Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFA 2015-11-05 Item 2 - Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee RecommendationRegional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Recommendation March 2015 - November 2015 To: Mayor Haggerton & Tukwila City Council From: Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Date: November 5, 2015 Subject: Potential annexation to the Kent regional fire authority Recommendation Issue We are an advisory committee directed by the TukwiFa City Council in September 2014, and created and supported by the Mayor of Tukwila in February 2015, to further explore the feasibility of annexing to the Kent Regional Fire Authority. Process of Review We met monthly from March 2015 to November 2015 and studied the service levels, programs, operations, facilities, budgets of the Tukwila Fire Department and the Kent RFA. There were two sub - committees - Finance and Governance - that provided the full committee with their work and recommendations. We toured the fire stations and support facilities of both organizations. Deliberation The decision is difficult and the issue is complicated. Findings are listed below that summarize both the positives and negatives that we found when studying the issue. We found however that the positives outweighed the negatives ? Respectfully submitted: Verna Seal and Joe Duffle, Tukwila Councilmembers; David Cline, Tukwila City Administrator; Chris Flores, Tukwila Interim Fire Chief; Jessica Jerwa, Kathleen Wilson and Jerry Thornton, Tukwila residents; Genevieve Christensen, Roxanne Knowle and Mark Segale, Tukwila business representatives; Merle Brooks, Alan Codenys, Tukwila Firefighters; and Dawn Judkins, President IAFF Local 2088. Attached to this recommendation is the Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority Plan - Tukwila Amendment. 'This document is a "charter" for the RFA and outlines how the organization operates, governs, is funded and the intricacies of the annexation. The Tukwila Amendment contains the substance of and details associated with the potential annexation. i Sections 7, 8, and 9 are still under review and will be forwarded to you as soon as they are available. October 30, 2015 Page 1 of 4 Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Recommendation March 2015 - November 2015 Findings YES Kent RFA as a partner agency 1. We believe that moving Tukwila from a local to a regional provider of fire and EM services is good for the community. Specifically, we believe that the Kent RFA is an organization that will provide excellent service and management of those services. 2. The Kent Fire Department RFA is a successful, highly competent, nationally accredited regional service provider. 3. A regional model can be more geographically efficient in distributing fire resources, and is more economical because of the dollar savings that come from purchasing in larger quantities and having a smaller overall number of administrators. 4. For decades, the City of Tukwila has been successfully collaborating with the Kent Fire Department, through such programs as the Zone 3 partnership and mutual aid agreements. 5. Since 2012, the City of Tukwila has enjoyed enhanced collaboration with the Kent Fire Department RFA through the South King County Fire Training Consortium, sharing training personnel, systems and methods. 6. The City will be joining into a collaboration with other local communities - the cities of Kent, Covington, and unincorporated King County - in providing fire services to our communities and will share governance. Regional Fire Authority Funding model 7. To ensure that fire and emergency services continue to be delivered to the City of Tukwila community at existing or improved levels, there is a shared belief that proportionally allocating cost is more equitable for the community. To that end, the Kent Fire Department RFA utilizes a benefit charge funding system that may be used to fund up to 60% of the RFA's operating expenses. 8. The Kent RFA approaches capital funding through an annual dedication of money into a reserve fund to ensure there is a financial plan for the agency's capital needs. The funding package prepared for the potential annexation includes a 20 year capital improvement plan that includes the reconstruction and enlargement of three October 30, 2015 Page 2 of 4 Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Recommendation March 2015 - November 2015 of the City's fire stations and significant remodel and maintenance of the fourth station as well as equipment and apparatus replacement and additions to meet growth. 9. Through annexation to the RFA for fire services, the City has greater financial flexibility and resources are available to address its on -going operational and long term financial needs. 10. The need to go out to voters every six years ensures acc f ability and agreement on fire service levels. 11. The City of Tukwila will not need to ask the community for approval of a Fire Station construction bond. Service Levels 12. Consolidation of the City of Tukwila and the Kent Fire Department RFA provides greater flexibility in designing and opportunity for deploying an effective response force and provides additional services to the Tukwila community, such as non - emergency medical services. 13. The RFA will be able to provide more staff resources to back -up vacation, sick and disability, thereby reducing overtime stress, cost and increasing service in Prevention and EM. Findings City fire department vs. regional 1. Tukwila can be better served by continuing to operate as a local provider of fire suppression and emergency management services. Although the Kent RFA is an excellent organization, the higher cost and lack of full community control outweighs the benefits. 2. Having a municipal fire department as one of the many overall functions within the City sets up appropriate checks and balances to costs and allows better coordination of services. 3. Although for the past five years, the City and Department have been searching for alternatives to service provision, refocusing and committing to the City as a provider is a viable solution. We think that the City can overcome challenges through adequate funds and direction. October 30, 2015 Page 3 of 4 Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Recommendation March 2015 - November 2015 4. The governance of the Kent RFA includes a majority of people from outside the City of Tukwila. The need to involve City Councilmembers in one more function means they have less time and focus for City related issues. Loss of affordability, competitiveness, and control 5. The overall cost of the regional provider is more expensive. The fire benefit charge will make Tukwila less competitive and less attractive a business location than other areas outside of the Green River Valley. 6. The need to pay for a ballot measure to renew the fire benefit charge every six years is an additional expense and creates uncertainty within the agency. -14k,7. The fire benefit charge will make affordable housing less so. 8. The overall cost of the Kent RFA versus Tukwila is five cents per $1,000 assessed value. Some of that community -wide savings could put towards the identified needs of the Department. 9. We believe that Tukwila's identity in the region and within the community will be diminished if the City no longer has its own fire department Service levels 10. The loss of the current routine business inspections, which is not a service of the RFA, will result in a less safe community. \)\ October 30, 2015 Page 4 of 4