Politics & Government

Council to Consider New Fire Services Contract for Tara Hills

The Pinole City Council will look at a new agreement that would mean less revenue as the first responder to the unincorporated area.

For more than 30 years, Pinole has contracted with the county to provide first-responder fire department services for the city's adjoining unincorporated area of Tara Hills. Now the county's fire district wants lower-cost terms for those services.

The Pinole City Council on Tuesday will consider a new contract at a lower reimbursement rate, which could translate into less annual revenue for the city.

The original flat-rate contract, which has been periodically adjusted for inflation, is no longer adequate from the county's perspective, and the Contra Costa Fire Protection District wants a new arrangement. For fiscal year 2010-11, the city was reimbursed about $340,000 for fire services. That amounted to about $1,000 per call. Last year the county district requested a rate of $410 per call and Pinole Fire Chief Charles Hanley instead reached an agreement to a $200,000 annual rate for 2011-12.

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Pressed by a prospective alternative that Pinole could lose the entire contract if the city of Richmond signed a separate per-call contract to provide first-responder service to Tara Hills, city staff are recommending a new contract with the county for a minimum flat rate of $150,000 for fiscal year 2012-13, with possible upward adjustments based on the number of fire emergency responses in Tara Hills.

The proposed new contract is a one-year agreement with an automatic renewal but also allows for possible revisions to the reimbursement rate in future years.

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"While $150,000 is not preferred, it is surely better than zero," Pinole Assistant City Manager Michelle Fitzer wrote in a report that will be considered by the council Tuesday. See the attached document for the full report.

The council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 2131 Pear St.


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