Chief's leave to extend to end of March

Fire chief Christopher Carleton told commissioners at their regular monthly meeting February 14 that a Request for Bids (RFB) had been issued for the purchase of a ‘Welcome Home’ van that would be used to transport Point Roberts residents home from medical visits on the mainland.

Carleton said he expected the winning bid before the end of February and that the bids were being managed by district attorney Brian Snure. Once a vehicle is procured, he said, he would be seeking drivers and reaching out to the Circle of Care group for a possible collaboration. Any drivers chosen would need to complete the district’s internal driving instruction course.

The chief provided an update on his January surgery and recovery from prostate cancer and noted that he would likely remain on sick leave until the end of March. He offered his thanks to assistant chief John Shields and the rest of the department for their contributions during his absence.

In other district news, district financial officer Patty Markel reminded the commissioners that when the 2024 budget was prepared, the proposed rental increase to the hospital clinic was set at 5 percent without yet having the actual Consumer Price Index (CPI) amount at that time.

Markel said the actual CPI is 4.4 percent and noted that if the board chose to increase the rent by the same percentage, it would result in an annual increase of $826 over 2023’s rent, which would total $19,604 in annual rental income from the clinic.

The board agreed unanimously to increase the rent by the 4.4 percent.