Oakley spars with fire district over claim city hasn’t provided adequate funding

The city of Oakley and its county-run fire district are embroiled in a disagreement over whether the city collects enough developer impact fees to help pay for the needed level of fire protection, the fire district board’s president contends.

On Oct. 8, Brian Oftedal, president of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District board, sent Oakley a 10-page letter critical of the city’s approval of new housing developments as the district is struggling to provide service to the existing homes and commercial properties. Oftedal said the city has violated terms of a 2018 contract by allowing developers to build new houses and pay fees insufficient to properly pay for fire protection.