Board OKs $40,000 fund-balance allocation and support letter for Creswell VFD tanker and training site

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved two Creswell Volunteer Fire Department requests at its March 3 meeting: county funding to develop a training location and a letter of support for a USDA application to purchase a 2025 3,000-gallon tanker.

Creswell VFD Chief Ron Ambrose told the Board the department intends to apply for up to $50,000 in grant funds and a USDA loan (approximately $400,000, depending on the grant award) to buy the tanker. Ambrose noted the county’s one penny of ad valorem tax set aside for apparatus upgrades may be considered as part of the payment plan; he indicated Creswell does not currently carry other apparatus debt.

County Manager Curtis S. Potter said the training-location well was in earlier CIP drafts but had not been carried over in recent years; the Board would need to direct staff where to take funds if it wished to proceed. Commissioners approved the Creswell funding request and then directed staff to allocate $40,000 from the fund balance to fund the training location; both motions passed unanimously. The Board also approved a letter of support for Creswell VFD to include with its USDA application.

The motions did not specify additional conditions, timelines for project completion, or whether the county portion would be bonded; staff was directed to identify and document the source of the fund-balance transfer.