Belmont in 'Design Consideration Phase' of New Fire Department

Belmont officials are organizing the details of the city’s and have prepared a list of tasks that need to be completed prior to the Oct. 12 dissolution date with San Carlos.

Finance Director Thomas Fil told the Belmont City Council on Tuesday night the city is in the first phase of developing a stand-alone fire department, called the design consideration phase.

“We’re looking at organizational decisions about how we could staff command activities, and where those activities may occur here in City Hall,” Fil said.

He added that Belmont is still discussing possibly collaborating services with Redwood City’s fire department.

Belmont’s City Council meeting was much quieter than it’s soon-to-be former fire department partner San Carlos’ meeting.

On Monday night, in front of more than 150 raucous and passionate attendees, the San Carlos City Council to partner with Redwood City on a hybrid fire department.

San Carlos’ decision followed an unsuccessful attempt at with Belmont on Friday.

Michael Colantuono, an independent attorney hired to help with the fire department split, told the Belmont City Council the nine-hour mediation on Friday didn’t yield an agreement between the cities.

Colantuono said it was proposed to change the dissolution date from Oct. 12 to a day that didn’t fall in the middle of a pay period, or even in the middle of the week. But San Carlos wasn’t interested in that, he said.

“We sought among other things a more rational date for separation,” Colantuono said. “We proposed a number of things to San Carlos but they didn’t go for it.”

The Belmont City Council will receive monthly updates on the status of the stand-alone fire department until Belmont and San Carlos officially separate.