Today, by a unanimous vote of both boards of directors, Nevada County Consolidated Fire District and Ophir Hill Fire agreed to submit an application to combine both districts into one. The request to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) is to ‘Initiate Proceedings for the Annexation and Dissolution of the Ophir Hill Fire Protection District by the Nevada County Consolidated Fire District.’
“This is the next step to continue to provide the current levels of service and allocate our existing resources effectively,” said NCCFD Chief Jason Robitaille after the vote.
Robitaille will be the point person filing the required documents with LAFCo for the consolidation of the two fire departments.
LAFCos are independent political subdivisions of the State of California tasked with administering a section of planning law known as the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act, this includes managing boundary lines by approving or disapproving proposals involving the formation, expansion, or dissolution of cities and special districts. [Source: Nevada County LAFCo]
The two districts request in the resolutions adopted today that LAFCo complete the proposed annexation and dissolution proceedings, and amendment of the Nevada County Consolidated Sphere of Influence to include the affected area of Ophir Hill by November 2026.