Measure R annual report: $3.9M revenue and wildfire spending highlighted; staff previews new state housing laws and local implementation

Orinda — The city—ommission appointed to oversee Measure R spending presented its annual report to the City Council, highlighting fiscal results and wildfire‑mitigation programming, and city planning staff followed with a rapid update on 2025 state housing legislation and local implementation steps.

Judd Hammond, presenting the Supplemental Sales Tax Oversight Commission (SSTOC) report for fiscal year 2024–25, said Measure R revenue for the year was "a little over 3.9, almost $4,000,000 in revenue," while expenditures were nearly $3.5 million and the ending fund balance rose to about $6.8 million. Hammond said the commission spent roughly $1,000,000 on wildfire risk reduction and almost $2,400,000 (about 69% of expenditures) on major storm drain repairs during the year.

The SSTOC report reviewed several wildfire‑related programs funded by Measure R, including the popular chipper program, an increased fuel reduction incentive (the council raised the per‑household reimbursement cap to $1,000 last year, which increased participation), and public education work such as the Orinda Ready evacuation modeling website. Hammond said the commission put 130 evacuation scenarios into the Ladris system and is tracking progress on mitigation measures, grants and regional coordination.

Council members asked about program design and outreach: whether to increase individual incentives versus neighborhood (group) grants, how to reach elderly residents who may need help applying, and whether red‑flag no‑parking restrictions should expand to additional roads. SSTOC members and staff said they had proposed ad hoc working groups on education and grants, that Firewise neighborhood groups are local partners for outreach, and that staff will return with recommendations on incentive program adjustments and a more detailed outreach strategy.

After the SSTOC presentation, staff provided a preview of 2025 state housing legislation and how it may affect local permitting. Principal planner Christine Thompson outlined AB130/AB131 (budget trailer bills providing expanded CEQA exemptions for qualifying infill projects effective 06/30/2025), SB684 (small subdivision law facilitating up to 10 units under objective standards), SB79 (transit‑oriented development guidance that largely applies to urban counties), SB9 (lot splits/duplexes and ADU rules), SB35 (streamlining for multifamily where jurisdictions show insufficient progress), and related laws. Staff said Orinda has seen roughly two dozen SB9 applications since 2022 and will return to council with more quantitative and qualitative analysis of how these state laws are being used locally.

City staff committed to improving transparency by publishing a development projects page and to provide the council with more granular, Orinda‑specific information on SB9 activity, 11/23 (SB1123) implications for very high fire severity zones, and mid‑cycle housing element progress metrics that could trigger state streamlining requirements. Council members requested case‑level examples (e.g., whether SB9 applications resulted in lot splits, ADUs, or new single‑family houses) and more detail on what would be required for ministerial SB35 eligibility.

What to watch: Staff said more detailed implementation reports will come back to council in the next month or two, including annual progress reporting to the state and specific recommendations from SSTOC working groups on incentive grants and education.