Final Combined Special Fire Districts 2018msr

EXHIBIT “A“ 2018 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW FOR THE STRAWBERRY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT COLUMBIA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT JAMESTOWN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT AND MI-WUK/SUGAR PINE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT Approved by Tuolumne County LAFCO On April 8, 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 LAFCO’s Responsibilities, Spheres of Influence and Municipal Service Reviews 1.2 Sphere of Influence 1.3 LAFCO Policies and Procedures Related to Municipal Services 1.4 Description of Public Participation Process 1.5 California Environmental Quality Act 2.0 SERVICES 2.1 Services Authorized to Provide 2.2 Location 2.3 Service Area 2.4 Review of Management Structure 3.0 EXISTING MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND PROVIDERS 3.1 Special Fire Protection District Service 3.2 Service Providers/Districts Encompassing Special Fire Protection Districts 4.0 ZONING AND LAND USE 4.1 Strawberry Fire Protection District 4.2 Columbia Fire Protection District 4.3 Jamestown Fire Protection District 4.4 Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District 5.0 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW 5.1 Infrastructure Needs and Deficiencies 5.1.1 Fire Protection Needs and Deficiencies 5.1.2 Written Determinations Regarding Infrastructure Needs and Deficiencies 5.2 Growth and Population 5.2.1 Growth and Population within the Special Fire Districts 5.2.2 Written Determinations on Growth and Population 5.3 Financial Constraints and Opportunities 5.3.1 Financial Constraints and Opportunities for Special Fire Districts 5.3.2 Written Determinations on Financial Constraints and Opportunities 5.4 Cost Avoidance Opportunities 5.4.1 Cost of Operations for Special Fire Districts 5.4.2 Written Determinations on Cost Avoidance Opportunities 5.5 Opportunities for Shared Facilities 5.5.1 Opportunities for Special Fire Districts to Share Facilities 5.5.2 Written Determinations on Opportunities for Shared Facilities 5.6 Government Structure Options 5.6.1 Special Fire Districts’ Governmental Structure 5.6.2 Written Determinations on Government Structure Options 5.7 Management Efficiencies 5.7.1. Special Fire District Management 5.7.2 Written Determinations on Management Efficiencies 5.8 Local Accountability and Governance -1 - 5.8.1 Special Fire Districts Public Participation 5.8.2 Written Determinations on Local Accountability and Governance 5.9 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities 5.9.1 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities within the Special Fire Districts 5.9.2 Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities in Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities 5.9.3 Written Determinations Regarding Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities 6.0 REFERENCES -2 - 2018 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW FOR THE STRAWBERRY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, COLUMBIA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, JAMESTOWN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT AND MI-WUK/SUGAR PINE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 LAFCO’s Responsibilities, Spheres of Influence and Municipal Service Reviews This Municipal Service Review (MSR) has been prepared for the Tuolumne County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). Local Agency Formation Commissions are quasi-legislative local agencies created in 1963 to assist the State in encouraging the orderly development and formation of local agencies. A Local Agency Formation Commission is established in each County in the State. This MSR consists of a review of services as provided by the: o Strawberry Fire Protection District o Columbia Fire Protection District o Jamestown Fire Protection District o Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District All of these districts are responsible for providing fire protection and emergency medical response services. The MSR will be considered by the LAFCO in correlation with the review of the Sphere of Influence of the districts listed above. The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (Government Code §56000 et seq.) is the statutory authority for the preparation of an MSR, and periodic updates of the Sphere of Influence of each local agency. A Sphere of Influence is a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local agency, as determined by the jurisdictional Local Agency Formation Commission (Government Code §56076). Government Code §56425(f) requires that each Sphere of Influence be updated not less than every five years, and §56430 requires that a Municipal Service Review be conducted in correlation with the Sphere of Influence update. The statute and regulations call for a review of the municipal services provided in the County or other appropriate area designated by the LAFCO. The LAFCO is required, as part of the MSR, to prepare a written statement of findings of its determinations with respect to each of the following: 1. Infrastructure needs or deficiencies; 2. Growth and population projections for the affected area; 3. Financing constraints and opportunities; 4. Cost avoidance opportunities; -3 - 5. Opportunities for rate restructuring; 6. Opportunities for shared facilities; 7. Government structure options, including advantages and disadvantages of consolidation or reorganization of service providers; 8. Evaluation of management efficiencies; and 9. Local accountability and governance. 10. The location of and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated community within or contiguous to the sphere of influence; and 11. Present and planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services, and infrastructure needs or deficiencies related to sewers, municipal water and fire protection in any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence. The Municipal Service Review must be considered by LAFCO in taking action on a Sphere of Influence. Given the close relationship between an MSR and Sphere of Influence creation, amendment or update, the Sphere of Influence is discussed in more detail below. 1.2 Sphere of Influence The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 requires the LAFCO to update the Spheres of Influence for all applicable jurisdictions in the County every five years. Local governmental agencies, special districts and municipalities must have an adopted Sphere of Influence (SOI) boundary and territory that define the probable future boundary and service area of the agency. Inclusion of a particular area within an agency’s SOI does not necessarily mean that the area will eventually be annexed. The Sphere of Influence is only one of several factors LAFCO must consider in reviewing individual proposals, such as an application for an annexation to a district (California Government Code Section 56668). In determining the Sphere of Influence for each local agency, LAFCO must consider and prepare a written statement of determinations with respect to each of the following: 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 which the agency provides, or is authorized to provide; and 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. 1.3 LAFCO Policies and Procedures Related to Municipal Services The Tuolumne County LAFCO adopted policies related to Municipal Services on November 26, 2001. -4 - 1.4 Description of Public Participation Process Tuolumne County LAFCO is a quasi-legislative body authorized by the California Legislature and delegated powers as stated in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (the Act). The LAFCO proceedings are subject to the provisions of California’s open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code Sections 54950 et seq.) The Brown Act requires advance posting of meeting agendas and contains various other provisions designed to ensure that the public has adequate access to information regarding the proceedings of public boards and commissions. Tuolumne County LAFCO complies with the requirements of the Brown Act. Each municipal service review will be prepared as a draft, and will be subject to public and agency comment prior to final consideration by the Tuolumne County LAFCO. The contents of this review are based primarily upon the information provided by the Fire Protection Districts, CAL FIRE, the Community Resources Agency, the Tuolumne County Fire Department and County Auditor- Controller. 1.5 California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) The Municipal Service Review is a planning study that is statutorily exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15262 of the State CEQA Guidelines. The Municipal Service Review will be considered by LAFCO in connection with proceedings regarding the Strawberry Fire Protection District, Columbia Fire Protection District, Jamestown Fire Protection District, and Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Spheres of Influence. The Sphere of Influence review or update is a project and as such, may be subject to CEQA consideration. 2.0 SERVICES 2.1 Services Authorized to Provide The special fire protection districts were created to provide fire suppression and emergency response services as outlined below: Special Service(s) Authorized to be Provided Services Actually Provided Fire District Strawberry Fire Prevention and Suppression, Fire Prevention and Suppression Fire Emergency Medical within District boundaries. Non- Protection Response/Paramedic Services, Search medical Auxiliary Community District and Rescue Operations, and Auxiliary Services as necessitated for Community Services as necessitated public health and safety. for public health and safety Columbia Fire Prevention and Suppression, Fire Prevention and Fire Protection Emergency Medical Suppression, Emergency District Response/Paramedic Services, Search Medical Response Services, and Rescue Operations, and Auxiliary Search and Rescue Operations, Community Services as necessitated and Auxiliary Community for public health and safety Services as necessitated for public health. Jamestown Fire Fire Prevention and Suppression, Fire Prevention and Protection Emergency Medical Suppression, Emergency District Response/Paramedic Services, Search Medical Response Services, and Rescue Operations, and Auxiliary Search and Rescue Operations, -5 - Community Services as necessitated and Auxiliary Community for public health and safety. Services as necessitated for public health and safety. Mi-Wuk/ Fire Prevention and Suppression, Fire Prevention and Sugar Pine Emergency Medical Suppression, Emergency Fire Response/Paramedic Services, Search Medical Response Services, and Protection and Rescue Operations, and Auxiliary Auxiliary Community Services as District Community Services as necessitated necessitated for public health for public health and safety. and safety. 2.2 Location County Service Service Area Location Areas Strawberry The community of Strawberry Encompasses the community of Fire Protection on State Highway 108 Strawberry and surrounding area. District Columbia The community of Columbia Encompasses the community of Fire Protection east to Big Hill Road and along Columbia and surrounding area. District Parrotts Ferry Road to Highway 49. Jamestown Fire The community of Jamestown Encompasses the community of Protection along Highway 108. Jamestown and surrounding area. District Mi-Wuk/Sugar The communities of Mi-Wuk Encompasses the communities of Mi- Pine Fire and Sugar Pine along Highway Wuk and Sugar Pine, and surrounding Protection 108 approximately 2 miles areas. District northeast of Twain Harte. Service is provided to everyone within the District boundaries at all times including residents and visitors to the area. Customers are tracked within these districts through call volumes and response time analysis to determine level of service needs. District and SOI boundaries for each of these special fire districts can be found as exhibits “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D” of Resolution 293. 2.3 Service Area The following special fire districts are within the unincorporated area of Tuolumne County and are under LAFCO jurisdiction: Number of Parcels Number of Parcels Special Fire District within District within SOI Strawberry 404± 404± Fire Protection District Columbia 499± 1,440± Fire Protection District Jamestown Fire 409± 2,019± -6 - Protection District Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire 1,451± 1,451± Protection District Numbers updated on 7-24-18 by the CRA GIS The Tuolumne Fire District also falls under LAFCO Jurisdiction, but that district is being separately reviewed by the LAFCO Commission and that district has not been included in the scope of this report. 2.4 Review of Management Structure The districts are dependent districts governed by boards of directors. All of the Special Fire Districts are staffed with a combination of highly trained professional staff and lightly trained community volunteers who are often paid modestly for services rendered. Strawberry The Fire Chief of the Strawberry Fire Protection District is Todd McNeal, through a contract with the Twain Harte Community Services District. There are five volunteer firefighters. The volunteers are State Certified firefighters. Additional assistance during critical responses are by way of the mutual aid agreement with the Twain Harte Fire Department and from the Tuolumne County Fire Department. There is a five member board of directors who meet regularly and receive modest compensation for services provided. The current elected board members are Denise (Dee) Jackson-Martin (president), Karrie Lyn Mathson (Vice-president), Elizabeth (Buffy) Bandley (Director), David (Dave) Robertson (Director). The District is actively recruiting volunteer firefighters and volunteers for the Operational Support Unit. Columbia The Fire Chief of the Columbia Fire Protection District is Mark Ferreira. Reporting to the Fire Chief are Fire Captain Chris Mojica and four volunteer firefighters. District staff report regularly to the Board of Directors. The three-member elected Board of directors for the Columbia Fire Protection District are: Stan Steiner (President), Mary O’Hearn, and Paul Waite. Jamestown The Jamestown Fire Protection District is operated by the Tuolumne County Fire Department through a contractual relationship with CAL FIRE. Josh White is the Fire Chief, Andrew Murphy is the Assistant Chief. There is an agreement with the County and Jamestown Fire Protection District with a Schedule A Agreement with CAL FIRE. The Board of Directors for the Jamestown Fire Protection District consists of three elected members including: Robert Hickey, Henry Collins and Jason Darby. Mi-Wuk / Sugar Pine The Fire Chief of the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District is Steve McClintock. Five full time employees, eight part time employees and fourteen volunteers are in the District. Seven employees report directly to the Fire Chief including the Office Manager, three Duty Officers and three part time Duty Officers. The Fire Chief provides regular reports to the five-member district board. The elected Board of Directors for the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District are: Blythe Klipple (President), Ron Doss (Vice President), Carol Afshar, Mark Massman and Jim McDonald. -7 - 3.0 EXISTING MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND PROVIDERS 3.1 Special Fire District Service These Special Fire Districts operate pursuant to Section 13862 of the Health and Safety Code and Government Code Section 61100 (d) and (n) and have the authority to provide a variety of services including: 1. Fire protection services; 2. Rescue services; 3. Emergency medical services except ambulance; 4. Hazardous material emergency response services; and 5. Any other services relating to the protection of lives and property. All of the special fire districts have a significant degree of interdependence with the surrounding area due to the services provided and the automatic and mutual aid provided to all other fire protection agencies in the County through the “Tuolumne County Fire Service Providers Automatic Aid/ Mutual Aid Agreement” which is a mutual cooperation agreement to increase fire protection resources and other emergency operations to assure adequate protection to the County. This agreement is deferential to State and Federal agencies under emergency conditions. Under this agreement each special fire district assumes all costs for its own personnel and equipment during emergency situations. The agreement has no termination date; however, each party to the agreement may terminate their participation at any time with a 30-day written notice to all parties involved. Government agencies included in this agreement are: Tuolumne County Fire Department, Twain Harte Community Services District (THCSD), Sonora City Fire Department, Jamestown Fire Protection District (JFPD), Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District (MFPD), Strawberry Fire Protection District (SFD), Columbia Fire Protection District (CFD), the Groveland Community Services District (GCSD) and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (Sierra Conservation Center Fire Department). Other agencies are frequent response providers within the Special Fire Districts and could be considered as replacements for providing services should public benefit demand such action. In addition to the Mutual Aid Agreement, the Strawberry Protection Fire District and the Mi- Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District maintain automatic-aid agreements with other fire agencies in the County. The Strawberry Fire Protection District has agreements with the Twain Harte Community Services District and the Tuolumne County Fire Department. The Mi-Wuk Fire Protection District has an automatic aid agreement with the County of Tuolumne. The automatic-aid agreements are operated in much the same way except aid is provided anytime emergency response is required, regardless of notification. As a result, these agreements take precedence over the mutual-aid agreements enacted with the aforementioned agencies. It should be noted that volunteer personnel are not required to remain within response distance of potential emergencies and are often unavailable to respond due to distance. The Tuolumne County Fire Department prefaces their mission statement report by explaining: “ In the event of multiple emergencies, the Department cannot guarantee that a fire truck will show up at an emergency. The relocation of the Sonora CAL FIRE station, the loss of volunteer firefighters and an increasing volume of emergencies have conspired to create an issue that must be dealt with if we are to live up to the expectations of the citizens of the County.” -8 - The number of incidents reported for the period 7/1/17 thru 6/30/18 (one year) by CAL FIRE for these respective special fire districts, are as follows: Columbia Fire Protection District—----------------180 Jamestown Fire Protection District-----------------337 Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District-—--114 Strawberry Fire Protection District—--------------- 22 For the Jamestown Fire Protection District, County Fire Department personnel respond to incidents rather than District personnel. For Strawberry, Station 55 in Pinecrest responds to medical incidents. Strawberry and Station 55 responds to all other emergency incidents. The majority of incidents reported are medical in nature. Each of these Special Fire Protection Districts can propose service and boundary changes to the LAFCO who regulates district boundaries. 3.2 Service Providers/Districts Encompassing Special Fire Protection Districts Other LAFCO service providers/districts operating within each of the Special Fire Protection Districts include: County Service Providers Service Areas Strawberry County of Tuolumne, Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD), County-wide County Service Area No. 21 (ambulance), Tuolumne County Fire Protection Resource Conservation District, Columbia Cemetery District. District Columbia County of Tuolumne, TUD, County Service Area No. 21, Fire Protection Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District, Columbia District Cemetery District, Gold Springs Lighting District, Shaws Flat- Springfield Cemetery District. Jamestown Fire County of Tuolumne, TUD, County Service Area No. 21, Tuolumne Protection District County Resource Conservation District, Jamestown Lighting District, Jamestown Sanitary District, Jamestown Cemetery District. Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine County of Tuolumne, TUD, County Service Area No. 21, Fire Protection Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District. District The Tuolumne County Fire Department (TCFD), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the United States Forest Service (USFS) operate within Tuolumne County and provide fire protection and suppression services in many areas in and adjacent to the Special Fire Protection Districts. 4.0 ZONING AND LAND USE 4.1 Strawberry Fire Protection District -9 - The Strawberry Fire Protection District encompasses the community of Strawberry, and was created on October 1, 1957 according to California State Board of Equalization records. The area within the Strawberry Fire Protection District contains a combination of residential, commercial, open space, industrial, agricultural, and recreational land uses. The existing Sphere of Influence boundary matches the existing district boundary. The area within the Strawberry Fire Protection District and its Sphere of Influence is zoned RE-5 (Residential Estate, Five-Acre Minimum), RE-2 (Residential Estate, Two-Acre Minimum), C-K (Commercial Recreation), C-S (Special Commercial), K (General Recreational), R-1 (Single-Family Residential), R-2 (Medium-Density Residential), M-1 (Light Industrial), C-O (Neighborhood Commercial), C-1 (General Commercial), A-20 (General Agricultural, Twenty-Acre Minimum), and O-1 (Open Space-1). The area of the Strawberry Fire Protection District and its Sphere of Influence has the Large Lot Residential (LR), Low Density Residential (LDR), Medium Density Residential (MDR), Rural Residential (RR), Estate Residential (ER), Special Commercial (SC), and Light Industrial (LI) General Plan land use designations based upon the Tuolumne County General Plan. Future development will be based upon designated land uses and the ability to meet the development requirements of the County of Tuolumne. The Strawberry Fire Protection District encompasses approximately 402.0± acres of area around the community of Strawberry and was formed to provide fire protection and emergency service to the area. The Strawberry Fire Protection District currently provides structural fire suppression and emergency medical services to residents and visitors within its district boundaries and sphere of Influence. The California Division of Forestry (CalFire) is the primary responder for wildland fire events and the Tuolumne County Fire Department Station 55 at Pinecrest is the primary medical responder for the area. 4.2 Columbia Fire Protection District According to the California State Board of Equalization archives, the Columbia Fire Protection District was created in 1916 to provide fire protection and emergency service to residents and visitors of Tuolumne County. The area within the Columbia Fire Protection District encompasses the community of Columbia, and contains a combination of residential, commercial, open space, public, agricultural, industrial, and recreational land uses. The existing Sphere of Influence boundary encompasses and extends further than the current District boundary. The Sphere of Influence area within the Columbia Fire Protection District is zoned AE-37 (Exclusive Agriculture, Thirty-Seven Acre Minimum), A-20 (General Agricultural, Twenty-Acre Minimum), A-10 (General Agricultural, Ten-Acre Minimum), O (Open Space), O-1 (Open Space-1), K (General Recreational), R-1 (Single-Family Residential), R-2 (Medium-Density Residential), R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential), RE-1 (Residential Estate, One-Acre Minimum) RE-2 (Residential Estate, Two-Acre Minimum), RE-3 (Residential Estate, Three-Acre Minimum), RE-5 (Residential Estate, Five-Acre Minimum), RE-10 (Residential Estate, Ten-Acre Minimum), C-K (Commercial Recreation), C-O (Neighborhood Commercial), C-1 (General Commercial), BP (Business Park), M- 1 (Light Industrial), M-2 (Heavy Industrial), and P (Public); with the following combining districts: :H (Historic Combining), :D (Design Control Combining) :MX (Mobilehome Exclusion Combining), :PD (Planned Unit Development Combining), and :AP (Agricultural Preserve Combining). The Sphere of Influence area of the Columbia Fire Protection District has the Large Lot Residential (LR), Low Density Residential (LDR), Medium Density Residential (MDR), High Density Residential (HDR), Rural Residential (RR), Estate Residential (ER), Homestead Residential (HR), Agricultural (AG), Timberland Production (TPZ), Open Space (O), Public (P), Parks and Recreation (R/P), -1 0- Neighborhood Commercial (NC), General Commercial (GC), and Mixed Use (MU) General Plan land use designations based upon the Tuolumne County General Plan and Columbia Community Plan. The Columbia Fire Protection District contains a combination of residential, commercial, open space, public, agricultural, industrial, and recreational land uses and densities. Future development will be based upon designated land uses and the ability to meet the development requirements of the County of Tuolumne. The Columbia Fire Protection District currently encompasses 626.0± acres of area around the community of Columbia. The Sphere of Influence encompasses 3,732.0± acres. The District was formed to provide fire and emergency services to local residents and visitors to Tuolumne County and is currently providing those services. The Columbia Fire Protection District, however, is short- staffed, financially and physically stressed and requires the assistance of the Tuolumne County Fire Department, CAL FIRE and the Sonora Fire Department in order to provide reliable service. 4.3 Jamestown Fire Protection District The Jamestown Fire Protection District encompasses the community of Jamestown, and was created on May 15, 1897 according to the California State Board of Equalization. The area within the Jamestown Fire Protection District contains a combination of residential, commercial, open space, public, agricultural, industrial, and recreational land uses. The existing Sphere of Influence boundary encompasses the District and extends beyond the existing Jamestown Fire Protection District boundary. The area within the Jamestown Fire Protection District is zoned O (Open Space), O-1 (Open Space-1), R-1 (Single-Family Residential), R-2 (Medium-Density Residential), R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential), RE-2 (Residential Estate, Two-Acre Minimum), M-U (Mixed Use), C-O (Neighborhood Commercial), C-1 (General Commercial), C-2 (Heavy Commercial), BP (Business Park), and P (Public), with the following combining districts: :H (Historic Combining), :HDP (Historic Design Preservation Combining), :D (Design Control Combining), and :MX (Mobilehome Exclusion Combining). The area of the Jamestown Fire Protection District has the Low Density Residential (LDR), Medium Density Residential (MDR), High Density Residential (HDR), Estate Residential (ER), Public (P), General Commercial (GC), Heavy Commercial (HC), Business Park (BP), and Mixed Use (MU) General Plan land use designations based upon the Tuolumne County General Plan and Jamestown Community Plan. The Jamestown Fire Protection District contains a combination of residential, commercial, public, agricultural, industrial, and recreational land uses and densities. Future development will be based upon designated land uses and the ability to meet the development requirements of the County of Tuolumne. The Sphere of Influence area within the Jamestown Fire Protection District is zoned AE-37 (Exclusive Agriculture, Thirty-Seven Acre Minimum), A-20 (General Agricultural, Twenty-Acre Minimum), A-10 (General Agricultural, Ten-Acre Minimum), O (Open Space), O-1 (Open Space-1), R-1 (Single-Family Residential), R-2 (Medium-Density Residential), R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential), RE-1 (Residential Estate, One-Acre Minimum) RE-2 (Residential Estate, Two-Acre Minimum), RE-3 (Residential Estate, Three-Acre Minimum), RE-5 (Residential Estate, Five-Acre Minimum), RE-10 (Residential Estate, Ten-Acre Minimum), C-K (Commercial Recreation), C-O (Neighborhood Commercial), C-1 (General Commercial), BP (Business Park), M-1 (Light Industrial), M-2 (Heavy Industrial), and P (Public); with the following combining districts: :H (Historic Combining), :D (Design Control Combining) :MX (Mobilehome Exclusion Combining), :PD (Planned -1 1- Unit Development Combining), and :AP (Agricultural Preserve Combining). The Sphere of Influence area of the Jamestown Fire Protection District has the Large Lot Residential (LR), Low Density Residential (LDR), Medium Density Residential (MDR), High Density Residential (HDR), Rural Residential (RR), Estate Residential (ER), Homestead Residential (HR), Agricultural (AG), Open Space (O), Public (P), Neighborhood Commercial (NC), General Commercial (GC), and Mixed Use (MU) General Plan land use designations based upon the Tuolumne County General Plan. The Jamestown Fire Protection District encompasses 181± acres of area around the community of Jamestown. The Sphere of Influence encompasses 3,741± acres. The District was formed to provide fire and emergency services to local residents and visitors to Tuolumne County. The Jamestown Fire Protection District currently is operated by the Tuolumne County Fire Department through a contractual relationship with CAL FIRE. Josh White is the Fire Chief, Nick Casci is the Deputy Fire Chief and Andrew Murphy is the Assistant County Fire Warden. Chief Murphy oversees the District’s operation and administration of the District. The Jamestown Fire Protection District receives assistance from other governmental agencies including the Tuolumne County Fire Department, CAL FIRE, and the Sonora Fire Department. The firehouse is currently staffed year round by County firefighters. 4.4 Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District and Sphere of Influence encompasses the communities of Mi-Wuk and Sugar Pine. The formation of the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District was the result of annexing certain territory, designated as the “Sugar Pine Annexation” to the Mi-Wuk Fire Protection District by adoption of LAFCO Resolution 3-74 on December 16, 1974. There has not been any change to the District’s Sphere of Influence since its establishment. The area within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District and its Sphere of Influence contains a combination of residential, commercial, open space, public, agricultural, and recreational land uses. The existing Sphere of Influence boundary matches the existing Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District boundary. The area within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District and its Sphere of Influence is zoned A-10 (General Agricultural, Ten-Acre Minimum), O (Open Space), O-1 (Open Space-1), K (General Recreational), R-1 (Single-Family Residential), R-2 (Medium-Density Residential), R-3 (Multiple- Family Residential), RE-1 (Residential Estate, One-Acre Minimum) RE-2 (Residential Estate, Two- Acre Minimum), RE-5 (Residential Estate, Five-Acre Minimum), C-K (Commercial Recreation), C-O (Neighborhood Commercial), C-1 (General Commercial), C-2 (Heavy Commercial), C-S (Special Commercial), and P (Public), with the :MX (Mobilehome Exclusion) combining district. The area within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District and its Sphere of Influence has the Low Density Residential (LDR), Medium Density Residential (MDR), Estate Residential (ER), Rural Residential (RR), Public (P), Parks and Recreation (R/P), and Special Commercial (SC) General Plan land use designations based upon the Tuolumne County General Plan. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District and its Sphere of Influence contains a combination of residential, commercial, public, open space, and recreational land uses and densities. Future development will be based upon designated land uses and the ability to meet the development requirements of the County of Tuolumne. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District and its Sphere of Influence encompasses approximately 745± acres of area around the communities of Mi-Wuk and Sugar Pine and was formed to provide fire protection and emergency services to the area, which it currently provides. In July 2010, the voters of the District approved a benefit assessment on the habitable properties -1 2- within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District. Since that time the District has become solvent and the level of service now being offered to residents is at an all time high. The Mi- Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District frequently responds to areas under the jurisdiction of the Twain Harte Community Services District, Tuolumne Fire Protection District, Strawberry Fire Protection District, and the Tuolumne County Fire Department through mutual and automatic aid agreements. 5.0 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act identifies eleven factors, listed in Section 1.1 above, to be addressed when preparing a Municipal Service Review. For each factor, information is gathered and analyzed, with written determinations prepared for LAFCO’s consideration. This Service Review will be used as an information base to update the Sphere of Influence of each of the four Special Fire Districts, including any annexation considerations, and provides a basis for the public, County and LAFCO to discuss changes to the respective Spheres of Influence. 5.1 Infrastructure Needs and Deficiencies Purpose: To evaluate the infrastructure needs and deficiencies in terms of supply, capacity, condition of facilities and service quality. 5.1.1 Fire Protection Needs and Deficiencies The fire suppression and emergency service infrastructure within the special fire protection districts varies widely from antiquated fire tools and vehicles to the sophisticated equipment of modern times. In addition, the level of service provided by the special fire districts varies widely based upon funding and staff availability. Inadequate funding levels for the Strawberry, Columbia, and Jamestown Fire Protection Districts are primarily the result of increased operational and staffing costs, as well as property owners voting against taxes for special services in some of these districts. While values of homes and properties have increased in recent years to help with additional revenues, the underlying issues with lack of adequate revenues for many of the fire districts still remain. In July 2010, the voters of the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District approved a benefit assessment on the habitable properties within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District. Since that time the District has become solvent and the level of service now being offered to residents is at an all time high. Strawberry The Strawberry Fire Protection District is routinely provided service by other governmental agencies operating nearby to suppress wildland fire events and provide emergency medical response within its district boundaries. The Tuolumne County Fire Department Station 55 at Pinecrest responds to fire and medical aide events within the Strawberry Fire Protection District boundary. Strawberry Fire in conjunction with Tuolumne County Fire and Twain Harte Fire, provides emergency medical services within the Strawberry District. Strawberry is in the process of training two of the five volunteers to the level of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). The California Division of Forestry (CalFire) provides fire suppression services during non-structural fire events; however, mutual aid can be provided for structural fires upon request by the District. The Strawberry Fire Protection District concentrates its efforts on structural fire suppression within the district boundary. The Strawberry Fire Protection District struggles with local water supply issues but it has adequate fire protection plans for the future. Inadequate fire flow in the high Sierra previously prompted the Strawberry Fire Protection District to acquire mobile water storage vehicles in order to remain a viable first responder to structural fires within the district area. The District currently has one Type -1 3- 1 fire engine and one light rescue squad truck. The fire engine is capable of storing 750 gallons of water and can pump water at 1,000 gallons per minute. This truck is also Class A Foam equipped. A water tender located in Long Barn has 1,500 gallons of water in storage. The Pinecrest fire station that responds to all fires in the Strawberry area, has two engines with a capacity of 500 gallons of water in each, and a water tender with a 3,000 gallon capacity. District staff volunteers keep the firehouse and vehicles in working order. The Firehouse and property were purchased by the Strawberry Fire Protection District from the Tri-Dam, a partnership of the Oakdale-South San Joaquin Irrigation District in 2016. The Strawberry Fire Protection District would like to have a new building constructed in the future that can accommodate more fire equipment along with a training room and sleeping facility. Contingency accounts have been established and are reviewed annually for funding new/replacement equipment and upgraded facilities. The community of Strawberry receives the majority of its water from the Del Oro Water Company in the Strawberry area. Residents and fire personnel in the past have experienced significant water supply issues in the Strawberry area. More recently, Del Oro has improved water flow to fire hydrants, dramatically increasing the ability to fight fires. There are approximately 437 water connections within the district area and a resident population of more than 800 during the summer months. The Del Oro Water Company is in the process of more Capital Improvement projects to increase water reliability in the Strawberry area. In 2012, Del Oro received permission from PG&E and the Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) for an allocation of 50 acre feet of water from the South Fork of the Stanislaus River due to Herring Creek Reservoir going dry. At present, Del Oro must petition annually, when necessary, to secure an emergency water supply. The “Dymond” water tank was replaced in early 2013 and upgraded to a 350,000 gallon water tank for increased water storage. Water lines are being replaced to improve water delivery and reliability to the Strawberry area. Columbia The Columbia Fire Protection District Fire Chief, Mark Ferreira, indicates that the district is financially unsound and understaffed to provide adequate service to the residents and visitors within its boundaries. Though its current staff of 6 volunteer employees and equipment are of professional caliber, the number of personnel and amount of equipment are inadequate for the service demand. It has been difficult to retain volunteers and find new volunteers. Adding full time personnel and increasing the number of fire engines available for response would achieve greater service reliability in the Columbia area, but would require securing additional funds. Expanding the District’s boundary by annexing parcels in the future could help bring additional funding to the district; however, this could stress the District in its ability to provide services to a larger District as well as having a fiscal impact on adjoining fire operations. As an option, Columbia could contract with the Tuolumne County Fire Department or another Fire District to utilize their personnel. The Columbia Fire Protection District currently operates five fire engines: one Type I, one Type II, one Type III, one Type X and one Type XI. The District also has one Fire Chief’s Command truck. The current firehouse was constructed in 1973 and has a foundation crack along the length of the structure. The rest of the facility is in relatively good condition. The firehouse is owned by the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department Engine Co. No. 1 which rents the building to the Columbia Fire Protection District for $200.00 per month. No property or structures are owned by the Columbia Fire Protection District. Adjacent to the firehouse, to the north, is a small barracks house which is used by the District to provide housing accommodation for firefighters. Expansion of the district boundary for the Columbia Fire Protection District has actively been pursued by District staff over the years and has been included in most future plans prepared by the District. A future expansion of district boundaries, to include a greater number of parcels, would be -1 4- subject to property tax negotiation with the Tuolumne County Fire Department. Jamestown According to the Assistant County Fire Warden, the Jamestown Fire Protection District has adequate equipment for its mission to protect the community of Jamestown and the surrounding area. The Jamestown Fire District station currently houses a Type-1 engine, capable of pumping 1,500 gpm of water. It also houses a Type I engine designed as a reserve. Additionally, volunteers respond throughout the year from this station to emergency incidents. The living quarters for the on-duty personnel are within a leased construction trailer that has been converted into living quarters. The firehouse has two small offices and a kitchen for the firefighters. The District is provided the needed equipment from the County for operations including the Type 1 Engine and related rescue equipment and personal protective equipment. Examples of the rescue equipment include: a modern thermal imager, air bags for pressure lifting heavy objects, automatic defibrillators, Jaws-of-life, and OSHA approved breathing apparatus. Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District’s firehouse is located on State Highway 108 in Sugar Pine. According Latest information provided, the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District is adequately equipped to provide service to its District’s area. Fire hydrants are located throughout the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District. A ladder truck is not utilized due to tall trees in the District that would impede the use of a long ladder. The District operates three fire engines, a command vehicle and two utility vehicles, out of its station. The vehicles are as follows:  C-770 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Plate # 1355535 VIN: 3GCPKSEA9CG108851  E-771 1500 GPM Type 1 Plate # E038641 1996 HITEC VIN: 4S7AT9DOOTC021667  E-774 1008 GPM Type 2 Plate # 450894 1983 Ford VIN: 1FDXK84N5DVA2970  WT-777 3500 Gallon 750 GPM Plate # 1417242 2010 International VIN: 3HSDCSJR3AN223344  U-771 2005 Ford VIN: 7FMPU16525LA80768 Plate # 1385605  U-778 2007 Ford VIN: 1FMFU16537LA42447 Plate # 1385623 The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District hopes funds will become available to purchase one new fire engine, and a new command vehicle in the future. Water Tender service will also be provided by the Tuolumne County Fire Department on an as-needed basis during fire events. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District leases approximately one acre of land located behind the firehouse from CalTrans for parking. Adjacent and to the east of the firehouse is the main fire facilities building where public meetings and most events are held. The District provides a wide variety of emergency services which include structural and wildland fire protection, basic life support emergency medical services, automatic external defibrillation, and vehicle extrication. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District provides fire prevention services to all residents of the District. The District received a grant of $190,000 from Cal Fire SRA Fire Prevention Fund in 2016, which was used to complete fire hazard reduction by clearing brush alongside 21 miles of roads within the District. In collaboration with Cal Fire, with its Volunteers in Prevention (VIP) program, inspectors have completed initial and follow-up defensible space inspections of all residential properties within the District. Twenty (20) citations were issued for non-compliance with defensible space requirements in 2017. -1 5- In 2016, the District received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that funded two full time temporary defensible space inspectors that not only conducted inspections, but also established an inspection program that will continue inspections with exclusively volunteer staff. With grant from the Sonora Area Foundation of 80% of the cost, and the Fire Department Auxiliary providing 20%, the District was able to purchase a Lucas 2 Chest Compression System to be placed on the “first rig out” truck. This is the only fire engine based Lucas, and the only one in operation of the long stretch of Highway 108 from Soulsbyville to the County line to the northeast. This system had been deployed on several occasions and has been credited to saving at least one life. In Fiscal Year 2015/2016, the District received a grant of nearly $5,000 to remove and replace light fixtures in the apparatus building with high efficiency LED bulbs and also install a motion detector. Each year, the District received approximately $20,000 in a grant for volunteer fire assistance. The grant requires the District to provide a 50% match. The District has used this grant funding to purchase Personal Protective Equipment and other items which has saved the District money to use on other critical expanses. None of the structures utilized by any of the special fire districts are listed in the Cultural Resource Survey for Tuolumne County. 5.1.2 Written Determinations Regarding Infrastructure Needs and Deficiencies 1. The Strawberry Fire Protection District works cooperatively with the Tuolumne County Fire Department Station 55 in Pinecrest to provide services within its current district area. The Strawberry Fire Protection District would like to construct a new building in the future in order to store modern fire equipment, house new fire engines, and to have a training and sleeping area for personnel. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared for the replacement of equipment and to construct a new fire department building. 2. The Strawberry Fire Protection District needs to add permanent personnel and new fire engines in the future. Currently, the Strawberry Fire Protection District is contracting with the Twain Harte Community Serviced District for their fire chief. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared to maintain adequate staffing and equipment. 3. The Strawberry Fire Protection District has experienced insufficient fire flow in the Strawberry area in the past; however, the Del Oro Water Company is actively working on increasing water storage capability, replacing water lines and obtaining a reliable source of water for fire protection. 4. The Columbia Fire Protection District wishes to annex parcels and expand their district in the future, in order to fund additional personnel, equipment and provide necessary services in a reliable manner to the Columbia area. A long term fiscal plan addressing impacts to adjoining fire operations, as well as the district’s wishes, shall be prepared prior to any expansion of their district and to ensure adequate staffing, replacement of equipment and overall fire operations. 5. The Jamestown Fire Protection District is currently operated by the Tuolumne County Fire Department through a contract with CalFire for year round staffing. The Jamestown Fire Protection District requires increased revenue to maintain permanent -1 6- staffing and purchase needed equipment for its District. The annexation of parcels or the formation of a Community Services District could help increase revenue. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared prior to the expansion of their district and to ensure adequate staffing and replacement of equipment. 6. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District has a Fire Chief, and has adequate staff and equipment to provide services. Due to a tax measure passed in July 2010, this District is currently solvent; however, funds need to be obtained in the future to purchase new fire engines and support vehicles due to the age and condition of the existing vehicles. Grants have been received to fund special programs, purchase equipment and replace light fixtures. 5.2 Growth and Population Purpose: To evaluate service needs based upon existing and anticipated growth patterns and population projections. 5.2.1 Growth and Population within the Special Fire Districts Lot Status (excluding publicly 2010 Census Registered Special Fire owned parcels) Estimate Voters within Districts (Tuolumne County Assessor’s Population in District Records) District SOI Strawberry Within the Strawberry Fire Protection 67 98± Fire District boundaries, there are Protection approximately 392± private parcels District and a total of 392± private parcels within its Sphere of Influence. Columbia Fire Within the Columbia Fire Protection 430 2,736± Protection District boundaries, there are District approximately 388± private parcels and a total of 1,256± private parcels within its Sphere of Influence. Jamestown Within the Jamestown Fire Protection 400 4,189± Fire District boundaries, there are Protection approximately 374± private parcels District and a total of 1,956± private parcels within its Sphere of Influence. Mi-Wuk/ Within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire 685 1,069± Sugar Protection District boundaries, there Pine Fire are approximately 1,433± private Protection parcels and a total of 1,433± private District parcels within its Sphere of Influence. Many of individuals who reside in the special fire districts are year-round residents; however, there are also numerous seasonal households as well. All the Special Fire Protection Districts have Mutual Aid Agreements which sometimes cause them to serve parcels which lie outside of their respective SOI boundaries. The Strawberry and Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection Districts also maintain Mutual/Automatic Aid Agreements. Many parcels within the Special Fire Protection Districts can potentially be divided and discretionary permits issued for their development. -1 7- 5.2.2 Written Determinations on Growth and Population 1. There is a likelihood of growth in all the special fire districts. 2. In the special fire districts, some parcels can potentially be divided or discretionary permits issued to allow additional development. 5.3 Financial Constraints and Opportunities Purpose: To evaluate factors that affect the financing of needed improvements. 5.3.1 Financial Constraints and Opportunities for Special Fire Districts All of the special fire districts receive a small portion of the County Ad-valorem, State Unitary, State Home taxes and Unsecured Property Taxes, and they will continue to receive these funds in the future. The amount is calculated by the County Auditor-Controller. The estimated income from these taxes for each special fire district for the fiscal year 2017/2018 is as follows: Strawberry Fire Protection District -------------- $67,545 Columbia Fire Protection District ---------------- $52,849 Jamestown Fire Protection District -------------- $93,563 Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District ------$172,465 As the private land within the districts is developed, the income from taxes will increase. The districts do not have any control over the amount of tax increments they receive. In addition to the tax base, the special fire districts are funded through a combination of service charges, governmental grants, community donations, and interest earned on investments. All of the districts track expenditures by receipt and they are reimbursed by the County from the funding account established for each district. The individual property owners within each fire protection district may vote to provide additional funding for the operation of its district. In July 2010 the voters of the District approved a benefit assessment on the habitable properties within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District. Since that time the District has become solvent and the level of service now being offered to residents is at an all time high. The district also receives a distribution of property tax revenue from the Tuolumne County Auditor’s office. The District boundaries for the special fire districts could be expanded in the future through annexations of parcels. Impacts to any such request will require extensive analysis of the impacts to the County and any adjoining districts. The SOI boundaries for the Columbia Fire Protection District and Jamestown Fire Protection District extend beyond the current District boundaries. The Columbia Fire Protection District hopes to annex parcels and expand their district boundary in order to obtain additional revenue for the operation of their district. The Jamestown Fire Protection District does not have adequate revenue to operate without personnel and equipment provided by the County. The Jamestown Fire Protection District could also consider annexation of additional parcels. Annexations need to be negotiated with the County Administration Officer due to the requirement for a property tax transfer agreement. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared prior to any expansion of their districts to assess impacts to the County, any districts and to ensure adequate staffing and replacement of equipment. The SOI and District boundaries currently coincide in the Strawberry Fire Protection District and Mi- Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District. The Strawberry Fire Protection District will require more -1 8- revenue to continue to provide service within its existing district boundaries. Strawberry is hoping to annex parcels adjacent to the District boundaries in the future to not only increase District revenue, but to increase the number of registered voters eligible to participate on the governing board. A special tax measure could be considered for parcels within the Strawberry Fire Protection District, similar to the tax measure passed in the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District in 2010. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared prior to the expansion of their district and ensure adequate staffing and replacement of equipment None of these special fire districts have agreements to provide compulsory service outside of their respective District or SOI boundaries, however, when requested, all of the special fire districts provide mutual aid regardless of jurisdiction. According to Board President Stan Steiner, the Columbia Fire Protection District could provide more reliable service within its district boundaries if revenues for the district were increased. The District struggles with obtaining grant funding since the firehouse they operate out of is not owned by the district. The single largest financial constraint on the Columbia Fire Protection District remains the fact that over half of the legal parcels within the District boundaries are owned by public agencies (such as the Columbia State Historic Park) which are not required to pay property taxes in support of the District. The District would like submit an application to LAFCO in the future to annex additional parcels into the District boundary thereby increasing revenue for the District. Columbia could also ask voters to approve a special tax measure to support the District. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared prior to any expansion of their district and to ensure adequate staffing and replacement of equipment. The Jamestown Fire Protection District is currently operated by Tuolumne County Fire Department through a contractual agreement with CAL FIRE, but maintains an independent district account fund with the County. The Jamestown Fire Protection District uses this account to fund capital improvement projects and to assist with staffing costs. The District station is staffed year round by County firefighters. None of the special fire districts has ever defaulted on any loan payment. Stipends are paid to some of the Board of Directors of the special fire districts as their budgets allow. All of the special fire districts provide minor compensation to their volunteer employees for services rendered. The Tuolumne County Fire Department provides a stipend package for its volunteer firefighters as well as offering financial aid for training at the Columbia College Fire Academy. All of the special fire districts actively pursue governmental grants to provide additional revenue. The most significant costs for the special fire districts in Tuolumne County are related to an aging population requiring more frequent medical response and the simultaneous increase in insurance premiums for medical practitioners which includes firefighters. The Strawberry Fire Protection District has been able to control rising costs by responding only to structural fires within its district boundaries. Although no medical services are provided by the Strawberry Fire Protection District the volunteers for the district are required to be medically trained in basic First Aid to assist their co-volunteers/responders. The Insurance Services Organization (ISO) collects information on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). The ISO then assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) number from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire suppression program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria. By classifying a community’s ability to suppress fires, the ISO helps the communities evaluate its public fire protection services. The program provides an objective, countrywide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. By securing lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities that choose to improve their firefighting services. -1 9- Each of the special fire districts can request a re-evaluation of its respective ISO rating once sufficient documentation has been presented from the district showing that a new assessment is warranted. Only the evaluation request of a lead community official such as a mayor, fire chief, or trustee chairman for a district, will be honored by the ISO. The Strawberry Property Owners Association has expressed a desire that twenty-four hour daily coverage be provided to homeowners in the area for both safety and ISO rating consideration. The current ISO rating for the Special Districts varies depending on whether insured property lies within 1,000 feet of a certified fire hydrant and/or lies within five (5) road miles of the respective district firehouse, fire flow and other factors. The Strawberry Fire Protection District has a split 04/4X ISO rating reflective of these variable location conditions. The nearby Tuolumne County Station 55 at Pinecrest is rated under the Tuolumne County Fire Department (CAL FIRE) ISO rating which is a 4 based upon structure location. Compulsory fire service by homeowners in the Pinecrest area adds another important level of fire protection to residents. The current ISO rating of the Columbia Fire District is 2 since an excellent water supply is available to local fire responders. The current ISO rating for the Jamestown Fire Protection District is 4 and the current ISO rating for the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District is 4. Fifty percent of the ISO ratings for fire districts are weighted against water and fire flow supplies for the evaluated district. 1.3.2 Written Determinations on Financing Constraints and Opportunities 1. The special fire protection districts may adjust services in the future to accommodate more development according to what the General Plan land use designations and zoning within the special fire districts will allow. 2. The funding source for providing fire suppression and emergency services is a portion of the County Ad-valorem, State Unitary, State Home taxes and unsecured property taxes that is calculated by the Tuolumne County Auditor-Controller. 3. All the special fire protection districts receive funding from property values. The Columbia and Jamestown Fire Protection Districts may wish to annex parcels in the future to increase property tax revenues to fund personnel and equipment purchases. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared prior to the expansion of their district and ensure adequate staffing and replacement of equipment. 4. In July 2010, the voters of the District approved a benefit assessment on the habitable properties within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District. Since that time the District has become solvent and the level of service now being offered to residents is at an all-time high. The District has also been able to obtain grants to purchase equipment, fund special programs and change light fixtures. 5.4 Cost Avoidance Opportunities Purpose: To identify practices or opportunities that may help eliminate unnecessary costs. 5.4.1 Cost of Operations for Special Fire Districts Each of the special fire protection districts is managed by an elected Board of Directors which oversees day-to-day operations in concert with district staff. According to planned land uses in the special fire districts and their respective Spheres of Influence, improvements to these districts may be necessary to provide appropriate levels of -2 0- service. According to the Fire Chiefs and Staff of these districts, over the years, each of the special fire protection districts struggled with obtaining adequate levels of funding and qualified personnel. Recent years have seen the pool of qualified firefighting personnel dwindle as training requirements have increased and competitive pay rates have fallen. In July 2010 the voters of the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District approved a benefit assessment on the habitable properties within the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District. Since that time the District has become solvent and the level of service now being offered to residents is at an all time high. A similar parcel tax measure could be attempted by the Strawberry, Columbia or Jamestown Fire Protection Districts to avoid budget deficits in the future. The Jamestown Fire Protection District reduces costs by utilizing County resources and personnel. County personnel are trained to the level of First Responder and equipment provided by the County is current, approved, and interchangeable with the majority of other equipment utilized throughout the state. The Jamestown Fire Protection District operates more effectively with the assistance of the Tuolumne County Fire Department by providing more service to a greater number of residents in the Jamestown area than before the reorganization of the District. The Strawberry Fire Protection District decreases costs by planning and paying for large expenses through grant applications, fundraising and donations in order to accumulate adequate revenue to purchase capital improvements without debt. They also contract with the Twain Harte Community Services District for the use of their fire chief. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared to ensure adequate staffing and replacement of equipment. Each of the special fire districts holds regularly scheduled Board of Directors meetings to review cost-of-operations practices to achieve maximum efficiency. Each of the special fire districts employs a minimum number of qualified employees to provide services. 5.4.2 Written Determinations on Cost Avoidance Opportunities 1. All of the special fire protection districts hold regularly scheduled meetings to review cost-of-operations practices and ways to increase operational efficiency. 2. The special fire districts employ the minimum number of employees required to provide services or contract out for personnel to ensure adequate fire response. 3. The Jamestown Fire Protection District is being operated by the Tuolumne County Fire Department through a contractual agreement with Cal Fire to provide the necessary services to the Jamestown area which reduces costs to operate the District and improve service. The Strawberry Fire Protection District is being operated by personnel from the Twain Harte Community Services District and volunteers. A long term fiscal plan needs to be prepared for several districts to ensure adequate staffing and replacement of equipment. 5.5 Opportunities for Shared Facilities Purpose: To evaluate the opportunities for a jurisdiction to share facilities and resources to develop more efficient service delivery systems. 5.5.1 Opportunities for Special Fire Districts to Share Facilities As shown on the table in Section 3.0 “Existing Municipal Services and Providers,” special districts overlap all of the special fire districts. All of the special fire districts authorized to provide fire suppression and emergency services overlap the Tuolumne County Fire Department jurisdiction. -2 1- These special fire districts could be merged with the Tuolumne County Fire Department and zones of benefit could be created to provide fire suppression and emergency services. The same employees would be providing the same services; however, the Board of Supervisors would be the governing body rather than the district Board of Directors. The merged fire districts could be operated through the formation of a Joint Power Authority (JPA). No recommendations are currently being proposed. An updated Fire Service Review is currently on-going and will be completed in 2019. Another possible option for the Jamestown Fire Protection District, as well as other fire districts, is the establishment of a Community Services District to provide service, if voters in the community were to agree, in order to share services with other Districts within the Jamestown area. The Columbia Fire Protection District has shared facilities with the Tuolumne County Fire Department in the past, but is not currently pursuing this course of action. If the County Fire Department aides with the operation of the Columbia Fire Protection District, the cost of operations could decrease for the District. Assessment of any such changes will require extensive analysis. LAFCO does not provide these functions. The Strawberry Fire Protection District does not have many options to share facilities due to its remote geographical location and the lack of other municipal service districts in the area; however proposing an election to create a new parcel tax would aid in the operation of the Strawberry Fire Protection District. The District would also desire to annex the Strawberry Ridge area to expand their District and increased revenue. The Strawberry Fire Protection District is currently utilizing the Twain Harte Community Service District fire chief to ensure adequate fire response in their District, along with volunteer fire fighters. The Tuolumne County Fire Station 55 at Pinecrest would need to obtain permits from the USFS to expand their service area and people who lease land in the Pinecrest area are likely to vote against any measure which could potentially decrease their ISO rating. Strawberry could contract to share personnel and equipment with Station 55 to better serve this geographic area of the County. The Jamestown Fire Protection District has the most options to share facilities with other special districts since its district boundaries are overlaid by the Jamestown Sanitary District, the Jamestown Lighting District, the Jamestown Cemetery District, Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District, and County Service Are No. 21 which provides ambulance service. The establishment of a Community Services District for Jamestown has been discussed in recent years. The Jamestown Fire Protection District is currently operated by the Tuolumne County Fire Department through a contractual agreement with CAL FIRE. The Chief of the District is the CAL FIRE Unit/Tuolumne County Fire Chief Josh White. The Assistant Chief is Andrew Murphy. A proposed new firehouse for the Jamestown Fire Protection District was discussed in 2005, in conjunction with the Dry Creeks Subdivision approved by the Board of Supervisors on Golf Links Road. The potential construction of a new firehouse in the Golf Links Road area in the future could result in the transformation of the Jamestown Fire Protection District firehouse into a maintenance and auxiliary support station, providing improved response time and coverage. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District is too far from current Community Services Districts to be annexed and since the Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District, TUD, and County Service Area No. 21 are the only special districts overlaying the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District, it would not provide much benefit to establish a Community Services District in that area. 5.5.2 Written Determinations on Opportunities for Shared Facilities 1. There are not many opportunities for the Strawberry Fire Protection District to share facilities with other agencies. Station 55 at Pinecrest is located within the same -2 2- geographic area and is operated by the Tuolumne County Fire Department. For full time staffing, the Strawberry Fire Protection District could propose an election to create a new parcel tax for the operation of its District, or this District could be operated by the County to reduce personnel expenses. 2. The Columbia Fire Protection District could consider sharing facilities with the Tuolumne County Fire Department or CAL FIRE to provide service to the Columbia area and thus reduce its operating costs. 3. The Jamestown Fire Protection District could be considered for inclusion in the formation of a Community Services District if one is established for Jamestown. 4. There are not many opportunities for the Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District to share facilities. 5. These special fire districts could be merged with the Tuolumne County Fire Department and zones of benefit could be created to provide fire suppression and emergency services. The same employees would be providing the same services; however, the Board of Supervisors would be the governing body rather than the district Board of Directors. The merged fire districts could be operated through the formation of a JPA. 5.6 Government Structure Options Purpose: To consider the advantages and disadvantages of various government structures that could provide public services. 5.6.1. Special Fire Districts’ Governmental Structure The special fire districts in Tuolumne County are operated with input provided by the district Board of Directors and staff, and funding provided through individual property taxes. The other forms of government that can provide fire protection and suppression services are a Community Services District and the creation of a contractual relationship with the County and CAL FIRE to provide services. These contracts with the County for CAL FIRE response services, known as Schedule A Agreements, cost an average of $875,000.00 a year to implement. The Jamestown Fire Protection District is currently operating under a Schedule A Agreement with the County to provide service to its district area. The Strawberry Fire Protection District and Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District do not have many options available to change their governmental structure due to their remote locations. The Jamestown Fire Protection District and Columbia Fire Protection District could consider reorganization into a Community Services District combining the services provided by multiple districts into one. Such dissolution and establishment actions are consistent with LAFCO reorganization laws but would need to be approved by voters before implementation. Tuolumne County is in the process of preparing a draft 2018 First Responder and EMS Study. The outcome of this Study and the draft findings of the Study may be modified following review by the affected Fire Districts. Specific information for the Study in process was not available at the time of preparation of this Municipal Service Review. 4.6.2 Written Determinations on Government Structure Options 1. The Strawberry Fire Protection District and Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection -2 3- District do not have many options available to change their governmental structure due to their remote locations. 2. The Jamestown Fire Protection District and Columbia Fire Protection District could consider reorganization into Community Services Districts combining the services provided by multiple districts into one. 3. The formation of a Single County-Wide Fire System, governance most likely through a Joint Powers Authority (JPA), and eliminating the special fire districts would allow increased operational efficiency of the Tuolumne County Fire and First Responder System and reduce overall costs of operating this system. 5.7 Management Efficiencies Purpose: To evaluate the management capabilities of the organization. 5.7.1 Special Fire Protection District Management In evaluating the subject special fire protection districts capability to respectively serve the existing and proposed Spheres of Influence areas, LAFCO can examine the special fire protection districts ability to maintain management and budget efficiencies over their existing lands. All of the special fire protection districts have an elected Board of Directors available to their constituents at regularly scheduled meetings. There are notifications to property owners in active special fire districts concerning the operation of the respective special fire protection districts and special elections are held when needed. The Board of Directors for the special fire districts strive for maximum budget efficiency through the budget preparation process and maintain a balanced budget. All of the special fire protection districts provide regular safety training to their employees and follow the National Fire Protection Association standards for fire protection services. The Tuolumne County Fire Department provides 200 hours of training annually to its employees. The personnel of the special fire districts can attend this training. Tracking of employee workload and incidents is standard operating procedure for all of the special fire protection districts. The Fire Districts all have well qualified fire chiefs who work efficiently with the staff and equipment provided. All of the special fire protection districts train with other government agencies in order to provide more efficient service within their respective district boundaries. 5.7.2 Written Determinations on Management Efficiencies 1. The Boards of Directors for the special fire protection districts are available to their constituents. 2. It is reasonable to conclude that management is efficient in the special fire protection districts. 3. The Strawberry Fire Protection District needs to hire additional qualified full and part- time employees in the future. Currently, they have a contract with the Twain Harte Community Services District for a fire chief. -2 4- 5.8 Local Accountability and Governance Purpose: To evaluate the accessibility and levels of public participation associated with the agency’s decision-making and management processes. 5.8.1 Special Fire Protection District Public Participation LAFCO may consider the agency’s record of local accountability in its management of community affairs. As mentioned in Section 5.7.1, there is notification to property owners in active special fire protection districts concerning the operation of the respective special fire districts. Notice of activities for the Columbia Fire Protection District, Jamestown Fire Protection District, and Mi- Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District are posted in the local paper. The Strawberry Fire Protection District posts its notice as required by the Brown Act. A notice is also posted on a sign outside the District’s station. Budget funding is performed by the Board of Directors for each of the special fire districts except Jamestown Fire Protection District whose funding is managed by the Tuolumne County Fire Department. The public may attend any Board of Directors meeting for the special fire districts and present their concerns and they may contact the respective district personally or by phone as well. Minutes and agendas for Board of Directors meetings for the special fire protection districts are available to the public and posted according to Brown Act regulations. The Strawberry Fire Protection District holds regular Board of Directors meetings on the third Thursday of the month at 5:00 p.m. The meetings are held at the District Fire Station in Strawberry. During inclement weather, meetings can be held at TCFD Station 55 in Pinecrest. The Columbia Fire Protection District holds regular Board of Directors meetings at its district firehouse on the third Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. The district firehouse is located at 11328 Jackson Street in Columbia. The Jamestown Fire Protection District holds regular Board of Directors meetings every six months at its district firehouse located at 18249 Fourth Avenue in Jamestown. Meetings are generally held at 5:00 p.m. and notification is sent to the local paper for posting three days in advance once the date is determined. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District holds regular Board of Directors meetings the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. The meetings are held at the District firehouse located at 24251 Highway 108 in the community of Mi-Wuk. The Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District promotes public participation by advertising on the sign in front of their station on State Highway 108. Many residents in these special fire protection districts are not actively involved in their operations since they live in Tuolumne County only part of the year while vacationing. All of the special fire protection districts receive modest donations of time and material from the community and in return the Districts often sponsor local parades, charity events, and educational opportunities for the community. 5.8.2 Written Determinations on Local Accountability and Governance 1. All of the special fire protection districts conduct business during regularly scheduled meetings which are open to the public in accordance with the Brown Act, and members of the public may contact the fire district to personally voice their concerns. -2 5- 2. The Strawberry Fire Protection District, Columbia Fire Protection District, Jamestown Fire Protection District and Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District could consider utilizing customer surveys to increase public participation. 5.9 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities (DUC) Section 56430(a)(2) of the Government Code requires that LAFCO include in a Municipal Service Review, a description of the location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the Sphere of Influence. Section 56425(e)(5) further requires LAFCO to adopt additional determinations for an update of a Sphere of Influence of a Special District that provides public facilities and services related to sewer, water or fire protection. For an update of a Sphere of Influence of a special district that provides public facilities or services related to sewers, municipal or industrial water, or structural fire protection, the present and probable need for these public facilities or services of any Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities within the Sphere of Influence must be considered. A written statement of LAFCO’s determination must be adopted. Section 65302.10(a) defines a Disadvantaged Unincorporated Community as a fringe, island of legacy community in which the median household income is 80% or less of the Statewide median household income. An unincorporated legacy community is a geographically isolated community that is inhabited and has existed for at least 50 years. 5.9.1 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities within the Special Fire Districts The Strawberry, Columbia, Jamestown and Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection Districts service the following areas: County Service Service Area Location Areas Strawberry The community of Strawberry Encompasses the community Fire Protection District on State Highway 108 of Strawberry and surrounding area. Columbia The community of Columbia Encompasses the community Fire Protection east to Big Hill Road and along of Columbia and surrounding Parrotts Ferry Road to area. District Highway 49. Jamestown Fire The community of Jamestown Encompasses the community Protection District along Highway 108. of Jamestown and surrounding area. Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine The communities of Mi-Wuk Encompasses the communities Fire Protection District and Sugar Pine along Highway of Mi-Wuk and Sugar Pine, and 108 approximately 2 miles surrounding areas. northeast of Twain Harte. The 2016-2017 Census data indicates that the median household income for the State of California is $63,783 per year. 80% of the Statewide income is $51,024.80 per year. If the median household income for a community is less than 80% of the State wide median household income, the -2 6- community is classified as a Disadvantaged Unincorporated Community (DUC). If the community is also geographically isolated, is inhabited and has existed for at least 50 years it is an unincorporated legacy community. The 2016-2017 Census data indicates that the following communities inside the special fire protection district boundaries are a Census Designated Place (CDP) and have the following median household incomes: COMMUNITY MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD Disadvantaged INCOME Unincorporated Community? Strawberry 41,250 YES Columbia 43,250 YES Jamestown 36,923 YES Mi-Wuk/ Sugar Pine 78,878 NO The Census Data indicates that the communities of Columbia, Jamestown, and Strawberry are Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities (DUCs) due to having less than 80% of the Statewide median household income; however, the Mi-Wuk/ Sugar Pine is not such a community. 5.9.2 Present and Planned Capacity of Public Facilities in Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities Section 56425(e)(5) requires LAFCO to adopt additional determinations for an update of a Sphere of Influence of a Special District that provides public facilities and services related to sewer, water or fire protection. The special fire protection districts do not provide sewer or water services; however, these special fire districts were created to provide emergency services which include structural and wildland fire protection, basic life support emergency medical services, automatic external defibrillation, vehicle extrication and rope rescue services. The service areas within each District’s boundary and Sphere of Influence are as follows: Number of Number of Special Fire District private Area within Area within private parcels in District SOI parcels in District SOI Strawberry 392 392 402± acres 402± acres Fire Protection District Columbia 388 1,256 626± acres 3,732± acres Fire Protection District Jamestown Fire 374 1,956 181± acres 3,741± acres Protection District The population in the Sphere of Influence is approximately 98 for the Strawberry Fire Protection District, 2,736 for the Columbia Fire Protection District and 4,189 for the Jamestown Fire Protection District; however, the population of these districts can be greater in the summer months due to many vacation homes in these areas, especially Strawberry which may increase to a vacation population of 1,000 people. The communities of Strawberry, Columbia and Jamestown have been identified as Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities (DUCs) where the median household income is less than 80% of the State wide median household income. The special fire protection districts provide services to these disadvantaged unincorporated communities at very low cost to property owners, residents and visitors of these areas. -2 7- 5.9.3 Written Determinations Regarding Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities: 1. The communities of Strawberry, Columbia, and Jamestown have been identified as Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities within the Special Fire Districts. 2. The special fire protection districts located in these disadvantaged unincorporated communities do not provide sewers, municipal or industrial water; however, these Districts were created to provide emergency services which include structural and wildland fire protection, basic life support emergency medical services, automatic external defibrillation, vehicle extrication and rope rescue services. 3. The special fire protection districts are currently providing structural and wildland fire protection, basic life support emergency medical services and other emergency services at low cost to property owners, residents and visitors within their Districts. -2 8- REFERENCES Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO): 1980 “Sphere of Influence for Tuolumne County” 1985 “Updated Sphere of Influence for Tuolumne County” 2013 Municipal Service Review for the Strawberry, Columbia, Jamestown and Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection Districts, March 2013 Strawberry Fire Protection District, Request for Information for Municipal Service Reviews, March 2018, prepared by Dee Jackson-Martin and Karrie Lynn Mathson. Columbia Fire Protection District, Request for Information for Municipal Service Reviews, May 2018, prepared by Tuolumne County Community Resources Agency staff with aid from the Columbia District volunteer firefighters and Tuolumne County Fire Department Chief Paul Avila. Jamestown Fire Protection District, Request for Information for Municipal Service Reviews, April 2018, prepared by Tuolumne County Fire Department Chief Paul Avila. Updated March 2019 by Assistant Chief Andrew Murphy. Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District, Request for Information for Municipal Service Reviews, March 2018, prepared by Fire Chief Larry Crabtree. Updated by Chief McClintock February 2019. Tuolumne County Fire Protection Districts, Financial Statement and County Auditor’s Report for the fiscal year 2016/2017. Mi-Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District, Treasurers Report and Budget for 2016/2017. Strawberry Fire Protection District Budget Estimate for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Highway 108 FireSafe Council, Inc., Tuolumne County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) December 12, 2004 Health and Safety Code Section 13800-13960 United States Government Code Sections 61100-61107 United States 2010 Census United States 2016 Fact Finder Demographic and Household Information California State Board of Equalization Tuolumne County, Tuolumne County General Plan, December 26, 1996. Tuolumne County, Tuolumne County General Plan, Housing Element, June 2016. Tuolumne County, Tuolumne County Ordinance Code, Title 17 County of Tuolumne Community Resources Agency, Geographic Information System Fire Prevention Division Auditor-Controller Elections Office Archives S:\Commissions\LAFCO\2018 Municipal Service Reviews\Combined 4 Fire Districts MSR\Combined Special Fire Districts 2018MSR.doc -2 9- COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE COLUMBIA FIRE ENGINE BAYS -3 0- JAMESTOWN FIREHOUSE MI-WUK/SUGAR PINE FIREHOUSE -3 1- STRAWBERRY FIREHOUSE -3 2-