Cloverdale Fire Protection District
The Cloverdale Fire Protection District (CFPD) covers an area of 76 square miles, bordering on Sonoma County’s northern boundary and encompassing the City of Cloverdale (2.7 square miles) in addition to unincorporated areas (see Figure ). It provides fire protection services to a population of 11,500.
The District has had difficulty obtaining sufficient funding to meet the demands of new growth. Renegotiation of its property tax sharing arrangement with the City of Cloverdale could help address the District’s financial situation.
GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS
CFPD was formed in 1996. Prior to 1996, the County provided fire protection services under contract with the City of Cloverdale. The Fire Protection District was formed in order to stabilize funding from the County for services previously provided by the City of Cloverdale Fire Department to CSA 39 by contract. The District provides services that include fire suppression, rescue, EMT response, fire prevention, and public education. CFPD has a staff of 3 paid sworn firefighters, 2 support administrative staff, and 20 volunteer firefighters, as well as 2 full-time firefighters provided by CDF under an Amador contract. It is directed by its own five-member Board of Directors, which meets the second Monday of each month at the Fire Station. Meetings are open to the public. The District also publishes fire safety news and information in the local newspaper.
CFPD’s revenue comes in part from a percentage of property taxes, which account for around 20 percent of total revenue. Other revenues include a $22-per-unit special assessment and fees for service. Funds to support the cost of fire service in the District’s unincorporated area are provided through a share of property taxes. Funds to support the cost of fire service within the incorporated boundaries of the City of Cloverdale are provided through a negotiated Settlement Agreement with a fixed dollar amount provided by the City to the District on an annual basis. This settlement agreement will expire in 2007 and will be renegotiated in the near future. CFPD also receives impact fees, collected by the City of Cloverdale at the rate of $987 per residential unit and $0.62 per commercial square foot. The District is carrying about $500,000 in debt on
apparatus leases, to be paid out of the budget’s capital apparatus fund. In FY 04-05, CFPD budgeted $967,000 in operating expenditures (including $28,750 in appropriations for contingency), with reserves equal to approximately 10 percent of that total.
The District relies on a consultant’s study addressing service requirements through 2011 as its Master Plan. However, the District is in the process of updating this plan in cooperation with the City of Cloverdale; a Request for Proposal (RFP) has already been prepared for a public safety Master Plan to be undertaken jointly with the City and the Cloverdale Health Care District.
In addition to its contract with CDF, CFPD has automatic aid agreements with Geyserville and Hopland. Cooperative arrangements with the City of Cloverdale include the joint Master Plan and a shared public safety facility.
INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES, AND SERVICES
CFPD’s ISO rating is 4 with access to public water and 8 without. Its average response time within the City is approximately five minutes. CFPD responds to approximately 900 calls each year, of which about 70 percent generally come from within City limits.
The District’s facilities and equipment include one utility vehicle, one combination water tender/pumper, one interface engine, one rescue engine, and three city fire engines. Equipment is housed in a building located at 116 Broad Street in Cloverdale. This facility, built in 1978, is shared with the Cloverdale Police Department; the Fire Protection District occupies around 5,500 square feet of the building, with the Police Department occupying the remaining 1,500 square feet. According to the District, a 1992 study by Hughes, Heiss, and Associates determined that this facility was undersized and inadequate. Recent seismic retrofitting improved the existing facility’s earthquake safety; according to the District, however, these measures have not brought the building up to the standard recommended by a structural engineer. CFPD has secured a vacant lot suitable for the construction of a new fire station, but has not succeeded in obtaining funding for construction, despite efforts that included a general obligation bond measure (April 2002) and an attempt to create an assessment district (July 2003). The first of these two measures lost by a narrow margin, receiving 62 percent approval rather than the required two-thirds.
FIRE PROTECTION DEMAND AND CAPACITY
The City of Cloverdale is among the fastest growing communities in Sonoma County. The Sonoma County PRMD projects that the Cloverdale Urban Service Area’s population will grow by 4,148, to 11,200, between 2000 and 2020 – an annual increase of almost 3 percent. The population of the rural northeast area (i.e., the unincorporated area outside the City USA) is expected to grow by 1,561 during the same period, an annual increase of 1.37 percent.
Increases in the demand for services have made it difficult for CFPD to provide adequate fire protection. An Amador Contract for two full-time firefighters from CDF has allowed the District to provide adequate services in recent years. The costs of this contract have risen rapidly; last year, the District depended on a $48,000 contribution from the City of Cloverdale in order to pay for CDF support. CDF charges are expected to reach even higher levels next year. The City of Cloverdale has agreed to provide funding assistance for 2004-05, but, according to the City’s RFP for an updated master needs assessment, this could be the last year that the District is able to contract with CDF.
The lack of adequate revenue places limits on the District’s capacity to expand services. CFPD does not get pass-through funds from property taxes on areas annexed by the City, but instead receives a fixed amount, unadjusted for inflation or growth. The District believes this arrangement has contributed to its difficulty in financing the new facilities and staff required to serve new development. The District and City are currently discussing this issue and plan to renegotiate the arrangement following the completion of the joint public safety Master Plan.
The demand from one fire department to another varies significantly. The table below provides a snap shot on the calls for service for the department.
Emergency Incident ActivityStructure Fire Res. / Structure Fire Com. / Medical Aid / Vehicle Accident / Vehicle Fire / Vehicle Accident: Extrication / Outside: Trash, Dumpster / Wildland / Auto Fire Alarm / Other / Total
2009
2010
2011
Total
% / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / %
Cumulative Total
% / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / %
Figure:Cloverdale Fire Protection District Sphere of Influence
DETERMINATIONS – Draft 2013
Growth and population projections for the affected area.
The City of Cloverdale and its surrounding areas, which is served by CFPD, are among Sonoma County’s fastest growing communities, with a population projected to increase at a rate of almost 2.02 percent annually between 2000 and 2020 or 45 percent.
The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence.
In Sonoma County the State Department of Water Resources and Sonoma LAFCO has designated, Boyes Hot Springs, Cazadero, Glen Ellen, Guerneville, Monte Rio, Temelec and Valley Ford as “disadvantaged unincorporated communities”.
None of the “disadvantaged unincorporated communities” are located in the district.
Present and planned capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services, including infrastructure needs or deficiencies
The District operates a new state o the art fire station at 451 S. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale CA.
Financial ability of agencies to provide services
Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities
Auto-Aid agreements with Gyserville, Healdsburg and Cal Fire and Windsor in various locations in the District.
Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and operational efficiencies
Cloverdale Fire Protection District’s five-member Board of Directors meets publicly the second Monday of each month at the fire station. The District also publishes fire safety news and information in the local newspaper.
Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by commission policy
None