Pueblo West finalizes construction budget on new fire station, releases audit letters

The Pueblo West Metro District Board on Monday agreed to dip a bit deeper into 1% sales tax funds for the construction of the planned Fire Station 2, approving an amended contract with the general contractor.

Nunn Construction will build Pueblo West’s new Fire Station 2, which is expected to cost $5.35 million or about 7% more than the original $5 million price tag. The 8,190-square-foot fire station will be constructed at 715 S. McCulloch Blvd. on the west side of Pueblo West, with work set to begin at the end of August or early September, said Brian Caserta, fire chief.

“We tried to keep the project within reason but meet the needs of what the community expects. Fire Station 2 will enable us to provide good service within six to eight minutes anywhere in Pueblo West,” he explained.

The sales tax, approved by voters in 2020, has been generating between $2.7 million and $2.8 million annually. Caserta said the tax also is funding the hiring of 16 additional firefighters, six of whom will be added to the staff next year.

The fund also is earmarked to pay for a replacement for the department's 1978 ladder truck and updated living quarters to be constructed at Fire Station 1, Caserta said.

The additional fire station is needed to supplement service already provided out of Fire Stations 1 and 3, as Pueblo West continues to grow. Caserta said the department responded to 4,026 calls for service last year and has already received 2,286 calls through the first six months of this year, putting the department on track to respond to a record number of calls.

Caserta explained the department’s No. 1 call type for medical emergencies is requests to help residents who have experienced a fall, while breathing problems are second and traffic accidents are third. When it comes to fire calls, the No. 1 type of call is for brush fires, followed by fire alarm reports.

Caserta was asked to provide details of a call the department responded to Sunday.

“Our firefighters responded to a house fire and the ceiling collapsed on two firefighters who were inside. They were able to get them out quickly and both were taken to the hospital where they were treated and released for minor bruises and soreness,” Caserta explained.

The firefighter's equipment protected them as it was designed to do and “both are doing fine,” he said.

Audit documents released to the public

In other business at Monday's meeting, the board voted unanimously to release two 2021 audit letters from the district’s accountants. The board also went a step further and agreed that any future audit results should be made public once staff and board members have seen them.

While Karl Kumli, the district’s attorney, said the board does not have to post or publish audit information because of government privilege, the board opted to do so.

“There is nothing to hide and we are willing to accept responsibility,” said Doug Proal, board vice president.

The 2021 audit internal control communication letter indicated a “significant amount of material adjustments were necessary to correct year-end financial statement balances to be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.”

Proal said most mistakes were “minor” and occurred during a five-month period in which the district's former finance director left the staff and its current finance director came on board.

The biggest budgeting error was discovered this year after both projected and actual excess tax revenues from 2021 were transferred to the aquatic center fund by the two different finance directors. The error was rectified by the board at its last meeting when $1.1 million was transferred back into the general fund.

Prayer to return to meetings, but won't be limited to one religion

The board also agreed unanimously to return to offering an invocation at the beginning of board meetings. In recent months, the board had used a “moment of silent reflection” to kick off meetings.

After reviewing the most recent U.S. Supreme Court case on the issue, Kumli advised the invocation guidelines should not limit prayers to practitioners of Christianity.

“Other individuals can offer a prayer as well. Anyone can come in and pray,” Kumli said.

Board member Bill Vickers said he thinks "this nation was founded on Christian principles," and therefore would "have an issue with having anyone coming in to pray."

"I don’t want a member of the Church of Satan reciting a prayer for the board of directors," Vickers said.

Acting District Manager Christian Heyn told the board that members of the community have made it clear they “want to make sure they are represented,” during the invocation and noted people can step away from the meeting if they are not comfortable with the message.

“I don’t want to vote 'no' on having prayer,” Vickers said, agreeing with the other board members to adopt the guidelines.

When the board meets again Aug. 14, it will be meeting at its new time of 6 p.m. The meetings are held at the district’s community development office, 356 S. McCulloch, Room 103.

More fire station news: The price tag on Pueblo West's new $5 million fire station is going up. Here's why

Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo West finalizes construction budget on new fire station