TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Bernard Molloy, Fire Chief
PREPARED BY: Sue Ann Herring, Assistant Management Analyst - Fire
SUBJECT:
title
Agreement with the California Conservation Corps for As-Needed Defensible Space Clearing on City Properties
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Approve an agreement with the California Conservation Corps for as-needed defensible space clearing on City properties; and
Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
None.
CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Coordinate and deliver responsive, effective community services.
BACKGROUND
The City of Murrieta owns 949 parcels within the City limits, covering 2,014 acres. Much of this land lies within the very high fire severity zone and requires defensible space clearing to comply with California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection regulations adopted pursuant to California Government Code Section 11349.3. These regulations implement minimum fire safety standards related to defensible space applicable to the perimeters and access to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction and to land in a State Responsibility Area (SRA), Local Responsibility Area (LRA), and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ), particularly with respect to fuel breaks, greenbelts near communities, and preservation of undeveloped ridgelines.
Most City-owned open space properties are immediately adjacent to residential homes, schools, parks, power lines, roadways, and other municipal facilities. Clearing City-owned parcels in the City's VHFSZ will have a direct positive impact on the 8,954 structures in these VHFSZ areas of the City.
The City currently has contracts to manage City properties through landscaping agreements. The proposed new agreement with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) would allow the City to have an as-needed contract to complete required defensible space clearing for more complex City-owned properties that do not fall under the current landscaping agreement. There is no specific project in place at this point; this agreement is being formed in advance of any planned work.
The CCC has several avenues through which it can perform work for a city. The first is a direct hire project, the second is through State-funded fuel reduction grants, and the third is a project through CalFire’s Forestry Health Program funded through AB 2126. All three options require the City to have an agreement in place with CCC before any work can be completed.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no current plan in place that requires budget allocation at this point. When the agreement is in place and work can be completed, the CCC hourly rate is currently $27 per hour per crew member. The costs for each project would be estimated before commencement, and the project budget would be determined at that time.
Murrieta Fire & Rescue (MFR) received an award notice for the Wildfire Prevention Grant on August 19, 2024. Once acceptance and approval of the grant award is completed, funding for the clearing projects will be appropriated and utilized from the grant award. MFR also intends to apply for available fuel reduction grants through CCC to complete the necessary defensible space clearing to limit the fiscal impact on the City’s General Fund.
ATTACHMENTS
1. California Conservation Corps Agreement
2. Board of Forestry & Fire Protection, Title 14 California Code of Regulations, Amended