REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 26, 2024
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Introduction of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Proposed Annual San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Fee Ordinance
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District:
1. Conduct a public hearing on the proposed ordinance repealing Ordinance Nos. FPD 23-02 and FPD 23-03 and establishing fees for the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District as shown on the attached Fiscal Year 2024-25 Fee Schedule (Attachment A).
2. Make alterations, if necessary, to the proposed ordinance.
3. Approve introduction of proposed ordinance.
• An ordinance of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District to repeal Ordinance No. FPD 23-02 and Ordinance No. FPD 23-03 and to establish fire service fees, fire suppression, emergency response and cost recovery fees, ambulance service and subscription fees.
4. SCHEDULE ORDINANCE FOR FINAL ADOPTION ON TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2024, on the Consent Calendar.
(Presenter: Dan Munsey, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, 387-5779)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of these actions will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD) fees, as listed on the attached fee schedule (Attachment A), are projected to generate approximately $15 million in revenue for 2024-25 to recover the cost of providing services. Revenue related to the fees will be included in the 2024-25 recommended budget for SBCFPD. Net impact on revenue from the various recommended changes included in the proposed Fee Ordinance is expected to be negligible.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The SBCFPD Fee Ordinance is submitted annually to the Board of Directors (Board) for approval. The proposed Fee Ordinance for 2024-25 includes several recommended changes. The following is a summary of the significant recommended fee changes for 2024-25:
Community Safety:
• Addition of three fees to recover the cost of services provided pursuant to the California Fire Code and/or SBCFPD Fire Code Ordinance. These new fees are for Gate/Fence Plan Reviews, Gate/Fence Inspections, and a Notice of Violation fee for Re-Inspection after the second failed inspection.
• Deletion of four fees as plans are only accepted electronically through the EZOP systems and to align with the State Fire Marshal requirements.
Employee Classification Hourly Rate:
• Revision of 15 existing Employee Classification Hourly Rate fees to reflect negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) increases and changes in the annual productive hours. This includes decreases to five fees ranging from 0.5% to 16.2% and increases to 10 fees ranging from 0.4% to 14.3%, with one fee increasing by 29.4%. The Firefighter EMT Classification hourly fee is increasing primarily due to exclusion of extra-help positions as they do not provide cost recoverable services.
• Deletion of 69 existing Employee Classification Hourly Rate fees as they have not historically provided a service. Any staffing classification not listed individually in the Fee Ordinance will be invoiced at actual cost, if needed.
Equipment Rate:
• Revision of nine existing Equipment fees to reflect the current costs of providing the service. This includes decreases to five fees ranging from 8.9% to 43.9% and increases to four fees ranging from 12.1% to 148.6%, which have been historically used for large scale events and have minimal impact to individuals in the community.
• Deletion of 19 existing Equipment fees as they have not historically been used for cost recovery purposes. Any Equipment fee not listed individually in the Fee Ordinance will be invoiced at actual cost, if needed.
SBCFPD ensures that the recommended fee amounts comply with Proposition 26. Proposition 26 generally requires fees not to be higher than the cost of the activity and/or service provided unless an exception applies as indicated in the proposition.
On March 12, 2024 (Item No. 54), a fee workshop with the Board was conducted to discuss the 2024-25 proposed fees. In addition to the fee changes originally proposed at the fee workshop, the District, upon further review and at County Counsel’s recommendation, is proposing the following changes to achieve administrative efficiency and to be consistent with the law:
• Section E - Miscellaneous Fees, paragraph (1): recommended for deletion.
• Section F - Administrative Services Fees, paragraph (9): revised language to be general District-wide “Records Fees” instead of “Medical Records Fees”, and adding further clarity to subparagraph A.
• Section F - Administrative Services Fees, paragraph (10): recommended for deletion.
The proposed ordinance will take effect on July 1, 2024.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Scott Runyan, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 6, 2024; Finance (Ivan Ramirez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4020) on March 7, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on March 8, 2024.