As relative newcomers to the area, my husband and I provided an easement to the CRFPD for the construction of a 40,000 gallon water cistern on our property. This led to my interest in the workings of CRFPD and other ways in which I might help support the Board and Corvallis Fire Department. I began attending meetings on a regular basis and was appointed to the budget committee. As part of that role I came to understand the Board’s goals, especially related to long-term planning for large purchases such as fire apparatuses and additional cisterns. I developed a planning tool that illustrates potential long range financial outcomes based on different assumptions (such as increased/decreased tax income, expenses or interest rates) for the Board’s use. In my consulting role prior to retirement, Labor and Management clients would routinely request this type of “what if” financial information as part of collective bargaining and ongoing financial management of their benefit plans, so this approach made sense to me.

The importance of cooperation, collaboration and engagement between the District, District constituents and myriad other stakeholders may never have been more important than it is in this moment as we face the challenges of climate change. My goal as a CFRPD Board member is to support planning and community engagement activities which will now and into the future enhance the safety of District constituents and their property.