Whitefield Fire Chief Tim Pellerin fulfilled a requirement of the town’s recently enacted fire and rescue ordinance Monday when he reported to selectmen on inspection and maintenance checklists and draft leases for the three fire companies’ buildings and equipment.
The ordinance states the chief is “directly responsible to the select board for the effective administration of the [fire and rescue] department,” which was established by the ordinance.
Pellerin’s report underscores the actual “changing of the guard” since voters last March approved consolidation. Previously three independent departments operated from each village, and the rescue vehicle was housed in North Whitefield’s station. Construction of a new central fire and rescue building awaits funding before work can begin in the fall.
At the start of the new fiscal year, the heads of the three companies were named and a deputy fire chief selected.
Scott Higgins, previously chief of Coopers Mills, came out of retirement and is now the town’s deputy fire chief. Lynn Talacko was retained as EMS director; Tim Yorks was named captain of Coopers Mills, now identified as Company 5; Bryan Ross is captain of North Whitefield, now Company 2; and Randy Brann remains captain of Kings Mills, Company 3. Rescue captain is Frances Gauvin.
Coopers Mills firefighters earlier had not committed to becoming part of the municipal department, but Higgins confirmed Tuesday, “We are moving forward toward a municipal department.” Higgins also said the company is still raising funds for a new building.
Before reconvening the transition committee, which includes three community members, and deciding how to proceed with the leasing arrangements, selectmen will submit the draft leases to the town attorney to be reviewed. The town will be the lessee and the companies designated the owners.
Pellerin said the lessee won’t be changing signs or painting on the owners’ premises and equipment.
Pellerin explained that vehicles will be inspected monthly and self-contained air packs, according to law, must be inspected monthly and after each use.
The chief also said he had started doing equipment inventory on each member’s turnout gear. “This is what the public asked me to do and that’s what I’m doing,” said Pellerin.
In the current year, the $14,400 budgeted and approved for each company at 2010 town meeting will pay for everything (certain day-to-day items). Next year, Pellerin said, “The lessee will provide the annual operating budget for normal day to day operations.”
Pellerin also announced the creation of the department’s own website: whitefieldfirerescue.com.
Fred Fagin, stating he “couldn’t accept” the new high rates, said the $232,767 assessment on his house, garage and sheds is a surprising jump from the $80,000 value the buildings carried in 2005-06. He believes the new value should be $129,000, a figure “based on what I could replace them for,” he said.
Fagin said he had no quarrel with the $23,000 assessed for land, which reflects a $5000 increase. His taxes, however, have climbed from $1900 in 2008 to $3000 in 2010. Fagin said his taxes would be fairer if set at $2400.
“It’s like we’re being penalized for improving our (properties),” he said.
The $46,023 value for the garage, built in 1991, particularly distressed him.
Board chairman Steve McCormick pointed out that the couple paid no taxes for 19 years on that structure. “You were never assessed on the garage before,” McCormick said.
The assessment, completed last year with help from agent Jim Murphy and since corrected, has been at least five years in the making and represents a first-ever town wide valuation. It is intended to rectify years of haphazard and unequally applied real estate values, dating from the time when the town did not have an assessors’ agent and when select board members, in their role as assessors, visited at least a third of the properties annually on a rotating basis.
McCormick labeled Fagin’s fears of “an annual nightmare” as ill-founded. “The whole idea is, once the system is done, taxation will be consistent.” There won’t be an escalation every year, he said.
An assessing error on the Fagins’ heating system will be taken into account as the board considers reducing the home’s assigned value.
However, as requested by selectmen at an earlier session, Smith presented language for a warrant article to go to voters at the 2011 town meeting. The proposed board would have the authority to eliminate an assessors’ agent.
Selectwoman Sue McKeen worried that Smith’s proposal would put assessing back where it was “when the selectmen drove around town” to look at properties and took a best guess at what they were worth because they lacked sufficient training.
“Getting rid of a qualified assessors’ agent is what disturbs me,” she said.
Smith responded that he was “trying to diversify your work load.”
McCormick commented, “I don’t care about the work load. I care that things are done fairly.”
Smith will return to the board with corrections next week.
The hydrant is essential for firefighting purposes in and near the village.
There is more leakage from the concrete dam itself, which is in a deteriorating state, “but the gates are helping,” said Ober.
The next step is for fabricator Rick Mattucci to rebuild the gates that were on the dam, said McCormick, who noted that Mattucci’s earlier design for replacement gates won’t work.
