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Agenda 10/08/2013 Item #11B 10/8/2013 11 .B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recommendation to approve an informational Fact Sheet to be included with the public opinion survey to be mailed to property owners in the Isles of Capri Fire District. OBJECTIVE: To ensure property owners have accurate information to use when completing a public opinion survey seeking input regarding decisions affecting the future of the Isles of Capri Fire District. CONSIDERATIONS: At its September 24, 2013 regular meeting, the BCC approved the language to be used in collecting public opinion regarding the future of the fire district and directed staff to develop an informational Fact Sheet to be included with the survey. Staff met with the ICFD Advisory Committee at a special meeting on September 26, 2013. In attendance at the meeting were members of the general public, ICFD firefighters, and representatives of the East Naples Fire District. The attached Fact Sheet was approved unanimously by the Advisory Committee. Upon approval of the informational Fact Sheet, staff will obtain written quotes from vendors to print and mail the survey material and to collect and compile the results. From our preliminary quotes, staff learned that vendors will require advance payment for outbound postage and a deposit for return postage. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: None. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board approves the informational fact sheet and authorizes a purchase order not to exceed $10,000 to the firm providing the lowest quote for printing, mailing and compiling the survey results and authorizes the Clerk of Courts to make advance payment to cover the cost of postage. PREPARED BY: Len Golden Price, ASD Administrator Packet Page-836- 10/8/2013 11 .B. COLLIER COUNTY Board of County Commissioners Item Number: 11.11.B. Item Summary: Recommendation to approve an informational Fact Sheet to be included with public opinion survey to be mailed to property owners in the Isles of Capri Fire District. (Len Price, Administrative Services Administrator) Meeting Date: 10/8/2013 Prepared By Name: pochopinpat Title: Administrative Assistant,Facilities Management 10/1/2013 5:11:47 PM Submitted by Title: Administrator, Administrative Services Name: PriceLen 10/1/2013 5:11:49 PM Approved By Name: pochopinpat Title:Administrative Assistant,Facilities Management Date: 10/1/2013 5:26:35 PM Name: KlatzkowJeff Title: County Attorney Date: 10/2/2013 8:30:18 AM Name: PriceLen Title: Administrator, Administrative Services Date: 10/2/2013 11:20:01 AM Name: GreenwaldRandy Title: Management/Budget Analyst,Office of Management&B Date: 10/2/2013 11:56:24 AM Packet Page-837- 10/8/2013 11 .B. Name: KlatzkowJeff Title: County Attorney Date: 10/2/2013 3:02:28 PM Name: OchsLeo Title: County Manager Date: 10/2/2013 4:44:00 PM Packet Page-838- 10/8/2013 11 .B. ISLES OF CAPRI FIRE DISTRICT INFORMATION SHEET 1. What will happen to the ambulance? The result of this survey will not impact any decision regarding the location of the ambulance and any decision made will be the same whether East Naples or Isles of Capri provides fire services. 2. What will happen to the fire station? There are no plans by Collier County to close the fire station. East Naples Fire District has no plans to close the fire station. It will remain open and operational no matter which district provides fire service. The Isles of Capri Fire Station has restrictive covenants that maintain the building as a fire-station for the community. The Board of County Commissioners is aware of the fire station's restrictive covenants and may prefer that the building ownership stay with the County to protect the building in perpetuity for fire service delivery. The County could lease the building to East Naples Fire Department for a nominal fee and establish policy and procedure for maintenance, repair, and insurance. 3. Has the county made any plans to absorb the potential loss of Isles of Capri(County)firefighters and administrative support staff not hired by the East Naples Fire Department? If Isles of Capri Fire District is annexed into East Naples, East Naples has indicated their willingness to offer Isles of Capri firefighters hiring preference at entry level when vacancies are available. They estimate a need for six employees to cover the Isles of Capri Fire Station. East Naples Fire District's bargaining unit will not support any lateral movement of rank and seniority. Isles of Capri firefighters have approximately 10 years of service on-average in the Florida Retirement System that will not transfer into the retirement system used by East Naples Fire. If vested, their accumulated retirement benefits can be frozen. East Naples Fire District will need cross-trained, certified firefighter paramedics to implement an ALS program, however the proposed program allows up to 18 months for EMTs to earn that certification. Only one Isles of Capri firefighter is in a paramedic program at the present time, all are EMTs. The administrative staff assistant would not be given preferential hiring at East Naples and the County is actively seeking options for the Administrative Assistant. The county will work with Isles of Capri firefighters in an effort to identO positions in other departments and will actively support the firefighters with career counseling and resume preparation should they not be selected by the East Naples Fire Department. 4. How many firefighters will serve the residents? Presently, three Isles of Capri firefighters are assigned to each shift. If one firefighter is off or unavailable, two firefighters staff the shift with augmentation by Collier County EMS personnel cross-trained as firefighter paramedics when not assigned to a medical call. Under East Naples Fire District, a minimum of two firefighters will be assigned at all times. East Naples Fire District standards dictate that more firefighters are assigned when available. Under either option, mutual aid between neighboring fire departments will be available. Packet Page-839- 10/8/2013 11 .B. 5. What are the budget/millage impacts? Since 2007 when property values began to decline, the district has used reserves to balance its budget. These reserves are projected to be depleted by the end of FY2014, which was forecasted as a result of millage neutral budgeting directed by the Board of County Commissioners without any changes in level of service. Revenues for the district are based almost exclusively on the MSTU property tax levy. There is at least a$200,000 projected budget shortfall each year as a result of decreased ad valorum revenue. More than 80%of the$1.3 million budget is for personnel. The current tax rate is 2.0 mills. To cover the projected budget shortfall, a tax rate of 2.5 mills beginning FY2015 is projected if the Isles of Capri Fire District is not annexed into the East Naples Fire District. The current millage rate for East Naples Fire District is 1.5 mills.Any future rate increase must be approved by the voters of the district. Upon annexation, Isles of Capri residents would become voters of the district. 6. What is the status of the Fiddlers Creek residents of the district? The280 property owners of Fiddlers Creek who are currently served by the Isles of Capri Fire District are requesting to be included in the boundaries of the East Naples Fire District. This would be done by a special act of the 2014 Florida Legislature presented by the East Naples Fire District. Fiddlers Creek represents approximately 12% ($120,000) of Isles of Capri Fire District revenue. If this revenue is lost, the tax rate for the remaining property owner of the Isles of Capri Fire District MSTU is projected at 2.8 mills beginning FY2015 for the current staffing level. 7. What are the fire insurance impacts? There is no way to predict with any certainty whether there will be changes to the fire risk rating based on a change offire district. Insurance carriers currently group ratings when formulating their fire coverage rates. Feedback from major insurance carriers indicates that fire insurance ratings of 3, 4, 5, and 6 all result in the same approximate fire insurance premiums. The current rating is 4. No insurance rate change is anticipated regardless of which fire district provides services. 8. What will happen to grant funded equipment? A backup fire engine and air packs were purchased using grant funds. Grant guidelines require the County to request instruction from FEMA (the granting agency) on how to dispose of equipment no longer needed. If the East Naples Fire District boundaries are expanded to include the Isles of Capri Fire District and the Board of County Commissioners determines that this equipment is no longer needed by the County, a request will be made to allow transfer to ENFD. It is unknown if this request will be approved or under what terms the request might be granted. 9. How much tax revenue is generated by each district? Isles of Capri: Approximately 2,400 properties generated$1,012,899 in FY2013 at the current millage rate of 2.0 mills per$1,000 of taxable value. East Naples Fire District: Approximately 49,485properties generated$10,298,179 in FY 2013 at the current millage rate of 1.5 mills per$1,000 of taxable value. Packet Page-840- 10/8/2013 11 .B. Non-Binding Survey from the Collier County Board of County Commissioners The Board of County Commissioners is seeking input regarding decisions affecting the future of the Isles of Capri Fire District. INSTRUCTIONS: Only property owners in the Isles of Capri Rescue and Fire Services Taxing District(IOCRFSTD) are allowed to participate and only one selection will be counted per property or properties. This form must be fully completed, including the attestation, and received no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 8, 2013, in order to be accepted. Please read each proposition carefully and make only one selection. Surveys with both options checked or neither option checked will not be counted. Notes: • Property owners in Fiddler's Creek who are in the Isles of Capri Rescue and Fire Service Taxing District are separately considering leaving the District to join the East Naples Fire District. • Under either of the options provided below,the fire station at 175 Capri Blvd. will remain open. • The location of the ambulance will not be determined by this survey. a. The Isles of Capri Rescue and Fire Service Taxing District should remain under the authority and control of Collier County at a current mileage rate of 2.0 mills,with a projected millage rate increase in FY2015 to at least 2.5 mills if Fiddler's Creek remains in the District, and at least 2.8 mills if Fiddler's Creek joins the East Naples Fire District. b. The Isles of Capri Rescue and Fire Service Taxing District should join the East Naples Fire Control District at a current millage rate of 1.5 mills, with any future increase determined by the voters of the new_East Naples Fire District. Attestation: In order for your selection to be accepted, you must complete the following: attest under penalty of false swearing that (print name) I am the property owner of the property at (property address) Signature Date / / Packet Page-841-