Committee accepts insurance-tracking report, plans Town Council briefing and Feb. 5 special meeting

The Portola Valley Wildfire Preparedness Committee accepted an insurance-tracking report compiled by Wanda that summarized responses from 117 residents across four years. The report recorded 54 insurance cancellations, 16 reported premium increases, 37 respondents with combined home-and-fire insurance, 4 respondents with no home or fire insurance, and 3 respondents with home insurance but not fire insurance.

Wanda cautioned that 117 responses are not statistically significant for a town of about 1,700 homes but said the responses offered useful anecdotal insight. "We got back 117 responses. That's not a statistically significant number, but I thought it was interesting to hear the responses," she told the committee. Wanda said the data did not show a correlation between denser housing (guest houses or ADUs) and cancellations.

Committee members discussed whether the report should be formally forwarded to the Town Council and how best to present it. Rebecca Flynn, the Town Council liaison, recommended consulting the town manager on timing and format for a council briefing. The committee agreed to include the insurance-tracking material in the committee's Feb. 25 Town Council update and to hold a special meeting on Feb. 5 to review and finalize the presentation materials.

Wanda moved that the committee accept the report; a member seconded and the committee voted by show of hands to accept it. The committee will present the report as part of its Feb. 25 update to the Town Council and will circulate materials to committee members ahead of the Feb. 5 special meeting.