Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOW 2015-11-23 Item 4G - Discussion - Recommendation from Regional Fire Authority (RFA) Annexation Steering CommitteeCOUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS Meetiqu Date Prepared by Mayor' re ezv Council review 11/23/15 MCB ❑ Resolution Mtg Date ❑ Ordinance MIS Date 0 12/07/15 MCB ❑ Other Mtg Date SPONSOR ❑ Council ® Mayor ❑ IHR ❑ DCD ❑ .Finance ❑ Fire ❑ IT ❑ P&R ❑ Police ❑ PV SPONSOR'S The Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee has completed their review SumMARY and will be presenting their recommendation to the Mayor and City Council and will be available to answer any questions. Rm,ii;1wrID I3Y ® COW Mtg. ❑ CA &P Cmte ❑ F &S Cmte ❑ Transportation Cmte ❑ Utilities Cmte ❑ Arts Comm. ❑ Parks Comm. ❑ Planning Comm. DATE: 9/ 14 ; 04/ 15; 6/ 15; 8/ 15; COMMITTEE CHAIR: RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONsoR /ADMIN. Not applicable CoMMl1 "'T"I Not applicable COST IMPACT / FUND SOURCE Exi,rNDI'I"URI: RFQUIRI: D AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED Fund Source: Coniments: MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION 04/13/15 ITEM INFORMATION ITEM NO. 4.G. 279 STAFF SPONSOR: MOTRA BRADSHAW ORIG INAI, AGENDA DATE: 11/23/15 A(, ',NDA ITHm 1 ] "17,E. Regional Fire Authority Annexation C.�'I'1 ?GORY ® Discussion Mtg Date 11123115 N Motion Mtg Date 1217115 ❑ Resolution Mtg Date ❑ Ordinance MIS Date 0 ❑ BidAzvard Mtg Date ❑ Public Hearing MIS Date ❑ Other Mtg Date SPONSOR ❑ Council ® Mayor ❑ IHR ❑ DCD ❑ .Finance ❑ Fire ❑ IT ❑ P&R ❑ Police ❑ PV SPONSOR'S The Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee has completed their review SumMARY and will be presenting their recommendation to the Mayor and City Council and will be available to answer any questions. Rm,ii;1wrID I3Y ® COW Mtg. ❑ CA &P Cmte ❑ F &S Cmte ❑ Transportation Cmte ❑ Utilities Cmte ❑ Arts Comm. ❑ Parks Comm. ❑ Planning Comm. DATE: 9/ 14 ; 04/ 15; 6/ 15; 8/ 15; COMMITTEE CHAIR: RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONsoR /ADMIN. Not applicable CoMMl1 "'T"I Not applicable COST IMPACT / FUND SOURCE Exi,rNDI'I"URI: RFQUIRI: D AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED Fund Source: Coniments: MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION 04/13/15 Briefing 6/15/15 Briefing 8/17/15 Briefing 10/19/15 Briefing MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 11/23/15 Informational Memorandum date 11/18/15 Steering Committee Recommendation 12/7/15 279 .rs City of Tukwila Jim Haggerton, Mayor TO: Mayor Haggerton Tukwila City Council FROM: David Cline, City Administrator BY: Moira Bradshaw, RFA Project Manager DATE: November 19, 2015 SUBJECT: REGIONAL FIRE AUTHORITY ANNEXATION STEERING COMMITTEE ISSUE In September of 2014, the City Council moved to investigate annexation to the Kent Regional Fire Authority (RFA) and directed the Mayor to organize a committee with broad representation to conduct that review. A Steering Committee was organized that included Council representatives as well as residents, business representatives and firefighters. In tandem with the Steering Committee's work, outreach has been conducted with the broader Tukwila community through a City web page, a Tukwila Your Community presentation on TukTV; regular Council Updates, Hazelnut, E- Hazelnut and Reporter articles, as well as presentations to City Boards, Commissions and community groups. DISCUSSION The Committee has concluded its nine month process and made a recommendation which is attached. The majority opinion — though not unanimous — is to recommend annexation into the Kent RFA. The Committee's recommendation includes the positives outcomes as well as potential negatives associated with the proposed annexation that they identified as result of their investigation. Staff will return to the City Council at the December 7, 2015 meeting to discuss how the Council would like to proceed. RECOMMENDATION Council is being asked to forward this to the December 7, 2015 Regular Meeting. ATTACHMENT - Steering Committee Recommendation 281 282 Regional 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 18, 2015 Subject: Potential annexation to the Kent regional fire authority Recommendation We find that the positives outweigh the negatives and while not a consensus decision, the majority of the Committee members recommend moving forward with annexation to the Kent RFA. Issue We are the advisory committee created by the Tukwila City Council in September 2014, and implemented by the Mayor in February 2015 to further explore the feasibility of annexing to the Kent Regional Fire Authority (RFA). Our committee work is built on the work of at least two previous committee efforts that provided preliminary investigations into the long -term provision of fire - related services in the City of Tukwila. Per the direction from the City Council, the Committee was made up of representatives from the residential, business, and firefighter communities, as well as two Council representatives. Non- voting Kent RFA staff were represented as well as Tukwila staff who provided information and support. The Committee members include: Tukwila City Council Representatives: • Joe Duffle • Verna Seal Resident Representatives: • Jessica Jerwa • Jerry Thornton • Kathleen Wilson Business Representatives: • Genevieve Christensen /Becky Smith, Westfield Southcenter • Roxanne Knowle, CBRE • Mark Segale, Segale Properties Firefighter Representatives: • Merle Brooks • Alan Codenys • Dawn Judkins, Tukwila Fire Department Union President November 19, 2015�4evemb°r 19. 2015 Page 1 of 5 Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Recommendation March 2015 - November 2015 Non - Voting Kent RFA Representatives: • Mike Denbo, KCFPD 37 Commissioner and Kent RFA Board member • Jim Schneider, Kent RFA Chief • Ray Shjerven, Kent RFA Union President • Brian Snure, Kent RFA Board attorney Non - Voting City of Tukwila Staff: • Moira Bradshaw, Project Manager • Vicky Carlsen, Deputy Finance Director • David Cline, City Administrator • Chris Flores, Interim Fire Chief 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 also reviewd the Draft of 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. November 19. 201514ovembef 18, 2045 Page 2 of 5 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 emergency medical (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 and that moving to this model will provide better services to the Tukwila community. 2. The Kent 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 RFA, through such programs as the Zone 3 partnership and mutual aid agreements. Formalizing this relationship through merging into the RFA seems like a natural next step. S. Since 2012, the City of Tukwila has enjoyed enhanced collaboration with the Kent RFA through the South King County Fire Training Consortium, sharing training personnel, systems and methods. 6. The RFA allows the City to better collaborate with other local communities -Kent, Covington, and unincorporated King County - in providing fire services to our communities and will share governance. 7. The City of Tukwila will have three voting members on the Governing Board and will become an owner partner in the organization similar to other successful partnerships such as the South Correctional Entitey (SCORE) and Valley Communication Center. Regional fire authority funding model 8. 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 RFA utilizes a benefit charge funding system that may be used to fund up to 60% of the RFA's operating expenses. November 19. 201 S`Tevel"ber 19, 204 5 Page 3 of 5 Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Recommendation March 2015 - November 2015 9. 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 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. Given the significant capital needs associated with the provision of fire service in the City of Tukwila, and the fact that the City does not currently have a plan to address them, the annexation to the RFA meets this critical need. 10. 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. 11. The need to go out to voters every six years ensures accountability and agreement on fire service levels. 12. The City of Tukwila will not need to ask the community for approval of a Fire Station construction bond. Service levels 13. Consolidation of the City of Tukwila and the Kent 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. 14. 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. 15. The Kent RFA is in the forefront of providing a non - emergency medical program called FD cares that will enhance services within the Tukwila community. Findings NO 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. November 19. 2015�4evem of 18. 2 015 Page 4 of 5 Regional Fire Authority Annexation Steering Committee Recommendation March 2015 - November 2015 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 the Tukwila Fire 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. 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 S. 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 for the provision of fire services. 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. November 19. 2015'ber- 19: 22015 Page 5 of 5