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Staff proposes fully staffing Fire Station 8; recommends raising residential fire assessment
Summary
Staff recommended fully staffing Fire Station 8 — 12 firefighters plus supervisory EMS positions — at an estimated $3.8M and proposed raising the residential non ad valorem fire assessment from $155 to $224 to fund the change, while reworking commercial charge methodology.
City staff proposed a plan to bring Fire Station 8 up to full constant staffing during a budget workshop June 18, saying that change would increase public-safety capacity for downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.
Deputy City Manager/CFO Mr. Zervis described the staffing proposal as an increase of service and told the council "this is about a $3,800,000 cost." Staff detailed the requested hires as 12 firefighters, 4 lieutenants, 4 EMS captains and one vehicle technician to make Station 8 comparable to other stations in constant staffing capability.
To pay for the new staffing and organizational changes, staff presented preliminary fire-assessment scenarios. Mike Middleman outlined a model that would raise the residential fire assessment from $155 to $224 and change the way commercial and industrial properties are charged (moving from tiered square-footage categories to a flat amount per square foot). "These, again, are preliminary numbers," Middleman said, adding that staff is still finalizing the study and must follow statutory requirements for equitable cost allocation based on calls for service.
Staff said the adjusted fee structure could shift some of the costs off small businesses and toward residential parcels because the allocation is being recalculated by calls for service, not simply by building size. Middleman also said the city is required to show the equitable allocation under law as part of the assessment study.
Council discussion included requests for follow-up analysis and stakeholder outreach. Council members noted that the city's residential assessment is lower than many nearby municipalities and asked staff to brief the Chamber and other business groups. Staff emphasized the numbers are preliminary, will be refined with final tax-roll and property-appraiser data, and that any change would be subject to required notice and public hearings before implementation.
Next steps: Staff will continue to refine the assessment study, return with final calculations and schedule public hearings as required before any fee change is adopted.
