Measure B firefighters complete academy; midyear budget shows progress on vegetation management

The Measure B-funded firefighters in Grass Valley completed a two-week in-house academy in early January and have been assigned to regular shifts, the fire chief told the Measure B Committee on Jan. 13.

In a department update, the chief said California Consulting helped secure a $113,500 grant for the fire department and that the department has purchased new battery-powered gasification/cutting tools with grant proceeds. ‘‘We just purchased, a few sets of, heat sold or gasification tools that are, battery powered,’’ the chief said, describing the equipment as lighter and more powerful for firefighters.

Staff also reviewed midyear budget figures through Dec. 31, 2025. Tim, the city manager, presented an accounting report showing Measure B salaries for the six-month activity period totaled roughly $96,819.45 and that staff estimate they treated about 100 acres in that time, a salary-only comparison that Tim presented as approximately $1,000 per acre. Tim noted that other operating and capital costs exist and that the $1,000 figure was a simplified calculation comparing salaries to acres treated.

Tim said contract services is budgeted at $1,550,000 but that only about $11,000 has been used so far. He explained a negative fund line was due to use of reserves from a prior year and that those reserves are expected to be replenished as grant work and tax receipts continue.

Why it matters: Committee members said the additional staffing and on-the-ground vegetation work have improved response capacity, mutual-aid contributions and treatment efficiency; staff said the program aims to balance vegetation reduction and tree preservation while focusing on perimeter hardening and high-capacity facilities.

Next steps: Staff will continue outreach on vegetation priorities, report grant awards as they are received, and present more detailed budget updates and program metrics to the committee in future meetings.