To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma, Fire Prevention Division
Staff Name and Phone Number: Steve Mosiurchak, Fire Marshal, (707) 565-1380
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
2022 Vegetation Management and Chipper Service Contracts
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Permit Sonoma to enter into agreements with Sonoma County Fire District and Sonoma Valley Fire District to implement a vegetation management and inspection program and chipper services in partnership with the Fire Prevention Division to reduce vegetation fuel loads and enhance public safety.
B) Delegate authority to the Director of Permit Sonoma, in coordination with the County Administrator’s Office and County Counsel, to enter vegetation management and chipper services contracts to enforce Sonoma County Code Chapter 13A and provide chipper services and vegetation management inspection services.
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Executive Summary:
On June 9, 2020, your Board adopted an ordinance to streamline vegetation management inspections and enforcement through Sonoma County Code Chapter 13A. The ordinance clarifies the vegetation management and defensible space requirements for improved and unimproved parcels in the unincorporated area. The ordinance clarifies the responsibility of property owners and persons in control of any parcel and requires compliance with fuel management on those properties. The new updated enforcement procedure allows the Fire Marshal and the local fire protection districts to issue Administrative Citations and quickly enforce vegetation management and defensible space violations.
To coordinate with the local fire protection districts to inspect properties for vegetation management compliance, this item requests the Board of Supervisors authorize the Director of Permit Sonoma to enter into agreements with Sonoma Valley Fire District and Sonoma County Fire District to implement a vegetation management inspection program and chipper services, and delegate authority to the Director of Permit Sonoma to enter into additional vegetation management inspection program contracts, in partnership with the Fire Prevention Division, to reduce vegetation fuel loads and enhance public safety.
Discussion:
Over the last few decades, increases in temperature and decreased humidity have enhanced fuel aridity across the western United States. Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention’s Vegetation Management and Defensible Space Program supports continuous removal of hazardous vegetation and combustible material for fire prevention through community education and inspections, and by actively involving residents in creating and maintaining wildfire-resilient homes and landscapes.
There are a wide variety of specific factors that contribute to home ignition from wildland fire. Defensible space, especially when accomplished community-wide, is one of the most important means to prevent home ignition. Targeted inspections and enforcement are extremely effective means of educating residents, moving them to community-wide compliance. Communities where all properties are compliant with defensible space regulations can have significantly reduced risks to life and property in the event of wildfire.
The Sonoma County Fire Marshal has been in active communication with all Sonoma County Fire Districts to coordinate the collaborative vegetation management, defensible space inspection and public education program. Several Fire Districts have already begun to coordinate this effort with Permit Sonoma’s Fire Prevention Division. These include North Sonoma County Fire District, Sonoma Valley Fire District and Sonoma County Fire District.
This item seeks to renew and update the contracts with Sonoma Valley Fire District and Sonoma County Fire District and delegate authority to the Director of Permit Sonoma for future vegetation management and chipper services contracts. Permit Sonoma’s Fire Prevention Division is continuing to work with other local fire districts to discuss vegetation management and chipper services coordination efforts to promote fire safety throughout the County.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal: Goal 1: Continue to invest in wildfire preparedness and resiliency strategies
Objective: Objective 2: Expand outreach and education on vegetation management and provide additional resources to landowners to help mitigate fire risk.
Prior Board Actions:
06/06/2020: Chapter 13A Vegetation Management Inspection Ordinance with Administrative Citation Enforcement
10/23/2018: Vegetation Management Inspection Agreements with Fire Protection Districts for Abatement of Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Materials
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY 22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$133,000.00 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$133,000.00 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$133,000.00 |
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$133,000.00 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts. The contracts are based on funding from Transient Occupancy Tax funds. The contracts are renegotiated based on the FY budget provided to fire prevention Division to support the County 13-A Ordinance.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Sonoma Valley Fire Protection District Vegetation Management Contract
Attachment 2: Sonoma County Fire Protection District Vegetation Management Contract
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A