MENDON FIRE DISTRICT
Board of Commissioner
District Meeting Minutes (Draft-V2)
October 21, 2025
ROLL CALL (meeting called to order 19:10 hrs. on 10/21/2025 by R. Wilsey)
| PRESENT | NAME | CAPACITY | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| YES | Arman, Mike | MFD President | |
| YES | Baumer, Heidi | Treasurer | |
| YES | Considine, Dan | Commissioner | |
| YES | Fletcher, William | General Counsel | |
| YES | Friedlander, David | MFD Deputy Chief | |
| YES | Joint, Richard | Commissioner | |
| YES | Sellman, Tom | Secretary | |
| YES | Shipe, John | Commissioner | |
| YES | Shuler, Steve | Commissioner | |
| YES | Tschiderer, Steve | MFD, Chief | |
| YES | Wilsey, Ryan | Commissioner (Chairman) |
PUBLIC COMMENT
Meeting opened with request for public comment on the proposed budget (September 15th) that was posted on: (a) the District website from October 1st (b) on the station bulletin board (c) submitted to the Town Clerk and (d) posted by the Sentinel in the Oct 9th edition. With no immediate comments, the time for public comment on the proposed budget was extended until the Treasurer’s report.
CALENDAR / MEETING ROOM REQUEST REVIEW
The following meeting room requests were submitted for approval. Secretary Sellman indicated
calendar is free for them. S. Shuler moved to approved the requests. Seconded by J. Shipe and
passed by unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
11-15-2025 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM NYS Alpine Ski Assoc. – Bruce Bolger ( J. Shipe )
02-27-2026 5 – 9 PM Pack 105 Pinewood Derby Setup ( C. Fitzpatrick )
02-28-2026 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Pack 105 Pinewood Derby ( C. Fitzpatrick )
SECRETARY ITEMS
Past Meeting Minutes: R. Wilsey motioned to approve the meeting minutes for the September 11th District meeting. This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed by unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
Calendar Reminders: Secretary Sellman reviewed several calendar items including:
- Nov 20th November District Meeting
- District Elections – Dec. 9th (Commissioner Shuler’s term expiration)
District Election Details
Secretary Sellman reviewed items of note related to the upcoming District Elections. It was noted that Mendon Fire District does not use absentee ballots. He also noted that the Fire District Board of Elections Chair was appointed (MFD President Arman) at the January 2025 organizational meeting with the authority to appoint the election inspectors / ballot clerks with a pay of $100. The legal notice of the election is prepared and will be released to the Sentinel, Mendon Town, and District website for publication on or immediately following Nov 5th. Petitions have been prepared for those with satisfactory credentials and will be available on Nov 5th as well. In answer to Treasurer Baumer, President Arman indicated a total of three checks for the Chair and two clerks will be needed the evening of the election ( clerks: Earl Bendschneider and Maureen Schueler).
District Correspondence:
Sept 25th 2025 : Certified letter notifying MFD of Fishers Fire District Notice of Cessation of Operations. (copy emailed to all Commissioners and MFD Chiefs).
Email and hard-copy flyer notice regarding ESIP Client Appreciation Dinner by McNeil & Co. Nov 14th 6:30pm at Symposium in the Sun — reservations require. This too was distributed to all Commissioners vi email from District Admin Oct 15.
Hard-copy flyer for Nov 1st Capital Area Fire Districts Fall Ed. Seminar. Hard-copy distributed to Commissioners via email.
MENDON FIRE DEPT BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPORT (Vice President Knapp)
Department Fall Festival: President Arman elaborated on the plans/dates/times for the upcoming Fall Festival / Food Truck / Recruiting Event (Oct 24th 5 – 8 PM).
Truck Bay Power Washer: Project Hardware as arrived.
New Members Building: Finger Lakes Construction expects to start Nov 10th.
Softball Field Update: Mike elaborated on the ‘Field of Dreams’ project, indicating lots accomplished the morning of clambake – new dirt delivered and generally spread (finish work needs to be completed). Working on some posting that would be distributed to the community detailing the renovation/refresh of the facility – that carnival proceeds and community donations were used in the project. Mike noted that there will be a need to develop a use/registration process and form. The need for prospective users/organizations will have to produce their own certificates of insurance to cover liability issues.
CHIEF’S REPORT
See Appendix A for content presented in Chief Tschiderer’s report.
Purchase Orders
- 25-25 : Zipclean DECON seat covers for both 365 & 364 : initial exploratory pricing at $15,286.19. There was discussion regarding the next steps (e.g. the District Administrator will need to determine final pricing such that the required permissive referendum can be generated).
R. Wilsey motioned for approval of the District Administrator to move forward and determine final pricing. This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed by unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
Upcoming Officer Elections & Qualifications
Secretary Sellman brought forth a recommendation proposed by Asst. Chief Kester (Nominating Chair) with respect to changes in the District’s Rule 125 (e.g. District’s Officer Qualifications) that would best serve the District/Dept. for the upcoming 2026 year. See Appendix E for email/contents & referenced spreadsheet of current officers & completed training matrix. Note that the training matrix is for current officers. Assist Chief Kester earlier expressed that of those listed, only M. Parker has indicated that he would not be interested in a line position for 2026. After discussion, R. Wilsey motioned that the policy amendment proposed by Kester and reviewed by Chief Tschiderer be incorporated into the District Rules & Regulations. This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed with unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
Fire Police Lieutenant Request
Chief Tschiderer led a discussion with respect to his desire to provide more depth at the Fire Police officer level providing continuity in leadership. Sellman noted that a formal qualification standard was missing in the District Rules & Regulations. It was agreed by the Board and Chief that the training qualifications shall include (1) having successfully completed the OFPC Fire Police Class and (2) completed NYS Peace Officer registration with the Town of Mendon. This errata will be included into the District Rules & Regulations. It was also agreed that the Department By-Laws Article 3, Section 3, Sub-Section J provides the Chief with the authority to appoint additional officers as needed.
Qualified Apparatus Drivers
Chief Tschiderer requested that District Rule 109, section 4 (Qualified Apparatus Drivers) be amended to include individuals that are 20 years of age (or older) that possess a valid and clear NYS Commercial Driver’s License. After discussion, R. Wilsey motioned that the aforementioned Rule 109, section 4 be amended as detailed. J. Shipe seconded the motion which passed by unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Voucher & Reconciliation Review
Treasurer Baumer reviewed the voucher and reconciliation statements. See Appendix B for submitted content.
Treasurer Baumer initiated a discussion to review several year-end expenses to make sure what had been budgeted for was all accounted for. Items spoken about were final invoices for the new 367 replacement truck, and an accounting for remaining 5” hose replacement. As detailed above, the amount for an anticipated permissive referendum for the DECON seat covers remains to be determined by more purchase analysis by the District Administrator.
Proposed 2026 District Budget
At the end of the treasurer’s report, S. Shuler, motioned to (a) close the public hearing for the proposed 2026 District Budget and adopt it as presented, and (b) accept the treasurer’s report and pay the bills, This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed by unanimous consent: 5-0-0. See Appendix D for the final adopted 2026 budget.
OPERATIONAL COMMITTEE REPORTS
Capital Projects / Special Projects (S. Shuler)
NYS VFIRE Grant Project Status
S. Shuler led a discussion regarding status of the Grant Project, indicating there is an upcoming building scan (Friday 10/24) to ascertain more information that the building inspector and architect require to flush out more options.
Apparatus
| Vehicle/Equip | Issues/Problems/Plans |
|---|---|
| 364 | No issue |
| 365 | No issue |
| 367 | No issue |
| 3617 | No issue |
| 3618 | No issue |
| Haul Trailer | No issue |
| 3c16 | No issue |
| 3c26 | No issue |
Buildings and Grounds (S. Shuler)
Steve started a discussion with regards to the Solar Proposal from Energyware to install a solar panel system on the roof of the station in conjunction with a roof replacement effort that the company would apply a significant discount to. Multiple questions with respect to dates of acceptance required for the proposal and due diligence in vendor evaluation were explored – as was life expectancy of panels and construction techniques to preserve roof integrity. How to pay for such a project and details with specific respect to roof replacement were also discussed.
At the end of discussion, S. Shuler motioned that the District sign a letter of intent to move forward with the exploration of the proposal pending a more detailed examination and approval of the LOI by the District General Counsel. Signing the LOI would constrain the District from looking at a competitor for 45 days. This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed by unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
R. Wilsey expressed a desire that given the recent water-flow alarm at the station, it would be good to have some additional training on the sprinkler system as it relates to alarms.
Personnel & Leadership
District Administrator’s Report
S. Shuler motioned that the District Administrator’s report (see Appendix C) be approved. This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed by unanimous consent: 5-0-0
Leadership
Dan is looking at getting a mental health session scheduled as well as a leadership workshop in Janurary 2026 — Dan to send Secretary Sellman details as they become more firm.
S. Shuler briefly discussed dues for the IAFC membership – he’ll wait until the Florida conference completes in case they have some promotional discounting. Steve also confirmed that B. Cook is going to replace Dan for the Florida Conference – registration and airline details taken care of.
Information/Technology (R. Wilsey)
Ryan investigating new hardware solution to replace the laptop enclosed station kiosk that had a heat issue. Initial survey looks like a replacement may be available for $2K or less.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
At 20:21, R. Wilsey made a motion for the Board to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing employment opportunities and personnel. This was seconded by S. Shuler and passed with unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
At 20:45, the Board exited Executive Session and the regular meeting resumed. R. Wilsey made a motion that the District would move forward with an exploration of a full-time and part-time civil service position for a paid training employee. This was seconded by D. Considine and passed with by unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
MEETING ADJOURNMENT
At 20:49 R. Wilsey motioned to adjourn, seconded by S. Shuler, passing by unanimous consent: 5-0-0.
Minutes Respectfully Submitted by
Tom Sellman,
District Secretary
Mendon Fire District
CORRECTIONS
10-28-2025 : Chiefs Report (Fire Police Lieutenant): corrected spelling of ‘Peace’ officer
See PDF below to download a copy of the minutes and view Appendices.
