[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-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",[32,74],{"_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":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6701145,"mediaKeyId","3647691-f146d0dd68cae04ec6c8ea003eba814f","parentId",3647691,"title","Taft council hears state fire-hazard map presentation; officials discuss building standards, disclosures and insurance concerns","audioSeconds",2426,"startMs",376000,"endMs",2802000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3647691-f146d0dd68cae04ec6c8ea003eba814f&start=376&end=2802","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3647691-f146d0dd68cae04ec6c8ea003eba814f/thumbnail_376000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6701145/Taft/Kern-County/California/Taft-council-hears-state-fire-hazard-map-presentation-officials-discuss-building-standards-disclosures-and-insurance-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6701145-62bb7352785c26ace770f642c1e7bdf8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775931993&Signature=Swng6P3s~RpYHv3GnThnzXu5L13-EKuIORMsAzOt4gNFkk2WV7T34WMo0XcIngNk5RM5~HOQKyRiWPIUaWFDFTfH33gk1xS1OwIU32zqA3xbNkdQUpvCwtrM0J1MgyuZb-k41hG-Jmj5FMBDhgyf1K744J2uDH9Qm32uCJqN-khOqleoiuc19RzM39HoUpBW8czH0x9Bp9kW2SOA7ctosOCBTrR27nuItiX3jmIjr79LvQnF5lYgItAokKnhHaYUuGEAolCADBqo-5sPODGvlirSgTrk1JwK~ZXV4~mL1JijpEkX8V2oLzTw58d0stj-k6gBt~q9H5apDmJMJb8xVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-04T05:28:56.877Z","article","Kern County Fire Department staff told the Taft City Council on Tuesday that new state fire-hazard severity zone maps, produced by CAL FIRE, expand areas within the city designated as high or moderate risk and will trigger local requirements for building standards and real-estate hazard disclosures.

The presentation was delivered by Kerry Wright of the Kern County Fire Department and Sean Riley, deputy fire marshal. Riley said the state used fire history through 2020, vegetation, predicted flame lengths, ember exposure, weather history and terrain to create the maps and pass them to local jurisdictions under government code. “CAL FIRE uses basically, science,” Riley said.

The session focused on what adoption would mean for property owners. For areas the state classifies inside the local responsibility area as “high,” the council would be required under state law to adopt the maps and enforce the Assembly Bill 38 (AB 38) hazard disclosure for sales; some building-code changes (Chapter 7A and provisions referencing R3-37/R337) would apply to new construction. Riley said existing structures are “pre-existing nonconforming” and would not be retroactively required to meet new standards; the building requirements would apply to new construction and certain accessory buildings within specified distances.

Why it matters: the maps influence local building requirements and require sellers to disclose a property’s hazard designation at sale. Council members and residents expressed concern about insurance implications and about the limited local ability to alter the state map. Riley and Wright repeatedly said CAL FIRE creates and issues the maps under state law and that Kern County Fire cannot change the designations; Riley said the maps are to stand until the next state-mandated reevaluation, generally a five-year cycle.

Council discussion included questions on whether the maps are used by insurance underwriters. Wright said the hazard maps and insurer risk maps are different and that insurers use different risk assessments that account for station proximity, water supply and home hardening; “these maps are not gonna be utilized for any type of insurance rate hikes,” he said, adding that insurance companies use other risk-assessment data. Council members and residents nonetheless said they had been told by insurance agents that some properties were losing or paying more for coverage after such designations.

Council members pressed staff on enforcement of defensible-space rules. Riley said that under state law the county’s station-level personnel inspect properties in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and can issue citations for noncompliance, while local enforcement for properties in the Local Responsibility Area (LRA) generally follows complaint-driven processes and local code enforcement.

Council and staff also discussed practical guidance on home hardening and building materials (examples given: noncombustible siding, boxed eaves, concrete roof tiles rather than shakes) and noted that local building codes in Taft already include current California building and residential codes and that new single-family dwellings are required to be sprinklered.

Direction from the meeting: the council asked the city manager to reach out to CAL FIRE to request a follow-up presentation and to explore what additional information the city can gather for residents, including clarifying insurance questions and overlaying the map layers with local GIS to check edges and impacts on city parcels.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; council members were clear the presentation was informational and that local adoption steps and ordinance language would come back to the council for action.

Quotes used in this article come from Kern County Fire Department staff and city officials who spoke during the presentation and question period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Taft City Council Meeting | June 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Kern County Fire Department staff told the Taft City Council on Tuesday that new state fire-hazard severity zone maps, produced by CAL FIRE, expand areas within the city designated as high or moderate risk and will trigger local requirements for building standards and real-estate hazard disclosures.","taxTitle","Taft, Kern County, California","taxId",58534,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6701140,"Taft council approves consent items, $5,000 for July 4 fireworks and $1,694 travel reimbursement",87,4871000,4958000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3647691-f146d0dd68cae04ec6c8ea003eba814f&start=4871&end=4958","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3647691-f146d0dd68cae04ec6c8ea003eba814f/thumbnail_4871000.jpg","/articles/6701140/Taft/Kern-County/California/Taft-council-approves-consent-items-5000-for-July-4-fireworks-and-1694-travel-reimbursement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6701140-1b43f4fe03307f78203033d3bcafda5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775931993&Signature=H98W1GD4LZeXTCftsc4C4OcDc37d7gvlV-FRR74UiPHu6sMOVdpnXRLmA9izf6C3JIHQ-0QZz8uYDvighiiWslyxIogsUZ-xiunQUDQAyQR7aIUuvqP60DEXHLmM5e7Rdccy6W2IbIeaCQak733CesAokZasGNroIbvc4CSJBgdui6Rd7YIJO0wPz4RHpZqAJ8~arCXzEZcIRZNEUxAfGdPyZreFQODXt-lz9zlpIFJy8V-u-yNxLlojhVtqE3Z0oMLb-oreeEm55WZuhma4oNmsqpnRr8A3LbZyt2rw~-wOMSmNa9MOpW~zrfxsZHe0FSlPQAbBp0RCgomYSoqRYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Taft City Council on Tuesday approved routine consent items, authorized city support for the Oildorado Fourth of July fireworks and approved reimbursement for a mayoral trip to Washington, D.C.

By a 4-0 roll-call vote the council approved the consent calendar (items 8–12), which included adoption of minutes, payment of bills totaling about $340,000, receipt and filing of the triennial performance audit for Taft transit services and adoption of a resolution authorizing federal funding under the Federal Transit Administration Section 5311 program (49 U.S.C. §5311) with the California Department of Transportation. The council also approved street closures for the 2025 Oildorado Grand Parade; each action was found not to be a project under the California Environmental Quality Act per the sections cited on the agenda.

Votes at a glance
- Consent calendar (items 8–12): approved 4–0 (Council member Scribe, Mayor Pro Tem Bridal, Council member Waldrop and Mayor North voted yes; Council member Shavera was absent with notice). The consent items included minutes, vendor payments (about $340,000), the transit audit receipt, a resolution to apply for FTA §5311 funds, and approval of street closures for the Oildorado parade.
- Fourth of July fireworks: the council approved a $5,000 financial contribution to the Taft Chamber of Commerce to support the community fireworks display and voted to waive city fees and provide in-kind support (city personnel and equipment for traffic control). Mayor Pro Tem Bridal moved the contribution at council request; the motion passed 4–0.
- Travel reimbursement: the council approved reimbursement of $1,694.73 for airfare and lodging so the mayor could represent the city at a meeting of America's Rural Energy Coalition in Washington, D.C. The motion passed on a 4–0 vote; the staff report notes the mayor personally paid the reservations and will cover remaining travel costs.

Why it matters: the consent items clear routine administrative actions and a transit funding resolution; the fireworks contribution and fee waivers commit city resources and staff time to the community event. The mayoral travel reimbursement covers a short trip to a national energy coalition meeting where the mayor will represent the city and regional energy interests.

All votes reported on the record were unanimous among members present (4–0).","On a 4-0 vote the Taft City Council approved routine consent items including a transit audit and FTA 5311 grant resolution, approved $5,000 and waived fees for the Oildorado Fourth of July fireworks, and authorized reimbursement of $1,694.73 for the mayor’s travel to a Washington, D.C., energy coalition meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Taft council hears state fire-hazard map presentation; officials discuss building standards, disclosures and insurance concerns

Taft council approves consent items, $5,000 for July 4 fireworks and $1,694 travel reimbursement