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Council approves $482,788 wildfire‑mitigation agreement with Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council, with 90‑day review
Summary
After public comment and questions about scope and grant leverage, the Ojai City Council approved a $482,788 proposal from the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council to deliver community wildfire‑mitigation services, adding a 90‑day performance review clause and directing staff-level follow-up.
The Ojai City Council voted 3–2 on June 24 to fund a $482,788 wildfire‑mitigation and risk‑reduction program proposed by the nonprofit Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council, a plan that blends home‑hardening assessments, community outreach and grant‑leveraging work across the city and valley.
Nut graf: Councilors debated whether existing county and nonprofit programs already cover some of the proposal’s elements; proponents urged swift action to fund boots‑on‑the‑ground efforts, neighborhood planning and grant applications designed to accelerate defensible‑space and home‑hardening work.
What the contract would do: The council packet and the Fire Safe Council’s scope describe a multi‑year program that includes community outreach and training (Firewise/Terramina neighborhood programs), a target number of home‑hardening assessments in the city, fuel‑reduction coordination, beacon (information) boxes to aid incoming mutual‑aid crews, and grant writing and administration to expand the work with state and federal funding.
Council discussion and public comment: Councilors asked whether the work duplicates or complements existing Cal FIRE, Ventura County Fire Protection District and Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council programs. The Fire Safe Council’s representatives and a long list of public commenters — including residents and nonprofit leaders — said the group is already partnered with regional bodies, has a track record of leveraging funds and can deliver targeted work quickly. Some councilors asked staff to clarify which elements might already be funded through grants and where the city would be adding staff or matching funds.
Vote and conditions: The council approved the proposal with a 90‑day assessment clause to evaluate progress and coordination with other agencies. The roll call on the motion recorded the following votes: Council member Whitman voted no; Council member May voted no; Council member Raul voted yes; Mayor Pro Tem Lang voted yes; Mayor Gilman voted yes. Council asked the city manager to return with details of existing grant arrangements and to coordinate with county and regional partners to make sure work is complementary and not duplicative.
Why this matters: The council’s decision funnels substantial municipal support into a wildfire program the city’s leaders and many residents called urgent, while also trying to ensure taxpayer funds are leveraged with outside grants. The council’s 90‑day review clause gives it a short testing period to assess whether the nonprofit’s deliverables, partnerships and grant leveraging perform as promised.
Ending: The Fire Safe Council will begin work under the agreement and staff will return to council with coordination and grant‑status updates during the 90‑day review period.
