BILL NUMBER: S8642
SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the not-for-profit corporation law, in relation to
exempting the Varna Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., from the forty-five
percent limit on non-resident members
 
PURPOSE:
Exempts the Varna Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., within the Town of
Dryden, Tompkins County from the forty-five percent limit on non-resi-
dent members
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one waives the Varna Volunteer Fire Company from the provision
of law limiting non-resident members in a fire corporation to forty-five
percent of the actual membership.
Section two provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The Varna Volunteer Fire Company serves the hamlets of Varna and Ellis
Hollow within the Town of Dryden. Like most small fire departments, the
Varna Volunteer Fire Company had difficulty recruiting new volunteers
within their 16.7 square mile fire protection district. Their solution
was to reach out to the two local colleges, Cornell University and Itha-
ca College, located just beyond the Town's border in Ithaca to recruit
new members. Their efforts have been successful in rebuilding the fire
company ranks with young, active responders enabling the fire company to
provide critical first response services to the communities they serve.
This legislation is necessary to ensure compliance with state law that
places a limit on non-resident membership for volunteer fire depart-
ments.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.  
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.