Rural Fire District 1 undergoing overhaul

Rural Fire District 1 has a newly reorganized board with new members after a meeting Thursday, in which the board addressed a transfer of property and discussed adjusting the boundaries of the fire district.

The district is a ring around the boundaries of Havre for which Havre Fire Department provides service.

The city of Havre also wants to modify the agreement it has with the fire district, with city officials previously saying the city wants the agreement it has with the district to state who is responsible for making sure structures in the district meet fire code.

The modification is merely a discussion item at this point, new board chair Steve Jamruszka said after the meeting. Jamruszka went on to explain the reason for the possible modification.

“Basically, (the agreement) describes how the interaction between Havre Fire District No. 1 and the city is currently. Translated, that means we contract for services for firefighters, they in turn, provide the information, and the equipment and the people for the district of which Havre is in the middle of, so, out of a matter of probably some cost savings and for fire protection.” Jamruszka said.

Jamruszka said insurance rates are all tied to fire protection and other services.

“So they want to take a look at the agreement and cover some areas that they think are either deficient or need to be affirmed. That’s as much as I know right now because I need the names of the people that are participants, No. 1, so that I can go down and introduce myself,” Jamruszka said.

“Then, No.2, get an idea of the depth of whatever discussions that we’re going to have. So before you can really enter into modifying an agreement, logically, for me, anyway. Nice to know who the people are and what the current agreement is and what they’d like to modify, all of which I’m not 100 percent up to speed on,” he continued.

New board members and meeting schedule

Early in the meeting, the meeting minutes were amended to reflect Jamruszka is a signator. He now has the authority to sign any necessary documents as a representative of the board, he said.

Susan Tharp joins Jamruszka as the board’s secretary. The board also agreed to hold regular meetings every second Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the Timmons Room of the Hill County Courthouse, although the location may change if needed.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson told Havre Daily News in February former board members had been holding private meetings, not reporting minutes and did not advertise the meetings. As a result, disbanding the board had been a possibility.

“They do have duties and they have duties in state law that they are not doing. They have property, they have meetings, they have all this stuff that they are supposed to be doing. We have a contract specifically for suppression, not protection, not as far as inspections, investigations. There’s a whole lot more that a fire chief is in charge of,” Havre Mayor Tim Solomon said, also in February.

Jamruszka couldn’t comment as he said he was not a member of the board at that time. He said what he could address is what the board will try to do going forward.

“As I read all the information that I needed to catch up on regulatory aspects of having a public board, it included regular meeting times and places. It doesn’t doesn’t necessarily restrict us to one place,” Jamruszka said in the post-meeting interview.

“When I post that on the bulletin board at the county (courthouse), anybody that’s interested in knowing — whether they have input or just as an observer, or whatever else — when these meetings and locations are, goes a long way toward satisfying the open meeting laws and the Freedom of Information Act,” he added.

Adjusting district boundaries

Clyde R. Thomas submitted a request for approval to adjust the district boundaries with the intent of building a structure to house a firefighting station for the Bear Paw Fire District.

Jamruszka said during the interview that this process is regulatorily tied to the Freedom of Information Act and open meeting regulations.

“The general public has to have the opportunity for input. And after the meeting minutes are approved, which are going to be when we get done with this conversation, I’m going to sign them … and I’m going to give them to Mark (Peterson) and then that ends the approval process for public record,” Jamruszka said.

“So, the 30 to 60 day clock starts for people to be able to voice any objections that they may have to adjusting the boundaries of the Hill County Fire District 1 boundary. Really, I don’t think it affects even an acre, maybe a little more, but not much,” he continued.

Jamruszka said, in order for the Bear Paw Fire District to store their equipment and do what they have to do, it has to be on property within the fire district.

“At the moment, Clyde R. Thomas’ letter addresses that by saying ‘make a modification and then we can consider putting a fire station there.’ When I say station, I don’t mean a manned station, per se,” Jamruszka said

Transfer of Fire District 1 property

Fire District 1 is also in the process of selling what colloquially is known as the bus garage to North Central Montana Transit.

“This transaction has been in the works for quite a while. There’s been logistical issues, COVID issues, so on and so forth. As a consequence, the agreements and signatories haven’t all been in the same place at the same time,” Jamruszka said. “So, at this point, it’s an item of old business, if you want to call it that, and we’re going to follow it through, which is the sale of the building and essentially be done with that item of business.”