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DC Gehrke noted that the bid had a discount; the proposal did not include a review of CFD’sfacilities and apparatus as this had already been done recently. The two stand out consultantswere Public Consulting Group and AP Triton. The price point is what set AP Triton over the top.President Cross brought up that during the last feasibility study, the information they receivedwas not the information they thought they were going to get. He asked if DC Gehrke feltconfident that they will be getting the information that they are requesting.DC Gehrke thought that they would. The reviewing group had direct questions for theconsultants, and this was discussed. AP Triton’s team approach will deliver more than just arecommendation for/against consolidation. They want to engage stakeholders (which is anextended list from the previous feasibility study), and they will get an unbiased approach, interms of a collaboration with Sandy Fire.Director Hawes asked what JotForm was.DC Gehrke explained that JotForm is just an electronic form for scoring. It’s a software productthey use in the fire district. Once the consultants were scored, an Excel sheet could be producedshowing that data.Director Wall said that she totally respected the work that everyone had done. However, she feltthis was premature. They are only six weeks into with the contract with Sandy Fire. In previousagreements with other agencies, if they move slower, they have had better results. Unlike therecent one where they didn’t have time to get their feet wet and the merger failed.Director Joseph said he understood where Director Wall was coming from. They had anextensive discussion about Estacada. One of the other consultants included a marketing proposalthat would include marketing within the community and get stakeholders involved before theconsultant would make a recommendation. Director Joseph and Director Syring have specificallyrequested to have detailed input and participation of the stakeholders.Director Hawes wanted to know why they wanted a feasibility study now and not, for example,six months from now.Discussion followed.Director Syring gave a brief history of the Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) that CFD hashad with Sandy Fire and how they have gradually added services over the years. They discusseda feasibility study back in January 2020. It was part of the IGA from a year and a half ago. TheSandy Fire Board already voted for this unanimously. If they are interested at looking andevaluating any future partnerships and agreements, this is the time to do it.Chief Browne said that yes, this was put into play about 18 months ago when they werediscussing any IGAs with Sandy Fire. They brought it up at an interagency meeting and SandyFire and CFD were interested. They see that it could be a real win-win for both areas.4

Director Joseph noted that the study was something that was recommended by both of thegroups, CFD and Sandy Fire.Director Syring mentioned that they just opened a joint station with Sandy Fire on July 1. Thatwas significant; it’s only the third time in the District’s history. Sandy Fire is contributing overhalf a million dollars to help CFD staff this station 24/7. They are a partner that stepped up tolevel they don’t see very often.Chief Browne shared that Chief Schneider has been engaging with his community. There weremultiple Sandy Fire members that approached Chief Browne at the Eagle Creek town hall. Theywere happy about a feasibility study and what that would look like.DC Gehrke said he appreciated Director Wall not wanting to repeat what they did in Estacada.This was called out in the scope of work. He added that part of why AP Triton rose was becauseof their tremendous flexibility with engaging the stakeholders earlier.Director Wall appreciated the information but still thought it was premature. She felt they needto knit themselves into the community and at a more measured pace to learn the Sandycommunity. She noted that they did joint staffing at a station with Boring for years before theyhad a feasibility study.Director Joseph shared that he previously had the same concerns. He took the time to meet withDC Gehrke and Chief Browne and spent extensive time asking why and the purpose of the study.They have spent a lot of time showing how collaboration with Station 18 saved citizens’ livesbecause of faster response.Chief Browne said that the collaboration between CFD and Sandy Fire has worked extremelywell. The Board members have collaborated well. They have put a lot of hours into this. Heunderstood Director Wall’s concerns. He explained that the two Chiefs see the benefit to bothdistricts. Both Fire Chiefs want to take a measured approach. This is the next step before theyengage citizens and go to the next level. They don’t know what the results of this study willshow, but it will give them the background information.Director Syring noted that he is abstaining from voting as to not vote for a specific contract.However, he would not turn down a feasibility study. He noted that Sandy Fire made some verysignificant decisions and trusted us. He added that they wanted to partner with CFD to lookdeeper at options for the future.President Cross said he agreed with what Director Wall said. He understands that both firedistricts have good intentions. However, what the citizens think is what really matters, andthey’ve learned that.Director Joseph made a motion and Director Hawes seconded for the Board to approve aFeasibility Study with Sandy Fire District #72, and to authorize the Fire Chief to enter intoa contract negotiation with AP Triton not to exceed 51,534. Directors Joseph, Hawes, andCross voted yes. Director Wall voted no. Director Syring abstained. Motion passed.5

B-3 Discussion on Changing the Meeting Start Time to 5:00 pm – Division Chief JoshuaGehrkeDC Gehrke shared that they reached out to the individuals that attend the board meetings. Ofthose that responded, they supported a change to the meeting time. One person thought it shouldbe later.DC Gehrke shared that from his perspective, the District has changed in the last two years. It’schanged how CFD engages with the public. They have extremely transparent conversationsthrough social media, town halls, etc. There is open public dialogue. Board meetings havebecome just a small piece of how the public can come forward with questions and/or concernsand have a dialogue.He felt that the proposed time change is one of a few things that they can control. The size andmagnitude of events are not getting smaller. This change could build capacity for them to beready for the next alarm.DC Gehrke explained that in order to make a change, they need to change board policy and that’sa two-step process. First, they discuss, and at a later meeting they will decide.Chief Gehrke said at the onset of COVID-19, TVFR moved their meetings to 3:00 pm.President Cross shared that it doesn’t matter to him and he was okay with 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm.Director Wall asked how they determined who to reach out to.DC Gehrke said that they reached out to the attendees of the regular board meetings. Heexplained that they did discuss using social media platforms, but they couldn’t guarantee thatthey were hearing from CFD citizens.Director Wall asked how many they asked.DC Gehrke said about seven. They sent out a message asking for feedback.Director Wall said that she is not opposed to a time change. She has issues with the transparencyof this. They have all of these platforms available, and she did not see anything about this timechange. The only place she saw something was in Thelma Haggenmiller’s newsletter to publicsaying that people can please reach out to Director Joseph. It was important to her that theymaintain that accountability structure. The public is number one. They need to make an informeddecision. Engaging the public and being transparent to the public are what Board meetings arefor. Director Wall noted that she fully supports a hybrid meeting as they can reach more peoplethat way.Chief Browne thought that there are more creative ways in the future to reach citizens, such asthe app Nextdoor that she has mentioned.6

Director Hawes shared that he has been involved for quite a while as citizen. One of the biggestcomplaints he has heard from people is that meeting times are inconvenient. He is concerned if itwill be perceived that the meeting time was changed to make it less convenient.President Cross shared that there are two things that firefighters hate: 1) Change and 2) Thingsstaying the same. He expressed that part of him wants to try 5:00 pm for six months. If peoplestart voicing that 5:00 pm isn’t working, then they can go back to 6:00 pm after six months.Director Joseph shared that he put his email and phone number on Thelma’s newsletter if anyonewanted to call. That’s transparency. He talked to other officials and they wouldn’t put theirinformation out there. When he reached out to the past attendees, they appreciated him reachingout. He thought they should try it for six months.Director Syring said that the 5:00 pm was okay with him. He doesn’t want it to interfere with theother directors. He thought Director Hawes brought up good points about public perception. Hesuggested that they maybe try it for a quarter versus six months.President Cross shared that the hybrid model will make it much easier. He would try to make itin person as much as possible but wanted the ability to jump on Zoom if needed.Director Wall explained that this would require a board policy manual amendment. How are theygoing to state that the amendment is only good for six months?Chief Browne brought up that they could try it for a year and have a good analysis. If they startgetting negative feedback, it is an easy transition back. He shared that what he has noticed duringthe town hall meetings and live Facebook events is that not all citizens can attend live, but theydo watch when it’s convenient for them. The hybrid model is important for citizen participation.Director Hawes noted that Director Syring’s concern about the time interfering with their(directors) work schedule and being able to make the meeting, is exactly his point. They may beable to make 5:00 pm work, but there might be many people who cannot. He likes the hybridoption so whatever they decide, they need to continue with hybrid.President Cross shared that the whole idea of the board meetings is to conduct the business of theDistrict with the command staff. He felt that CFD was fairly benevolent in comparison to otherpublic entities when it comes to audience participation, because that’s the culture.There is not a lot of input received at Board meetings unless there are hot topics. They tend to getmore input outside of Board meetings.The Board members agreed they would need to move forward with the hybrid model.Discussion followed on when and how long they could have the meeting start at 5:00 pm on atrial basis.Director Wall explained that this would count as the first meeting for policy change. Septemberwould count as the second meeting. The new meeting time could not start until October. Therewas also a time change around that time.7

President Cross asked if they have a consensus to change the board policy manual to change thestart time to 5:00 pm, and have it be a hybrid model.Chief Browne explained that right now, they are unable to do a hybrid because of the Governor’smandates.Director Wall said that the Board wants to change Section 9.3 of the board policy manual,remove 6:00 pm, and change to 5:00 pm. Further into the section where it refers toteleconferencing and meeting public meetings laws to also include “as permitted by applicablelaw, in person.”The Board requested DC Gehrke to draft the amendment to Section 9.3 for the Board to considerand vote on next month.President Cross said that when talk about the approval of the board policy manual, they candiscuss how long until they review again.No vote was taken.B-4 Request Board Approval of One Commissioner to Serve a Four-Year Term on theCivil Service Commission – Division Chief Joshua GehrkeDC Gehrke said they are requesting that the Board appoint the civil service commissionerapplicant.Director Hawes made a motion and Director Joseph seconded for the Board to approve Dr.Michael Daly as the replacement on the Civil Service Commission Board. Motion passedunanimously.VII. OTHER BUSINESS – No action requiredOB-1 Legislative Update – Lobbyist Genoa IngramGenoa gave an update on signed House Bill 2397. PIO Paxton contacted her about this as itprohibits local governments from collecting fees against residential care facilities. It was unclearif fire districts could continue to charge for lift services. She did some research on the bill andpassed onto legal counsel for review. They determined that the exemption is sufficient to allowfor fire districts to continue to charge for lift assists.The other item she wanted to give an update on was the Governor’s vaccination mandate. Shecontacted the Governor’s office to confirm if EMS/EMT personnel were included in thedefinition of health care professionals. She believed that they were, as they are licensed underOHA. It took them six days to verify that, yes, they were included. It doesn’t appear that themandate is logistically workable as there is not enough testing. The Oregon Fire Chief’sAssociation had an emergency meeting. They wanted to know if fire district directors andvolunteers would sign letters to the Governor asking for a compromise as the mandate is8

logistically unworkable. The fire district directors met the previous Saturday and agreed to signthe letter suggesting other compromises such as mask mandates and/or waivers for smallerdistricts. It all requested that all forms of testing be available. The volunteers have not acted on ityet.OB-2 Board Committee/Liaison ReportsClackamas Emergency Services Foundation (CESF) – President CrossPresident Cross shared that he attended the CESF meeting. The benefit auction is planned forApril 2, 2022, at Gray Gables Estates.Interagency Committee – Director Joseph / Director SyringDirector Joseph said they had an interagency committee meeting with the City of Milwaukie.They are one of the few cities that want to continue to engage. They appreciate cooperation withthe District. Director Syring shared that both sides shared updates and that it was a good meeting.Civil Service Liaison Report – Director Syring / Commission Chair WeatherlyDirector Syring shared that Commission Chair Weatherly was unable to come to the meeting.The Civil Service Commission met on July 20 and Director Syring attended that meeting. Hegave an update on behalf of the Board. The Commission was still seeking someone for the ChiefExaminer role.OB-3 Board Informational Updates/CommentsDirector Wall shared that she virtually attended the Oak Grove CPO meeting. The Vice Chairmentioned that she was the beneficiary of a chipper grant and was extremely grateful. A lot ofpeople were interested in it and expressed that they thought it was a good program. The ViceChair asked what she was supposed to do with all the chips. Director Wall asked what thedirection was for those recipients.DC Whiteley said that they are encouraging community members and grant recipients todistribute or store those fuels away from the house or any structures.President Cross said that the OFDDA Conference is November 4, 5 and 6 in Ashland. All thedirectors and Chief Browne will be getting an update shortly. If they want lodging, they shouldreach out to EA Trotman. The OFDDA will be doing a hybrid model as well. He has a draft ofbrochure/announcement available. All the classes are locked in. He mentioned that AC Stewartwill be presenting at least one day.President Cross shared that as far as the vaccination/testing mandate, he has been sharinginformation with Chief Browne and Health & Safety Chief Goodrich. There are many entitiesworking on this and there will be more information coming by September.VIII. INFORMATIONAL ONLYA. Division / Department Reports9

R-1a Office of the Fire ChiefChief Browne reported that Oregon OSHA adopted an emergency rule to protect employeesfrom the hazards of high heat. Oregon OSHA also adopted a temporary rule to protect employeesfrom wildland smoke. Each rule gave employers a week to get mandatory training out toemployees.They had a couple agencies reach out to ask about CFD’s the Health & Safety program as anexample to follow.PIO Paxton reported that they held several Community Town Halls to engage people regardingwildfire season. The staff went out to Eagle Creek, Beavercreek, and Redland. They reviewed2020 incidents, focused on the 2021 outlook, and then provided some additional resources. Thetown halls were well attended (over 100 people at each event). The Beavercreek meeting wasrecorded by a videographer from Clackamas County and posted online. Staff also attended theHappy Valley and Milwaukie meeting to share the same updates.The most significant event was the Highway 99E Fire. This caused level three evacuations whichprompted another opportunity to use the emergency system with Clackamas County and theSheriff’s Office. This prompted a meeting with the two groups to streamline the evacuationprocess and form a plan, especially for the first two hours.PIO Paxton announced that they reached over 12,000 followers on Instagram. He thanked PSGrisham for all her hard work growing the social media platforms.R-1b Office of Strategic & Business Services – Assistant Chief Brian StewartAC Stewart shared that his office will be rotating speakers at each Board meeting. DC Gehrkewould be sharing tonight.AC Stewart reported that it had been a busy month. He was deployed on a couple fires. He metwith Chief Huffman to discuss the FMO and Fleet services with the IGA with Gladstone Fire.Chief Huffman felt it was going well and he appreciated the distribution of work and quickturnaround.AC Stewart said that Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Hicks was working with the Fire DefenseBoard and other dispatch centers. He secured support from each of the fire agencies to fund asecond Net Motion server. This would be in the cloud and help with business continuity andflexibility. He’s also been working with CCOM, LOCOM and WCCCA on the CAD replicationserver issues.Community Services was looking forward to doing more in person events, but those plans hadchanged due to the recent COVID-19 spike.The Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) continued to streamline the inspection and plan reviewprocesses. Inspectors were now being dispatched to first alarm fires and it’s been well received.Next month there will be requested amendments to the cost recovery ordinance. They are10

looking at cost recovery and engineering costs for those self-inspections in that require additionalfollow up. More information will be provided at the next meeting.For Support Services, July was a busy month with calls and Fleet support. The Hoodland andSandy IGAs started, and July is typically a high vacation month. There were also severalconflagrations and issues with rigs because of high heat. They hired a new Fleet Technician andhe welcomed Paul Eggleston to the team.DC Gehrke shared that they posted the Chief Examiners position and have received no interestso far. There was an investigation into fraudulent unemployment claims. No CFD employeeswere involved in that claim.Director Syring brought up that the Data Services report that shows apparatus responses was notincluded in the Board packet. AC Stewart will locate the report and make sure its in next month’spacket.President Cross asked if the cost recovery program (FMO) was similar to other agencies.AC Stewart replied that yes, it was similar to other agencies. He added that it varied throughoutthe state.R-1c Office of Financial Services – Chief Financial Officer Mark WhitakerCFO Whitaker reported that they have been busy with year-end processing and activities. Thetentative results show that CFD came within budget on both sides. They spent about 99.8% ofthe budgeted general fund. CFD took in a little more revenue than budgeted. Due of thesepositives, there will be a minor increase in the beginning fund balance for the new fiscal year.At the next Board meeting, he plans to share a forecast from now until November so the Districtcan be prepared to borrow funds temporarily to bridge the gap before the tax funds arrive.He shared that typically in the board packet they would see a report from finance with a monthlyupdate with all expenditures, etc. He had intended to in

Sep 20, 2021