MEASURE K
2022-23 Annual Report
City of San Pablo Page 2
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
About this Report
This report is presented to the Measure K Citizens’ Oversight Committee along with a report entitled “Independent Accountant’s Report on Applying Agreed Upon Procedures for City of San Pablo Measure K Collection, Management and Expenditures for the Year Ended June 30, 2023.”
The Independent Accountant’s Report was prepared by:
Maze & Associates Accountancy Corporation
3478 Buskirk Avenue, Suite 215
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
The San Pablo Measure K Report was prepared by:
Public Profit
1624 Franklin, Suite 600
Oakland, CA 94612
City of San Pablo Page 3
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
Table of Contents
About this Report .............................................................................................................................................. 2 About Measure K............................................................................................................................................... 4 Financial Summary............................................................................................................................................. 5 Impact .................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Looking Ahead ................................................................................................................................................... 9
City of San Pablo Page 4
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
About Measure K
Measure K was a City of San Pablo (City) special sales tax measure approved by a 71% “Yes” vote on the June 3 rd, 2014 ballot. 1 The measure authorized a quarter -cent increase in the City’s sales tax in perpetuity (the current sales tax rate is 9.75%). As a special tax, the money generated from Measure K is restricted to fund the creation a nd operation of an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Squad out of Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) Station 70 in downtown San Pablo.
With the closure of Doctor’s Medical Center and unstable funding of Fire Station 70 from Con Fire, the City Council authorized that Measure K be placed on the ballot to ensure that Emergency Medical Services provided through Station 70 continue in the future. Many local residents depend on Station 70 for 100% of their EMS services. Station 70 is the sec ond busiest fire station in the District, with over 4,600 service calls annually. Prior to the passage of Measure K , Station 70 was only staffed by three fire fighter/paramedics at one Engine Company due to budget restrictions that grew out of the economic downturn.2 Funding from Measure K allowed the District to add one EMS squad vehicle supported by two additional personnel dedicated solely to respond to emergency medical calls.
1 Contra Costa County Elections Division (2014). Official Results, June 3, 2014 Statewide Primary Election. Retrieved March 18, 2021 from http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CA/Contra_Costa/51632/134539/Web01/en/summary.html 2 City of San Pablo (2014). Measure K. Retrieved March 18, 2021 from http://www.ci.san- pablo.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=1380
City of San Pablo Page 5
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
Financial Summary
During Fiscal Year 2022-23, Measure K
provided $ 1,037,852 in revenue , and
$1,700,003 was spent in Measure K
expenditures.3 Maze and Associates conducted
an agreed -upon procedures engagement to
assist the City in accounting and reporting on
collection, management , and expenditure of
the Measure K revenue for the period between
July 1st, 2022 to June 30th, 2023. The purpose of
this engagement was solely to support the City
in complying with the requirements of Section
3.26.140 of Ordinance 201 4-007 and was
conducted in accordance with attestation
standards established by the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants . City
management was wholly responsible for the collection, administration, and expenditure of Measure K funds.4
Measure K expenditures included four payments of $423,360 and $2,341 for auditing and evaluation consulting, and $4,222 other services (totaling $1,700,003) for Fire Station 70 enhanced Emergency Medical Services for the months of July 2022 through June 2023. The funds were used to cover the contracted personnel cost of the EMS squad during that time frame.
FIGURE 1. MEASURE K, FY 2022-2023 (JULY 1ST, 2022 TO JUNE 30TH, 2023)
3 The discrepancy between revenues and expenditures is due to the 2014 contractual arrangement between the City and the Fire District for enhanced EMS services.
4 Independent Accountant’s Report on Applying Agreed Upon Procedures for Measure K Collection, Management and Expenditures for the Year Ended June 30, 2023.
Revenues:
$1,037,852
Budget:
$1,693,440
Expenditures:
$1,700,003
City of San Pablo Page 6
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
TABLE 1. SUMMARY OF MEASURE K EXPENDITURES BY TYPE AND PURPOSE Expenditures Amounts
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCFPD) Contract for Supplemental EMS Squad at Station 70 $1,693,440
Professional Services $2,341
Other $4,222
Total Measure K Expenditures $1,700,003
Source: FY 2022-2023 Measure K expenditure report provided by City of San Pablo, Independent Accountant’s Report on Applying Agreed Upon Procedures for Measure K Collection, Management and Expenditures for the Year Ended June 30, 2023.
FIGURE 2. TOTAL MEASURE K EXPENDITURES ($1,700,003)
Source: FY 2022-2023 Measure K expenditure report provided by City of San Pablo, Independent Accountant’s Report on Applying Agreed Upon Procedures for Measure K Collection, Management and Expenditures for the Year Ended June 30, 2023.
CCFPD Contract for Supplemental
EMS Squad at Station 70
$1,693,440
Professional Services and Other
$6,563
City of San Pablo Page 7
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
Impact
The new EMS squad launched service in 2015 . The squad (titled ‘Squad 70’ within the county) responds independently to medical calls that can be handled by its initial response, such as respiratory issues, fractures, fainting, or illnesses. This reporting year marks the first full year of staffing at Squad
70. The full staffing capacity of Squad 70 was made possible by the original staffing of a paramedic and firefighter and support from the City of San Pablo and passage of Measure K.
The paramedic-staffed units in the City of San Pablo continued to serve the citizens well. In Fiscal Year 2022-2023, the crews at Station 70 responded to a total of 4,737 emergency calls, a considerable jump from the previous year. Of these, 3,424 were EMS responses. A further 297 responses were in the Rescue category, primarily motor vehicle accidents or other incidents requiring special rescue equipment. Fire-related calls (1, 151) and hazardous condition responses ( 147) were responsible for the balance of the calls.
FIGURE 3. BREAKDOWN OF EMS PERSONNEL RESPONSES FOR JULY 2022 – JUNE 2023
3,424 EMS
Personnel
Responses
147 total hazard
responses.
1,151 fire condition
calls in the City of
San Pablo.
297 rescue calls
in the City of San
Pablo.
4,737 annual
responses.
City of San Pablo Page 8
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
As previously mentioned, this reporting year marks the first year of full staffing at fire station 70. In 2022 the Contra Costa County Fire District was able to augment the two-person staffing of Squad 70 with extra personnel to make the apparatus staffing consistent with all units within the county. With staffing now consistent with countywide policies, Confire (at its expense) transitioned from the squad apparatus to Truck 70, a much larger and capable piece of equipment that fills the special rescue and elevated ladder capability that was missing in the San Pablo zone.
As stated in the previous year’s report, the EMS
system within the county (and statewide as well)
was impacted by constraints at the hospital
emergency room intake process. This is due to
the staffing or hospital bed shortages delay and
the formal transfer of patients from the
ambulance to the hospital. This can have an
effect of keeping ambulances out of service for a
longer period, unable to return to the system and
respond to pending calls. When the EMS system
is busy, it can create longer response times for
the transport ambulan ce to reach the next
patient. This scenario is more challenging in the
West County area due to Kaiser being the only
hospital with a small emergency room capability.
Patient transport is often sent to John Muir in
Concord, Sutter in San Pablo, or Alta Bates hospitals in Oakland so the transport and return time is longer.
This is where the second Advanced Life Support (ALS) crew from Squad 70 is very beneficial as either can start medical procedures and can continue them until the transport arrives. In ne ighboring Richmond, which has only Basic Life Support (BLS) capability on the fire engines, no ALS provision takes place until the ambulance can get there. It should be noted that in serious medical cases that are in proximity to San Pablo, the Confire uni ts can and have assisted when an extended ambulance response time is known.
Additional challenges to EMS systems statewide are a shortage of certified paramedics for the ambulances. Recruitment and retention remain challenging as is the case with teachers , nurses and other professions. Many elect to move to areas with a lower cost of living. On a positive note, Confire is supporting the paramedic training program here in San Pablo at Contra Costa College where twelve of the current class of twenty four are Confire firefighters.
City of San Pablo Page 9
Measure K 2022-2023
Prepared by Public Profit | May 2024
Looking Ahead
The City of San Pablo with two Advanced Life Support response units in service is well positioned for continued excellence in EMS delivery. However, the challenges to the overall health care system will continue. West Contra Costa County was already impacted by the closure of Doctors Hospital in Pinole and San Pablo. Currently, another regional hospital is slated to close. Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley announced closure within five years, reducing yet another eme rgency room. Although Confire has added ambulances to the system, travel distances are farther and patient transfer to hospital care can keep units out of service for a lengthy amount of time. Again, due to the Measure “K” funding, ALS treatment can be adm inistered to multiple patients, prior to ambulance arrivals if they are delayed.
The sheer volume of the public needing acute emergency care is compounded by persons who enter the EMS system due to an inability to receive ongoing preventative care. To help address this challenge, Confire is exploring all options to partner with more ou treach efforts that could address preventative shortcomings and redirect non -critical patients to facilities other than over -taxed emergency rooms.