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Council approves goat-grazing and contractor contracts to expand weed abatement for wildfire prevention
Summary
Council awarded two contracts — Goat (Fire Grazers) and SoCal Brush — selecting staff’s Option 2 to expand coverage while lowering projected costs; staff said early-year costs require a FY26 augmentation (~$150,158).
Palos Verdes Estates — After extensive questioning about maps, overlap with existing contractors and timing, the City Council on Feb. 10 voted to award two contracts for citywide fire-safety weed abatement: a goat-grazing contract (Fire Grazers) and a traditional hand/contractor service contract (SoCal Brush). The council adopted staff-recommended Option 2, which staff said increases area coverage while controlling cost.
Public Works presented maps showing the blue zones planned for goats and red zones for hand crews. Staff said the goats are effective in locations where hand crews sometimes create a ring of cleared margin but leave interior fuel; goats can access steeper or irregular terrain and chew fuel more comprehensively. Staff described scheduling (goats typically deployed April–September) and coordination with the existing Bennett contract; staff also flagged a one-time fiscal-year timing impact and requested an augmentation of $150,158.20 to cover initial year overlap.
Council members asked about overlap, transitional risks between contractors, the size of goat herds and public outreach to reduce complaint risk; staff said overlap appeared limited (staff estimate ~15–20% overlap in medians) and committed to cleaning maps and performing field inspections. Supporters applauded the potential for greater coverage and cost savings under Option 2.
The motion to award both contracts and adopt Option 2 passed by voice vote.
