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Conduct Quarterly Meeting of the East Vallejo Fire Protection District Board of Directors; Receive a presentation from the Vallejo Fire Chief on the fire protection services being provided to the East Vallejo Fire Protection District; and Consider request from City of Vallejo for district cost share up to $6,500 for a third party Cost of Services Analysis
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Quarterly Meeting of the East Vallejo Fire Protection District (EVFPD) be held and that the Board of Directors receive a presentation from the Vallejo Fire Chief on the fire protection services being provided to the EVFPD and consider request from City of Vallejo for district cost share up to $6,500 for a third party Cost of Services Analysis.
SUMMARY:
Regular quarterly meetings are required by the Fire Protection District Law of 1987 which governs the operation of the District. County Resolution No. 2007-147 establishes that the Board of Directors shall meet in March, June, September and December of each year on the first Tuesday meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
The District under the existing agreement with the City, remits all of the property tax revenues collected less administrative fees to the City as part of the agreement. See Attachment E for table of Revenues Collected and Payments to City of Vallejo (less administrative expense).The City is requesting the District to participate in equally sharing the cost of the study. The total cost of the study is $13,000. (Attachment B) In addition, the City is requesting more funding from the District to offset the City’s current actual cost of services. Included in today’s agenda is a request from the City of Vallejo Fire Chief to discuss services provided under existing agreement and a request for City/EVFPD to share in the cost of a new study by a third party for services to quantify and assess all services provided by the City of Vallejo Fire Department to EVFPD. The study seeks to update the 2014 cost of services analysis which was completed by NBS. (Attachment C)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no cost to the County General Fund or any other fund associated with preparing the information provided in this report or with conducting this quarterly meeting. The EVFPD secures its fire protection services through an agreement with the City of Vallejo which is funded by property tax revenue collected from within the District boundaries.
The Board of Supervisors receives no compensation for sitting as the Board of Directors of the East Vallejo Fire Protection District.
The total cost of the study the City is proposing is $13,000 and the City is asking for EVFPD to share in the cost which is estimated at $6,500 to be paid from EVFPD funds. This amount is not budgeted. If the study cost share is approved by the EVFPD Board, the funding source is the property tax revenue collected by the District. The funds available from the District to the City would be deducted from the fire service related payment to the City. The County Administrator’s staff has prepared a spreadsheet showing the funding and payment details for East Vallejo Fire Protection District which is Fund 134. (Attachment E)
DISCUSSION:
Agreement for Contractual Services EVFPD and City of Vallejo
The EVFPD has an agreement with the City to provide fire protection services to the District. The current agreement was entered into in 1995 and has been extended several times with the most recent amendment being approved by the Board of Directors in May 2002. The agreement focuses on the need for fire protection services for the area covered by the EVFPD due to the “lack of sufficient funds to adequately equip, staff and operate full fire protection service at the levels required for health and safety within the boundaries of the District.” The agreement goes on to define the fire protection services, “which shall be the same priorities, level and responsiveness of services as are provided within the city limits for services.” The City, under the agreement is compensated with all EVFPD revenues less property tax administration fee and other administration costs incurred by County staff to the District. (Attachment D)
Presentation on Fire Protection Services Provided
Vallejo Fire Chief Daryl Arbuthnott will provide an overview of the fire protection services being provided to the District. The focus of the update is about the fire and emergency medical service calls to the district and weed abatement. The EVFPD contract lists the services that are to be provided by the City under the agreement to be at the same level as that provided to the rest of the City. Those services listed include - plan review, fire investigation, disaster preparedness, fire inspection, weed abatement, pre-fire planning administration, complaint handling, fire prevention, fire training/public education, fire suppression and emergency medical services.
City Request for Third Party Cost of Service Study
The City of Vallejo has requested that they discuss with the EVFPD Board of Directors authorizing a third party cost of services study to quantify and assess all services provided by the City of Vallejo Fire Department to EVFPD and share in the cost of the study. The City is seeking support to update the 2014 cost of services analysis which was completed by NBS. The initial analysis was completed by NBS, however, the parties ended communications due to lack of follow-through. In addition, the City is requesting the District to participate in equally sharing the cost of the study. The total cost of the study is $13,000. (Attachment A)
ALTERNATIVES:
The EVFPD Board could choose to:
1. Not hold their regular quarterly meeting. However, this is not recommended as the regular quarterly meetings were agreed in the existing agreement with the City of Vallejo and are required by the Fire Protection District Law of 1987 which governs the operation of the District. County Resolution No. 2007-147 establishes that the EVFPD Board of Directors shall meet in March, June, September and December of each year on the first Tuesday meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
2. Not receive an update from the City of Vallejo Fire Chief; however, this is not recommended as it provides an overview of the fire protection services being provided by the Vallejo Fire Department to the EVFPD.
3. Not support moving forward with the third party cost of services study. This is not recommended because the City requests update of the cost of service study or to not participate in the funding on half of the cost of the study to update the cost of City of Vallejo Fire services and to quantify and assess all services provided to the EVFPD. If the EVFPD Board would like to participate, the Board will need to direct County Administrator’s staff to adjust EVFPD budget to allow for the estimated $6,500 as part of the FY2019/20 budget.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The presentation was prepared by the City of Vallejo Fire Department staff.