Other members arriving late;

As Secretary / Treasurer Frank Teevan was unable to attend the meeting, he submitted the following report;

Membership:
Our membership keeps growing. We now have 419 members. Attached is the new membership certificate for your approval. I am planning on having them printed and mailed out by June 1. The online application and PayPal is working well.

Finances:
We now have online banking capability. The checking account balance is available online with detailed transactions. Since to By-Laws require an annual review of finances I will have it available online at the meeting in the Beach. Our balance was $16,377.68 and I transferred $1,675.33 from PayPal today April 13, so that raises the balance to: $18,053.01. I don't have the exact CD amounts but they are over $30,000 now with last years interest added on.

Fall Seminar:
Per Dan's request and the IAAI school, we changed the Fall School dates to October 18 and 19. I will contact Vince Dunn and have him change the dates. Do we want to put on a happy hour on Monday night? The amount would be limited as we designate ($500, $1000 etc.) or just have some snacks and a cash bar. The hotel takes care of the bartender etc. Also lunch on Tuesday is included in the price. The total price is still being worked out due to our menu selections and number of people attending.

Computer:
Thanks to the Board and to JD Mitchell, I received the new Dell laptop and I am burning up the keys. JD has the total price.

Motion by D. Mitchell, 2nd by Flournoy, to approve the finance report from Teevan. Motion carried.

Flippo turns the meeting over to Huffman

Committee Reports

Training Committee

• Flournoy provided information and discussion on a Sunday night welcome at the Beach. This would not replace the Tuesday night social. The welcome would take place in the patio area in front of the meeting rooms at the Quality Inn. Suggest some light refreshments and possibly playing some horseshoes, as there are horseshoe pits on the patio. Time frame for the welcome would be 4-8 PM Sunday night.

  Information also provided on a silent auction on items such as a Palm Pilot, GPS unit and a laptop carrying case in addition to information on some of the door prizes and other give away items.

  There will be a board meeting on Saturday night May 22nd at 5 PM to finalize some seminar items.

  There was discussion on the feedback forms filled out at the 2003 seminar.

  A receipt for grab bag items purchased was given to J. Mitchell to give to the Treasurer.

  Flournoy made a request to purchase 2 raffle barrels at $75 each. Motion by Flippo, 2nd by Rakes, Motion carried.

• Rakes noted Teevan has most of the stuff for the Beach well in hand.

  DFP has approved training hours for the seminar.

  Additional merchandise was ordered, 2 dozen polo shirts and 18 Denim shirts, mostly in 2 and 3 X sizes. Other items are OK. Koozies not selling, may give them away at the Beach.

  Pins approved at the Roanoke meeting will be at the Beach. Each VFPA member will receive a pin. May wait and mail the pins to members instead of giving the out in order to ensure each member will receive one.

  There was a conflict for the dates of the Fall seminar with an IAAI class. The new dates for the VFPA Fall seminar will now be October 18 and 19.

  D. Mitchell said he would work on coordinating a golf outing for the Sunday before the Fall seminar.

  Feedback from the 2003 Fall seminar in Roanoke showed some requests for investigator training. Rakes has checked with IAAI for the possibility of conducting a joint conference. Flippo and Flournoy both noted that this might not be a good idea at this time.

• J. Mitchell noted that VBCOA and VPMIA are still interested in the joint conference discussed in Roanoke. VBCOA has agreed to hold a joint conference in conjunction with their annual meeting in the Fall of 2005. D. Mitchell suggested that it might be possible with the adoption of the 2003 International Codes to hold a code update at the conference. VBCOA will be holding a mid year meeting in May. J. Mitchell will notify VBOCA that VFPA is still interested in the joint conference.

Legislative

• Flippo commented on several house bills that were related to fire prevention.

• Farthing commented on approval of new fees the SFMO may charge.

• House bills with major impact on fire prevention; HB1180, HB1103 and HB622 cut trees in places or worship and multifamily dwellings. 1180 and 1103 were combined with 622. The wording will allow DHCD to establish guidelines.

  HB1482 smokeless powder. Bill was defeated by one vote. Flippo thanked several jurisdictions and individuals for all the effort that was put into ensuring that this bill would not pass.

• Huffman thanked Flippo for all his hard work, time and effort in representing VFPA in Richmond.

• Hall noted the committee was working on modifications for the cut tree codes.

  D. Mitchell noted the committee is waiting to finalize some items before approaching the bill patrons.

  Farthing commented on some of the specifics of cut trees and the possibility of exemptions being floated around for churches and apartments.

  D. Mitchell reported that the Fire Services Board had not approved the code development process. Additional comments under FSB Report.

  There will be a committee meeting in May to work on some of the changes received by DHCD.

Fire Services Board

• D. Mitchell followed up the information he had started in the Code Committee Report. The new code development process from the Board of Housing never came through the Fire Services Board. A memorandum of agreement dated in 1991 was not being followed. D. Mitchell has revised the memorandum of agreement and will present it at the FSB meeting in Charlottesville on Monday, April 19th.

• A mini grant program had been established in order for localities and departments to obtain training equipment. The grants are for equipment only, training classes are not part of the program. D. Mitchell is working to get approval to use the grant funds to include classes.

• D. Mitchell noted they are waiting on the state budget process. If you have been approved for a grant to construct a new burn building, you need to start construction and not wait. Funds for projects that have not been started are unencumbered funds. The Governor, at his discretion, may move or eliminate unencumbered funds at any time.

• D. Mitchell has been appointed to the Fire Services Board seat on the Board of Housing.

• Discussion on the upcoming ICC meetings in Overland Park, Kansas. Farthing noted he would be attending. VFPA needs to have an additional representative there to oversee some items. Motion by Flournoy, 2nd by Flippo, to approve $2,500 to send a VFPA representative to Kansas. Motion carried. Hall to be primary representative. Will let board know if he is unable to attend.

• Huffman noted that there would be a DFP Stake holder meeting on May 20th in Henrico. Flournoy and Rakes advised that they planned to attend.

Technology committee

• J. Mitchell noted that the Website was doing very well. Continuing changes are being made to it to try to keep it up to date, interesting and informative.

  New certificates and name cards will be printed on site at the seminar at the Beach.

State Fire Marshal

• Farthing reported that the Public Assembly Report had been released and was available on the DFP Website. The In Building Communications Study had also been released. Work is still being done on the In Building Communications items.

  Issues with the IFC keep being found. Anyone with any changes should bring them to Steve Hall's attention.

Old Business

• Huffman will establish the Nominating Committee prior to the Seminar at the Beach.

• Rakes discussed the new prices for the vendor is charging VFPA for the shirts. VFPA will now be selling the polo shirts for $20. Denim shirts will stay at $30.

• A congressional dinner will be held with the International Fire Chief's Association. VFPA will contribute $500 to $600 in support of this joint venture.

• Huffman had several letters with items from the ICC;
  ICC Reports

  Chapter of the year

  Chapter reorganization

New Business

• D. Mitchell discussed a gift for (name held from this report) for the hard work done for VFPA. Motion by Flippo, 2nd by Flournoy, to purchase a $100 gift certificate. Motion carried.

• All board members present agree that the President may present as many Presidential Awards as he deems necessary.

• Suggestion based on last year's feedback, to have food items such as shrimp and/or wings at the Tuesday night social this year.

• Flippo noted that he would be retiring from Loudoun County in September. With his retirement he did not feel if would be fair to the Association to hold an elected office so he would pass on any nominations for any elected positions. He would still be involved in committee work and agreed to other tasks as may be requested by the next president.

• D. Mitchell noted the By Laws Committee needs to look into a change that will allow retired members to hold elected offices.

• Huffman noted VFPA should be supportive if it's members and needs to be notified whenever one of our members has a death in the family. James Epperly's (Christiansburg) mother recently passed away. A card will be sent.

With there being no additional business, the meeting adjourned at 1235 hours.

Respectfully submitted,
J.D. Mitchell