Report Prepared by: Janet German, Management Analyst, Fire Department
Title
SUBJECT: Authorization to Accept and Appropriate $4,000,000 from California State Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria (AD-27) for the Merced Fire Station # 56 and the Emergency Operations Center
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers authorizing to accept and appropriate funding in the amount of $4,000,000 from State Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria (AD-27), who secured funding from the state’s budget to help support the funding of Fire Station # 56 and the Emergency Operations Center.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Accepting and increasing the revenue in Fund 5004-Public Safety CIP, project CP090007 Fire Station #56 in the amount of $4,000,000; and,
B. Appropriating the same to Fund 5004-Public Safety CIP, Project CP090007 Fire Station #56; and,
C. Authorizing the City Manager to execute the necessary documentation; and
D. Authorizing the Finance Officer to make the necessary budget adjustments.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by staff; or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
5. Continue to a future meeting.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200
Sect. 1105. - Budget - Appropriations
Title 3 - Revenue and Finance, Chapter 3.16 - Funds, Article III. Other Funds
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Public Safety as provided for in the FY 22/23 budget priorities.
DISCUSSION
Background
On January 3, 2012, the City Council adopted the Merced Vision 2030 General Plan. Chapter 5 - Public Services and Facilities (amended in May 2017) of the plan states that “The location of fire facilities is a critical factor in providing adequate fire protection to the citizens of Merced. The time and distance that must be traveled to the scene of an emergency can determine whether fire suppression efforts will be successful.” The plan identifies that there are five (5) city fire stations strategically located in Merced and that the department’s call volume continues to increase. Furthermore, it states that the department has a goal of maintaining a response time of four (4) to six (6) minutes for the first crew to arrive at a fire or medical emergency within an assigned district. This goal was chosen because of proven factors affecting property damage, and more importantly, life. As the City continues to grow in population and area, fire protection needs to evolve to meet the response time standard, which equates to potential relocation of existing facilities and the development of new stations with personnel and equipment to be added accordingly.
Fire Station # 56 is planned to be in the general location of Bellevue Road and Barclay Way. The location is optimal for the continued and planned growth of the Bellevue Ranch Master Development Plan as well as the pending annexation of the UC Merced campus. The optimal location provides credits for both engine company and aerial ladder truck response to both locations.
Bellevue Merced LLC is the current property owner of the subject site (future Fire Station #56). In principle, the property owner agrees to transfer title of the subject site to the City of Merced. Bellevue Merced LLC and the City of Merced will negotiate the terms of the property ownership transfer. The dedication and formalization of the property will be executed in a future Tentative Subdivision Map, lot split, and/or parcel map.
The plan (amended May 2017) identified tentative fire station locations with the Area of Interest as reflected below:
For your review, an excerpt from “5.4 Public Services and Facilities Goals, Policies, and Actions, Goal Area P-2: Police and Fire Protection Services” is shown below:
On April 16, 2018, City Council accepted the Fire Department’s Standards of Coverage Assessment report pending future policy direction.
With City Council’s action on December 4, 2023, $1,000,000 from the Public Facilities Financing Plan was transferred to CP090007 thereby augmenting the existing $599,958. These funds are designated for the architectural design, planning, and engineering services required for the construction of the new fire station, police substation, and Emergency Operations Center.
With the imminent annexation of UC Merced and the surrounding areas and consistent with the General Plan and Fire Department’s Standards of Coverage, we are preparing for the development of Fire Station # 56. $1,599,958 has been dedicated for the design of Fire Station #56, a police substation, and an Emergency Operations Center.
Partnership
Thank you to Assemblywoman Esmerelda Soria, representing the 27th Assembly District, who advocated for funding through the state budget process and was successful in garnering $4 million being awarded to the City of Merced for capital costs for the development of Fire Station # 56, a police substation, and the Emergency Operation Center. Only due to her caring for the future of Merced, we can begin to move forward with increasing our commitment to provide the highest quality care to our community. We want to emphasize that with Assemblywoman Soria’s securing the $4 million in funding, the community will now be able to break ground to provide adequate emergency response times to the surrounding area. The construction of Station 56 is timely due to the significant growth that has occurred in the city’s jurisdiction since 2007. In particular, the fast-growing north end of Merced, where this station is located.
Project Facts:
• Construction will include a fire station located at Barclay Way and Bellevue Road
• Fire Station # 56 will cover the Bellevue Ranch Community and UC Merced
• Fire Station # 56 will help decrease emergency response times in the surrounding area and citywide helping to bring response times closer to the department’s standard of 4 to 6 minutes
• Fire Station # 56 will open with Engine 56 (Captain, Engineer, & Firefighter), Truck 56 (Captain, Engineer, and Firefighters)
Project Goals:
• This facility will be a new fire station and improve public safety by allowing quicker response to the surrounding areas and will also as an emergency operations center
• Service the UC Merced campus with an aerial ladder truck due to more than doubling the number of 3 or greater story buildings within the City of Merced at annexation
Relationship to the Fire Department’s Strategic Plan:
• Goals
o Keep the citizen of our city safe
o Enhance community safety through prevention
o Provide an effective and efficient response to all emergencies
o Ensure the fire department maintains or enhances its Class 2/2X ISO rating
o Fund a modern and well-maintained Fire Department for the city
o Educate the community and enhance the relationship with the Fire Department
• Objective
o Evaluate and improve existing emergency response capabilities
In closing, the successful effort provided by Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria helps set the stage for the initial build of Fire Station # 56, police substation, and the Emergency Operations Center. The fire department, police department, City of Merced, and the community thank Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria and her staff for their commitment to the City of Merced.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
Staff is requesting that Council accept and appropriate in Fund 5004-Public Safety CIP in the amount of $4,000,000 and appropriating the same to Project CP090007- Fire Station #56.
ATTACHMENTS
None.