Fire District To Consider Property Tax Refunds

The Orland Fire Protection District may abate taxes for a third year.

The board asked its staff on Wednesday to determine whether it’s possible to refund any taxpayer money in 2011.

Trustee Martin McGill raised the issue, noting, “I know I’ve got the full board’s support on it.”

Finance director Kerry Sullivan told trustees she would report back and, if the money is available, advised they had until June 1 to make a decision.

During in December, Fire Chief Bryant Krizik said the fire district has abated a combined $1.3 million over the last two years.

Award, Recognitions

Sullivan, again the center of attention, and her finance staff were congratulated for winning a “certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting” from the Government Finance Officers Association.

This is the third year Sullivan has won the award, Krizik said.

Also recognized on Wednesday were Orland Professional Firefighters Local 2754 and Orland Central Dispatch IBEW 134 for their “fast and efficient” response efforts, for reporting early for duty and for bringing their own equipment to help combat the blizzard. They were presented with plaques and praise.

In turn, Walter Rafacz, vice president of Local 2754, told the board, “I thought the village was covered, and I thought we were ready for just about anything you could throw at us.”

Purchases, Repairs

The board will pay Riley Construction $24,879 for the completion of a kitchen remodeling project at firehouse four—a station which was constructed in 1988, Krizik said.

“Over the past few years there’s been a separation in the floors, between the kitchen and the day room, and the drop continued to fall until it was about a couple inches of a difference,” he said.

The concrete floor had to be jack-hammered and replaced, the fire chief noted.

, the board postponed voting on the purchase of new staff vehicle with all the necessary equipment, lighting and lettering in an amount not to exceed $55,000. On Wednesday, they approved a similar truck from Joe Rizza Ford for no more than $40,000.

The district is looking into whether it would be possible to rearrange the yard of the district’s training center to add new roadways, move props and reserve an area for “extrication” training, Krizik said. A conceptual architectural plan, from SRBL Architects, was commissioned for no more than $5,100.

Eight refrigerators with transit slide locks and adapters for ambulances will be purchased for no more than $5,600.

The board approved a total of $2.4 million in bills.

Construction Update

Despite the blizzard, the fire district is “still pleasantly optimistic” that construction and remodeling of the administration center will be finished on schedule, board secretary Bob Cacciato said.

Krizik said the dry wall is about 70 percent complete.

When finished, in late-May, the 8,685 square-foot addition between the administration center and firehouse one will centralize staff while providing additional filing space, a classroom and a room for board meetings.