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CAFA board appoints members to key committees

CAFA logo on doorThe Chelsea Area Fire Authority Board spent about two hours discussing a lengthy agenda on Tuesday, Sept. 20, and appointed members to a number of  important committees including budget, union negotiations, and millage.

After hearing from its auditor, who gave CAFA’s books an unqualified opinion, he cautioned the board about its recurrent need to use fund balance to meets its expenses. He said since 2009, there has only been one year where expenses didn’t exceed revenues and the board needed to use its fund balance to make up the difference.

The auditor also said the fund balance is lower than he’d like to see it and he’d like to see CAFA build that balance back up.

Interim Chief Jon Ichesco and Board Members Peter Feeney and Kurt Koseck will begin working on a new budget and bring a preliminary version to the board for discussion. The budget committee plans to have a preliminary document ready for the Oct. 25 meeting, which will take place at night — 7 p.m. in the Chelsea City Council chambers.

Also appointed were a board union negotiation committee comprised of Board Chairman Tom Osborne and Feeney. The board plans to have a special meeting at Lima Township Hall on Oct. 13 where they will go into closed session to discuss negotiation strategy.

With the current CAFA operating millage due to expire in a little more than a year, Osborne and Board Member Shauna Mote will meet to put together a preliminary plan for a renewal of the millage.

Also among the topics discussed was a review of all the outside vendors that service CAFA such as HR, accounting, law, and office equipment. Mote and Feeney will serve on that committee.

The board also plans to attend a seminar on Oct. 28 at the Chelsea District Library put on by the Chelsea Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan and Grand Valley State University that details the roles and responsibilities of boards.

The annual Fire Prevention Open House for community families will take place on Sunday, Oct. 16 from noon-4 p.m. at Fire Station No. 1 on Middle Street. Everyone is invited and more details will follow.

For a video of the meeting, go to www.youtube.com/user/ChelseaFire.

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