COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Public Works

 

DATE:

June 11, 2007

BOARD MEETING DATE:

June 19, 2007

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

James C. Porter, Director of Public Works

SUBJECT:

Proposed Agreement with the City of Redwood City for Providing Fire Protection and Emergency Response Services for the Fire Protection Sub-Zone located in San Mateo County Service Area
No. 8 (North Fair Oaks)

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution authorizing the President of the Board of Supervisors to execute the Agreement with the City of Redwood City for Providing Fire Protection and Emergency Response Services for the Fire Protection Sub-Zone located in San Mateo County Service Area No. 8 (CSA-8 Fire). A 15-year term is recommended.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitments:

1) Ensure basic health and safety for all; and

 

2) Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

   

Goal 7: Maintain and enhance the public safety of all residents and visitors.

Goal 21: County employees understand, support and integrate the County vision and goals into their delivery of services.

 

Adoption of this Resolution contributes to this commitment and goal by extending the provision of fire protection and emergency response services to a portion of the North Fair Oaks area.

 

The proposed agreement is a result of a collaborative effort between the staff of the City of Redwood City and the County to provide basic public safety services to a portion of the North Fair Oaks area.

 

BACKGROUND:

Your board approved a 10-year agreement with the City of Redwood City for fire protection and emergency response services for CSA-8 Fire. The agreement expires on June 30, 2007.

 

DISCUSSION:

Public Works staff and the Redwood City Fire Chief began negotiations almost a year ago on extending the current agreement for another term. Early on in the discussions, both parties agreed on the following points:

 
 

1.

The current joint power agreements entered into by all the fire protection and emergency response services providers in San Mateo County will make it very difficult for CSA-8 Fire to enter into an agreement with a new service provider not within the vicinity of CSA-8 Fire.

 
 

2.

The current compensation to the City from CSA-8 Fire is much lower than the City’s average cost for essentially similar services.

 
 

3.

CSA-8 Fire does not have adequate revenue to pay the City at the City’s average cost.

 
 

4.

The procedures required to administer the current agreement are cumbersome and costly.

 

The current joint power agreements for fire protection and emergency response services in San Mateo County are designed to provide the best services to the community regardless of jurisdiction boundaries. When an emergency call is received, the nearest fire engine available in the vicinity will be dispatched. Service providers may cross the jurisdiction boundaries on a routine basis without cost reimbursement.

 

CSA-8 Fire has an annual budget of $228,300 for the fire protection and emergency response services. The City estimated that if the City’s average cost was used, it would cost over $1 million annually for this service.

 

Revenue for CSA-8 Fire is derived from the property tax apportionment allocated for this purpose. The total tax apportionment for CSA-8 Fire in fiscal year 2007-08 is projected at $713,377 by the County Controller. Besides the fire protection agreement, the revenue also supports other services such as the Sheriff substation and other special projects within CSA-8 Fire. Under the current agreement, the compensation to the City is dependent on the number of calls that met the response time performance standards. This process requires extensive staff time to review the City’s invoices together with the dispatch records in order to verify the payable performance. The highest amount ever paid to the City was $175,000 annually. In some years, the compensation amount was well below $150,000, which did not cover their cost of providing the service.

 

The proposed agreement is developed with the objectives of:

 
 

1.

Continuing the basic services with the same response time performance standards within the current limited resources available for CSA-8 Fire;

 
 

2.

Revising the cumbersome administrative procedures currently required to manage the agreement;

 
 

3.

Recognizing the City’s personnel and equipment readiness regardless of the City receiving a call for service or not;

 
 

4.

Providing more stable compensation to the City; and

 
 

5.

Having a 15-year term.

     
 

6.

The proposed agreement language has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel.

 

The emergency response time standards are the same as in the County’s agreement for the County wide Advanced Life Support First Response and Emergency Ambulance Services as set forth below:

    Priority

Priority

Area

Paramedic First Responder

Emergency Ambulance

1

Urban/Suburban

06:59 minutes

12:59 minutes

3

Urban/Suburban

14:59 minutes

22:59 minutes

 

The Redwood City Fire Department met or exceeded these standards in over 97% of all incidents in 2005, 2006, and year-to-date 2007.

Due to scheduling conflicts, this agreement will not be presented to the Redwood City Council until June 25, 2007. Therefore, the agreements being presented have not yet been signed by Redwood City. The City Manager and Fire Chief are recommending the agreement for approval.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The proposed compensation is fixed at 32% of the total property tax apportionment received by the CSA-8 Fire annually. For fiscal year 2007-08, the compensation is projected to be approximately $228,300. The proposed Agreement continues fire protection and emergency response service within the available budget, and is acceptable to Redwood City. There is no impact to the General Fund.