EllisCountyESD9.org

ELLIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO.9

AGENDA

June 10, 2024

Notice is hereby given that a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 will be held on Monday, June 10, 2024, at 7:00 PM at Huey Baron fire station located at 165 S. Sherman St. Palmer, TX for the following purposes:

1. Call meeting to order;

Meeting was called to order at 7:04pm

2. Determination of quorum;

P. Burns; G. Penny; Z. Zett; R. Davis present. N. Prewitt excused absence

3. Recognize any guest;

Tom Manning was present

4. Public Comment: Individual members of the public may address the Board for a maximum of three minutes on items not on the current agenda for a collective total of 15 minutes. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, any response to a public comment on items not on the published final agenda will be limited to a statement of factual information or a statement of existing policy. Any deliberation or decision by the Board will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on a future agenda.

N/A

5. Public Comment on agenda items: Members of the public may speak on an agenda item after comments on the item are called for by the presiding officer, but before Board discussion and consideration of the item. Individual members of the public may address the Board once per item for a maximum of three minutes per person per agenda item.

N/A

REPORTS

6. Receive monthly report from Treasurer and consider:

(a) approval of payment of monthly bills and invoices:

R. Davis made motion. Z. Zett seconded. All bills and invoices were approved for payment. Motion passed unanimously.

(b) approval of monthly financial report:

T. Manning walked the Board through financial report. T. Manning stated that he will have a preliminary budget ready for our July meeting. R. Davis made motion. Z. Zett seconded. The monthly financial report was approved unanimously

7. Receive monthly report from Palmer fire department personnel regarding emergency operations, response times, call volume, training, equipment, apparatus, and fire station, and take any related action:

P. Burns passed out monthly VFD stats. Training is still ongoing with Navarro. Volunteers are attending and appreciative of this training. New rescue tools have been placed on trucks. R. Medina has re-joined the force as Assistant Fire Chief.

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

8. Discuss and consider approval of May 13, 2024, regular meeting minutes;

R. Davis made motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

9. Discuss and take action on changing ESD and VFD websites and email addresses, accessibility, and

posting requirements;

Z. Zett informed Board that work is ongoing. Website domain names have been secured. This item was tabled until next month.

10. Discuss and take action on approving an area bank which will “collateralize” our deposits in excess of FDIC limit;

G. Penny explained number of banks contacted and gave overview on offerings from these banks. P. Burns passed out and gave overview of current account summary including when CD’s mature. He explained that CD #XXXX4146 has reached maturity as of June 4th, which is why we need to take action on “collateralization” asap. G. Penny then made motion that we move +/-$400k from PNC to Prosperity along with all future tax proceeds. That we leave $40k in money market and $54k in checking account and CD #3751 at PNC. And, that we move CD#3751 to Prosperity when it matures. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

Board, consisting of P. Burns, N. Prewitt, G. Penny, R. Davis and Z. Zett understand that they will all need to present themselves with photo id at Prosperity Bank asap, since all will be signers on all accounts.

11. Discuss and take action on hiring an engineer to produce a set of drawings and engineering specs for the firehouse carport which will satisfy the City’s requirements;

R. Davis committed to checking at his place of business for an engineer referral. G. Penny made motion authorizing up to $1,000 for drawing and engineering specs once engineer has been identified. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously

12. Discuss and take action on obtaining prices for reserve engine AC and new lights. This item was tabled from last month;

Tabled until next month

13. Discuss and take action on contacting Henson Ford regarding missing refund. This item was tabled from last month;

Tabled until next month

14. Discuss and consider approval of the hiring of a parttime secretary;

This was a VFD request, but since no one from the department has shown up for the last two meetings, this request was removed from consideration

15. Discuss and take action on disposing old radios and PPE gear from inventory;

P. Burns suggested that we go through Forest Service to handle the PPE .He explained that the old radios are on the old frequency, so they are of no value to anyone in Ellis County; however they would work fine in Limestone County. We also have air packs and masks, but no bottles. We will check Texas Gov’t Code and either swap or take items to public auction. Tabled until next month.

16. Discuss status of annual audit and respond to any requests from auditors;

T. Manning said audit was progressing fine. Auditors have asked for Best But receipt for the 5 computers we purchased. G. Penny said he would look for the receipt and let T. Manning know when he finds it. P. Burns and T. Manning agreed that the following equipment needs serial numbers and tracking: all communication equipment/ice machine/rescue tools/SCBA/extractor and computers.

17. Discuss and take required action on ESO going live on July 1st, including paying for same:

P. Burns explained that the original bill was quoted for $9,700 but now ESO is adding lots of unrequested items to the invoice. Item tabled until next month.

18. Discuss and consider adopting the tax and budget planning calendar for 2024 and authorize payment for tax process publications;

Budget meeting has been set for July 8th. All above items will be covered at that meeting.

19. Adjourn

Meeting adjourned at 9:07pm

______________________________________________________________________________

Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call Greg Penny, Secretary for Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 at 469-855-7762 for information. Hearing impaired or speech disabled persons equipped with telecommunication devices for the deaf may utilize the statewide Relay Texas Program, 1-800-735-2988.

The Board may retire to Executive Session anytime between the meetings opening and adjournment for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel pursuant to Section 551. 071 of the Texas Government Code; discussing real estate acquisition pursuant to Section 551. 072 of the Texas Government Code; discussing gifts and donations pursuant to Section 551. 073 of the Texas Government Code; discussing personnel matters pursuant to Section 551. 074 of the Texas Government Code; discussing security personnel or devices pursuant to Section 551. 076 of the Texas Government Code. Action, if any, will be taken in open session.

ELLIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO.9

AGENDA

May 13, 2024

Notice is hereby given that a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 will be held on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 7:00 PM at Huey Baron fire station located at 165 S. Sherman St. Palmer, TX for the following purposes:

1. Call meeting to order;

Meeting was called to order at 7:08pm

2. Determination of quorum;

P. Burns, N. Prewitt, G. Penny present; Z. Zett excused absence; and R. Davis absent.

3. Recognize any guest;

Tom Manning and Pastor Gary Southard (FBC) were present

4. Public Comment: Individual members of the public may address the Board for a maximum of three minutes on items not on the current agenda for a collective total of 15 minutes. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, any response to a public comment on items not on the published final agenda will be limited to a statement of factual information or a statement of existing policy. Any deliberation or decision by the Board will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on a future agenda.

Pastor Southard, on behalf of FBC thanked the Board for their dedicated service and passed out Sonic gift cards to show his church’s appreciation. He also invited the Board to enter an organization-wide chili cookoff scheduled for June 1st. P. Burns said he would get a Board member to participate and would extend the invitation to the volunteers so we would have two entries. Pastor Southard then left the meeting.

5. Public Comment on agenda items: Members of the public may speak on an agenda item after comments on the item are called for by the presiding officer, but before Board discussion and consideration of the item. Individual members of the public may address the Board once per item for a maximum of three minutes per person per agenda item.

N/A

REPORTS

6. Receive monthly report from Treasurer and consider:

(a) approval of payment of monthly bills and invoices:

N. Prewitt made motion. G. Penny seconded. All bills and invoices were approved for payment. Motion passed unanimously.

(b) approval of monthly financial report:

T. Manning presented the financial report. There is currently $322,600.43 in the Money Market account and $10, 036.17 in the checking account. N. Prewitt made motion. G. Penny seconded to approve the financial report. Motion passed unanimously.

7. Receive monthly report from Palmer fire department personnel regarding emergency operations, response times, call volume, training, equipment, apparatus, and fire station, and take any related action:

N. Prewitt gave update on status of pagers. Took all 15 back to CMA to be re-programmed. Headsets have been installed in all vehicles except for the squad car. That headset was sent to be rehabbed. And N. Prewitt said charger on old engine is overcharging so it will be replaced.

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

8. Discuss and consider approval of April 8, 2024, regular meeting minutes;

N. Prewitt made a motion to approve. G. Penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

9. Discuss and take action on changing ESD and VFD websites and email addresses;

Because Z. Zett was absent, this item was tabled until next month.

10. Discuss and take action on adding bay door to the north end of the station, and car cover for the south end for the Tahoe, and request from city for engineering specs;

After receiving the city response that both construction projects would require an engineered certified proposal meeting the 2015 IBC specs, Board discussed moving forward with the carport only. G. penny made motion to secure engineer to draw up the carport project and present to the city for approval. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

11. Discuss and consider approval of Resolution Adopting Investment Policy including appointing an Investment Officer, Strategies, Guidelines and Management Practices;

G. Penny made motion to appoint Z. Zett as the Board’s Investment Officer. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously. G. Penny made motion to approve the adoption of the proposed Investment Policy outlining strategies, guidelines and management practices to be followed by all Board members. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

12. Discuss and take action on information received from area banks regarding “collateralization” of funds in excess of FDIC limit;

After discussing all options explored, it was determined that CDARs are probably not a legal option for investing funds in excess of what the FDIC will insure. After further discussion, this item was tabled until next month so T. Manning can have time to see if he can get us a contact for Prosperity Bank in Red Oak.

13. Discuss and take action on having a set of drawings and engineering specs drawn up to meet IBC2015 for the firehouse carport and north-end bay door;

See item 10 above.

14. Discuss and take action on obtaining prices for reserve engine AC and new lights. This item was tabled from last month;

Tabled until next month due to contractor’s family emergency.

15. Discuss and take action on contacting Henson Ford regarding missing refund. This item was tabled from last month;

Tabled until next month allowing time for N. Prewitt to go visit dealership personally.

16. Discuss and take action on approving expenditure for providing snacks during Navarro training classes conducted at the station;

This item was decided at last month’s meeting. Captain will submit receipts for reimbursement monthly.

18. Discuss and consider approval of the hiring of a parttime secretary;

Tabled until JD can be present to explain why they may need to hire a secretary.

19. Discuss and take action on purchasing Dress uniforms for all fire department personnel;

N. Prewitt made motion to spend up to $3,500 for dress uniforms for volunteers, so volunteers won’t show up to funerals or formal settings in Palmer FD t-shirts. G. Penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

20. Adjourn

Meeting adjourned at 8:42PM

______________________________________________________________________________

Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call Greg Penny, Secretary for Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 at 469-855-7762 for information. Hearing impaired or speech disabled persons equipped with telecommunication devices for the deaf may utilize the statewide Relay Texas Program, 1-800-735-2988.

The Board may retire to Executive Session anytime between the meetings opening and adjournment for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel pursuant to Section 551. 071 of the Texas Government Code; discussing real estate acquisition pursuant to Section 551. 072 of the Texas Government Code; discussing gifts and donations pursuant to Section 551. 073 of the Texas Government Code; discussing personnel matters pursuant to Section 551. 074 of the Texas Government Code; discussing security personnel or devices pursuant to Section 551. 076 of the Texas Government Code. Action, if any, will be taken in open session.

ELLIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO.9

AGENDA

April 8, 2024

Notice is hereby given that a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 will be held on Monday, April 8, 2024, at 7:00 PM at Huey Baron fire station located at 165 S. Sherman St. Palmer, TX for the following purposes:

1. Call meeting to order;

Meeting called to order at 7:00pm

2. Determination of quorum;

All present except for Z. Zett who was excused

3. Recognize any guest;

Fire Captain R. Townley and T. Manning were present

4. Public Comment: Individual members of the public may address the Board for a maximum of three minutes on items not on the current agenda for a collective total of 15 minutes. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, any response to a public comment on items not on the published final agenda will be limited to a statement of factual information or a statement of existing policy. Any deliberation or decision by the Board will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on a future agenda.

N/A

5. Public Comment on agenda items: Members of the public may speak on an agenda item after comments on the item are called for by the presiding officer, but before Board discussion and consideration of the item. Individual members of the public may address the Board once per item for a maximum of three minutes per person per agenda item.

N/A

REPORTS

6. Receive monthly report from Treasurer and consider:

(a) approval of payment of monthly bills and invoices:

N. Prewitt made motion. G. Penny seconded. All bills and invoices as shown on financial statement were approved. Motion passed unanimously.

N. Prewitt made motion to approve spending $400 to staff fire department during solar eclipse in order to increase response time. G. Penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

N. Prewitt made motion to increase CD to $150,000. G. Penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

(b) approval of monthly financial report:

N. Prewitt made motion to accept the financial report as presented. G. Penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

7. Receive monthly report from Palmer fire department personnel regarding emergency operations, response times, call volume, training, equipment, apparatus, and fire station, and take any related action:

R. Townley presented stats for Feb/Mar. He also commented that Brett from Navarro was doing a very good job training the volunteers. R. Townley also commented that the radios are scheduled to be installed on the trucks on April 15th.

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

1. Discuss and consider approval of March 11, 2024, regular meeting minutes;

N. Prewitt made a motion to approve. R. Davis seconded. Motion passed unanimously

2. Discuss and take action on changing ESD and VFD websites and email addresses;

Due to Z. Zett’s absence, item tabled until next month

3. Discuss and take action on adding bay door to the north end of the station, and car cover for the south end for the Tahoe, and response from city about ingress/egress;

P. Burns commented that he had attended the March City Council meeting where he was informed that the City was not in favor of giving us the land. P. Burns reiterated that we were not asking for the land or even an easement, just permission to drive across it. It will be discussed with the City’s attorney again. The car cover is being reviewed by the new City inspector for approval. This agenda item was tabled until next month

4. Discuss and update any action taken on any grants we may be able to apply for;

ESO is scheduled to be on a conference call with a representative from the fire department and Board tomorrow at 9am to explain the “Go Live” process.

5. Discuss and take action on obtaining prices for reserve engine AC and new lights. This item was tabled from last month;

No price quote has been received yet due to a family emergency. Item tabled until next month

6. Discuss and take action on receiving quotes for the following items: 12-volt chargers for the apparatus and batteries for walkie talkie. This item was tabled from last month;

N. Prewitt informed Board that he had purchased four batteries for $639.44. The chargers will cost us $10,453.96 for 22 chargers from Motorola. To outfit the two new brush trucks will cost an additional $8,999.78. After discussing our options it was decided that we could get by with 20 chargers. R. Davis made a motion to spend up to $15,000. G. Penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously

7. Discuss and take action on contacting Henson Ford regarding missing refund. This item was tabled from last month;

Item tabled until next month

8. Discuss and take action on authorizing R. Davis to sign vehicle titles on behalf of ESD #9;

G. Penny made motion, seconded by N. Prewitt authorizing R. Davis to have vehicles retitled from Palmer Volunteer Fire Department into the name of ESD#9. Motion passed unanimously

9. Discuss and take action on authorizing P. Burns to electronically sign engagement letter from YWRD, PC for the ESD #9 audit for fiscal year ended September 30, 2023;

R, Davis made motion, seconded by N. Prewitt to approve P. Burns signing the engagement letter with YWRD, PC. Motion passed with N. Prewitt, R. Davis and P. Burns voting in the affirmative and G. Penny abstaining

10. Discuss and take action on approving purchase of four (4) sets of PPE from Delta;

Received bid from Delta for 3 full sets of Viper gear for $15,548.86. Fire Captain Townley walked Board through the bid stating that Delta would also be able to deliver quicker than other vendors. R. Davis made motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

11. Discuss and take action on approving purchase of three (3) MSA (Mine Safety Appliance) devices from Altair;

R. Davis made motion with N. Prewitt seconding that Board spend up to $2,000 to purchase 3 MSA devices. P. Burn will handle purchase. Motion passed unanimously

12. Discuss and take action on approving investment policy and resolution establishing a collateralization policy with depositories of the District who have accounts holding more than the FDIC maximum insured amount ($250,000) in them;

N. Prewitt made motion with R. Davis seconding to have P. Burns contact attorneys at Carlton directing them to draft a collateralization policy for our consideration. Motion passed unanimously

13. Discuss and take action on how District is to cover/charge the Rockett area currently without any ESD coverage;

P. Burns spoke with Fire Marshal about using Fire Rescue Billing in conjunction with ESD#6. However, P. Burns will first need to consult with attorneys at Carltonto see how best to cover “no-man’s land” and I45 accidents. R, Davis made motion to have P. Burns contact Carlton. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

14. Discuss and take action on approving expenditure for providing snacks during Navarro training classes conducted at the station;

No action taken

15. Adjourn

Meeting adjourned at8:21 pm

______________________________________________________________________________

Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call Greg Penny, Secretary for Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 at 469-855-7762 for information. Hearing impaired or speech disabled persons equipped with telecommunication devices for the deaf may utilize the statewide Relay Texas Program, 1-800-735-2988.

The Board may retire to Executive Session anytime between the meetings opening and adjournment for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel pursuant to Section 551. 071 of the Texas Government Code; discussing real estate acquisition pursuant to Section 551. 072 of the Texas Government Code; discussing gifts and donations pursuant to Section 551. 073 of the Texas Government Code; discussing personnel matters pursuant to Section 551. 074 of the Texas Government Code; discussing security personnel or devices pursuant to Section 551. 076 of the Texas Government Code. Action, if any, will be taken in open session.

ELLIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO.9

AGENDA

March 11, 2024

Notice is hereby given that a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 will be held on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 7:00 PM at Huey Baron fire station located at 165 S. Sherman St. Palmer, TX for the following purposes:

1. Call meeting to order;

Meeting was called to order at7:22pm

2. Determination of quorum;

All members were present

3. Recognize any guest;

T. Manning

4. Public Comment: Individual members of the public may address the Board for a maximum of three minutes on items not on the current agenda for a collective total of 15 minutes. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, any response to a public comment on items not on the published final agenda will be limited to a statement of factual information or a statement of existing policy. Any deliberation or decision by the Board will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on a future agenda.

N/A

5. Public Comment on agenda items: Members of the public may speak on an agenda item after comments on the item are called for by the presiding officer, but before Board discussion and consideration of the item. Individual members of the public may address the Board once per item for a maximum of three minutes per person per agenda item.

N/A

REPORTS

6. Receive monthly report from Treasurer and consider:

(a) approval of payment of monthly bills and invoices:

N. Prewitt made motion. G. Penny seconded. All bills and invoices as shown on financial statement were approved. Motion passed unanimously.

N. Prewitt made motion that members Z. Zett and G. Penny go to PNC and get added to checking account as authorized signers per Safe-D conference. R. Davis seconded. Motion passed unanimously

(b) approval of monthly financial report:

N. Prewitt made motion to accept the financial report as presented. G. Penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

7. Receive monthly report from Palmer fire department personnel regarding emergency operations, response times, call volume, training, equipment, apparatus, and fire station, and take any related action:

No representative was present, so no action was taken

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

8. Discuss and consider approval of February 12, 2024, regular meeting minutes;

R. Davis made a motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

9. Discuss and take action on +/-$130k CD coming up for renewal

CD matures on 3/27 for +/- $128K. No action taken as we must first ascertain that all amounts over $250k are secured.

10. Discuss and update on building usage license agreement for Allegiance Mobile Health;

R. Davis made motion to accept and sign the agreement. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

11. Discuss and take action on updating ESD and VFD websites;

Z. Zett reported that Palmer esd9.com and Palmerfiredept.com are secured being our domain names. Z. Zett was tasked with getting the fire department website up and operating first. N. Prewitt made motion to allow Z. Zett to spend up to $300 for costs related to setting up that site and securing any additional domain names. G. penny seconded. Motion passed unanimously

12. Discuss and take action on any bids received to add an additional bay door to the north end of the station, and car cover for the south end for the Tahoe, and response from city about ingress/egress;

Dis cussed all bids received. DC Metals came in less than all other bidders. R. Davis made motion to approve proceeding with DC Metals subject to city granting ingress/egress. Should city decline, then motion is to move forward with DC Metals installing carport only. Z. Zett seconded Motion passed unanimously

13. Discuss and take action on moving Tender 171 and a brush truck to ESD property. This item was tabled from last month;

No action taken

14. Discuss and take action on Bauer compressor maintenance. This item was tabled from last month;

No action taken. Repair person due 3/12/2024

15. Discuss and update any action taken on any grants we may be able to apply for;

Item tabled. Still waiting on ESO

16. Discuss and take action on obtaining prices for reserve engine AC and new lights. This item was tabled from last month;

Item tabled until next month

17. Discuss and take action on continuing education courses for the fire department personnel;

Issue is that volunteers have been complaining about training as officers made attendance mandatory, and yet no officer has made a single class. P. Burns suggested we stop online computer classes and change to 2 hands-on 2-hour training sessions twice per month. After discussing, R. Davis made motion to offer $15/session. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

18. Discuss and take action on purchase of two additional SCBA with mask units prior to anticipated rate increase on April 1st;

N. Prewitt made motion to spend up to $20k on this purchase. R. Davis seconded. Motion passed unanimously

19. Discuss and take action on receiving quotes for the following items: 12-volt chargers for the apparatus and batteries for walkie talkies;

No response from Motorola on cost to install on trucks. Item tabled until next month

20. Discuss and take action on quote received for combi rescue tool for $14,727.50;

G. Penny made motion to approve this expenditure. R. Davis seconded. Motion passed unanimously

21. Discuss and take action on brush trucks and estimated delivery date;

No action taken Delivery of trucks is still 8-10 months off

22. Discuss and take action regarding ESO reporting;

No action taken

23. Discuss and take action regarding receipt of Wildfire pump and motor installation for $4531.19;

N. Prewitt and Chief Seeton picked up and installed. Z. Zett made motion to pay the $4531.19. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

24. Discuss and take action on assigning responsible party to check status of bunker gear and approve purchase of any equipment needed;

No action taken

25. Discuss and take action on contacting Henson Ford regarding missing refund

N. Prewitt has left several voicemails with no response yet. Tabled until next meeting

26. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 8:58pm

Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call Greg Penny, Secretary for Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 at 469-855-7762 for information. Hearing impaired or speech disabled persons equipped with telecommunication devices for the deaf may utilize the statewide Relay Texas Program, 1-800-735-2988.

The Board may retire to Executive Session anytime between the meetings opening and adjournment for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel pursuant to Section 551. 071 of the Texas Government Code; discussing real estate acquisition pursuant to Section 551. 072 of the Texas Government Code; discussing gifts and donations pursuant to Section 551. 073 of the Texas Government Code; discussing personnel matters pursuant to Section 551. 074 of the Texas Government Code; discussing security personnel or devices pursuant to Section 551. 076 of the Texas Government Code. Action, if any, will be taken in open session.

ELLIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO.9

AGENDA

February 12, 2024

Notice is hereby given that a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 will be held on Monday, February 12, 2024, at 7:00 PM at Huey Baron fire station located at 165 S. Sherman St. Palmer, TX for the following purposes:

1. Call meeting to order;

Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm

2. Determination of quorum;

All members present except for R. Davis.

3. Recognize any guest;

Fire Chief W. Seeton and T. Manning were present

4. Public Comment: Individual members of the public may address the Board for a maximum of three minutes on items not on the current agenda for a collective total of 15 minutes. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, any response to a public comment on items not on the published final agenda will be limited to a statement of factual information or a statement of existing policy. Any deliberation or decision by the Board will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on a future agenda.

N/A

5. Public Comment on agenda items: Members of the public may speak on an agenda item after comments on the item are called for by the presiding officer, but before Board discussion and consideration of the item. Individual members of the public may address the Board once per item for a maximum of three minutes per person per agenda item.

N/A

REPORTS

6. Receive monthly report from Treasurer and consider:

(a) approval of payment of monthly bills and invoices:

N. Prewitt made motion. G. Penny seconded. All bills and invoices as shown on financial statement were approved. Motion passed unanimously.

(b) approval of monthly financial report

G. Penny made motion to accept the financial report as presented. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

7. Receive monthly report from Palmer fire department personnel regarding emergency operations, response times, call volume, training, equipment, apparatus, and fire station, and take any related action:

Fire Chief gave monthly report. 64 calls in total. 2 structure, 1structure, 1 grass’ 5 MVA and 5 EMS calls. Met with Mr. Buchanan at Navarro College about fire training class. Vehiclse are in good operating order, except pump on Rescue needs service. Also, pump has been ordered for Reserve Engine.

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

8. Discuss and consider approval of January 8, 2024, regular meeting minutes;

N. Prewitt made a motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously

9. Discuss and take action on building usage license agreement for Allegiance Mobile Health;

P. Burns suggested we add PO Box for mailing to contract. If contract cannot use DocuSign, P. Burns and one other Board member will go see M. Gilbert to get signature. G. Penny made motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

10. Discuss and take action on filing the Texas Comptroller Annual Financial Public Report;

T. Manning agreed to handle as part of his duties. G. Penny made motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

11. Discuss and take action on WEX fuel card. If unusable, discuss and take action on a replacement;

WEX is now operational. No action needed.

12. Discuss and take action on securing the executed statement and oath signed by each Board member and forwarding them to the Carlton Law Firm;

N. Prewitt will handle after G. Penny gets R. Davis’s copies.

13. Discuss and take action on purchase of pump and engine to replace the one on the rescue vehicle (this item was from last meeting);

Replacement should arrive by month’s end. Cost will be +/-$5k. G. Penny made motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously

14. Discuss and take action on receiving bids for hardware to mount new rescue tools; (this item was from last meeting);

Equipment should arrive by mid-month. Cost will be +/-$1,200. G. Penny made motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously

15. Discuss and take action on updating our website;

Z. Zett will oversee. Said we will need to register the domain name. Z. Zett will look to set it up on Go Daddy or similar site for 10years at a cost of +/-$250. G. Penny made motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

16. Discuss and take action on setting up and maintaining a website for the fire department;

Z. Zett will work with Chief to set up 10 year domain for Palmer VFD. G. Penny made motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

17. Discuss and take action on adding bid process to our website;

Z. Zett will include in items 15/16

18. Discuss and take action on any bids received to add an additional bay door to the north end of the station, and car cover for the south end for the Tahoe;

Received bid from Wynn’s Construction. DC Metals will submit bid this week. N. Prewitt suggested that we also seek bids from JAG in Ennis and D. Land for the carport. P. Burns will ask to be added to the City Council meeting agenda. Will add to agenda again for March meeting update.

19. Discuss and take action on moving Tender 171 and a brush truck to ESD property;

Vehicles are currently registered with the manufacturer and need to be changed to ESD 9.R. Davis will be tasked with handling. Will add to agenda again for March meeting update.

20. Discuss and take action on Bauer compressor maintenance;

Bauer did hydro test on two out of date bottles. Compressor will need to be moved away from the wall before it can be tested. Cost for test will be +/- $600. Cost for 2 bottles will be +/- $565. N. Prewitt made motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion passed unanimously

21. Discuss and take action on any grants we may be able to apply for;

T. Manning will meet with Fire Marshal Birdwell about Community Recovery & Infrastructure. Will also ask if air packs will qualify for a grant request. T. Manning announced that we did receive a grant through VFIS to cover the cost of the extractor purchase.

22. Discuss and take action on obtaining prices for reserve engine AC and new lights;

No action-tabled until March meeting

23. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 8:37pm

______________________________________________________________________________

Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call Greg Penny, Secretary for Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 at 469-855-7762 for information. Hearing impaired or speech disabled persons equipped with telecommunication devices for the deaf may utilize the statewide Relay Texas Program, 1-800-735-2988.

The Board may retire to Executive Session anytime between the meetings opening and adjournment for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel pursuant to Section 551. 071 of the Texas Government Code; discussing real estate acquisition pursuant to Section 551. 072 of the Texas Government Code; discussing gifts and donations pursuant to Section 551. 073 of the Texas Government Code; discussing personnel matters pursuant to Section 551. 074 of the Texas Government Code; discussing security personnel or devices pursuant to Section 551. 076 of the Texas Government Code. Action, if any, will be taken in open session.

ELLIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO.9

AGENDA

January 8, 2024

Notice is hereby given that a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 will be held on Monday, January 8, 2024 at 7:00 PM at Huey Baron fire station located at 165 S. Sherman St. Palmer, TX for the following purposes:

1. Call meeting to order;

Meeting was called to order at 7:02pm

2. Determination of quorum;

All members were present. Mr. Burns introduced our new Board member Mr. Zak Zettt. Mr. Zett will serve in the role as Commissioner.

3. Recognize any guest;

Mr. Tom Manning was present

4. Public Comment: Individual members of the public may address the Board for a maximum of three minutes on items not on the current agenda for a collective total of 15 minutes. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, any response to a public comment on items not on the published final agenda will be limited to a statement of factual information or a statement of existing policy. Any deliberation or decision by the Board will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on a future agenda.

N/A

5. Public Comment on agenda items: Members of the public may speak on an agenda item after comments on the item are called for by the presiding officer, but before Board discussion and consideration of the item. Individual members of the public may address the Board once per item for a maximum of three minutes per person per agenda item.

N/A

REPORTS

6. Receive monthly report from Treasurer and consider:

(a) approval of payment of monthly bills and invoices:

All bills and invoices as shown on financial statement were approved

(b) approval of monthly financial report

G. Penny made motion to move $95,000 to cover outstanding bills and invoices. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

G. Penny made motion to approve the monthly financial report. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

7. Receive monthly report from Palmer fire department personnel regarding emergency operations, response times, call volume, training, equipment, apparatus, and fire station, and take any related action:

P. Burns gave the departmental report on behalf of the fire department. There were 49 emergency calls with 12 runs made. Call volume was as follows: 51 calls with 8 being responded to.

There were no meetings and no EMR trainings held in Nov/Dec due to the holidays. Kussmaul plug has been installed on the squad car. The rest of the vehicles will be scheduled to have them installed over the next few weeks.

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

8. Discuss and consider approval of December 11, 2023, regular meeting minutes;

R. Davis made a motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion carried

9. Discuss and take action on building usage lease agreement for Allegiance Mobile Health;

G. Penny mentioned that he would correct two typos he found and would also change the date to a start date of Feb. After these changes he would forward to attorneys at Carlton for their review/comments. R. Davis made motion to approve. Seconded by N. Prewitt. Motion carried.

10. Discuss and take action on receiving bid from Navarro on fire training;

Navarro has proposed 40 hours training over 10 months to include online training coupled with 3-4 hours of in-person training per month. Proposed cost will be $5,280 for 20 participants. To fill out class P. Burns will check to see if Bristol and Garrett would like to participate. Training will begin in Feb. N. Prewitt made motion to approve. Z. Zett seconded. Motion carried

11. Discuss and take action on WEX fuel card. If unusable, discuss and take action on a replacement;

R. Davis accepted responsibility for contacting WEX. The card is still unusable so personnel are using a prepaid card at Spring Market until issue with WEX is resolved

12. Discuss and take action on securing a Performance Bond for the treasurer’s position, as coverage with VFIS was deleted for this position only as of this month;

No action required as VFIS coverage has NOT been deleted.

13. Discuss and take action on purchase of pump and engine to replace the one on the rescue vehicle;

This item has been moved to the February agenda

14. Discuss and take action on receiving bids for hardware to mount new rescue tools;

Tabled until the February meeting

15. Discuss and take action on scheduling extrication training for new rescue tools;

P. Burns will discuss with Navarro to see if they can do this training in February

16. Discuss and take action on hiring plumber to fix leaking valves in kitchen area;

No action needed as issue was resolved as valve is no longer leaking

17. Discuss and take action on obtaining quote for shore line pig tails for apparatus on auto eject;

P. Burns agreed to handle and install these pig tails. G. Penny moved to expend up to $250 for the required materials to complete this project. R. Davis seconded. Motion carried.

18. Discuss and take action on obtaining bids to add an additional bay door to the north end of the station, and car cover for the south end for the Tahoe

G. Penny made motion to seek bids for this project. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion carried

16. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 8:58pm

______________________________________________________________________________

Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call Greg Penny, Secretary for Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 at 469-855-7762 for information. Hearing impaired or speech disabled persons equipped with telecommunication devices for the deaf may utilize the statewide Relay Texas Program, 1-800-735-2988.

The Board may retire to Executive Session anytime between the meetings opening and adjournment for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel pursuant to Section 551. 071 of the Texas Government Code; discussing real estate acquisition pursuant to Section 551. 072 of the Texas Government Code; discussing gifts and donations pursuant to Section 551. 073 of the Texas Government Code; discussing personnel matters pursuant to Section 551. 074 of the Texas Government Code; discussing security personnel or devices pursuant to Section 551. 076 of the Texas Government Code. Action, if any, will be taken in open session.

ELLIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO.9

AGENDA

December 11, 2023

Notice is hereby given that a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 will be held on Monday, December 11, 2023, at 7:00 PM at Huey Baron fire station located at 165 S. Sherman St. Palmer, TX for the following purposes:

1. Call meeting to order;

Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm

2. Determination of quorum;

P. Burns, N. Prewitt, R. Davis present with G. Penny on conference call. D. Vick had previously tendered her resignation

3. Recognize any guest;

T. Manning and R. Townley

4. Public Comment: Individual members of the public may address the Board for a maximum of three minutes on items not on the current agenda for a collective total of 15 minutes. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, any response to a public comment on items not on the published final agenda will be limited to a statement of factual information or a statement of existing policy. Any deliberation or decision by the Board will be limited to a proposal to place the subject on a future agenda.

N/A

5. Public Comment on agenda items: Members of the public may speak on an agenda item after comments on the item are called for by the presiding officer, but before Board discussion and consideration of the item. Individual members of the public may address the Board once per item for a maximum of three minutes per person per agenda item.

N/A

REPORTS

6. Receive monthly report from Treasurer and consider:

(a) approval of payment of monthly bills and invoices:

All bills and invoices as shown on financial statement were approved

(b) approval of monthly financial report

G. Penny made motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously

7. Receive monthly report from Palmer fire department personnel regarding emergency operations, response times, call volume, training, equipment, apparatus, and fire station, and take any related action:

R. Townley gave report. Stated that volunteers had run 12 calls/25.74 time /153.06 man hours. EMR training is progressing well. Headsets have been installed. Tanker is going out for repairs. Pump & motor being replaced on rescue truck. And he informed us that the extractor has been installed. R. Davis made motion to accept this report. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion carried

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

8. Discuss and consider approval of November 13, 2023, regular meeting minutes;

G. Penny noted that there was a correction needed before approving. The cost of the extractor should have been shown as $5,034.81 not $534.81. Correction has been made and the corrected November minutes will be emailed to the Board. With this correction, N. Prewitt made motion to approve. R. Davis seconded. Motion carried

9. Participate in Zoom training meeting for ESO Asset Management system

This item had been moved before Reports. Mr. Travis Winzeler walked us through the benefits. Said it kept us from having to use Xcel for validation. Program would give us list of incidents and can also be used for applying for grants. P. Burns asked if there would be a price differential since we only run about 1200 calls/year for both EMS and fire runs. With the new figures the set-up and training cost is projected to be $3,384.96 with an ongoing annual cost of approximately $2,985. If approved, set up and training should be completed by March, 2024.

N. Prewitt made motion to approve. R. Davis seconded. Motion carried

10. Discuss and take action on replacing Treasurer due to D. Vick resignation and forward updated info to State

D. Vick’s resignation was accepted. G. Penny nominated R. Davis to replace Vick as Treasurer. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

11. Discuss and take action on Safe D conference registration/arrangements

Waiting to see status of Z. Zett to fill vacancy created by D. Vick resignation. No action taken

12. Discuss and take action on bid from Navarro on fire training

Plan is to have Navarro come out 1x/mo. Waiting to receive bid. Training would include online computer and hands-on training. SFFMA will be considered. Item was tabled until next meeting

13. Discuss and take action on WEX fuel card. If unusable, discuss and take action on a replacement

Still experiencing issues using WEX. If WEX proves unusable, will ask department personnel to use department’s credit card at Spring Market. No action taken

14. Discuss and take action on new contract with Allegiance EMS for rent, station use and maintenance

P. Burns met with Mr. Gilbert representing Allegiance EMS. Allegiance committed to keeping a unit at the station and agreed to pay the department $750/mo. rent to help defray utilities and upkeep. AMR had been paying $345/mo. Contract with Allegiance will begin at 8am on Jan 1st.

G. Penny made motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion carried

15. Discuss and take action on Engine payment

Payment is due in January for $66,000. R. Davis made motion to approve. N. Prewitt seconded. Motion carried

16. Discuss and take action on purchase of pump and engine to replace the one on the rescue vehicle

This item was tabled until next meeting

17. Discuss and take action on receiving bids for hardware to mount new rescue tools

This item was tabled until next meeting

18. Discuss and take action on required paperwork for grant for new washer from VFIS due by December 31

This item was covered by R. Townley in agenda item #7

19. Discuss and take action on scheduling extrication training for new rescue tools

This item was tabled until next meeting

20. Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 8:11pm

______________________________________________________________________________

Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call Greg Penny, Secretary for Ellis County Emergency Services District #9 at 469-855-7762 for information. Hearing impaired or speech disabled persons equipped with telecommunication devices for the deaf may utilize the statewide Relay Texas Program, 1-800-735-2988.

The Board may retire to Executive Session anytime between the meetings opening and adjournment for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel pursuant to Section 551. 071 of the Texas Government Code; discussing real estate acquisition pursuant to Section 551. 072 of the Texas Government Code; discussing gifts and donations pursuant to Section 551. 073 of the Texas Government Code; discussing personnel matters pursuant to Section 551. 074 of the Texas Government Code; discussing security personnel or devices pursuant to Section 551. 076 of the Texas Government Code. Action, if any, will be taken in open session.