Agenda Item No. 9
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: March 25, 2024 FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
SUBJECT: Five Cities Fire Authority Policy and Operational Update
RECOMMENDATION
Receive an update on Five Cities Fire Authority policy and operational items in FY 2023-24 and provide input and comments to Council representatives and staff.
DISCUSSION
This staff report is intended to update the Council on FCFA policy and operational items to date during FY 2023-24. Staff previously provided an update to the Council on November 13, 2023.
The FCFA Board has met twice since then on January 29, 2024 and March 7, 2024 with Board agenda and materials available on the FCFA website. This report covers the following items:
• Staffing Update
• Equipment Purchase
• Oceano Fire Service Update
The following pages include a brief description of each item for the Council’s information. Staff will defer to the Council representatives on the FCFA Board to provide additional information. As the Council is aware, Council Member Rushing currently serves as the FCFA Board Chair and City Manager Bronson serves as the Chief Executive Officer.
Staffing Update
As previously shared with the Council, FCFA opened a recruitment process for the new Battalion Chief position in July 2023 and ultimately hired Ryan Bird in October. Chief Bird was previously a Captain with the Fresno City Fire Department and started his career as a reserve firefighter with the Arroyo Grande Fire Department. In addition, given the retirement of Battalion Chief Riki Heath in October, FCFA began a subsequent recruitment process in December and recently filled this vacancy by promoting Fire Captain Craig Angello to the role of Battalion Chief. Chief Angello brings over 20 years of experience within FCFA to this role in joining the FCFA Command Staff with Battalion Chiefs Bird and Salce along with the Fire Chief.
With regards to the Fire Chief position, Chief Steve Lieberman retired from his role as Chief effective December 29 as the Council is aware. The timing of this retirement was such that the new Chief would begin in late December or January following the completion of a recruitment process in early December. However, this process did not result in a selected candidate and thus FCFA re-opened the recruitment process in January. Chief Lieberman subsequently served as interim Chief through the end of February at which point Keith Aggson began serving as interim Chief. Chief Aggson previously retired as Fire Chief in San Luis Obispo in 2022 and also served Staff Report: FCFA Policy and Operational Update Page 2 March 25, 2024
as a Battalion Chief in Paso Robles and Fire Captain in Atascadero. Chief Aggson brings tremendous experience and regional knowledge to this interim role and offers strong leadership to the agency at this time of transition.
In terms of the subsequent Fire Chief recruitment process, FCFA had a strong applicant pool with 19 applications and selected four candidates to interview in late February. The interview process consisted of panel interviews with outside Fire Chiefs and department directors from both cities with finalists meeting with a cross-section of staff and both City Managers serving as the Management Committee. Following this process, the Management Committee identified a preferred candidate and initiated the background process which has been completed. Staff is working on an employment agreement with this candidate for approval at the April 15th FCFA Board meeting with the new Chief starting shortly afterwards.
Lastly, the FCFA Board in January appointed a new General Counsel for the Authority. Previously, FCFA legal services were provided by the Grover Beach City Attorney whereas in the updated Joint Powers Agreement, these services are to be provided by legal counsel outside of member agencies. In November 2023, a Request for Proposals was issued for General Counsel Legal Services with three proposals received. A selection committee comprised of the Management Committee and Chair Rushing and Vice Chair George conducted interviews in December and recommended Aleshire & Wynder, LLP be selected for this work. The Board subsequently approved an agreement with a three-year term with two possible one-year extensions.
Aleshire & Wynder is a full-service public agency law firm. The firm represents dozens of public agencies and has extensive experience advising small and mid-sized public agencies. The General Counsel will be Martin Koczanowicz with Paul Early serving as Assistant General Counsel. Mr. Koczanowicz previously served as General Counsel for the FCFA from 2010 to 2014 and as City Attorney for Grover Beach from 2002 through 2016. The firm has already been useful in working with FCFA staff on internal policies and agreements.
Equipment Purchase
Staff previously informed the Council of FCFA’s purchase in June 2023 of a replacement Type I Engine and Ladder Truck. Both vehicles to be replaced were at or near their respective 15-year lifespans and the Ladder Truck plagued with recurring and costly mechanical problems and repairs. The replacement Ladder Truck will be based on a Tractor Drawn Aerial “tiller” design that requires operators both in the cab and at the back of the vehicle (the tiller operator). The total cost of this replacement equipment is $3.7 million ($1.3 million for the Type I Engine and $2.4 million for the Ladder Truck) with a build time for both vehicles of approximately three years. This cost will be paid through a 10-year lease-purchase agreement with the manufacturer Pierce Manufacturing that will begin closer to the date of completion of the vehicles, saving nearly $1 million in lease payments given anticipated lower interest rates. During this time, existing lease payments for existing Engines 6692 and 6693 will also end and result in cost savings returning to FCFA fund balance. FCFA also took ownership of a new Type III Brush Engine in August 2023 and introduced the new Engine to the community in November 2023.
In addition, the FCFA Board in January approved the purchase of a used tiller truck from Ventura County Fire Department to assist FCFA in preparing for use of the new truck. FCFA crews are able to train on this used truck rather than waiting to carry out this training on the new truck when it arrives in 2026. The reserve truck also assists FCFA with providing service as needed given the continued maintenance issues of the existing truck. The cost of this used truck was $25,000 with another $50,000 allocated for training and replacement tires.
Staff Report: FCFA Policy and Operational Update Page 3 March 25, 2024
Oceano Fire Service Update
Lastly, staff is providing an update to the Council on the status of discussions regarding ongoing service delivery to Oceano. FCFA currently provides these services under a one-year agreement with the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) expiring on June 30, 2023. This limited term contract was provided in the interest of continuing FCFA’s service delivery in Oceano while OCSD’s application with the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) to divest the district from the responsibility of providing fire and emergency services was under review. Under this agreement, service is provided from companies stationed at either Station 1 in Arroyo Grande or Station 2 in Grover Beach given facility deficiencies at Station 3 in Oceano. OCSD is paying $1.15 million for these services, which is significantly below the equivalent cost of a 2-person engine company, but OCSD was unable to pay a higher amount for this temporary agreement. Though ultimately the FCFA entered into this agreement, both the Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach City Councils stated that providing ongoing service to Oceano would come at a higher contractual amount more commensurate with the cost of such service.
On March 7, the FCFA Board held a special meeting on Oceano fire service following a previous Board item on this topic on October 19, 2023. This special meeting came after the Management Committee had additional discussions with County staff about the level of County funding for this service given the County’s new responsibility for the service pending LAFCO’s approval of the divestiture application. The County reiterated their proposal of $1.7 million in funding to FCFA for Oceano fire service based on an equivalent service level to the current level of a 2-person engine company. The County is experiencing significant fiscal constraints including a $22 million budget gap which does not enable them to increase funding to the level of a 3-person engine company.
The County also does not provide 3-person staffing in any unincorporated area and thus providing this level in Oceano would not be equitable to other unincorporated areas.
The Board recognized the value of providing fire service to Oceano over a multi-year period which helps secure additional funding for FCFA though continued to express concern over the lack of sufficient funding from the County for a 3-person company. Achieving 3-person staffing levels is important for FCFA to ensure the highest quality service response and mirrors the investments in staffing levels made by Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande. However, the Board acknowledged that an inability to reach an agreement with the County may lead to the County providing Oceano service delivery through CAL FIRE from Station 22 on the Nipomo Mesa. This action would eliminate funding for a third FCFA company and the resulting shift to only two 3-person companies would reduce service levels in both cities while increasing costs and reducing FCFA positions.
The Board subsequently provided direction to staff to develop a multi-year agreement for providing fire services to Oceano at an initial cost equivalent to the 2-person staffing level while including language about moving to 3-person staffing during the term of the agreement. This direction also included clarification of contract oversight expenses/administrative fees involved in this agreement and a commitment by the County to include improvements to Fire Station 3 in Oceano as a future capital project. Staff is working with the County on this agreement with the intent to bring the agreement to the Board for approval at the April 15th meeting followed by approval by the Board of Supervisors. Such an action would coincide with the Board’s review of the FY 2024-25 FCFA budget and meet the needs of LAFCO in considering the OCSD dissolution request prior to the end of this fiscal year.
Staff will defer to Council Members Rushing and/or Weirick to provide additional information on the Board’s discussion and to seek input from other Council Members.
Staff Report: FCFA Policy and Operational Update Page 4 March 25, 2024
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact from this agenda item. The cost of the City’s contribution to FCFA for fire and emergency medical services is included in the City’s operating budget.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1) Receive an update on Five Cities Fire Authority policy and operational items to date in FY 2023-24 and provide input and comments to Council representatives and staff; or 2) Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.