Sen. Tim Grayson convenes East Bay wildfire preparedness meeting; Orinda to join regional working group

Orinda council members reported a regional meeting convened by state Sen. Tim Grayson that brought together about 40 local and regional officials and agency representatives to begin forming an East Bay wildfire preparedness working group.

Council members said the June meeting included representatives from East Bay Regional Park District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, PG&E, Caltrans, multiple fire agencies (including Moraga‑Orinda Fire District and Contra Costa agencies), local city officials and district staff from Sen. Grayson's office. The meeting was invitation only and focused on brainstorming shared vulnerabilities and coordinated responses rather than assigning blame.

Why it matters: council members said a coordinated master plan could help jurisdictions identify shared needs (vegetation management, evacuation routes, fire road access), prioritize projects, reduce redundant planning and form a stronger basis for regional or state funding requests. Participants also discussed permitting obstacles and potential CEQA streamlining to allow more efficient vegetation management.

Highlights from the meeting and follow up

- Formation of a working group: notes from breakout sessions will be aggregated and the senator's office will coordinate next steps. The stated product is an East Bay wildfire master plan identifying vulnerabilities and collaborative priorities.

- Multi‑agency participation: councils reported attendees included park, utility, Caltrans and multiple fire jurisdictions; the broad participation was described by council members and staff as a productive first step.

- Near‑term aims: coordinate vegetation management across jurisdictional lines, identify potential evacuation routes and fire roads that cross non‑city lands, and develop a shared case for funding to support maintenance and mitigation.

Council reaction: council members said the meeting's value was in getting agencies together to discuss practical barriers (for example, working with Caltrans on evacuation access or streamlining permits for vegetation work) and that the East Bay Regional Park District signaled interest in expanding vegetation management with outside funding. One participant, Chief Isaac, was quoted in the meeting summary as saying, "The only thing worse than no plan is... the second worst thing is having two plans," underscoring the argument for a single regional approach.

Outcome: the senator's office will circulate aggregated notes and convene a working group to draft a regional wildfire master plan; no formal council action was required at the June 3 meeting.