SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Lake Valley Fire Protection District may soon put a downpayment on a new fire engine if the Board of Supervisors approve Tuesday during a regular meeting.
Fire Chief Brad Zlendick sent a letter in late October to county officials requesting to use funds collected from Assembly Bill 1600 to purchase a Quint fire apparatus.
The new engine will have a 78-foot ladder, vehicle extrication equipment, water hose and foam for fire suppression, and rescue gear that would fill a void in the district’s firefighting capabilities. The equipment adds new service capabilities which are needed to expand services based on the demand created by new development, including the larger homes being built in the district.
“The ladder will also have the ability to create an elevated water stream,” Zlendick said in the letter. “This is critical in stopping house-to-hous ignition during structure fires.”
The California Mitigation Fee Act provides for the establishment of fees to mitigate the impacts of new development on public facilities in order to maintain the established level of service. Individual Special Districts do not have the authority to establish these fees; as a result, the county establishes them on behalf of the districts. In accordance with the act, these revenues are segregated and deposited into a separate account for each district, said the agenda packet.
The funds collected for Lake Valley Fire total $422,000 and Zlendick said in the letter that he would like to use that money to put a downpayment on the new engine and structure a loan using future fees for payments to fully pay for the $1,146,000 price tag. He said the district would also contribute some money from the general fund to equip the apparatus.
The item is on the consent agenda and supervisors will likely approve without conversation, unless a board member pulls the item off consent for discussion.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, or it may be viewed online through Zoom or via YouTube.
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