County Service Area 38 Advisory Committee members learned that the county doesn’t appear to know the CSA’s boundaries.

Committee chair Jerry Holldber distributed two maps. One depicted the boundaries as Riverside County portrays them and the other is based on the original boundaries from the Pine Cove CSA’s creation in December1965.

The county map omits about 40 properties in the Foster Lake area from the CSA. While there was a boundary adjustment in the 1980s to remove the portion of Cedar Glen from CSA 38 so that the entire neighborhood fell within the Idyllwild Fire Protection District, the Foster Lake properties on the opposite side of Highway 243 were not part of that change.

Michael Franklin, representative from the Riverside County Economic Development Agency, stated that the county Geological Information System does not incorporate the Foster Lake neighborhood in the official CSA 38 boundaries.

“It should be in [CSA] 38,” protested Holldber. But Franklin essentially said the CSA must accept the county’s mistake. These property owners are not paying the CSA 38 parcel fee or special assessment and did not vote in the 2004 special tax election.

“We can’t start charging them the CSA special fee,” he argued.

Marge Muir asked Franklin whether the omitted properties are currently paying the CSA 38 property tax, which raised the question of whether the county should verify the amount of the uncollected taxes.

“The county should fix this. We may have to petition the board of supervisors,” Muir said after the meeting.

In other business, the committee welcomed new member, William Hewitt. He was appointed to the committee for a four-year term at the board of supervisors’ Feb. 2 meeting.

The advisory committee began review of the 2012-13 budget. Members Thom Wallace and Lou Padula were appointed as the new budget subcommittee and will meet with Station 23 Capt. Scott Bethurum about the station‘s needs before the March meeting.

As part of the budget development, Franklin said EDA and Riverside County Fire Department personnel would be meeting to discuss whether CSAs could continue to purchase major equipment such as engines. The question has arisen since the county has converted volunteer fire companies to reserves. Thus ownership and use of the equipment became issues. Franklin then reminded committee members that CSAs cannot purchase equipment for services that the county would normally provide.

“We need to discuss how the new reserve system affects equipment exclusive to each station and how that impacts CSAs spending funds,” Franklin said. “If the CSA purchases equipment it’s supposed to stay at the station in the community.”

The committee and Franklin agreed that this issue affected the whole county and was not unique to CSA 38.

The negotiation of the Pine Cove ambulance service contract between Riverside County and IFPD was also discussed during the meeting. The committee asked Hewitt and Muir to be a subcommittee and represent them with the county and IFPD about this impending issue. IFPD interim Chief Mike Sherman attended the CSA meeting and discussed some of the ambulance service and contract questions with the committee members.

When asked whether IFPD has been able to separate the cost of ambulance service from its fire protection work, Sherman said that a cost analysis was being prepared for the county.

“But the ambulance provided on this Hill is not being paid for,” he stressed. Which prompted Holldber to reply, “Maybe now is the time to look at the full costs to get Riverside County Fire.

“Maybe another solution will better serve the people, spend less money,” he explained. “It’s foolish to stay with the same thing year after year if it doesn’t’ serve the people today.”

Sherman also added that IFPD was not currently attempting to expand its service area to Mountain Center and Garner Valley development, Franklin said EDA and Riverside County Fire Department personnel would be meeting to discuss whether CSAs could continue to purchase major equipment such as engines. The question has arisen since the county has converted volunteer fire companies to reserves. Thus ownership and use of the equipment became issues. Franklin then reminded committee members that CSAs cannot purchase equipment for services that the county would normally provide.

“We need to discuss how the new reserve system affects equipment exclusive to each station and how that impacts CSAs spending funds,” Franklin said. “If the CSA purchases equipment it’s supposed to stay at the station in the community.”

The committee and Franklin agreed that this issue affected the whole county and was not unique to CSA 38.

The negotiation of the Pine Cove ambulance service contract between Riverside County and IFPD was also discussed during the meeting. The committee asked Hewitt and Muir to be a subcommittee and represent them with the county and IFPD about this impending issue. IFPD interim Chief Mike Sherman attended the CSA meeting and discussed some of the ambulance service and contract questions with the committee members.

When asked whether IFPD has been able to separate the cost of ambulance service from its fire protection work, Sherman said that a cost analysis was being prepared for the county.

“But the ambulance provided on this Hill is not being paid for,” he stressed. Which prompted Holldber to reply, “Maybe now is the time to look at the full costs to get Riverside County Fire.

“Maybe another solution will better serve the people, spend less money,” he explained. “It’s foolish to stay with the same thing year after year if it doesn’t’ serve the people today.”

Sherman also added that IFPD was not currently attempting to expand its service area to Mountain Center and Garner Valley.