DEL MAR — The Del Mar City Council agreed on Tuesday to share costs for the interim fire chief that will serve both Del Mar and Solana Beach, as the two cities continue preparing to enter a new fire services partnership.
The city of Solana Beach agreed last month to hire Colin Stowell as the interim fire chief for the Solana Beach and Del Mar fire departments while they search for a permanent chief to serve the two cities. This comes as the city of Encinitas prepares to exit a fire management services cooperative agreement that has been in place between the three cities since 2009.
By March, the Encinitas Fire Department will no longer share its fire management staff among the three cities, including the fire chief, fire marshal, and other senior roles.
The Del Mar City Council approved a 50-50 cost-sharing agreement for Stowell’s position, and agreed to also cover 20% of the cost of a public safety management analyst for the fire department.
“This particular position will be providing equal assistance to both agencies in looking at what are our options, assisting with hiring a permanent fire chief, making recommendations for a permanent command structure, and preparing for the transition that’s going to occur in March,” said Del Mar City Manager Ashley Jones.
The two cities will also split additional costs for training and equipment for the interim fire chief. Del Mar will provide the interim Chief’s vehicle, and Solana Beach will cover the costs for uniforms and office space.
Over the coming months, the two cities will work collaboratively to select and hire a permanent fire chief and to develop a formal cooperative agreement that will eventually be adopted.
After that, the cities will also hire a consultant to guide the formation of a joint powers authority (JPA). The two cities previously looked at combining with another fire agency, but that did not pan out, according to a Del Mar staff report.
The city reminded residents that there will be no change in how the department responds to calls for service, emphasizing that this transition concerns management and cost-sharing.
“I think this might end up being a more positive thing for us anyway,” said Mayor Tracy Martinez.
