The people of the Town of Ross do ordain as follows:

SECTION 1.  Title.

This initiative measure shall be known and may be cited as the “Ross Fire Station and Public Safety Protection Initiative” (“Initiative”).

SECTION 2.  Findings and Purpose.

A.  Findings.  The people of the Town of Ross (“Town”) find and declare the following:

1. The Ross Fire Station, located at 33 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, was originally built in 1927, with fire engine bays that were constructed and added in the 1990s. The Ross Fire Station is an integral part of both the Town’s history and the safety of its residents.

2. The Ross Fire Station has been staffed by the Ross Valley Fire Department since 2012.  Ross Valley Fire Department has housed at the Ross Fire Station a fire captain and engineer/firefighter, an active fire engine, and a reserve fire engine.  

3. In 2021 and 2022, the Ross Town Council made a series of decisions resulting in a plan to close the Ross Fire Station by July 1, 2025.

4. Closing the Ross Fire Station could have detrimental consequences for Ross residents. Upon closure of the Fire Station, Ross will be serviced by fire stations in San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow, and Fairfax. As such, closure of the Ross Fire Station will leave the Town and its residents without key fire emergency personnel based within Town limits, potentially increasing emergency response times.

5. Accordingly, the people of the Town of Ross desire to enact a new policy to ensure that there is a fire station within Town limits capable of housing at least two active firefighters.

6. To help achieve this objective, the people of the Town of Ross desire to enact a related new policy of prioritizing, to the greatest extent practicable, the rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of the existing structure at 33 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, with the intent that the project be completed in a manner that qualifies for an exemption under generally applicable provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) related to historical resources. A new policy of rehabilitation and/or reconstruction, wherever practicable, will help to protect the Town’s history and the safety of its residents, while at the same time reducing costs, waste, and environmental impacts associated with the demolition and replacement of the existing structure with new construction.

7. Implementation of this Initiative will protect the public health, safety and welfare, and the quality of life for the people of the Town of Ross.

B. Purpose.  The people of the Town of Ross declare that our purpose and intent in enacting this Initiative is to make amendments to the Town’s Municipal Code to expressly require the Town to provide for a fire station within Town limits capable of housing at least two active firefighters, and establishing policies prioritizing to the greatest extent practicable the rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of existing facilities.

SECTION 3.  Amendments to Title 14-Fire Prevention of the Ross Municipal Code

Title 14—Fire Prevention of the Ross Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows (new language to be inserted into the Municipal Code is shown as underlined text):

Chapter 14.15
Operation and Maintenance of Local Fire Station

Sections:

14.15.010        Fire Station Required Within Town Limits
14.15.020        Requirement to Utilize Existing Structure to the Extent Practicable

14.15.010 – Fire Station Required Within Town Limits.

The Town of Ross shall maintain an operational fire station within Town limits that complies with current public safety facility requirements and is capable of housing emergency personnel and equipment at or above 2024 staffing levels. For the purpose of this section, “2024 staffing levels” shall mean at least one active fire engine, one reserve engine, and at least two active firefighters.

14.15.020 – Requirement to Utilize Existing Structure to the Greatest Extent Practicable.

To the greatest extent practicable, the Town shall comply with § 14.15.010 by prioritizing the rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of the existing structure at 33 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Under no circumstances, however, shall this provision be interpreted to prevent the Town from complying with § 14.15.010 if utilizing the existing structure impacts the feasibility of the mandatory requirement to maintain an operational fire station that complies with current public safety facility requirements. Factors to be considered in determining whether utilization of the existing structure is practicable include cost, time to complete necessary rehabilitation and/or reconstruction, and whether the existing structure is physically capable of being rehabilitated and/or reconstructed to comply with current public safety facility requirements.