Rio Dell Fire Proposes Annexing Scotia, Redcrest, Shively, Price Creek, and Bear River Ridge

Press release from Rio Dell Fire:

The Rio Dell Fire Protection District, in conjunction with the Town of Scotia LLC, the Redcrest Volunteer Fire Company, and the Shively Volunteer Fire Company, are working on a proposal to merge their departments and designate the Rio Dell FPD as the primary fire and emergency service provider to the communities of Scotia, Redcrest, Shively, and surrounding areas.

Doing so would involve annexing these territories into the Rio Dell FPD and merging the assets and departments that currently serve these communities. Rio Dell FPD intends to retain the existing stations operated in the merger communities, and each community would continue to have its own local fire firefighters.

Before finalizing the proposal and applying to LAFCo, the merging parties invite the community to attend one of a series of informational meetings they’re holding in affected communities. All interested folks are welcome to attend any of the meeting dates.
Meeting dates:
• Scotia – Thursday, November 7th, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Winema Theater
Join us for a brief presentation and coffee and snacks
• Redcrest/Shively –Friday, November 8th, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Redcrest Community Center
Join us for a brief presentation and coffee and snacks
• Rio Dell – Saturday, November 9th, 12:00 – 3:00 p.m., Rio Dell Fire Station

Presentation every hour on the hour. Join us for a BBQ, ask questions and hear about the proposed merger/annexation.

Currently, the community of Scotia is served by a fire company funded by the Town of Scotia LLC. Town of Scotia LLC is in the process of subdividing the “company town” and once it has divested itself of its holdings, the Scotia community will be responsible for providing its own funding for fire-related services. Redcrest and Shively are served by non-profit volunteer companies, who’s capacity to serve is wholly dependent on fundraising and mutual aid response to cover service gaps.

The proposal to merge all of these organizations into the Rio Dell Fire Protection District (a separate local government agency from the City of Rio Dell) would provide a proactive, sustainable solution for future fire and emergency service needs in the region. Formally, the process will involve Rio Dell FPD applying to the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) to annex the above communities into their jurisdictional boundary. Humboldt LAFCo will likely consider whether or not to approve the proposal in early 2020.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q. What is the Rio Dell Fire Protection District?

The Rio Dell Fire Protection District is a special district, a separate government agency from the City of Rio Dell, with five-member publicly elected Board Members. The District provides a range of services including fire protection, emergency medical services (approximately 80% of calls for service are emergency medical), auto extrication, technical rescue, hazardous materials, and general public assistance responses. Currently, the District’s boundary extends well beyond Rio Dell City limits and covers an area of 4.6 square miles, and serves approximately 3,500 residents.

Q. What is Rio Dell FPD proposing to Annex?

Rio Dell FPD is proposing to annex the communities of Scotia, Redcrest, Shively, Price Creek, Bear River Ridge, and surrounding areas into the district. A map and parcel list are available at the Rio Dell Fire Station to check and see if your property would be included in the proposal.

Q. What does the Annexation entail?

The proposal involves changing the jurisdictional boundary of the Rio Dell FPD to include the abovementioned communities. More than changing the boundary, incorporating these communities into the district will include integrating the existing stations and fire volunteers in those communities into the Rio Dell Fire Protection District. Formal agreements would be completed to transfer assets (stations, equipment, apparatus) and service responsibility from the Town of Scotia LLC, and the Redcrest & Shively Fire Non-profits, respectively, to the Rio Dell FPD. Rio Dell FPD proposes to continue utilizing the existing stations and retain their associated local firefighters to serve the annexed communities.

Q. Why Is Rio Dell FPD proposing to annex these areas?

Currently, within the Scotia community, the area is served by a fire company funded by the Town of Scotia LLC (TOS). TOS is in the process of subdividing the “company town” and once it has divested itself of its holdings, the Scotia community would be responsible for providing its own funding for fire-related services. Redcrest and Shively are served by non-profit volunteer companies. As non-profits, their capacity to serve is wholly dependent on fundraising and mutual aid response to cover service gaps.

The proposal to merge all of these organizations into the Rio Dell Fire District would provide a proactive, sustainable solution for future fire and emergency service needs in the region. A fire protection district can provide administrative support, a sustainable funding source, and mechanisms for public input and accountability. Rio Dell FPD is the closest fire district to the Scotia, Redcrest, and Shively communities. They already provide extensive mutual aid to these communities and are committed to ensuring the communities receive fire protection and emergency services onto the future.

Q. What happens if Rio Dell FPD does not annex these areas?

In Scotia, the Town of Scotia LLC will discontinue privately funding the Scotia Fire Company once they are finished subdividing the community into private property. Prior to that time, the Scotia community will need to either establish their own fire service provider or rely on goodwill response from the nearby fire departments. Fire service could be provided through Scotia CSD, if they so choose, however, the CSD would need the public to support a tax to fund the service. In 2016, Scotia CSD put a benefit assessment on the ballot which would have funded fire service through Scotia CSD. The assessment amount would have assessed a single-family home at $147 annually. The assessment did not pass.

If no Scotia-specific service provider were established, the community would receive good-will services from other nearby fire-service and emergency service providers. Goodwill service is where another fire department responds outside its jurisdiction to a call. Because that department has a duty to ensure its own tax-payers are covered first, goodwill response may be delayed or reduced based upon the nearby departments’ availability.

In the Redcrest, Shively, and surrounding areas, the communities would continue to rely on the volunteer fire departments that currently operate. These departments rely on community donations and volunteers to respond when they are able.

Q. I live in a proposed annexation area, how does this affect me?

Rio Dell FPD would become your primary fire service provider. As a part of a fire district, annexation property owners would benefit from a better ISO rating and could see an improvement in their ability to get and retain fire insurance. Other benefits include more opportunities for public input and agency accountability (a public agency versus and non-profit or private company), and sustainably funded fire services with an increased capacity for response.

Under this proposal, the District’s existing benefit assessment would be applied to all properties within the annexation area. A benefit assessment is a type of tax that is used for a specific purpose (benefit), in this case, fire and emergency services. The amount each property owner within the Rio Dell FPD pays is based on the below formula:

A unit value is given to each parcel based on the current land-use code of the property. The unit value varies from 1 unit of benefit for a vacant parcel to 20 units of benefit for a heavy industrial parcel. Each unit of benefit is assessed at $25. For example, a typical single-family residence is assigned 4 units of benefit and each unit is assessed at $25 for a total of $100 per year.

The Fire Assessment has no inflationary provision, meaning that the $25 will not increase year-to-year.

Q. Who will be deciding whether or not this proposal is approved?

Formally, the process will involve Rio Dell FPD applying to the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) to annex the above communities into their jurisdictional boundary. Humboldt LAFCo will likely consider whether or not to approve the proposal in early 2020 at a public hearing. Affected property owners and registered voters will have the opportunity to comment at theLAFCo public hearing.

Before the District applies to LAFCo for the annexation, they want to hear from you. To help inform the public, answer questions, and receive input, the district is holding several public meetings:
Meeting dates:
Scotia – Thursday, November 7th, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Winema Theater
Join us for a brief presentation and coffee and snacks

Redcrest/Shively – Friday, November or 8th, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Redcrest Community Center
Join us for a brief presentation and coffee and snacks Rio Dell – Saturday, November 9th, 12:00 – 3:00 p.m., Rio Del Fire Station
Presentations ever hour on the hour. Join us for an open house and BBQ, and hear about the proposed merger/annexation.

Both property owners and renters are invited to attend. If you can’t attend your community’s meeting, you are welcome to attend any of the other dates. Rio Dell FPD also holds regularly scheduled public meetings on the 2nd Thursday of every month, where the community is welcome to make public comment.

Rio Dell FPD Annexation of Scotia, Redcrest, Shively FAQ October 21, 2019
Q. I live within Rio Dell FPD’s boundary already, will I be affected?

Property owners within the existing district boundary will not be affected. They can expect the same great service levels and will not see an increase in their taxes.

Q. I have a question not answered on here, how do I find more information?
For further information, questions, and interviews, contact- Chief Shane Wilson, (707) 764-3329,
[email protected]