the abstentions; the record did not identify all abstaining members unambiguously in the audio transcript.

The council also approved updated fire protection contracts for Franklin, Mary’sville and Woodland Townships, increasing the per-parcel charge from $175 to $200 for 2026. Jackie Hines and other staff explained council had initially considered a market-value-and-call-average formula but agreed to a flat $25 increase for 2026 while staff and the county refine valuation methods.

Council and staff discussed the department’s surplus trailer and options for sale; staff said they would solicit market offers from local dealers or auction services and noted the department’s existing right of first refusal through the relief association. Council directed staff to pursue reasonable market offers and to open a short window to accept offers.

The council’s actions took place during regular business; staff emphasized that the PAR funding sources include levy dollars and state fire aid and that investment returns provide the majority of plan growth. Staff said PAR’s long-term expected return is roughly 6% per year, with five- to 10-year ranges between about 5.25% and 8% depending on assumptions.

The council closed the item after the votes. The appointment and benefit change are effective per the dates and procedures stated at the meeting.