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Weekly Business Session—August 7, 2019
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First, I object to giving the public, once again, a " DRAFT" of Order 2019- 047 in the document packet today. This just shows how little respect you have for the legislative process or the citizens you represent.
Secondly, during the last 17 years, since November of 2002, we have had 11 elections to renew levies for Rural Fire Districts in Applegate Valley, Illinois Valley, Williams or Wolf Creek. Each time these levies have passed, except for 2 when those who put them on the ballot got greedy and proposed a taxing rate of over $ 1. 00/$ 1, 000 of assessed value.
In November of 2008, there was also a countywide Mid Rogue Fire District on the ballot. It was
defeated at that time by the electorate.
What all this indicates, is that county residents love supporting a local Fire District where they can see their local Fire Station, with local Fire Trucks and Equipment, being run by their local Fire Fighters. Within reason, county people have no problem financing these districts that directly benefit their local communities.
But what they will not support is a huge, countywide Fire District, where they shell out their hard earned money to be put into a countywide pot, while they then hope and pray that they
will get adequate service for their local area.
This is the County mentality that is very evident and verifiable by election results.
Now we come to recent events where this Board is clearly aiming for a countywide Fire District.
Your initial Board Order 2019- 042 on June 6, 2019 clearly betrayed county citizens when you initiated the Formation of a Rural Fire Protection District in the little back room.
When presented to the public at Weekly Business Sessions in the Anne Basker Auditorium, the
name of the District was always identified as the Grants Pass Fire Rescue District, and each of
the following also named this District as the Grants Pass Fire Rescue District:
The Economic Feasibility Statement from the City of Grants Pass
Board Order 2019-046
The comprehensive plan and policy letter from City of Grants Pass
The letter from the Oregon Department of Forestry
The two Legal Notices for the First and Second Hearings The HearingOutlineforthe First PublicHearing
The Power Point presentation from the City at the First Public Hearing The Hearing Outline for the Second Public Hearing
Now today we are given Board Order 2019- 047, that also lists it as the Grants Pass Fire Rescue
District. But somehow, that didn' t make it to the most important place, the Ballot Caption and
Question to be voted on by the electorate.
This is a pretty nice sleight of hand, and a slap in the face to the county electorate, especially since the county will not be voting on this in November.
My request today is that you please include the words, Grants Pass Fire Rescue District, within the Ballot Caption as it was named during all these recent documents.
A suggested 10 word Caption might be:
Form Grants Pass Fire Rescue District to permanently fund services.
This is supposedly a Fire Rescue District for the City of Grants Pass and properties who have service agreements with the City. Please keep it as such, and not make it a backhanded way to open the gates for a countywide Fire District by eliminating the words Grants Pass in the
Caption' s District Name.
Submitted by Sandi Cassanelli
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BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR JOSEPHINE COUNTY
STATE OF OREGON
In the Matter of Referring to Josephine County ) Voters at the November 5, 2019. Election a
Measure on Formation of a Rural Fire Protection )
District Organized underORS Chapter 478; ORDER No. 2019- 041
Establishing the District Name: Grants Pass
Fire Rescue District; Providing for an
Election to Form the District and Authorizing a )
O
O N EV7
LiiJ Permanent Rate Limit for Operating Taxes for t e )District
WHEREAS, pursuantto the request ofthe C . 1 Grants Pass h- : er City), by Order
No. 2019- 042. dated June 6, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners declared its intention to
initiate formation of a Rural Fire Protection District pursuant to ORS Chapter 478, the principal Act
of the proposed district, for the purpose of providing and sustaining an adequate level of fire
protection service in the City and certain UGB Properties. effective upon approval of the voters at
the November 5, 2019, election; and
WHEREAS, ORS 198. 835 authorizes and provides the procedures whereby the Board of
County Commissioners may initiate the formation of a district by Order of the Board; and
WHEREAS, ORS 478 is the principal Act, which authorizes and provides for the formation of a rural fire protection district for fire protection services: and
WHEREAS, pursuant to ORS 198. 805, following due and proper notice pursuant to ORS
198. 840, the Board of County Commissioners held the first public hearing on the proposal for district
formation on July 10, 2019, and entered its order ( Order No. 2019- 046. dated July 10, 2019) finding,
in accordance with the criteria described in ORS 199.462, that the proposed area can be benefited
by the formation of the district and declaring approval of the formation of the district, effective upon
approval of the voters at the November 5, 2019, election; and
WHEREAS, following due and proper notice, the Board of Commissioners held the second
final) public hearing on the proposal for district formation on July 31. 2019; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners, pursuant to Order No. 2019- 046.. dated July 10.
2019, declared that the County shall hold an election on the question of formation of the Grants
Pass Fire Rescue District, and authorization of a permanent rate limit for operating taxes for the
district;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners HEREBY ORDERS as
follows
1. The Grants Pass Fire Rescue District, a rural fire protection district for fire
protection services. organized under ORS 478, is hereby declared to be formed upon approval of
the electors in the proposed district at the November 5, 2019, election and entry of a final formation
order as provided by ORS 198. 820 no later than thirty ( 30) days after the date of the election.
2.
The name of the district shall be the Grants Pass Fire Rescue District and its
purpose shall be to provide and sustain an adequate level of fire protection service within the
district.
Order Referring to Voters a Measure on Formation of Grants Pass Fire Rescue District; Providing for
Election to Form the Districtand AuthorizingaPermanent Rate Limit forOperating Taxes fortheDistrict Page 1
3 `
if
EXHIBIT 1
BALLOT MEASURE
CAPTI
orm Fire Rescue District with per anent rate to fund services
ESTION: ( 20/ 20 •
Shall a fire rescue district be formed with permanent rate limit of$ 2. 03 per $ 1, 000 of assessed
value beginning 2020- 2021
BALLOT SUMMARY: ( 170/ 175 words)
If approved, the Grants Pass Fire Rescue District would be formed as an independent district, with a
permanent rate dedicated to fire rescue services. The City would no longer collect funds through the existing public safety levy_
The district would have the powers granted to fire districts under state law An elected five- member
district board would serve as the governing board of the district to provide oversight and
accountability.
The boundary would include territory within Josephine County, including all properties within the city
of Grants Pass and certain non- contiguous properties in the city' s Urban Growth Boundary that are
currently receiving city public safety services through Service and Annexation agreements. Forming the district would:
Provide permanent funding for fire rescue services in the district:
Replace the City of Grants Pass fire department,
Require the city of Grants Pass to transfer fire equipment, fire personnel, certain real
property and fire stations to the district.
In the first year of imposition, the proposed rate would raise approximately $ 6. 7 million dollars.
Order Referring to Voters a Measure on Formation of Grants Pass Fire Rescue District. Providing for
EXHIBIT 2
EXPLANATOR ' AT ' ' NT FOR VOTERS' PAMPHLET
Ballot Title Captio• Form Fire Rescue District with permanent rate to fund services
Measure No. Word Total ( 500 max) 329
For more than 20 years, Police and Fire Rescue services in Grants Pass have been subsidized by a temporary operating levy. Voters passed the current levy of$ 1. 79 per $ 1, 000 of assessed value in
2017 and it is set to expire in 2021. By law, local option levies can only last for up to five years. Forming a fire rescue district that includes the City of Grants Pass and certain additional property outside the City that currently receive fire services from the City. would provide a permanent source
of revenue to provide fire rescue services. A permanent source of revenue would also allow the
City to discontinue collecting funds through the existing levy and will allow the City to operate public
safety services. including police, without a reduction in current services
If approved, the Grants Pass Fire Rescue District would be formed with a permanent rate limit of
2. 03 per $ 1, 000 of assessed property value. For every $ 100, 000 of a property' s assessed value, the tax would cost $ 203. 00 per year, or approximately $ 16. 92 per month. If approved, the Grants
Pass Police and Fire levy would be discontinued in the same year that the new Grants Pass Fire
Rescue District rate would begin.
The Grants Pass Fire Rescue District would provide:
Fire rescue services at the same level of service currently provided by the City of Grants
Pass.
Continued partnership in the Two County Mutual / Automatic Aid Agreement through the Rogue Valley Fire Chief' s Association_
Continued closest engine response ( mutual / automatic aid) system with the Rural Metro
Fire Department ( RMFD).
Continued Student Firefighter program and continued current partnerships and working relationships with other local and state agencies.
A five- member, independently elected board, not the Grant Pass City Council or Board of County
Commissioners, would serve as the governing body of the district to provide oversight and
accountability to the public, with local authority and power that is granted to fire districts under state
law
Board of County Commissioners
Person responsible for the content of the Statement
Josephine County
Name of the Government Body person represents
Order Referring to Voters a Measure on Formation of Grants Pass Fire Rescue District. Providing for
Election toFormtheDistrictandAu oozingaPermanent Rate Limit forOperating Taxes for theDistrict Page 5
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TO: Josephine County Commissioners - Weekly Business Session 8- 7- 19
I. I am concerned by all of you still insisting on using the word " Draft"
on docuoments you vote on--- like this one
Order 2019- 047. I want to
focus on the word " draft" for the sake of clarity. Once again let me read,
this time from Random House Webster' s College Dictionary. The word
Draft"
a preliminary form of any writing subject to revision,
refinement, etc.2. I am also concerned, like others, how this Order 2019- 047 will be
presented to the public come ballot time. Will the words Grants Pass be
in the Caption' s District Name. Otherwise, I truly believe, like others, if
not the words " Grants Pass", it will come across very misleading to the
uninformed voter.
