HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformational Report - Presentation by Fire Marshal - Intent to Eliminate ServicesSTAFF REPORT
CITY OF PALM DESERT
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE DEPARTMENT
MEETING DATE: July 9, 2020
PREPARED BY: Stephen Y. Aryan, Risk Manager
REQUEST: Presentation by the Fire Marshall on the City's Notification of Intent to
Possibly Eliminate Additional Fire Marshal Services Provided Under
Exhibit D of the Current Cooperative Agreement (Contract No. C37050)
Recommendation
By Minute Motion, receive and file the report. Alternatively, the City Council may
provide further direction to staff on this matter.
Commission Action
The Public Safety Commission will review this matter on July 8, 2020. Staff will provide a
report on their recommendation at the City Council meeting.
Strateqic Plan Obiective
Although Public Safety & Emergency Service Priorities is a focus area of the 2013 Strategic
Plan, the mini -vision, priorities, and action steps address the delivery of services by the Fire
Department, and not by the Fire Marshal. Those priorities and action steps focus on
addressing needs for new equipment, facilities, training, and technology for firefighting, and
on helping the community to be better prepared for disasters and public safety emergencies.
This recommendation deals with the methodology for delivering routine plan check and
inspection services during the development process. Therefore, the Envision Palm Desert
strategic plan does not address this recommended action.
Backaround Analysis
The declared coronavirus pandemic emergency inflicted far-reaching implications for the
City's budget for the current fiscal year and beyond. Staff identified methods in which the
budget impacts can be reduced.
At the April 16, 2020, City Council meeting, the City Council approved Staff's recommendation
to notify the Riverside County Fire Chief of the City's intent to potentially eliminate additional
fire marshal services provided under Exhibit D of the current cooperative agreement (Contract
No. C37050).
This notice triggered a waiting period of 120 days, during which the City would work with the
County to transition away from the current model of providing Fire Marshal services, which
May 14, 2020 - Staff Report
FY 2020/21 Police Budget Considerations
Page 2of2
includes having an office in City Hall to provide plan check services to developers of projects
in Palm Desert.
At the end of the 120 days, the City would be able to discontinue those extra services, and
the County would handle them through their Eastern Operations building in the Palm Desert
sphere of influence area north of Interstate 10. Staff sent the notice out in late April, so the
City can opt out of locally provided Fire Marshal services by September 1, 2020. During
working sessions of City staff members and representatives of the Fire Marshal, the latter
asked to provide a presentation to the City Council on their anticipated impacts should the
City continue with its intent as previously noted.
Fiscal Analvsis
There is no direct impact to the General Fund associated with the recommendation in this staff
report. It the City does, indeed, exercise the option to discontinue the additional Fire Marshal
services, savings in the amount of $250,000 to $400,000 annually could be realized.
LEGAL REVIEW
N/A
DEPT. REVIEW
Lori Carney
FINANCIAL REVIEW
YA*%A'gW. "O'01'e,
Robert W. Hargreaves Lori Carney Janet M. Moore
City Attorney Director of Admin. Services Director of Finance
City Manager Lauri Aylaian:
ASSISTANT
CITY MANAGER
N/A
Andy Firestine
Assistant City Manager