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Board holds off on ballot measure to fund fire services

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Ramona Municipal Water District will not be asking voters to increase the Fire EDU fee this November, but is raising the ambulance and paramedic user fees for the second time in a year.

With the costs continuing to rise for Ramona Fire Department operations, RMWD Director Joe Zenovic asked the board at its May 10 meeting to consider a ballot measure to raise the Fire EDU fee. The annual fee of $188.52 per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) — a single-family residence is typically one EDU — has been in place since 1996, the year it was established.

Last year, Cal Fire’s $5.95 million contract with RMWD to provide fire protection services was about half a million dollars more than the previous year. Fire EDU fees only pay for a portion of that amount, said the district. To make up for the shortfall, RMWD used $2.7 million of its discretionary property tax revenue, slightly more than half of the total revenue. Zenovic said if that money could be used for sewer plant projects, it could possibly prevent sewer rate increases.

In addition to Cal Fire costs, Zenovic noted that the fire department will be replacing two ambulances for about $450,000, and will be needing a new fire engine.

Zenovic proposed raising the Fire EDU by $185 per year, for a total of $373, saying that would nearly fund the current shortage and maintain the level of service, and would amount to an extra 50 cents per day.

Director George Foote asked David Barnum, RMWD’s general manager, how much a ballot measure would cost. After throwing out different amounts, Barnum said it could total $250,000 with the county registrar fee, mailers, and an independent rate and fee study to determine the needed increase, and it typically takes a year to prepare.

Board President Thomas Ace said he was not opposed to a ballot measure but was concerned about the timing of it. Ace, a retired fire chief, said he had been involved with ballot initiatives for two other fire protection districts and both were successful.

“It was a year in the planning to get something on the ballot,” Ace said, adding that it was a “herculean effort” that included public outreach.

“I would only like to move forward with it with a presumption of success,” he said.

Because the fee is considered a special tax, two-thirds voter approval is required. An effort by RMWD in 2005 to increase the fee failed to receive the required votes. Board vice president Darrell Beck said they asked for a $100 increase and only received 45.8 percent approval. Zenovic said they also included an open-ended escalator.

Ace said he thinks the November election will draw a large voter turnout, which statistically makes it more difficult to reach two-thirds approval, and he would prefer to do it in an off-election year when there is a low voter turnout.

Zenovic indicated he was OK with additional time to prepare, but said he didn’t want to wait another 20 years.

“I’m going to push this issue to the point where I’d like to see something done,” he said.

Director Jim Hickle agreed, saying the costs will only go up.

“We’ve got to address this issue,” said Hickle. “Let’s start getting the ball rolling on it.”

The board agreed to let the Fire Ad Hoc Committee of Ace and Beck continue studying costs and ways to address the Fire EDU.

After a public hearing on hikes in ambulance and paramedic user fees, the board unanimously approved the $350 increased base rates for advanced and basic life support to help fund the operations and two new ambulances.

Resident Rex Gammon was the only person to speak at the hearing, opposing the hike, noting that Medicare only pays 23 percent of what it is charged, and saying he did not think raising rates would generate more revenue.

The board also approved a change order for the Clarifier No. 4 Project at the Santa Maria Water Reclamation Plant, bringing the contract amount to $1.39 million. The project, expected to be completed this month, was budgeted for $1.79 million. Project funding includes $1.124 million from The Nature Conservancy’s March purchase of a conservation easement in the district’s spray fields.

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