BLACK HAWK — Timberline Fire Protection District is getting closer to the language voters could see on their November ballots asking for a six-mill property tax increase.

The board spent about 40 minutes on Monday, August 10, 2026, working through three versions of the proposed ballot question. By the end of the workshop, members were leaning toward the simplest version, which would ask for the full six mills at once.

No final vote was taken during the workshop.

The main reason for the proposed increase is staffing. Fire Chief Paul Ondr told the board that close to 90% of the additional money would go toward hiring firefighters.

The district has been discussing the need to staff an additional fire station, rather than relying primarily on one staffed station. Board members, however, questioned whether the ballot language should lock the district into that specific use.

They eventually favored simply saying the money would be used for “hiring additional firefighters,” giving future boards more flexibility as to how the district uses the additional personnel.

Keeping the question simple

The board had three versions of the ballot language in front of it.

One would phase in the increase, adding three mills in 2027 and another three mills in 2028. The other versions would seek the full six-mill increase at once.

Ondr said the phased approach initially appealed to district officials, but the language required to explain it became cumbersome. The first draft included separate dollar amounts and mill levy figures that board members worried could leave voters wondering exactly how much they were being asked to approve.

The chief said the first version was so confusing that it could even appear as though the district was asking for nine mills instead of six.

“If I read something and I don't understand it, it's an automatic no,” Ondr said.

Board members liked the idea of easing into the increase with three mills at a time, but they did not want to put a complicated question before voters simply to accomplish that.

By the end of the workshop, the board was leaning toward draft three, which asks for the six mills at once and does not seek a waiver of the state's 10.5% property tax revenue growth limitation.

Ondr said he does not expect property values to increase enough in the near future for that cap to create a major problem. New construction and other growth would not count against the limitation, he said.

More importantly, he wanted to keep the ballot question focused on what Timberline is actually asking voters to fund.

“We're trying to be as clear as we can that this is the money we're asking for, for this purpose, to put more firefighters in fire trucks, to get there quicker, to be safer,” Ondr said.

The ballot language would also preserve the district's previously voter-approved de-Brucing authority from 1992 and stabilization provisions approved in 2017. Those are not new requests to voters.

The wording is not final. District officials will take the board's suggestions back to legal counsel and ask for another version. The board is expected to hold a special meeting before September 4 to consider and potentially approve the final ballot language.

Finding a role during emergencies

Once the workshop ended, the board moved into its regular meeting and heard from Gilpin County Emergency Management Director Steven Mingura.

The discussion centered on a practical question: What should Timberline board members do when a major emergency hits the district?

Board members are responsible for governance, not firefighting operations. In fact, Timberline's policies separate the two roles. But during a wildfire, major snowstorm, extended power outage, or evacuation, board members could still be useful.

Communication emerged as one of the most likely roles. Board members have long-standing connections throughout the district and could help get accurate information to residents, answer non-emergency questions, or assist in a Joint Information Center during a major incident.

That could also take some of the pressure off dispatchers, who can quickly become overwhelmed by calls from people looking for information rather than reporting an emergency.

“If we don't provide information, people will make up their own story,” Mingura said. A board member immediately offered a familiar example.

“It's called Facebook.”

Mingura agreed that social media can make rumors and misinformation during emergencies much harder to control.

Another possibility is having someone with fire experience serve as a liaison in the County's Emergency Operations Center, helping connect fire officials in the field with County emergency management.

Mingura also invited board members to participate in upcoming emergency management training. Gilpin County is working with the state on a larger emergency exercise tentatively planned for April or May 2027.

Board vacancy remains open

The district is also looking for a new director following the departure of Mary Kate McKenna, who served as Timberline's treasurer.

The board has received a letter of interest from Kevin Mohammed, a Gilpin County resident who retired after a 25-year career with the City of Miami Fire Rescue Department.

In his letter, Mohammed described experience as a firefighter, paramedic, driver engineer, hazardous materials specialist, and instructor. He also worked on committees involved in evaluating, budgeting, specifying, and purchasing fire apparatus and specialized hazardous materials equipment.

Since retiring from Miami Fire Rescue, Mohammed has continued working in public safety as an operational specialist and instructor supporting the Counter Terrorism Operations Support program at the Nevada National Security Site.

Mohammed was not at Monday's meeting, however, and the board decided not to move on an appointment without first having an opportunity to speak with him.

Board members said they would try to contact Mohammed and invite him to either the upcoming special meeting or the September 8 regular meeting. They also agreed to continue considering other interested candidates.

The district has 60 days from the July 23 vacancy to fill the position, so the board expects to have the new director in place by its September meeting. 

McKenna's departure also left Timberline without a treasurer. Kristin Turner volunteered to take the position. The board formally selected her treasurer by unanimous vote.

The board also unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with Boulder County for the 2026 general election.

Station 3 grant work continues

There was little new to report on the Station 3 capital project. Ondr said change orders have been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the district received an updated contract price.

KCI was expected to provide an updated eighth payment application by the end of the week. Timberline will then submit it to the USDA. One final payment would remain after that for retainage.

The process has moved slowly enough that Ondr was hesitant to predict when everything would finally be finished.

Asked whether the grant process could be wrapped up by the end of the year, he put the chances at “50-50.”

A busy July

Timberline responded to 116 calls in July, according to the chief's monthly report. The district-wide average response time was 10 minutes and 15 seconds.

Wildland crews have also been busy far from home. Brush 59 was deployed to Oregon, while Timberline provided a crew member to help staff a Nederland Fire engine assigned to the Tahoe National Forest. After that employee's deployment ended, another Timberline mitigation employee flew out to take the seat for another rotation.

Closer to home, the district had to rent a chipper for about a week after its own broke down. The equipment has since been repaired, but Ondr said the experience showed why the mitigation program could use a second chipper. Crews sometimes have two chipping operations going at once, and renting the equipment is expensive.

The High Country Auxiliary also gave the mitigation program a substantial boost, paying for three new saws and more than $23,000 in wildland personal protective equipment, including pants, shirts, helmets, and fire shelters.

And for residents looking ahead to colder weather, Ondr said there is still plenty of free firewood available at Station 4.

The department also promoted Emily Cresswell to a full-time position, while Blake Watson accepted a part-time firefighter position.

Timberline continues to receive applications for its next round of onboarding. Firefighters have also been getting extensive hands-on training inside the former food pantry building, which the department can use through August 16.

The next regular meeting of the Timberline Fire Protection District Board of Directors is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at Station 3, 19126 Highway 119, Black Hawk.

Before then, the district expects to schedule a special meeting sometime before September 4 to consider the final wording of its proposed November ballot question. The exact date and time of that special meeting had not been set Monday night. The board may also use the special meeting to meet with Mohammed regarding the vacant director position.