Arcata Fire Protection District (“Arcata FPD” or “District”) has submitted an application for annexation of approximately 3,561 acres (117 parcels) located outside the boundaries that are currently served as part of their goodwill response area along Jacoby Creek and Fickle Hill Roads. The proposed annexation area is within Arcata FPD’s adopted Sphere of Influence and currently receives services from Arcata FPD on a “goodwill” basis with no defined responsibility or sustainable funding. Annexation would make Arcata FPD responsible for services, establish ongoing funding, and define a contiguous fire district coverage between the Arcata FPD and Kneeland FPD.
Upon annexation, Arcata FPD would be officially designated as the fire service provider for the area with the ability to manage services and funding to support the provision of services. Upon annexation, the affected territory would be subject to all previously authorized charges, fees, assessments, and taxes that were lawfully enacted by the Arcata FPD. The affected territory would also be subject to all of the rates, rules, regulations, and ordinances of the District. This includes the extension of the previously authorized Arcata FPD special assessment and special tax to all land within the proposed annexation area to fund the delivery of fire protection services, consistent with the purpose for which both funding sources were approved.
The Commission approved the proposed annexation on March 20, 2024 with adoption of LAFCo Resolution 24-02. A protest hearing will be scheduled to obtain any additional input from residents and landowners in the annexation area.
Webmap Tool
A detailed web-based mapping tool has been developed for this proposal:
Webmap
Here you can toggle on/off various mapping layers, such as parcels and boundary layers. You can also click on a parcel to review the estimated special assessment and special tax charges specific to a parcel’s land use description. This will be useful to those living in the annexation area to estimate parcel charges levied annually by Arcata FPD that would be collected as part of the annual property tax bill.
Protest Hearing
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Executive Officer of the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. at the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road, Arcata, CA 95521. The hearing will be conducted by the Commission’s Executive Officer who has been delegated authority to conduct this public hearing.
Public Hearing
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission (“LAFCo” or “Commission”) will hold a public hearing to consider the annexation proposal on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 9:00am, or as soon thereafter as the item can be heard, at the Eureka City Hall Council Chambers (second floor) located at 531 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501 to consider the Arcata FPD annexation proposal. The meeting will be conducted through a hybrid combination of in-person and/or virtual attendance. Anyone who wishes to participate in the meeting via teleconference should consult the meeting agenda for the call-in telephone number. The agenda and related meeting materials will be posted on the Commission’s website at least 72 hours before the scheduled start time of the meeting (humboldtlafco.org/agendas-minutes-2024/).
Mailed notices were sent to all landowners and registered voters within and adjacent to the affected territory in accordance with California Government Code Section 56157. The mailed notice discloses that unless written opposition to the proposal is received from landowners or registered voters and landowners within the affected territory before the conclusion of the hearing on the proposal, the Commission intends to waive protest proceedings, as authorized by, and in compliance with, California Government Code Section 56663. The notice discloses that there is potential for the extension or continuation of any previously authorized charge, fee, assessment, or tax by Arcata FPD in the affected territory upon annexation.
At the hearing, the Commission will consider all oral and written testimony of any interested persons or affected agencies. The Commission will consider the report of the Executive Officer and may approve, amend or deny the proposed annexation. Written comments must be received by Humboldt LAFCo by 12:00 p.m. the day prior to the meeting in order to be distributed to Commissioners. Please direct comments, questions, and requests to review documents to Humboldt LAFCo, 1125 16th Street, Suite 202, Arcata, CA 95521. Phone: (707) 445-7508. E-mail: colettem@humboldtlafco.org (preferred).
Important Documents
Application Form
Plan for Services
Resolution of Application (AFPD Resolution No. 23-297)
Annexation Figure
Regional Fire Services Municipal Service Review
Public Hearing Notice to Landowners and Registered Voters
Reasons for Proposal
According to the application, the reasons for the proposed annexation are as follows:
“The Arcata Fire Protection District has provided fire protection services to its out-of-district response area for many years, and now proposes to annex the “Goodwill Response Area” between the existing Arcata Fire Protection District and the Kneeland Fire Protection District boundaries. The proposed annexation would establish district boundaries that clearly define service responsibilities for the benefit of land use authorities, the public, and other service providers within this area.
The annexation would support essential fire protection services to upper Jacoby Creek and lower Fickle Hill. It will also allow the Arcata Fire Protection to collect revenue from its existing property tax, special tax, and special assessment to support sustainable services to this area. This area currently receives services from the Arcata Fire Protection District on a “goodwill” basis with no defined responsibility or funding because there is no other available fire protection service provider. A successful annexation would make AFPD responsible for services, establish ongoing funding, and define a contiguous fire district coverage between the AFPD and the KFPD.”
Description of Annexation Areas
The proposed annexation area is located on the southeast end of the Arcata FPD, extending through the rural residential areas along Jacoby Creek Road and Fickle Hill Road until it connects with the Kneeland FPD Boundary to the south and the southeast, and the Humboldt Bay Fire Boundary to the west. This area includes the east most extent of the Bayside geographic features of flat floodplain up the west facing slope and ridge top of Fickle Hill. Of the 3,561 acres proposed for annexation, 282 acres are designated improved residential, 519 acres are public lands, 2,341 acres are timber production zone, and the rest is various improved and unimproved uses.
Funding Sources
Arcata FPD has requested that the proposed annexation be subject to the following terms and conditions related to funding:
- An agreement regarding the exchange of ad valorum property tax pursuant to tax exchange agreement offer number 2, to be approved by the Arcata FPD Board of Directors and the County of Humboldt; and
- The extension of the previously authorized Arcata FPD special assessment and special tax to all land within the proposed annexation area to fund the delivery of fire protection services, consistent with the purpose for which both funding sources were approved.
Property Taxes – The proposed annexation would extend the Arcata FPD’s current property tax allocation (an exchange of ad valorem property tax revenue pursuant to tax exchange agreement Offer Number 2 authorized by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on April 9, 2019) and special assessment and special tax revenue sources to the expanded district boundary, providing regular and ongoing revenue sources to these communities to sustain local fire protection services within each community.
Parcel Taxes – Arcata FPD currently has two parcel tax funding sources: a Special Assessment approved by property owners in 2006 (Ordinance No. 06-12) and Special Tax approved by registered voters in November 2020 (Ordinance No. 20-20). Both of these existing funding sources would be extended to all land within the proposed annexation area to fund the delivery of fire protection services, consistent with the purpose for which both funding sources were approved.
The following sumary table can be used to estimate annual special tax and special assessment amounts based on various land use types found within the annexation area. The following web-based mapping tool can also be used to zoom into the annexation area and select individual parcels to determine estimate parcel charges levied annually by Arcata FPD that would be collected as part of the annual property tax bill.