Why the Reorganization:  Since the early 1920's, the Kenwood Fire Department had been staffed with volunteers who lived in Kenwood.  In the 1990's and early 2000's, existing volunteers were retiring and it became difficult to recruit new volunteers who lived in Kenwood.  Paid staff was hired in 2015 to provide medical and fire protection.  In 2023, Kenwood entered into an agreement with Sonoma Valley to staff the station with full time firefighters and paramedics.  Sonoma Valley and Kenwood have now agreed to a reorganization where Sonoma Valley would become the governing body.

What is the Process:  To accomplish this reorganization, the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) must approve the reorganization. This process began in July 2024 and will potentially take until July 2025 to finalize.

What does the LAFCO application for reorganization do?

·         Merges the Kenwood Fire District into the Sonoma Valley Fire District   This is the same process that brought Glen Ellen, Mayacamas, and Valley of the Moon together.

·         There will be a seven (7) member Board of Directors with the intention of adequate and proper representation for the Kenwood community.

·         The new District will potentially start on July 1, 2025.

Reorganization Staffing Goals

·         The Kenwood Fire Station, to also be referred to as Sonoma Valley Station 6, will remain open and operational. It will be permanently staffed with: one full-time Captain, one full-time Engineer, and one full-time Firefighter.  The engine will always have at least one Paramedic assigned to the Kenwood community.  Every day there will also be an opportunity for a volunteer to be the 4th firefighter on the engine.  This is a critical part of training, experience, and development.

·         Volunteer Firefighters are a vital part of our response system in our community and will continue to provide additional staffing through our existing firefighter stipend program. The existing Kenwood Volunteer Firefighters have become Sonoma Valley Fire District employees, and will continue to serve the entirety of our service area as members of the new District.  The Kenwood Explorer Post will be strongly supported and continue to be an important part of the Department and Community.

·         In the event of a large incident, all the resources of the Sonoma Valley Fire District will be available to respond to the Kenwood Community.  This includes:

o   5 staffed paramedic/firefighter engines

o   3 paramedic/firefighter ambulances

o   Incident Command Staff and Emergency Management

o   Specialized technical rescue teams and apparatus, including wildland firefighting engines

o   Fire Prevention, Emergency Preparedness and Investigation services

o   The Sonoma Valley Fire District has 75 uniformed full-time employees and an additional 50 volunteer firefighters

Reorganization Preparedness Goals

• The Sonoma Valley Fire District will administer fire prevention and defensible space programs and provide the Kenwood community with public education and emergency preparedness services. Emergency management and emergency operations will also be improved.

Reorganization Taxation

• As the Kenwood Fire Protection District currently does, the reorganization will allow the Sonoma Valley Fire District to continue to levy taxes on residential and commercial properties.
• The current Sonoma Valley Fire District Parcel Tax is based on a flat rate, with a base rate calculated at a per parcel charge, different from the current Kenwood Fire Protection District charge, which is based on a square footage basis.  Of important note are the agricultural rates (see example below). Here are some additional notes regarding the reorganization taxation:

*Example of residential parcel tax for a 4,000 s/f home Kenwood Fire charge is $480 and Sonoma Valley Fire charge is $246.24.

** Kenwood Fire does not charge under one acre parcel provided there are no structures and over 300 acres per parcel the maximum charge is $4,800.

It should be noted that Sonoma Valley Fire does have an automatic annual inflation component.

Reorganization Oversight

·         Every year prior to a public hearing and then voting on the parcel tax, the Board of Directors must prepare a report detailing revenues collected and expended. This report will include justifications for setting the amount of the tax rates.

·         Upon receipt of the report, the Board is required to conduct a Public Hearing.  At this annual Public Hearing, the Board will set the rate and make any corrections to conform with the rate schedules.

·         Funding is required to stay in the Sonoma Valley Fire District under the local control of the elected Board of Directors.

If you would like more information on this Re-Organization, please contact Sonoma Valley Fire Administration at 707-996-2102, or Kenwood Fire at 707-833-2042.

Kenwood Fire Board Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 4:00 pm. They are held at the Kenwood Fire Station, located at 9045 Sonoma Hwy. You can also view the board information on the Kenwood Fire Protection District website.  www.kenwoodfire.com

Sonoma Valley Fire Board Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 pm. They are held at 630 Second Street West in Sonoma. You can also view the board information on the Sonoma Valley Fire District website.  www.sonomavalleyfire.org

Community members are encouraged and welcome to attend.