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Supervisor Pyska updates BVAC on FEMA reforms, home‑hardening program and Mount Konocti trail gift
Summary
Supervisor Jessica Pyska told the council she has worked on FEMA reform in D.C., described lessons learned from Lahaina, and provided an update on a FEMA/CalOES‑funded home‑hardening program managed by North Coast Opportunities that has completed 62 homes; she also announced a $186,000 donor gift for Mount Konocti trails.
Supervisor Jessica Pyska told the Big Valley Area Council on May 13 that she has been working on FEMA reform in Washington, D.C., as part of a task force and that Congress’s DHS funding package orders FEMA to build a public‑facing dashboard to track applications and their progress. Pyska said counties currently pay costs up front and await reimbursement, citing Santa Cruz County as an example that took bonds at 8% interest to cover those payments.
Pyska described lessons from recent disaster response work in Lahaina, Hawaii, including problems with siren activation and blocked evacuation routes; she said the lessons are relevant to Lake County neighborhoods with limited road access such as the Rivieras. She noted that siren testing in Lake County is managed by the Sheriff’s Office.
On wildfire mitigation, Pyska provided details on a home‑hardening program funded by FEMA and CalOES and managed by North Coast Opportunities. The program retrofits existing homes to align with Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) home‑hardening standards, includes defensible‑space measures and zone‑based treatments, and had completed its 62nd home the night before the meeting. Pyska said staff from several lawmakers’ offices and multiple insurance companies toured the retrofit homes; insurers later identified properties they might be willing to underwrite, including one insurer that had previously left the county. Pyska added that about "3 million houses were built before 2009 when the code changed," a figure she cited in the course of explaining the scale of older‑construction risk.
Board member Arnaud Hubert and others discussed barriers to homeowner uptake, including cost and attachment to nearby vegetation; Pyska said the program is training contractors in home hardening and encouraged residents to visit wildfireprepare.org for information.
Pyska also announced a donor bequest of $186,000 specifically for trail development on Mount Konocti. The Board of Supervisors accepted the funds in March; the Redwood Trail Alliance, which lists Lake County in its bylaws though it currently has no local trails, has reengaged with the county and will help pursue grants to supplement the donation. The amount has been included in the proposed 2026‑2027 budget.
Finally, Pyska reported that the Kelseyville Sidewalk Project along Konocti Road is underway (an $810,000 project with $450,000 provided by Congressman Mike Thompson), the Event Center renovation is delayed until August, and the county’s Roads Plan will be presented to the BOS on June 2.
