TITLE: Title
Use of South Orange Fire District Fund Balance
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to seek Board of Alderman approval for the Town Manager to request use of the South Orange Fire District Fund Balance to purchase a Command Staff Vehicle.
body
DEPARTMENT: Fire-Rescue Department
CONTACT INFORMATION: Susanna Schmitt Williams, Fire Chief
919.918.7349
swilliams@townofcarrboro.org
INFORMATION: Orange County contracts with Carrboro Fire-Rescue to provide fire, rescue, and EMS services to the South Orange Fire District (SOFD). In addition to the fire tax revenue paid from the SOFD to the Town of Carrboro, each year fund balance accumulates when a district exceeds anticipated County revenues.
The district may use accumulated fund balance for several reasons - purchase of vehicles, equipment, or to avoid increasing the district's property tax rate.
Fund balance is calculated each year on June 30. As of June 30, 2017, the available fund balance for the SOFD was $171,888.
Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department has identified that the current Brush Truck does not meet the needs of the department and has not been utilized for its intended purpose. Over the last seven years the truck has only been utilized on average 83 times per year and most use has not been as a brush truck. In the last seven years it has been utilized as a brush truck 35 times or an average of five times a year. Most uses are as a service vehicle to supplement response calls and its 4x4 capabilities during inclement weather for the ToC and SOFD.
As a result of non-use of the diesel engine, Brush 1 has experienced extensive and expensive maintenance issues placing it out of service for extended periods of time. Gasoline engines are more conducive to periods of standby. The Brush Truck is not serving the Town or SOFD in the proper manner. The department would like to utilize the SOFD fund balance purchase a replacement 4x4 SUV better suited to me...
Click here for full text