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Ojai council directs $1 million placeholder for wildfire mitigation from Measure C funds
Summary
City staff presented Measure C revenues and expenditures and the council voted to direct staff to include a $1,000,000 annual placeholder for wildfire risk reduction and fuel-reduction projects in upcoming budget documents and CIP updates. The motion passed unanimously with follow-up reporting required.
The Ojai City Council on Aug. 12 directed staff to include a $1,000,000 annual placeholder from Measure C revenues for wildfire risk-reduction work, including fuel-reduction projects, siren estimates and related planning.
City Manager Ben Harvey told the council staff had prepared a Measure C accounting showing an ending fund balance of about $2 million and recommended setting aside $1,000,000 to support fire mitigation while preserving capacity for other ballot-authorized categories. “If you did that, we’d bring back a revised CIP and budget amendment,” Harvey said during the presentation.
The council debated whether to set a fixed dollar amount or a percentage-based policy; members said they preferred a near-term placeholder now and a formal Measure C policy this fall that would define allocation categories and review cadence. Council member Whitman said the placeholder “gives us the capacity to make a decision down the road” while Council member Meng asked staff to return with policy options and clearer boundaries between climate and fire projects.
The motion — directing the city manager to prepare a CIP/budget amendment reflecting the $1,000,000 placeholder and to return with a Measure C policy for council review — passed on a roll call vote of 5-0.
Clarifying details: staff said the $1,000,000 figure is a planning ceiling, not a commitment to immediate contracts, and that some projects (for example, fuel-reduction work on hillside corridors) could require additional environmental and permitting work; earlier similar efforts (Stewart Canyon) had costs approaching $1 million. Staff also said many fuel-reduction activities may trigger CEQA/NEPA and encroachment permitting and that the Fire Safe Council’s revised proposal will be returned to council for further detail.
Next steps: staff will present a revised CIP and proposed budget amendment reflecting the council direction and will return proposed Measure C policy language for formal adoption and allocation guidance.
