(I have made this post a "sticky post" so it will stay at the top of all subsequent posts until August 8th. You haven't lost your mind when seeing that date above!)
Have you heard about the "SRA" fee that has been passed by our California State Legislature? It was signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. on July 7th, 2011.
The SRA fee is a 'fire prevention fee' of up to $150 for each "structure" on a parcel within the "State Responsibility Area".
The bill language defines a structure as "a building used or intended to be used for human habitation" including but not limited to a mobile home or manufactured home.
The bill directs the Board of Forestry to adopt emergency regulations to establish the fee which the State Board of Equalization will be responsible for assessing and collecting.
A lot of details of the bill are still unknown. (Blythe [BK]--editorial: "oh really!?") The Governor has asked a working group to address many of the complexities and issues.
The legislature requires the Board of Forestry to adopt emergency regulations to establish the fee in an amount not to exceed $150.
HOW CAN I VOICE MY OPINION ON THIS ISSUE???
The public can provide written comment to the Board prior to 5 p.m., Monday, August 8, 2011
You can also send a letter to your state legislators. I have 4 letters that you can print out and send to Senator Tom Berryhill, Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, Stan Dixon (Chair of Forestry and Fire Protection) and The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Since I can't put an attachment on the blog, please email me, blythek@mac.com, for these letters which I will email back to you a.s.a.p.
Here is what the letter says:
Date___________
Addressee (see way below for names/addresses)
SUBJECT: AB 29 - State Responsibility Area Fees
Dear ________,
We/or I live within the Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District (MWSPFPD). MWSPFPD provides fire service to its rural customers in the Sierra Foothills. Our full-time, fully staffed and equipped fire and rescue department is experienced in wild fire and structure fire suppression, as well as most type of rescue opeations. To support this level of fire protection and rescue service, the MWSPFPD Board of Directors, supported by a majority vote of the people within our community, authorized a special assessment of $170 per dwelling unit per year in 2010, and said assessment currently sits at $172.58. In addition, we have a mutual aid program with Tuolumne County Fire Department and neighboring fire services.
The community was distressed to hear that the Governor signed AB 29 on July 7th, authorizing a $150 assessment to support the California Department of Forestry fire service (CAL FIRE), a service that only operates for a portion of the year in our area. Our rural community cannot afford any additional special annual assessments for fire and rescue. We urge you to initiate and support legislation that would exempt rural property owners from this special state SRA assessment when they are currently supporting a dedicated local fire and rescue program, such as that offered here by MWSPFPD.
Thank you for your consideration of
my/our concerns.
Sincerely,
You are more than welcome to copy the above letter and send it to the following:
Senator Tom Berryhill
6215 N. Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93710
Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen
3719 Tully Road, Suite C
(State Capital, First Floor <-- delete this line)
Modesto, CA 95356
Stan Dixon, Chair
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
PO Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460
The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Governor, State of California
State Capital, First Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Be sure to get your letter sent so that it arrives by Monday, August 8th. This affects us all!!
