Official Minutes of MARION COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. August 14, 2017

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1 Official Minutes of MARION COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS August 14, 2017 CALL TO ORDER: The Marion County Board of County Commissioners met in a joint workshop session with the City of Dunnellon at 10:03 a.m. on Monday, August 14, 2017 at the Growth Services Training Room located at 2710 East Silver Springs Boulevard, in Ocala, Florida. INTRODUCTION OF WORKSHOP BY CHAIRMAN CARL ZALAK, Ill Chairman Zalak advised that a joint workshop was scheduled this morning with the Dunnellon City Council to discuss fire services. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of our Country. ROLL CALL Upon roll call the following members were present: Chairman Carl Zalak, District 4; Vice- Chairman Kathy Bryant, District 2; Commissioner David Moore, District 1; Commissioner Jeff Gold, District 3; and Commissioner Michelle Stone, District 5. Also present were County Attorney Matthew G. Minter and County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes. Also present were the following members of the Dunnellon City Council: Mayor Walter Green, Seat 1; Vice Mayor Richard Hancock, Seat 5; Councilman Larry Winkler, Seat 2; Councilman Charles J. Dillon, Ill, Seat 3; and Councilwoman Valerie Hanchar, Seat 4. Also present were City Attorney Andrew Hand and City Clerk Dawn M. Bowne. OPENING REMARKS Vice-Chairman Kathy Bryant welcomed everyone and commented on the unique situation before them today. The City of Dunnellon has requested the County consider assisting them with providing fire services to the citizens of Dunnellon. City staff has reviewed what it will cost them to maintain the system currently in place and decided that they would like to try to partner with the county. This workshop will allow discussion between both Boards to figure out the best option for the citizens of Dunnellon. Mayor Walter Green, City of Dunnellon, stated his team is pleased to be present today to have this discussion and allow the public to clearly hear what the proposals are and what they are trying to achieve with this effort. They want to improve the fire department and emergency responses for the City of Dunnellon. He expressed his appreciation for the assistance of County Administration, Fire Chief Paul Nevels, Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR) and Commissioner Bryant. Councilwoman Valarie Hanchar thanked everyone for putting this workshop together and expressed her appreciation to Chief Troy Slattery for his efforts and all he has done for the city. She advised that this is not something that they just started looking at; back in 2000 the City of Dunnellon considered joining the city fire department with the county, but it did not occur, noting past city managers were not up to the task of doing what needed to be done. Councilwoman Hanchar complemented City Clerk Dawn Bowne and her staff for getting them to this point. Book X, Page 29

2 STAFF PRESENTATION Paul NeveIs, Fire Chief Chief NeveIs presented a 152 page Agenda and a 6 page handout entitled, "Dunnellon Fire Services Workshop" to follow along with the PowerPoint presentation. He advised that he is present today to assist in the conversation going forward between the two elected bodies. The City of Dunnellon came to the county earlier in the year to review possible options and the feasibility of moving forward with a partnership. Chairman Zalak passed the gavel to Commissioner Bryant, who assumed the Chair. Commissioner Zalak left his seat at 10:10 a.m. but did not exit the Growth Services Training Room. Slide 2 addresses quick facts. On average, MCFR responds to more than 203 calls a day countywide. These are both Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and fire that come in through the system. Last year the department ran approximately 75,000 calls. Typically, about 20 percent (%) of those are fire calls and the remaining 80% are EMS calls, which is up roughly 7% from the previous fiscal year (FY) and continues to rise from year to year. Commissioner Zalak returned to his seat at 10:11 a.m. Chairman Bryant returned the gavel to Commissioner Zalak, who resumed the Chair. Slide 3 shows quick facts from FY 15/16. Dunnellon Fire Rescue responded 814 times within the city limits and 185 times in Marion County, which is part of the Mutual Aid agreement that they have enjoyed for many years. It is also automatic aid, which means that an official from Dunnellon or Marion County does not have to be contacted prior to that unit being sent since it is automatically dispatched through the Computer Aided Dispatch (CADD) system. MCFR has responded 804 times into the City of Dunnellon. The average response time for EMS high priority calls within the City of Dunnellon is 5 minutes 51 seconds (5:51). The Average response time for EMS Advanced Life Support (ALS) transports within the city is 19:15. The average response time for multi-alarm structure fires within the city is 5:43. Typically, the County and the City of Dunnellon will be dispatched, but the city's unit will arrive first. The county response time is anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for the nearest engine company to arrive. If there is a residential structure fire a minimum of 3 engine companies will be dispatched, each unit will have a minimum of 3 Professional Firefighters that are ALS trained. Also, each engine company will have all the ALS gear needed and a Lieutenant, which is considered to be a company officer. In response to Chairman Zalak, Chief NeveIs advised that the average response times given are for FY 15/16 and continue to increase over the years. The response time was within 5 minutes in FY 14/15 for the City of Dunnellon, but the counties response times were several minutes quicker than the FY 15/16 time of 19:15. The increase can be associated with the high amount of calls. There were 46,000 patients transported in FY 15/16. Commissioner Stone questioned how many of the calls the county responded to in the City of Dunnellon were fire related. Chief NeveIs stated there were 30 responses from Engine 22, Rainbow Springs, that were structure fires. Many calls are coded as EMS, but end up being quasi-fire responses. When the calls are scrubbed and the units complete their reports, that is when MCFR gets the specific data. Commissioner Gold stated if 814 calls were handled by the City of Dunnelion's engine, which is Basic Life Support (BLS) and 804 MCFR responded that would mean the majority of the calls were EMS. Chief NeveIs concurred and advised that as long as the City of Dunnellon has an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) onboard then MCFR can cancel Page 30, Book X

3 their response and let that unit go back into service. The engine company from Dunnellon will wait for loved ones to get to the scene or wait for Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to arrive on scene and do their report. A lot of times the unit from MCFR will not stay for the duration of the 804 calls, typically, the zone unit will be the one spending more time with that call and handles the customer service side. Commissioner Gold questioned if the majority of the calls are local citizens or transient. Chief Nevels stated if the call is for residential then it is for a local citizen, but many of the motor vehicle accidents will be transient in nature. In response to Councilman Dillon, Chief Nevels advised that if the call is urgent, ALS is dispatched immediately, either a rescue and an engine or a transport will arrive depending on how the call comes in to the system. First responders and ALS will be there, which is what they have been receiving within those 804 calls. He noted if a unit is based within the city and they are not on another call the response time will more than likely be under 5 minutes. Councilman Dillon commented on the benefits to not only the City of Dunnellon, but the people in surrounding areas if the unit is stationed in the city. Chief Nevels advised that the City of Dunnellon has helped the county for many years by responding to areas of unincorporated Marion County. Councilman Hancock asked if they are referring to available response times as an average and if transports are tracked separately or included in the 804 totals. Chief Nevels stated the 804 does include transports and is the total number of all calls, whether it is fire or EMS. Commissioner Gold advised that all Marion County engines are ALS. Dependent upon the option that is chosen, if that engine gets there and it is an ALS, which all Marion County's are, a paramedic will be present. The transportation time will remain the same, but someone will be there immediately to assist. Councilman Dillon advised that 80% of calls are medical, noting the option is for the city to either get certified or go with the county. Commissioner Gold stated with the county they will get the ALS service. In response to Commissioner Stone, Chief Nevels referred to slide 4, which shows a map of Marion County including all the municipalities. There are 26 career staffed fire stations, which all have ALS fire engines and engine companies; however, all of them do not have transports. Station 2, Citra and Station 11, Lowell only have the engine company. The total number of available transports depends on the time of day. They have more units today that are running what MCFR calls high performance (HP) rescues. MCFR has upstaffed this year because of capacity so the peak times during the day do vary a little, but the nights have typically remained the same. EMS Division Chief Rodney Mascho, MCFR, advised that they operate 32 rescues, 24 hours a day. In response to Commissioner Gold, Chief Nevels stated the ALS engines have the same tools and same supplies as a transport. They can perform intravenous (IV) therapy, administer medications and defibrillation all while waiting for a transport to arrive. Chief Nevels referred to slide 4 and pointed out where Stations 3, Dunnellon, 22 and 31 are located. Both Stations 22 and 31 have ALS transports. Station 31 is located towards CR 484 and Highway 200 and runs roughly 4,500 calls annually. There is a volunteer station in the area, Station 25, but is not having a lot of response at this time and will not be responding to EMS, ALS or BLS calls. Book X, Page 31

4 In response to Chairman Zalak, Chief Nevels advised that Station 22 will respond the most to the City of Dunnellon. Commissioner Stone questioned how far that station is from the City of Dunnellon. Chief Nevels referred to slide 5, which shows the 5 mile drive zones for the City of Dunnellon, Stations 22 and 31. The City of Dunnellon Station has a purple 5 mile response, which loops all the way back over Station 22. Station 22 has a 5 mile response shown in green into and through the City of Dunnellon until it gets closer to the section back towards Ocala. There is a 5 mile overlap zone. Councilwoman Hanchar asked if Station 22 is the primary response for Rainbow Lakes Estates (RLE) and if they also service the Romeo area up to the Levy County line. Chief Nevels advised that they are the primary for EMS; however, if there is a structure fire or motor vehicle accident Station 22 will also respond. They ran approximately 880 calls last year in their own zone; however, if the Board considers the rest of the calls Station 22 responds to, they are pushing 4,000 calls. Mayor Green commented on the size of RLE and the time it takes to reach some areas. He advised that construction will begin next spring to 4 lane Highway 41, which will create a lot of congestion all the way to Highway 40. This is one of the concerns of the city and why now is a good time to consider available options. In response to Commissioner Stone, Chief Nevels stated Station 22 currently has a 4- wheel drive grass truck for grass fires. The main units there are the rescue, a transport rescue or a red ambulance and the engine company with the minimum of a firefighter/paramedic or firefighter/emt. Through the years MCFR has moved tankers around depending on hydrants and how many tankers are available in the rolling stock. When it comes to rescue units the department is in a lot better shape than they were in the past because of the surtax, which has had tremendous impact on adding additional vehicles. Commissioner Stone questioned how many people are staffed at Station 22. Chief Nevels advised that the minimum staffing is 3 on the engines and 2 on the rescue units. The department budgets and schedules staff for more than that in an attempt to eliminate overtime. If there are 4 people for an engine MCFR will typically float the 4th firefighter over to another station in the county, which assists with overtime costs. Commissioner Stone commented on the red dots located on slide 5. Commissioner Bryant advised that 2 of the dots are volunteer stations. Chief Nevels stated Station 14, RLE, has its own funding mechanism; however the county ends up working with them through the Municipal Service Taxing Units (MSTU) Director. The volunteer stations under MCFR's umbrella are Lake Tropicana and Florida Highlands, which do not generate much of a response. As the culture has moved on, as far as volunteers, it has become difficult to keep them. The standards have gotten more difficult for somebody that is not wishing to go through a lot of schooling, even though the county does pay for the classes. Some people are working 2 and 3 jobs, which does affect the volunteer numbers. Councilman Larry Winkler questioned whether Marion County has an automatic aid or mutual aid agreement with Levy County to cover the whole Levy County area. Chief Nevels stated the county is in the process of updating all the automatic aid agreements with surrounding counties and municipalities. MCFR has an agreement with Levy County; however, the county does respond when they call for assistance. In response to Commissioner Stone, Chief Nevels pointed out on the map (shown on the overhead screen) where volunteer Stations 25, Lake Tropicana and Station 5, Florida Page 32, Book X

5 Highlands are located. He advised that the station in RLE is MSTU funded, but they do respond outside the MSTU area if staffing is available. They are not currently rated at the BLS level; therefore, the response would be by the engine company, a tanker or grass truck. MCFR appreciates Station 14 responding; however, they are not going to be included in a first assignment like the City of Dunnellon has been. Stations 31, 22 and 12 run this zone often. Councilwoman Hanchar commented on the difficulty of finding and keeping volunteers, noting volunteers do a great job. Chairman Zalak advised that the standards required by the State of Florida make it difficult for volunteers in the community to help in that kind of response. He stated he was surprised that Putnam County still has a vast majority of volunteers and that is how they run their stations. In response to Councilman Winkler, Chief Nevels advised that the RLE MSTU goes into Levy County and they do respond into Levy County often. Chairman Zalak stated the agreement in place gives Marion County the taxing authority for the MSTU in Levy County. Commissioner Gold questioned if The Dunnellon Police Department (DPD) still resonds to medical calls in the City of Dunnellon. Dunnellon Police Chief Mike McQuaig advised that they respond to very few medical calls, but if it is an accident they would respond. Chief Nevels stated staff has developed some options (slide 6) to move forward in the eventuality that the City of Dunnellon will not be offering fire rescue services any longer. Option 1 (slide 7) addresses staffing, which will be fire rescue (ALS) response from the existing fire station located in the City of Dunnellon. There will be 3 career dual certified firefighters per shift including a Lieutenant, a driving engineer, and a firefighter/emt or firefighter/paramedic. There will be 3 shifts and 1 extra position budgeted to handle vacations and overtime, as well as MCFR will supplement with volunteers. In the past Dunnellon has been very successful with volunteers and if MCFR moves forward they will work to keep those volunteers active. The mission will be for this location to be an ALS engine company, ALS fire-based rescue/transport. The ALS fire based rescue/transport differs from a high-performance rescue, because they are not typically set up to have firefighters with gear that can assist in a structure fire response and make entry. MCFR has had a lot of success with this and have pulled people out of fires that otherwise may not have made it had it not been for those rescues with fire certifications and training. The Station will take calls as they are received. In previous years when MCFR had less staff they would have 2 or 3 firefighters at a given station when a call would come in they would jump in the rescue and go to that call leaving the engine sitting at the station. If the call is for a structure fire or motor vehicle accident they will take the engine company. This accomplishes a dual mode mission, it is not exactly what staff would prefer, but they understand there are cost restraints. There will also be a grass truck for brush or grass fires. Chief Nevels advised that there are 3 people on a rescue, including a Lieutenant, because if they are responding to an urgent life threat call and administrating ALS procedures 2 people are required in the back to administer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), noting 3 people are needed in the back for traumas. That will prevent Station 22 from having to travel all the way into Dunnellon to back them up. For engine company calls there will be 2 firefighters and the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant is the company officer in the MCFR system, the City of Ocala has a captain as their first officer level and currently in the City of Dunnellon Chief Slattery fulfilled the company officer role. He stated there has to be someone in charge, which is part of the instant command system, noting Book X, Page 33

6 anything less than 3 on an engine company is not considered safe in the fire service system. Mayor Green commented on the similarities of the transport units to a portable emergency room and the resources needed to address the needs of the patient. He opined that this is a tremendous benefit to the area, but is aware of budget constraints. Commissioner Gold out at 10:48 a.m. Chief Nevels advised that Option 2 (slide 8) will be an ALS engine company with all the tools and resources, except for a stretcher. The engine company will have a minimum staffing of 3 career dual-certified firefighters to include Lieutenant, driver-engineer, and fire firefighter/emt or firefighter/paramedic. It will also be supplemented with volunteers. The main difference in this mission is no matter what the call is they are going to respond in the engine, which will be a quick response because the unit will come from the City of Dunnellon. This will also be a good response for areas such as the K.P. Hole Park and Rainbow Springs. The main differences between Options 1 and 2 are: with Option 1 if they receive a transport call that engine will be out of service; and Option 2 will still have an engine company present. As soon as they deliver that patient or transmit the patient over to the arriving rescue that rescue will take over the patient and the ALS fire-based engine will remain to handle the next call. One of the preferences about this model is the lifesaving fire suppression capability is still in the City of Dunnellon at a career level and is also available for the surrounding area. Commissioner Gold returned at 10:50 a.m. Commissioner Gold stated the patient will be packaged up there the same way they would be packaged by the paramedic, which is what usually takes the most time. Once they get the patient, staff begins the IV and monitors the patient until the transport arrives. He questioned if the likelihood of the engine staying in the area is greater with Option 2, because if there is a transport it will probably get pulled to different areas. If the engine is there it probably will not run out of area as much as a transport. Chief Nevels concurred. In response to Councilman Dillon, Chief Nevels advised that the recurring costs for Options 1 and 2 are the same and will have the same staffing. As far as the cost for year one, it will be higher if the City of Dunnellon would have to provide the rescue as a new truck. The County is a lot better off on trucks than it used to be and does have an extra truck that can be used. The total would be $916,000; however, the recurring costs are $700,000. The staffing costs are somewhat generalized, MCFR pulled average numbers from all the W-2's for current firefighter paramedics and Lieutenants; depending on what crew is there that day, and their tenure, the cost could be more or less what is projected. Chief Nevels advised that Option 3 (slide 9) would be running an ALS rescue/transport ambulance with 2 firefighter/emts or firefighter/paramedics from Station 22. The unit will be fire based and able to fight fires; however, there would be a lesser cost associated with this Option. For the first year the recurring cost will be roughly $435,000 for staffing and then the cost of the rescue. If this Option is picked the ALS fire based rescue operating from Station 22 will be an additional unit to the rescue that is there now, which is typically called a 5 series unit and will be identified as 522. This unit will enhance the capacity in the southwest section; however, that will be the only unit under this plan and is in addition to what MCFR has now and the ALS engine company operating from Station 22. This would be the same tuck that is there, Engine 22, and is not an additional truck. The thought process for this Option is a volunteer response, which is already present from the City of Dunnellon Station under city management or possibly under county management. The grass truck out of Station 22 will also be available for response. Page 34, Book X

7 Commissioner Bryant questioned what this Option will do to response times and Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) ratings for the City of Dunnellon. Chief Nevels advised that there will not be a response from within the City of Dunnellon. As far as the dealing with the ISO, which affects the insurance rates, unplugging fire services from this area will affect the response times and could be risky for future ISO ratings. It was noted that slide 10 addresses the cost of Option 1, 2, and 3. Slide 12 addresses the potential revenue if the City of Dunnellon adopts the proposed fire assessment. BOARD AND COUNCIL DISCUSSION Commissioner Stone opined that Option 3 is an important option for the Board to consider. This 5 mile radius is no different than the distance MCFR services throughout the county and is only 2 miles away from the where the current station is today. There are good roadways from Station 22 into the City of Dunnellon. She advised additional information was previously provided to the Board on a report relating to capacity within the MCFR system and based on those reports the impact to the ISO would be extremely minimal; therefore, this option should not be ruled out entirely. Commissioner Stone referenced page 2 of the MCFR Assessment Memorandum from June, 2016, which states, "The pumping capacity of the county's fire rescue department is 47,145 GPM. Accordingly, based on the National Fire Protection Association firefighting standards for fire flow as provided for in NFPA 1. Fire Code, 2015, Chapter 18 (assuming ordinary construction), the Fire Rescue Department currently has sufficient fire flow capacity to provide service coverage in the event of a structure fire involving unlimited square feet." She advised that 80% of the calls are medical not fire and MCFR will be adding a response unit to Station 22, which will increase the ALS response. (Ed. Note: GPM is the acronym for gallons per minute; NFPA is the acronym for National Fire Protection Association.) Councilman Dillon stated the reoccurring costs for Option 3 is $435,000 and the county will receive more than that from the fire assessment. He questioned why Option 3 is being considered when the City of Dunnellon is willing to pay the additional cost. Commissioner Stone advised that it was not her understanding that the City of Dunnellon was going to cover all the cost. Councilman Dillon stated the first year they were contributing $200,000 and then going forward $100,000 annually, but by choosing Option 3 the county is losing the city's participation because the funding the county will receive from the fire assessment will cover Option 3. Chairman Zalak advised that the problem is that the city's funding will only last 2-3 years, which does not cover the county's cost of the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant is the driving cost. Chief Nevels stated the fire rescue contract and fire chief standards require a Lieutenant at the Station. Councilman Dillon stated this is a negotiation and if the City of Dunnellon were to say for the next 10 years they will give the county $100,000 than Option 3 would be more of a benefit to the county. Chairman Zalak questioned what the overall fire budget is annually. Ms. Bowne advised that without capital cost the budget is $322,000. Commissioner Bryant stated originally what was discussed with the City of Dunnellon is that they would cover 50% of what the balance is that the assessment does not cover. In response to Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Bryant stated MCFR may be responding to every call, but when they arrive the county can be called off; therefore, they Book X, Page 35

8 are probably not fully responding. The Board also has to consider the 185 calls that Dunnellon came out of the City of Dunnellon to assist the county with. The county responded to 804 and is not the primary response all the time. Chief Nevels concurred and advised that MCFR will respond to those 804 calls, but can be called off. Chairman Zalak questioned if Option 3 is valuable why that rescue cannot, for the most part, be staged in Dunnellon at a gas station. Commissioner Gold stated the City of Dunnellon would still be put in a place where they have to be dependent on volunteers, which is an ongoing issue. General discussion ensued. Commissioner Gold stated Option 3 will require a volunteer department, which is a good thought, but will not work. Option 1 just breaks up a crew and the cost is $1,000,000. This is very costly, plus taking a crew off and putting them on a rescue then jumping on a fire truck is something they were doing 30 years ago. He opined that Option 2 is the best. The coverage remains the same as what is there now with the addition of an ALS. There will be 3 people staffed 24/7. Option 3 is a great idea, but it makes the department too dependent on the volunteer system and the City of Dunnellon will lose fire suppression in the area. Chairman Zalak stated everything from an ALS capacity standpoint can be put on the existing fire truck. Chief Nevels concurred, noting everything but the stretcher can be added. Chairman Zalak questioned if the countywide 5-Year Plan is to leave the existing station in the City of Dunnellon and if that is the maximum capacity for MCFR as a whole or would it be better if a new station was built on Highway 484. They need to put these stations in places where MCFR can cover the greatest amount of Marion County citizens. General discussion resumed. Councilman Dillon advised that whatever option is chosen the Dunnellon City Council will have to go back to their citizens and explain why they made that choice. In response to Commissioner Stone, Chairman Zalak stated there are fire hydrants within the City of Dunnellon. Chief McQuaig advised that Option 3 will require additional rescue training for DPD, which will put a strain on the small department. He opined that Option 2 is a better fit. Commissioner Bryant stated at first the thought of having the rescue there was the best option, but as she had discussions with Chief Nevels and staff that changed. If they have a rescue transport the City of Dunnellon will be left without anyone there if the station has to transport someone. Option 2 has the ALS staff available to respond unless they have been called out of area and the services provided will be better. Chairman Zalak advised that if the unit is responding to a call and another call comes in they will need to get other crews involved. Commissioner Stone stated Option 3 will add staffing. Commissioner Bryant advised that the staff would not be where it is needed, in the City of Dunnellon. Chairman Zalak opined that they could leave it in Dunnellon. Commissioner Stone advised that MCFR is already responding now to all but 10 calls, even though they are secondary, not primary. The county is adding staffing to be able to arrive quicker and the response time will be dependent on where they are positioned during certain times. She stated MCFR already covers areas in the community similar to the City of Dunnellon and does an effective job. This will just be adding staff and providing an ALS truck in addition to the existing ALS unit, engine, and grass truck. Chairman Zalak stated if 1 unit left the department could roll the other 22 unit into the City of Dunnellon. Page 36, Book X

9 They will still have a truck at Station 22 and an ALS unit in Dunnellon, unless there are multiple calls. Commissioner Gold advised that the time it takes to transport from the City of Dunnellon to Ocala should be considered when making this decision, which could be up to 1.5 hours in drive time and does not include wall time. The engine will have the same ALS capabilities, but it will be just a transport truck that they will be lacking. The response time of 19 minutes will remain the same for transport. If the ALS unit is in the City of Dunnellon the response time will remain 5 minutes, but there will be an ALS response compared to the BLS transport. Commissioner Bryant stated the citizens will expect a certain level of service (LOS) and if they keep the engine there while they are working a call that will be the only time they are out of service. If you remove the rescue and replace it with a transport then while they are transporting that unit will be out of service; there will not be a professional medical crew to provide that service. The engine provides a great way to keep services in the City of Dunnellon as expected by the citizens. General discussion ensued. Commissioner Bryant out at 11:19 a.m. Commissioner Gold advised that in theory the extra transport sounds like a great idea, but when an additional transport is added into the mix it will not stay there. MCFR is down so many rescues that this unit will be drawn out and will back up for other stations. General discussion resumed. Commissioner Bryant returned at 11:21 a.m. Chairman Zalak questioned if the county built a new station where would it be located? He stated 5 years from now MCFR will want a new station, where a rescue and new fire truck fits; they will also want a fully staffed station. Chief Nevels advised that 5-Year Plans had been presented to the Board in the past and were not approved. When MCFR proposes a new fire station it is not just because they want to build something. They want to be able to respond to the citizens the way that they need to be responded to. Chairman Zalak reiterated that he is asking where is the best logical 5 mile ring for a new station. In response to Chief Nevels, Chairman Zalak stated in his experience over the last 5 years MCFR will want to get to a full range station, because they need it to serve people. This is not a bad thing, but it will not stay this little 3 man show. Chief Nevels stated staff would be happy to create a 5-Year Plan for this and more than likely the new station would be located near the Dunnellon Airport. Staff will consider the built upon area, because there is a dense population. The study conducted in 2016 was included in the agenda packet by the City of Dunnellon. The study was done for the fire assessment and included all of the county fire stations, but does not include the City of Dunnellon. The study also does not take into account removing a station that is running 24/7 calls. Commissioner Stone stated the City of Dunnellon may not have been included, but the county is responding to those calls. Chief Nevels concurred and advised that the study does affect the ISO rating. Chairman Zalak stated he does not want to make every decision about fire based on the ISO. Commissioner Stone advised that the study helped prepare her for the meeting today and encouraged the Board to read it before any decisions are made. Chief Nevels stated staff can review the calls and carefully scrub them to determine where they could place a new station. MCFR looked at this as a possibility for a 5-Year Plan a couple of years ago and may need to again if Marion County continues with growth on Book X, Page 37

10 the Highway 200 corridor. Right now, the location of the existing station is ideal for the City of Dunnellon; however, no perfect Option was presented today, whether it is moving units into a smaller station that does need some work or some of the other variables. The Options presented are just some possibilities. He advised that all of the county's first run engines are very large trucks, which is standard these days and require a large building. Several years from now, if the Board considers the buildup they may want to consider placing a station out near the lower middle portion of map located on slide 5; however, this will bring concern to the City of Dunnelion because the station is being removed from the city limits. Mayor Green commented on the history of the existing fire station in the City of Dunnellon. As Dunnellon grows in different areas people still consider themselves as living in the City of Dunnellon. If a dot was put where the current station is and a circle is drawn it would include thousands of people. The point is that thousands of people are using Highway 41 and a great deal of the City of Dunnelion's calls are associated with traffic problems and accidents. Highway 41 is at capacity in town and is currently bumper-to-bumper. He advised that what the Board is seeing is a city of 1,700 people, a fire station built in 1936, a 26 year old fire truck and a 16 year old fire truck, noting both trucks are very well maintained. The Dunnellon City Council is looking to enhance services for Dunnellon and how to afford the improvements. There is an existing building and MCFR will not have to build right now. They can always come back later and perform an analysis to be sure when a new building is built it has all the modern facilities similar to Station 22. MCFR can use the 1936 station and the current trucks will fit in there with 2 inches to spare. They can have an EMS unit there and work out an agreement to keep one of the existing fire trucks. Mayor Green stated the EMS units are portable emergency rooms. A fire truck is never going to look like a portable emergency room and will not suffice. He advised that the goal of Dunnellon City Council, Administration and the fire chief is to work together with the County to come up with the best services for the citizens of Dunnellon. They are willing to help pay for that and are not asking the county to bail them out. In response to Commissioner Gold, Chief Nevels advised that the 5-Year Plan was for the General Fund and does not address fire, noting the last plan created was a 10-Year Plan. MCFR continues to work through the County Administrator's Office to review growth, but does not see a new station being built in the next 5 years. The 5 year plan did consider adding some facilities for fire rescue support for fire based response or a high performance rescue response. They considered adding 3 units immediately into the system and then 1 each additional year. Chairman Zalak questioned if the City Council had an issue with moving the station if it needs to be moved. Councilman Dillon stated his concern is not with fire because they have not had any major fires, but is concerned with medical and questioned if Option 3 is chosen can a medical unit be put in the City of Dunnellon Station or will both units be at Station 22. Chairman Zalak advised that both units will be at Station 22, noting per Commissioner Gold the best way to keep the most amount of medical reactionary calls is to go with Option 2 and put an ALS based engine in the City of Dunnellon that will stay there and will not be going on transport for 3 to 4 hours a day. That truck will be sitting in the City of Dunnellon always responding to every single accident or medical call. Commissioner Gold clarified that he is a certified firefighter/paramedic and his opinion comes from experience not paper work. Page 38, Book X

11 In response to Councilman Dillon, Commissioner Moore advised that the consensus of the Board is Option 2 and the reason being they have to do what is best for everyone in Marion County. Councilwoman Hanchar clarified that Option 3 would also charge citizens an assessment fee and then the City of Dunnellon would have to charge an additional fee on their ad valorem for the volunteer program, which would have to be run by a Chief. Commissioner Bryant advised that there would be a cost for the volunteer program. Councilwoman Hanchar stated this would be double taxing the same service that every other Marion County citizen is receiving. Councilman Hancock stated Chairman Zalak brought up a good point about where should a new station be or should they be considering a new station. The City of Dunnellon has been working on the utility analysis to figure out what direction to take and through that process they have learned that growth is coming between SW 180th Avenue to the Airport. He advised that a future fire station would be best placed an equal distance between Station 22 and Station 31 near the Dunnellon Airport, but this project is some years away and the efforts made in Dunnellon now will help them get there. One thing Dunnellon has discussed for years has been having fire rescue on both sides of the tracks that run down through the City of Dunnellon, because of the ability of the train to block traffic. If someone lives on the east side of Pennsylvania Avenue in Dunnellon they may or may not see fire rescue when they want it too. A new Station near the airport would provide that service. Councilman Hancock advised that there are many positives around this and that is where he wants to stay focused. The negatives can be dealt with and financing is usually the greatest obstacle, but that is only in the short term. To reap the long term benefits they will have to manage the short term costs. The county managing all fire rescue efforts will serve the greater good for all citizens in their section of Marion County. This allows the county to provide the most cohesive effort under one management plan across the area. He stated when they had their fire assessment he learned that the city of Dunnellon's station is in service 5% of the time and 95% of the time available, which tells him there is room to be flexible on coverage and proximity to these stations. Councilman Hancock advised that in order to get service where they want it to be and to get the funding to provide that service he accepts what the Chief has proposed. They recognize that budgets are a guideline or a plan and they have to manage reality. The proximity of these stations and the high amount of assessable time gives them an opportunity to learn different ways to manage these services in the short term. They can take the first 6 months to test how a joint station responds. They can take time to see how management oversight can be accomplished through proximity and accessibility and evolve to the ultimate structure that it should be. He stated he agrees with Commissioner Stone that this plan will not be effective tomorrow, but they can build it to what it needs to be and support it accordingly. Commissioner Bryant stated the recommendation has come from county staff and Option 2 is seen as the best fit, but it is important to remember that when they originally began discussion about this it was something that would be evaluated on a yearly basis. Staff will continue to review this and ensure that the county is doing everything they can to keep the cost minimal, because the city and the county are cost sharing. She advised that as growth continues in the area they should expect to address some things, people will be sad, but at some point down the road they will probably have to consider moving the location. Commissioner Bryant opined that the most important things for them to Book X, Page 39

12 remember is what the best option is for today and they will have to review this on a yearly basis, noting future planning will be very important. Mayor Green stated the station has been in the City of Dunnellon since 1936, but they do not have anyone begging him to continue to live in The station is available now and will not cost a great deal of money at this point. It will allow MCFR to take care of the citizens in Dunnellon and upgrade the entire ability of the rescue workers to serve the community. Commissioner Gold advised that during the next Dunnellon City Council meeting the Chief could have Engine 22 or an engine present with ALS capabilities to show citizens what they are capable of doing, as well as a transport unit. Mayor Green concurred and stated the Chief and other professionals could make a presentation to help citizens better understand what is being proposed and how it will benefit western Marion County. Commission Bryant stated she made a commitment to the Dunnellon City Council that when they finally come up with a plan, a Town Hall meeting will be held to ensure residents of Dunnellon know exactly what is taking place and how it will work. Commissioner Zalak advised that the budget is what is driving this entire conversation and Option 3 is what the county can afford to do with the assessment unless the City of Dunnellon can contribute something more. The city is only funding $100,000 more, which will not cover the cost of the Lieutenant. He stated he did not understand if the City of Dunnellon has an approximate $300,000 budget today, why they cannot fund a Lieutenant at $230,000 or $260,000 and then the county can put Option 2 into place. This would still save the city $100,000 and upgrades the service tremendously, as well as allows MCFR to place a full-time fire unit in play. The assessment will cover Option 3, which will have rolling stock at Station 22. If the City wants Option 2 then the county's operating cost will need to be matched up with the assessment and perception from the City of Dunnellon. The county is taking on all the responsibility in the future capital of new trucks, equipment and fire stations. They need to figure out how to fund the operation sustainably into the future, especially the operating cost. Commissioner Bryant advised that the City of Dunnellon is going to fund any improvements needed on the existing station. Councilman Hancock concurred and noted the plan is for the city to provide the building and utilities up to what they have averaged over the years. Chairman Zalak questioned if the city is going to provide full maintenance of the building and take care of all the maintenance in the future. Councilman Hancock stated they would need to know what standard the county is requesting, but agree to normal operating costs. Mayor Green advised that the city is not going to dump the station in the county's lap. They want to be good partners and work with the county to enhance the coverage in Dunnellon. The city realizes that they do not have the capital and the ability to build a new station. An analysis was conducted 3 year ago and at that time would cost $2,000,000 to build a station and the truck would cost $800,000. The city would never be able to fund that with only 1,700 people. If at some point a new station is built they want it located where it will best serve the public and have all the modern equipment they need. He stated the City of Dunnellon will be good partners and will work with the county. Councilman Hancock stated eventually there will be a new county fire assessment study conducted and all the cost to provide fire rescue service will roll into the new fire assessment fees. Chief Nevels advised that the City of Dunnellon will become similar to the City of Belleview, which are included 100% and is seamless as far as the fire assessment. Page 40, Book X

13 Councilman Hancock advised that all they really need to do is manage this short term until the next assessment study occurs. He questioned if that is done on a 5-Year Plan. County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes stated it is not done every 5 years. Chairman Zalak advised the last one was 10 years ago. Councilman Hancock stated the point is they have up to 5 years to make this work and then they will be like everyone else and not require special meetings to figure out how it will work. Commissioner Bryant questioned if there is a consensus to move forward with Option 2. Chairman Zalak stated he does not mind moving forward, but questioned how it will be funded operationally. Commissioner Bryant advised that when this was originally brought to the Board the discussion with the City of Dunnellon was they will cover the cost of anything that needs to be done to the building in order to make it so MCFR can be in there 24/7 and then they will cover 50% of whatever additional cost to the system that was not covered by the assessment. The plan will be evaluated each year and will remain at 50%. Commissioner Zalak opined that the City of Dunnellon should fund the $230,000 or $263,000 for the Lieutenant. Councilman Dillon asked if the City of Belleview or other municipalities are being treated the same way and if the county asked them for additional funding. He stated he does not want to get to a point where the City of Dunnellon is asked to do more than any of the municipalities. This station will help the county with the west side and be a supplement for Rainbow Springs and the city should not be funding it 100%. Chairman Zalak stated the county is funding 2 people and the city will only be funding 1. Councilman Dillon stated the county is not taking into account the money that will be received from the fire assessment in the City of Dunnellon and would like it to be fair. He requested the Board vote on the options and provide the city with the amount needed each year for their review. Chairman Zalak advised that they can take all the capital, the assessment and everything together as the 50% number and the city can fund 50% of that. Councilman Dillon stated he is okay with that as long as the Board is willing to do the same thing for the City of Belleview. Chairman Zalak advised that the City of Belleview has been in the county system for over 20 years. General discussion ensued. Commissioner Bryant stated the potential revenue the City of Dunnellon will bring in from the mill is $468,000 and the annual recurring cost for the Station is $700,000. The amount not covered by the assessment is approximately $230,000, which will be $115,000 from each entity. General discussion resumed. Commissioner Bryant advised that during the original discussions with the City of Dunnellon they were going to cover the cost for the county to update the building in order to maintain a crew there 24/7 and the cost of initially stocking the rescue. In response to Chairman Zalak, Chief Nevels stated the figures include stocking the fire truck for the first year and additional recurring costs. Councilman Dillon opined that Option 3 would be great for the city because that will give them $335,000 back to the General Fund, but does not solve the problem of coverage in the west side of the county. The plan is going to allow MCFR to protect more constituents, which is a win-win for everyone. The City of Dunnellon had over $1,025,000 in the budget for a new fire station where the old middle school was located, but the Council now has nothing. Book X, Page 41

14 Commissioner Bryant advised that at the end of the day the fact is the City of Dunnellon is getting out of fire service. The county will become responsible for picking it up and without some kind of agreement it will be at a cost to the county. This is probably a good compromise for both entities to be able to accomplish what is needed and ensure the citizens have coverage. Mayor Green advised that the Dunnellon City Council and staff have worked diligently for not only the City of Dunnellon, but all of western Marion County to address several issues. The community of Dunnellon does not just consist of 1,700 people, but is made up of thousands. The United States Government recognizes 200 square miles as being Dunnellon and people who live in Citrus Springs have a Dunnellon mailing address. There are thousands of people who depend on that area of Marion County for their wellbeing. He stated the Dunnellon City Council and the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) are headed in the right direction to solve this problem. They just have to piecemeal it together and use this as a bridge to be able to work together to provide the services that the citizens need in western Marion County and the City of Dunnellon. Chairman Zalak advised that he agrees with what everyone is saying, but someone needs to work on the details and figure out who is going to pay for what. Mayor Green stated city and county staff can work together with the departments and come up with some plans. CLOSING COMMENTS: Chairman Zalak stated the next step is for County Administration to present an Interlocal Agreement (ILA). Mr. Bouyounes advised that he will work on an ILA. The county is past the time to implement the assessment; therefore, if the City of Dunnellon wants the county to begin providing services October 1, 2017 they will need to pass an Ordinance to implement the assessment. They will have to provide funding for the county to begin that service for the first year. Starting in FY 2018/19 the county will implement the fire assessment and the mill for fire services, which will start the full county controlled fire services provided to the City of Dunnellon on October 1, In response to Chairman Zalak, Ms. Bowne advised that the plan is to have the county take over fire service on October 1, The city will have their public hearing to implement the Ordinance and allow them to move forward in a preliminary rate Resolution to implement the assessment and then in September will be the final public hearing. Mr. Bouyounes stated staff will review the operational cost on an annual basis and any additional cost beyond what the assessment and millage will bring in will be shared 50/50 until the county updates the study. At that time, the City of Dunnellon will be included in the study similar to the City of Belleview. He advised that this will be brought back for official Board action in September, 2017 with all the different points that need to be addressed in negotiation with the City of Dunnellon. Staff can then move forward and put an agreement together. Councilman Dillon questioned when the Board planned to update their system. Mr. Bouyounes advised that the study was just completed last year and it will probably be 4 to 5 years from now. It was the general consensus of the Board to move forward with Option 2. Mayor Green expressed his appreciation to the Board for sitting down with them and working toward a solution. Commissioner Bryant thanked the Board for allowing her to work on this and thanked the city staff for their hard work. Page 42, Book X