____________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting:
Disposition:
Agenda Item No: 5.a
Meeting Date: May 4, 2026
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager/Fire Department
Prepared by: Angela Robinson Piñon, Assistant City
Manager
Thomas Wong, Senior Management
Analyst II
City Manager Approval: __________
TOPIC: MARINWOOD COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT AND SAN RAFAEL FIRE
DEPARTMENTS
SUBJECT: DISCUSS CURRENT CHALLENGES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
PROVISION OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES THROUGH
AMENDMENTS TO THE CURRENT SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT,
TRANSITIONING TO FUTURE CONTRACT FOR SERVICES AND LONG-TERM COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL; AUTHORIZE THE CITY
MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City of San Rafael and the Marinwood Community Services District (Marinwood CSD) have a longstanding shared services arrangement for the provision of fire and emergency medical services to Marinwood and the northern San Rafael area. Over time, increasing service demands, evolving best practices, and fiscal challenges have highlighted the need to explore alternative approaches to better meet the needs of this service area. This report provides historical context and outlines current operational challenges that form the basis for a potential framework for an incremental transition from the existing services agreement to a comprehensive and sustainable regional service delivery model.
Staff is seeking City Council feedback and direction on the proposed framework to address both shortand long-term operational needs, supported by a transition to a financially sustainable governance model.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council provide feedback and policy direction regarding a proposed operational and fiscal framework; and direct staff to continue negotiations with Marinwood CSD and return, as a first step, with a finalized amended Service Agreement for Council consideration, and continued collaboration on the long-term goal of transitioning to a regional service delivery model.
BACKGROUND:
Marinwood Fire Department was established in 1960 as a department within the Marinwood Community Services District and operates a single station located at 777 Miller Creek Road. The department is staffed by nine sworn fire personnel and operates one Type 1 engine and one Type 3 engine. Marinwood CSD contracts with the County of Marin to provide fire protection services to County Service Area (CSA) SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
13 and other County properties. The department is overseen by the Marinwood Fire Commission and the Marinwood Board of Directors and is primarily funded through property tax revenues and contracts for service.
The San Rafael Fire Department (SRFD) was established in 1874 as a department within the City of San Rafael and operates six stations throughout the City, two of which are staffed with full-time ambulances.
The department has 73 sworn fire personnel and operates a fleet that includes eight Type 1 engines, one Type 3 engine, one Type 6 engine, six ambulances, and two ladder trucks. The City of San Rafael contracts with the County of Marin to provide fire protection services to CSA 19 and provides emergency medical services to San Rafael, CSA 13, CSA 19, and Marinwood.
The City of San Rafael and Marinwood CSD have collaborated on fire protection services for over five decades.
• 1973: The agencies entered into their first Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), establishing a “boundary drop” system where the closest available unit responds regardless of jurisdiction. • 1979: Marinwood’s response area expanded into northern San Rafael. • 1994: The City closed Fire Station 53 following a study showing Marinwood Station 58 could provide equal or improved response times. The City began compensating Marinwood to support staffing at Station 58.
• 1998–2005: Payments to Marinwood increased, peaking at approximately $392,000 annually. • 2010: A joint study recommended consideration of a regional fire authority or a contract service model.
• 2014: The agencies entered into the current Shared Services Agreement, eliminating direct payments and instead exchanging services and resources. • 2018: The agreement was amended to include Chief Officer services provided by the City to Marinwood.
Today, the Shared Services Agreement remains in effect and includes the following provisions:
• City provides Chief Officers' services;
• Marinwood responds to San Rafael as needed;
• Closest-unit dispatch regardless of jurisdiction;
• Shared staffing and operational support;
• City-provided paramedic services, dispatch, and equipment; • Personnel exchanges between agencies.
The Marinwood Fire Department currently responds to over 900 calls annually within San Rafael— representing more than half of its total call volume. This number reflects many of the calls that Station 53 would have responded to before its 1994 closure.
When fully staffed as an Advanced Life Support engine, Marinwood Fire provides first-responder EMS services to northern San Rafael as the first engine.
ANALYSIS:
The current shared services model has provided operational efficiencies and improved response times; however, several challenges have emerged:
Operational Considerations
• Marinwood operates a single fire station and is vulnerable to staffing shortages. • Recruitment and retention of firefighter/paramedics are increasingly difficult statewide. • Lower compensation levels at Marinwood compared to neighboring agencies have contributed to staffing issues at Marinwood.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
• Staffing issues directly impact Marinwood’s ability to provide a timely response to the areas of San Rafael they cover.
• Limited paramedic availability at Marinwood increases reliance on San Rafael resources for medical calls.
Service Delivery Impacts
• Station 58 in Marinwood plays a critical role in serving northern San Rafael. • The 2024 Staffing and Resource Deployment Study, prepared by Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) for SRFD, found:
o Increased effective response when Station 58 is available; o High demand for multi-unit responses in key service zones; o Continued reliance on Marinwood resources for adequate coverage.
The Staffing and Resources Deployment Study is a standard industry practice, typically conducted every 10 years, to review staffing and delivery models. As part of the 2024 Study, the consultant analyzed SRFD’s response with and without Marinwood Station 58. ESCI recommended exploring long-term integration of Station 58 into San Rafael Fire Department operations to improve consistency and reliability for both the City and Marinwood CSD.
Regional Policy Context
Independent regional evaluations support a more integrated model for fire service delivery. The Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) completed a Municipal Services Review in 2019 and updated it in 2025, evaluating fire and emergency medical services across San Rafael, CSA 13, CSA 19, and Marinwood.
The 2019 Review found that San Rafael “in many ways, is functionally the fire service provider for the entire study area,” reflecting the City’s existing role in providing paramedic services, dispatch, and operational support across jurisdictional boundaries.
The 2025 update further recommends “a concerted effort be made towards the formal consolidation of the Marinwood Community Services District’s provision of fire and emergency medical services to the City of San Rafael.”
These findings reinforce the need for an amended Services Agreement as a first step toward a more sustainable, long-term, cost-effective regional service delivery model.
This transition contemplates the following incremental approach:
1) Amendment to the existing Service Agreement between the City of San Rafael and Marinwood CSD for Fire and EMS services (FY 2026-27).
2) Transition to a Contract for Services arrangement wherein Marinwood CSD contracts with the City of San Rafael for the provision of Fire and EMS Services (FY 2027-28). 3) Transition to a comprehensive regional service delivery model that transfers responsibility for fire and emergency medical services to a single entity serving northern San Rafael, Marinwood, CSA 13, and CSA 19
Phase 1 - Proposed FY 2026-27 Amendment to existing Service Agreement The proposed amendment would go into effect at the start of fiscal year (FY) 2026-27 and would achieve the following:
• Stabilize Marinwood staffing levels to ensure a high level of service to San Rafael residents; • Ensure consistent Advanced Life Support (ALS) capability; and • Maintain reliable response coverage in northern San Rafael.
While negotiations between the City of San Rafael and Marinwood CSD are still underway, key aspects of the proposed amendments are anticipated to include:
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 4
• Marinwood CSD will no longer pay for Chief Officer services (approximately $116,000 annually). • The City of San Rafael will contribute $350,000 to Marinwood CSD to augment its existing fire services budget for FY 2026-27.
• Addition of a provision whereby, should the amended Services Agreement continue into FY 2027- 28, the City’s annual payment to Marinwood CSD would increase to $500,000, and be adjusted by an inflation index annually thereafter.
• Both parties also commit to moving towards reorganization of fire and EMS services to a comprehensive regional model.
Since both agencies retain their current staffing and existing operational areas, we do not believe that a review by Marin LAFCo is needed; however, we will confirm this with their staff.
Phase 2 – Contract For Services FY 2027-28 Phase 2 would occur in fiscal year (FY) 2027-28, and contemplates transitioning to a Contract for Services arrangement to include:
• San Rafael would assume staffing of Marinwood Station 58; • Marinwood would contract with the City for fire and EMS services; • Eligible Marinwood Fire Department personnel would be offered employment in the City of San Rafael Fire Department.
• Marinwood would provide funding in support of the Contract for Services, based on funding currently available to Marinwood CSD dedicated to fire services. • Annual funding contributions would increase based on one or more established indices or benchmarks.
Negotiations are also ongoing for this phase, with an anticipated start date for a new agreement of July 1, 2027. There are numerous considerations to be resolved, including but not limited to meeting and conferring as necessary with impacted labor groups and discussing with LAFCo.
Phase 3 – Comprehensive Regional Service Delivery Model Consistent with the recommendations from past studies, the parties envision ongoing collaboration toward a sustainable, comprehensive regional service delivery model for the provision of fire and EMS services for northern San Rafael and selected unincorporated areas of Marin County. This phase necessarily entails engaging with additional partners and stakeholders as well as involving a more extensive process and roll involving LAFCo.
In the short term, the proposed Amended Services Agreement for FY 2026-27 contemplates agreement from all parties to collaborate on any updated studies required to advance the long-term objective.
Next Steps and Timeline
Approval of the amendment to the existing shared service agreement is consistent with the City Council’s Three-Year Strategic Plan, specifically Objective F.2.5, which focuses on strengthening the City’s organizational effectiveness, service delivery systems, and long-term operational sustainability. The proposed amendment was also included in the City’s FY 2025-26 Work Plan.
The following is a brief overview of the timeline and next steps required to execute an amended shared services agreement:
• May 4, 2026 – presentation to City Council
• May 18, 2026 – Staff to include funding required to support the amended shared services agreement within the Proposed FY 2026-27 Budget being presented to the City Council. • May 2026 – Ad Hoc Marinwood CSD / City of San Rafael Subcommittee review final draft Amended Shared Services Agreement prior to forwarding to each governing body for consideration.
• June 1, 2026 – Staff to bring a resolution to authorize executing the Amended Shared Services agreement, for City Council consideration.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 5
• June TBD – Marinwood CSD Board to consider approving the Amended Shared Services agreement.
• July 1, 2026 – Amended shared services agreement goes into effect for FY 2026-27. • July 2026 – May 2027 – Parties negotiate Phase 2 of the agreement and begin to explore options to reorganize fire and EMS service delivery.
• June 2027 – Marinwood CSD and the City of San Rafael execute a Contract for Services agreement to replace and supersede the Shared Services Agreement. • July 1, 2027 – Contract for service goes into effect. Both parties continue to explore options to reorganize fire and EMS service delivery.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this informational report. However, a potential amendment to the shared services agreement would include financial adjustments intended to:
• Support full staffing at Marinwood Station 58;
• Ensure City is positioned to support future development in Terra Linda; • Avoid significantly higher costs associated with constructing and staffing a new City fire station in northern San Rafael;
• Provide cost-effective service delivery while maintaining high service levels.
Final fiscal impacts will be evaluated and described in the staff report presenting the finalized proposed agreement. Staff anticipates FY 2026-27 General Fund impact in the range of $400,000 to $500,000, which is within the range of fiscal impact assumed in the most recent budget forecast shared with the City Council in March.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider:
1. Approve staff’s recommended direction and authorize continued negotiations.
2. Provide direction with modifications to the proposed framework.
3. Direct staff to return with additional information before further action.
4. Take no action, maintaining the current agreement structure.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council provide feedback and policy direction regarding a proposed operational and fiscal framework; and direct staff to continue negotiations with Marinwood CSD and return, as a first step, with a finalized amended Service Agreement for Council consideration, and continued collaboration on the long-term goal of transitioning to a regional service delivery model.
ATTACHMENTS:
None