Download Our Brochure

Want to read more? Download our brochure: http://bit.ly/SaferTomorrow2016 

How Much Will the Proposed ERFPD Bond Issue Cost Me, Personally, as an ERFPD Taxpayer?

It is currently estimated that a residential property valued at $500,000 would pay about $3.94 per month or $47.31 annually. For a property assessed at $1,150,000, the estimated amount would be $108.81 annually or $9.07 per month. That amount may decrease as new properties come onto the tax rolls and the bond debt is spread over a greater number of property owners. The bond issue election establishes a maximum amount of debt the District may incur and the maximum interest rate it may pay; if the District reduces costs of the project or secures a lower interest rate, it will reduce the amount of debt it will incur and, therefore, it will reduce the cost to the District’s property owners.

The District is fully cognizant that this bond issue is in addition to our request in May 2012 for a mill levy increase which allowed the District to stabilize our revenue stream at the 2010 level and keep our four stations open 365 days/year. ERFPD is pleased to report that the increase approved as Ballot initiative 5A is operating as intended. In 2015, the mill levy stood at 9.32, which is the combination of the base mill of 5.55 and the supplemental mill of 3.77. With improving real estate valuations, in 2016 we estimate the additional mill will reduce from 3.77 to 2.642. Our longer range forecast is that by 2020, the 5A mill will further reduce to 1.838 mills.

The chart below provides a graphical presentation of this expected trend:

How Much Will the Proposed Joint Public Safety Facility Cost Me Personally, as a Town of Avon Taxpayer?

With the appropriation of existing taxes, including real estate transfer taxes, no new or additional taxes are required for the new Police Department. Residents and non-residents will continue to pay all taxes at the current rates.

If the Fire District Moves its Operations to the Proposed Joint Public Safety Facility, What Will the Town Do With the Wildridge Fire Station?

The Town of Avon owns the Wildridge Facility. The Fire District, which leases the facility from the Town, does not -- nor has it -- staffed the Wildridge Fire Station for emergency response. With completion of the Public Safety Facility, the Fire District will provide faster response to Wildridge than it does from its current location in Avon. The Fire District will staff the new fire station 24/7/365 with personnel trained for both structural and wildland fire operations, which is paramount for our neighborhoods. The Wildridge Facility can then be repurposed, potentially for a community center, worker housing, or other uses.

If Both Police and Fire Move Operations to the Proposed Joint Public Safety Facility, What Will the Town Do With the Current Spaces?

The Town of Avon completed a land use planning review of Tract G in the fall of 2015. Tract G includes the current Town Hall, where the Police Department is located, Harry A. Nottingham Park, the current Fire Station building and properties along the Main Street Mall to Avon Road.

The public process had a strong focus on the park, Fire Station and Town Hall and resulted in recommendations for an array of potential future uses of the 4.5 acres. The preferred option for location of the Fire Station and Police Department was identified as the Buck Creek site.

With a relocation of the Fire Station and Town Hall, the review identified the potential for the area to be used for expanded park fields, multi-use community center development, including more performance space and conference options, parking, and recreational development, including a permanent ice sheet.

The land use plans, will be considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission for recommendation to the Council as updates to the currently adopted land use plans. The proposed land use plans can be found at: http://www.avon.org/index.aspx?nid=156. 

What is the History of the Proposed Joint Public Safety Facility?

The concept began several years ago when Avon Police Chief Bob Ticer and Eagle River Fire Protection District Fire Chief Karl Bauer met over a cup of coffee to discuss their mission and desire to serve the community at the highest levels. And so the journey began…..

In early 2014, the Town of Avon and ERFPD formally began exploring the concept of a combined Public Safety Facility, after determining that   respective facilities were outdated and insufficient to meet the current and projected needs of each department. Both entities agreed that a combined facility would improve operations and efficiency by significantly reducing response times, increasing collaboration and reducing expenses though shared cost savings.

The Nexcore Group LLC approached ERFPD in late 2014, with an offer to purchase Lot 1A in Avon for a medical complex. Concurrently, Lot 1B became available. ERFPD agreed to sell Lot 1A and purchase Lot 1B, subsequently reducing its long term debt by roughly $2 million and saving taxpayers approximately $3.5 million over the life of the debt. The transaction was completed in the spring of 2015.

Lot 1B is centrally located in Avon and provides both police and fire an excellent location for response to the Town Core, Traer Creek, Wildridge/Mountain Star, and Interstate 70. Lot 1B is located between Buck Creek Road and Swift Gulch Road, next to the Buck Creek Medical Plaza.

Why Does ERFPD Need New Fire Stations Now?

ERFPD has the responsibility to provide a system that appropriately meets the community’s need for fire protection and emergency response. Fulfilling this responsibility requires the District to respond to fires and other emergencies with an effective response force comprised of the appropriate number of fire engines, ladder trucks, and firefighters, all arriving in time to save lives and protect property.

While planning to best serve the community’s current and future needs, the Fire District must take into account the scarcity of suitable land, which will most likely grow even scarcer and more expensive. After researching and evaluation suitable locations for several years, ERFPD has determined it is more cost-effective to build fewer fire stations, utilizing land it already owns.

Because the District operates as a system in which each engine company depends on the resources of other companies for many incidents, and because the District does not want to keep going back to the voters to request additional funding, the intent is to combine the costs for the new facilities into one bond request that will allow the District to implement its critical facility plan by replacing deficient stations in a cohesive and coordinated manner.

These stations will be built with the capability to house more than one company in the future, so that the District can appropriately respond to projected increases in the District’s call load. A dual company station is capable of permanent staffing by eight firefighters, allowing for response by both an engine company (first on scene focused on interior fire suppression) and a ladder truck company (second due and focused on exterior fire suppression, usually through the roof).

AVON FIRE STATION: The District has spent considerable time studying the effect the new Avon location will have on response times, and has determined that not only will response times improve in areas such as Wildridge and Mountain Star, but moving the station out of the congested Town core will improve public safety by removing the need to respond through a heavily-used pedestrian area.

The current facility was constructed in 1980; since that time, the size of firefighting apparatus has increased and the bays cannot accommodate modern apparatus such as the ladder truck, which currently is located 15-20 minutes away from the core of Avon where it is needed most. Even if the building could be retrofitted to accommodate the increased height requirements, an old water tank is buried under the existing apparatus bays, making it incapable of supporting the weight of a ladder truck. In addition to the functional deficiencies, significant capital improvements will be required just to maintain the building (e.g., roofing, balconies, painting, doors, etc.). Investing significant dollars for renovation on a parcel not owned by the District simply is not prudent, and maintenance and repair costs continue to grow on an annual basis. The new station will also be capable of housing additional equipment, currently housed in non-operational stations which adds to operating costs and places important specialized equipment in less than optimal locations.

EDWARDS FIRE STATION: The current fire station in Edwards was built as a temporary facility in 1985. The growth in Edwards has far outpaced the ability of the Edwards station to effectively respond to the Edwards community as it exists today, much less any future growth. The building is infested with rodents, is not structurally sound, and significant capital improvements would be required just to maintain a facility that has long outlasted its intended lifespan. An expanded station will also allow the District to house reserve and highly specialized equipment centrally.