Title
Chief Administrative Office, Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Preparedness & Response Division, recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Receive and file a report from the El Dorado Hills Fire Department regarding defensible space inspection services provided by the Department to the County; and
2) Approve and authorize the Purchasing Agent to sign Agreement 6383 with the El Dorado Hills Fire Department (aka El Dorado Hills County Water District), to conduct community outreach and education and complete defensible space inspections in County Emphasis Areas in the amount of $250,020 with a term of April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023, contingent upon final approval by County Counsel and Risk Management.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
In May 2019, the El Dorado County Ordinance No. 5101, Chapter 8.09 Vegetation Management and Defensible Space took effect. The ordinance and development of the program was vested in the Chief Administrative Office, Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Preparedness and Response division (CAO-EMS/EP).
The program was first implemented in 2020. Due to challenges in recruiting and retaining staffing for defensible space inspections since the inception of the program, staff explored partnerships with the fire districts in which County Emphasis Areas were identified to conduct the inspections for the 2021 season. Ultimately, the County contracted with El Dorado Hills Fire Department to inspect the County Emphasis Area identified as Deer Valley in the jurisdiction of the Rescue Fire Protection District. El Dorado Hills Fire Department has a long, successful history of conducting fire prevention inspection services under the auspices of their vacant lot ordinance. Taking on the inspections under the ordinance for the County Emphasis Area was easily adapted into their existing program. The County has one allocation for a Sr. Defensible Space Inspector, which has been vacant for a number of months. Due to the history of difficulties with recruiting and retaining staff for the program and the need to begin outreach and education efforts to prepare for inspections for the 2022 season this spring, it is recommended that the County again partner with El Dorado Hills Fire, as they already have resources available to provide the services. In accordance with the County Charter, Section 210.b.6, the County may enter into contracts for services with other governmental agencies. The Board is asked to delegate authority to the Purchasing Agent to sign the agreement to facilitate expedited processing of the agreement.
Currently, the County’s Wildfire Resiliency and Vegetation Management work group is reviewing the Vegetation Management ordinance and program, and will make recommendations for the future of the program and how it should fit into the larger efforts of the County to address wildfire risk. In the interim, the work group has recommended that the program continue its partnership with El Dorado Hills Fire into the 2022 season. In addition to conducting inspections in areas identified in coordination with the work group, El Dorado Hills Fire Department has proposed conducting community education and outreach activities and addressing complaints that come in through a centralized complaint process in the Vegetation Management program.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to contract with El Dorado Hills Fire Department and direct staff to consider other ways to fulfill program activities.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Division has sufficient appropriations to fund the services through the end of the current Fiscal Year, estimated at $65,000. The funding for the contract in Fiscal Year 2022-23 will be included in the Recommended Budget, and does not result in a request above the Division's status quo, or baseline budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Good Governance
Public Safety
CONTACT
Michelle Patterson, Manager of EMS and Emergency Preparedness and Response