Aptos La Selva, Central Fire Merger Gets Closer

By Jondi Gumz

A five-member governing board is proposed to oversee the new fire district resulting from the merger of the Aptos La Selva Fire Protection District and the Central Fire Protection District, which serves Capitola, Soquel and Live Oak.

The new board will have three members from Aptos LaSelva and two members from Central, with voters having their say in November 2022.

That is the biggest change, as the level of service, property assessments, employee contracts and retiree pension benefits are expected to stay the same.

The existing fire stations are expected to remain where they are, with the potential for remodeling.

The name will be Central Fire District, interim Aptos La Selva Fire Chief Don Jarvis said at a Sept. 30 tele-town hall hosted by county supervisors John Leopold and Zach Friend.

The two fire districts have seen benefits from working together operationally.

“We’re stronger together,” said Jarvis, who grew up in Capitola, followed his father into the fire service and became interim chief this year.

“We’re finding efficiencies through attritions and normal retirements,” said Central Fire Battalion Chief John Walbridge, who’s been with the district since 1991.

“Everyone agrees it’s a good concept and it’s a very hard thing to accomplish,” Jarvis said, noting a merger requires creating a new organization and new culture. “That’s why you don’t see it happen very often.”

Residents with questions can get them answered when presentations are made to the governing boards of the two fire districts.

The Aptos La Selva fire board will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. The agenda is at aptosfire.com. To listen to the meeting, which will take place remotely, call 1-646-749-3122 and enter Access Code 215496669 or connect online at global.gotomeeting.com/join/2159496669.

The Central fire board will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. The agenda will be posted at centralfpd.com. To listen to the meeting, which will take place remotely, call 1-786-535-3211 and enter Access Code 310-053-061 or connect online at global.gotomeeting.com/join/310053061.

Jarvis recalled when he was growing up, there weren’t fires in Santa Cruz.

That has changed with the August onslaught of the CZU Lightning Complex fires, which burned 86,500 acres in Santa Cruz County, destroying 925 single-family homes and businesses.

The answer, for Jarvis, is the Cal Fire-endorsed Ready Set Go program of defensible space and wildfire preparation.

“There’s a huge demand,” he said. “We don’t have the staff to give the service that we want.”

The merger will “eliminate redundant management and administrative positions to put more effort into these programs,” he said.

One question answered during the tele-town hall was: Will the neighborhood fire stations in La Selva Beach, Rio Del Mar and Capitola Village be relocated?

“Moving a fire station is like moving a country — It’s very hard to do,” said Walbridge. “We might remodel.”

He cited a recommendation to move the Soquel Village fire station out of the flood plan to a site a quarter-mile away, saying, “It’s just a recommendation, there’s no plan yet. We don’t own that site.”

Jarvis noted legislation carried by Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley, allows firefighters to maintain the pension benefits they have today.

“If we were taking away benefits, there would be zero support,” Jarvis said.

Another potential issue: Unfunded liabilities, with Central on the pay-as-you-go plan.

“There’s no requirement you pay off immediately,” Jarvis said. Each liability will be pooled and paid off over time.”

As for fire taxes, “everyone will keep paying the same amount,” Jarvis said.

Asked if a seven-person board was considered, Jarvis said Central Fire switched to a five-member board after finding a seven-member board unwieldy.

The consolidation proposal will be reviewed by the board of the Local Agency Formation Commission, known as LAFCO, which has a goal of efficient services.

LAFCO board members are: Leopold, Friend, Santa Cruz Mayor Justin Cummings, Watsonville City Council member Francisco Estrada, Rachel Lather, representing special districts, Jim Anderson, representing water, and Roger Anderson, chairman, who represents the public.

Joe Serrano, LAFCO’s executive officer, will analyze the proposal and produce a report for the LAFCO board a week before the 9 a.m. Nov. 4 hearing date. The agenda will be posted at santacruzlafco.org.

If the LAFCO board approves the merger, then a 21-day protest period begins. If the number of protests is less than 25 percent of the new district, the approval stands. If the protests are more than 25 percent, then a vote of the people in the district follows. If the protests exceed 50 percent, then consolidation is terminated.

“We’re looking at the first quarter of 2021 (for this) to take effect,” Serrano said.