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Ojai council presses for faster wildfire mitigation; asks staff to present options including Fire Safe Council proposal
Summary
The Ojai City Council on June 17 directed staff to prepare a concept-review item that lays out options for wildfire risk reduction, including pursuing partnerships and grant acquisition and evaluating a proposal from the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council.
The Ojai City Council directed staff on June 17 to bring back a concept-review agenda item laying out options to speed wildfire-risk reduction in and around the city, including pursuing partner agreements, grant acquisition and educational outreach and evaluating a written proposal from the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council.
Council members and public commenters repeatedly described wildfire mitigation as an urgent priority as Ventura County experienced multiple brush-fire responses this week. Randy Coggin, a board member of the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council, told the council the group has submitted a proposal and said it is prepared to perform the work. “Now is the time to act,” Coggin said during public comment, noting crews and mutual‑aid responses the prior day.
The council asked staff to present options that would allow the city to move quickly without precluding broader competition. City Manager Benjamin Harvey said staff could prepare a concept review that either (a) directs staff to develop a scope for an RFQ/RFP based on council discussion, or (b) presents the Fire Safe Council’s proposal (or a subset) for concept review and public input so the council can decide whether to negotiate a contract. Harvey warned that adding a substantial new packet item to the next regular meeting would compress staff’s agenda‑posting schedule and might be published late in the packet cycle; staff said it would attempt to post any concept item as soon as possible.
Public commenters urged the council to act quickly. Renee Roth and other residents urged the council to appoint a city liaison and to pursue available state grant funding for defensible-space work and home hardening; commenters referenced recent state allocations and the necessity of local coordination to access funds. Council members asked staff to include how partnerships, volunteer training, and phased implementation could fit into grant applications and immediate steps to reduce hazardous fuels.
Council direction was procedural rather than a contract award: members asked staff to return a concept-review staff report that outlines a menu of services, potential timelines, and next steps for either soliciting competing bids or negotiating with the Fire Safe Council. Any contract award would require a future council action with a public agenda report.
The council also discussed logistics and timing for public meetings to consider the proposal; members agreed to continue the goals workshop process and to place the wildfire concept review on an upcoming agenda as staff availability allows.
