A unanimous vote of the Penn Valley Fire Protection District (PVFPD) board requesting the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCo) start annexation proceedings of Rough and Ready Fire Protection District’s area is only the first step on a long journey.
Directors considered a revised resolution to start the annexation proceedings after the Board of Rough and Ready Fire voted on March 20th to begin dissolution proceedings. A final vote on that resolution will be scheduled at a later date.
Before reading the resolution, Chairman Bruce Stephenson explained, “I know you guys probably feel a little rushed, but we are kind of under some time constraints. So that’s why I wanted to push this forward for this meeting tonight. Typically, I would have liked to have had this out for you guys to read and digest a little longer and I apologize for that… But we have some protections built in. As long as everybody understands that, I think we’re good to go.”
Directors expressed their approval of the reworked resolution, “seeing a lot of offramps here,” according to Director Joey Jordan. The conditions for the district to absorb Rough and Ready Fire’s service area, without negatively impacting Penn Valley residents, are:
a. An appropriate property tax-sharing agreement between the PVFPD and the County of Nevada.
b. Nevada County becomes the successor agency to Rough and Ready Fire Protection District (RAR) to protect PVFPD from RAR’s liabilities.
c. Existing ambulance service rights of RAR to be assigned to PVFD from and after the proposed annexation date.
d. Extend the special tax of PVFD to fund emergency medical services to the territory of RAR.
District staff will work to complete the necessary documents for LAFCo to consider the annexation proposal.
LAFCo will hold a workshop on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. at the Rough and Ready Fire Station. The Commission and members of the public will be briefed on the status of Rough and Ready Fire Protection District’s proposal to dissolve. Information will be provided by members of the Rough and Ready District Board, LAFCo staff, officials from Penn Valley Fire Protection District and other agency staff. No vote will be taken, this is an informational meeting only.