[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6296292,"mediaKeyId","2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0","parentId",2516866,"title","Votes at a glance: Orinda City Council actions, March 4, 2025","audioSeconds",4958,"startMs",1218000,"endMs",6176000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0&start=1218&end=6176","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0/thumbnail_1218000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6296292/Orinda-City/Contra-Costa-County/California/Votes-at-a-glance-Orinda-City-Council-actions-March-4-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296292-f8a7b386d86d8cb170515bf45d10b2ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439985&Signature=HRCZRpa7cGBBrS3s-ijEISX2ENVDFb3fXD6ToveHYJJJZo53iT-yqg9xYW9khJlPSMKXM7aEvxszZ7kMOGki~lgLtowe4ozm4l5S4xkIAdy9Gj9W~d093fcD5mDW-xCvMalRkYGM23CVqrU8pYn9H6iiVEtz9vUlGKvuekD5M87nzg4rQD6XmewMzisTY77hjgBPpmTWCguYUTz~VzL27gyr8i5u8aE19lS0Z~6UI9yNOQKrwToehrtrvjt9jD-uFcwegsOe93kCdnn4K4JIhCmvwwTfjYz5QSSuqrlPov82KvqoZ0uVQHm5mfpNrL0Oji9eEZBXNRokB2eodJRsUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Orinda CA","date","2025-03-05T18:38:44Z","article","The Orinda City Council recorded the following formal actions during its March 4, 2025 regular meeting. Where the transcript did not name a mover or seconder, the entry records the outcome and available vote tally.

Votes at a glance

- Adoption of the meeting agenda: Motion made and seconded; council voice vote in favor (“Aye”). Outcome: adopted unanimously.

- Adoption of Consent Calendar (items F1–F4, F6): Motion made and seconded; voice vote in favor. Outcome: adopted unanimously.

- Adoption of Consent Calendar item F5 (streets item): Motion made and seconded; Council Member Hoxie abstained from the vote due to a conflict related to the street named in the item. Outcome: adopted (vote recorded with one abstention).

- Matter‑initiated referral: Knickerbocker LPR camera offer (resident‑installed devices). Motion to place the offer on a future agenda for specific direction; motion seconded and approved by council voice vote. Outcome: referral to City Manager and Police Department for staff report (vote recorded as yes 5, no 0, absent 1).

- Contract approval for storm‑drain field survey and mapping (NCE Nichols Consulting Engineers): Motion to approve contract and authorize execution; motion seconded and approved. Outcome: contract approved (all in favor; no opposition recorded).

- Motion to extend meeting time: Motion to extend the meeting to 10:15 p.m.; motion seconded and approved. Outcome: extension approved.

Details and next steps

- The referral on the privately funded LPR cameras directs staff to prepare a report addressing vendor terms, data governance, interoperability and funding options and return to council for direction.

- The approved NCE contract will fund a field survey and geodatabase update of public and private storm‑drain assets; staff indicated the work is expected to take up to 12 months and includes a contingency to cover additional private‑system discovery.

Where to find records: the adopted minutes and any associated signed contracts, motions and staff reports will be published in the city’s online agenda/minutes system.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Orinda City Council Meeting - March 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Orinda City Council actions on March 4, 2025 included adoption of the agenda and consent calendar, a referral to staff on a resident‑offered LPR camera network, authorization of a storm‑drain mapping contract and several routine votes.","taxTitle","Orinda City, Contra Costa County, California","taxId",70905,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6296307,"Moraga–Orinda fire chief: new state CAL FIRE maps expand some ‘very high’ zones; questions remain on methodology",1145,2430000,3575000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0&start=2430&end=3575","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0/thumbnail_2430000.jpg","/articles/6296307/Orinda-City/Contra-Costa-County/California/MoragaOrinda-fire-chief-new-state-CAL-FIRE-maps-expand-some-very-high-zones-questions-remain-on-methodology","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296307-423593e3cd28b6ef122d707b08ac4df5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439985&Signature=GhUTlVQEUTnFVecb~lam4BijgKLSCSb19HIe-0HaFJ1fRWS8OauZHr2dyu1ZK5S5S066JNMIe0ZPmpPVuYmcqz~Y9Wk0QOk0VXQnqKFC46QAJJuVpIo-4GCFSFhuUc7KOLI3NSLIUWetHLiAC7IVMaN6tSgXqXGyd6zMWxgzKvklXultCZ9MtpfZk5SDC6zvJzUf4TqndVLQh9ujNqycgGM-g8abDLEhB9hCh9QGYDVQO2gSGwqI4Dia~EwER11sZk0yMFSzW5sRPG7zOVv-6WRpzE06VhUaNnMjFOnaHTFaPGw~yhI7BUnLi6V5mWorqnoXJlzsnqUbd7Vz6XRVdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Isaacs, the fire chief for the Moraga–Orinda Fire District (MOFD), told the Orinda City Council on March 4 that the long‑awaited CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone maps have been released and that the maps include some unexpected changes for Orinda.

“This is an item that we've spoken about, in length for many years. Happy to report the maps have finally come out,” Chief Isaacs said, and he told the council the maps were released after Governor Newsom issued an executive order directing the Office of the State Fire Marshal to publish the updated maps and directing the Board of Forestry to prepare Zone 0 regulations by Dec. 31, 2025.

The newly published map expands areas designated “very high” fire hazard severity in Orinda, Chief Isaacs said; he specifically named El Toyon and portions of North Orinda and said he did not anticipate “the West Side of Orinda into Moraga going to very high down Moraga Way.” He said MOFD will post the maps on its website, accept public comment, and return to the MOFD board in April to consider adopting the 2025 maps.

“The board's plan is to have it out to the public no later than that December 31 deadline,” Chief Isaacs said about the Board of Forestry’s Zone 0 regulation process, and he added that draft regulations and public comment opportunities are expected in April and May.

Council members and residents pressed for details about how CAL FIRE decided which areas changed. Council Member Gee asked whether MOFD would wait for Board of Forestry Zone 0 regulations before adopting local action; Isaacs said the district has about 120 days under state law to adopt the maps and that it has not yet decided how to treat Zone 0 while regulations are finalized.

Residents asked how the map changes could affect insurance underwriting and whether the state would explain the modeling or data used to assign hazard categories. Isaacs said CAL FIRE has not published the underlying model details and that MOFD and other local agencies have repeatedly requested clarification. “They do not tell us that,” he said of the agency’s modeling choices.

Public comment included a caution from resident Nick Warrenoff that seeking an explanation for downgraded areas could lead to residents being reclassified to higher hazard designations; another resident, Mark Evans of Fire Safe Miragorinda, urged officials to “follow the science.”

Chief Isaacs emphasized practical next steps: MOFD will post the maps and a public comment link on its website, pursue adoption by its board in April, and monitor the Board of Forestry’s Zone 0 rulemaking. He said the new Wildland‑Urban Interface Code has been extracted from the building and residential codes into a dedicated code book, and MOFD will study the code with its fire marshal to understand implications for defensible space and noncombustible construction.

Why it matters: the state’s fire hazard severity designations trigger multiple legal and planning consequences, including building construction rules, defensible‑space enforcement, real‑estate disclosures and elements of local hazard mitigation and general plan safety elements. Chief Isaacs told the council the new Zone 0 regulations will likely require new construction and phase in requirements for existing structures over a multi‑year period once the Board of Forestry issues rules.

What officials said they’ll do next: MOFD will accept public comment on its posted maps, present the maps for adoption to the MOFD board in April, and monitor the Board of Forestry’s timeline for Zone 0 regulations. Council members discussed drafting letters via state elected representatives to request more detailed explanations from CAL FIRE about the map methodology.

The presentation and council discussion were informational; no formal council action was taken on the maps during the March 4 meeting.","Chief Isaacs, the fire chief for the Moraga–Orinda Fire District (MOFD), told the Orinda City Council on March 4 that newly released CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone maps expand some Orinda areas to “very high” and remove or reclassify others, and he urged residents to review the maps on MOFD’s website and submit public comments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6296297,"Neighborhood group offers two privately funded license‑plate‑reader cameras; council agrees to consider matter at a future meeting",362,5501000,5863000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0&start=5501&end=5863","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0/thumbnail_5501000.jpg","/articles/6296297/Orinda-City/Contra-Costa-County/California/Neighborhood-group-offers-two-privately-funded-licenseplatereader-cameras-council-agrees-to-consider-matter-at-a-future-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296297-1fcd3262b9dbda94d3d6cbcef6962d7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439985&Signature=HR4K4RWbpN8TxUvBiIO59ihSl99kojv3~d4IfNvYQyRaR6mVvWsycmuH4-xK5W30OGhgDXh6YFoUEJSggETyIMrMMywFZChk~aOX80~-nKjuv841rGO88-kUagmeJs6rnHSSTVYA8ho4q1qb1CgQYeeEXoRfZ9CDDvfnU7NAvDuSe2OZbAsswzNG6QvRfkC8YfRcG5YnfwpAl-TL6BnV1SkIIQ15AHJLS3QbaxMb1iYHe0sfFU1ZI7NAI-j57CYPiHs8uIhyrOa3LQIf12geALlIvglYwUTnVrVIncilY3U5pJ0HSt5qMbd8tYt2QBF474iSQTSYelL72WQKuY1J5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Resident Evan Dreyer told the Orinda City Council on March 4 that a neighborhood coalition privately funded and installed two license‑plate‑reader (LPR) cameras in the Knickerbocker area in July and that the cameras have coincided with a drop in reported burglaries in that neighborhood.

Dreyer said about 30 families financed the cameras and that installation and solar power costs are covered through July 2026. He offered to assign the cameras to the city and to help the city negotiate terms with the vendor Flock, saying \"if the city moves forward and needs help, I'm willing to help, you guys continue to execute and expand the network.\" Dreyer said the cameras were solar‑powered and required no new city infrastructure.

Council members noted the item was not agendized for a decision that night but said it merited a focused staff review. City staff and the city manager recommended bringing a matter‑initiated report to a future council meeting to consider the offer and to determine whether to evaluate the Knickerbocker devices alone or as part of an overall review of the city’s LPR network.

A council member moved to place the item on a future agenda for specific direction; another council member seconded the motion. The council voted in favor and directed staff to return with a report for council consideration.

Why it matters: private‑funded camera deployments generate immediate public‑safety and privacy tradeoffs for cities. The council’s decision to evaluate the offer in a future agenda item will allow staff to analyze vendor terms, data‑management plans, interoperability with existing city systems and community privacy safeguards before the city assumes operation or ownership.

What happens next: the city manager will agendize the matter for a forthcoming council meeting so the council can decide whether to accept the cameras, how to integrate them with existing systems and how to handle data‑sharing, vendor contracts and recurring payments once private funding ends.","A Knickerbocker‑area residents’ group offered to donate and maintain two privately funded license‑plate‑reader (LPR) cameras covering roughly 200 households, prompting the Orinda City Council to vote to bring a staff report and decision to a future meeting for specific direction.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6296302,"Contra Costa Animal Services reports falling shelter length‑of‑stay, increased outreach and spay/neuter programs",1192,3839000,5031000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0&start=3839&end=5031","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516866-86c72d6e1e58a536059701aa910428a0/thumbnail_3839000.jpg","/articles/6296302/Orinda-City/Contra-Costa-County/California/Contra-Costa-Animal-Services-reports-falling-shelter-lengthofstay-increased-outreach-and-spayneuter-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296302-b3a07bd895104bbbabd453a7700cd5c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439985&Signature=OEtLlg36HWM~dCdo6lNEYRTN-yJAlUC1MvsYrt~2GMgOfaNU7hFj032nAYLTuN6LvlOY9jAq8KGE44X~Ld0LBd2Re-nI6T4QkkGjzP3Yei5aA6hLUWX24PkNYaC0x-PMphZzE1YD-kTz9yK-A16aaQSoq3ukYhrEuKwrF5HWGLKuxKk2DUSGHRz~2OGG7036JzOs90d3nIbsqKlFNvNr4PCMACcbM37vdkf5pcA2tIcZo5fqdyc7lvs4S-x5w3GKXR4woHFJuAUg5ODEC0x-e1T4o8TedPN1z6mPYGauep80O0Oy-6Kq4784fi5FAhSA7OHCDeZraSbqixJdG~~Cpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ben Winkelblack, director of Contra Costa Animal Services, gave the Orinda City Council an annual update on March 4 describing operational changes at the county shelter in Martinez and outreach in Orinda.

Winkelblack said the shelter currently houses about 50 dogs and 50 cats and described an annual intake of roughly 6,500 animals for calendar year 2024. “On average, 18 come in per day and 12 leave,” he said, adding that staff have reduced average length of stay for animals from about 20 days to 16 days through tighter case management and “pathway planning” meetings with partner groups.

Winkelblack told the council the shelter runs broad community services—field services (animal control), a medical division that performs surgery five to six days a week, outreach clinics and a large shelter facility—and that staff have held about 62–64 outreach events so far this fiscal year to bring vaccination, microchip and adoption services to neighborhoods.

To reduce overcrowding, the shelter is expanding partnerships with 501(c)(3) rescue and transfer organizations, increasing the number of spay/neuter and TNR (trap‑neuter‑return) surgeries, adding weekend medical staffing and improving case tracking through upgraded shelter‑management software. He said the Measure X allocation will fund about 2,700 surgeries and the county’s Animal Benefit Fund will provide roughly 550 surgeries over the current reporting period.

On staffing, Winkelblack said two field services officers completed training and are on street duty, more recruits are in process and dispatch services moved from the sheriff’s office to San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District on Jan. 1.

Winkelblack described several operational changes that aim to improve animal welfare and adoption rates: every dog kennel now has a Kuranda cot to reduce stress, the facility is deploying a pilot program of enriched cat housing, and a veterinary behaviorist’s recommendations are being implemented (11 of 12 recommendations are complete or in progress).

On metrics, Winkelblack said reunification is strong: 33% of stray animals from Orinda were reunited with owners. He reiterated goals to cut average length of stay to 13 days by July, increase licensing revenue and open expanded services seven days a week in the proposed next fiscal budget.

Council members asked about the drivers of recent improvements. Winkelblack said some changes reflect new management practices, better use of shelter software, and stronger collaboration with transfer partners. He noted continuing cost pressure for medical supplies and emergency care, which have risen since the pandemic.

Winkelblack also offered a memorable anecdote: animal services responded recently to a privately owned zebra that had entered a residential pool; staff used a borrowed ramp to recover the animal. He said such calls are rare but demonstrate the breadth of field responses.

Why it matters: the update outlines how county animal services balances public health (bite investigations, licensing and rabies monitoring), shelter capacity and community services while handling rising intake and medical costs. The presentation included concrete performance goals council members can monitor in future reports.","Contra Costa Animal Services director Ben Winkelblack briefed the Orinda City Council on shelter operations, describing rising intake since the pandemic, efforts to reduce average length of stay from 20 to 16 days, expanded community outreach and spay/neuter capacity funded by Measure X and other sources.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Orinda City Council actions, March 4, 2025

Moraga–Orinda fire chief: new state CAL FIRE maps expand some ‘very high’ zones; questions remain on methodology

Neighborhood group offers two privately funded license‑plate‑reader cameras; council agrees to consider matter at a future meeting

Contra Costa Animal Services reports falling shelter length‑of‑stay, increased outreach and spay/neuter programs