Laserfiche WebLink
DRAFT Comprehensive Fire Service Study MEDINA, MINNESOTA <br /> <br />Matrix Consulting Group Page 85 <br />is to determine the roles of the organizations and jurisdictions in the development of a fire <br />district. The cities involved are the organizations that have the duty to provide public <br />safety and they are the ones that have the taxing authority to financially support such an <br />endeavor. The fire departments involved have the technical expertise to support the fire <br />agency development but lack the taxing authority to provide any financial resources to <br />operate the agency. <br /> <br />Once the roles have been outlined, the process should turn to the development of the fire <br />agency. This part of the process can use existing joint powers agreements from other <br />agencies that have been successful in the development of their agreements and <br />operations. One such agreement is contained as an appendix at the end of this report. <br /> <br />In addition to the agreement contained in the appendix, there are other considerations for <br />the development of a fire agency as noted below: <br /> <br />• Organization – Legally establishing the fire district and creating the administrative <br />and organizational structure. <br />• Planning – Determining the fire district boundaries and the desired response <br />capabilities of the fire district. <br />• Financial – Determining the budget, the budget development process and how much <br />each community should be assessed. <br />• Physical Resources – How the existing equipment will be handled and how new <br />purchases will be handled in terms of ownership, placement, and usage. <br />• Human Resources – How are the existing employees to be integrated into the fire <br />district and how are new employees to be handled. <br /> <br />As the discussions progress, there will be other issues that are specific to the City of <br />Medina and the other partners that will require additional consideration and dialogue. <br /> <br />The chart below outlines a suggested timeline for bringing the joint powers agreement <br />forward for approval by the various entities. This timeline is for illustrative purposes; <br />certain phases may not take as long while others may take longer than expected. The <br />project team estimates the process will take 8 – 12 months to complete. The 12 month <br />timeline illustrated below can be accelerated if earlier tasks are performed <br />simultaneously. <br /> <br />Development of the Joint Powers Agreement <br />Phase / Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 <br />Planning - District Boundaries <br />Governance <br />Financial Resources