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County staff outline AB 747 obligations, urge clearer evacuation-capacity standards
Summary
Ventura County’s Director of Emergency Services and the County Fire Department told the Oak Park MAC the county is updating its hazard mitigation plan and working to integrate AB 747 evacuation-route requirements into the General Plan, but said objective standards for future development remain unresolved and may require legislative action.
Ventura County officials updated the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council May 28 on AB 747 requirements and the county’s work to strengthen evacuation planning.
Patrick Maynard, Ventura County Director of Emergency Services, told the council that AB 747 (enacted 2019) requires jurisdictions to identify evacuation-route capacity and constraints and that Ventura County is updating its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan as part of broader efforts to comply. "Compliance can be achieved through incorporation into the County's General Plan and related planning documents," Maynard said, and he estimated the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan update will conclude in about a year.
Maynard said AB 747 represents an advance in evacuation planning but stressed that objective standards for evaluating traffic and evacuation capacity are still lacking. "Establishing objective standards for evacuation planning is ultimately a matter for the Legislature," he told councilmembers, adding that county staff are engaged with neighboring jurisdictions, including Agoura Hills, which is conducting a comprehensive General Plan update.
Battalion Chief Chad Williams of the Ventura County Fire Department joined the presentation to describe vegetation management and wildfire-preparedness efforts. Williams emphasized that certain vegetation-clearance responsibilities fall to Southern California Edison around utility infrastructure in designated Fire Hazard Reduction Program areas and urged residents to report concerns to Edison when appropriate.
Councilmembers expressed appreciation for the presentation and said residents remain anxious about proposed development, traffic congestion, and evacuation preparedness. Jane Nye thanked Maynard for the update; Brian Trushinski asked about interagency coordination with Agoura Hills, and Maynard said Ventura County agencies are participating in Agoura Hills’ analysis.
The presentation did not result in immediate policy changes. County staff said the hazard mitigation update and continued interagency coordination are the next steps and that inclusion of AB 747-related provisions in the General Plan will be a future agenda and outreach item.
