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City moves emergency management to Community Development, pursues wildfire grants and examines goat-grazing pilot funding
Summary
Staff said the emergency management function is moving to Community Development and the city is recruiting an emergency-management specialist. The city is applying for hazard-mitigation and fire-risk grants and is exploring options to continue a goat-grazing pilot program with grant funding as a long-term option.
City staff told the committee that emergency-management responsibilities will be assigned to the Community Development Department and that the city has recruited an emergency-management specialist, Rachel Perez, who will take on administrative tasks to move that function from Public Works into Community Development.
Staff said the city is actively applying for grants focused on wildfire preparedness and prevention, including a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) application due at the end of the week and an OCFA-notified fire-risk reduction communities grant expected to open next month. Staff noted FEMA administers HMGP funds and cautioned federal grant timelines can be long.
On the goat-grazing pilot, staff said the current pilot was provided by a private provider, Mr. Kaye, at no cost to the city. If the city wants an ongoing, city-contracted grazing service, staff said it would require a request-for-proposal process. Staff said one HMGP application being submitted this week includes potential funding for goat grazing in coming years, but that such federal funding would likely not be available until mid-2027 if approved.
Ending: Staff said they will continue seeking grants to support wildfire risk reduction and will explore interim funding for grazing programs if needed while waiting for larger federal grant outcomes.
