Call to Order to order 1506. Todd, Greg, Tim and Danielle, Reed and Jake joined later.
Minutes from the last meeting on 12/13/22 were reviewed. Everyone had seen them in an email. Motion to accept by Greg and seconded by Tim. All approved.
Treasurers Report:
- Account Balances – Checking $75,122, Savings $60,123
- Pay President Graves – Yes
- IRS Update & 990 Filing – Danielle gave an update that all of the penalties and interest were waived. 2022 990 filing was done in April.
Training Committee Topics:
- Attendance is down – classes were smaller, and we might end up doing classes in July. Todd said he would help if needed.
- Skip S-230 & S-215 next year – all decided to do continue doing S-230 but not do a S-215 unless enough request it since it’s not required.
- S-212 SW discontinued. – Let everyone know that the S-212 student workbook has been discontinued but is still required. Danielle found a publishing company, 48-Hour Books, which was able to print the books for nearly the same cost as ordering them from the cache.
- S-290 SW discontinued. – Not a great concern since everyone is taking this class online.
- Fire Shelter Pamphlets discontinued. – These are no longer required in classes. Some feel that they are important for new firefighters. May consider having some made by the publishing company Danielle used. Greg commented that everything in the pamphlet is in the video.
- Tim asked if we could get discontinued workbooks made. Danielle said she has files of the original ones that could be made. We will explore this at the fall meeting. Todd commented that it was a quick turnaround from 48-hour books.
Old Business:
• Committee Reports – Todd is working on contacting DNR, there is a meeting coming up on June 5th. Hoping to ask for a meeting with them and have a couple other board members come with. Some discussion followed. Jake asked about the money we put up for David Spady. Todd shared that he came to Reno and is avidly working in DC. Greg said we are piggy backing on NWSA, and we don’t really have access for David to report to us. Todd said we just donated to help out.
– PAC – Todd asked Jake if he had any PAC information. Jake gave the names of a current PAC committee members, Erin Adams, Will Judkins, Adam Swedberg. Jake said that gov’t staff members change positions, and those contacts are no longer there. He will have to reach out to establish new contacts. Farm labor certification team starting to put enhancements in their efforts for certification. Good and bad because it is a recognition of this requirement, and it will be enforced. Jake would like to make a recommendation to the board that we get PAC committees separated to state and Federal. Jake has focused on Federal. Danielle said that Erin Adams is gone. Jake said we need to know the location of each of the committee members. It would be beneficial to have someone in Chelan County. Are we going to replace Erin? Todd said we should if we plan to work at this. Todd said he would do more to be active. Jake said he would get working on it too. Asked if the board would send an email to see if there was interest in one of the members joining. Greg asked if we should let NWSA work on Federal. Jake said he is very familiar with the Federal side, and he was unimpressed with Debbi Miley’s comments about his audit. Todd suggests that he and the VP get together with the Chair of the PAC and go over some priorities to give him some direction.
– Medical Services Advisory Committee – This has been dissolved for inactivity.
– Legal Advisory Committee – Jake Burkhart – Do we need to continue to have this committee. Jake said the LAC was connected with the PAC. Should we consider combining them? Jake said yes. Greg approves. Todd said they will now be combined and just called the PAC.
– Fire Defense committee has suspended their meetings, or he has not been included in the notifications for the meetings. Todd reached out to them asking to be re-included and he heard right back. They will be sure his is included.
– No further Committee discussion.
• Plan to Review/Update of By-Laws – What is the best way to get started. Danielle recommended her and Todd review it, send to the board and then to the members. Danielle suggested we work on it after fire season. Todd said he and Danielle will get started on it.
• FYI – Code of Ethics accepted and signed by all current members.
- No other Old Business
New Business:
• Group purchasing (shelters, radios, tires, insurance) – Silke contacted us. Todd is checking with Les Schwab on group tire purchasing. Todd’s insurance company is interested. Jake suggested that part of the PAC all use various CPA or Bookkeepers, he envisions that there would be a local/regional firm that specialized in contract firefighting.
• Farm labor – Todd is going to talk about it at the General Meeting. Danielle said that she was being asked for help. If there was a class or something she would be willing to learn more outside her regular duties with the WCFA. Greg said that nothing comes up at regular times. It doesn’t coincide with CDL, medical cards, etc. It would be simpler if it did. Fingerprints don’t change unless you have an accident so why do you have to get new ones. Correct but they make you get new ones. Greg said they don’t keep them on files so that’s why you must get new ones. Jake said this is some of the stuff he has discussed with representatives, but it goes nowhere. Greg said they are working with information from the 1950’s. More discussion followed. Todd said that all resources will be required. Very likely that starting in 2025 water handling will need this. Danielle shared that she talked to Aaron Olmos about the contract template. He told her that it’s a national template and not everything applies. She asked how to weed out what’s needed, and they just repeated it is a national template.
• Prescribed burn – Todd sent an email that 4 type 6 engines were called to go to RX in Methow Valley. Jake said there was confusion. The dispatch came from Dist. 6 and then to CWIC. When they got there Dist. 6 was surprised to see them. Top level is making the decisions and then the lower level is having to deal with it. He heard they are going to start using teams which will be very beneficial. More discussion followed and this will be shared with the membership. Jake said we need to advocate for a team to handle these.
• Jake shared about employees he adds to the database that end up never being used. He would like a process for purging the database. Todd said we can ask the members at the meeting to remove employees. Danielle has a suggestion to ask for a vote at the general meeting to purge database. She can remove or archive, just need to see what the members wants and when. She would like to remove them annually, in August. Todd suggested he has people he wants completely deleted. He will send her a list. Ask members to send a list of names they want removed and Danielle will do if for you. Todd said we should be able to delete them. Danielle explained that we could remove all company entered information and then archive them. Todd asked how long according to our MOU do we have to save records. Danielle found it was 5 years. All agree to archive any who have WCFA training and removed employer entered information if the employer requests it.
• Jake asked about other company names showing up when he is logged in. It should only be showing his company and his employees. We need to ask Dan Curfman to check on this. It should have been fixed last year when Saul did it last year. Danielle believes it is because Jake is also marked as a trainer.
• Reed joined the meeting.
• Election of Officers: Todd reviewed and asked those present if they would accept a nomination? All said yes. This will be presented at the general meeting.
o Greg Bailey’s two-year term as VP is up this spring 2021-2023.
o EB #1 is Vacant, and we need to fill the seat for the term of 2021-2024.
o These two positions 3-year terms are expiring this spring 2020-2023:
Tim Logozzo EB #3
Reed Gracie EB #4
• Membership:
– Membership Updates – Danielle shared a couple of membership updates with new contacts. They filled out a new application so the database could be updated. When business change hands, the new owner will have to apply for membership.
– There wasn’t any contact from Utting Construction or North Cascades Wildfire so they are no longer members. 4 others sent appeals and were reinstated. Olympic Ambulance changed contact, they sent dues payment, but we never heard from them, and they didn’t sign the COE so we sent them a letter and returned their dues check.
– New Members – Early Winters Outfitters is re-applying for membership because he lost his membership. Jermaine Allen was supposed to attend. If he does not come his appeal for membership will end. Todd said he will present the new members like normal to the membership. How much do we disclose to the members about this situation. The board said not to disclose what happened. Danielle asked if she should share details about those who couldn’t be contacted. Todd said to just summarize it.
• No other New Business
Fall Meeting TBD
Meeting motion to adjourn by Greg, seconded by Tim. Meeting adjourned at 1659.