UKIAH, CA., 2/20/25 —The Ukiah City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution that will increase fees for new residential or commercial developments to pay for local firefighting services.
According to the resolution proposed by the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, the increased fees will help pay for the city’s fire facilities and new equipment such as emergency vehicles.
The UVFA serves the city of Ukiah and unincorporated communities in the Ukiah Valley. Under a joint powers agreement that took effect in 2017, the UVFA must work with the Ukiah City Council when proposing new fees. The last fire impact fee program, established in 2008, included $0.43 per square foot for new single-family residences, according to UVFA Fire Chief Doug Hutchison.
“These fees are only allowed to be used for the expansion of facilities and apparatus to serve new areas,” Hutchison explained during Wednesday’s meeting. “They are not allowed to be used for personnel or wages and only apply to new construction. There has been discussion if this would impact existing residents, and the answer is no.”
In August 2023, the UVFA Board of Directors organized a study to assess the impact of new developments on the fire district’s resources. The study recommended increasing impact fees to fund various fire district needs, such as new supplies and gear.
“Since our population is going to expand, we can’t depend on the same amount of equipment, some of which is aging,” said Ukiah Vice Mayor Susan Sher in an interview. “It’s reasonable to ask developers to pay their fair share if they expect effective fire protection.”
Sher noted that even if there is backlash from new developers in the community, she believes it is only fair for construction costs to reflect the crucial needs of the local fire district.
“Nobody wants to pay extra fees, so there might be grumbling, but I am not aware of any developers that think this is unfair,” Sher added. “I hope they realize this is in their best interest.”
The updated fees will charge $1.07 per square foot for new single-family residential developments, $1.22 for multi-family developments, $0.89 for commercial developments and $1.19 for office spaces. The fees will be a one-time charge for new developments and apply only to construction within the fire district’s jurisdiction.
The proposed fire impact fee rates can be found by clicking this link.