January 1,2023
Preliminary Minutes – Draft for Release
| PRESENCE | NAME | CAPACITY | NOTES |
| Yes | Baumer, Heidi | Treasurer | |
| Yes | Considine, Dan | Commissioner | |
| Yes | Fletcher, William | General Counsel | |
| Yes | Richard Joint | Commissioner | Elected Commissioner 12/12/2023 |
| Yes | Sellman, Tom | Deputy Secretary | Elected Dept. Secretary 12/07/2023 |
| Yes | Shipe, John | Commissioner | |
| Yes | Shuler, Steve | Commissioner | |
| Yes | Wilsey, Ryan | Commissioner | Elected as Dept. Lieutenant 12/07/2023 |
OTHER ATTENDEES NOTED
| NAME | CAPACITY | NOTES |
| Arman, Mike | Public Gallery / MFD Member | Elected Dept. President 12/07/2023 |
| Francesco, Greg | Public Gallery / MFD Member | Elected as a District Captain 12/07/2023 |
| Knapp, Warren | Public Gallery / MFD Member | Elected Dept. Vice President 12/07/2023 |
| Bendschneider, Earl | Public Gallery / MFD Member | Elected Dept. Treasurer 12/07/2023 |
| Tschiderer, Steve | Public Gallery / MFD Member | Elected as Chief 12/07/2023 |
OPENING
The meeting was opened at 16:08 by Attorney William Fletcher requesting nominations for Chairman.
BOARD CHAIRMAN SELECTION
D. Considine nominated R. Wilsey with a second by S. Shuler. The motion passed by majority vote: 4 (yes), 0 (no), 1 (abstain) [ R. Wilsey not voting for himself ]. The meeting then continued under the direction of the new Chairman R. Wilsey.
BOARD VICE-CHAIRMAN SELECTION
S. Shuler nominated R. Joint with a second by J. Shipe. The motion passed with unanimous consent.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING NOTICE ATTESTATION
Past Secretary T. Sellman presented email confirmations received from the Honeoye Falls Sentinel indicating receipt of both original and reminder requests submitted for public notification of this organizational meeting (submitted 01/05/2023 and 12/16/2023 respectively). ( see APPENDIX A )
BOARD SECRETARY APPOINTMENT
R. Wilsey motioned to reappoint Tom Sellman as District Secretary, seconded by S. Shuler. The motion passed with unanimous consent. S. Shuler motioned that the salary be set to $7500, keeping it consistent with the Treasurer. This was seconded by J. Shipe.
2023 Organizational Meeting Minutes Approval
S. Shuler motioned for the approval of the minutes from the January 1st 2023 District Organizational Meeting. This was seconded by J. Shipe and approved by unanimous consent.
Facility-Use Approval for January
Two applications were received for events in the 1st week of 2024.
a. Jan 4th: Formal approval Cub Pack 105 Lion Den Meeting (6 – 7 PM)
b. Jan 6th: Formal approval National Grid Power Warming Shelter Provisioning (7:30 AM – 16:30)
S. Shuler motioned to approve the above facility-use applications. This was seconded by J. Shipe and approved by unanimous consent.
BOARD TREASURER APPOINTMENT
J. Shipe motioned to reappoint Heidi Bauer as District Treasurer with $7500 salary, seconded by S. Shuler. The motion passed with unanimous consent.
Treasurer Bonding and Payment Authorization Resolutions to be covered later in this document.
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR APPOINTMENT/PAYMENT RESOLUTION
R. Wilsey motioned to reappoint Dale Sweet as District Administrator for the calendar year 2024 with a salary increase of %3 to $72,100. The motion was seconded by S. Shuler and passed with unanimous consent.
District Administrator Backup Selection Resolution
S. Shuler motioned to appoint Robert Cline and Jim Diego as part-time employee’s dedicated as backup for District Administrator Sweet. This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed with unanimous consent.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY SELECTION
R. Wilsey motioned to reappoint William Fletcher, Fire District Attorney with retainer of $11,000.00 for standard work; extraordinary work will be assigned and compensated as agreed at the time for the issue at hand. This was seconded by S.Shuler, and passed with unanimous consent.
DISTRICT DEPUTY TREASURER APPOINTMENT
R. Wilsey asked for a motion to reappoint Dale Sweet as Deputy Treasurer. The motion was made by S. Shuler, seconded by J. Shipe, and passed with unanimous consent.
ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP & DUES RESOLUTION
R. Wilsey motioned that the District will continue with the NYS Fire District Officers Assoc., NFPA, NYS Chiefs Association, Monroe County Fire District Officers. He also included the International Assoc. Fire Chiefs (with a complement of five Commissioners, District Attorney and one Chief). This was seconded by S. Shuler and passed with unanimous consent.
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER RESOLUTION
R. Wilsey motioned that the District will continue with the Honeoye Falls Sentinel being the principle newspaper and the Democrat and Chronicle as back up or if timing of publication is an issue. This was seconded by J. Shipe and passed with unanimous consent.
OFFICIAL INSURANCE AGENCY RESOLUTION
R. Wilsey motioned that the District will continue with McNeil & Co. This was seconded by D. Considine and passed with unanimous consent.
OFFICIAL BANK INSTITUTION RESOLUTION
R. Wilsey motioned that the District will continue with Canandaigua National Bank. This was seconded by S. Shuler and passed with unanimous consent.
DISTRICT RESERVE FUNDS RESOLUTION
R. Wilsey motioned that the District continues to set forth two Reserve Fund accounts as described below. This was seconded by S. Shuler and passed with unanimous consent.
Capital Reserve: The purpose of this account is to recondition / replace apparatus and other capital items not included in the annual operating fund.
Building Repair: The purpose of this account is to fund unanticipated or long term structural and building improvements not normally included in the annual operating fund.
FIRE DISTRICT LINE OFFICER APPROVALS
The consensus of the board was to consider each officer position independently.
Chief
R. Wilsey made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Steve Tschiderer as District Chief. This was seconded by D. Considine. The motion failed to pass by majority vote: 2 YES ( Wilsey, Considine ) 3 NO ( Shipe, Shuler, Joint ). This was followed by a lengthy and vigorous discussion regarding a host of topics (roles / responsibilities / focus / department direction / evaluation critera). Following this, there was a consensus of the board to re-consider the vote whereby R. Wilsey made a second motion to reconsider and accept the department’s submission and name Steve Tschiderer as District Chief. This was seconded by D. Considine. The motion passed by majority vote: 4 YES (Considine, Wilsey, Shipe, Shuler ), 1 NO (Joint).
1st Assistant Chief
R. Wilsey made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Dave Friedlander as 1st Assistant Chief. This was seconded by D. Considine. The motion passed with unanimous consent.
2nd Assistant Chief
R. Wilsey made a motion to accept the departments submission and thereby name Pete Kester as 2nd Assistant Chief. This was seconded by D. Considine. The motion failed to pass by majority vote: 2 YES ( Wilsey, Considine ) 3 NO ( Shipe, Shuler, Joint). This was followed by discussion regarding possible alternatives and the issue goes back to the department.
Captains
J. Shipe made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Greg Francesco as a Captain. This was seconded by S. Shuler. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
R. Wilsey made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Marc Parker as a Captain. This was seconded by S. Shuler. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
Lieutenants
R. Wilsey made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Mark Mossow as a Lieutenant. This was seconded by S. Shuler. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
J. Shipe made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Ryan Wilsey as a Lieutenant. This was seconded by S. Shuler. The motion passed by majority vote: 4 (yes) 0 (no) 1 (abstain). The abstention was by R. Wilsey
Fire Police Captain
R. Wilsey made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Joe Rosenshein as a Fire Police Captain. This was seconded by D. Considine. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
EMS Officer
R. Wilsey made a motion to accept the department’s submission and thereby name Greg Francesco. This was seconded by D. Considine. The motion passed by unanimous consent. Chief Tschiderer noted that current District requirements stipulate the EMS Officer must have approval by the Medical Director – and that had not yet been solicited. Chief Tschiderer indicated he would pursue that. Approval of Greg is contingent on approval of Medical Director.
——————— START COMPREHENSIVE RESOLUTION APPROVAL ————————–
As agreed to by all board members, the resolutions below (due to their similarity and/or exact reproduction as resolved in 2023) were passed en masse once the entire group was put forth.
Reimbursement Rate, Operational Committee Appointments, District Meeting Dates/Time, District Workshop Meetings Dates/Times, District Election, 2024 Conference Participation, Mendon Fire Department Event Approval, Public Notice Posting, Invoice Payments Without Prior Board Authorization, Investment Of District Funds Resolution, Annual Audit Process, Ada Title II, District Rules & Regulations, Conflict Of Interest, Treasurer’s Bond, Annual Audit Firm
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REIMBURSEMENT RATE RESOLUTION
Mileage will be reimbursed at whatever the current 2024 IRS rate is at time of reimbursement submission. As of 01/01/2024 it was $0.67/mile.
OPERATIONAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS RESOLUTION
| COMMITTEE | ASSIGNMENT |
| Apparatus | R. Joint |
| Buildings and Grounds | J. Shipe, S. Shuler |
| Personnel | D. Considine, S. Shuler, R. Wilsey |
| Insurance | D. Considine, S. Shuler, J. Shipe |
| Information / Technology | R. Wilsey |
| Purchases | Dale Sweet |
| OPERATIONAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS RESOLUTION (cont.) COMMITTEE (cont.) | ASSIGNMENT |
| Special Projects | S. Shuler |
| Long Term Planning | D. Considine, S. Shuler |
DISTRICT MEETING DATES/TIME RESOLUTION
After discussion, it was agreed that unless there are special circumstances that arise, or if NYS or AFDSNY stipulate otherwise (elections, budget hearing, etc.), normal meetings will be the 2nd Thursday of the month starting at 19:00. The discussion included taking into account pre-planned scheduling conflicts of the Commissioners. The dates selected reflect the agreed upon schedule for 2024. Editors Note: AFDSNY June-July Fire District Affairs specifies Election Day to be the second Tuesday in December in accordance with Town Law §175.
| MONTH | DAY | NOTES |
| January | 18 | |
| February | 8 | |
| March | 14 | |
| April | 11 | |
| May | 16 | |
| June | 13 | |
| July | 11 | |
| August | 15 | |
| September | 12 | |
| October | 17 | Required Budget Hearing |
| November | 14 | |
| December | 10 | Tuesday : (Std Meeting + District Election Day) |
| January of 2025 | 1 | Organizational meeting @ 16:00 Swearing-in Ceremony @ 17:00 |
DISTRICT WORKSHOP MEETINGS DATES/TIMES RESOLUTION
It was agreed that there will be a workshop meeting for the following matter:
1. Budget Workshop
The date and time is TBD though historically it has been in August.
DISTRICT ELECTION RESOLUTIONS
Date/Time Resolution
Until otherwise, and in keeping with the AFDSNY June-July Fire District Affairs article (which references Town Law §175), the election will be held December 10th from 15:00 to 21:00.
Adoption of Fire District Election Chairman and Payment Provision Resolution
Mendon Fire Department President Mike Arman was appointed as the District Election Chairman with the authority to appoint two election inspectors/ballot clerks. Payment of a sum of $100 (due to the District’s extended election hours) for each official was approved.
OUTLINE OF COMMISSIONER ELECTION CYCLE
| Commissioner Name | Term End-Date |
| Dan Considine | 12/31/2027 |
| Richard Joint | 12/31/2028 |
| John Shipe | 12/31/2024 |
| Steve Shuler | 12/31/2025 |
| Ryan Wilsey | 12/31/2026 |
2024 CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION RESOLUTION
The district requires at least one chief to be in town during any training trips.
| Conference / Location | Dates | Planned Attendees |
| FDIC / Indianapolis, IN | April 15-20 | Five personnel total |
| Firehouse Fire Fusion / Charleston, SC | Nov 5-7 | One Chief, Two Company Officers |
| NYSAFC Conference & Fire Expo / Syracuse, NY | June 12-15 | Two Chiefs, 2 Company Officers |
| IAFC / Kansas City, MO | Aug 16-18 | Commissioners, Two Chiefs |
| AFDNYS Leadership Expo / Verona, NY | Oct 20-23 | Commissioners, Two Chiefs, 2 Company Officers |
| IAFC – Vol. Combo / Clearwater, FL | Nov 14-17 | Commissioners, Attorney, Two Officers |
MENDON FIRE DEPARTMENT EVENT APPROVAL RESOLUTION
The following Mendon Fire Department Events were approved in advance by the Commissioners.
Solar Eclipse Open House ( April )
Annual Banquet/Inspection Dinner ( April )
Annual Carnival & Fund Drive ( May-June )
Carnival Appreciation Event ( August – September )
Rib-Off Family Picnic ( September )
Clambake ( October )
Fall Festival / Halloween ( October )
Veterans Day Steak Dinner ( November )
PUBLIC NOTICE POSTING RESOLUTION
Mendon Fire District Public Notices will be posted at the Mendon Town Hall, the Mendon Fire House, the District website, and the digital sign in front of the station.
INVOICE PAYMENTS WITHOUT PRIOR BOARD AUTHORIZATION RESOLUTION
The Treasurer is authorized to pay utility charges, health insurance, credit card charges, fuel bills, and copier invoices without prior authorization of the board.
INVESTMENT OF DISTRICT FUNDS RESOLUTION
The Treasurer may, with the approval of the Mendon Fire District, invest funds not needed for immediate expenditure, in certificates of deposit and other financial vehicles authorized by law, provided however that the board must authorize any withdrawals and investments.
ANNUAL AUDIT PROCESS RESOLUTION
The annual audit required by Town Law is to be scheduled by the Secretary or the Treasurer, and the results rendered to the Commissioners. Further, the treasurer is directed to file a copy of the annual financial report to the state comptroller as required by General Municipal law, section 30.
ADA Title II RESOLUTION
The District Administrator will lead the survey committee to inspect the buildings of this district with compliance of the Americans with Disability Act, Title II.
DISTRICT RULES & REGULATIONS RESOLUTION
The Board of Fire Commissioners will continue with its approval of the Mendon Fire District Commissioners Rules and Regulations for the year 2024 or until reviewed by the board and updated.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST RESOLUTION
The Board of Fire Commissioners hereby directs that all employees and officers of the District submit a disclosure statement with respect to any dealings of such individuals with the district where they are employees, shareholders, directors, officers or owners, or partners and /or if there is any other conflict of interest with those of the District.
TREASURER’S BOND RESOLUTION
The Board of Fire Commissioners of the Mendon Fire District hereby approves the treasurer bond in the amount of $1.5 million.
ANNUAL AUDIT FIRM RESOLUTION
The commissioners shall retain McDonald CPA Firm PC to conduct the annual audit of 2023.
———————— END COMPREHENSIVE RESOLUTION APPROVAL ————————–
R. Wilsey made a motion to approve the above comprehensive resolution group for 2024 with a second by S. Shuler. The motion passed with unanimous consent.
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MEETING ADJOURNMENT
R. Wilsey made a motion at 17:16 to adjourn. This was seconded by S. Shuler, adding an expression of thanks to Chief Tschiderer for his service in 2023. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
Editor’s Note: Thanks expressed to the following Mendon Fire Dept Auxiliary members for their help with the reception that followed the Organizational Meeting and Swearing-In Ceremonies: Vicki Allen, Ruth Buys, Kathy Gilda, Mary Ann Knapp, and Patty Marchese.
Respectfully Submitted
Tom Sellman
Secretary
Mendon Fire District
APPENDIX A: MEETING NOTICE ATTESTATION
