It is my expressed opinion — not based on any conversations or any outside input; just based my own speculation — that the State of California will come up with the money, both the up-front funds and the annual expenses.
I say this for a very simple reason: That something has to be done, and the local taxpayers will be completely unwilling to take on theses costs.
The cover article of the June 27, 2024, Northcoast Journal is:
Fire Alarm — Facing increased calls, soaring expenses and few volunteers, local fire departments are in trouble.
The article notes that “the grand jury warns that Arcata Fire currently can’t afford the ladder truck needed to service the tall buildings currently planned or under construction within its district boundaries, while noting its funding is currently stagnant with an uncertain future.”
On the Arcata (Gateway District) Community Facebook page, former Arcata Planning Commission Chair Julie Vassaide-Elcock brought up this question:
Is it true that “by law” Cal Poly “can’t” or simply “can’t be forced to” contribute? I thought I read that several other Universities in Southern California actually contribute to their communities.
Chris Richards responded:
The [Northcoast Journal] article has a few mis-information(s), misleading statements and so forth. The mentioned ladder truck is really small potatoes compared to staffing required for larger structures. My understanding is that State owned buildings such as the in-progress Craftsman Dorm buildings do not contribute to the tax base; property taxes, rental taxes. They will pay for sewer hook-up.
My response:
Other California State Universities do pay a share of their host city’s costs.
There are 23 Cal State University campuses and 10 University of California campuses. When I was researching this issue back in May 2022, I found info to the effect that 18 campuses had financial arrangements with their host cities. I believe that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has a payment arrangement with the City of San Luis Obispo. I do not currently have hard data on this — it would take further journalistic research to uncover what the financial arrangements are.
And in court cases in other cities, the court rulings have agreed: The local university should pay for their share of the costs resulting from university-oriented population.
As Chris Richards wrote ” The mentioned ladder truck is really small potatoes compared to staffing required for larger structures.”
See:
On Arcata1.com from September 2023.
We will know more when the jointly-funded report comes out — hopefully as soon as September, but possibly not until the end of the year [2024]. The report will outline the requirements and costs involved in providing fire and safety protection.
As very approximate ballpark figures for what may be involved in terms of expenses, the up-front costs of the expansion to provide adequate services might be in the order of $15-$20 million. The increase in annual expenses might be in the order of $5-$8 million per year — more or less a doubling of the Arcata Fire District’s annual expenses.
It is my expressed opinion — not based on any conversations or any outside input; just based my own speculation — that the State of California will come up with the money, both the up-front funds and the annual expenses. I say this for a very simple reason: That something has to be done, and the local taxpayers will be completely unwilling to take on theses costs.
In this roundabout way, the university will, in essence, be paying for the fire and safety protection for Cal Poly’s taller buildings and expansion.
If the developers were required to pay the costs (not likely to happen, IMO) they might be inclined to pass the costs on to the renters, resulting in rents that would be several hundred dollars per month higher than “normal” rents — thus adding to a situation of too-high rents and possibly empty apartments, which is not a desired outcome for both developers and tenants.
