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Home My WebLink About23 - BA-028 - Temporary Fire StationFebruary 13, 2001 Council Agenda Item No. 23 To: Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Timothy Riley, Fire Chief Dave Kiff, Deputy City Manager Subject: Budget Amendment to Fund the Operation of a Temporary Fire Station in North Newport Beach RECOMMENDATION Ratify the decision of the City Manager to establish a temporary fire station to serve the airport area of Newport Beach. Approve Budget Amendment number BA -028 in the amount of up to $608,860 to fund the development and operation of a temporary fire station to serve the airport area of Newport Beach and the unincorporated area known as Santa Ana Heights for the remainder of the 2000/2001 fiscal year. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a right -of -entry agreement with the owner and/or tenant/lessee for the use of the parking area at 2101 Dove Street for an Interim Station Location. Direct staff to work with the County of Orange and other property owners in the Santa Ana Heights /Airport Area to investigate locations for a Permanent Station Location. Direct staff to work with the County of Orange and the Orange County Fire Authority to examine ways to compensate the City for the early provision of services to the Santa Ana Heights region to assure partial cost recovery of this Budget Amendment. BACKGROUND As a part of the City's proposed annexation of Santa Ana Heights (now set to be filed with the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission or OC LAFCO on or about February 23, 2001), the City will have to address long -term fire and emergency medical service needs in Santa Ana Heights and the airport area of Newport Beach. The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), in addition to serving Santa Ana heights, has provided the first responding unit to all of Newport Beach north of Fletcher Jones and University Avenue from their fire station located on airport property near Dove Street and Campus Drive. It was anticipated that the OCFA may have been able to serve both Santa Ana Heights and the Airport Area for a short but indefinite time — at least as long as it might take the City to place a permanent station in the Santa Ana Heights area (18 -24 months). In December, 2000, OCFA Fire Station 27 caught fire. Due to the age of the station and the damage from the fire, the OCFA relocated the personnel from this station to Station 28, which is north of the 405 freeway, until they could decide the manner in which they would resume services in the Station 27 area. City staff spent about 30 days evaluating the impact of this relocation on response times in north Newport Beach and shared this information with the City Council at their January 27th retreat. At the direction of the City Manager, the Fire Department placed a temporary unit in service at the Radisson Hotel on Monday, January 29 using overtime personnel. NEED FOR A FIRE STATION Now and the Future The Department provides service to the different parts of our community with a response time standard of 5 minutes or less, 90% of the time. Over the years, we have placed fire stations in different parts of the city; the last one being the Fashion Island Fire Station in 1971. We also rely on automatic aid from our neighbors when practical. This was the case in north Newport Beach with OCFA Station 27. With Station 27 gone, the majority of the airport area falls outside of our response time envelope. Additionally, during the time between the loss of Station 27 and the interim fire station at the Radisson, our response times exceeded our 5 minutes goal over 90% of the time. The OCFA has the responsibility to serve the Santa Ana Heights area as long as it remains unincorporated. Following the fire at Station 27, they began reviewing their options to serve this area with the potential annexation of Santa Ana Heights by the City a major determining factor. If Santa Ana Heights went to the City, they would most likely look to permanently assign Engine 27 to Station 28. They are currently holding off on any decision pending our City Council action on the annexation. Therefore, the Fire Department recommends we continue this level of coverage in the airport area until a final determination on the annexation of Santa Ana Heights in made. As for the future, the Fire Department is working on a major fire station location study. We recognize that a lot has changed since the Fashion Island Fire Station was built in 1971. We also envision some significant challenges to service delivery with the annexation of Newport Coast, Santa Ana Heights and Banning Ranch. A comprehensive study will give the City Council a great picture of how we deliver fire and emergency medical services today, and would answer the challenges of tomorrow with an eye toward relocating existing fire stations instead of adding new ones to optimize efficiency and effectiveness. The study should be complete and available for presentation to the City Council by April, 2001. OPTIONS FOR CONTINUED SERVICE We view our service needs in Santa Ana Heights and north Newport Beach in three distinct phases — the immediate phase (the Radisson "short- term" site of 3 -4 weeks), an interim phase (to cover service needs as the permanent site is acquired, planned, and constructed), and the permanent phase itself. The following describes our strategy and actions for each phase. IMMEDIATE SITE. We currently have three persons per day, working overtime, operating a fire engine out of the Radisson Hotel on Birch Street. This arrangement provides for sleeping and bathing quarters for the personnel but does not provide for cooking and office activities. We do not have the facility in place to establish normal call alerting equipment nor computer equipment. If the unit were to remain in service until the construction of a permanent facility, the Radisson would not meet our needs. Budgetarily, the cost of operating in this manner is $96,442 per month. There is also a one -time need to fund $63,400 in start-up costs, including the equipping of a leased fire engine. Over the remaining five months of this fiscal year, the total adjustment to our budget would be $545,610. INTERIM SITE. We have sought agreement from the oweners and tenants at 2101 Dove Street, Newport Beach (see map and photo below). This land is held in fee by Mr. Dan Perlmutter, but subject to Mr. Perlmutter's lease with the current tenants, Edler Industries. The City Manager sent a memorandum to property owner's attorney on February 5, 2001 proposing to use the 2101 Dove parking area for a term of up to 24 months under a Right -of -Entry Agreement. The 2101 Dove Street site is advantageous because of the following reasons: • Large parking area can hold required station trailer + engine; • Access to utilities, including water and sewerage provided by the City of Newport Beach; • Readily accessible to several critical service areas, including Santa Ana Heights and the Airport Area; • The property owner's willingness to allow us to enter and occupy his parking lot for up to 24 months per a Right -of -Entry Agreement for limited compensation. Proposed Interim Site at 2101 Dove Street — map and photo If authorized, we would enter into a long -tern lease of the property and install a temporary facility which would include a mobile building for housing and office space and a metal structure to house the fire engine. We believe we could have this facility ready to go by March 1. Budgetarily, the cost to operate a temporary fire station with overtime personnel would be $93,832 per month. There is also a one -time need to fund $90,400 in start-up costs as well as an additional $49,300 to prepare the site and install a temporary facility. Over the remaining five months of this fiscal year, the total adjustment to our budget would be $608,860. However, if the City Council concluded that this interim solution would, in fact, lead uninterrupted to a permanent solution, we would recommend increasing the number of authorized positions in our budget by nine and proceed with the hiring of permanent staff immediately. This would reduce the total adjustment to our current budget by $63,250 to a new total of $545,610. PERMANENT SITE. If the Council approves this action, staff will continue to follow -up on possible sites in the Santa Ana Heights /Airport Area region well suited for a permanent station location. The City's Fiscal Impact Analysis for the annexation of Santa Ana Heights envisions and accounts for the development of a new fire station in the Heights in 2002 -03 (est). Several parcels in the area are available today, including parcels on Birch Street and Zenith. Factors that will weigh into our selection of any property will include: • Zoning — commercial zoning is preferred over residential zoning. • Ownership — the City will work with the County of Orange's redevelopment agency (RDA) to examine if those properties currently owned by the RDA are good candidates to transfer to the City for a fire station. • Location — we will complete response time projections for any parcel under consideration to ensure that the times would maintain the City's service standards. • Price — pricing is always a consideration. • Neighborhood Acceptance — we will confer with Santa Ana Heights residents, including representatives of the Santa Ana Heights Project Advisory Committee (PAC) to seek their input on this important community issue. Any decision regarding the purchase or transfer of land for a permanent station in the Santa Ana Heights/Airport Area will be made by the City Council at a future date. We anticipate that this process — from discussions today to environmental review to construction of a completed station may take 18 -24 months. FUNDING We plan to ask Supervisor Wilson's office to assist us in any discussions with the Orange County Fire Authority and/or the County of Orange to make this new station as cost - effective as possible given that the immediate and interim stations will serve County unincorporated residents at least until the City formally annexes Santa Ana Heights. City of Newport Beach BUDGETAMENDMENT 2000 -01 EFFECT ON BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE: Increase Revenue Estimates X Increase Expenditure Appropriations AND 2320 Transfer Budget Appropriations SOURCE: Number 7044 from existing budget appropriations PX from additional estimated revenues 8020 from unappropriated fund balance EXPLANATION: NO. BA- 028 AMOUNT: Saoa,ass.ss Increase in Budgetary Fund Balance X Decrease In Budgetary Fund Balance No effect on Budgetary Fund Balance This budget amendment is requested to provide for the following: To increase expenditure appropriations to construct a temporary fire station and staff it with overtime crews for five months. ACCOUNTING ENTRY: BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE Fund Account 010 3605 REVENUE ESTIMATES (360 1) Fund/DMsion Account EXPENDITURE APPROPRIATIONS (3603) Description General Fund Balance Description Signed: Signed: City Manager Director Amount Debit Credit $608,859.95 $401,08245 $2,500.00 $2,112.50 $31,475.00 $14,375.00 $7,025.00 $375.00 $550.00 $1,325.00 $750.00 $60,400.00 $49,300.00 $750.00 $585.00 $4,830.00 $25,000.00 $175.00 $200.00 $375.00 $250.00 $425.00 $5,000.00 Date P.WWWW, Signed: City Council Approval: City Clerk Date Description Division Number 2320 Fire Department- Operations Account Number 7044 Overtime - Uncontrolled Account Number 8020 Automotive Service Account Number 8030 Maintenance & Repair of Equipment Account Number 8070 RentaVProperty & Equipment Account Number 8080 Services - Professional & Technical Account Number 8110 Utilities Account Number 8150 Supplies - Janitorial Account Number 8160 Maintenance & Repair Materials Account Number - 8200 Special Dept Supplies Account Number 8250 Special Dept Expenses Account Number 9300 Equipment NOC Account Number 9500 Structures and Improvements Division Number 2340 Fire Department- EMS Account Number 8030 Maintenance & Repair of Equipment Account Number 8080 Services - Professional & Technical Account Number 8200 Special Dept Supplies Account Number 9300 Equipment NOC Division Number 2310 FireDepartment - Administration Account Number 8020 Automotive Service Account Number 8070 Rentai/Property & Equipment Account Number 8080 Services - Professional & Technical Account Number 8140 Supplies - Office NOC Account Number 8202 Computer Supplies Account Number 9010 Computer Equipment Signed: Signed: City Manager Director Amount Debit Credit $608,859.95 $401,08245 $2,500.00 $2,112.50 $31,475.00 $14,375.00 $7,025.00 $375.00 $550.00 $1,325.00 $750.00 $60,400.00 $49,300.00 $750.00 $585.00 $4,830.00 $25,000.00 $175.00 $200.00 $375.00 $250.00 $425.00 $5,000.00 Date P.WWWW, Signed: City Council Approval: City Clerk Date