As your newly elected director to the El Dorado Hills County
Water/Fire District, I would like to first thank the voters for their trust in
giving me the opportunity to serve the community as an elected official. I’m looking forward to working with the
current Board to help guide the department in a prudent, efficient and
responsible manner as it relates to fiscal management and public safety.
As part of my commitment to engage the community more, I would
like to invite El Dorado Hills citizens interested in knowing more about
operational, financial and strategic aspects of the department to meet with me
over coffee on Thursday, January 8,
2015, 8am to 10am at Raley’s in the coffee lounge. I’m soliciting folks for a Citizens Advisory
Committee to meet on a regular basis to discuss the needs and desires of the
community. Anyone with an interest in public
safety is invited to be a part of this informal discussion group (Note:
This committee is NOT sanctioned by the department or the Board and is
strictly a function of my personal duty to the public). I have met many citizens that have expressed
a desire to be a part of this committee…the more the better!
As I look out over the coming months, the Board will be
wrestling with some very important topics such as:
1)
To proceed or not with the planned training
facility on 21 acres in the business park
2)
The justification and determination of
continuing to charge development fees on all new residential and commercial
construction
3)
To move forward on a large investment in solar
technology for all four stations
4)
The renegotiation of the Memo Of Understanding on
all labor relations
Lastly, I urge everyone within El Dorado Hills to remember
to use the Camino dispatch emergency phone number 530-626-4911 for all
fire/medical emergencies within El Dorado County rather than dialing 911 from
cellular phones. The cellular
911 reporting and routing system is inefficient and time restrictive when using
cellular phones (NOT so when dialed from
landline phones though). Communications
and dispatch is another topic to be addressed by the Board down the road and a
“hot button” of mine.
I have personally noted this emergency phone number in my
cellular phone as a “Favorite” labeled: Fire/Med Emergency El Dorado County Only
. Get everyone in your family to do this
as an added safeguard and possibly quicker response times than dialing 911 from
a cellular phone. This number is for fire/medical emergencies only and SHOULD NOT be used
for police or other public safety emergencies.
Stay tuned as I keep you apprised of department happenings
and public safety issues while serving on this Board. Again, thank you El Dorado Hills for electing
me to serve you.
