Gold Ridge Fire Protection District Reorganization 2023-02

MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEWS AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE REVIEW AND AMENDMENT STUDY

On September 4, 2019, the Commission adopted a Municipal Service Review for West County Fire and Emergency Service Agencies. On March 1, 2023, the Commission adopted a Municipal Service Review for Southern Territories of CSA 40. At its April 5, 2023, meeting the Commission considered the determinations and options evaluated in the Sphere of Influence (SOI) Review and Amendment Study for the affected CSA 40 territories and amended the CSA 40 SOI by detaching all of the parcels included within the territory currently served by the Fort Ross, Camp Meeker, Bodega, Valley Ford, Bloomfield, Two Rock, Wilmar, San Antonio and Lakeville Volunteer Fire Departments and IRP 81 from the CSA 40 SOI and adding these parcels to the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District's SOI.

All the documents associated with these studies and Commission actions can be found at the following link: 
County Service Area 40 (Fire Services) Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Study

PROPOSAL

The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District (District) applied by resolution for a reorganization consisting of detachment of all of the parcels described above from CSA 40 and subsequent annexation of those territories to District.  The County and District agreed to a tax exchange that covers property tax allocations and supplemental ongoing county funding should the reorganization be approved. The District application, tax agreement, plan for services, map of proposed annexation territory and financial projections are included in the following documents:
Application for Reorganization
Supplemental Application Documents

A notice of the April 5, 2023, public hearing on the reorganization was issued on January 31, 2022. Because the total number of registered voters and landowners within the affected territory exceeded 1000, pursuant to Section 56157(h) of the California Government Code, notice was provided through a large notice placement in the Press Democrat and posted on the Commission's website. 
Notice of Hearing Gold Ridge Fire Protection District Reorganization 2023-02

The staff report and associated documents including the Factors for Consideration and a draft resolution can be found under Item 4.3 on the meeting agenda at: 
Regular Commission Meeting April 5 2023 

At the meeting, the Commission considered the proposal and after lengthy discussion and public comment, the Commission approved the reorganization, by Resolution No. 2768, and directed staff to initiate a protest hearing to end at the close of the Commission's hearing on this item on June 7, 2023. 

NOTICE OF PROTEST PERIOD AND PROTEST FORMS

NOTICE: Owners of property annexed to the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District will be subject to voter-authorized special taxes (parcel taxes) that will be applied to the affected territories upon annexation. To determine the taxation level for your property, please contact the District at 707-823-1084. The District states that for a typical single-family home, the current assessed parcel tax is $265 per year.

Pursuant to State law, Sonoma LAFCO is required to mail to all landowners within the affected territory a notice of the protest hearing and proceedings. Sonoma LAFCO has included in the mailing a protest form and instructions on how to complete and file the protest. These documents are also available here:

Protest Notice of Hearing and Filing Instructions
Protest Form

Any registered voter residing within, or owner of land within, the territory proposed to be annexed to the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District may file an official protest. All protests must be made in writing, must contain specific information as required by law and must be received during the official protest period, which begins as of the date of this notice and ends at the close of the protest hearing on June 7, 2023

Contact information:

For questions on parcel taxes and fire protection services, contact Gold Ridge Fire Protection District at 707-823-1084 

For questions on the County and the Volunteer Fire Companies, contact Terri Wright at 707-565-2431

For questions regarding the protest process or the protest forms, contact Sonoma LAFCO at 707-565-2577.