Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Taft council asks staff to explore Cal Fire 'Firewise' designation and to include downtown code enforcement updates in future reports
Summary
Council members asked staff to investigate a Cal Fire ‘Firewise’ designation to address recent insurance cancellations and rate increases and asked the fire chief and planning staff to report back on options and code-enforcement activity affecting downtown blight.
Council members asked the Taft City Council on Tuesday to investigate whether local actions and a Cal Fire “Firewise” community designation could reduce recent homeowner and business insurance cancellations or premium spikes, and asked staff to provide a report to the council on options.
Councilman Crier (identified in the transcript) said he knew “one business and 21 residents” whose insurance had been canceled or sharply increased after the area’s wildland-urban interface designation. He asked staff to investigate the Firewise program and explore outreach to state representatives (he named Shannon Grove and Stan Ellis during the discussion) and the county board of supervisors. The council agreed that a practical first step was to ask the fire chief to provide an informational report; the chief (referred to in the transcript as Chief Duncan) already reports on station activity and can be requested to bring wildfire risk/designation guidance and mitigation options.
Separately, council members pressed for clearer public reporting about downtown blight and code-enforcement activity. Council members asked the planning department and code-enforcement staff to include enforcement activity and economic-development updates in upcoming planning or staff reports so the public can see what is being done and when court actions or special counsel involvement have been necessary.
Why it matters: Council direction responds to residents’ financial hardship from insurance changes and to ongoing concerns about vacant or deteriorating downtown properties. Staff follow-up could identify practical mitigation steps (homeowner defensible-space programs, Firewise community actions, or local ordinance enforcement) and inform residents about timelines and resources.
Ending: Council members requested staff coordination; the mayor and council directed the fire chief and planning department to bring back information in a future meeting so the council can decide on next steps.
