11-23-10 Public Safety CommitteeMinutes
Public Safety Committee Meeting
November 23, 2010
Elected Officials Present: Council Member D. J. Wilson, Committee
Chair
Mayor Mike Cooper
Staff Present: Fire Chief Ed Widdis
Fire Marshal John Westfall
The meeting was called to order by Chair Wilson at 5:35 p.m.
Discussion commenced surrounding the processes, procedures, tax implications
and benefits of sole -provider Fire services program reverse annexation
compared with Regional Fire Authority (RFA).
Chief Widdis provided an information packet comparing these two entities. A Fire
Benefits Service charge is important in leveling residential property taxes across
such a district. Reverse annexation allows cities and districts to annex into a
single department. Both city and district entities must pass majority vote to create
reverse annexation to a Fire Department or District.
The RFA is a special purpose district created by the vote of the people residing in
the proposed district. RFA requires simple majority vote within the boundaries
and is an independent taxing authority. The steps to form a district include the
creation of a planning committee to draft a regional fire protection service
authority plan. The planning committee is composed of elected officials
appointed by the governing bodies of each of the participating fire protection
jurisdictions.
The Chief explained with an approved plan, the governing bodies of fire
protection jurisdictions may certify the plan to the ballot and put the plan before
the voters for their approval or rejection. A single ballot measure with majority of
the votes will approve formation of the authority and the plan. The governing
board of the authority is determined by the plan and the elected officials serving
as board members are responsible for the execution of the voter -approved plan.
Participating jurisdictions must review the plan every ten years.
Mayor Cooper commented upon his intention to bring area mayors together in
January 2011 to discuss and develop an area RFA concept.
Action: Schedule additional special Public Safety Committee meeting to further
discuss the benefits of Reverse Annexation and RFA.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
Public Safety Committee Meeting
Novermber 23, 2010
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