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Fairview advisory members weigh creating new fire district, annexation and other fire-service options
Summary
Committee discussion centered on whether to keep the current contract, form a new fire district, rejoin Fire District 10 or pursue annexation to Clackamas Fire; staff said Fairview likely needs at least two more stations and expects the fire-subcommittee study to wrap up by this fall.
Fairview's Public Safety Advisory Committee spent a major portion of its meeting reviewing options for providing fire service to the city and debating how to pay for better coverage.
Staff member (S2) told the committee the city's current contract model has become increasingly expensive and reiterated that Fairview likely needs at least two more fire stations to meet coverage goals. S2 said the council and subcommittee are comparing four broad options: maintain the status quo and renegotiate contract terms, stand up a new fire district, re-enter Fire District 10, or annex into Clackamas Fire District. "We need at least two more fire stations to really cover our area," S2 said, adding that each option carries different costs, governance implications and setup timelines.
S2 described the city's recent five-year contract and noted the city's share of costs has moved from roughly $1.4 million in 2024 toward amounts staff described as about $1.95 million in the current contract year and an estimated $2.1 million for the next year; the transcript contained partial, garbled figures, which the committee described as approximate. Committee members emphasized the trade-offs: creating a new district would mean significant startup investment (apparatus, buildings, personnel), while annexation to Clackamas could be less expensive but requires negotiation of logistical interoperability (computer-aided dispatch access, shared records) and public approval.
Committee member (S4) urged the panel to evaluate capacity and readiness, noting Fire District 10 still exists but operates at a very small scale. "They have a couple of stations but very few full-time staff," S2 summarized; committee members said district 10 would require heavy investment to take on expanded service.
The committee agreed to continue studying the options. S2 said the fire-subcommittee aims to produce a formal study or recommendation by this fall to allow each city council to consider a path forward. No formal vote or council decision was taken at the committee meeting.
Background: committee members said the fire-subcommittee includes city managers and elected officials from several cities and consultants; any change that creates or materially alters a district would require additional legal steps and voter approval where statutorily required.
What happens next: staff will continue the study, bring more precise cost estimates and operational analyses to future meetings, and invite technical experts where needed.
