Confire Proposes Impact Fee Hike

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is seeking a 64 percent hike in its development impact fee on new residential and commercial development, the first increase since the charge was adopted in 2005. But BIA|Bay Area is asking the district to first provide a basic accounting of the fees it has collected and how it has spent the money. The district does not appear to have compiled or brought before its governing board — the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors — the state required annual AB1600 report that outlines its revenues and expenses in recent history. The fee proposal is also problematic in that it has not been collected districtwide but only in the unincorporated areas, and in Pittsburg and Antioch. The 310-square-mile district includes Antioch, Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, San Pablo, Walnut Creek and the adjacent unincorporated areas. Click HERE to download and view the final draft Fire Facilities Impact Fee Study dated July 2017 prepared by Willdan Financial Services. MORE INFORMATION: Under the nexus study update recommendations, the fee for a single-family house would increase $379 per unit or 64 percent, up from $591 per home to $970. Rates would increase by a similar percentage for multi-family residences and commercial development. The proceeds would help pay for $66.6 million in district improvements including new and replacement fire stations in San Pablo, Bay Point, Pacheco and Antioch. Fire District Deputy Chief Lewis Broschard said the district had hoped to bring the fee increase ordinance to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in May or June 2018. If adopted, the supervisors could adopt fee hikes only for the unincorporated areas. Pittsburg and Antioch city councils would have to agree to any new fee levels on behalf of the fire district in their communities. Click here to view maps of the district. For comments or questions, contact BIA’s East Bay Governmental Affairs Executive Director Lisa Vorderbrueggen at 925-348-1956 or lvorderbrueggen@biabayarea.org.