By Cristina Kumka
Sherburne Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Killington Fire and Rescue and Killington Search and Rescue, the entity that provides the town’s fire and rescue operations, and the Killington Select Board agreed on Tuesday, Dec. 16, to renew the five-year contract for services. The department originally asked to extend the term to a 10-year contract and is in the process of planning and development of a new fire station.
In keeping with the town’s new fiscal year, the agreement, which runs from Jan. 1, 2015 through June 30, 2020, requires the fire department to provide a budget to town officials each year on or before October 1, beginning next year. Along with its budget each Oct. 1, the department is also required to submit a revised 20-year capital budget plan, and the department is solely responsible for the maintenance and operation of vehicles and determining which vehicles are suitable for use at any time. The department is also required to submit all fundraising receipts and expenses to the Select Board each Oct. 1.
The seven-page agreement also requires the selectmen to annually approve an amount for the department’s capital fund, as has been in the case in years past. The town maintains the role of bookkeeper for the department and all purchases must be approved by the town manager or the Select Board.
Monthly and annual reporting of the number of respondents, calls and apparatus used is required to be submitted to the town, and specific call reports are required between 24 and 48 hours depending on the severity of the incident.
Either party, the department or the town, can terminate the agreement with one year’s written notice.
Cristina Kumka is a correspondent for The Mountain Times, Cristina_kumka@yahoo.com.
