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the Fire Department to ensure that these fees are maintained and are adequate to cover the impacts of new growth. The City may also seek additional funding for the Fire District by either contracting with the Fire District for the required level of services needed by the City or explore the possibility of a general sales tax override that would include an element for public safety. The City has adequate fee structures and planning processes to ensure that the fee structures ik. remain sufficient to cover costs of required services, and thus no financial constraints to service provisions have been identified. The General Plan includes policies that require new development to pay its fair share capital improvement costs for all services. The cost of providing on-going r services for annexed land is offset by the increased tax base provided by new development. Taxes, including property and sales tax, are expected to provide 65 percent of the City of Ripon's General Fund for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. 4. Status of,and Opportunities for,Shared Facilities Ripon has multiple planning processes in place to assess whether levels of service provided are adequate to accommodate new growth,including the City's General Plan,its annual budgeting process,master planning processes for water supply and distribution,wastewater and sewer systems, as well as law enforcement services.It is through these processes that the City will continue to monitor and assess whether future opportunities for shared facilities will improve levels of service in a cost effective manner. S. Accountability for Community Service Needs, including Governmental Structure and 6m Operational Efficiencies a. Accountability for Community Service Needs Determinations L The City has established a good system of accountability which adequately serves the residents of Ripon. The City of Ripon is responsible for governance within its incorporated boundaries. Actions of the City Council, including opportunities for public involvement and public hearing, are regulated in accordance with the Brown Act (California Government Code Section 54950 et seq.) other applicable statues and regulations,and City procedures. The residents of Ripon are offered a wide range of opportunities to oversee the activities of elected, appointed and paid representatives responsible for the provision of public services to the community through elections, publicized meetings and hearings, as well as through the reports completed in compliance with State and Federal reporting requirements. b. Government Structure Determinations Ripon's government structure is adequate and meets the needs of the residents. Since Ripon is an 6. incorporated city, the City Council will make the final decisions concerning fee structures and the provisions of services. As discussed in previous chapters, the City of Ripon and the Ripon CFPD both review their fee structures every 5 years and index the fees on an annual basis. The City's ` General Plan also has numerous goals, objectives, policies and actions to ensure that adequate services are provided in a cost effective manner to accommodate new growth. C. Evaluation of Management Efficiencies Determinations The City's current management process is adequate and meets the needs of the City. Ripon will continue to use the budget and long-range planning process to ensure that it continues to provide direct and adequate levels of service in a cost-effective manner within its service area. -5- L