The Copper Canyon Fire and Medical District hosted a special meeting on March 29 to address its shortage of board members and the fire chief’s upcoming retirement.
CCFMD recently announced that it is deeply in debt due to a $856,000 accounting error resulting from the merger of the Camp Verde Fire District and the MontezumaRimrock Fire District, compounded by the construction of a $3.5 million Cherry Creek fire station.
The board accepted the resignation of the board chairwoman, Linda Welsch, leaving the board with only three members.
Josh Maxwell was elected board chairman for the rest of the term. Board member Danna Quinn was elected to serve as the interim board clerk until the board finds more members.
With the resignation of Administrative Manager Robyn Cook, the board is looking to eliminate that position, leaving two administrative positions out of the former three. The hours of the other two positions will be reduced by 75% to save money. No action was taken and a decision will be made during the budget cycle.
The board discussed the possibility of having a joint management agreement for the fire chief position. A JMA could be limited to the fire chief position only or include the entire administration in order to share resources with another fire district.
The board members agreed that they will not make a decision until they have a full five-member board.
The board also extended the period for accepting applications for new board members until April 17. Board members can expect at least one meeting a month, with more special meetings if unusual circumstances, such as the debt the district is currently experiencing, require further discussion. Meetings last around three hours. The position is unpaid.
