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Commissioners briefed on updated fee-in-lieu option for fire-district inclusion zones
Summary
County attorney presented an update to an existing resolution that clarifies options for properties in unserved areas to join fire districts or pay a one-time fee-in-lieu; the update only adjusts the fee for inflation and staff recommended approval, but commissioners did not vote during the session.
Elbert County Attorney told commissioners the county’s existing inclusion process for properties outside established fire-district service areas now includes an updated fee-in-lieu that reflects inflation since the rule was last adjusted.
The policy provides two pathways for property owners in so-called noninclusion zones: property owners may either petition to join the adjacent fire district and pay the associated mill levy or, for certain residential building scenarios, pay a one-time fee in lieu of joining the district. The attorney said the fee-in-lieu is intended to be a roughly equivalent charge adjusted to maintain parity with the earlier approval and that the only substantive change in the draft resolution was updating the dollar amount for inflation.
Attorney Bart Grama explained that although unserved areas are rare, fires still occur there and nearby fire districts often respond because of mutual aid and the risk of fire spread. He said no property owners have yet used the fee-in-lieu option; in practice, those affected have instead joined the districts.
"Really, the only change between this and what was previously approved is the fee that was ... adjusted for what inflation has been over the last several years since it's last been updated," Grama said, recommending approval to keep the fee level roughly equivalent to the prior policy.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions; County Assessor Susan Murphy asked whether the fee would be a one-time charge or an annual obligation. Grama replied it is a one-time fee unless a catastrophic event consumed the fee and it needed to be replenished. No formal vote was recorded on the resolution during the work-study session; staff said they expect to present the resolution for formal board action at a future public meeting.
