Belmont Fire District hosts three community forums on complicated EMS changes

The vote on the Bond referendum is this upcoming Tuesday September 2nd, 6-9pm at the current Belmont Fire Station

The Belmont Fire District has held three community meetings to introduce the referendum authorizing $600,000 in debt to purchase and renovate the Amity Rescue Squad property. This would include all of the equipment, vehicles, and other assets of the Amity Rescue Squad, which will cease to exist as an entity. Off Duty, a restaurant and bar who has leased space in the Amity Rescue Squad building for man

Dear Community members and Taxpayers:

The Belmont Fire District and its Board of Commissioners would like to thank you for attending this informational meeting on the impending vote to bond $600,000 to purchase and renovate the Amity Rescue Squad facility based on taxpayer affordability and the Fire District needs.  This transaction will make this the new home of the Belmont Fire District to include the controlling interest in the Amity Rescue Squad.  We’ll explain more about that below.  As you will see, this entire transaction is multi-faceted.  We aim to seek your input and questions focused on costs, financing and service continuity.  Anything other than that, we wish not to comment on it due to lack of knowledge.  

HOW WE GOT HERE

The Commissioners of the Fire District were in the planning stages with an engineering firm MRB (Rochester, NY) to spend more than 6 million dollars on a brand-new, modestly built facility within the village limits.  Initial cost estimates were $6,059,747.  This past December an opportunity presented itself to purchase the current Amity Rescue Squad Building in its entirety as the Amity Rescue Squad was having financial difficulties and they were on the verge of losing the building due to foreclosure.  Discussions began between our attorney and those from M&T Bank to delay the foreclosure and consider the possibility of purchase by the Fire District.  With this new opportunity, the Fire District will be asking to spend a fraction of that amount ($600,000) to purchase and retrofit the facility to accommodate our equipment (trucks) and office/meeting space all while keeping enough space for EMS.  This is a greatly reduced amount for the taxpayers from the roughly 6 million we initial thought we’d be coming to you for.   Please note that we are also currently seeking grant funds in the amount of 1-3 million dollars from our national politicians that could offset much of, if not all of this amount.  The grant will be awarded in the fall of 2025.  The grant process is met with truly amazing letters of support from our local politicians and businesses as well as the County Legislature in the form of a resolution as they are very grateful for the service we provide within the District.  

CURRENT CONDITION OF FIRE STATION

With these potential changes comes a newer facility for the Fire Company that is in dire need of a change.  It will enhance our productivity and create more efficient Fire and EMS operations.  When the Belmont Fire District was formed in 2020, the Village of Belmont, who owns the current Fire Station, was gracious enough to let us remain until another home could be found or built but ultimately wanted this building for themselves.  Everyone should understand that the current Fire Station has outgrown its useful life for our needs, is becoming unsafe and was ultimately not ours.  With the building being used for Village needs, it will still need substantial work.  

THE CURRENT EMS PICTURE

The operations of the Amity Rescue Squad, as it’s been known for decades, will cease to exist, BUT will now be integrated under the umbrella of the Belmont Fire District.  It will maintain a command structure, answering to the Board of Commissioners, just as the Fire Company currently does.  EMS Services will decrease to just 1 ambulance as staffing and call volume does not support the need for 2 anymore.  With the Belmont Fire District assuming control, this will keep EMS within the community and allow the members of both organizations (Fire and EMS) to share a modern and adequate space that will greatly enhance both operations.  Membership, which is a problem nationwide, should expand as there will now be options for Fire only, EMS only OR those that choose to be involved with both.  Lost members’ potential will return given better structure and continuity.  Amity Rescue currently is unable to answer most calls for service, which leads to lost revenue and ultimately financial instability.  Revenue should change course as day-to-day operations will have a command and financial structure that will be held accountable by the Commissioners.  Please keep in mind, if the Commissioners chose not to take on Amity Rescue, they most likely will disband, lose all their equipment and the community would have to rely on MTS exclusively.  This will potentially extend response times and billing will become more cost prohibitive as Amity Rescue looks out for their taxpayers more than MTS will.  

TAX IMPLICATIONS

Probably the biggest question within this entire transaction will be what will this do to our taxes?  Unfortunately, budget season is currently on-going, and the Towns of Amity and Ward will not have concrete tax valuations until October.  The Fire Commissioners’ goal is to minimize any burden on the taxpayers and be fiscally responsible by staying under the 2% tax cap by maintaining a stable tax rate with as little fluctuation as possible.  With our current budget sitting at $196,266 and expecting a conservative 1.03% tax increase, this will take our budget to $202,184.  Considering this being after 1 budget meeting with more to come as we figure out the additional costs of the EMS operations.  We’re estimating a Bond repayment of $45,000 per year over 20 years at a 5% interest rate.  Our Reserve Funds will likely not increase this year due to expense uncertainty.  

HOW DO WE PLAN TO RENOVATE THE AMITY RESCUE BUILDING?

Let’s break down the $600,000 being sought.  The $320,000 is the settlement reached between the Fire District and M&T Bank.  This will include the Amity Rescue building and ALL its contents and equipment owned by the EMS agency.  The remaining $280,000 will go towards infrastructure renovations to expand the needs of the Fire apparatus bays and office needs, potential roof upgrade, etc.  The Fire District has approximately $125,000 in Reserve funds as well as $40-50,000 it will make by selling the Hood Rd property (this property sits in a Flood Plain and cannot be sufficiently utilized to build).  Estimated renovations are in the ballpark of $400,000 – $500,000.  The renovations will include removing NON-load bearing walls, adding equipment space, new doors and office space.  The general idea is 4 bays along the front (Rt 244), 2 facing toward the school and an office addition along the eastern side.  No architectural or engineering plans exist to date as the property is not yet owned by the Fire District.  A local architect/engineer will be preferred over the current MRB company solely due to cost savings.  The current building offers improved access to larger water and sewer mains as the utilities are considered much more favorable cost wise than if we had to build new.  Building new would drive the costs of utilities much higher than those currently in the ground in close proximity along McNinch Lane.  As stated above, the current cost estimates by the firm MRB are over $6 million.  Extending the timing only drives that number higher.   

IN CLOSING

We understand this will bring some drastic changes to the community as it loses what’s become a staple in the Off-Duty restaurant.  Please understand that we too are saddened by this loss but ultimately, that entity has no bearing on this transaction and we hope they find a home locally and wish them nothing but the best.  

Lastly, we know this is a lot to digest.  Please understand that while assuming a community staple (Off-Duty and ARS), it is our intent to have the facility remain a part of the community as it serves so many facets and is utilized by so many, we’d like that to continue.  More on that to come as this venture becomes clearer in the near future.  

Sincerely,