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Home My WebLink About20150710.tiff BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS I $ ss PHONE: (970) 336-7204, Ext. 4200 '--4-' 1861 ;.- FAX: (970) 352-0242 1150 O STREET i r ` P.O. BOX 758 GREELEY, COLORADO 80632 GDUN March 10, 2015 Galeton Fire Protection Board of Directors Paula Johnson, President P.O. Box 697 Galeton, CO 80622 RE Property Inclusions in Fire District Dear Ms. Johnson and Members of the Board of Directors, Weld County has received your letter regarding required inclusion of unaffiliated properties into fire protection districts. The County is also concerned about the negative consequences of unaffiliated property owners who are not covered by a fire district. As a result, Weld County has made several attempts in the past to encourage unaffiliated property owners to elect to be included in a fire district. In September of 2014, this included a letter sent to all the unaffiliated property owners encouraging inclusion. The County also works to ensure that the building code is followed and that structures are compliant with fire prevention practices. However, after researching the issue, the County has no power to require private property owners to elect into districts against their will. The proper remedy for the fire protection district is to seek costs in.a civil action against the unaffiliated property owner. The statutory process for including property in a fire protection district is outlined in C.R.S. 32-1.401. Generally, property can only be included if 1) the owner of the property consents and petitions to be included, 2) the electors of the district petition to include a broad amount of territory or 3) if the board of the fire district petitions to change their boundaries to include a large portion of land. All of these require notification, publication, public hearings, and votes of the property owners involved. This also requires an opportunity for other interested fire districts, municipalities, individuals and counties to object and attempt to claim the property. There is no mechanism in this statute to force inclusion of individual parcels of land. In fact, the statute is set up assuming that the process will be adversarial in nature, and therefore provides opportunities for competing parties and individual property owners to dispute the inclusions. Accordingly, the statute is designed specifically to prevent a particular district or government body from being able to single handedly force individual property owners into a particular district. The statute does however provide a legal method for fire districts to recover their costs if they provide a service to an unaffiliated property. C.R.S. 30-10-512 makes the sheriff the obligated Shy warden in areas outside a fire district. ��Vw�ucn i tame,., 3-(10-.2O15 Cd' OA `h8 2015-0710 Therefore it is the sheriff, and not an adjacent fire protection district, that is required to respond to fires on unaffiliated properties. Pursuant to C.R.S. 30-10-513.5, if a fire protection district provides services to a property owner outside a fire district, they can seek reimbursement through a civil action. While this process is costly and time intensive, it is a legal and valid collection method. Further, if a valid assessment is issued against a property owner, the costs may be certified to the county treasurer and collected as taxes. The treasurer may even collect an additional ten percent to defray the costs of collection. One additional option utilized in some areas of the state is for private property owners to contract with fire protection districts for services. Weld County will continue to encourage property owners to elect to be included in fire protection districts. The County will also continue cooperating with the various fire protection districts to ensure the safety of the citizens of the county. However, the County has no ability to require private property owners to be included in a fire district. The proper remedy is for the fire protection districts to seek reimbursement through a civil action. Thank you and feel free to contact us with any questions. Sincerely, WELD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS arbara Kirkmeyer, Chair BK/fh I- I I H UC C CO reCU os > N N } H N T <p O) N U coBaa T = a U H a BE � � D a X 41 L. I 6 c to Z o U ar }' I ° c 4) u_ o E � r Q ��'CD 0 N N i— O 70 re In x IL O O) OJ Z r��1��___ O d O U O Z O O T-- L ^, a) C 'O = IL a) i_ N 03 W Q Q U) ? 0 L I- 0 O I - T a2 L N 3 m m H _a- Q N H Z J O 5.2 EE O U Z �! L a U 0 I o m W 0 Y O E a s Ua 'O § c.) - UE = a CZ D m � E H to — Z c 44 U O W 0 c.) w m O m c > H/ c U F W Q = co O U) H V 4 n y 0 ¢ w > :0- 4A` O _T U iiin 7 m m Z 17: N((f111/ II _ cmaa � WQJOX r1H • a . i N L S a H O c(73 LL. O I N - I- g a >. H w (Y I— •. m a Or. JZ0UZ m CO N • J CD CC n/� \ ar O) 2 - = W = Q •a) o f M • ■ ca nOW Q OJ O10 N 5. �- I.LJ CC - • our -0U2Ozu) c� aT /� W H • O y1 Z V— Q) in `v I a) f0 O 0 I— QUA - > 4-, QLI_ Q H ° 2-2 ,3 w O= O E c c ��//�� Q Z O O W v V/ n � U U a a W C a c Z ' . r Ti � � OJ � a a CO= O)° c U •~ /n H nCE 77 OU � U � aai �c U •�V L. r(�..Dr� D Na Nz :O togs V O U �/ JLL °I aO - tCiwwWU O ,- >. 3 N — II a iJl Ocnto t- 03 o c � CO on J az O w o U a > m o a a CL M �1'� co cc) w _i 0J o cal' NO x m `o c uoz no zccluL II .. - i,, nS cL a) r6U' W � ? Lccc "o u)_, s_ Lc m c d • a N m o c°W _ O Z = 4 m '� jj- , t r n c L o O W U Q b t a i ILLI I .t ) V V ,zr CO O O) - q N CO CO CO LO V V CO CO 'vim V COOtt tO M M 'CI' In V CO CO r L.7)1-0 O 10 CO Nt r N- N to to I' CO CO CO V O LC) U7 CO IP se rn 1 v lel il- kik\ co In CO 4-:\ C\I CO N . I \ In �� co CO • 'I LO N Cfl • Cp \\:::\:\ . I CO r (D co co N CO r - O • _ N U? T` iv (-NI r.._ V CO r N N CD N in 0 N- O N 11) N Cd 0 N r PCB; Box. 697 Galeton, CO , 0062 } • ,,,� i +�Vww.galetonfl:re.:or :.Y Ile7NFebruary 13, 2015 Apr ► TO: Weld County Commissioners and Weld County Attorney 1150O Street RECEIVED P.O. Box 758 Greeley, CO 80632 WELD COUNTY i . RE: Property Inclusions to Fire Districts COMMISSJONFRS To Commissioners Freeman, Kirkmeyer,Conway,Moreno,and Cozad;and Attorney Frick: • Galeton Fire Protection District is again working to help land owners petition into a fire district.There are many unaffiliated properties remaining out in the area touched by Briggsdale, Platte Valley, Ault/Pierce and Galeton Fire Districts. We are requesting help from the Weld County Commissioners,the County Attorney or the proper entity with the authority to determine district of inclusion for those who have not yet complied with the request to affiliate. We request you require inclusion into some district. As you know, we are required to respond to emergency calls in this so-called "no man's land" and are willing to do so. However,though we have notified residents they will be billed for such services if we respond and they are not included in a district,we have no power to collect.This is unfair to our taxpayers who are paying for the"free-loaders"who receive the same coverage for nothing. This costs our district and surrounding districts in many ways: • The time and legal costs each year trying to serve those questioning, or desiring to be included, • sending out letters to let unaffiliated folks know they can petition in with the group petitioning each year,while being clear we are not lobbying for our district, • the illogical "checkerboarding" of districts lines—a sure nightmare for dispatch, and especially, • the unintended consequence of creating tension and competition between these bordering districts each year.While trying to serve and help the owners accomplish this unnecessarily cumbersome task, misunderstandings occur about the district with which they must align. No such mandates have come from our district,though some have apparently used the confusion to create false accusation of such. Bordering Fire Districts should have a cooperative relationship, not a competitive one since mutual aid is a common occurrence. We are proposing the County require inclusion in a fire district and if it has not been accomplished voluntarily this year,then next year we are asking the County to assign the remaining properties to ' —lost logical district and levy the appropriate taxes for that district. A p I 2 This process could be simplified and completed with your help and authority to avoid yet another year of angst for each surrounding district. Please feel free to contact us if more information is required. DeAn Dillard is the board member who has done the lion's share of work these last years on this continuing issue. She is more than willing to share the details with you.You may contact her at 970-454-2983 or dsdillard@hotmail.com Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Galeton Fire Protection Board of Directors, Paula Johnson, President PJJ:pjj zaaaat;a _emmmmmmm Demo- m _ 223233322322222222222 22222 m . m 222222 o 0888888888888888888 88889 8 a 8 888888 !eo€000EEEE!F! E £$E@!E! 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