Orinda to negotiate contract with Fires Safe Maragarinda to expand fuel‑reduction outreach and grants

The Orinda City Council on April 7 agreed to move forward with negotiations for a one‑year service contract with Fires Safe Maragarinda (FSMO) to administer and expand the city's wildfire fuel‑reduction incentive program and neighborhood grants. The Supplemental Sales Tax Oversight Commission (SSTOC) ad hoc subcommittee recommended the arrangement after multiple meetings, and staff said the arrangement aims to scale outreach, improve grant administration, and leverage FSMO's neighborhood networks.

Mickey Cronin, staff liaison to SSTOC, explained the recommendation and described a history of incremental program changes intended to increase participation in the city's incentive awards program. "The commission recommended increasing that award to $1,000," Cronin said, noting that raising the individual incentive produced measurable increases in homeowner participation. SSTOC member Brad Barber told council the commission believes FSMO's community networks and administrative capacity could make the combined programs "greater than the sum of the parts."

FSMO representatives described recent local work and new grants. Mark Evans, FSMO president, said the group had completed several neighborhood projects and recently received a $40,000 county award to support vulnerable residents and a $100,000 PG&E award for vegetation work near substations. Rob Schroeder, FSMO executive director, outlined the group's procurement practices—group contractor walkthroughs and bundled bids—designed to reduce per‑unit costs for vegetation removal and home‑hardening work.

Staff framed the proposed structure as a service contract (reimbursement basis) rather than a direct grant. The contract includes administrative reimbursement (a 12% overhead placeholder based on common federal grant rates), quarterly reporting to SSTOC, and performance incentives tied to measured increases in program participation. The total not‑to‑exceed amount discussed in the meeting was $450,000, which would be used for neighborhood grants, individual homeowner reimbursements and FSMO administration; staff said actual payments would be reimbursements tied to completed projects and reporting.

Council members pressed FSMO and staff on oversight and transparency. Questions focused on how Orinda funds would be tracked so city dollars pay for Orinda projects, how FSMO prioritizes projects (high wildfire-risk zones, vulnerable residents, proximity to evacuation routes), and how FSMO would avoid co-mingling city funds with other grant funds. FSMO and staff said projects funded by Orinda would be reimbursed through Orinda-specific accounting and that quarterly reports would document projects, locations, bids and invoices. Staff also noted the contract would return to council for formal approval after negotiations.

Council support was broadly positive but coupled with requests for tight oversight. Several councilors praised FSMO's grassroots reach and its ability to bundle projects to cut contractor costs. One council member emphasized the need to preserve Measure R funds and urged the city and FSMO to seek matching contributions from the Moraga‑Orinda Fire District and other grant sources during FSMO’s contract term.

Next steps: Staff will negotiate a service contract with FSMO that includes quarterly reporting, clear accounting for Orinda‑funded projects, and performance metrics; the contract will return to council for formal approval. FSMO and staff committed to transparent quarterly updates to SSTOC and the council and said the contract can be canceled for cause if oversight obligations are not met.