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City weighs options after grazing contractor costs rise; Council to keep 2025 program at current funding level
Summary
City staff told the council labor and contractor cost changes have pushed grazing prices up; staff recommended keeping grazing limited to priority perimeters this season and pursuing enforcement and alternative funding approaches for the remainder.
City staff told the council that rising contractor labor costs and changes in wage application have increased the cost of citywide grazing, and recommended a scaled approach for the coming season while staff develops longer‑term funding and enforcement options.
Scott (city open‑space manager) explained that a California labor clarification affecting contractor overtime pay has increased grazing contractor costs. Staff estimates fully restoring grazing to historic levels across all city open space would add roughly $300,000 annually above the current budgeted amount.
City staff recommended retaining grazing at the historically budgeted level — about $214,000 — this year and using contractors to graze approximately 100 feet behind home perimeters and other priority edges shown on a city map. The work the city plans to keep funded also includes disked fire breaks closer to developed parcels, a practice staff said is important to reduce wildfire fuel adjacent to homes.
City leaders discussed alternatives including a larger program that would cost an additional roughly $200,000 and a general‑fund supplement; staff and Chief Mejia (Public Safety) said the immediate public‑safety needs could be funded from other public‑safety priorities if council chose that route but cautioned about sustainability.
Staff said options to reduce city expense include stronger enforcement on private property owners who fail to manage fuels on land they own — the city can notify owners, require abatement work, and potentially recover costs as an assessment on property tax rolls — and exploring multi‑year or incremental rate changes for affected assessment districts.
Council expressed support for the limited option for this season, asked staff to pursue private‑property enforcement and outreach to large landowners and HOAs that already self‑grazed, and encouraged staff to return with a financial model. One council member also raised the idea of a city‑run herd as a long‑term alternative; staff said scaling up to the herd the city would need (estimated thousands of animals to mimic contractor capacity) would require a business plan and was not an immediate solution.
Why it matters: The grazing program intersects with park aesthetics, habitat management and wildfire fuel reduction around neighborhoods; choices affect assessment district rates and city budgets.
