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Temecula council backs wildfire work plan, refers citywide CWPP to general plan ad hoc and flags emergency operations center for budget discussion
Summary
The Temecula City Council on April 8 received an updated wildfire mitigation briefing and unanimously referred a proposed citywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan to the General Plan ad hoc subcommittee while asking staff to consider Emergency Operations Center options in budget discussions.
The Temecula City Council on April 8 received a staff update on wildfire mitigation, endorsed continued work already underway with Caltrans and the county flood control district, and unanimously referred a proposed citywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and related items to the council’s General Plan ad hoc subcommittee. Councilmembers also directed that potential Emergency Operations Center (EOC) costs and options be considered in the city’s upcoming budget discussions.
Deputy City Manager/Deputy Director of Community Development presented six priority items requested by the council: Caltrans vegetation clearance under I‑15, completion and expansion of the existing CWPP, standing up a citywide CWPP, wildfire outreach and education (Fire Safe Council / Firewise Community / HOA collaboration / WUI Day), evacuation planning, and exploration of an EOC. Staff reported Caltrans would begin mid‑April clearance under the freeway at no cost to the city and that some flood control district work already completed reduced the scope of what Temecula would need to fund.
Deputy staff estimated the planning phase of a full citywide CWPP could cost between $500,000 and $2 million and take roughly two years (grant applications, planning and getting to implementation). Staff characterized an EOC as a longer-term capital project with a low-end development cost estimate of about $5 million, dependent on scope, land, technology and personnel needs.
Council discussion stressed a mix of short-term, low-cost “easy wins” (education, HOA outreach, targeted fuel reduction) and longer-term planning. Councilmember Ron said grant funding should be pursued but recommended the city not indefinitely delay a CWPP if grants do not materialize, saying, "if we're not successful in some discreet time period I think it's best that we, you know, fund this ourselves." Several council members urged standing up evacuation planning immediately; staff said an evacuation plan is already funded in-house with a 12–18 month time frame.
Action: Council moved and unanimously approved a motion to receive the presentation, refer the wildfire mitigation work plan to the General Plan ad hoc subcommittee for further work, and to address the EOC as part of the upcoming budget workshops. The motion passed on a verbal roll call with unanimous support.
Council asked staff to coordinate with neighboring cities, county agencies and Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians on grant opportunities and implementation. Staff and council members also emphasized outreach to HOAs and residents on defensible-space guidance, home hardening and a proposed Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) preparedness day.
The city manager said staff will pursue grant applications and continue the Caltrans and flood-control coordination already underway.
