City of San Carlos
City Council Staff Report
Council Meeting Date: January 18, 2006
Item Title: Consideration of a Proposed 2x2 Committee of the San Carlos and Belmont City Councils for Discussion of South County Fire Authority.
Recommendation:
That the City Council determine its interest in participating in a “2x2” Committee with representatives from the Belmont City Council for purposes of maintaining the South County Fire Authority.
Fiscal Implications:
There is no financial impact on the City Budget to participate in the “2x2”committee meetings. The City’s 2005-06 budget for Fire Services includes over $4.8 million for the City of San Carlos 50% share of funding the South County Fire Authority. San Carlos has received contract proposals from the three neighboring Fire Departments for the provision of fire services to San Carlos for a cost ranging from $3.7 million to $6.3 million. One of the suggested reasons for forming the proposed 2x2 committee is to evaluate means by which South County Fire can be maintained and funded in roughly its current configuration.
Background:
The City of Belmont submitted a notice of its intent to withdraw from South County Fire in December, 2004 (Attachment 1). The City of San Carlos City Council subsequently held a meeting on that matter and elected to file a comparable withdrawal letter later that month (Attachment 2). Since that time, each City has been independently pursuing proposals for the provision of fire protection services.
The City of Belmont, at its regular meeting of January 10, 2006, proposed that a 2x2 Committee be established for purposes of considering options to maintain the South County Fire Authority. Belmont appointed Mayor Phillip Mathewson and Council Member Dave Warden as its representatives to this Committee.
The concept was discussed at the South County Fire Authority Board meeting of January 11 with Board Member Grocott advising that the City of San Carlos was scheduling a Special City Council Meeting to consider the 2x2 concept.
South County Board Members Grocott and Warden indicated during the South County meeting that they have been discussing means by which South County Fire might be reconfigured and funded. Staff understands that Chuc Lowden and Finance Director Thomas Fil have been included in some of these discussions.
As outlined at the South County Fire Meeting discussion points for the 2x2 committee could include these topics:
- Negotiating a revised South County Fire Joint Powers Authority Agreement (JPA) between the Cities of San Carlos and Belmont
- Staffing levels for the South County Fire Authority
- Harbor Industrial Area (HIA) annexation & financial implications to the South County Fire Authority
- Assessment District funding options
- Funding formula (i.e., alternatives to the current 50/50 split between the two cities)
- South County JPA structure (i.e., “weak JPA” vs. “strong JPA”)
- Unfunded liabilities of the South County Fire Authority
- Labor negotiations
- Management Structure (Fire Chief reporting directly to the Fire Authority Board; removing the City Managers from the Authority’s management structure, etc.)
- Hazardous Materials Team services cost reimbursement
As proposed, Fire Chief Chuc Lowden would be asked to serve as facilitator for the meetings.
Belmont has established February 18 as the cutoff date for deciding whether to move forward with efforts to maintain the South County Fire Authority, select an alternative provider from a neighboring Fire Department or form a City of Belmont Fire Department. The Belmont City Manager has suggested afternoon/evening meetings on January 25 or 26 for the first 2x2 meeting. There is a SBWMA meeting scheduled for the afternoon of January 26 which would conflict on that date.
Finally, Brown Act considerations may be a factor in structuring and holding 2x2 committee meetings on this matter. The City Council may form ad hoc committees that are not subject to all notice and reporting requirements. Committee members will need to be cognizant of their role on the larger City Council and/or South County Fire Boards, however, and guard against potential violations.
Alternatives:
Options for the City Council to consider on this proposal include:
- Designate 2 City Council Members as an Ad Hoc City Council Committee to meet with 2 City of Belmont City Council Members in the proposed 2x2 format and identify potential meeting times; or
- Request a joint meeting of the full City Councils of each City to discuss the South County JPA; or
- Authorize the current San Carlos representatives on the South County Fire Authority Board to serve as the City’s representatives for purposes of these discussions (i.e., perhaps via Special or Regular Meetings of the South County Fire Authority Board); or
- Request that the discussion points outlined above be presented to the full City Council for review and discussion as a pre-cursor to participating in either a 2x2 committee or joint City Council meeting; or
- Opt not to participate in the 2x2 Committee; or
- Provide staff with alternative direction.
Respectfully submitted,
Brian Moura, Assistant City Manager
Approved for submission by:
Mark Weiss, City Manager
Attachment 1: Belmont’s Withdrawal letter from South County Fire Authority JPA
Attachment 2: San Carlos City Council Resolution Terminating JPA Agreement
