Title
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board:
1) Authorize Wildfire Resilience Officer and Chief Budget Officer to execute any grant-related documents including, but not limited to, grant agreement amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, requests for payments, reports, and all other associated documents necessary to secure remaining grant funds and implement the approved project under the Bureau of Land Management Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program;
2) Authorize the Wildfire Resilience Officer and Chief Budget Officer to execute any grant-related documents including, but not limited to, grant agreement amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, requests for payments, reports, and all other associated documents necessary to secure remaining grant funds and implement the approved project under the California Fire Safe Council’s County Coordinator Grant Program; and
3) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Designation of Applicant’s Agent Resolution for Non-State Agencies authorizing the Wildfire Resilience Officer, Chief Budget Officer, and the Agency Chief Fiscal Officer in the Chief Administrative Office, to execute any grant-related documents including, but not limited to, acceptance of the Phase II grant award on behalf of the Board, grant agreement amendments that do not increase the County’s funding match commitment, requests for payments, reports, and all other associated documents necessary to secure remaining grant funds and implement the approved Weber Creek Project under the California Wildfire Mitigation Program, Phases I and II.
FUNDING: General Fund and Various Grant Funding Sources.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
California Fire Safe Council’s County Coordinator Grant Program
On June 17, 2025 (Legistar file 25-1034), the Board accepted a grant award in the amount of $151,500 under the California Fire Safe Council’s County Coordinator Program to fund the El Dorado County Fire Safe Coordinator Project with a term of May 15, 2025, to July 31, 2026.This grant program provides funding to assist the County with wildfire mitigation outreach and coordination to educate, encourage, and develop county-wide collaboration and coordination among various wildfire mitigation groups operating within the County. Due to the recent structural reorganization of the Chief Administrative Office, the new job specifications of Wildfire Resilience Officer and Chief Budget Officer have been created to better reflect the department’s operational needs and structure. Though this grant program is scheduled to end on July 31, 2026, the Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience (OWPR) is requesting that the Board delegate authority to execute any grant related documents to the Wildfire Resilience Officer and the Chief Budget Officer to ensure the current award can be expended.
Bureau of Land Management Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program
On June 18, 2024 (Legistar file 24-1067), the Board accepted a grant award under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program to fund the El Dorado County Fire Adapted Communities Program. Under this $10 million, five-year grant, OWPR will work with partner agencies and organizations to implement a comprehensive, year-round defensible space and home hardening inspection program to bolster existing efforts, provide funding to assist with defensible space clearing work, strategic fuels management projects, and community fire assistance program activities through a dedicated Fire Safe Coordinator to reduce the risk and impact of catastrophic wildfires to local communities.
On December 3, 2024 (Legistar file 24-1890), the Board authorized the OWPR Program Manager to execute any grant-related documents including, but not limited to, grant agreement amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, requests for payments, reports, and all other associated documents necessary to secure remaining grant funds and implement the approved project under the Bureau of Land Management Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program and approved and authorized the Chair to sign the Designation of Applicant’s Agent Resolution for Non-State Agencies authorizing the OWPR Program Manager or the Agency Chief Fiscal Officer in the Chief Administrative Office to execute any grant-related documents including, but not limited to, acceptance of the Phase II grant award on behalf of the Board, grant agreement amendments that do not increase the County’s funding match commitment, requests for payments, reports, and all other associated documents necessary to secure remaining grant funds and implement the project. OWPR is requesting that the Board delegate authority to execute any grant related documents to the Wildfire Resilience Officer and the Chief Budget Officer.
Weber Creek Project
On August 29, 2023 (Legistar file 23-1568), the Board accepted a Phase I grant award in the amount of $1,404,532.50 under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for the Weber Creek Project with a term of June 28, 2023, to June 27, 2026. Under this $25 million pilot grant program, the County will manage this demonstration project focused on performing defensible space clearance work and home hardening retrofits for existing homes in a section of the Weber Creek drainage South of Highway 50 in Placerville, a high-risk area of the County. As part of the Board’s acceptance of the Phase I grant award, the Board also authorized the Chief Administrative Officer, serving as the County’s Authorized Agent, to accept the award of the remaining $23,462,517.50 Phase II grant funds to be authorized upon the completion of Phase I activities. Additionally, the Chief Administrative Officer was authorized by the Board to execute any grant related documents for both Phase I and II that do not increase the County’s matching funds commitment necessary to secure grant funds and implement the project. OWPR is requesting the Board authorize the Wildfire Resilience Officer, Chief Budget Officer, and the Agency Chief Fiscal Officer in the Chief Administrative Office to execute any grant-related documents including, but not limited to, acceptance of the Phase II grant award on behalf of the Board, grant agreement amendments that do not increase the County’s funding match commitment, requests for payments, reports, and all other associated documents necessary to secure remaining grant funds and implement the approved Weber Creek Project under the California Wildfire Mitigation Program, Phases I and II.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to approve delegation of authority as outlined above for each grant program and maintain the current delegation to the OWPR Program Manager, however, that position title is no longer allocated to the department.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar file 23-1568 - August 29, 2023 - Board accepted the FEMA HMGP grant for the Weber Creek Project
Legistar file 24-1067 - June 18, 2024 - Board accepted BLM Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program grant award
Legistar file 24-1890 - December 3, 2024 - Board authorized the OWPR Program Manager to execute grant related documents for the Bureau of Land Management Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program, the California Fire Safe Council’s County Coordinator Grant Program, and the Weber Creek Project under the California Wildfire Mitigation Program.
Legistar file 25-1034 - June 17, 2025 - Board accepted the California Fire Safe Council’s County Coordinator Program grant to fund the El Dorado County Fire Safe Coordinator Project
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel approved the Designation of Applicant’s Agent Resolution.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost associated with this item. Funding for each grant has been included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget and the remaining grant revenue and expenditures will be included in future years’ budgets accordingly.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Obtain the Chair’s signature on the Designation of Applicant’s Agent Resolution and provide a copy of the executed Resolution to Tanya Harlow, Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience, for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Tanya Harlow, Wildfire Resilience Officer
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience