title
Receive a report on wildfire prevention programs; Consider re-allocating the appropriation of wildfire prevention funds for wildfire programs; Consider re-allocating the appropriation of remaining ’19 allocation funds for the acquisition of generators for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office/Office of Emergency Services and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano for refrigeration backup generation; Ratify the re-allocation of appropriations from the ’20 PSPS allocation fund for the acquisition of radios to support the County’s fire protection districts; Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request in the amount of $278,061 for the Sheriff’s Office/Office of Emergency Services to re-budget appropriations from FY2020/21 funded by the ’19 PSPS allocation (4/5 vote required); and Delegate authority to the County Administrator to make minor changes to allocations within budgeted appropriations
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No ____
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No ____
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator’s Office recommends the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive a report on wildfire prevention programs;
2. Consider re-allocating the appropriation of funds for wildfire prevention programs;
3. Consider re-allocating the appropriation of remaining ’19 PSPS allocation funds for the acquisition of generators for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office/Office of Emergency Services and the Contra Costa and Solano Food Bank for refrigeration backup generation;
4. Ratify the re-allocation of appropriations from the ’20 PSPS allocation fund for the acquisition of radios to support the County’s fire protection districts;
5. Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request in the amount of $278,061 for the Sheriff’s Office/Office of Emergency Services to re-budget appropriations from FY2020/21 funded by the ’19 PSPS allocation (4/5 vote required); and
6. Delegate authority to the County Administrator to make minor changes to allocations within budgeted appropriations.
SUMMARY:
County staff from the County Administrator’s Office and the Solano County Sheriff’s Office/Office of Emergency Services have collaborated with the Solano Resource Conservation District, local fire safe councils, and local Fire Protection Districts to develop wildfire prevention programs to address needs within the wildland urban interface area of the county. Program details and proposed allocations are provided in the Discussion section, below.
In addition, Solano Country received Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) allocations in calendar years 2019 and 2020, which the Board allocated to specific projects. The item before you today requests reallocation of funds due to changes in project needs, as described in the Discussion section, below. Staff is also requesting the Board approve an Appropriation Transfer Request in the amount of $278,061 to re-budget unspent appropriations.
Staff is requesting the Board delegate authority to the County Administrator to make minor changes to allocations within budgeted appropriations in order to prevent a return to the Board to shift funds around as purchases are completed.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget.
The costs associated with all actions and programs before you are funded by State funding for wildfire prevention (Dodd Budget Trailer) and PSPS allocations. The Extra Help position requested as part of the wildfire prevention funding reallocation is proposed to be funded through FY2024/25, with continued funding for this position to be addressed at a later date, either from grant funds or a general fund contribution for FY2025/26, totaling approximately $52,000.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has been working through the Solano Fire Safe Council, including local fire safe councils, to develop wildfire prevention programs which address priority needs within the community. The following programs are under development/implementation.
Wildfire Prevention Program Funds (Dodd)
Address Signage Pilot Program:
Staff, including from the Department of Resource Management, has worked with local fire protection districts to develop address signage standards that meet County, Fire Protection District, CalTrans, and CAL FIRE standards, to launch a pilot program for installation of address signage at the driveway entrance of rural homes along private roads within the State Responsibility Area (SRA) of the county. This pilot program aims to provide identification of homes for first responders during an evacuation and will serve as the standard for new homes in this area. Currently, 17 residents are signed up and an outreach effort will be made to encourage additional participation.
Fuels Reduction Programs:
Staff is in the process of developing a chipper program and exploring a defensible space program that will provide resources to support residents in reducing fuels on their properties. Priority will be given to residents meeting income, age, and disability criteria. Staff is also working with waste haulers to identify green waste event locations in order to provide access to convenient locations for disposal of fuels.
Recommended new allocations include:
1) $ 250,000 for dead tree removal
2) $ 70,000 for funding of an Extra Help Emergency Services Coordinator position to serve as the County Coordinator for the purposes of providing staff to the Solano Fire Safe Council, applying for wildfire prevention grants, and to coordinate program development and implementation (FY2023/24 and FY2024/25)
3) $ 36,835 for a Landowners’ Handbook
4) $ 25,000 for Ready Set Go outreach funding and supplies
5) $ 20,000 additional funding for the address signage program, to include community messaging boards and fire severity signage
6) $ 30,000 for the 2024 Community Wildfire Prevention Day event
This reallocation of project funding will commit all funds toward wildfire prevention efforts currently underway and prioritized (Attachment A). Continued provision of services and any additional programs will require the County continue to seek out grant opportunities.
Public Safety Power Shutoff
California continues to experience extreme weather, leading to increased wildfire risk and longer wildfire seasons. High winds can cause trees and debris to contact energized lines, damaging equipment and possibly causing wildfires. As a result, PG&E proactively turns off power during severe weather to help prevent wildfires. This is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). PSPS events occur due to a combination of factors that lead to a safety concern, including low humidity, high winds, red flag warnings, dry vegetation, and reported real time observations.
2019 Allocation
PG&E provided counties throughout the State with two rounds of funding allocations to address the impacts of PSPS events. The 2019 allocation project came in under budget, with a total of approximately $278,061 remaining. The recommendation before you would provide for the:
1) Purchase of two generators to service the Office of Emergency Services with trailer towed generators that can provide redundancy to multiple locations, including Lake Solano Park (staging area for emergency response/Incident Command), and to support the Mobile Command Unit vehicle for emergency activations. ($78,061)
2) Contribution toward the purchase of a generator that provides power redundancy to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Fairfield location’s new refrigeration system. ($200,000)
Initially on October 5, 2021, the Board approved two projects under the ’20 PSPS allocation, a business continuity plan and funding of a backup generator at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Due to a combination of delays in construction of the Food Banks refrigeration system, supply chain issues, and the impending performance period deadline for this funding, the PSPS allocation was able to be credited toward the past purchase of radios made in support of the fire protection districts.
At this time, the Food Bank is now ready to move forward with the purchase and installation of a generator.
2020 Allocation
As discussed above, the 2020 allocation was initially approved for two projects, a business continuity plan and funding a backup generator at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The 2020 allocation was made, with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services later determining the Business Continuity plan ineligible as the proposal made was for the County to hire a consultant to develop the plan (use of consultant deemed ineligible). In response to delays in installation of the refrigeration system, and to meet the narrow criteria for allocation, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services allowed the County to credit itself for the past purchase of radios made and distributed to the fire protection districts (radio interoperability effort). Staff is asking that the Board ratify this reallocation of PSPS funds.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to reallocate these funds, propose some reallocations move forward, or to ask staff to come back with a revised proposal for the reallocation of funds. This is not recommended, however as discussions have taken place with stakeholders and this proposal meets the priority needs in support of several safety efforts within the community.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrators Office worked with the Solano County Sheriff’s Office/Office of Emergency Services, Solano Resource Conservation District, local fire safe councils, local Fire Protection Districts, and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION