1 CITY OF MILL VALLEY
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL AND SOUTHERN MARIN FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ACTION MINUTES
MILL VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, CASCADE ROOM*
180 CAMINO ALTO, MILL VALLEY
October 3, 2022
4:00 P.M.
Mayor Jim Wickham – Present
Vice Mayor Urban Carmel – Present
Councilmember Stephen Burke – Present
Councilmember Max Perrey – Present
President Thomas Perazzo – Present
Vice President Cristine Soto DeBerrey – Present
Secretary Ashley Raveche – Present
Board Member Kurt Chun – Present
Board Member Peter Fleming – Present
Board Member Cathryn Hilliard – Present
Board Member Stephen Willis – Absent
City Staff Present: City Manager Cusimano; City Attorney Khalsa; Assistant City Manager Piombo; Deputy Fire Chief Welch; and City Clerk/Management Analyst III Politzer.
Southern Marin Fire Protection District Staff present: Chief Tubbs, Chief Peterson, Finance Manager Schiffman, Clerk of the Board Weinberg, as well as other staff members and firefighting personnel in the audience.
*Please note this meeting was held at the Mill Valley Community Center (180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941). Webcasting and broadcasting on the City's website and local cable channels was not available during the meeting. A recording of this meeting has been made available to the public at https://www.cityofmillvalley.org/278/Watch-Meetings-Online. The meeting’s agenda, staff report, and supporting materials are available for review at https://tinyurl.com/pfxkctr7.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Wickham called the Special Joint meeting to order at 4:03 P.M.
City Clerk/Management Analyst III Politzer conducted the roll call for the Mill Valley City Council. All City Councilmembers were present.
Board Clerk Weinberg conducted the roll call for the Southern Marin Fire Protection District Board of Directors. Director Willis was absent, all other Directors were present. 2 APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA ORDER
It was MOVED by Councilmember Burke and SECONDED by Councilmember Perrey to approve the agenda order. The Motion was carried unanimously by a 4-0 vote.
It was MOVED by Vice President DeBerry and SECONDED by Director Hilliard to approve the agenda order. The Motion was carried unanimously by a 6-0 vote. Director Willis absent.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Consideration of Proposed Annexation of the Mill Valley Fire Department into the Southern Marin Fire Protection District.
Recommended Actions:
a. Receive presentation and discuss.
Fire Chief Tubbs, Stewart Gary (Citygate Associates, LLC), Assistant City Manager Piombo, Bill Adams (LAFCo), Jason Fried (Marin LAFCo Executive Officer), John Grey (1775 Labor Attorney), 1775 President John Bagala, Southern Marin Firefighters Association President Captain Ben Powers, and Mill Valley Firefighters Association President Captain Steve Morlock gave a presentation on Item #1a.
Councilmembers asked staff questions.
Directors asked staff questions.
Mayor Wickham opened public comment. Seeing no one who wished to speak, Mayor Wickham closed public comment.
b. Mill Valley City Council approval of Joint Resolution No. 22-___ of the City of Mill Valley and the Southern Marin Fire District Authorizing the City Manager and Fire Chief to Submit an Application to Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) for Consolidation of Fire Departments and Annexing Fire and EMS Services to the Southern Marin Fire Protection District.
Mayor Wickham commented on Item #1b for the City Council and stated public safety needs to combine resources and work together.
Vice Mayor Carmel thanked staff for their work and said he is very excited that this consolidation is finally happening. He said he is very enthusiastic about continuing to work with the Southern Marin Fire Protection District.
Councilmember Burke said he received a note from Matt Barnes shortly after being brought onto the City Council last year. He said Southern Marin Fire is an amazing resource and has a ton of resources that Mill Valley will have the opportunity to utilize. Councilmember Burke said that as a resident, he was skeptical of the consolidation, but as an elected, he now supports it. He thanked everyone who worked on this initiative.
Councilmember Perrey thanked everyone involved in making this initiative happen. He noted, with his background on the City of Mill Valley’s Emergency Preparedness Commission (EPC) 3 and Mill Valley Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), he had a chance to work with the Southern Marin Fire Protection District closely. Councilmember Perrey said the City of Mill Valley will have more opportunities and resources with this consolidation.
It was MOVED by Councilmember Perrey and SECONDED by Vice Mayor Carmel to adopt the Joint Resolution, “a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager and the Fire Chief of the Southern Marin Fire District to submit an application to LAFCo for the Consolidation of the City of Mill Valley Fire Department into the Southern Marin Fire Protection District and to take further implementing actions to complete the proposed annexation of City fire services and Emergency Medical Services into the District.” The Motion was carried unanimously by a 4-0 vote.
c. Southern Marin Fire Protection District Board of Directors approval of Joint Resolution No. ___ of the City of Mill Valley and the Southern Marin Fire District Authorizing the City Manager and Fire Chief to Submit an Application to Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) for Consolidation of Fire Departments and Annexing Fire and EMS Services to the Southern Marin Fire Protection District.
President Perazzo commented on Item #1c for the Board of Directors and said he was part of the Sausalito annexation into SMFD and had since been able to see the benefit to the residents of Sausalito and benefits to the firefighter and paramedic personnel. He believes the same great benefits will be afforded to the City of Mill Valley, as demonstrated by SMFD equipment and personnel already working for the benefit of Mill Valley. He said we will have a bigger, better fire department.
President Perazzo asked Board Members if there were any final discussion items, and there were none.
It was MOVED by Director Chun and SECONDED by Director Raveche to adopt the Joint Resolution, “a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager and the Fire Chief of the Southern Marin Fire District to submit an application to LAFCo for the Consolidation of the City of Mill Valley Fire Department into the Southern Marin Fire Protection District and to take further implementing actions to complete the proposed annexation of City fire services and Emergency Medical Services into the District.”. The Motion was carried by a 6-0 vote. Director Willis absent.
ADJOURNMENT – The Council and Board of Directors ADJOURNED at 5:30 p.m. to the City Council’s Regular City Council meeting, which immediately followed the Joint Special meeting and the Board of Directors adjourned to its Board meeting which will be held on October 26, 2022.
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Jim Wickham, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Hannah Politzer, City Clerk/Management Analyst III