The Madera County Board of Supervisors approved a package of public‑safety and related actions during a regular meeting, including an agreement with the State of California to station a CAL FIRE engine at the county’s new North Fork Fire Station 11, a funding arrangement to construct a Riverstone fire station paid by developer impact fees, adoption of an urgency ordinance that limits open flames at short‑term rentals, and several items to advance county project management and public‑safety planning.

Why it matters: The actions are intended to improve response times and wildfire resilience in eastern and foothill parts of the county, lock in state staffing at a new joint station in North Fork, and reduce fire risk from visitor‑occupied short‑term rentals in fire‑prone areas.

The board voted unanimously on the package. Key decisions included: approval of a co‑habitation agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to place a CAL FIRE engine and associated staffing and equipment at the county’s newly completed Station 11 in North Fork; authorization of a funding agreement with the Grove Land Development Corporation to pay for construction and debt service of the Riverstone fire station from development impact fees; and adoption of an urgency ordinance amending the county’s municipal code to restrict charcoal and wood fires, require minimum clearances for outdoor cooking appliances at short‑term rentals, and permit only propane or natural gas outdoor fireplaces under defined conditions.

CAL FIRE co‑location at North Fork Station 11
The board approved an agreement allowing a CAL FIRE engine to be housed at County Fire Station 11 in North Fork with state staffing assigned to that engine year‑round. The county and CAL FIRE will maintain coverage when a state engine is deployed by arranging a cover engine so the community is not left without protection. County staff and CAL FIRE representatives said the arrangement is intended to shorten response times for both wildland and structural/medical calls in that area; board members also noted the station will serve routine medical and vehicle‑accident responses in addition to wildfire suppression. The county expects final move‑in after completion of telecom and communications work; a ribbon‑cutting was discussed for June. The motion passed 5–0 (roll call recorded; tally 5 yes, 0 no).

Riverstone fire station funding agreement
Supervisors authorized a funding agreement with Grove Land Development Corporation for construction and debt service of a new three‑bay Riverstone fire station. Staff said impact fees collected from Riverstone and nearby parcels will fund the project; current deposits from those fees were described as about $4,000,000 with roughly $1.5 million anticipated annually during buildout. Staff estimated the station’s construction value at about $14,000,000; the developer is contractually backstopping any annual shortfalls in debt service under the agreement. The board approved the agreement 5–0.

Short‑term rental fire‑safety urgency ordinance
The board adopted an urgency amendment to the Madera County municipal code (fire‑safety provisions applying to short‑term rentals), citing the Government Code authority for urgency action and CEQA exemptions cited in the staff report. The ordinance prohibits charcoal grills and guest‑provided outdoor cooking devices at short‑term rentals, requires a minimum 10‑foot clearance from structures (or flame‑resistant barriers if 10 feet is not feasible), allows only propane or natural‑gas outdoor fireplaces with specified tank limits, and bars guests from bringing their own fire pits or wood bonfires to rental properties. Staff and fire officials said the rules apply year‑round to short‑term rentals to reduce visitor‑caused ignitions; supervisors discussed an alternate approach limited to an identified “fire season” but ultimately supported the year‑round urgency measure. The ordinance was adopted by roll call vote 5–0.

Other public‑safety and budgetary actions
- Behavioral health: The board accepted unanticipated federal mental‑health revenue (line 24‑136) and authorized transferring the $3,500,000 to provider payment lines to support CalAIM‑related service expansion. Motion carried 5–0.
- Project delivery and construction management: The board approved staff’s recommendation to retain the staff‑augmentation model for construction project management, directed staff to issue a request for statements of qualifications for that model, and extended the county’s current agreement with a construction‑management vendor (Kitchell) to provide continuity while the RFP process proceeds. Supervisors emphasized continuity for projects such as the SB 1022 jail project and ongoing behavioral‑health facility work. Motion carried 5–0.
- Public‑safety needs analysis: Supervisors directed staff to publish an RFP for a comprehensive public‑safety needs analysis across sheriff, fire, district attorney and probation services. Staff estimated the consultant study could cost on the order of a few hundred thousand dollars, to be refined in the RFP process. Motion carried 5–0.
- Assessment District 89‑1 (Pines Tract, Bass Lake): The board held a public hearing and extended the annual $100 per parcel road maintenance assessment (about 562 parcels; roughly six miles of road) as recommended by Public Works and the homeowners association. Motion carried 5–0.

Energy credits, consent calendar and public questions
On the consent calendar, the board approved an item (5e) authorizing county staff and its auditors to prepare filings to claim federal energy‑investment credits tied to a recently commissioned county energy project. Staff and supervisors noted a typographical error in the backup materials and clarified that the county expects eligibility for approximately $1,085,000 (not $1,000,000,000 as misprinted). The board approved the consent item with the corrected figure. During public comment, a resident asked about FEMA reimbursements related to a prior flood emergency and whether the county had been reimbursed by the bankruptcy court for funds advanced to Madera Community Hospital; staff deferred those follow‑up questions to departments and said they would provide more information offline.

Groundwater measurement and accounting (GSA)
The Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) director reported that two existing satellite‑measurement contracts (Land IQ and HyperSat/EeroWatch) expire at year‑end and recommended issuing an RFP that would allow bidders to propose measurement services and/or a groundwater‑accounting platform that integrates meter data, farm‑unit identifiers, and accounting logic. The board’s GSA direction included broader outreach and an intention to evaluate accounting platforms alongside measurement vendors.

Flow‑meter rules: The GSA also adopted refined rules to allow privately owned groundwater flow meters as the primary measurement method when they meet standards. Key refinements: number‑one, a calibration requirement every two years but with the calibration due date allowed to fall at the end of the calendar year for grower flexibility; number‑two, a defined 10 business‑day window to replace failed meters; number‑three, a grace window to submit monthly meter data between the 11th and 20th of the month (the regular submission window remains the 1st–10th); number‑four, criteria that shift accounts to satellite measurement when data are unusable or missing for two months in a calendar year. The GSA rules were adopted as presented.

What the board asked and next steps
Supervisors pressed staff on response‑time standards (NFPA 1720 benchmarks were discussed) and on the need to recruit and retain paid‑call firefighters (PCFs) in eastern communities even after the state engine is placed at North Fork. CAL FIRE and county fire staff said the state engine will perform structure and medical calls as well as wildland suppression, and they described cover‑engine arrangements when state resources are assigned elsewhere. For the Riverstone station, staff will advance bonding and construction documents; for Station 11, staff said telecommunications work is underway and formal engine placement will follow final signoff. The county will proceed with the RFPs and contract extension work authorized by the board and return with contract awards, scopes and timelines as those procurement processes conclude.

The board voted unanimously on the substantive items summarized above; staff identified several grant deadlines and active projects that required continuity of construction‑management services while the board considers longer‑term procurement options.