City would join fire district under new plan

The Valley of the Moon Fire Protection District would be enlarged to encompass the city of Sonoma in a plan under review by the executive board of the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority (SVFRA). Potentially a money-saving merger at the administrative level, the provocative plan would change the way Sonoma residents pay for fire and rescue services.
Sonoma Mayor Ken Brown, a member of the 10-person executive board that approved the $50,000 feasibility study Tuesday night, likened the model to that of the school district. The SVFRA currently operates under a Joint Powers Agreement, which creates economies of scale the new plan would aim to expand.
The study is the beginning of a long process that would be subject to county scrutiny and perhaps even public approval at the polls. Unified financing and administration, though, could make it worth the effort by delivering improved services at a lower cost.
Overall, examining the issue is an important role of government, Brown said. “Public safety is what the people need and it is what the people desire.”
The ‘one district’ plan drew the most attention of six “governance options,” including the current structure, outlined by SVFRA Chief Philip Garcia in his presentation of the 2009-2014 strategic plan. The document names financial sustainability as a primary goal, and establishing a single operating budget as means to get there.
The streamlining would cut administration costs and staff time. Currently, for example, there are separate budgets for the District, City Fire and City EMS, as well as three systems for pay, hiring, insurance and benefits.
Funding would change as well: the District’s special tax would be expanded to City residents. Best case, “it’s a wash,” Council Member Steve Barbose said after the meeting – all city council members sit on the executive board.
Board Member August Sebastiani was concerned that the plan could open the door to new or higher taxes. Fire and rescue are services “you already pay taxes for,” he said. “I was elected to let stuff like this (new fees) not happen.”
The intricacies of the proposal, the board agreed, made it hard to evaluate without professional help. “It’s impossible to make a decision at this point, “ said Board Member Cameron Jarrett. “We need a third party evaluation.” City Manager Linda Kelly agreed, advising the board “We need an expert to guide us through it.”
Settled on the idea of calling in a consultant, the panel initially focused on the one-district plan. Sebastiani suggested having the job bid include quotes for examining additional plans as well. “I want to make sure we do this right. If we invest more now, we may save millions down the road.”
As unanimously voted, Kelly will solicit bids for the tiered job, and craft a recommendation which must be approved by both the city council and the fire district board.
In other board business, Chief Garcia thanked his team of firefighters for making the Fourth of July fireworks show a big success. “It’s a huge operation, and they did a remarkable job,” he said. “The people of Sonoma are proud.” The station raised $38,000, enough to cover all expenses. The figure does not include all the volunteer hours logged by firefighters, including many 9 a.m to midnight shifts on the Fourth, and clean-up duty the day after.