Sierra Madre’s City Council voted on July 8 to approve a 25‑year use agreement with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District that formalizes how the city will maintain and operate Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park.

The agreement moves a long‑standing informal arrangement onto paper and clarifies responsibilities for the portion of the park within Sierra Madre city limits. City staff and the city attorney drafted the deal over several months with input from the county after recognizing the park had been operated informally “on a handshake.” The council removed the item from the consent calendar for discussion before voting.

Analyst James Carlson and staff told council members the city’s responsibilities would be limited to the Sierra Madre portion of the park shown in Exhibit A; the county retains ownership and responsibility for the debris basin north of that boundary. Carlson said the city is not taking responsibility for the debris basin and that the county road and debris basin would remain county‑maintained. The agreement permits the city to perform intermittent trash removal, minor shrub clearance along the access road and improvements to the park within the city portion.

Staff estimated a one‑time parking‑lot resurfacing and restriping cost at about $50,000–$60,000; staff described that as a conservative cost for resurfacing that has not been done in roughly 20 years. City staff also told council the annual landscaping and maintenance services the city currently pays under its existing contracts are already covering much of the work in the park; the city’s landscaper bid package showed citywide merchant/landscaping costs estimated at about $127,000 per year, with an incremental estimate of roughly $2,200 to include Bailey Canyon maintenance under an upcoming contract.

Council members pressed staff on scope and fiscal exposure. Several members asked whether the five‑year timing for completing enumerated improvements in the agreement was realistic given the city’s fiscal constraints. Analyst Carlson said the list of anticipated improvements initially focused on the parking lot and restrooms and that other work would only proceed if funding sources were identified. Staff said the city’s risk‑management authority (CIRA) would be notified so the city’s insurance obligations and premiums could be adjusted in the next renewal cycle if the agreement is approved.

Councilmembers also asked about the post‑fire condition of the canyon and trails. Carlson described significant washouts and damage in the canyon, saying FEMA and engineering work will be required for some trail repairs; a major washout was described as 6–9 feet deep and 25–40 feet wide in places, and the former footbridge site sits approximately 250 feet north of the point where the city’s maintained trail begins.

Opposition on fiscal grounds arose during discussion: one council member said the city is facing a future budget deficit and expressed reluctance to add potential maintenance and insurance liability. Supporters of the agreement said codifying responsibilities reduces the risk the county would close or grade the area and that formalizing the arrangement better protects public access and preserves the trailhead and oak grove.

After discussion the council approved the use agreement. Staff will notify the city’s self‑insurance pool (CIRA) and incorporate the park into the next insurance renewal; staff said any premium adjustments will be applied to the next fiscal year.

Why this matters: the agreement converts long‑standing informal maintenance into formal obligations and clarifies liability and cost responsibility between the city and the county. The deal gives Sierra Madre authority to improve and manage the park portion within city boundaries but also creates a potential long‑term maintenance and insurance commitment that council members said they considered against other city budget priorities.