CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: August 27, 2020
Agenda Date: September 9, 2020
Prepared By: Lora Howell, Deputy Finance Director
Through: Rebecca Bowman, MBA, CGFO, CGFM, Finance Director
Requested Action:
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Approve Final Fire Assessment Resolution 2020-195 and the Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll for Fire Protection Assessment Fiscal Year 2021...End
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BACKGROUND:
On May 9, 2006, City Council approved Ordinance 20-2006 ("Ordinance") that adopted a fire protection assessment to partially fund the provision of fire protection and first response medical services ("rescue") (collectively "fire protection services") to properties within the City. Each year as part of the budgeting process, City Council must adopt the fire assessment rate schedule for the upcoming budget year.
In May 2013, the City entered into a contract with Stantec (Burton & Associates, Inc.), to conduct a study for purposes of updating the City's fire protection assessment using a revised methodology that is based upon the availability of fire protection services to all parcels within City limits and the protection from loss of structures on improved parcels within City limits. In addition, the new methodology was used to develop a rate structure that will partially fund the City's cost to provide fire protection services consistent with the authority set forth in the Ordinance. The results of the Study and recommendations are reported in the "FY2014 Non-Ad Valorem Fire Protection Assessment Study Final Report" dated August 7, 2013, which was presented to City Council on August 13, 2013.
The Study was updated in July 2015 with the objective to develop an updated methodology that will result in assessment rates that will recover a portion of the full cost of providing fire protection service to properties within the City limits in proportion to the benefit received and to more equitably apportion the cost to vacant properties. Calculations to determine the rate structure inclu...
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