Bothell studies future of fire services; council asks for financial, level‑of‑service comparisons

Bothell city staff and legal and fire partners briefed council on options for the future of City of Bothell fire services at a study session on March 10. The session summarized prior steps (interim chief, RFP for administrative leadership), described the existing administrative services arrangement with Shoreline Fire and reviewed regional trends toward RFAs.

Presenters included City Manager Kyle, Danna Gregory of Pacifica Law Group (municipal finance counsel), and Chief Matt Cowan (Shoreline Fire). Staff described the goals driving the review: maintain or improve response times, ensure long‑term financial sustainability, provide stable executive leadership, and adapt to projected growth and regional coordination needs.

Key facts and data presented: - Incidents have risen about 13% over the last five years (~3.4% annual average), with around 74–78% of calls being medical/EMS responses. (staff presentation) - Bothell's comprehensive plan projects substantial population and housing growth by 2044; staff noted that growth will place additional demand on response capacity. - Shoreline and legacy Northshore consolidated into a regional fire authority (RFA) in early 2025 (voter approval reported at roughly 67.5%).

Staff outlined four practical paths to consider: stay independent and expand, negotiate a longer‑term services/administrative contract, join an existing RFA (for example the Shoreline/Northshore RFA), or pursue formation of a new RFA (would require a willing partner and voter approval). Chief Cowan and counsel described governance questions tied to joining an RFA and noted the importance of representation on a governing board; staff said seats for elected officials or other forms of local representation are among the governance arrangements under discussion.

Council members pressed for two analyses before any direction: (1) a financial comparison that quantifies direct taxpayer impacts (property tax/levy and possible fire benefit charge scenarios), and (2) level‑of‑service projections showing how each option would affect response times and operational reliability — particularly in Bothell's south end where current travel times are longest. Chief Cowan also estimated an illustrative capital cost example: building a new south‑end station as a standalone city project could raise local costs noticeably (staff cited roughly 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for a 10‑year bond as a rough order of magnitude), whereas spreading that capital across a larger RFA might lower the per‑thousand cost (he cited rough ballpark figures in the 5–7 cents per $1,000 range when amortized across a larger authority). Staff stressed these were high‑level examples and that a detailed financial/fire benefit charge analysis would be required.

Several council members and the chief also highlighted operational strain from the current interim administrative arrangement: Shoreline's chief is serving both organizations under the interim approach and staff said that arrangement is not indefinitely sustainable. Councilors sought to retain local accountability and a council voice in any governance structure and repeatedly asked that proposed governance models include clear representation for Bothell.

Next steps: Council asked staff to return with a comparative financial analysis (including fire benefit charge options), projections of level‑of‑service impacts for each path, and scenario timelines for public engagement and possible ballot measures. Staff also said they would explore outreach to other nearby cities (including Kirkland) to determine willingness to partner and would coordinate possible joint meetings with Shoreline's governance entities if council wants that engagement.