Ukiah Valley Fire District, 2021

ADOPTED (Ukiah, 2021k) U V KIAH ALLEY F D IRE ISTRICT Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Update Prepared for: M LAFC ENDOCINO O 200 South School Street Ukiah, California 95482 http://www.mendolafco.org/ Workshop: September 13, 2021 Public Hearing: October 4, 2021 Adopted: October 4, 2021 LAFCo Resolution No: 2021-22-02 [This page intentionally left blank] EXHIBIT "A" MOORE STREET V Yo rk C E N T R A L A E A S T SI D E C AL P ELL A R D R V C F a D e a l d l l p e w e y o l / l o a R d D E G D IR E K A Cold ·|}þ S C H re 2 e 0 k C L reek £¤ Lake Mendocino US 101 S T MILANI DR E TAT ANTONI LN S PARDU LLI NI L N CCI RD N LN SCH L E A R K F E MENDOCINO DR O T H ensley Creek .D R R E Y E M RAFELLO DR W O O D HowardCreek AckermanCreek HE A NS O LE I Y C 1 REEK RD E D E R LAKE D R ORR S P P IN R O IN L G EV S I L R L D E DR DEERWOOD DR Sulphur Creek LOVERS LN EL DORADO RD N OrrsCreek D E S PI N A L LOW GAP RD. S TA T E S T FORD RD VICHY SPRIN GS RDSulphurCreek Western Hills FORD ST Proposed Ukiah B U S A A n re n a e x o a f t I i n o t n e r A e D r s o e o t lin a C reekDoolin Creek GibsonC PE re R e K k C IN LA S M Y S I L S H T S T L T S D O R A S T T S C H O O L S T M A IN S T T ALM G A O G B E B I R S D T D R P O M O B A B C O C K LN E ·|}þ S G H O 22 B 2 BI D DI C K- C U N NI N S G H A M R D T S A N F O R D W R A A N C H R D TS V O I N C R H D Y H ILLS K D N O R T B H ILL a R U D l k m ia a h g S M e U V C B M C D a I L I L V U l L I R l S C E e I R O E N y EK F R G UI D VI LL E D D R E S E R VATI O N R D Mill M C c re C e l k ureCreek NorthForkMillCreek W illow Creek U R TINDALL RANCH RD SkunkCreek FIRCREST DR GIELOW LN O K A N K O LL RD S S Russia n TA T E S T TA Y LO R iv e r C H R O E W E E K L L R D V E R R D S L T N IPP R R D OL D RI How ellCreek FERN Creek AOI 2 CANYON DR R C O R B E IN E S K O R N D Robinso n F D R R ACCIA Robinson Creek M £¤ orrisonCreek US 101 ·|}þ SH 253 D R H C N A R R E TL U B N o rth F ork FelizCreek FelizCreek H R o u p ra la l n F d P M D C M N c A N B a b RA C N re C ek H RD H S E T N A R T Y IO N RD O LD R IV E R R D Parso ns C ree k Ukiah Valley Fire District Ukiah Valley FD City of Ukiah Highways Roads Source: This map was prepared by the Mendocino County Ukiah Valley FD SOI Area of Interest Streams ° Department of Information Services GIS Program, September 2021. Adjacent Fire Districts 0 0.25 0.5 1 Note: This map is not a survey product and should not be used to determine legal boundaries. Miles MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION ............................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 MENDOCINO LAFCO ................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.3 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW ................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.4 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE PLAN .................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.5 MENDOCINO LAFCO POLICIES .................................................................................................................. 1-2 1.6 SENATE BILL 215 ....................................................................................................................................... 1-5 2 AGENCY OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 HISTORY.................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1 FORMATION........................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 BOUNDARY ............................................................................................................................................................ 2-2 2.1.3 SERVICES ................................................................................................................................................................ 2-6 2.2 GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE ...................................................................................................................... 2-6 2.2.1 JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT ................................................................................................................................. 2-6 2.2.2 GOVERNING BODY ................................................................................................................................................. 2-8 2.2.3 PUBLIC OUTREACH .............................................................................................................................................. 2-10 2.2.4 COMPLAINTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 2-10 2.2.5 TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY .............................................................................................................. 2-10 2.3 OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY ..................................................................................................................... 2-11 2.3.1 MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING ........................................................................................................................... 2-11 2.3.2 AGENCY PERFORMANCE ...................................................................................................................................... 2-13 2.3.3 SHARED SERVICE DELIVERY AND COLLABORATION ............................................................................................. 2-13 2.3.4 GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY NEEDS ................................................................................... 2-15 2.4 FINANCES ............................................................................................................................................... 2-16 2.4.1 CURRENT FISCAL HEALTH .................................................................................................................................... 2-16 2.4.2 LONG TERM FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS.......................................................................................................... 2-20 2.5 GROWTH ................................................................................................................................................ 2-23 2.5.1 PRESENT AND PLANNED LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................... 2-23 2.5.2 EXISTING POPULATION AND PROJECTED GROWTH ............................................................................................ 2-29 2.6 DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES .......................................................................... 2-30 3 MUNICIPAL SERVICES ................................................................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES ..................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 SERVICE OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.2 SERVICE ADEQUACY ............................................................................................................................................... 3-2 3.1.3 FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................................................ 3-6 3.2 DETERMINATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 3-8 3.2.1 MSR REVIEW FACTORS .......................................................................................................................................... 3-8 4 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE ............................................................................................................................... 4-2 4.1 SOI UPDATE .............................................................................................................................................. 4-2 4.1.1 EXISTING SPHERE OF INFLUENCE ........................................................................................................................... 4-2 4.1.2 STUDY AREAS ......................................................................................................................................................... 4-2 4.1.3 AREA OF INTEREST DESIGNATION ......................................................................................................................... 4-2 4.1.4 PROPOSED SOI CHANGES ...................................................................................................................................... 4-3 4.1.5 CONSISTENCY WITH LAFCO POLICIES .................................................................................................................... 4-3 4.1.6 OTHER LOCAL POLICIES.......................................................................................................................................... 4-3 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 4.1.7 DETERMINATIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 4-3 5 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................... 5-1 6 ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................................ 6-1 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................... 7-1 7.1 REPORT PREPARATION ............................................................................................................................. 7-1 7.2 ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT ...................................................................................................................... 7-1 8 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................... 8-1 8.1 APPENDIX A – OPEN GOVERNMENT RESOURCES ..................................................................................... 8-1 8.2 APPENDIX B – WEBSITE COMPLIANCE HANDOUT .................................................................................... 8-2 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCos) are quasi-legislative, independent local agencies that were established by State legislation in 1963 to oversee the logical and orderly formation and development of local government agencies including cities and special districts. There is one LAFCo for each county in California. LAFCo is responsible for implementing the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg (CKH) Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (California Government Code Section 56000 et. seq.) in order to promote orderly growth, prevent urban sprawl, preserve agricultural and open space lands, and oversee efficient provision of municipal services. LAFCo has the authority to establish and reorganize cities and special districts, change their boundaries and authorized services, allow the extension of public services, perform municipal service reviews, and establish spheres of influence. Some of LAFCo’s duties include regulating boundary changes through annexations or detachments and forming, consolidating, or dissolving local agencies. 1.2 MENDOCINO LAFCO The CKH Act provides for flexibility in addressing State regulations to allow for adaptation to local needs. Mendocino LAFCo has adopted policies, procedures and principles that guide its operations. These policies and procedures can be found on Mendocino LAFCo’s website at the following location: http://www.mendolafco.org/policies.html. Mendocino LAFCo has a public Commission with seven regular Commissioners and four alternate Commissioners. The Commission is composed of two members of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, two City Council members, two Special District representatives, and one Public Member-At- Large. The Commission also includes one alternate member for each represented category. 1.3 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW The CKH Act (GC §56430) requires LAFCo to prepare a Municipal Service Review (MSR) for all local agencies within its jurisdiction. MSRs are required prior to and in conjunction with the update of a Sphere of Influence (SOI). An MSR is a comprehensive analysis of the services provided by a local government agency to evaluate the capabilities of that agency to meet the public service needs of their current and future service area. An MSR must address the following seven factors: 1. Growth and population projections for the affected area. 2. The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence. 3. Present and planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services, and infrastructure needs or deficiencies including needs or deficiencies related to sewers, municipal and industrial water, and structural fire protection in any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence. Chapter 1 – Introduction Page1-1 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 4. Financial ability of agencies to provide services. 5. Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities. 6. Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and operational efficiencies. 7. Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by commission policy. MSRs include written statements or determinations with respect to each of the seven mandated areas of evaluation outlined above. These determinations provide the basis for LAFCo to consider the appropriateness of a service provider’s existing and future service area boundary. 1.4 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE PLAN The CKH Act requires LAFCo to adopt an SOI for all local agencies within its jurisdiction. A SOI is “a plan for the probable physical boundary and service area of a local agency or municipality as determined by the Commission” (GC §56076). When reviewing an SOI for a municipal service provider, LAFCo will consider the following five factors: 1. The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands. 2. The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area. 3. The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide. 4. The existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the commission determines that they are relevant to the agency. 5. For an update of a sphere of influence of a city or special district that provides public facilities or services related to sewers, municipal and industrial water, or structural fire protection, that occurs pursuant to subdivision (g) on or after July 1, 2012, the present and probable need for those public facilities and services of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within the existing sphere of influence. Sphere of Influence Plan Updates include written statements or determinations with respect to each of the five mandated areas of evaluation outlined above. These determinations provide the basis for LAFCo to consider the appropriateness of establishing or modifying a service provider’s SOI or probable future boundary. 1.5 MENDOCINO LAFCO POLICIES In addition to making the necessary determinations for establishing or modifying a SOI Plan consistent with the CKH Act, the appropriateness of an agency’s SOI is also based on an evaluation of consistency with local LAFCo policies. The following Sphere of Influence policies are from the Mendocino LAFCo Policies and Procedures Manual, adopted November 5, 2018. 10.1.1 Legislative Authority and Intent A sphere of influence is the probable 20-year growth boundary for a jurisdiction’s physical development. The Commission shall use spheres of influence to: Chapter 1 – Introduction Page1-2 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD a) promote orderly growth and development within and adjacent to communities; b) promote cooperative planning efforts among cities, the County, and special districts to address concerns regarding land use and development standards, premature conversion of agriculture and open space lands, and efficient provision of public services; c) guide future local government reorganization that encourages efficiency, economy, and orderly changes in local government; and d) assist property owners in anticipating the availability of public services in planning for the use of their property. 10.1.2 Definitions The Commission incorporates the following definitions: a) an “establishment” refers to the initial development and determination of a sphere of influence by the Commission; b) an “amendment” refers to a limited change to an established sphere of influence typically initiated by a landowner, resident, or agency; and c) an “update” refers to a comprehensive change to an established sphere of influence typically initiated by the Commission. 10.1.3 Sphere Updates In updating spheres of influence, the Commission’s general policies are as follows: a) The Commission will review all spheres of influences every five years for each governmental agency providing municipal services. Municipal services include water, wastewater, police, and fire protection services. b) Sphere of influence changes initiated by any agency providing a municipal service shall generally require either an updated or new service review unless LAFCo determines that a prior service review is adequate. c) Spheres of influence of districts not providing municipal services including, but not limited to, ambulance, recreation, hospital, resource conservation, cemetery, and pest control shall be updated as necessary. 10.1.4 Reduced Spheres The Commission shall endeavor to maintain and expand, as needed, spheres of influence to accommodate planned and orderly urban development. The Commission shall, however, consider removal of land from an agency’s sphere of influence if either of the following two conditions apply: a) the land is outside the affected agency’s jurisdictional boundary but has been within the sphere of influence for 10 or more years; or b) the land is inside the affected agency’s jurisdictional boundary but is not expected to be developed for urban uses or require urban-type services within the next 10 years. 10.1.5 Zero Spheres LAFCo may adopt a “zero” sphere of influence encompassing no territory for an agency. This occurs if LAFCo determines that the public service functions of the agency are either nonexistent, no longer Chapter 1 – Introduction Page1-3 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD needed, or should be reallocated to some other agency (e.g., mergers, consolidations). The local agency which has been assigned a zero sphere should ultimately be dissolved. 10.1.6 Service Specific Spheres If territory within the proposed sphere boundary of a local agency does not need all of the services of the agency, a “service specific” sphere of influence may be designated. 10.1.7 Agriculture and Open Space Lands Territory not in need of urban services, including open space, agriculture, recreational, rural lands, or residential rural areas shall not be assigned to an agency’s sphere of influence unless the area’s exclusion would impede the planned, orderly and efficient development of the area. In addition, LAFCo may adopt a sphere of influence that excludes territory currently within that agency’s boundaries. This may occur when LAFCo determines that the territory consists of agricultural lands, open space lands, or agricultural preserves whose preservation would be jeopardized by inclusion within an agency’s sphere. Exclusion of these areas from an agency’s sphere of influence indicates that detachment is appropriate. 10.1.8 Annexations Are Not Mandatory Before territory can be annexed to a city or district, it must be within the agency’s sphere of influence (G.G. §56375.5). However, territory within an agency’s sphere will not necessarily be annexed. A sphere is only one of several factors that are considered by LAFCo when evaluating changes of organization or reorganization. 10.1.9 Islands or Corridors Sphere of influence boundaries shall not create islands or corridors unless it can be demonstrated that the irregular boundaries represent the most logical and orderly service area of an agency. 10.1.10 Overlapping Spheres LAFCo encourages the reduction of overlapping spheres of influence to avoid unnecessary and inefficient duplication of services or facilities. In deciding which of two or more equally capable agencies shall include an area within its sphere of influence, LAFCo shall consider the agencies’ service and financial capabilities, social and economic interdependencies, topographic factors, and the effect that eventual service extension will have on adjacent agencies. Where an area could be assigned to the sphere of influence of more than one agency, the following hierarchy typically applies: a) Inclusion within a city’s sphere b) Inclusion within a multi-purpose district’s sphere c) Inclusion within a single-purpose district’s sphere Territory placed within a city’s sphere indicates that the city is the most logical provider of urban services. LAFCo encourages annexation of developing territory (i.e., area not currently receiving services) that is currently within a city’s sphere to that city rather than to one or more single-purpose special districts. LAFCo discourages the formation of special districts within a city’s sphere. To promote efficient and coordinated planning among the county’s various agencies, districts that provide the same type of service shall not have overlapping spheres. Chapter 1 – Introduction Page1-4 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 10.1.11 Memorandum of Agreements (For City Sphere Amendments and Updates) Prior to submitting an application to LAFCo for a new city sphere of influence or a city sphere of influence update, the city shall meet with the County to discuss the proposed new boundaries of the sphere and explore methods to reach agreement on development standards and planning and zoning requirements as contained in G.C. §56425. If an agreement is reached between the city and County the agreement shall be forwarded to LAFCo. The Commission shall consider and adopt a sphere of influence for the city consistent with the policies adopted by LAFCo and the County, and LAFCo shall give great weight to the agreement to the extent that it is consistent with LAFCo policies in its final determination of the city sphere. 10.1.12 Areas of Interest LAFCo may, at its discretion, designate a geographic area beyond the sphere of influence as an Area of Interest to any local agency. (Resolution No. 2018-19-01) a) An Area of Interest is a geographic area beyond the sphere of influence in which land use decisions or other governmental actions of one local agency (the "Acting Agency") impact directly or indirectly upon another local agency (the "Interested Agency"). For example, approval of a housing project developed to urban densities on septic tanks outside the city limits of a city and its sphere of influence may result in the city being forced subsequently to extend sewer services to the area to deal with septic failures and improve city roads that provide access to the development. The city in such a situation would be the Interested Agency with appropriate reason to request special consideration from the Acting Agency in considering projects adjacent to the city. b) When LAFCo receives notice of a proposal from another agency relating to the Area of Concern, LAFCo will notify the Interested Agency and will consider its comments. c) LAFCo will encourage Acting and Interested Agencies to establish Joint Powers Agreements or other commitments as appropriate. (LAFCo, 2018) 1.6 SENATE BILL 215 Senate Bill (SB) 215 (Wiggins) requires LAFCo to consider regional transportation plans and sustainable community strategies developed pursuant to SB 375 before making boundary decisions. Senate Bill 375 (Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act) requires each metropolitan planning organization (MPO) to address regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets for passenger vehicles in their Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) by integrating planning for transportation, land-use, and housing in a sustainable communities strategy. Mendocino County is not located within an MPO boundary and therefore is not subject to the provisions of SB 375. However, the Mendocino Council of Governments (MCOG) supports and coordinates the local planning efforts of Mendocino County and the Cities of Fort Bragg, Point Arena, Ukiah, and Willits to address regional housing and transportation needs and helps provide a framework for sustainable regional growth patterns through the 2018 Mendocino County Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RNHA) Plan and Vision Mendocino 2030 Blueprint Plan. MCOG is also responsible for allocating regional transportation funding to transportation improvement projects consistent with the 2017 RTP for Mendocino County. Chapter 1 – Introduction Page1-5 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Mendocino County and the Cities of Fort Bragg, Point Arena, Ukiah, and Willits are the local agencies primarily responsible for planning regional growth patterns through adoption and implementation of general plan and zoning regulations. While Mendocino County is not subject to the provisions of SB 375, LAFCo will review applicable regional transportation and growth plans when considering a change of organization or reorganization application. Chapter 1 – Introduction Page1-6 FIGURE 1.1 MOORE STREET V Yo rk C E N T R A L A E A S T SI D E C AL P ELL A R D R V C F a D e a l d l l p e w e y o l / l o a R d D E G D IR E K A Cold ·|}þ S C H re 2 e 0 k C L reek £¤ Lake Mendocino US 101 S T MILANI DR E TAT ANTONI LN S PARDU LLI NI L N CCI RD N LN SCH L E A R K F E MENDOCINO DR O T H ensley Creek .D R R E Y E M RAFELLO DR W O O D HowardCreek AckermanCreek HE A NS O LE I Y C 1 REEK RD E D E R LAKE D R ORR S P P IN R O IN L G EV S I L R L D E DR DEERWOOD DR Sulphur Creek LOVERS LN EL DORADO RD N OrrsCreek D E S PI N A L LOW GAP RD. S TA T E S T FORD RD VICHY SPRIN GS RDSulphurCreek Western Hills FORD ST Proposed Ukiah B U S A A n re n a e x o a f t I i n o t n e r A e D r s o e o t lin a C reekDoolin Creek GibsonC PE re R e K k C IN LA S M Y S I L S H T S T L T S D O R A S T T S C H O O L S T M A IN S T T ALM G A O G B E B I R S D T D R P O M O B A B C O C K LN E ·|}þ S G H O 22 B 2 BI D DI C K- C U N NI N S G H A M R D T S A N F O R D W R A A N C H R D TS V O I N C R H D Y H ILLS K D N O R T B H ILL a R U D l k m ia a h g S M e U V C B M C D a I L I L V U l L I R l S C E e I R O E N y EK F R G UI D VI LL E D D R E S E R VATI O N R D Mill M C c re C e l k ureCreek NorthForkMillCreek W illow Creek U R TINDALL RANCH RD SkunkCreek FIRCREST DR GIELOW LN O K A N K O LL RD S S Russia n TA T E S T TA Y LO R iv e r C H R O E W E E K L L R D V E R R D S L T N IPP R R D OL D RI How ellCreek FERN Creek AOI 2 CANYON DR R C O R B E IN E S K O R N D Robinso n F D R R ACCIA Robinson Creek M £¤ orrisonCreek US 101 ·|}þ SH 253 D R H C N A R R E TL U B N o rth F ork FelizCreek FelizCreek H R o u p ra la l n F d P M D C M N c A N B a b RA C N re C ek H RD H S E T N A R T Y IO N RD O LD R IV E R R D Parso ns C ree k Ukiah Valley Fire District Ukiah Valley FD City of Ukiah Highways Roads Source: This map was prepared by the Mendocino County Ukiah Valley FD SOI Area of Interest Streams ° Department of Information Services GIS Program, September 2021. Adjacent Fire Districts 0 0.25 0.5 1 Note: This map is not a survey product and should not be used to determine legal boundaries. Miles MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2 AGENCY OVERVIEW Table 2.1 UVFD Profile Agency Name: Ukiah Valley Fire District Phone Number: (707) 462-7921 Fax Number: N/A Mailing Address: 1500 South State Street, Ukiah CA 95482 District Office: 1500 South State Street, Ukiah CA 95482 Website: https://www.cityofukiah.com/uvfd/ Digital Budget: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/published/3vuNUgwii General Email: uvfd@sonic.net Date of Formation: 1947 Agency Type: Independent Special District, Single-Service Provider Enabling Legislation: Fire Protection District Law: Health and Safety Code §13800 et seq. Board Meeting Schedule: 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at 151 Laws Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482 (Willow Water District Board Room) FEC Meeting Schedule: 2nd Wednesday of odd numbered months at 4:00 p.m. at 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482 (Ukiah Valley Conference Center) Source: UVFD, 2018b; Ukiah, 2021d; UVFD, 2021b. 2.1 HISTORY 2.1.1 FORMATION The Ukiah Valley Fire District (District or UVFD) has a long history in the Ukiah Valley area. After the public school house in Ukiah burned down on July 17, 1875, the town residents formed the Eagle Fire Company in 1876 equipped with a hook and ladder truck, four Babcock extinguishers, and a house and lot on which to operate from. Eagle Fire Company was renamed Ukiah Fire Department (UFD) in the early 1900s, and in 1947 the Ukiah Valley Fire District (UVFD) was formed. UFD provided fire protection for the area until UVFD separated from UFD on July 1, 1989. UFD was then responsible for areas within the City limits, while UVFD protected the rest of the surrounding Ukiah Valley. (Ukiah, 2021d) On January 1, 2014, a temporary two-year merger of the District and UFD was adopted (Ukiah Daily Journal, 2014), and on July 1, 2017, UFD and UVFD approved a Joint Powers Agreement under Resolution 2017-41 of the Ukiah City Council, which consolidated services and functions into the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority (UVFA). (Ukiah, 2017) UVFA is not a separate legal entity, and both fire agencies continue to function as separate legal entities with distinct funding sources, although services and staff are shared across both agencies. (Grebil, 2018) For the purposes of this MSR, UVFD’s distinct data is used whenever possible. Due to the overlap in service areas, staffing, and equipment, however, at times the data presented is for the UVFA. When this occurs, every effort has been made to identify it as such. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-1 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.1.2 BOUNDARY The District is located in the southern and inland portion of Mendocino County and is situated around the City of Ukiah within the greater Ukiah Valley area. The UVFD boundary comprises approximately 80 square miles or 51,200-acres (Figure 1.1). (UVFD, 2021) The Ukiah Valley is located approximately 30-miles inland of the Pacific Ocean. It is a north-south trending valley of approximately 9-miles in length and 3-miles in width. The unincorporated communities in the Ukiah Valley include Calpella, Talmage, The Forks, Vichy Springs, Presswood, Regina Heights, and El Roble. US 101 serves as the transportation backbone in the valley and connects with SR 20 to the north and SR 253 to the south. The average elevation of the valley floor is 630 feet and is flanked by the Mendocino and Mayacamas ranges reaching up to 3,000 feet in elevation. The Russian River enters the Ukiah Valley at the northern end and runs south winding along the valley floor east of US 101. (Mendocino, 2011) The District and City of Ukiah boundaries overlap along the eastern and southern portions of the core City limits and within two incorporated islands (non-contiguous area) located adjacent to East Gobbi Street and Taylor Road. 2.1.2.1 Boundary Change History Since 1967 there have been several annexations to and detachments from the District, as shown in Table 2.2 below. There have been no changes to the District boundary since the prior 2013 MSR. (UVFD, 2018b) Table 2.2 UVFD Boundary Change History Year File Name 1967 Detachment of Waugh Lane 1969 German Annexation 1972 Redemeyer Annexation 1974 Curtis Annexation 1974-75 Deerwood #3 Annexation 1975 Orr Spring Road Annexation 1975 Mendocino State Hospital Annexation 1976 Alexander Estates Annexation 1976 Pinoleville Annexation 1976 Rolling Oaks Estates Annexation 1978 Robinson Creek Annexation 1979 Kauffman Annexation #78-7 1980 Orchard Ave South Detachment 1981 Munson-Hastings Reorganization 1983 Mendocino/Lake Community College District Detachment 1990 Annexation #90-1 2.1.2.2 Proposed Boundary Change On May 18, 2021, the Ukiah Valley Fire District Board of Directors approved Resolution No. 2021-04 to initiate a proposed District annexation of the City of Ukiah City limits for fire services and concurrent amendment of the District’s Sphere of Influence (SOI) to be contiguous with the proposed new boundary. On May 19, 2021, the City of Ukiah City Council approved Resolution 2021-21 to support the District’s proposed annexation and SOI amendment. Refer to Figure 1.2 for a map of the proposed annexation area (LAFCo File No. A-2021-02). Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-2 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD According to the District’s Plan for Services, the purpose of the proposed annexation is to: o Further strengthen the operating relationship between the Fire District and Ukiah; o Establish a fair and equitable funding resource for fire and emergency medical response services for all Ukiah Valley residents; and o Ensure fiscal stability of fire and emergency medical response services for the long-term benefit of Ukiah Valley residents served by the Fire Authority. (UVFD, 2021) The proposed annexation is intended to equalize the tax structure and government representation model for all District and City residents. The proposed project is anticipated to result in additional revenue to address multiple needs and more effectively provide fire protection and emergency response services. In the short-term, the same level of service that is currently being provided by the District and the City under the Fire Authority is proposed to continue to be provided by the same shared personnel using the same shared facilities and equipment under the same JPA governing authority. In the long-term, the District and City anticipate accomplishing important service enhancement goals shown below, such as increased staffing on apparatus, and providing an overall improved level of service for everyone in the Ukiah Valley area. Service Enhancement Goals Some of the District’s near- and long-term service enhancement goals include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Enhance total fire suppression capabilities and EMS services through the increasing of staffing, particularly for staff on fire and EMS apparatuses. 2. Improve the Central Station Training Facility and grounds to ensure District personnel are provided the most up-to-date training. 3. Improve training for District personnel. Specifically - provide all California Fire Service Training and Education System (CFSTES) certification training internally; and complete the process for the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) accreditation. 4. Fully implement a District Fleet Replacement Master Plan. Development of this plan is currently in-progress. The proposed annexation would realize revenue that is expected to hasten the implementation, thereby improving future reliability of vehicles. 5. Purchase upgraded auto-extrication equipment to replace aged auto-extrication equipment. 6. Develop a facilities enhancement plan and fully implement the plan with expected additional revenues from the proposed annexation. 7. Partner with allied agencies on mitigation for Wildland fires. The District has been working with CALFIRE to reduce the risk of Wildland fires in the surrounding Wildland Urban Interface areas of the Ukiah Valley, and a fuel reduction program is in place through CALFIRE to reduce the fuel load and create fire breaks on the eastern and western hills surrounding Ukiah. The District plans to expand its partnerships to include the Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-3 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 8. Achieve District fiscal sustainability to ensure long-term and stable fire and EMS services in the Ukiah Valley. (UVFD, 2021b) Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-4 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Figure 1.2 Annexation Map Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-5 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.1.3 SERVICES The District provides the following fire protection and emergency response services (Refer to Section 3.1 for more information): o Structural fire protection o Wildland fire suppression o Vehicle fire suppression o Emergency Medical Services (EMS) at an Advanced Life Support (ALS) level o High and low angle rescue o Vehicle extrication o Swift water rescue o Hazardous materials incident response o Fire prevention including Fire Code plan reviews and inspections for building permit applications, such as for new commercial construction, multi-unit housing, occupancy changes, or tenant changes. o Fire safe inspections of all existing commercial and institutional buildings o Public education services o Advisory home visits upon request regarding defensible space, fuel loads reduction, firewise landscaping, home hardening including fire safe materials and fire rated roofing, safe building egress, reflective two-way address signage, and other components of fire prevention planning. (Ukiah, 2021e) 2.2 GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE 2.2.1 JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT 2.2.1.1 History In 1876, the Eagle Fire Company was formed to provide fire protection for the entire Ukiah Valley area. In the early 1900s, Eagle Fire Company was renamed Ukiah Fire Department (UFD) and continued to provide service to the Ukiah Valley. However, on July 1, 1989, the District and UFD began providing separate fire protection services within their respective jurisdictions; UFD served areas within the City limits and the District served the surrounding Ukiah Valley area. (Ukiah, 2021d) In March 2012, the District and the City of Ukiah began exploring the feasibility of combining fire service efforts. (Ukiah, 2021d) On January 1, 2014, the District and the City entered into a two-year interim operating agreement to create a single administration and combined fire department. (Ukiah Daily Journal, 2014) On March 10, 2015, the District Board of Directors and the Ukiah City Council held a joint meeting to create a consolidated fire district and select an Ad Hoc Committee to explore the findings and options from a consolidation study. In 2017, the District and the City entered into an agreement for combined fire services. (Ukiah, 2021d) 2.2.1.2 Agreement for Shared Management of Fire Departments On July 1, 2017, the Ukiah Valley Fire District and the City of Ukiah entered into a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) entitled the “Agreement for Shared Management of Fire Departments” for the shared provision of fire services. The JPA outlines the terms for jointly managing, equipping, maintaining, and operating all- risk fire, medical, and emergency services in the District and City boundaries. The joint effort between the Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-6 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD District and City is known as the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority (UVFA), but the JPA did not create a separate legal entity. The Fire Authority and Fire Executive Committee (FEC) is not a joint powers agency or authority, partnership, or joint enterprise (Ukiah, 2017). UVFA was formed to maximize the use of existing resources, create cost containment opportunities, reduce duplication, maintain local control, and continue to deliver high quality services. The UVFA service area covers the jurisdictional boundaries of the District and the City; approximately 85-square miles. (Ukiah, 2017; UVFD, 2021b) The Fire Authority JPA arrangement addresses the following: o Allows for the shared use of fire stations. o Includes all fire protection personnel as City employees. o Combines equipment and assets of the City and District to provide fire services to the City and District under a unified command structure headed by a Fire Chief. o Reduces District costs by taking advantage of economies of scale by having the City provide the District with financial and general services. o Creates a Fire Executive Committee consisting of two City Council members and two Board members to coordinate decision-making by the governing bodies of the City and District. (UVFD, 2020) The Agreement provides for a Fire Chief who manages the general administration and oversight of the UVFA. The Fire Chief of the UVFA reports to the City Manager and provides general administration and oversight of the City and District Fire Operations. The Fire Chief coordinates and cooperates with the City and District regarding performance of services within their respective jurisdiction. The Fire Chief also actively participates as a member of the City of Ukiah’s management team which includes participation in staff meetings and workshops. The City and District provide direction to the Fire Chief regarding services or any desired special projects to be performed for them. The FEC collaborates regarding directions from their respective agencies, for the purpose of avoiding conflicting guidance or creating conflicts relating to priority of services. (Ukiah, 2021g) Under the JPA, after receiving the recommendation of the FEC, the City Council and District Board of Directors adopt an annual budget for the combined operations of the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority. The terms of the Agreement state that general operating costs of the UVFA (with some exceptions) are to be split between the two agencies 50/50. (Ukiah, 2017) On June 17, 2020, the District and the City entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement for Shared Management of Fire Department (“2020 Amended JPA”), which becomes effective if the City is annexed by the District. The 2020 Amended JPA provides a different method for apportioning costs and requires both parties to agree to terminate the agreement based on a determination that termination will not affect the provision of services. (UVFD, 2020; UVFD, 2021b) 2.2.1.3 Volunteer Organizations The Ukiah Valley Fire District Firefighters Association (UVFFA) augments or supports the activities of the Fire Authority. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, UFA accepts charitable funds on behalf of the Fire Authority. The UVFFA also hosts fundraisers and capital campaigns that support donations to the Fire Authority for purposes of purchasing equipment and making facility improvements. The relationship Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-7 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD between the Fire Authority and the UVFFA is structured such that finances are held separately and the District and/or City owns and maintains the equipment and facilities. (UVFD, 2021b) The Ukiah Fire Department (UFD) also has an Explorer Post chartered through the Boy Scouts of America for individuals between 14 and 18 years of age. Explorers receive training in the various aspects of the fire service. Although they are not permitted to be directly involved in emergency response, they attend emergency incidents and provide support services while learning about the various types of emergencies handled by the fire department. (Ukiah, 2021c) 2.2.2 GOVERNING BODY 2.2.2.1 Ukiah Valley Fire District Board of Directors UVFD operates under Fire Protection District Law pursuant to Health and Safety Code §13800 et seq. The Board of Directors is the legislative body for the District and is responsible for establishing policy, adopting and amending the annual budget, enacting ordinances, adopting resolutions, and appointing committees. The five-member Board of Directors is elected at-large to serve staggered four-year terms (see Table 2.3 below). In order to be elected to the Board, candidates must be registered voters residing within the District boundaries. If there are insufficient candidates for election of Board vacancies, or if the number of filed candidates is equal to the number of Board vacancies, then District Board members may be appointed in lieu of election by the County Board of Supervisors per Elections Code §10515. Government Code §1780-1782 governs the process for appointment of a Director to fill a seat vacated prior to the scheduled term expiration date. The District Board of Directors has 60-days to appoint an interested and qualified individual to a vacant seat if proper notice requirements have been met. The individual must live within the District boundary and be a registered voter. If the District cannot fill the seat within the 60-day period, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors can appoint a Director to the District Board during a 30-day period following the initial 60-day period. If the vacant seat is not filled during the 90-day period, the vacant seat remains empty until the next election. The District Board of Directors elects Officers annually at the December regular meeting. Officers include a President, Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer elected and served by Board members. District Board members do not receive compensation for their public service or a stipend for attending meetings; however, tuition, travel, lodging, meals, and other expenses incurred by a Board member for educational conferences and professional meetings may be reimbursed per established Board policy. Staff support for the Board includes a Clerk of the Board. Table 2.1 UVFD Board of Directors Serving Term First Year Name Office/Position Consecutive Expiration of Service Terms David B. Haas President 2024 2015 Yes Jenifer Bazzani Vice President 2024 2017 Yes Bobby Banks Secretary/Treasurer 2022 2020 No Michael Graham Director 2022 2019 No Peter Bushby Director 2024 2019 Yes Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-8 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Source: Ukiah, 2021i; UVFD, 2021b. The Board is currently fully seated and generally does not have difficulty filling vacancies. Two of the Board members have served the District for multiple consecutive terms which can be a significant benefit in establishing long-standing positive working relationships in the community, understanding the history and unique aspects of the organization, and maintaining institutional knowledge. Public Meetings Regularly scheduled meetings for the District Board of Directors are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Willow Water District Board Room located at 151 Laws Avenue in Ukiah. (Ukiah, 2021i) In accordance with the Brown Act, all meetings are open to the public and are publicly posted a minimum of 72 hours prior to regular meetings and a minimum of 24 hours prior to special meetings at the meeting location, on the City’s website, and bulletin boards located at the Ukiah Valley Fire District headquarter station. (UVFD, 2018b; UVFD, 2021b). Meeting agendas are also sent via email or fax to anyone that has requested such notification and sent to local radio stations. 21-day Public Hearing Notice is also published in the local newspaper and mailed as required. Public meeting information including agendas, staff reports, and approved meeting minutes were previously posted on the District’s website, but the postings are only current through 2019. The most recent meeting notice on the website is for a November 12, 2020 meeting. Minutes are kept for all public Board meetings and are adopted at a subsequent meeting. Agendas and minutes are available at the District’s office upon request. (Ukiah, 2021i) Pursuant to State Executive Order N-29-20 pertaining to the convening of public meetings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective March 20, 2020, local government agency public meetings were temporarily permitted to be conducted remotely and instead of requiring in-person public participation. For the District, pandemic adjustments for public participation include live streaming meetings at https://global.gotomeeting.com. Audio recordings were previously posted on the District website, but have ceased since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It is recommended that remote meetings be recorded and posted along with minutes promptly to ensure public transparency and accessibility to representative government proceedings. 2.2.2.2 Fire Executive Committee Committees assist in carrying out various functions of local government. The District currently participates in one standing committee, the Fire Executive Committee (FEC), which is a committee of the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority. The Joint Powers Agreement between the Ukiah Valley Fire District and the City of Ukiah established the FEC, whose membership consists of two appointees from each of the two governing bodies. A quorum for business transactions consists of the entire FEC, and meetings are required once quarterly at a minimum. The FEC is not an authority, partnership, or other decision-making body. The FEC jointly develops and recommends to the respective agencies of the JPA an annual budget and cost apportionment plan, and policies, ordinances, and fees. The FEC also collaborates to ensure equity in cost of services and those benefiting from the services, and to determine service levels, facilities, and equipment, among other responsibilities. (Ukiah, 2017) FEC meetings are subject to Brown Act requirements. Minutes are kept for all FEC meetings and are adopted at a subsequent meeting. FEC meeting agendas and minutes are Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-9 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD available at the District’s office upon request and posted on the City of Ukiah’s website. FEC members do not receive compensation for their public service. (UVFD, 2021b) 2.2.3 PUBLIC OUTREACH In addition to public meetings, the District and the Fire Authority try to reach constituents through community outreach efforts. The District does not maintain a website, but the City of Ukiah maintains a website for the UVFD, UFD, and UVFA at https://www.cityofukiah.com/uvfd/ that provides comprehensive information regarding the various bodies, volunteering, permits and fees, and fire prevention. The City’s website has well organized information but is currently out of date. The website would be enhanced by updating the information to meet all the special district transparency requirements of State law including the availability of agendas, policies, and financial information. In addition, the District’s website could be improved by incorporating a content management system, such as DocuShare, to provide a searchable and chronologically organized document archive system for Board meeting packets and adopted ordinances, resolutions, annual budgets, financial audit reports, and other digital records. Because of the unique role of the Fire District in relation to the City and the Fire Authority, consolidating information regarding fire services in one location would be a useful tool. Many of the District’s public resources are provided under the umbrella of the UVFA. The UVFA maintains a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UkiahValleyFireAuthority/ which posts regular updates of fire events and special events organized for the community. Social media posts are a useful tool to provide instant and easy outreach to the public, and can be diversified for best outreach potential, such as presence on Twitter, Nextdoor, and other similar platforms. 2.2.4 COMPLAINTS The public can submit written or provide verbal comments or complaints in person or by phone at the District office during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or at the District Board of Directors meetings during the general public comment period. In the last five years, the District has not received any complaints 2.2.5 TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY The District has adopted a Policy Manual that addresses the Board of Directors roles and responsibilities, officers, Rosenberg’s rules of order, meetings, committees, code of ethics, and conflict of interest, among other things, in addition to administrative, financial, general operating, personnel, and volunteer firefighter program policies and procedures for the District. (UVFD, 2021b) The Political Reform Act requires all state and local government agencies to adopt and promulgate a Conflict of Interest Code pursuant to Government Code §81000 et seq. The Political Reform Act also requires persons who hold office to disclose their investments, interests in real property, and incomes by filing a Statement of Economic Interests (Fair Political Practices Commission Form 700) each year pursuant to Government Code §87203. According to AB 1234, if a local agency provides compensation or reimbursement of expenses to local government officials, then all local officials are required to receive two hours of training on public service ethics laws and principles at least once every two years and establish a written policy on reimbursements pursuant to Government Code §53235. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-10 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Board members receive regular training on Brown Act requirements. (UVFD, 2018b) The District complies with the above requirements. (UVFD, 2021b) Refer to Appendix A for a brief list of educational resources regarding open government laws and Appendix B for a website compliance handout. 2.3 OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY 2.3.1 MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING The Fire Chief manages and oversees the daily operations of the Fire Authority to ensure that the policies, programs, and priorities of the joint fire service operation between the District and City is implemented effectively and efficiently. The responsibilities and specific duties of the Fire Chief include the following: o Providing general administration and oversight of the City and District Fire Departments. o Coordinating and cooperating with the City and District regarding the performance of services in each agency. The Fire Executive Committee provides advisory support to the Fire Chief. (Ukiah, 2017) The District contracts for legal representation of the District. The Ukiah City Attorney is available to advise City employees performing services for the District and upon request is available to provide legal advice to the Fire Executive Committee. (UVFD, 2021b) Fire agencies are structured as paramilitary agencies; the Fire Chief is supported by Battalion Chiefs, who in turn are supported by Captains, Engineers, and Firefighters. The Fire Authority is staffed by 19 full-time safety employees, one 0.8 time Administrative Secretary, and 15 volunteer firefighters. Currently one Battalion Chief position and three Firefighter positions are vacant (not accounting for additional hires authorized in the FY 2021-22 budget). All paid staff are employees of the City and the District manages volunteers. (UVFD, 2021; UVFD, 2021b) In the past year, the UVFA has updated all personnel job descriptions to meet current standards and needs. (Ukiah, 2021h) The UVFA is budgeted for a staffing increase of 10 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in Fiscal Year 2021- 22, which accounts for 4 new Firefighters and 6 new Ambulance Operators (EMTs and Paramedics not trained as Firefighters). Staffing levels by personnel groups are shown below. (Ukiah, 2020, UVFD, 2021b) Table 2.4 UVFA Staffing Levels Personnel Groups FTE 20/21 21/22 Executive 1.0 1.0 Management 9.0 9.0 Professional 9.0 19.0 Administrative & Technical 0.8 0.8 Total 19.8 29.8 Source: (Ukiah, 2020). Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-11 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Figure 2.1 shows the Fire Authority organizational chart. Figure 2.1 Ukiah Valley Fire Authority 2021 Organizational Chart The UVFA is organized into four divisions: Administration, Operations, Training and Safety, and Fire Prevention. The Administration division provides leadership and management to the Operations, Training and Safety, and Fire prevention activities, including the implementation and liaison of the financial and general services provided by the City of Ukiah. The Administration division also supports the UVFD Board and FEC functions. The Operations division provides emergency response to fires, medical emergencies, traffic collisions, technical rescues, hazardous materials, explosions, floods and earthquakes, as well as non-emergency public service calls, through a consistent state of readiness. Volunteer Firefighters participate in training activities and augment career staffing during emergency and non-emergency activities. The Training and Safety division ensures that all personnel complete annual in-service mandatory and recurrent training, all required medical continuing education and certifications, along with maintaining license and training records, administering skills testing, course development and instruction, maintaining and updating training materials, setting standards, assisting in recruitments and testing, all designed to attain and provide for a high level of proficiency and excellence for career and volunteer staff. The Fire Prevention division ensures compliance and is responsible for administering the California Fire Code, as amended by the City and District, as it relates to new and existing businesses, schools, multifamily and other permitted occupancies. Further, services are provided for new construction plan reviews and inspections, vegetation management and weed abatement, hazard abatement, along with fire cause and origin investigations, community awareness and safety programs, public education and outreach. (Ukiah, 2021h) Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-12 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.3.2 AGENCY PERFORMANCE A key component of monitoring agency performance is routinely evaluating staff productivity. The Fire Authority, on behalf of the District and the City, tracks paid employee workload through regular timesheets and leave requests and productivity through annual written performance reviews. In addition, the Fire Chief informally evaluates volunteer firefighters as part of regular training sessions. The Fire Authority maintains an emergency response log and training records. During the bi-monthly District Board, the Fire Chief provides a report on all emergency calls that occurred since the prior meeting and provides an update on Fire Authority activities. The District Board, City Council, and Fire Executive Committee periodically review goals and objectives from the prior fiscal year and modify or add new goals and objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. (Ukiah, 2018) Objectives are listed in the annual special report prepared by the City of Ukiah on the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority. The most recent report on the UVFA indicates that in the past year, the Ukiah Fire Department and Ukiah Valley Fire District have combined their Standard Operating Procedures and updated them to meet current standards. Additionally, key management services have been established utilizing the Shared Management Agreement. (Ukiah, 2021h) In the regular performance of duty, Fire Authority staff identify areas of improvement and take corrective action when feasible and appropriate or inform the Fire Chief when further direction is needed. UVFA staff also learn about new opportunities to achieve operational efficiencies by attending regional and service-specific meetings and communicating with colleagues regarding industry standards, best management practices, changing regulations, and service delivery models implemented by other local agencies. 2.3.3 SHARED SERVICE DELIVERY AND COLLABORATION 2.3.3.1 Regional and Service-Specific Participation The District participates in the following regional and service-specific associations and organizations: o The Fire Chief is an active member of the Mendocino County Fire Chief’s Association, the Mendocino County Association of Fire Districts, the Fire Districts Association of California, and the California Fire Chiefs Association. o One District Board member serves on the Local Agency Formation Commission. o The District is a sponsor of the Mendocino Fire Safe Council. (UVFD, 2018a; UVFD, 2021; UVFD, 2021b) 2.3.3.2 Interagency Collaboration Below are examples of the District’s interagency collaborative arrangements and efforts: o The District actively participates in Redwood Empire Hazardous Incident Team. o The District is a County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System participant. o The District works with CAL FIRE in implementing vegetation fuel management grants to reduce vegetative fire hazards in and around the District, such as when the District as part of the UVFA cooperated with CAL FIRE on the Western Hills Fuel Break. (UVFD, 2018a; Ukiah, 2021h) Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-13 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.3.3.3 Adjacent Providers Local fire protection providers adjacent to the District include the City of Ukiah to the west, Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire District to the north, and Hopland Fire Protection District to the south. The areas located east of the District and west of the City of Ukiah are not within the jurisdiction of a local fire agency; these areas are within the State Responsibility Area and receive wildland fire protection services from CAL FIRE during wildfire season and local fire agencies when dispatched. Ambulance or medical transport service is provided within the District and City by the Fire Authority and private ambulance companies including MedStar. 2.3.3.4 Mutual and Automatic Aid Agreements Mutual aid refers to reciprocal service and support provided to another agency upon request under a mutual aid agreement between one or more agencies. Automatic aid differs in that no request for aid is necessary for reciprocal service and support between agencies within the automatic aid agreement. These types of pre-arrangements allow for the dispatch and use of additional equipment and personnel that a single jurisdiction cannot provide on its own and also entails a reciprocal return of resources when needed. The District maintains verbal mutual aid agreements with the Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire District, Hopland Fire Protection District, Potter Valley Community Services District and Little Lake Fire Protection District, as well as an automatic aid agreement with CAL FIRE. (UVFD, 2018a; Ukiah, 2021h) The Fire Authority primarily serves residents and property within the District and City jurisdictional boundaries. However, due to the critical need for rapid response in emergency situations, when a call for service is received, the nearest available response unit is dispatched regardless of jurisdictional boundary. Therefore, the Fire Authority response area is larger than the District and the City boundaries based on the Countywide Mutual Aid System. According to the 2015 Mendocino County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, the Fire Authority is within Mutual Aid/Planning Zone 2, which includes the City of Ukiah, Ukiah Valley Fire District, Potter Valley Community Services District, Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire District, and Hopland Fire Protection District. (MCFCA, 2015) In addition to the local mutual aid system, the Fire Authority participates in the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System for wildland fire incidents throughout the State. The Fire Authority responds to out-of-County fire incidents upon request and when the remaining equipment and personnel are capable of providing adequate service levels in the District and City boundaries. 2.3.3.5 Dispatch In Mendocino County, dispatch for fire protection services and emergency medical services are provided by the CAL FIRE Emergency Communications Command Center (ECC) at the Howard Forest Station near Willits. Mendocino County pays for the countywide dispatch service call system from a portion of Proposition 172 funds. Due to the dynamic and unpredictable nature of emergencies, multiple public agencies could be dispatched to a single service call. In responding to medical emergencies, local fire protection and ambulance service providers are often dispatched simultaneously. In many cases, local fire agencies are the first to arrive on scene and provide first aid and basic life support while preparing the patient for transport to a hospital. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-14 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.3.3.6 State Responsibility Area The State Responsibility Area (SRA) is the area of the state where the State of California is financially responsible for the prevention and suppression of wildfires, and the Federal Responsibility Area (FRA) indicates areas where the Federal government is responsible for such services. While almost the entire District boundary is located within the SRA designation, with smaller areas of FRA designation, the District, through the Fire Authority, is also responsible for responding to wildfires within its jurisdictional boundary. During wildfire season, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is also dispatched to wildfires in the SRA, and the first agency to respond generally assumes the role of Incident Command (IC). The Fire Authority is often the first to respond to such incidents, particularly if the CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit - Ukiah Fire Station located at 2690 North State Street is not staffed. The City of Ukiah is located within the Local Responsibility Area (LRA) designation and CAL FIRE responds to wildfires in this area per an automatic aid agreement. (UVFD, 2021b) 2.3.3.7 Contract or JPA Services There are no additional contract or JPA services provided to District residents other than through the JPA previously discussed, which formed the UVFA and created a functional consolidation of the District and the City of Ukiah. 2.3.3.8 Shared Services and Facilities The District has worked cooperatively with the City of Ukiah to maximize the efficient provision of fire services in Ukiah Valley since 2012. In 2012 Ukiah hired the District Fire Chief to also serve as the Ukiah Fire Department’s Chief and approved a cooperative agreement with the Fire District to drop jurisdictional boundaries of the two fire agencies through the aforementioned JPA. Additionally, the District has mutual aid agreements with surrounding fire districts as noted in Section 2.3.3.4 to deliver services more effectively and efficiently by sharing public facilities, resources, and/or service responsibility with other fire agencies when feasible. All fleet maintenance for the UVFD and UVFA is completed by trained fleet mechanics at the City of Ukiah Fleet Maintenance facility. (UVFD, 2018b) 2.3.4 GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY NEEDS 2.3.4.1 Enhanced Service Delivery Options Although the UVFD and City of Ukiah have not legally consolidated their entities, for operational purposes they function as one entity. The functional consolidation of services under the Fire Authority has resulted in better staffing and performance levels for the Ukiah Valley area. Mutual aid agreements are already in place with surrounding fire agencies to provide an enhanced fire protection system in the area, particularly for the adjoining fire agencies with lower staffing levels. There are no new opportunities for the District to achieve organizational or operational efficiencies identified during the preparation of this MSR. 2.3.4.2 Government Restructure Options Government restructure options should be pursued if there are potential benefits in terms of reduced costs, greater efficiency, better accountability or representation, or other advantages to the public. In 2012, the District and the City hired a consultant to investigate the possibility of legally consolidating their fire agencies. The study concluded that consolidation would improve service but would not provide Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-15 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD any cost savings for multiple reasons, such as the salary differential between fire personnel and the substantial equipment replacement needs of both agencies. (LAFCo, 2013) The District is currently proposing to annex the Ukiah City limits for fire services to equalize the tax structure and government representation model for all District and City residents and lead to an improved level of service for everyone in the Fire Authority service area. Under the JPA, there is no redundancy in fire and emergency medical services provided in the District and City boundaries. There is no government restructure recommendation for local municipal fire service providers in the area at this time. 2.4 FINANCES The JPA funding arrangement for the Fire Authority provides that the District and City will equally divide operational costs (personnel, services, materials, and supplies), capital maintenance, and indirect costs. Capital outlays and outstanding debt service are the responsibility of each agency independently. The UVFA had an annual operating budget of approximately $4.3 million in FY 2020-21, and the District’s portion of the UVFA’s overall budget was $1.9 million. (Ukiah, 2021h) The District and City are fundamentally different local government agencies. The District is a special- purpose agency providing fire protection and emergency response services to the unincorporated areas of the Ukiah Valley and all District revenue must be used in the provision of those services only. The City is a general-purpose agency providing a full-service City and can collect property tax, sales tax, and special taxes to fund those services. The City can also collect utility rates, fees, and charges for sewer and water services that can only be used in the provision of those services under Propositions 218 and 26. The City Council has dedicated funds collected through Measure P to fund public safety, including fire services. Funding from Measure P and the General Fund are relied on for the City’s annual contribution to the Fire Authority 50/50 cost share formula. (UVFD, 2021) Under the JPA, the City provides financial and general services to the District, including accounts payable, procurement, billing and accounts receivable, general accounting and reporting, budget development and monitoring, and other general services such as human resources and city clerk services. The District compensates the City for these direct District services in accordance with the mutually approved annual budget. Personnel, services, and other operating, and indirect costs are contracted costs through the City also subject to the mutually approved annual budget. (Ukiah, 2019a; UVFD, 2021b) 2.4.1 CURRENT FISCAL HEALTH 2.4.1.1 Financial Summary Annual budgets are developed in a joint effort with the City of Ukiah each year in keeping with the JPA. The District and the City both independently adopt the budget by June 30th of each year. Information is entered into the City of Ukiah’s OpenGov cloud; using this information the City creates a “Budget in Brief” narrative description of the financial and operational conditions as well a “Special Report” which highlights key budgetary data in a visually understandable format. The City posts all of these reports annually on their webpage, where they are accessible to the public. The budget serves as a financial planning tool and an expense control system. A written summary of monthly expenditures is provided at District Board meetings and all checks issued require two signatures by active Board members. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-16 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD The District has indicated that the City prepares an annual audit under the terms of the JPA, but this information was not provided for the purposes of this MSR. Given that the City’s posted budgets include year-end actuals that were determined by audit, the information presented below is sufficient. This section includes District financial information for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21 and highlights specific revenue sources and long-term financial considerations. Table 2.5 below provides actual year-end (not budget) financial information for the District, although the FY 2020-21 information is still projected as of the time of this writing. This table summarizes the “District- Only Revenues and Expenditures” section of the City of Ukiah’s “Ukiah Valley Fire Authority Special Report for the Ukiah Valley Fire District,” which they have been preparing since the formation of the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority and presenting to the public, City Council, and Board members on an annual basis. Table 2.5 UVFD Financial Summary FY 17-181 FY 18-192 FY 19-202 FY 20-213 Revenue Taxes $928,908 $1,057,253 $1,072,354 $1,138,925 Charges for Service $134,060 $179,582 $37,501 $60,628 Grants and Subventions $0 $69,402 $50,959 $120,069 Use of Money and Property $8,364 $8,079 $12,291 $1,624 Licenses/Permits/Franchises $95,684 $58,157 $36,796 $60,794 Other Revenues $521,334 $320,706 $504,777 $366,520 Loan Proceeds $0 $24,208 $0 $576,019 Transfers In $0 $0 $808,811 $0 Total Revenues $1,688,350 $1,717,387 $2,523,489 $2,324,580 Expenses Direct Personnel $1,248,937 $1,533,245 1,486,999 $1,553,183 Services & Other Operating $196,853 $253,885 $193,598 $305,715 Debt Service $1,217 $76,769 $74,824 $97,006 Capital $0 $212,511 $256,641 $14,300 Indirect Admin Overhead $108,845 $126,563 $140,584 $163,908 Internal Service Use $177,326 $84,903 $100,361 $118,693 Transfers Out $0 $24,208 $32,686 $0 Total Expenses $1,733,178 $2,312,085 $2,285,693 $2,252,806 Net Income/(Loss) ($44,828) ($594,698) $237,796 $71,774 Source: 1. Ukiah, 2019b; 2. Ukiah, 2020; 3. Ukiah. 2021f; Ukiah, 2021h. The information above represents the financial standing of the District based on self-reported income and expenses in the City’s fully digitized budget that is produced using OpenGov. Refer to the following hyperlink from the City’s website to download a full copy of the District’s budget information: http://www.cityofukiah.com/finance/. According to this financial information, the District operated at a net loss between FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19 and has been operating at a net income or revenue gain for the last two years. Operating at a net Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-17 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD income is normally a key measure of fiscal health and indicates that the District does not need to utilize reserve funds to balance the budget or meet current operating costs. According to the FY 2019-20 Special Report for Ukiah Valley Fire District, FY 2017-18 and 2018-19 were years of concentrated capital equipment purchases. The same report notes that in FY 2019-20, the City budgeted for a transfer of $600,000 to the District. (Ukiah, 2019c) The District’s budgeted $2.2 million revenue in FY 2020-21 included an interagency loan, estimated to be $700,000, from the City to the District. The terms of the loan are expected to be zero percent interest with repayment beginning in FY 2023-24. (Ukiah, 2021h) The District’s budgeted revenue of $2.3 million in FY 2021-22 includes an interagency loan, estimated to be $458,000, from the City to the District. The terms of the loan are expected to be zero percent interest with repayment beginning in FY 2023-24. (Ukiah, 2020) The District’s fiscal health for the last two years is not actually a net income as it would appear because City contributions have resulted in an increase in the District’s debt service. The District relies heavily on property taxes and special taxes and has been operating at a deficit since the JPA was formed in 2017. 2.4.1.2 District Revenue Shortfall Under the JPA, general operating costs of the Fire Authority are intended to be split between the agencies based on a 50/50 cost share formula. The District has not been able to meet its obligations under this arrangement and the City has agreed to subsidize a portion of the District’s share for a limited time at a 75/25 de facto share of cost. Even at the lower cost share formula, the District has had to draw down reserves to participate. The District’s revenue shortfall is not sustainable. (UVFD, 2021) The District is proposing to annex the Ukiah City limits for fire services (Refer to Section 2.1.2.2 for more information). The District estimates that the proposed annexation would generate additional revenue from development fees and Measure J and B special taxes in the range of $850,000 to $1 million annually, with an annual net gain of approximately $500,000 to rebuild reserves. The District indicates that these revenues may be used in any number of ways related to improving fire protection and emergency medical services such as additional personnel, new equipment, or facility upgrades. The projected revenue increase could also allow the District to participate more closely to the Fire Authority 50/50 cost share target with less City subsidy. (UVFD, 2021) The anticipated transition from the District’s deficit-based budget to a surplus budget model could stabilize District finances, help maintain existing levels of service, ensure the long-term provision of critical fire protection and emergency response services, and lead to improving the overall level of service for the benefit of everyone served by the District and City. 2.4.1.3 Special Revenues Table 2.6 below shows the Ukiah Valley Fire District’s Special Revenues for the past four years. Table 2.6 UVFD Special Revenues FY 17-181 FY 18-192 FY 19-202 FY 20-213 Ad Valorem Property Taxes $341,081 $357,040 $366,064 $378,227 Measure J $587,826 $583,510 $588,575 $619,050 Measure B $19,132 $161,822 $134,232 $157,319 Proposition 172 $503 $133,571 $124,158 $185,218 Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-18 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Table 2.6 UVFD Special Revenues FY 17-181 FY 18-192 FY 19-202 FY 20-213 Mitigation Fees $0 $6,866 $42,315 $24,729 TOT Campground & RV Parks Tax n/a n/a n/a $37,631.37 Net Income $948,542 $1,242,809 $1,255,344 $ 1,402,174 Source: UVFD, 2021b; 1. Ukiah, 2019a; 2. Ukiah, 2020; 3. Ukiah, 2021h. 2.4.1.4 Special Taxes On March 4, 1998, District voters passed Measure J, a special fire tax that replaced 95% of the Benefit of Assessment that was nullified by the passage of Proposition 218. This special fire tax is assigned a variable unit value of $50 per “unit.” For example, a single-family household within the UVFD is assigned two units of value for an annual tax of $100. (LAFCo, 2013) On November 4, 2003, District voters passed Measure B, a special tax for the specific purpose of replacing fire suppression vehicles, emergency equipment, personnel safety equipment, and the provision of training. This special tax is assigned a variable unit value of $10 per unit. In the first ten years, Measure B funding allowed for the replacement of seven of the District’s eleven emergency response vehicles, radio communications equipment, fire hose, self-contained breathing apparatus, and other firefighting equipment. (LAFCo, 2013) The District’s two special taxes (Measures J and B) make up the bulk of the District’s tax revenue. These special taxes are assessed according to a benefit unit classification system which varies based on the development and use of property. A limitation of the District special taxes is that they are flat amounts without adjustments for inflation. Therefore, these special taxes have not increased since they were approved by voters and have lost considerable value due to inflation. Additionally, Measure B can only be used for equipment and training, not additional staffing which is a critical need at this time. (UVFD, 2021) 2.4.1.5 Other Revenue Proposition 172, passed by California voters in 1993, established a half-cent sales tax. The money is divided among the counties and added to their general funds. Individual counties are then required to spend the money to support public safety institutions. Mendocino County began disbursing funds to fire districts in FY 2017-18. These allocations are discretionary and reviewed annually based on availability of funding. Based on the current adopted County Budget for FY 2021-22, Proposition 172 funding is anticipated to be significantly lower this fiscal year, but is projected to increase again in future years. There is no stated reason for this significant reduction in Proposition 172 to the District. (Ukiah, 2021f) The District relies on Fire Protection Mitigation Fees authorized by County Ordinance No. 4175 as a funding mechanism for capital facilities and equipment needed to accommodate new growth. The District assesses a fee of $0.39 per square foot for new development. The mitigation fees are not sufficient for infrastructure needs of new areas. (LAFCo, 2013) Mitigation fees are anticipated to be steady in FY 2021- 22 (UVFD, 2021b). The Fire Authority also participates in Strike Team assignments for wildland fire incidents throughout the State and receives reimbursement for firefighters and the responding fire engine from the out-of-county California Fire Assistance Agreement (CFAA). The UVFFA has not hosted any recent fundraising activities to assist the Fire Authority with equipment purchases and facility needs (UVFD, 2021b). Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-19 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.4.1.6 Gann Limit Local agencies that receive taxes are subject to certain spending limits (Gann Limit or Proposition 4). Annual appropriations that are subject to spending limits may not exceed an appropriations limit based on a calculated limit for fiscal year 1978-1979, adjusted annually for population and cost of living increases. On or before July 1st of each year the board is required to adopt its appropriation limit and make other necessary determinations for the following fiscal year pursuant to Article XIII B of the California Constitution and Government Code Section 7900 et seq. [61113(b)]. Not all appropriations are subject to this limit. The limit only applies to tax revenues. The limit does not apply to proceeds from user charges, user fees or other such assessments provided that these revenue sources do not exceed the costs reasonably borne in providing the product or service for which the fee or assessment is imposed. The limit does not apply to a district which existed on January 1, 1978 and which did not as of 1977-1978 fiscal year levy an ad valorem tax on property in excess of 12½ cents per hundred dollars of assessed value. The District’s Gann Limit for FY 21-22 is $2,279,389. (UVFD, 2021b) 2.4.2 LONG TERM FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS 2.4.2.1 Reserves The District does not have any reported reserve due to ongoing revenue issues. The budgets prepared by the City since FY 2016-17 do not specify the amount of funds held in reserve by the District, although there are restricted funds held in reserve from District Mitigation Fees. The District would benefit from starting reserve accounts for the following: o Capital Reserve for the purpose of funding any needed expansion of capital facilities or the acquisition of capital equipment. o Equipment, and/or Capital Replacement Reserve to provide for acquisition of equipment to replace equipment originally purchased and replace and repair existing capital facilities using revenues from those funds. o Contingency Reserve to be used for funding unbudgeted and unforeseen expenditures during the fiscal year as authorized by a specific appropriation resolution of the Board of Directors. o Debt Service Reserve from which payments to principal and interest on debt or lease purchase obligations is made. An amount equal to the payment due on such obligation during the next fiscal year is appropriated to said reserve at the end of every fiscal year. 2.4.2.2 Outstanding Debt Table 2.7 shows the District’s long-term debt activity for FY 2017-18 through FY 2020-21. As with previous tables showing financial information, FY 2020-21 information is estimated year-end data, whereas FY 2017-18 through FY 2019-20 shows actual data. Regular long-term debt activity since FY 2018-19 when the JPA went into effect includes debt service and loan principal and interest payments to the City of Ukiah, as well as capital leases for the purchase of fire equipment and vehicles in governmental activities. The District’s last year of debt payments for the current schedule is FY 2025 (UVFD, 2021b). Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-20 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Table 2.7 UVFD Debt Service FY 17-181 FY 18-192 FY 19-202 FY 20-212 Debt Service $0 $16,362 $10,103 $0 Loan Principal Payments $0 $5,646 $0 $6,846 Loan Interest $0 $7,972 $0 $9,499 Capital Lease Payments $32,737 $35,117 $41,376 $51,480 Net Income $32,737 $65,097 $51,479 $67,825 Source: 1. Ukiah, 2019a; 2. Ukiah, 2020. 2.4.2.3 Capital Improvement Plan A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) or facilities plan identifies near-term and long-term facility and infrastructure needs, including upgrades, renovations, major maintenance, capital improvements, capital purchases, and facility expansions, and identifies potential revenue sources and implementation schedules for addressing those needs. Under the Fire Authority, the District and City work together to prioritize and budget for long-term capital needs in addition to on-going operations and maintenance costs. The Fire Authority prepares a combined 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan (see Figure 2.2) which is adopted with the City’s annual budget process. (UVFD, 2021b) Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-21 FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN* JULY 2021 FACILITIES/BUILDINGS/LAND FIRE AUTHORITY Project Project Contact Project Improvement Project Timeline Funding Email (s) Location Type Status Source Start End 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26 TheFireStationsareindireneedofanupgrade. AttheSouthStation(duetothebuilding's Prioritization and funding source(s) under layoutandsize),UVFAhascurrentlyoutgrownthelivingspace.Thestationneedstoinclude review; Need to explore grant funding; additionalbedrooms,abathroomwithanextrashower,officespace,andinstallingsecurity Fire Station 1500 South Department estimate/request is measurestoprotectthefacilityandfireequipment.Thisupgradewillmaintainthebuilding's Doug dhutchison@cit Facilities/ New Fiscal Year Upgrades and Fire Authority City/District TBD TBD N/A Street/141 New 20212022 TBD No $ - $250,000; Additional evaluation of North Reviewed footprintutilizingachangeinlayouttoaccommodatetheDepartment'scurrentandfuture Hutchison yofukiah.com Buildings/Land Revenues Allocation TBD Retrofit Lovers Lane Station Location is needed prior to needs.Itwillalsocomplywiththecurrentfirecodebyinstallingasprinklersystem.TheNorth expending substantial funding on existing Stationisalsoinneedofimprovementstothegroundsandsecurityofthestation. The location. driveway and pad require repair, which would reduce the impact on department equipment. Thisprojectwillincludeplacingtwoexternalgeneratorswithautomatictransfercapabilitiesat theNorthandSouthStations. Theprojectalsoincludesupdatestothecurrentelectrical systemandpanelstointegratethebuilding'sgenerators. Thesegeneratorswillallowfor Emergency 1500 South Prioritization and funding source(s) under poweratthestationsduringanemergencyorplannedpoweroutage. Thefacilitiesmustbe Doug dhutchison@cit Facilities/ New Fiscal Year Standby Fire Authority City/District TBD TBD N/A Street/141 New 20212022 TBD No $ - review; Need to explore grant funding. Reviewed abletooperateandcarryouttheAuthority'smissionregardlessofoutsideinfluences,making Hutchison yofukiah.com Buildings/Land Revenues Allocation TBD Generators Lovers Lane Department estimate/request is $120,000 bothstationsself-sufficient. Asplannedpoweroutagesareexpectedtocontinueforthe foreseeablefuture,alongwithsporadicemergencyoutages,theAuthoritymustmaintain power for critical infrastructure needed to complete our mission. $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - gnidnuF deifitnedI FIGURE 2.2 Project Name Project Description Department Division Org/Object Project Nu mberA M llo u c lt a i- t f i u o n n d t s o N C P a o r m o n j t e e a c ( c t s t ) Fu T n y d p i e ng Ad Fu d n 'l d C i o n m g T m y e p n e t s Costs to date Estimated Cost per Fiscal Year Totals Comments City S t C a o tu u s ncil SUB-TOTAL: TOTALS FOR FACILITIES/BUILDINGS/LAND: *Refer to last page of this document for definition of terms used. PAGE 1 FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN* JULY 2021 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIRE AUTHORITY Project Name Project Description Department Division Org/Object Project Nu mberA M llo u c lt a i- t f i u o n n d t s o N C P a o r m o n j t e e a c ( c t s t ) Proj E e m ct a C il o ( n s) t act L P o r c o a j t e io ct n Impr T o y v p e e ment P S r t o a j t e u c s t St T a P im r r t o e je li E c n n t e d F S u o n u d r i c n e g gnidnuF deifitnedI Fu T n y d p i e ng Ad Fu d n 'l d C i o n m g T m y e p n e t s Costs to date 21/22 22/2 E 3 stimated Co 2 s 3 t / 2 p 4 er Fiscal Yea 2 r 4/25 25/26 Totals Comments City S t C a o tu u s ncil TheUkiahValleyFireAuthorityhasbeguntomodernizeutilizingwirelessdatathroughMobile DataTerminals(MDT)toenhancesafety,reducerepetitiveradiocommunications,andaccess liveup-to-datedata.Inanever-changingenvironmentinFireOperations,theneedformobile fielddatarises;theseunitswillallowustotrackandsendoutinformationvitaltothesuccess Mobile Data ofourmission.Thisequipmentalsoallowsustohavereal-timedataonthelocationofunitsto Doug dhutchison@cit 300 Information Current Funds to be used are 710, 100, 915 and Terminals (MDT)allowforasaferenvironmentforourteammembers.Additionally,theseunitswilltieintothe Fire Authority City Fire Multiple 18271 N/A Hutchison yofukiah.com Seminary Technology New 20212022 General Yes Revenues $ 121,800 $ 121,800 917. Reviewed CalFiresystemallowingforbetter,faster,andmorereliableinformationtobepassedbetween Avenue agenciesinthefield. TheTerminalsuseMobileWireless,GPS,&Satellitecommunications allowing for increased situational awareness in severe operational environments. SUB-TOTAL: $ - $ 1 21,800 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 1 21,800 TOTALS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: $ - $ 1 21,800 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 1 21,800 *Refer to last page of this document for definition of terms used. PAGE 2 FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN* JULY 2021 VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT FIRE AUTHORITY Project Name Project Description Department Division Org/Object Project Nu mberA M llo u c lt a i- t f i u o n n d t s o N C P a o r m o n j t e e a c ( c t s t ) Proj E e m ct a C il o ( n s) t act L P o r c o a j t e io ct n Impr T o y v p e e ment P S r t o a j t e u c s t St T a P im r r t o e je li E c n n t e d F S u o n u d r i c n e g gnidnuF deifitnedI Fu T n y d p i e ng Ad Fu d n 'l d C i o n m g T m y e p n e t s Costs to date 21/22 22/2 E 3 stimated Co 2 s 3 t / 2 p 4 er Fiscal Yea 2 r 4/25 25/26 Totals Comments City S t C a o tu u s ncil ThisnewCommand/ChiefvehiclewouldserveasaDivisionChief'svehicle. ItwillreplaceC- Moved from FYE 21 due to COVID-19. 6805,a2006Chevy2500HD,withcurrentmileageof106,495.Thevehicletransmissionis Vehicles, Command/ Chief 10021210. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South New Increased the amount from $50k to currentlyfailing,leavingthevehicleunfit,unreliable,andleavingteammembersinapossibly Fire Authority City Fire V3165 N/A Machinery & New 2021 2022 General Yes $ 75,000 $ 75,000 Reviewed Vehicle 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues include vehicle outfitting. Moved from unsafeorlife-threateningenvironmentduringfiresuppressionactivities.However,thevehicle Equipment FYE 21. can be repurposed as a non-suppression utility vehicle for the department. ThisnewCommand/ChiefvehiclewillserveasaCommand/Chiefvehicle. Itwillreplace D- 6802,a2007Chevy2500HDwith84,072miles. Thisvehicle'stransmissionisalsocurrently Vehicles, Purchase cost covers Fire Service Command/ Chief 91721400. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South New failingalongwithmultipleotherproblems,leavingthevehicleunfit,unreliable,leavingteam Fire Authority District Fire 18277 N/A Machinery & New 2021 2022 District Yes $ 75,000 $ 75,000 Emergency Vehicle outfitting (Lights, Reviewed Vehicle 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues members in a possibly unsafe or life-threatening environment during fire suppression Equipment Siren, Radio's, etc.,) activities. This vehicle will be decommissioned and placed as surplus. Itisrecommendedtoreplaceouraginggaspoweredhydraulicautoextricationequipment, 91621400. The first set has been purchased and commonlyknowasthe"JawsOfLife". Replacementunitswillconsistofnewertechnology Vehicles, Auto Extrication 80100 & Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South Special Current placed into service. Second set has been Budget batteryoperatedE-Hydraulicextricationequipment. Thesenewerunitswilleliminateheavy Fire Authority City/District Fire 18101 Yes Machinery & Ongoing 2019 2022 Yes Prop. 172 $ 57,274 $ 33,000 $ 33,000 Equipment 25321210. Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenue Revenues purchased. Final purchase set planned for Adopted gaspoweredmotorsandassociatedhydrauliclinesincreasingmobilityandrangeofuse.This Equipment 80100 FYE 22. will be a three year phased purchase to replace the units currently in service. ThisspecializedunitisnecessaryandmandatorytofillSelf-ContainedBreathingApparatus Vehicles, SCBA BottlescrucialfortheUkiahValleyFireAuthoritytocarryoutourmissionofsavingand 10021210. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South New This will require new funding. Moved Fire Authority City Fire 18195 N/A Machinery & New 2021 2022 General Yes $ 60,000 $ 60,000 Reviewed Compressor protectinglife,property,andtheenvironment.ThisunitwillbehousedattheCentralStation 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues from FYE 21 due to COVID-19. Equipment and will replace our current mobile air unit, which is currently out of service. Thisunitiscriticalforsanitationoffireprotectiongearandequipmentusedandwornbyteam Vehicles, This will require new funding. Moved SCBA/Gear members, due to the increasing awareness of cancer causing exposures faced by Fire 10021210. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South New Fire Authority City Fire 18196 N/A Machinery & New 2021 2022 General Yes $ 35,000 $ 35,000 from FYE 21 due to COVID-19. Increased Reviewed Sanitizer Personnel. Thesanitationofgearandequipmenthasbeenproventoreducetheriskto 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues Equipment from $28k. cancer(s). This promotes a safer and healthier work environment. TheUkiahValleyAuthorityannualfleetreplacementidentifiedWT-6892forreplacement. FollowingindustrystandardNFPAguidelinesrecommendsfireapparatusserve10yearsor 75,000milesasafirstoutresponsevehicle,andanadditional5to10yearsor100,000milesin serviceasareserveapparatus. WT-6892isa2004Peterbiltsingle-axle2,500gallonwater tender. Itwasinitiallydesignedforconstruction,andwasconvertedtoafireapparatus. It doesnothaveafireratedpump,whichtheapparatusdoesnotmeetthedemandforservice. 10021210. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South Vehicles, Water Tender ThepurchaseofanewfireratedwatertenderisvitaltotheFireAuthority'smissionwhile Fire Authority City Fire 80100 V2543 N/A Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Machinery & New 2021 2022 TBD Yes Reserves $ 325,000 $ 325,000 Reviewed working inthe rural environment. Additionally,utilizing OES-State contracts, the entire Equipment purchasecostrecoverywouldbecompletedoverthenextfewyears.WT-6892wouldnotonly beplacedinareservestatusfortheFireDepartment,otherdepartmentsintheCitycould utilizethewatertender,addingadditionalcostsavingstotheCity,astheyhavebeenrentinga water tender in the past several years. TheUkiahValleyFireAuthorityannualfleetreplacementidentifiedT-6852forreplacement. Followingindustry-standardNFPAguidelinesrecommendsfireenginesserve10-yearsor Quint Aerial 75,000milesasafirstoutresponsevehicle,andanadditional5to10-yearsor100,000milesin 10021210. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South Vehicles, New Fiscal Year Fiscal year allocation might move to out Apparatus serviceasareserveapparatus. T-6852isa2009PierceQuintAerialApparatuswitha75-ft. Fire Authority City Fire 80100 TBD N/A Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Machinery & New 2025 2026 TBD No Revenues Allocation TBD $ 1,500,000 $ 1,500,000 years contingent on condition of the Reviewed ladderwithacurrentmileageof47,536. Withacontinuallygrowingcityinsizeandheight, Equipment vehicle. revisedtruck'sspecificationswillneedtobeconsideredtomeetfuturedemands.T-6852will be placed in a reserve status for the Department. Due to the current events happening around the United States and the world, it is unfortunate Active Shooter but imperative that we prepare and be equipped for any and all situations the UVFA may face. Vehicles, Fiscal Year Staff will actively pursue grants to possibly Safety We are taking a proactive instead of a reactive stance in protecting and providing our team Fire Authority City Fire 10021210. TBD N/A Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South Machinery & New 2022 2023 TBD No New Allocation $ - offset some cost. Department Reviewed Equipment members with the equipment they need to handle even the direst situations. Following 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Equipment Revenues TBD/Seek grant estimate/request is $60,000 industry-standard (NFPA-3000 Active Shooter) equipment to be purchased will include Flak funding. Jackets, Kevlar Helmets, Medical Triage Bags, and Medical Triage Equipment. *Refer to last page of this document for definition of terms used. PAGE 3 FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN* JULY 2021 Due to the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC), all Fire Department Analog Radios (currently all UVFA radio's are analog) are required to be replaced with Digital Radios. The FCC's move from analog to digital increased and improved radio efficiency and met the radio 10021210. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South Vehicles, New Seeking grant Staff will continue to actively pursue Radios Fire Authority City Fire 18240 N/A Machinery & New 2021 2023 TBD Yes $ 225,000 $ 153,200 $ 378,200 grants to possibly offset some of the cost Reviewed spectrum's increasing demand (Narrow banding). This is a two-year phased purchase, 54100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues funding. replacing the Hand-Held Radio's in the first year and the Mobile Radio's (Vehicle Radio's) in the Equipment during the phased process. second phase. ThisunitiscriticalforsanitationofPersonalProtectiveEquipment(PPE)usedandwornby teammembersduetotheincreasingawarenessofcancer-causingexposuresfacedbyFire Vehicles, Personnel.Thesanitationofgearandequipmenthasbeenproventoreducecancerrisk(s)by 91621400. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South New Safety Extractors Fire Authority District Fire 18278 N/A Machinery & New 2021 2022 District Yes $ 30,000 $ 30,000 Reviewed removingthecarcinogensorourteammembersdealwithwhileperformingtheirduties. 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues Equipment TheseSafetyExtractorswerebuiltanddesignedtoremovedebrisandcarcinogensasanormal washing machine does not, nor meet the industry standard of NFPA. Ambulance This ambulance will serve the greater Ukiah area for the growing demands of the Emergency Vehicles, 71021000. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South New Looking at Patient Medical Services. The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority has had to supplement/augment the private Fire Authority Ambulance TBD N/A Machinery & New 2021 2022 TBD Yes $ 250,000 $ 250,000 Reviewed 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues financing options. Transport Unit ambulance industry to county-wide ambulance shortage. Equipment Ambulance This ambulance will serve the greater Ukiah area for the growing demands of the Emergency Vehicles, $141,648 to be 71021000. Doug dhutchison@cit 1500 South New Patient Medical Services. The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority has had to supplement/augment the private Fire Authority Ambulance 18269 N/A Machinery & New 2021 2022 TBD Yes CDBG funded, $ 300,000 $ 300,000 Reviewed 80100 Hutchison yofukiah.com State Street Revenues Transport Unit ambulance industry to county-wide ambulance shortage. Equipment balance financed. SUB-TOTAL: $ - $ 1 ,408,000 $ 1 53,200 $ - $ - $ 1 ,500,000 $ 3 ,061,200 TOTALS FOR VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT: $ - $ 1 ,408,000 $ 1 53,200 $ - $ - $ 1 ,500,000 $ 3 ,061,200 *Refer to last page of this document for definition of terms used. PAGE 4 FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN* JULY 2021 Definition of terms used: Project Name The name of the project. Project Provides a description and additional narrative to assist in the understanding of the need and value of the proposed project. Description Division The specific division within the identified department where the expenditure will be made within the budget. Org/Object The proposed account code where the expense will be accounted for. Project The number assigned to track all expenses related to the project. Number Allocation to Indicates if the cost of the proposed cost is shared. In this case, here it will state what other funds are sharing the cost. Multi-funds Project Status This indicates whether the project is "NEW", "IN PROGRESS", "ONGOING" or "COMPLETED". Project General calendar year "start" and "end" date. Timeline Funding SourceThe Fund the actual expense will come out of. Funding "Yes" indicating funding has been identified and will be available, "No" indicating funding has not yet been identified and is unavailable. Identified Funding Type "Reserves" indicates it is, or is planned to be, transferred from a reserve account, "Current Revenues" means that the expenditure is anticipated to funded by existing revenues at the time of the purchase, "New Revenues" means that a funding source other than current revenues will be used, including or grant funding or fundraising. Funding Type Add 'l To further explain, as necessary, the funding type used selected. Comments Costs to date Costs spent on the project. Estimated Costs per Fiscal Costs estimated to be spent in each of the fiscal years. Year Totals The sum of the five year estimate for each project. Comments Additional information as needed. City Council "Not Reviewed"- First time that Council has been presented the project; "Reviewed" - Council has been presented the project during an agendized meeting; "Explore" - Council has reviewed and has asked staff to further explore; "Reviewed and Supported" - Council has reviewed and supports the placement of the project on the CIP Plan; "Budget Adopted" - Council has approved the project through the Council action that takes place through either the Status full budget adoption process, or through a specific agendized item brought to Council. *Refer to last page of this document for definition of terms used. PAGE 5 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.5 GROWTH 2.5.1 PRESENT AND PLANNED LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT The Ukiah Valley is located approximately 30 miles east and inland from the Pacific Ocean. The Ukiah Valley runs north to south for about 9 miles, with a maximum width of about 3 miles. With an average elevation of about 630 feet, the hills surrounding the Valley range up to about 3,000 feet. The Russian River enters the Valley at the north end and runs south along the Valley floor. Soils are composed of fertile alluvium, and many pear orchards and vineyards flourish along the east side of the river. Residential and commercial land uses predominate on the west side of the river. The railroad right-of-way and Highway 101 also parallel the river through the Valley. Existing land uses in the Ukiah Valley, include residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses. Unincorporated communities include Calpella, The Forks, and Talmage, while the City of Ukiah is the sole incorporated community in the Valley. The UVFD boundaries include The Forks and Talmage. Calpella is located north of the existing boundaries. (See Figure 1.1.) The Forks and Talmage are unincorporated and are governed by Mendocino’s land use authority, while the City of Ukiah represents its own jurisdictional land use authority. The UVFD boundaries include an area of approximately 80-square miles, and the resident population is approximately 17,000; however the true service area under the UVFA is 85-square miles, with an additional residential population of about 16,000 in the City of Ukiah. Development in the vicinity of The Forks is of a mixed nature, including commercial uses on North State Street near the intersection with Lake Mendocino Drive, residential uses (single-family homes and mobile homes), and light industrial activities. The North State Street corridor south of The Forks has historically been developed with heavier industrial uses interspersed with commercial uses; however, the area may be entering a period of transition with shifts away from timber related uses. Mendocino Community College, Pinoleville Indian Reservation, and urban residential uses are located west of US 101. Southeast of Ukiah is the community of Talmage. Situated around the intersection of Talmage Road (State Route 222) and Eastside Road, the area has slowly developed with urban uses (mostly commercial activities and rural residential lots) replacing historical agricultural uses. Talmage is also home to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, which encompasses the site originally occupied by the State Hospital. (PMC, 2008; Mendocino, 2011) The District boundaries do not generally overlap with the City of Ukiah’s jurisdictional limits, but the District has recently applied to annex the City into its territory. The City of Ukiah is the Mendocino County seat and the largest city Mendocino County. Ukiah serves as the city center for Mendocino County and much of neighboring Lake County due to its accessible location on the US Route 101 corridor. (USCB, 2021; Ukiah, 2019b) Development patterns in the Ukiah Valley are anticipated to generally follow historical zoning and development patterns, maintaining a north-south pattern following the major transportation corridors. The area within the City limits is approaching build-out and a relatively significant level of urban development has occurred in portions of the sphere of influence. The Ukiah Valley Area Plan adopted by Mendocino County in 2011 for the unincorporated areas within the District boundaries generally maintains the development patterns of the Valley, allowing expansion of The Forks Rural Community, and along the U.S. 101 corridor, as well as limited growth in the eastern hills. (Mendocino, 2011) Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-23 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Ukiah Valley Area Plan policies pertaining to growth and land use development include the following: Section 3: Land Use and Community Development GOAL LU1 Create compact, mixed-use, and well-balanced communities that can achieve this plan’s principles of sustainability. Policy LU 1.1: Promote development and building practices that support healthy communities. Policy LU 1.2: Utilize planning tools and incentives to guide the development process towards creating a compact, mixed use community achieving a balance among social, economic, and environmental systems. Policy LU1.3: Promote suitably located housing and services for a range of ages and incomes within the Ukiah Valley Policy LU 1.4: Continue to allow growth in High Intensity Development Corridors. GOAL LU2 Promote compatible land uses adjacent to important transportation facilities and protect against incompatible ones. GOAL LU4 Manage future growth to ensure that essential support infrastructure is in place prior to development. Policy LU 4.1: Apply growth management strategies when reviewing discretionary projects. Policy LU 4.2: Promote balanced development to improve the community’s ability to support and fund facilities and services. Goal LU 7 Recognize that the Ukiah Valley is one community, and foster collaborative decision-making between County and City Agencies. Policy LU 7.1: Collaborate with the City of Ukiah to fund programs and evaluate planning issues in the Valley. LU 7.1a: Tax-Sharing Agreements: Continue to collaborate with the City of Ukiah to create and implement a tax-sharing agreement that will help fund services in both the County and the City. LU7.1b: Sphere of Influence: Work with the City of Ukiah to revise the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI), and continue to collaborate on planning decisions that regulate land in the SOI. LU7.1c: Comprehensive Planning Team: Investigate the feasibility of forming a Valley-wide planning team with staff from the City and the County to jointly oversee planning in both jurisdictions. Section 8: Health and Safety GOAL HS1 Consider natural and human-made hazards when planning development and minimize potential conflicts. Policy HS1.3: Maintain land use and building regulations that promote fire safety. HS1.3.a Valley-Wide Fire Safety Standards Assess the need for Valley-wide fire safety standards to address: Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-24 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD • Funding • Site development • Flammable vegetation clearance around structures • Road access • Hillside and terrain challenges; and • Water supply Prepare comprehensive standards if warranted. HS1.3b Fire Hazard Areas Do not approve subdivision of existing parcels in areas designated by CAL FIRE as having “high” or “very high” fire hazard rating unless the responsible fire protection agency determines in writing that adequate access, evacuation routes, emergency response, and fireflow are available, and that the project complies with the most current State requirements for development in wildlands. HS1.3c Wildfire Protection Plan Implement the recommendations of the Wildfire Protection Plan when approving new development. Support the proposed signage and address project included in that plan and support maintenance of improvements constructed as part of the Westside Vegetation Management Plan. Policy HS1.4: Maintain an interagency comprehensive disaster preparedness program HS1.4.a Disaster Preparedness Plans Collaborate with the Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services to incorporate plans for fire, flood and seismic disasters into the County’s emergency response planning and the Operational Area Emergency Plan. HS1.4b Emergency Response Team Assemble a Valley-wide emergency response team. HS1.4c Neighborhood Emergency Services Team (NEST) Encourage formation of strong Neighborhood Emergency Services Teams. Develop tools to support neighborhood teams, such as: • Resource materials to describe neighborhood-based strategies in dealing with emergencies; • Outreach materials to recruit volunteers and raise neighborhood awareness of NEST; • Training programs to build knowledgeable neighborhood leaders; and • Organizational assistance in creating a database of neighborhood information; identifying neighborhood shelters, and locating critical equipment and supplies. HS1.4d Public Service Master Plans To ensure that the County maintains an adequate number of public safety workers, including emergency service providers, individual departments should update their public service master plans in conformance with the amount and type of development specified in this area plan. (Mendocino, 2011) As shown in these policies, there is a strong desire on the part of the community for strong collaboration between the City and County in land use planning and government operations in the Ukiah Valley, both for community continuity and cost sharing purposes. These policies also promote development in already- impacted areas such as the main transportation corridors as well as a mix of uses with strong supporting infrastructure for those uses. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-25 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Additionally, the Area Plan policies show a strong community desire to maintain adequate fire protection service levels, discourage development in fire-prone areas, and encourage community involvement with emergency planning and response. 2.5.1.1 Land Use The Ukiah Valley contains the unincorporated communities of Calpella, The Forks, Talmage, as well as the City of Ukiah. Existing land uses include residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses. The following land use classifications established in the County General Plan also apply without modification to lands in the Ukiah Valley Area Plan: o SR - Suburban Residential (all densities) o RC Rural Community o RR - Rural Residential (all densities) o RMR - Remote Residential (all densities) o C - Commercial o AG - Agricultural o RL - Range Lands o I -Industrial o PS - Public Services o PL - Public Lands o OS - Open Space o MU - Mixed Use MUNS – Mixed Use North State Street o MUBST – Mixed Use Brush Street Triangle o MU-2 – Mixed Use General See Figure 2.5 for the County’s land use map of the Ukiah Valley. The UVAP goals and policies direct that higher density residential uses be located within the City of Ukiah’s sphere of influence, areas designated Rural Communities, and within the City itself, in order to concentrate development in areas with adequate services and access and limit impacts to resource lands. Development potential can be maximized through comprehensive and coordinated planning of areas which are currently undeveloped or underdeveloped. Mendocino County has identified housing, mixed-use development, and agriculture as especially important to the area. The UVAP supports affordable worker housing by designating more properties for mixed uses and allowing for higher density development in more locations and configurations, with much of the density around community areas and the City of Ukiah for multiple family and mixed uses. The UVAP also provides for mixed use development patterns to allow greater efficiency and economy in providing public services, conserves agriculture and resource lands, preserves the rural character desired by many of the County’s residents, and adds more affordable housing. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-26 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD The UVAP also protects agriculture, which is a major part of Mendocino County’s economy. Many types of agriculture exist in the Ukiah Valley, including vineyards, orchards, forage crops, specialty crops, and livestock. Farms are both full time and part time operations. Agricultural production in some areas is threatened both by pressures of urban development and by creation of small residential lots in the midst of agricultural lands. (Mendocino, 2011) Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-27 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Figure 2.5 Ukiah Valley Area Plan Land Use Map Source: Mendocino, 2011. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-28 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 2.5.1.2 Development Existing development in Ukiah Valley consists of a mix of uses, including agricultural, residential, commercial, and light industrial. Within the UVFD boundaries are historic downtown buildings, county governmental buildings including a county courthouse and jail, Mendocino Community College, Dharma Realm Buddhist University, a local hospital, lower half of Lake Mendocino including the Coyote Dam, industrial and commercial complexes, expansive wildland urban interface areas, hotels, multi-family residential complexes, multiple mobile home parks, Ukiah Municipal Airport, US 101 and State Route 253. Water availability has long been an issue in the Ukiah Valley and is a likely constraint to future development in the Valley, complicated by legal, environmental, political and socioeconomic issues. Challenges include decreased water diversion, as well as difficulties and lengthy time inherent in developing new supplies in the face of increasing demand. Various “unknowns” related to water supply make planning for future growth and development a difficult task. There are areas within the UVAP planning area that are served by public water providers which are under a moratorium. Non-environmental constraints to development include a limited amount of developable land and regulatory requirements mandated by state government. While neither factor prevents development, it does increase time and cost of land use projects. (Mendocino, 2011) 2.5.2 EXISTING POPULATION AND PROJECTED GROWTH The UVFD boundaries include three census tracts whose population in the 2020 census is estimated at 14,077. This number excludes Calpella, which is not in the UVFD and has a population of 682. Table 2.8 shows the population estimates of the three census tracts in comparison to the population of the City of Ukiah and Mendocino County. The table indicates the population of the UVFD is comparable to the City of Ukiah. Table 2.8 Ukiah Valley Fire District Population Estimates Area 2019 Population Estimates Census Tract 109 4,989 Census Tract 113 5,673 Census Tract 117 4,097 Less Calpella (682) Estimated District Total 14,077 City of Ukiah 15,943 Mendocino County 86,749 Sources: USCB, 2019d; USCB, 2019a; USCB, 2019c; USCB, 2020; California Department of Finance, 2021. According to the 2020 Census total population data, there was a minor difference from the figures in the above table based on the 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year population projections as follows: Census Track 109 had a total of 4,983 (difference of 6 people), Census Track 113 had a total of 6,010 (difference of 337 people), and Track 117 had a total of 4,236 (difference of 139 people). (UVFD, 2021b) It should be noted these figures are not exact as they are based on Census tracts rather than actual District boundaries. In its recent Plan for Services application to annex the City of Ukiah into its sphere, the District has indicated that, when considered in consolidation with the Fire Authority, it serves a population of Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-29 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD approximately 33,000, with approximately 16,000 within City limits and 17,000 in the unincorporated area. (UVFD, 2021) For the purposes of consistency and accuracy, this population number has been used throughout this MSR. Population growth is expected to increase at an annual rate of approximately 0.5% for Mendocino County (Caltrans, 2017). Population growth rate estimates vary depending on the source. Based on US Census Bureau population projections, Mendocino County will grow by 1,255 people in the next five years, as shown in the table below. Table 2.9 Mendocino County Population Projections Area 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 Mendocino County 87,491 88,746 89,232 89,106 88,205 86,956 Source: USCB, 2019e. Assuming a District service population of approximately 17,000 per UVFD’s recent application for annexation, based on this growth rate the District can expect a population increase of about 363 people within the next five years. However, according to this data, after the year 2033, the population will begin decreasing at a slow rate of approximately 0.007% per year. (USCB, 2019e) 2.6 DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES Senate Bill (SB) 244, which became effective in January 2012, requires LAFCo to evaluate any Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities (DUCs), including the location and characteristics of any such communities, when preparing an MSR that addresses agencies that provide water, wastewater, or structural fire protection services. A DUC is an unincorporated geographic area with 12 or more registered voters with a median household income (MHI) that is less than 80% of the State MHI of $75,235, or $60,188 (USCB, 2020). This State legislation is intended to ensure that the needs of these communities are met when considering service extensions and/or annexations in unincorporated areas. As previously noted, the UVFD includes three Census tracts. The MHIs for these three tracts are $57,344 (Tract 109), $46,234 (Tract 113), and $70,536 (Tract 117). Tracts 109 and 113 qualify as DUCs individually, and the average of these three tracts is $58,038, which is below 80% of the State MHI of $60,188. The City of Ukiah has an MHI of $49,889, which is also less than 80% of the State MHI, but the City does not qualify as a DUC because it is an incorporated area. (USCB, 2019b; USCB, 2021) Special consideration will be given to any DUCs affected by future annexation proposals consistent with GC §56375(8)(A) and LAFCo Policy. The District does not provide water or wastewater services and is therefore not responsible for ensuring that these services are adequately provided to the community. Chapter 2 – Agency Overview Page 2-30 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 3 MUNICIPAL SERVICES A Municipal Service Review (MSR) is a comprehensive analysis of the services provided by a local government agency to evaluate the capabilities of that agency to meet the public service needs of their current and future service area. The MSR determinations inform the SOI Update process and assist LAFCo in considering the appropriateness of a public service provider’s existing and future service area boundary. The information and analysis presented in Chapters 2 and 3 of this document form the basis for the MSR determinations provided under Section 3.3. 3.1 FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES This section provides information regarding the municipal services provided by the Ukiah Valley Fire District (UVFD) and the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority (UVFA) under a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) for the joint provision of fire protection services in the Ukiah Valley area. This is the second MSR prepared for the District; the first one was adopted by the Commission on May 6, 2013. 3.1.1 SERVICE OVERVIEW 3.1.1.1 Services The Ukiah Valley Fire District provides fire protection, suppression and prevention services, emergency medical services, and other emergency related first-responder services as detailed in Section 2.1.3. The District does not have its own hazardous materials response team. Mendocino County’s Redwood Empire Hazardous Incident Team (REHIT) is responsible for HAZMAT incidents including direct management and control of the event. All Firefighters of the Fire Authority are trained to the Hazardous Materials First Responder - Operations level at minimum (UVFD, 2021b). The Fire Authority enforces a weed abatement program within the District and City boundaries. 3.1.1.2 Customers The District serves approximately 17,000 people in the District boundary and the Fire Authority serves approximately 30,000 people in the District and City boundaries. There are also large influxes of visitors to the Ukiah Valley area during the summer and special events such as Concerts in the Park and Pumpkinfest (UVFD, 2021b). 3.1.1.3 Out-of-Agency Services The District does not maintain contracts with individual property owners to provide services outside its boundary. However, under the JPA, the Fire Authority responds to service calls both within the District and the City boundaries. The District does not provide any other out-of-agency services (OAS), except for mutual aid responses and dispatched service calls as necessary for public health and safety. 3.1.1.4 Wildfire Danger The steep terrain on either side of the Ukiah Valley is considered a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). This area consists of manzanita and scrub vegetation with a high oil and fuel content that burns quickly and with extreme heat, is very susceptible to wildland fires, and can be difficult for emergency response vehicles and firefighters to access due its remoteness. A wildfire in the adjacent hills of the Ukiah Valley Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-1 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD pose a threat to life and property for residents located in the hills and endanger the more populated areas along the base of the slopes and the densely populated valley floor. The City of Ukiah has adopted Hillside Development Regulations for the areas of high fire hazard in the hill areas on the west side of the City. These regulations require substantive fire protection features for new development in the western hills portion of the City, such as fire suppression water storage, safe access routes, fire-resistant construction and the creation of a 100-foot defensible space around residences. The Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services is responsible for planning and coordinating disaster response Countywide. Multiple jurisdictions have regulatory authority for fire prevention and planning, including Mendocino County, which imposes the State Fire Safe Regulations. These regulations require minimum standards for emergency vehicle access, dead-end road length, road slope and width, clearance of flammable vegetation around structures and ingress/egress routes, water storage and compatible fire agency connection, and identification signs. In addition, the County enforces the Uniform Fire Codes. The UVFD can also enact its own local ordinance or development requirements and currently performs site inspections and plan reviews for County development projects. (Mendocino, 2011) 3.1.2 SERVICE ADEQUACY 3.1.2.1 JPA Service Delivery Model The Fire Authority is currently staffed by 19 paid firefighters, one Administrative Secretary, and 15 dedicated volunteer firefighters that augment the career personnel, including a Volunteer Division Chief. (UVFD, 2021) The Fire Authority operates from four fire stations, of which two are staffed with career personnel. These two stations have a Type I (Structural) engine owned by the City, a Type II/III (Wildland Interface) engine owned by the District, and an ambulance owned by the City. The District volunteer firefighters work primarily out of the City-owned Central Fire Station, which also houses a mixture of City and District owned apparatus. (UVFD, 2021) The minimum daily on-duty staffing level is five full-time firefighters covering two stations, consisting of two two-person crews cross staffing Type I (Structural) and Type II/III (Wildland Interface) Engines and a Battalion Chief. Each of the two staffed stations are assigned a utility vehicle and each of the four Chief Officers are assigned a staff/command vehicle. (Ukiah, 2021k) Starting in Fiscal Year 2021-22, the staffing level will be increased to two three-person crews with the increase of three positions. Ambulance services in the District and City are primarily provided by MedStar of Mendocino County acts, Fire Authority crews staff ambulances and transport patients as a secondary provider. (Ukiah, 2020; UVFD, 2021; UVFD, 2021b) The Fire Authority refers to its current staffing as “Engine Couples” rather than as Engine Companies. The task organization of a Fire Engine Company typically calls for a Captain, an Engineer, and a Firefighter. Current personnel constraints very often preclude forming an Engine Company, and instead often result in two firefighters on an Engine. This personnel restriction further exacerbates the concurrent call situation because the Fire District often has to send both Engine Companies (as “Engine Couples”) to a single incident to have sufficient firefighters on the scene. For example, a fire that requires three Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-2 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD firefighters may result in two Engine Companies responding, with no remaining firefighters available to respond to a concurrent call. (UVFD, 2021) 3.1.2.2 Staffing The following table provides information regarding the current staff resources dedicated to providing fire protection and emergency medical services to the District and the City under the Fire Authority. Table 3.1 Fire Authority Staffing Title Career* Paid On-Call Volunteer* Fire Chief 1 Battalion Chief 2 Captain 6 Engineer 6 Firefighter 3 15 Adm. Secretary 1 *There are 5 EMTs and 11 Paramedics that operates at an EMT level. Source: (UVFD, 2021; UVFD, 2021b). The District reports that the current paid staffing level is not adequate to deliver services. Based on the International City Manager’s Association’s recommendation of 0.98 firefighters per 1,000 residents, the Fire District should have at least 33 firefighters. The National Fire Protection Association Code and Standard 1720 calls for a minimum of 15 firefighters to respond to a residential structure fire in an urban area (defined as an area with more than 1,000 people per square mile). With current personnel resources, the Fire District rarely achieves half that. (UVFD, 2021). Given that the population amount is expected to increase by approximately 363 residents in the service area in the next five years, one additional part-time position would be needed in addition to the 14 that are also needed to meet the City Manager’s Association. 3.1.2.3 Volunteers The Fire Authority is an All-Risk combination fire department, consisting of paid career firefighters as well as volunteer firefighters. Volunteer firefighters have been provided with the necessary safety equipment and basic training, including mandatory weekly training. Volunteers are eligible to augment daily staffing levels as well as receive additional training, and they receive a stipend semiannually based upon their attendance at training and their response to emergency incidents. Volunteer personnel are trained in Emergency Medical Services, fire suppression, technical rescue, hazardous materials release response, the Incident Command System, wildland firefighting, and the operation of fire engines and aerial apparatus. The volunteer workforce creates a source of individuals who can also compete for and obtain permanent full-time career positions. (Ukiah, 2021j) Volunteer firefighters have a bi-weekly regular training schedule on alternating Thursday nights and Saturday mornings. Volunteer firefighters are encouraged to attend 100% of all mandatory trainings per year. Volunteer firefighters are trained to a Firefighter 1 level and must meet first responder level under Title 22 requirements. Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-3 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD The maximum number of volunteers that the District can support is 25 regular members. Currently, the District has 15 volunteer firefighters and 0 auxiliary members. The District reports that there are not sufficient volunteers available to supplement paid staff for all shifts throughout the 24/7 operation. The District is always recruiting for new volunteer firefighters because their volunteer force is aging, declining in number, and becoming less available during daytime hours. (UVFD, 2021b) 3.1.2.4 Service Calls The following table provides a summary of the total number and types of service calls by location the Fire Authority responded to over the last two years. Table 3.2 Fire Authority Summary of Service Calls Service Call Type 2020 2021 YTD District City District City Fires 92 129 62 68 Overpressure rupture, explosion, overheat - no fire 3 1 2 1 Rescue & Emergency Medical Service 666 1287 414 826 Hazardous Condition (No Fire) 27 55 13 28 Service Call 123 299 79 163 Good Intent Call 305 631 154 373 False Alarm & False Call 34 103 39 68 Severe Weather & Natural Disaster 2 1 2 7 Special Incident Type 2 1 Subtotal 1254 2507 765 1534 Grand Total 3,761 2,299 Source: (UVFD, 2021b). The Fire Authority responds to over 3,700 calls per year, varying from structure fires to public assistance. The majority of service calls are related to emergency medical responses, at approximately 70%. The Fire Authority can struggle at times to successfully manage multiple service calls simultaneously and for all shifts throughout the 24/7 operation. In 2020, the Fire Authority had an overall overlapping call rate of 35.5%, and is running at 33% so far in 2021. These overlaps can last seconds to hours depending on the type of incident(s) occurring. With only two-staffed units, anything more than two simultaneous incidents, or a single multi-unit response, effectively limits any further response from the Fire Authority until volunteers arrive, unless volunteers are already included in the multi-unit response, or until adjacent service providers are dispatched for additional service calls. (UVFD, 2021b) 3.1.2.5 Response Times Response time relates to the time elapsed between the dispatch of personnel and the arrival of the first responder on the scene of an incident. There are different response time expectations and first responder capabilities in serving urban, suburban, and rural areas. In general, the faster the response time the higher the likelihood of a positive outcome related to managing and addressing the incident. A fast response time for medical care is especially important for incidents involving patients who are suffering from a life- threatening condition. Further, a fast response time for fire suppression is important to prevent a structure fire from rapidly spreading to other structures and/or wildland interface areas. Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-4 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD While there are no established response times for fire agencies in Mendocino County, there are standards for ambulance contract providers which provides an indication of what is considered appropriate response times for medical emergencies. Emergency response time standards vary by the level of urbanization of an area; the more urban an area, the faster a response should be. The Coastal Valleys EMS Agency has established recommended guidelines for response times which apply to ambulance contract providers Mendocino County. For 90% of emergency responses, response times for first responders should not exceed 5-minutes in metropolitan to urban areas, 15-minutes in suburban to rural areas, and 30-minutes for wilderness areas (CVEMSA, 2012). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has also established industry standards for response time performance based on the service structure of the agency: NFPA 1710 for agencies with paid staff and NFPA 1720 for agencies with volunteer staff. NFPA 1720 recommends the following response times: 9- minutes in urban areas 90% of the time, 10-minutes in suburban areas 80% of the time, 14-minutes in rural areas 80% of the time, and in remote areas response time is directly dependent on travel distance (NFPA, 2010). The Fire Authority would fall under the NFPA 1720 category due to its mixed professional and volunteer staff composition. The Fire Authority’s average response time varies throughout the Ukiah Valley based on the call location. For purposes of tracking call locations and response times, the Fire Authority is divided into six (6) zones. Average response times for the 6 zones in calendar year 2020 were as follows: District NW- 7:50, District NE- 8:41, District SW- 8:58, District SE- 10:39, City North- 5:48, and City South- 5:52. (UVFD, 2021b) The Fire Authority operates such that volunteers are not paged for medical emergencies until both paid units are already committed. However, if volunteers happen to be monitoring the radio they may respond directly to the scene if they would have to pass the incident on the way to the Central Fire Station. (UVFD, 2021b) 3.1.2.6 ISO Rating Fire services in communities are classified by the Insurance Service Office (ISO), which is an advisory organization depended on by insurance companies for establishing the availability and costs for fire insurance. The ISO rating classifies fire service in communities with a ranking from 1 to 10, indicating the general adequacy of coverage. Communities with the best fire protection facilities, systems for water distribution, fire alarms, communications, equipment, and personnel receive a rating of 1. Primary factors assessed in establishing ISO ratings are maintaining more than one fire station within a district boundary to meet the 5-mile radius requirements, ensuring appropriate facility maintenance and upgrades are made, and sufficient personnel and volunteers exist to respond to each station. The District has an ISO rating of 4/4X on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest. The City of Ukiah has an ISO rating of 3. (UVFD, 2021b) While wildfires are a natural occurrence in California, the effects of prolonged drought, high tree mortality rates from bark beetles and other infestations, high fuel loads and ladder fuels in wildland areas, record high temperatures, and longer fire seasons are resulting in increasingly extreme and destructive wildfires. There is a growing trend of insurance companies issuing non-renewal notices for existing homeowner’s insurance policies due to high wildfire risk. Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-5 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD The insurability of property has historically been closely tied to the ISO rating classification system. With the changing landscape of wildfires in California, some insurance companies are moving away from ISO rating altogether and some are also relying on information regarding the level of fire severity established by CAL FIRE. With more sophisticated fire behavior modeling available, CAL FIRE is anticipated to update the 2007 Fire Hazard Severity Zones mapping, which could potentially result in property being re-classified into a higher fire severity zone and becoming less insurable. As a last resort, the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan is a fire insurance pool comprised of all California licensed insurers to provide insurance for property owners that are not able to obtain basic coverage in the voluntary insurance market. There may be properties within the District boundary that have received notice of non-renewal, but the District has not received reports of property owners unable to find coverage from other insurance providers. (UVFD, 2021b) 3.1.3 FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE The Fire Authority operates and maintains multiple capital assets including land, buildings, equipment, and infrastructure owned and funded by the District and the City. 3.1.3.1 Facilities The District owns three fire stations and the Fire Authority primarily operates from two of these stations. o The South Fire Station is located at 1500 South State Street and is the Main Station. The South Station was once a CHP administrative office and was not intended to house staff. The Fire Authority currently houses its administrative staff, including three Division Chiefs, one Fire Chief and one Administrative Secretary, as well as two suppression members at this station. The South Station is in need of significant remodel to bring it up to modern, livable standards, since it was never intended to be used to house suppression staff. o The North Fire Station is located at 141 Lovers Lane. The North Station was once a general contractor’s business location and residence. The typical on-duty staff of two live in a relatively comfortable doublewide modular home, which adequately houses them, and may be able to accommodate two additional members if the need should arise. The apparatus bay at this location is an uninsulated building housing the duty office, one ladder truck, and one engine. The property is not paved and is in need of paving around the entire site. The dust generated at this site is problematic for the microswitches and electronics on the apparatus as well as the storage of safety gear and structural turnout. o The Talmage Volunteer Fire Station is located at 1301 Talmage Road, at the intersection of Talmage Road and Sanford Ranch Road. The Talmage station only houses antiques and additional equipment. It is not adequate to house staff without significant improvements and upgrades, including upgrades for ADA compliance. It has a small office space but no kitchen, living room, or sleeping quarters. (UVFD, 2018b; UVFD, 2021; UVFD, 2021b) 3.1.3.2 Equipment The District owns, operates, and maintains multiple fire engines, emergency response vehicles, and other capital assets. The following table shows the current schedule of vehicles for the Fire Authority. Table 3. 3 Ukiah Valley Fire Authority 2021 Schedule of Vehicles Unit # Year Vehicle Type Owner Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-6 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 6881 2018 Type I Engine City 6882 2007 Type I Engine District 6883 2018 Type I Engine City 6861 2014 Type II Engine District 6862 2019 Type IV Engine City 6863 2015 Type II Engine District 6872 1980 Type III Engine District 6852 2009 75 ft. Aerial/Quint City 6892 2005 2000 gal. Water Tender District 6856 2002 Support Unit District 6821 2014 Type 3 Ambulance City 6823 2000 Type 3 Ambulance City 6800 2019 Utility Pickup City 6802 2007 Utility Pickup City 6804 2008 Utility Pickup District 6806 2019 Utility Pickup District 6807 2006 Utility Pickup City 6841 1999 Utility City (UVFD, 2021b) Reserve and volunteer assigned apparatus includes a Type I Ladder Truck (Quint), Type I (Structural) Engine, Type V (Wildland) Engine, Type I Water Tender, Breathing Air Support Unit, Breathing Air and Light Trailer, USAR Trailer and Rescue Boat. The Fire Authority is also the host agency for the Redwood Empire Hazardous Incident Team Hazmat Unit and the Mendocino County Fire Chiefs Association’s Fire Safety Trailer. (Ukiah, 2021k) The District reports that the current fire protection fleet is adequate to deliver services, provided that the Fire Authority Fleet Replacement Plan continues to be implemented and updated regularly to reflect the actual condition of vehicles and to address unanticipated needs. (UVFD, 2021b) Routine maintenance of equipment and facilities is generally performed based upon the manufacturer’s recommended schedule, industry best practices, and actual need, and is funded through the annual budget development process. 3.1.3.3 Water Supply Available water supply for fire suppression varies based on location in the District and includes such resources as hydrants from small water districts, on-site residential water storage tanks, various water tenders, on-board tanks on fire engines, and other water supplies available for drafting such as ponds, Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-7 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD rivers, and streams. In some cases, property located within the District near the City limits may have use of City fire hydrants in an emergency. In the City of Ukiah, water for fire suppression is available from the City’s public water system via fire hydrants located throughout the City limits. The City’s water distribution system provides adequate water pressure for fire flow and is not subject to unreliability issues from different pressure zones. 3.1.3.4 Needs and Deficiencies The District and the City work together to plan and fund capital improvements through a 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan (Refer to Section 2.4.2.3 for more information). Through the Fire Authority, the District and City prepare a Fleet Replacement Plan to address equipment needs. The Fire Authority does not currently have a Facilities Replacement Plan, which would require studies to determine the best locations based on various factors, such as, current and projected population growth, call volumes, response times. While funding capital needs and maintenance costs are generally addressed at the individual agency level, conducting joint comprehensive planning activities for capital needs and priorities is important since deficiencies in facilities, equipment, and infrastructure can translate to a diminished level of the shared delivery of services. It is recommended that the Fire Authority develop a long-range comprehensive Service Enhancement Plan that prioritizes fire and emergency response service enhancement projects related to such goals as increasing staffing levels, equipment replacement and major maintenance, facility upgrades and improvement needs including water storage, tactical and specialized training, expanded fire prevention programs, and technological advancements (drones, in-helmet thermal imaging cameras, etc.) and identifies options for generating additional revenue and an anticipated implementation schedule for priority projects. Below are needs and deficiencies identified by the District to date: o District fire station deficiencies include providing adequate sleeping quarters for personnel, ADA compliance, seismic retrofits, and emergency generators for power during outages. (UVFD, 2018b) o The District has indicated that their staffing was currently impacted by the freezing of an open Firefighter position, which has caused one shift to always run at minimum staffing levels. (Ukiah, 2021h) o The District is also impacted by a major reduction in Learning and Development funding due to significant staff turnover and the high cost of external training sources. The District intends to send some of their own staff members in the instructor cadre to classes and conferences so that they can in turn provide in-house training. (Ukiah, 2021h) 3.2 DETERMINATIONS This section presents the required MSR determinations pursuant to California Government Code §56430(a) for the Ukiah Valley Fire District. 3.2.1 MSR REVIEW FACTORS 3.2.1.1 Growth Growth and population projections for the affected area Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-8 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 1. The Ukiah Valley Fire District is estimated to serve a population of approximately 17,000 residents, within an 80 square-mile area. In conjunction with the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, the District also serves an additional 16,000 residents in the City of Ukiah. 2. Population growth is expected to increase at an annual rate of approximately 0.5% for Mendocino County. Based on this growth rate, the District can expect a small population increase of 363 people within the next five years. 3. Mendocino County has land use authority over privately owned lands within the unincorporated portions of the District boundary and makes land use decisions based on the County’s General Plan and Zoning Regulations as well as the Ukiah Valley Area Plan. The City of Ukiah has land use authority over privately owned lands within the incorporated portion of the District boundary and makes land use decisions based on the City’s General Plan and Zoning Regulations. 3.2.1.2 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence 4. UVFD includes three Census tracts, two of which qualify as DUCs with MHIs of $57,344 (Tract 109) and $46,234 (Tract 113). The City of Ukiah has an MHI that is less than 80% of the State MHI, but the City does not qualify as a DUC because it is an incorporated area. Special consideration will be given to any DUCs affected by future annexation proposals consistent with GC §56375(8)(A) and LAFCo Policy. The District does not provide water or wastewater services and is therefore not responsible for ensuring that these services are adequately provided to the community. 3.2.1.3 Capacity of Facilities and Adequacy of Services Present and planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services, and infrastructure needs or deficiencies including needs or deficiencies related to sewers, municipal and industrial water, and structural fire protection in any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence 5. The District provides structural fire protection, suppression, and prevention, first responder for emergency medical services and hazardous materials incidents, and rescue/extrication to approximately 17,000 people within the District boundaries, as well as approximately 16,000 people in the City of Ukiah under the terms of the existing Fire Authority JPA. 6. The District also has mutual aid agreements with surrounding fire agencies for fire protection and emergency medical services, including Hopland Fire Protection District, Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire District, Potter Valley Community Services District, and an automatic aid agreement with CAL FIRE. 7. The Fire District owns three stations and operates primarily from two. Each station has a Type I (Structural) engine owned by the City, a Type II/III (Wildland Interface) engine owned by the District, and an ambulance owned by the City. The District’s volunteer firefighters work primarily out of the City-owned Central Fire Station, which also houses a mixture of City and District-owned apparatus. 8. The District’s capital facilities at their three owned fire stations are in need of repair and improvement, including providing adequate sleeping quarters for personnel, ADA compliance, seismic retrofits, and emergency generators for power during outages. 9. The Fire Authority is authorized for 19 full-time firefighters, not counting an administrative assistant. These positions include one (1) Fire Chief, three (3) Battalion Chiefs, six (6) Captains, six (6) Engineers, and three (3) Firefighters. The Fire District employs no full-time firefighters and has 15 volunteer Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-9 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD firefighters. All full-time staff are employees of the City, and reflect the authorized positions, except that one Battalion Chief and three Firefighter positions are not currently staffed. Daily, on-duty staffing is five (5) full-time firefighters covering two stations. 10. Based on the International City Manager’s Association’s recommendation of 0.98 firefighters per 1,000 residents, the Fire District should have at least 33 firefighters. The District therefore needs 14 additional positions to meet current demand. The current staffing level is inadequate to deliver services as the District is often left understaffed or minimally staffed for fire events. 11. In 2020 there were 3,761 calls for service in the UVFA, with 2,507 within City limits and 1,254 in the Fire District. The Fire Authority is divided into six (6) zones with the following average response times in 2020: District NW- 7:50, District NE- 8:41, District SW- 8:58, District SE- 10:39, City North- 5:48, and City South- 5:52. The Fire District has an Insurance Services Office rating of 4/4X on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest. 12. Available water supply for fire suppression varies based on location in the District and includes such resources as hydrants from small water districts, on-site residential water storage tanks, various water tenders, on-board tanks on fire engines, and other water supplies available for drafting such as ponds, rivers, and streams. 3.2.1.4 Financial Ability of Agency Financial ability of agencies to provide services 13. The District prepares an annual budget and has annual financial audits prepared by a qualified Certified Public Accountant through the City of Ukiah. The District shall provide LAFCo a complete copy of all future financial audit reports (starting with Fiscal Year 2020-21) prepared by a Certified Public Accountant within 12 months of the end of the fiscal year or years under examination consistent with the timeframes established by Government Code Section 26909(a)(2)(b)(ii) as amended by SB 448. Audits should also be posted on the District’s webpage for public access. 14. According to financial information from Fiscal Years 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, the District generally operates at a net loss and cannot sufficiently cover operating costs or maintain a reserve balance to protect against unexpected costs. This indicates that under the current level of service delivery, the District is unable to meet its ongoing financial obligations. However, with the proposed annexation of the Ukiah City limits for fire services, this net loss is expected to transition to a net income and rebuild reserves. 15. As of June 30, 2017, the District’s cash and cash equivalents balance was $304,549 for governmental activities. 16. The District does not currently maintain reserve accounts, but does have restricted funds from District Mitigation Fees. The District would benefit from a Capital Reserve account, Equipment or Capital Replacement Reserve account, a Contingency reserve, and a Debt Services reserve. 17. Under the Fire Authority, the District and City work together to prioritize and budget for long-term capital needs in addition to on-going operations and maintenance costs. The Fire Authority prepares a combined 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan which is adopted with the City’s annual budget process.. 3.2.1.5 Shared Services and Facilities Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities 18. The District participates in a Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Ukiah, and formed the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority (UVFA) in 2017. The District provides service to the City of Ukiah through the Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-10 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD UVFA, and the City provides financial and general services to UVFD including accounts payable, procurement, billing and accounts receivable, general accounting and reporting, budget development and monitoring, and other general services such as human resources and city clerk services. All full- time staff are employees of the City. 19. The District actively participates in Redwood Empire Hazardous Incident Team. 20. The District is a County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) participant. 21. The District collaborates with other public agencies by providing fire protection and emergency medical services through the countywide dispatch service call system and mutual aid agreements. 22. The District has an automatic aid agreement with CAL FIRE. 23. The District works with CAL FIRE in implementing vegetation fuel management grants to reduce vegetative fire hazards in and around the District, such as when the District as part of the UVFA cooperated with CAL FIRE on the Western Hills Fuel Break. 24. The District is working with CAL FIRE to renegotiate the dispatch contract while maintaining cost effectiveness. 3.2.1.6 Accountability, Structure, and Operational Efficiencies Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and operational efficiencies 25. The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors elected at-large to serve staggered 4- year terms. The Board is currently fully seated and generally does not have difficulty filling seats. Two of the Board members have served the District for multiple consecutive terms which can be a significant benefit in establishing long-standing positive working relationships in the community, understanding the history and unique aspects of the organization, and maintaining institutional knowledge. 26. Regularly scheduled Board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Willow Water District Board Room located at 151 Laws Avenue in Ukiah. All meetings are open to the public and are publicly posted a minimum of 72 hours prior to the meeting in accordance with the Brown Act. 27. Public meeting information including agendas, staff reports, and approved meeting minutes were previously posted on the District’s website, but the postings are only current through 2019. It is recommended that recorded meetings and public meeting information be posted on the District’s website promptly to ensure public transparency, accountability, and accessibility. 28. The District Board of Directors conducts business and takes action by approving motions and adopting resolutions and ordinances by a majority vote of a sufficient quorum. The District complies with local government ethics laws and regulations and operates with accountability and transparency. 29. The City of Ukiah maintains a website at https://www.cityofukiah.com/uvfd/ that provides information regarding the District, the UFVA, volunteering, permits and fees, and fire prevention information. The City’s website has well organized information but is currently out of date. The website would be enhanced by updating the information to meet all the special district transparency requirements of State law including the availability of agendas, policies, financial information. In addition, the District’s website would be improved by incorporating a content management system, such as DocuShare, to provide a searchable and chronologically organized document archive system for Board meeting packets and adopted ordinances, resolutions, annual budgets, financial audit reports, and other digital records. Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-11 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 30. The UVFA maintains a Facebook page. Social media posts are a useful tool to provide instant and easy outreach to the public. The District would benefit from diversifying social media platforms for best outreach potential, such as presence on Twitter, Nextdoor, and other similar platforms. 31. The public can submit written or provide verbal comments or complaints in person or by phone at the District office during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or at the District Board of Directors meetings during the general public comment period. 32. The District is currently proposing to annex the Ukiah City limits for fire services to equalize the tax structure and government representation model for all District and City residents and lead to an improved level of service for everyone in the Fire Authority service area. 33. The functional consolidation of District and City fire services under the Fire Authority has resulted in better staffing and performance levels for the Ukiah Valley area. There are no new opportunities for the District to achieve organizational or operational efficiencies identified during the preparation of this MSR. 34. The Ukiah Valley Fire District is required to report back to the Commission in two years related to District finances and governance and the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority JPA. 3.2.1.7 Other Service Delivery Matters Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by commission policy 35. There are no other matters related to service delivery required by Mendocino LAFCo Policy. Chapter 3 – Municipal Services Page 3-12 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 4 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE LAFCo prepares a Municipal Service Review (MSR) prior to or in conjunction with the Sphere of Influence (SOI) Update process. An SOI Update considers whether a change to the SOI, or probable future boundary, of a local government agency is warranted to plan the logical and orderly development of that agency in a manner that supports CKH Law and the Policies of the Commission. The MSR and required determinations are presented in Chapters 2 and 3 of this document and form the basis of information and analysis for this SOI Update. This chapter presents the SOI Update and required determinations pursuant to California Government Code §56425(e). 4.1 SOI UPDATE 4.1.1 EXISTING SPHERE OF INFLUENCE The Sphere of Influence (SOI) for the UVFD is coterminous (identical to) with the District boundary and was established by LAFCo in 1984. There have been no changes to the District SOI since then. 4.1.2 STUDY AREAS 4.1.2.1 City of Ukiah The District is proposing to annex the Ukiah City limits for fire services. (Refer to Section 2.1.2.2 for more information.) 4.1.2.2 Western Hills Annexation The City of Ukiah is in the environmental review process for a proposal to acquire and annex approximately 695-acres of land within unincorporated Mendocino County into the Ukiah City limits. The project scope includes a Lot Line Adjustments to reconfigure the existing parcels into seven lots for future potential development, and a Development Agreement allowing for development of seven single-family dwelling units and potentially associated accessory-dwelling dwelling units on a 55-acre portion of the parcels proposed for annexation with the balance of 639-acres preserved as open space and a resource conservation area. 4.1.2.3 Two Unincorporated Island Areas There are two unincorporated island areas within the District boundary. These areas are surrounded by the District but are not located within the jurisdictional boundary of the District. One area is located in the northern portion of the District between Hensley Creek Road and Pinoleville Drive encompassing the Pinoleville Pomo Nation and the other area is located in the southern portion of the District encompassing Rivino Estate Vineyards & Winery and a stretch of US 101 between exit 545 and the end of Burke Hill Road. 4.1.3 AREA OF INTEREST DESIGNATION LAFCo’s Area of Interest Policy, per Section 10.1.12, provides for the designation or identification of unincorporated areas located near to, but outside the jurisdictional boundary and established SOI of a city or district, in which land use decisions or other governmental actions of another local agency directly or indirectly impact the subject local agency. An Area of Interest (AOI) designation serves as a compromise approach that recognizes situations involving challenging boundary or municipal service delivery considerations, or for which urbanization Chapter 4 – Sphere of Influence Page 4-2 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD may be anticipated in the intermediate or long range planning horizons. It is a tool intended to enhance communication and coordination between local agencies. An AOI designation is most helpful when the county and city or district can reach agreement that development plans related to LAFCo designated Areas of Interest will be treated the same as if these areas were within the city or district SOI boundary regarding notification to and consideration of input from the city or district. The proposed Western Hills annexation area and two unincorporated island areas described in the SOI Study Areas above have been designated as an AOI as shown on Figure 1.1. These areas are identified on the map to further emphasize and support the District in requesting consideration from the City of Ukiah and County of Mendocino regarding discretionary land use entitlements or other development plans with the potential to impact District lands, facilities, and/or services. 4.1.4 PROPOSED SOI CHANGES The District has submitted an application for annexation of the City of Ukiah City limits for fire services and concurrent amendment of the District’s Sphere of Influence (SOI) to be contiguous with the proposed new boundary. (Refer to Section 2.1.2.2 for more information.) 4.1.5 CONSISTENCY WITH LAFCO POLICIES Expanding the existing coterminous District SOI to be contiguous with the proposed annexation area (Ukiah City limits) is consistent with Mendocino LAFCo Policies (refer to Section 1.5 for the specific SOI policies). 4.1.6 OTHER LOCAL POLICIES Refer to Section 2.5.1 for applicable policies of local jurisdictions. 4.1.7 DETERMINATIONS It is recommended that the Commission amend the existing coterminous Ukiah Valley Fire District Sphere of Influence to add the entire City Limits of the City of Ukiah and designate as Areas of Interest the proposed Western Hills annexation area and two unincorporated island areas within the District boundary consistent with Figure 1.1. The following statements have been prepared in support of this recommendation. 4.1.7.1 Land Uses The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands The Ukiah Valley is located approximately 30 miles east and inland from the Pacific Ocean. The Ukiah Valley runs north to south for about 9 miles, with a maximum width of about 3 miles. With an average elevation of about 630 feet, the hills surrounding the Valley range up to about 3,000 feet. The Russian River enters the Valley at the north end and runs south along the Valley floor. Soils are composed of fertile alluvium, and many pear orchards and vineyards flourish along the east side of the river. Residential and commercial land uses predominate on the west side of the river. The railroad right-of-way and Highway 101 also parallel the river through the Valley. Existing land uses in the Ukiah Valley, include residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses. Unincorporated communities include Calpella, The Forks, and Talmage, while the City of Ukiah is the sole incorporated community in the Valley. Development patterns in the Ukiah Valley are anticipated to generally follow historical zoning and development patterns, maintaining a north-south pattern following the major transportation corridors. The area within Chapter 4 – Sphere of Influence Page 4-3 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD the City limits is approaching build-out and a relatively significant level of urban development has occurred in portions of the sphere of influence. The Ukiah Valley Area Plan adopted by Mendocino County in 2011 generally maintains the development patterns of the Valley, allowing expansion of The Forks Rural Community, and along the U.S. 101 corridor, as well as limited growth in the eastern hills, which are prone to wildfire. There are ongoing drought conditions at this time that affect water supply in the Ukiah Valley and create a greater threat of fire in proximity to the urbanized area of City of Ukiah. 4.1.7.2 Need for Facilities and Services The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area The District, through the Fire Authority, provides fire protection, suppression, prevention and emergency services in the Ukiah Valley area to a population of approximately 33,000 people (17,000 in the unincorporated areas and 16,000 in City limits). Population growth is expected to increase at an annual rate of approximately 0.5% for Mendocino County. Based on this growth rate the District can expect a population increase of about 363 people within the next five years. The District provides critical services to the public. The residents and visitors currently receiving fire protection and emergency response services from the District will continue to need this public service. 4.1.7.3 Capacity of Facilities and Adequacy of Services The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide The Fire Authority staffing level is considered inadequate based on the number of residents served. Based on the International City Manager’s Association’s recommendation of 0.98 firefighters per 1,000 residents, the Fire District should have at least 33 firefighters according to industry standards, and currently only has 19 authorized positions. The District’s capital facilities at their three owned fire stations are in need of repair and improvement, including providing adequate sleeping quarters for personnel, ADA compliance, seismic retrofits, and emergency generators for power during outages. As determined in the MSR prepared for the District, through the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority and under the Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Ukiah, the Ukiah Valley Fire District has adequate personnel, facilities, and equipment to meet current and future demands for public services within the next five years. The District has been operating at a deficit since the Fire Authority was formed in 2017 and the District’s revenue shortfall is not sustainable. The District is proposing to annex the Ukiah City limits for fire services to equalize the tax structure and government representation model for all District and City residents. The District estimates a projected revenue increase in the range of $850,000 to $1 million annually, with an annual net gain of approximately $500,000 to rebuild reserves, from the proposed annexation. It is anticipated that the proposed annexation would help maintain existing levels of service, ensure the long-term provision of critical services, and lead to an improved level of service for everyone in the Fire Authority service area. 4.1.7.4 Communities of Interest The existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the commission determines that they are relevant to the agency Chapter 4 – Sphere of Influence Page 4-4 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD No social or economic communities of interest have been identified that should be included in the Ukiah Valley Fire District boundary or SOI. There are two SOI Study Areas that have been designated as an Area of Interest, including the proposed Western Hills annexation area and two unincorporated island areas. These areas have been identified to assist the District in requesting consideration from the City of Ukiah and Mendocino County for discretionary land use entitlements or other development plans with the potential to impact District lands, facilities, and/or services. 4.1.7.5 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities The present and probable need for those public facilities and services of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within the existing sphere of influence The UVFD includes three Census tracts. The MHI for these three tracts is $57,344 (Tract 109), $46,234 (Tract 113), and $70,536 (Tract 117). Tracts 109 and 113 qualify as DUCs individually, and the average of these three tracts is $58,038, which is below 80% of the State MHI of $60,188. The City of Ukiah has an MHI of $49,889, which is also less than 80% of the State MHI, but the City does not qualify as a DUC because it is an incorporated area. Special consideration will be given to any DUCs affected by future annexation proposals consistent with GC §56375(8)(A) and LAFCo Policy. The District does not provide water or wastewater services and is therefore not responsible for ensuring that these services are adequately provided to the community. Chapter 4 – Sphere of Influence Page 4-5 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 5 REFERENCES California Department of Finance. 2021. “Projections.” [Online]. Available at: https://www.dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/projections/. Accessed August 2, 2021. California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). 2017. Mendocino County Economic Forecast. [Online]. Available at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/offices/eab/socio_economic_files/2017/Mendocino.pdf. Accessed December 10, 2018. Grebil, Dan (Fire Authority Administrator, Ukiah Valley Fire Authority). June 19, 2018. Personal Communication. LAFCo, Mendocino Local Agency Formation Commission. May 6, 2013. Municipal Service Review Ukiah Valley Special Districts. [Online]. Available at: https://www.mendolafco.org/files/5b57f3724/Ukiah+Valley+Special+Districts+APPROVED+MSR+05- 16-13_FULL.pdf. Accessed August 18, 2021. LAFCo, Mendocino Local Agency Formation Commission. November 5, 2018. Policies & Procedures Manual. [Online]. Available at: http://mendolafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/FINAL- Adopted-Mendo-LAFCo-PP-Manual-2018-1.pdf. Accessed December 13, 2018. Mendocino, County of. 2017. Full Text of Measure B. [Online] Available at: https://www.mendocinocounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/10497/636397951966270000. Accessed on July 30, 2021. Mendocino, County of. August 2, 2011. Ukiah Valley Area Plan. [Online]. Available at: https://www.mendocinocounty.org/government/planning-building-services/plans/ukiah-valley- area-plan. Accessed August 1, 2021. Mendocino County Fire Chief’s Association (MCFCA). 2015. Mendocino County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. [Online]. Available at: https://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/bos/meetings/28658/28666/28667/28988/29050/ProtectionPlan 29050.pdf. Accessed June 28, 2017. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). 2010. NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments, 2010 Edition. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nfpa.org/Codes-and-Standards/ARCHIVED/Safer-Act-Grant/NFPA-1720. Accessed April 10, 2018. PMC. September 2008. County of Mendocino General Plan Update Draft Environmental Impact Report, Section 4.9: Land Use. Prepared for County of Mendocino. Chapter 5 – References Page 5-1 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD Ukiah, City of (Ukiah). August 24, 2017. Resolution 2017-41: Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Execute a Joint Powers Agreement with the Ukiah Valley Fire District for Shared Management of Fire Services. August 24, 2017. --. May 9, 2018. Ukiah Valley Fire District Board of Directors Regular Meeting Agenda for May 9, 2018. [Online] Available at https://cityofukiah.app.box.com/v/UVFDagendas/file/291267759569. Accessed July 29, 2021. --. 2019a. Budget in Brief: Ukiah Valley Fire Authority: A Joint Venture Between the City of Ukiah and the Ukiah Valley Fire District. [Online] Available at: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/published/piymHfwB-. Accessed on July 30, 2021. --. 2019b. October 23, 2019. Ukiah General Plan, Land Use Element, Amended. [Online]. Available at: http://www.cityofukiah.com/NewWeb/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Land-Use-Element- 1995_Amended-2019.pdf. Accessed July 30, 2021. --. 2019c. Ukiah Valley Fire Authority. [Online]. Available at: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/ published/ Y7T7IZzkj. Accessed July 29, 2021. --. 2019d. Ukiah Valley Fire Authority: Special Report for the Ukiah Valley Fire District. [Online] Accessed on July 30, 2021. Available at: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/published/X05f3cu4N --. 2020. Ukiah Valley Fire Authority: Special Report for the Ukiah Valley Fire District. [Online] Accessed on July 30, 2021. Available at: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/published/ 3vuNUgwii. Accessed on July 30, 2021. --. 2021a. Budget in Brief 2020-21: Ukiah Valley Fire Authority: A Joint Venture Between the City of Ukiah and the Ukiah Valley Fire District. [Online] Available at: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/published/AEq2mPRtX. Accessed July 5, 2021. --. 2021b. Consolidated Fire Services. [Online] Available at: http://www.cityofukiah.com/projects/ consolidated-fire-services/. Accessed July 5, 2021. --. 2021c. Explorer Scouts. [Online] Available at: http://www.cityofukiah.com/explorer-scouts/. Accessed July 10. 2021. --. 2021d. Fire Department History. [Online]. Available at: https://www.cityofukiah.com/fire- department-history/. Accessed July 17, 2021. --. 2021e. Mission Statement. [Online]. Available at: http://www.cityofukiah.com/mission-statement/. Accessed July 17, 2021. --. 2021f. Non-Major Funds: Fiduciary: Ukiah Valley Fire District. [Online]. Available at: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/published/k79DNRM1t. Accessed on July 30, 2021. --. 2021g. Ukiah Valley Fire Authority. [Online]. Available at: https://stories.opengov.com/ukiahca/published/Y7T7IZzkj. Accessed July 17, 2021. Chapter 5 – References Page 5-2 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD --. 2021h. Ukiah Valley Fire Authority: Special Report for the Ukiah Valley Fire District. https://civicclerk.blob.core.windows.net/stream/UKIAHCA/ea2e0772f3.pdf?sv=2015-12- 11&sr=b&sig=u5YAbrmYdCmKCjF2YO1jM%2Fb1xwPlieAG7jlT2OVumsI%3D&st=2021-07- 30T01%3A58%3A08Z&se=2022-07-30T02%3A03%3A08Z&sp=r&rscc=no- cache&rsct=application%2Fpdf --. 2021i. Ukiah Valley Fire District. [Online]. Available at: https://www.cityofukiah.com/uvfd/. Accessed July 16, 2021. --. 2021j. Volunteer Program. [Online] Available at: http://www.cityofukiah.com/volunteer-program/. Accessed July 10. 2021. --. 2021k. Who We Are. [Online] Available at: http://www.cityofukiah.com/uvfa-who-we-are/. Accessed August 3, 2021. Ukiah Daily Journal. June 13, 2014. Burning Issues – Ukiah Valley Fire Authority. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2014/06/13/burning-issues-ukiah-valley-fire-authority/. Accessed July 1, 2021. Ukiah Valley Fire District (UVFD). 2018a. February 6, 2018. Response to Request for Information, 2016 Fire District Sphere of Influence Update. --. 2018b. June 15, 2018. Response to Request for Information. --. June 17, 2020. Amended and Restated Agreement for Shared Management of Fire Departments (“2020 Amended JPA”), between Ukiah Valley Fire District and City of Ukiah. --. May 19, 2021. The Ukiah Valley Fire Protection District’s Proposed Annexation of the City of Ukiah for Purposes of Fire Services. Justification of Proposal Exhibit A: Plan for Providing Services. --. August/September 2021 (2021b). Response to Request for Information. U.S. Census Bureau (USCB). 2019a. American Community Survey. Table B01003, 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. [Online]. Available at: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=population&g=1400000US06 045010900,06045011300,06045011700&tid=ACSDT5Y2019.B01003. Accessed August 2, 2021. --. 2019b. American Community Survey. Table B19013, Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months, 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. [Online]. Available at: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=b19013&g=1400000US06045010900,06045011300,060450 11700&tid=ACSDT5Y2019.B19013&hidePreview=true. Accessed August 2, 2021. --. 2019c. American Community Survey. Table DP05, 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles. [Online]. Available at: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=population&g=1400000US06045010900, 06045011300,06045011700_1600000US0609990&tid=ACSDP5Y2019.DP05. Accessed August 2, 2021. Chapter 5 – References Page 5-3 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD --. 2019d. Annual Estimate of the Resident Population for Counties in California: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019. [Online]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s- counties-total.html. Accessed August 2, 2021. --. 2019e. Vintage Population Estimates. [Online]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/search- results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=mendocino%20county%20population. Accessed August 3, 2021. --. 2020. American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2009-2019). [Online]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year.html. Accessed August 2, 2021. --. 2021. QuickFacts: Ukiah City, California. [Online]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ fact/table/ukiahcitycalifornia/INC110219. Accessed August 2, 2021. Wikipedia. 2021. Ukiah, California. [Online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiah,_California. Accessed July 17, 2021. Chapter 5 – References Page 5-4 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 6 ACRONYMS AOI Area of Interest ALS Advanced Life Support Caltrans California Department of Transportation CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CFM cubic feet per minute CIP Capital Improvement Plan CKH Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 DAC Disadvantaged Community District Ukiah Valley Fire District DUC Disadvantaged Unincorporated Community EMS Emergency Medical Services FEC Fire Executive Committee FY Fiscal Year GHG greenhouse gas emissions GPM gallons per minute JPA Joint Powers Agreement LAFCo Local Agency Formation Commission MCOG Mendocino Council of Governments MG million gallons MGD million gallons per day MHI median household income MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization MSR Municipal Service Review PSI pounds per square inch RHNA Regional Housing Needs Allocation RTP Regional Transportation Plan SB Senate Bill SOI Sphere of Influence UFD Ukiah Fire Department USCB United States Census Bureau UVFA Ukiah Valley Fire Authority UVFD Ukiah Valley Fire District Chapter 6 – Acronyms Page 6-1 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7.1 REPORT PREPARATION This Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Update was prepared by Hinman & Associates Consulting, Inc., contracted staff for Mendocino LAFCo. Uma Hinman, Executive Officer Larkyn Feiler, Analyst Kristen Meadows, Commission Clerk 7.2 ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT This Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Update could not have been completed without the assistance and support from the following organizations and individuals. Ukiah Valley Fire Authority Doug Hutchison, Fire Chief City of Ukiah Craig Schlatter, Community Development Director Chapter 7 – Acknowledgements Page 7-1 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 8 APPENDICES 8.1 APPENDIX A – OPEN GOVERNMENT RESOURCES The purpose of this appendix is to provide a brief list of some educational resources for local agencies interested in learning more about the broad scope of public interest laws geared towards government transparency and accountability. This appendix is not intended to be a comprehensive reference list or to substitute legal advice from a qualified attorney. Feel free to contact the Mendocino LAFCo office at (707) 463-4470 to make suggestions of additional resources that could be added to this appendix. The websites listed below provide information regarding the following open government laws: (1) Public Records Act (Government Code §6250 et seq.), (2) Political Reform Act – Conflict-of-Interest regulations (Government Code §81000 et seq.), (3) Ethics Principles and Training (AB 1234 and Government Code §53235), (4) Brown Act – Open Meeting regulations (Government Code §54950 et seq.), and (5) Online Compliance regulations (Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act and Government Code §11135). o Refer to the State of California Attorney General website for information regarding public access to governmental information and processes at the following link: https://oag.ca.gov/government. o Refer to the State of California Attorney General website for information regarding Ethics Training Courses required pursuant to AB 1234 at the following link: https://oag.ca.gov/ethics. o The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is primarily responsible for administering and enforcing the Political Reform Act. The website for the Fair Political Practices Commission is available at the following link: http://www.fppc.ca.gov/. o Refer to the California Department of Rehabilitation website for information regarding Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act and other laws that address digital accessibility at the following link: http://www.dor.ca.gov/DisabilityAccessInfo/What-are-the-Laws-that-Cover-Digital- Accessibility.html. o Refer to the Institute for Local Government (ILG) website to download the Good Governance Checklist form at the following link: www.ca-ilg.org/post/good-governance-checklist-good-and- better-practices. o Refer to the Institute for Local Government (ILG) website to download the Ethics Law Principles for Public Servants pamphlet at the following link: www.ca-ilg.org/node/3369. o Refer to the Institute for Local Government (ILG) website for information regarding Ethics Training Courses required pursuant to AB 1234 at the following link: http://www.ca-ilg.org/ethics- education-ab-1234-training. o Refer to the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) website for information regarding online and website compliance webinars at the following link: http://www.csda.net/tag/webinars/. Chapter 8 – Appendices Page 8-1 MSR/SOI Update | Ukiah Valley FD 8.2 APPENDIX B – WEBSITE COMPLIANCE HANDOUT Refer to the next page. Chapter 8 – Appendices Page 8-2 California Website Compliance Checklist Use this checklist to keep your district's website compliant with State and Federal requirements. Public Records Act SB 929 SB 272 AB 2853 (optional): Our district has created and Our Enterprise System Catalog is We post public records to our maintains a website posted on our website website Passed in 2018, all independent special All local agencies must publish a catalog This bill allows you to refer PRA requests districts must have a website that listing all software that meets specific to your site, if the content is displayed includes contact information (and all requirements—free tool at getstream- there, potentially saving time, money, other requirements) by Jan. 2020 line.com/sb272 and trees The Brown Act State Controller Reports AB 392: AB 2257: Financial Transaction Report: Compensation Report: Agendas are posted to A link to the most recent A link to the Controller’s A link to the Controller’s our website at least 72 agenda is on our home “By the Numbers” PublicPay website is hours in advance of page, and agendas are website is posted on posted in a conspicuous regular meetings, 24 searchable, machine- location on our website our website hours in advance of readable and platform Report must be submitted by special meetings independent Report must be submitted April 30 of each year—you within seven months after the This 2011 update to the Act, Required by Jan. 2019— close of the fiscal year—you can also add the report to originally created in 1953, text-based PDFs meet this can add the report to your your site annually, but added the online posting requirement, Microsoft Word site annually, but posting a posting a link is easier requirement docs do not link is easier Healthcare District Section 508 ADA Websites Open Data Compliance AB 2019: AB 169: CA gov code 7405: If we’re a healthcare district, we Anything posted on our website State governmental entities maintain a website that includes that we call “open data” meets the shall comply with the accessibility all items above, plus additional requirements for open data requirements of Section 508 requirements of the federal Rehabilitation Act Defined as “retrievable, downloadable, of 1973 Including budget, board members, indexable, and electronically searchable; Municipal Service Review, grant policy platform independent and machine Requirements were updated in 2018—if and recipients, and audits readable” among other things you aren't sure, you can test your site for accessibility at achecker.ca Website compliance made easy csda.net getstreamline.com The Brown Act: new agenda requirements Tips for complying with AB 2257 by January, 2019 Placement: What it says: An online posting of an agenda shall be posted on the primary Internet Web site ​​ homepage of a city, county, city and county, special district, school district, or political subdivision established by the state that is accessible through a prominent, direct link to the current agenda. What that means: Add a link to the current agenda directly to your homepage. It cannot be in a ​​ ​ ​​ menu item or otherwise require more than a single click to open the agenda. Exception: What it says: A link to the agenda management platform may be added to the home page instead of a ​​ link directly to the current agenda, if the agency uses an integrated agenda management platform that meets specified requirements, including, among others, that the current agenda is the first agenda available at the top of the integrated agenda management platform. What that means: If you use an agenda management system, you may add a link to that system ​​ directly to your homepage (again, not in a menu item), if the format of the agenda meets the requirements below, and if the current agenda is the first at the top of the list. Format: What it says: [agenda must be] Retrievable, downloadable, indexable, and electronically searchable by ​​ commonly used Internet search applications. Platform independent and machine readable. Available to the public free of charge and without any restriction that would impede the reuse or redistribution of the agenda. What that means: You cannot add Word Docs or scanned (image-based) PDFs of your agenda to your ​​ website–Word Docs are not platform independent (the visitor must have Word to read the file), and scanned PDFs are not searchable. Instead, keep your agenda separate from the packet and follow ​ ​​ these steps: 1. From Word or other document system: Export agenda to PDF 2. Add that agenda to your website (or to your agenda management system), and include a link to that agenda on your homepage 3. Then, you can print the agenda, add it to your pile of documents for the packet, and scan that to PDF - just keep the packet separate from the agenda (only the agenda must meet AB 2257) 4. Keep the link on the homepage until the next agenda is available, then update the link Questions? Contact sloane@getstreamline.com or dillong@csda.net ​ ​ ​