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Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Make findings that it is appropriate to engage an independent contractor to provide defensible space inspections, as Agreement 10404 is with or among another governmental entity or agency in accordance with County ordinance code 3.13.030.E ; and
2) Make findings in accordance with Procurement Policy C-17 Section 3.4.3 to exempt Agreement 10404 from a competitive bidding process because competitive bidding would produce no economic benefit to the county; and
3) Approve and authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to sign Fire Protection Reimbursable Agreement 10404 with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to provide additional defensible space inspections in Western El Dorado County in the amount of $2,996,514 beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2029, contingent upon approval by Risk Management; and
4) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute any necessary amendments relating to Agreement 10404, excluding term extensions and increases to compensation, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management.
FUNDING: Bureau of Land Management Cooperative Assistance - Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience (OWPR) was awarded a $10,000,000 grant from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, to work with partner organizations to assist with fuels management and community fire assistance program activities to reduce the risk and impact of catastrophic wildfires to local communities through coordination, reducing the amount of hazardous fuels, and furthering the education of landowners about wildfire prevention and mitigation. This includes partnering with other fire agencies in the County to complete 30,000 homeowner contacts through a combination of defensible space voluntary assessments and defensible space inspections in the County.
OWPR manages the County’s Defensible Space Inspection Program implementing Chapter 8.09 - Hazardous Vegetation and Defensible Space Ordinance, in coordination with CAL FIRE and local fire agencies in the County. The Bureau of Land Management grant provides funding to enhance this level of service and anticipated providing funding to local fire agencies to increase staffing and increase local inspections. However, after discussions with local fire departments, augmenting staffing for the short duration of the grant would not be feasible for local departments within the County.
CAL FIRE has an existing process to enter into agreements with local governments to provide services within its operational authority. It also has capacity to provide the County with additional defensible space inspectors to meet the grant deliverables. The CAL FIRE Amador El Dorado Unit has a longstanding relationship with the OWPR in this space and currently coordinates its defensible space inspection activities with OWPR and the other fire agencies within the County.
This Fire Protection Reimbursable Agreement with CAL FIRE would allow the County to meet its required deliverable under the Bureau of Land Management grant. The County Ordinance only allows the County, CAL FIRE, or local County Fire Departments to perform this work, it is recommended that the Board exempt these services from competitive bidding.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to approve this Fire Protection Reimbursable Agreement with CAL FIRE to utilize its resources to meet BLM grant deliverables, limiting the effectiveness of the grant.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
06/18/2024 with Legistar file 24-1067 - Board accepted a grant award under the Bureau of Land Management Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities to fund the El Dorado County Fire Adapted Communities Program, in the amount of up to $10,000,000, which included provisions to perform up to 30,000 defensible space inspections and provide defensible space clearance for qualified residents.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Purchasing and Contracts
County Counsel
Cal Fire
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no increase to Net County Cost associated with the execution of this Local Government Cooperative Agreement as it is fully funded through the BLM Fire Adapted Communities Grant.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Safe and Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Tanya Harlow, Wildfire Resilience Officer
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience