To: Board of Supervisors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Moraga-Orinda Fire District Fuel Mitigation and Hazard Abatement Agreement
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing Board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute an Agreement, with Moraga-Orinda Fire District, in an amount not to exceed $165,000, for fuel mitigation and hazard abatement, effective November 14, 2023, through April 15, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) will pay Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD) based on each property’s needs. This action will be cost neutral since MOFD will reimburse CCCFPD for the labor and equipment costs associated with each assignment.
BACKGROUND:
This agreement is part of the much larger ongoing fuel mitigation and external hazard abatement work conducted by CCCFPD that includes roadway clearance for evacuation routes, brush removal, prescribed burns, and other related fuel mitigation work during non-peak fire season (fall/winter). The work is anticipated to take about 72 weeks.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If not approved, CCCFPD will not be able to assist MOFD with fuel mitigation and external hazard abatement work. The requested projects to reduce the fuel load and exterior hazards in Moraga and Orinda would not occur prior to the 2024 fire season. It is critical to assist MOFD in these efforts, especially pile burning, to finalize the cleanup for the designated projects that have already completed fuel mitigation.