Get more details: http://lakelandgov.net/faf The City of Lakeland is exploring the implementation of a Fire Assessment Fee to assist funding the Lakeland Fire Department. The Lakeland Fire Department is currently funded through the General Fund. The General Fund includes a number of essential municipal services such as Parks & Recreation, Public Works, Community Development and Public Safety. The current Public Safety budget for both fire and police is $56 Million and the City collects only $21.9 Million in property taxes. The City Commission is seeking more diverse revenues to support fire operations. If implemented, a Fire Assessment Fee would provide a stable funding source for fire operations. Over 30% of all Florida municipalities have a Fire Assessment Fee in place and Polk County, Haines City & Bartow have already implemented Fire Assessment Fees.

1. Fire Assessment Fee
Understanding How It May Affect You
Kevin Cook
Director of Communications / City of Lakeland

2. Public Outreach Schedule
January – February = Educate public on what a
Fire Assessment Fee is and how you may effected
March = Evaluate public feedback so City
Commission can make policy decisions
April – May = Inform public on Commission policy
directives - report back with fee amounts and
implementation decisions

3. • The Lakeland Fire Department provides
comprehensive and quality fire,
emergency medical and special
operations emergency response services
to the City of Lakeland and portions of
unincorporated Polk County
• The Department also provides fire
prevention education, inspection, plan
review and code enforcement services
Lakeland Fire Department

4. • LFD operates seven Fire Stations
• LFD’s response area is approximately 84-square miles
• LFD’s services include heavy rescue, technical
rescue, fire prevention, fire code enforcement, fire
investigation, aircraft rescue/firefighting and in-house
fleet maintenance
Lakeland Fire Department

5. • LFD has 170 personnel with 67 serving as
certified paramedics
• In 2013, LFD responded to 20,393
incidents
• In 2014, the Department responded to
21,600
• With the addition of Station 7, Lakeland
residents now benefit from an ISO rating
of 2
• Lower ISO rating=lower home owner’s
insurance
Lakeland Fire Department

6. • Background of Fire Assessment Fees
• Lakeland’s Fire Assessment Fee Study
• Policy Decisions
Fire Assessment Fee Overview

7. • Lakeland Fire Department currently
funded through the General Fund
• Public Safety budget is $56 Million
and the City collects only $21.9 in
property taxes
• City Commission is seeking more diverse revenues to
support fire operations
• Polk County, Haines City & Bartow have
implemented Fire Assessment Fees
• Over 30% of the 410 municipalities in Florida
administer a Fire Assessment Fee
Background

8. Taxable Residential Property Values
28,500 Parcels
56%$of$all$residen/al$proper/es$
pay$less$than$$200$in$City$taxes$

10. • Assessment Methodology
– Determine Assessable Budget
• Fire Suppression & Basic
Medical Response
– Benefits to Property
• Resource Based
• Land Use Based
– Equity for Property Owners
Background

11. • Assessable Budget
• Demand by Land Use
• Budget Allocations by Land Use
• Calculated Assessment
Technical Study

12. • Measure Eligible Portion of Budget that
can be funded with Fire Assessment
Fee
• Per case law, a Fire Assessment Fee
must exclude expenses associated with
certain Fire Department medical runs
• LFD FY2015 Budget = $18.5 Million
(includes $1.5 Million capital)
• Assessable LFD Budget = $17.1 Million
Assessable Budget

13. • Basic Life Support (BLS) is an emergency
transport provided by certified Emergency
Medical Technicians (EMTs).
• Advanced Life Support (ALS) is provided
when a patient is in more critical condition and a
Paramedic is required to assist in the treatment of
the patient before and/or during transport to the
emergency facility.
ALS vs BLS
✚ BLS services included in FAF calculation - ALS services are not

14. Assessable Budget = $17.1 Million
• Review of Expenses
• Net Dedicated Revenues & Expenses
Assessable Budget
$18.5M' ($1.4M'
=
$17.1M'

15. Expenditures
Descrip/on$
FY$2015$
Proposed$
ALS$$
Related$
ARFF$
Related$
FY$2015$$
Assessable$
''Personnel'Services' $15,063,337' $632,597' $511,737' $13,919,003'
''AdministraBon' $518,565' (' $16,594' $501,971'
''OperaBng' $739,897' (' $23,677' $716,220'
''Maintenance' $345,974' (' $11,071' $334,903'
''Fire'Safety'Management' $66,447' (' $2,126' $64,321'
''Training' $189,357' $25,750' $6,059' $157,548'
''Capital'Outlay' $7,796' (' $249' $7,547'
Subtotal' $16,931,373' $658,347' $571,513' $15,701,513'
Capital$Improvement$Plan$
''Average'of'FY'2015(2024' $1,537,228' (' $49,191' $1,488,037'
Total$Expenditures$ $18,468,601$ M$$658,347$ M$$620,704$ =$$17,189,550$

16. Revenues & Net Expenditures
Descrip/on$
FY$2015$
Proposed$
ALS$$
Related$
ARFF$
Related$
FY$2015$
Assessable$
''Fire'Fees'and'Charges' $377,763' (' (' $377,763'
''Fire'ProtecBon'Fees' $400,000' (' (' $400,000'
''Fire'Impact'Fees' $175,000' (' (' $175,000'
Total$Revenues$ $952,763$ M$ M$ $952,763$
Total$Net$Expenditures$ $17,515,838$ M$ M$ $16,236,787$

17. Assessment Funding Requirement
Descrip/on$
FY$2015$
Proposed$
ALS$$
Related$
ARFF$
Related$
FY$2015$
Assessable$
Miscellaneous$Assessment$Expenditures$
''Study'Reimbursement' (' (' (' $17,000'
''Statutory'Discount' (' (' (' $568,883'
''Assessment'CollecBon'''''' (' (' (' $325,076'
Total$Misc.$Expenditures$ M$ M$ M$ $910,959$
Total$Fire$Assessment$Funding$Requirements$ $17,147,746$

18. • Calls for Service Averaged (2010-2014) to
define demand by land use
• Multiple Variables
• Exclusion of ALS Related Incidents
• Based on LFD Reports
Demand By Land Use

19. • Staff Time
– Number of incidents X average
duration X staff
• Vehicle Time
– Number of incidents X average
duration X units
• Total Resources
– Staff time plus vehicle time
Demand By Land Use

20. Distribution of Non-ALS Incidents
Property$Category$
FY$2010$through$FY$2014$
Average$
Annual$
Incidents$
Frequency$
Distribu/on$
Distribu/on$of$
Resources$
Residen'al*
'Single'Family/Duplex/Mobile'Home' 3,969' 46.7%' 41.4%'
'MulB(Family' 806' 9.5%' 10.1%'
Non-Residen'al*
'Commercial' 2,854' 33.6%' 31.7%'
'Industrial/Warehouse' 180' 2.1%' 7.5%'
'Government' 96' 1.1%' 1.1%'
'InsBtuBonal(Religious/Non(Profit' 210' 2.5%' 4.0%'
'Vacant/Agricultural'Land' 382' 4.5%' 4.2%'
Total$ 8,497$ 100.0%$ 100.0%$

21. Budget Allocations by Land Use
Descrip/on/Property$Category$
Resource$
Distribu/on$
Assessable$Budget$
Funding'Requirement' (' $17,147,746'
Residen'al*
'Single'Family/Duplex/Mobile'''Home' 41.4%' $7,099,168'
'MulB(Family' 10.1%' $1,731,922'
Non-Residen'al*
'Commercial' 31.7%' $5,435,835'
'Industrial/Warehouse' 7.5%' $1,286,081'
'Government' 1.1%' $188,625'
'InsBtuBonal(Religious/Non(Profit' 4.0%' $685,910'
'Vacant/Agricultural'Land' 4.2%' $720,205'
Total$ 100.0%$ $17,147,746$

22. Budget Allocations by Land Use
Descrip/on/Property$Category$
Resource$
Distribu/on$
Assessable$
Budget$
Ad$Valorem$
Distribu/on$
Distributed$
Budget$
Funding'Requirement' (' $17,147,746' (' $17,147,746'
Residen'al*
'Single'Family/Duplex/Mobile'''
Home'
41.4%' $7,099,168' 36.5%' $6,258,927'
'MulB(Family' 10.1%' $1,731,922' 9.0%' $1,543,297'
Non-Residen'al*
'Commercial' 31.7%' $5,435,835' 33.5%' $5,744,495'
'Industrial/Warehouse' 7.5%' $1,286,081' 17.0%' $2,915,117'
'Government' 1.1%' $188,625' 0.5%' $85,739'
'InsBtuBonal(Religious/Non(
Profit'
4.0%' $685,910' 0.2%' $34,295'
'Vacant/Agricultural'Land' 4.2%' $720,205' 3.3%' $565,876'
Total$ 100.0%$ $17,147,746$ 100.0%$ $17,147,746$

23. Calculated Rates
Property$Category$
Dwelling$
Unit$
Fire$
Assessment$
Alloca/on$
Number$of$
Units$
Rate$per$
Unit$
Residen'al*
'Single'Family/Duplex/Mobile'
Home'
unit/site' $7,099,168' 34,512' $205.70'
'MulB(Family' unit/site' $1,731,922' 11,664' $148.48'
Non-Residen'al*
'Commercial' Sq']' $5,435,835' 20,050,214' $0.2711'
'Industrial/Warehouse' Sq']' $1,286,081' 19,821,309' $0.0649'
'Vacant/Agricultural'Land' Parcel' $720,205' 5,575' $129.18'
'InsBtuBonal(Religious/Non(Profit' Sq']' $685,910' 4,503,636' $0.1523'
'Government' Sq']' $188,625' 2,829,680' $0.0667'

24. Residential Tiering Example
Property$Size$ Dwelling$Unit$
Calculated$
Rates$
Count$
Single*Family*/*Duplex*/*Mobile*Home*
''0(1,400'sf' Du'/'site' $181' 11,946'
''1,401'to'2,100'sf' Du'/'site' $225' 9,392'
''Greater'than'2,100'sf' Du'/'site' $264' 4,581'

25. Fee Comparison
Property$Category$
Dwelling$
Unit$
City$of$
Lakeland$
Calcula/on$
Polk$County$ FL$Jurisdic/ons$
Calc.$ Adopted$ Adopted$
%'of'Calculated'Rate' (' 100%' 100%' 94%' 40%'to'100%'
Residen'al*
'SFR/Duplex/Mobile'Home' Du/site' $205.70' $180.00' $168.00' $25'to'$305'
'MulB(Family' Du/site' $148.48' $132.00' $124.00' $25'to'$305'
Non-Residen'al*
'Commercial' Sq']' $0.27' $0.22' $0.21' $0.19'to'$0.59''
'Industrial/Warehouse' Sq']' $0.06' $0.11' $0.10' $0.01'to'$0.11'
'Vacant/Agricultural'Land' Parcel' $129.18' $0' $0' $0'to'$78'
'Inst.(Religious/Non(Profit' Sq']' $0.15' $0.53' $0.49' $0'to'$1.04'
'Government' Sq']' $0.06' $0' $0' $0'

26. • Do we implement a Fire Assessment Fee?
• At what implementation level?
• Are there exemptions and caps?
• Do we implement residential tiering?
• What do we do about vacant land?
• What is the millage impact?
Policy Decisions

27. • Implementation Level
– Surveyed jurisdictions range from 40% - 100% of
assessable budget (before exemptions and
caps)
Policy Decisions

28. • Federal Government is exempt
• Some state owned property such as schools
are exempt
• Do we exempt institutional, religious and
non-profits?
Exemptions

29. • Residential Tiering - based on size of home
and service demand
• Similar to non-residential fee structure (sf.
based)
• Need to consider as part of
implementation plan
Residential Tiering

30. • LFD can handle fires up to 1 million sf. with
current resources
• Polk County has a cap of 1 million sf.
• If capped at 1 million, there is a revenue
impact of $160,000 to the General Fund
Non-Residential Cap

31. • If assessed, there is a benefit to surrounding
structures
• Fire services do add value to vacant land
owner
• City Commission must decide if they will
reduce Fire Assessment Fee for vacant land
• A reduced Fire Assessment Fee for vacant
land must be subsidized by other property
owners or through other sources
Vacant Land

32. • If implemented, Fire Assessment Fee amount
would be included on annual property tax
bill distributed by the Polk County Tax
Collector
Billing Approach

33. • Policy decisions must be made regarding
the final level of a Fire Assessment Fee
• Property taxes could decrease depending
on the level of implementation decided by
the City Commission coupled with any land
use exemptions
Ad Valorem Impact

34. • Jan 15 – Kiwanis
• Jan 20 – Coleman Bush – NW Neighborhoods
• Jan 22 – Family Fundamentals – NE
Neighborhoods
• Jan 23 – Lakeland Business Leaders
• Jan 27 – LMNA - SE Neighborhoods
• Feb 17 – Interdenominational Ministers’ Alliance
• Feb 17 – Dixieland NA - SW Neighborhoods
Upcoming Public Outreach