GILPIN COUNTY — The Timberline Fire Protection District Board of Directors closed out its final meeting of 2025 on December 10 with a full slate of approvals, final budget action for the coming year, and updates on major construction at Station 3, all while wind rattled the building outside.

Before turning to district business, the board recessed to convene as the Pension Board of Trustees. Members reviewed the third-quarter 2025 allocation report, which showed a quarterly return of 4.28 percent and an ending balance of approximately $1.5 million. 

Administrative Chief Jennifer Hinderman confirmed the district also received its state match, noting, “That state match eliminates the $20,000? Yeah, it was $21,900. We received that.”

The pension board unanimously approved the September 11, 2025, meeting minutes and adjourned, returning to the regular board meeting shortly after.

The board then approved minutes from three recent meetings. The regular meeting minutes from November 11, the workshop minutes from November 24, and the special meeting minutes from November 26 were unanimously approved, with a minor correction to the start time of the November 26 meeting.

Public comment was brief. Jared, director of operations with KCI (the company handling the Station 3 buildout), attended and addressed the board, telling members, “I know there’s been a lot of discussion around budgeting, planning, etc. We’re here to help you guys. Let me know if there’s anything we can do to help.”

Chief Paul Ondr thanked Jared for KCI's work. 

Following the treasurer’s report on the November 2025 unaudited financials, there were no questions. The board opened and closed the public hearing on the 2026 budget without comment.

The board then adopted all required 2026 budget resolutions. Members unanimously approved the resolution to adopt the 2026 mill levy, setting the total mill levy at 9.359 mills after accounting for voter-approved stabilization adjustments tied to changes in residential and commercial assessment rates.

They also approved resolutions to adopt the 2026 budget and to appropriate funds for the year.

The board then approved the 2026 meeting schedule, confirming regular meetings will continue to be held at Station 3. Dates include January 12, February 10, March 10, April 15, May 12, June 9, July 21, August 10, September 8, October 13, November 17, and December 14, 2026.

Members also approved a resolution authorizing a lease/purchase agreement, appointing a board representative to sign final documents once legal review is complete and minor corrections are made. District staff explained the deal must be funded before the end of the year to align with the approved budget. 

Under continued business, Ondr provided a detailed update on the Station 3 expansion, supported by a CDS and USDA grant. Despite high winds, steel framing is nearly complete. “It looks to me like 97, 98 percent of the structural steel is complete,” Ondr said.

Interior work, underground utilities, and preparation for a cistern pad pour scheduled for early January are progressing.

Ondr also delivered his monthly report, noting the district handled 60 calls in November, including a small wildland fire near Shoshone Road that burned just over a tenth of an acre. 

He announced the district received two 1B grants, one for five sets of bunker gear and another $20,000 grant to offset Gilpin Ambulance responses into Boulder County for 2026. “So we will have no more issues with that for 2026,” he said.

Additional updates included the delivery of a generator for Station 5, ongoing residential mitigation work, and progress on staffing. The district received 68 volunteer applications and expects to onboard approximately 15 new volunteers in early 2026. “We’ve never seen this many applications,” Ondr said. “They just keep coming in.”

Year-to-date, the district is on track to surpass 700 calls again, with 696 reports already started as of the meeting.

With no executive session and no additional public comment, Board President Rick Wenzel adjourned the meeting at 6:43 p.m., closing out Timberline’s final meeting of 2025.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Station 3 in Black Hawk.