Cheyenne County authorizes FEMA grant application, advertises dispatcher positions and approves pay decisions

Cheyenne County commissioners authorized staff to apply for a Department of Homeland Security/FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant to replace bunker gear sets, agreed to advertise for two dispatcher positions, approved the annual wage for a newly hired fire chief, and adopted a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees (excluding commissioners).

A county official summarized the grant opportunity and said the program has roughly $291.6 million available nationally. The board voted to allow the fire department to apply for the grant, aiming to replace five sets of bunker gear and potentially fund recruitment or staffing-related costs if eligible.

Commissioners also moved to advertise for two dispatcher openings; the motion given in the meeting was to "advertise for two dispatchers," and the measure passed by voice vote.

During the meeting, commissioners approved a wage agreement for the new fire chief at $12,000 per year. They then debated and approved a 3% cost-of-living increase for county employees; commissioners specified that the pay increase would exclude commissioners themselves.

All motions passed by voice vote; the transcript records no roll-call tallies. The board did not take final action on any staffing hires at the meeting beyond instructing staff to advertise and to finalize the chief's wage agreement.