Post Mountain Public Utilities District (PUD) is an independent, multi-purpose special district authorized to provide fire protection, road maintenance, and electricity acquisition services pursuant to the Public Utility District Act (commencing with Section 15501) of Division 7 of the Public Utilities Code.
Important Documents
2023 Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Update
Resolution 2023-05 Approving the MSR/SOI Update and Provisional SOI
April 2024 Update on Post Mountain PUD
Public Hearing Notice – Consideration of a Resolution of Intent to Dissolve the Post Mountain Public Utility District
In August 2023, LAFCo adopted a Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence (MSR/SOI) Update for the Post Mountain PUD. Through the MSR/SOI process, several areas of concern were raised regarding the viability of the District, including the following:
(1) The District has undocumented and/or inadequate minimum training certifications for all volunteer firefighters, deferred equipment maintenance and repair, and lack of volunteers and training to effectively respond to calls for service in the area, including medical;
(2) The District lacks a dedicated funding source for road maintenance and has spent fire assessment funds and reimbursements on road maintenance activities under the assumption that roads must be cleared to access homes in the event of an emergency;
(3) The District has consistently been unable to retain a full Board of Directors and for a substantial period of time was unable to conduct business as there were not enough members to constitute a quorum;
(4) The District has not conducted timely audits which has resulted in Trinity County Auditor-Controller withholding assessment funds until audits can be conducted; and
(5) The District has taken limited action to improve its financial standing and organizational structure, which includes recruitment and retention, policies and management, training and certifications, and other operational improvements, such as strengthening regional fire response, addressing key vulnerabilities, and establishing cooperative agreements with neighboring emergency service providers.
As a result of the MSR/SOI process, the Commission adopted Resolution 2023-05 which established a provisional SOI. The District was given 12 months to make progress on several items, as listed in the Resolution. If at the end of 12 months, insufficient progress has been made on these items, the Commission may adopt a zero sphere for the District and initiate proceedings for reorganization and/or dissolution of the District in accordance with Government Code Section 56375(2) or 56375.1.