HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02231993 - 2.A Contra
TO: 130ARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa
FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR
¢ County
County Administrator
DATE: February 23 , 1993
SUBJECT: Fire Suppression Benefit Assessment Risk Factor Review
Specific Request(s) or Recommendation(s) & Background & Justification
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Acknowledge receipt of letter from the Riverview Fire Protection
District Board of Fire Commissioners requesting the Board of Supervisors
to direct the fire chiefs to meet with representatives of the business
communities to review and restructure the risk unit schedule as it
applies to business and industry.
2. Refer the matter of equity in the treatment of small business and
commercial properties to the County Administrator, the fire chiefs and .
County Counsel and direct them to meet with local chambers of commerce
representatives to consider refinement to the methodology used in
determining risk unit assignment factors.
3 . Request County Administrator to report back on April 6, 1993 with any
recommendations to revise the risk unit schedule to provide equity
adjustments that may be deemed appropriate.
4. Authorize the fire chiefs to make administrative adjustments in the
benefit assessment process for certain anomalies that occur in the
application of the risk unit schedule such as in the case of parcels
that are under water.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND:
In January 1993 the Board of Supervisors authorized the County Administrator
and the County fire districts to implement a contingency plan called a
benefit assessment to provide replacement revenue in reaction o the
Continued on Attachment: X YES Signature:
Recommendation of County Administrator
Recommendation of Board Committee
Approve Other
Signature(s) :
Action of Board on: 073 /993 Approved as Recommended-4--Other
Vote of Supervisors: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
A- AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
Unanimous (Absent —) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
Ayes: I Noes:------;-) BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN.
Contact: Terry McGraw (646-4855) Attested:
l!F3
cc: County Administrator Phil Batche or, Clerk of
Auditor-Controller the Board of Supervisors
County Counsel and County Administrator
County and Indep. Fire Districts ,
United Professional By: , DEPUTY
Firefighters Local 1230
Governor' s proposed budget which would eliminate approximately 550 of fire
district funding if adopted as proposed.
The benefit assessment amounts calculated for the nine County fire districts
are based on a system of relative fire risk factors assigned to different
types of property. The risk factor methodology was developed by the County
fire chiefs on the basis of an evaluation of fire characteristics of
different structures. Included in the analysis were such elements as
frequency of fire incidents, fire flow requirements (amount of water required
to control a fire) , life hazard and exposure hazard. The basic element of
the system is the single family dwelling which is assigned one risk unit on
the concept that the average single family home represents the lowest common
denominator of fire risk characteristics. Other types of structures are
assigned multiples of the basic risk unit on the basis of increased fire risk
characteristics related to the average size and/or use of the facility.
The risk unit method has been the basis of benefit assessments in three
County fire districts (East Diablo, Oakley, and Riverview) and one
independent fire district (Rodeo-Hercules) since 1987 . In the case of
Riverview Fire Protection District, the method was implemented in 1987 and
again in 1991 without issues as to the validity of the risk factor
assignments.
Questions have now arisen in connection with the current benefit assessment
process regarding certain elements of the risk unit assignments related to
small business and commercial properties. Accordingly, it is appropriate to
request the fire chiefs to review the risk unit factors to determine if some
adjustments should be made in the risk unit schedule to achieve a greater
degree of equity between different types of property.
In addition to the possible need to revise portions of the risk unit
schedule, certain specific adjustments may be required on a case-by-case
basis in the application of the risk unit schedule to avoid unfair and/or
illogical assessments.
An illustration of this situation is in the case of boat harbors. A boat
harbor is assigned six ( 6) risk units on the basis of the fire risk
characteristics related to that type of business. However, in some cases
boat harbors are located on more than one parcel of land which results in the
harbor owner being assessed six risk units on each parcel. Since the fire
risk is related to the type of structure(s) and hazards of a boat harbor and
not to the number of parcels underlying the harbor, it would be reasonable to
disregard the parcel count and adjust the total risk units to six.
Another question is how the system works in connection with office buildings
that have been subdivided into commercial condominiums. Office buildings are
assigned four ( 4) risk units . If a building becomes divided into separate
units, each unit is now assessed four risk units even though there is little
increase in fire risk. In such cases, it would seem appropriate to consider
assessing one risk unit per condominium but not less than the four risk units
required for a conventional office building.
In addition to authorizing the fire chiefs to make adjustments for these
irregularities, it is recommended that the fire chiefs be required to clear
such adjustments with other fire chiefs that may have similar issues in their
own districts and the County Administrator' s Office to provide consistency
among fire districts implementing the benefit assessment.
I S F' I V E F2 V I E W F I FZ E D I S T F _ 0
kierviAv
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Fire Comrnissiuners:
Cho
4l. I:H L:TTLE
ROBERT BALDRIDGE
HORACE A.ENEA
SIG LANSTROM
BOB LEWIS
ELIZABETH RIMBAULT
EDWARD SPENCER.Ir.
JOE TOVAR,Jr.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS DIRECT THE COUNTY FIRE CHIEFS TO MEET WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF TI-IE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES OF THE COUNTY AND
REVIEW AND RESTRUCTURE THE "RISK UNIT" SCHEDULE AS IT APPLIES TO
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY.
That said schedule should have an equitable basis between residential properties,
representing one (1) risk unit, and Commercial properties
The equitable basis may be size of parcel, size of building or use of property by
county use codes, but must have a basis in actual risk level, probability of fire or level of
difficulty to protect.
The new schedule should be presented to the County Fire Coordinating Committee
for review and recommendations to the County Board of Supervisors before the June 8th
election on Fire Assessment levels.
Recommended February 17, 1993
AYES: Commissioners: Baldridge, Enea, Lanstrom, Lewis, Rimbault and Tovar
NOS :
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