PORT ANGELES — The proposed consolidation of the Port Angeles Fire Department and Clallam County Fire District No. 2 gained the support of the Port Angeles City Council on Tuesday.
The fire district’s three commissioners approved the idea in July.
But the issue is not ready to go to the voters, which must have the final say, said Port Angeles Fire Chief Dan McKeen.
The next step, he said, is for a planning committee, also formed Tuesday, to draft a regional fire protection service authority plan for the proposed new fire authority.
The district’s commissioners and the City Council would both have to adopt that plan for the issue to be placed on the ballot, likely in the August 2011 primary election.
If approved then, the merger would take effect Jan. 1, 2012.
The planning committee is made up of fire district commissioners David Whitney, Thomas Martin and Dick Ruud and City Council members Dan Di Guilio, Brooke Nelson and Pat Downie.
The consolidation would create “Port Angeles Fire & Rescue,” and lead to better services for the residents of the city and the district that surrounds Port Angeles, McKeen and fire district Chief Jon Bugher have said.
Particularly, it would reduce response times through the 24-hour staffing of District 2’s now-unstaffed station at Deer Park and partial staffing of its Dry Creek station west of the city, they said.
Consolidation also would result in eliminating the District 2 chief position and combine the two volunteer emergency medical services contingents into one 84-person service.
It also would mean higher property taxes for District 2 residents.
If approved by voters, the property tax for fire and emergency services for District No. 2 property owners would increase from 61 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to about $1.35 per $1,000.
The owner of a $200,000 home would see his or her share of property taxes for emergency services increase from $122 to $270 a year.
City residents would see little change in their property tax bills, a merger feasibility report concluded.
There are 11,232 registered voters in Port Angeles and 6,334 in Fire District 2.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
