____________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting:
Disposition:
Agenda Item No: SM 1.g
Meeting Date: June 15, 2026
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager/Fire Department
Prepared by: Angela Robinson Piñon, Assistant City
Manager City Manager Approval: __________
TOPIC: MARINWOOD COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT AND SAN RAFAEL FIRE
DEPARTMENTS
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A SECOND
AMENDMENT TO THE JOINT EXERCISE OF POWERS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AND MARINWOOD COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT FOR
FIRE PROTECTION, EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND PERSONNEL SHARING RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Second Amendment to the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City of San Rafael (City) and the Marinwood Community Services District (MCSD) for fire protection, emergency services, and personnel sharing.
BACKGROUND:
On April 7, 2014, the City Council approved Resolution No. 13702, which authorized the City Manager to execute a JPA with MCSD to support regional cooperation for fire protection services, emergency response, and personnel sharing.
On October 1, 2018, the City Council approved Resolution No. 14593, which authorized the City to execute a first amendment to the JPA to include fire chief officer services for the MCSD, strengthening collaboration between the two agencies and ensuring operational alignment.
Since that time, the City and MCSD continued to work closely together to provide coordinated emergency response services within San Rafael, Marinwood, County Service Area (CSA) 13, and CSA 19. The operational relationship between the agencies has become increasingly important due to the strategic location of Marinwood Fire Station 58, which functions as a critical northern response station for San Rafael and the surrounding service areas.
On May 4, 2026, the City Council received a presentation regarding the operational relationship between the San Rafael Fire Department (SRFD) and MCSD, including a discussion regarding regional service delivery, staffing needs, financial sustainability, and opportunities for future collaboration. That discussion informed the development of the proposed Second Amendment to the JPA. The City Council also SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
discussed a framework that would provide for a phased transition of service delivery that is briefly summarized below:
1) Amendment to the existing Service Agreement between the City and MCSD for fire and emergency medical services (FY 2026-27).
2) Transition to a Contract for Services arrangement wherein MCSD contracts with the City for the provision of fire and emergency medical 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.
ANALYSIS:
The proposed Second Amendment (Attachment 2) updates the existing Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the City and MCSD to address operational, staffing, and financial issues that have evolved since the original agreement was executed in 2014 and amended in 2018.
The amendment reflects the increasingly integrated nature of emergency response services between the two agencies and acknowledges the regional importance of Marinwood Fire Station 58. Due to its location north of Lincoln Hill, Station 58 serves as a critical response resource for northern San Rafael, Marinwood, CSA 13, and CSA 19. The agreement further recognizes the operational and lifesaving value of maintaining Engine 58 as a full-time Advanced Life Support (ALS) engine company within the City’s paramedic authority area.
One of the amendment's primary purposes is to support and stabilize paramedic staffing at MCSD. Under the proposed amendment, the City would continue providing ALS-related support services, including equipment, medical direction, training, and operational oversight necessary to maintain compliance with Marin County emergency medical services (EMS) standards. In addition, the amendment establishes a formal cost-sharing structure through which the City would provide annual financial support to MCSD to offset paramedic staffing costs and maintain regional ALS response capacity.
The proposed annual services fee structure is intended to create greater equity in the operational relationship between the two agencies while recognizing the regional benefit provided by Station 58 and MCSD personnel. The agreement establishes a services fee of $350,000 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 and $500,000 for FY 2027-28. Future annual adjustments would be tied to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area, or to a minimum annual increase of three percent, capped at five percent.
The amendment also modifies the agreement’s termination provision by increasing the required notice period from ninety (90) days to three hundred sixty-five (365) days. Staff believes this change provides greater operational certainty and adequate transition time should either party seek to terminate the agreement.
Additionally, the amendment formalizes the City’s provision of fire apparatus mechanic services to MCSD. Under the revised agreement, the City would provide fire mechanic labor at no cost while MCSD would reimburse the City for materials, supplies, overtime, outside labor, and related direct costs associated with apparatus maintenance and repair.
Finally, the amendment includes a mutual commitment by both agencies to continue evaluating longterm regional fire service delivery options. The proposed language contemplates future study and analysis of regional governance and operational models, including potential review of factors identified under Government Code Section 56134 and related Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) considerations. Staff believes continued evaluation of regional service delivery opportunities is appropriate, given the operational interdependence of the agencies and the shared goal of maintaining sustainable emergency response services throughout the region.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
Overall, staff believe the proposed amendment strengthens regional coordination, supports continued ALS response capacity, formalizes existing operational practices, and provides a framework for continued collaboration between the City and Marinwood Community Services District. 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.
Next Steps
The following is a brief overview of the next steps related to the amendment being considered and • 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:
The proposed amendment establishes a new annual services fee payable by the City to MCSD to support paramedic staffing and regional emergency response coordination. The FY 2026-27 cost to the City is $350,000 and is included in the Proposed FY 2026-27 Budget. The FY 2027-28 services fee would increase to $500,000. Additional annual increases beginning in FY 2028-29 would be tied to inflationary CPI-U adjustments or a minimum annual increase of three percent, capped at five percent, subject to appropriation.
The agreement is anticipated to support continued regional emergency response capacity and maintain ALS service availability in northern San Rafael and adjacent service areas.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider:
1. Adopt the resolution authorizing execution of the Second Amendment to the JPA.
2. Direct staff to return with modifications to the proposed Second Amendment.
3. Decline to approve the Second Amendment.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Second Amendment to the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City of San Rafael (City) and the Marinwood Community Services District (MCSD) for fire protection, emergency services, and personnel sharing.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution Authorizing Execution of the Second Amendment to the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement
2. Second Amendment to Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement Between the City of San Rafael and Marinwood Community Services District for Fire Protection, Emergency Services, and Personnel Sharing
1 RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING THE
CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE JOINT EXERCISE OF
POWERS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AND MARINWOOD
COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT FOR FIRE PROTECTION, EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND
PERSONNEL SHARING
WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael (“City”) and the Marinwood Community Services District (“MCSD”) entered into a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) on April 8, 2014, for fire protection, emergency services, and personnel sharing; and WHEREAS, the parties entered into a First Amendment to the JPA on November 1, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the City and MCSD have maintained a longstanding collaborative relationship in the provision of fire protection, emergency medical response, and regional emergency services to San Rafael, Marinwood, County Service Area (CSA) 13, CSA 19, and surrounding communities; and
WHEREAS, Marinwood Fire Station 58 serves as a strategically important fire station and emergency response resource for northern San Rafael and adjacent service areas; and WHEREAS, the City recognizes the operational and public safety value of maintaining Engine 58 as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) engine company within the City’s paramedic authority area; and
WHEREAS, the City and MCSD have negotiated a Second Amendment to the JPA; and WHEREAS, the proposed Second Amendment amends the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement to address operational coordination, paramedic staffing support, fire mechanic services, financial contributions, and long-term regional planning efforts between the City and MCSD; and WHEREAS, the proposed Second Amendment establishes a framework for continued collaboration and exploration of future regional fire service delivery opportunities; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed and considered the proposed Second Amendment and the associated staff report.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL RESOLVES as follows:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct.
2. The City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to execute the Second Amendment to the Joint Powers Agreement between the City of San Rafael and Marinwood Community Services District for Fire Protection, Emergency Services, and Personnel Sharing, which was attached to the staff report accompanying this Resolution.
3. The City Manager, Fire Chief, and other appropriate City officials are authorized to take all actions necessary to implement the Second Amendment and carry out the purposes of this Resolution.
2 I, LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Rafael, held on Monday, the 15th day of June 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers:
NOES: Councilmembers:
ABSENT: Councilmembers:
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
1 SECOND AMENDMENT
TO
JOINT EXERCISE OF POWERS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY
OF SAN RAFAEL AND MARINWOOD COMMUNITY SERVICES
DISTRICT FOR FIRE PROTECTION, EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND
PERSONNEL SHARING
THIS SECOND AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT is entered into as of July 1, 2026, by and between the CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, a charter city and municipal corporation organized and existing under the Constitution and laws of the State of California (hereinafter “CITY"), and MARINWOOD COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT, a community services district organized under the Community Services District Law, codified as Government Code section 61000 et seq. (hereinafter the “DISTRICT”). CITY and DISTRICT may sometimes hereinafter individually be referred to as a “party” or jointly as the “Parties.”
RECITALS
A. On April 8, 2014, the Parties entered into an agreement entitled “Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the City of San Rafael and Marinwood Community Services District for Fire Protection, Emergency Services, and Personnel Sharing” (hereinafter the “Agreement”).
B. On November 1, 2018, the Parties entered into a First Amendment entitled “First Amendment to Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the City of San Rafael and Marinwood Community Services District for Fire Protection, Emergency Services, and Personnel Sharing” (hereinafter the “First Amendment”).
C. The CITY recognizes DISTRICT’s value to operational response within CITY limits and the strategic location of DISTRICT’s Fire Station 58 to northern San Rafael, representing a critical third station north of Lincoln Hill.
D. The CITY also recognizes the importance of the DISTRICT’s ability to staff Engine 58 as a full-time advanced life support (ALS) engine and the lifesaving value that brings to all those that reside and visit the CITY’s paramedic authority area including CSA 13, CSA 19, DISTRICT, and CITY.
E. The DISTRICT recognizes the value in being able to access the resources of the CITY’s larger Fire Department, including back-up shift personnel as-needed. 2 F. In accordance with the Section 12 of the Agreement, the Parties now wish to amend the Agreement to address staffing of paramedics and to affirm their commitment towards a more comprehensive, equitable, regional approach.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual and respective promises, and subject to all the terms and conditions of said Agreement, except as herein modified, the parties agree to amend the Agreement as follows:
ARTICLE 1.
Exhibit A to the Agreement is hereby replaced with “EXHIBIT A-2” attached to this First Amendment and incorporated herein by reference.
ARTICLE 2.
Section 1, TERM OF AGREEMENT is hereby amended to read with additions in italics and deletions in strikethrough as follows:
This Agreement shall commence on April 8, 2014 (the “Effective Date”) and shall remain operative and effective until participation is terminated by one of the parties. It is further agreed that either of the parties may terminate the Agreement at any time by giving written notice to the other party at least ninety (90) three-hundred and sixty-five (365) days prior to the date of the termination.
ARTICLE 3.
Section 2, TYPE OF ASSISTANCE – CITY TO DISTRICT, is hereby amended to modify Subsection J and to add a new subsection N, with additions in italics and deletions in strikethrough as follows:
J. As specified herein, to assist DISTRICT in establishing Engine 58 (DISTRICT’s Engine) as an ALS Engine Company to complement CITY’s paramedic services in Paramedic Service Area B CSA 13, Marinwood, and San Rafael. Within 120 days from the Effective Date, CITY shall provide DISTRICT with ALS Equipment, Medical Direction, ongoing training, and other ALS needs that are required to provide services that meet Marin County EMS standards, and to match what CITY provides to its own ALS Engines; provided that:
i. DISTRICT paramedic personnel shall serve strictly within the parameters of the medical and operational procedures and requirements of and for CITY’s firefighter-paramedics;
ii. In recognition that regular rotation of paramedic personnel onto ambulance units is desirable for the maintenance of essential paramedic skills, DISTRICT and CITY shall cooperate to establish a mutually agreeable staffing and operational plan to require and enable DISTRICT’s paramedic personnel to participate with CITY’s paramedic personnel in regular rotations onto ambulance units; 3 iii. DISTRICT shall retain discretion on when to operate Engine 58 as an ALS Engine Company; and
iv. DISTRICT shall use good faith efforts to hire only firefighter/paramedics to fill any vacancies in the firefighter rank.
v. If and when DISTRICT commences to provide paramedic services in CSA 13, Marinwood, and San Rafael, then CITY shall, on an annual basis, reimburse DISTRICT for any paramedic pay differential costs actually incurred by DISTRICT for not more than three (3) members serving in the rank of firefighter/paramedic. If a member serving in the rank of engineer with a paramedic license serves as the only paramedic on a shift, then the City will pay the differential costs for the paramedic cost for that shift. Additional expenditures by DISTRICT in connection with the provision of paramedic services may be eligible for reimbursement by CITY provided that prior approval for such expenditures has been given by CITY in writing.
N. To provide DISTRICT fire mechanic services, including regular maintenance and repair of DISTRICT apparatus through CITY’s Fire Department mechanic at the times and places determined by CITY. CITY will provide CITY-employed fire mechanic labor at no cost to DISTRICT. DISTRICT shall pay for all materials and supplies, overtime for the CITY’s Fire Department fire mechanic, any other CITY employee who may provide fire mechanic services, and any non-CITY employee labor costs incurred by CITY, without any CITY markup costs.
CITY shall have sole discretion on whether work can be performed by the CITY fire mechanic, another CITY employee, or by outside labor.
ARTICLE 3.
Section 3.1, FIRE CHIEF OFFICER SERVICES – DISTRICT OBLIGATIONS TO CITY, is hereby amended to delete Subsection B thereof in its entirety.
ARTICLE 4.
A new Section 3.2 entitled “CITY COMPENSATION TO DISTRICT” is hereby added to the Agreement to read in its entirety as shown in italics as follows:
Subject to the requirements herein, CITY shall pay DISTRICT a flat annual fee for services in an amount agreed upon by both Parties (the “Services Fee”). Subject to Section
4.D of the Agreement, CITY shall pay to DISTRICT the Services Fee of $350,000 for the fiscal year July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, provided the DISTRICT uses good faith efforts to assign a paramedic for each DISTRICT shift. DISTRICT shall submit invoices to CITY in accordance with this Agreement not more often than quarterly, and CITY shall pay any such invoices within 30 days. For the fiscal year, beginning on July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028, the Services Fee shall be $500,000. For subsequent fiscal years, beginning on July 1, the Services Fee for the next fiscal year shall be increased by three percent (3%) of the then-current Services Fee or the Consumer Price Index for All Urban 4 Consumers (CPI-U) for San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward as of December 31st of the prior year whichever is higher up to a maximum of five percent (5%).
ARTICLE 5.
A new Section 13 entitled “MUTUAL COMMITMENTS TOWARDS REGIONAL SOLUTION” is hereby added to the Agreement to read in its entirety as shown in italics as follows:
The CITY and DISTRICT mutually agree to use good faith efforts to continue their work towards a more formal regional approach to serving the DISTRICT and CITY communities, whereby CITY personnel staff and utilize the DISTRICT’S Fire Station to provide fire protection and related emergency services, without regard to the jurisdictional boundaries of either the CITY or DISTRICT, and the CSAs that both CITY and DISTRICT are contractually obligated to serve. Both parties endeavor to evaluate and consider this transition prior to June 30, 2027. Such good faith efforts include, but are not limited to: (i) engaging a consultant to study and analyze the factors set forth in Government Code Section 56134, subdivisions (e) and (f), and any other factors that may be considered by the Marin County Local Agency Formation Commission (“LAFCO”); and (ii) commence evaluation on the feasibility of consolidation, merger, or reorganization pursuant to the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act (Gov.
Code, §§ 56000 et seq.) through which the DISTRICT may transfer, terminate, dissolve, or otherwise cease its independent legal responsibility for providing fire protection services, subject to all applicable statutory procedures and approvals, including by LAFCO.
ARTICLE 6.
Except as hereinabove amended, all terms and conditions of the Agreement and First Amendment shall remain in full force and effect.
Signatures to follow on the next page.
5 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Second Amendment on the day first written above.
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL MARINWOOD COMMUNITY
SERVICES DISTRICT
______________________________ ______________________________ Kate Colin, Mayor Christopher Case, Board President
______________________________ ______________________________ Paul Navazio, Interim City Manager Eric Dreikosen, District Manager ______________________________
Abraham Roman, Fire Chief
ATTEST: ATTEST:
______________________________ ______________________________ Lindsay Lara, City Clerk Tiffany Combrink, Secretary to the Board of Directors
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________________ _____________________________ Andrea Visveshwara, Patrick D. Skahan, District Counsel Chief Assistant City Attorney
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