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Residents press council to clear deadbrush and require electric equipment; staff points to $2 million Cal Fire grant
Summary
Several Mission Viejo residents urged immediate trimming and removal of dead acacia and other tinder around Oso Creek and Casa Del Sol, warning of high fire risk; staff said the city received a $2,000,000 Cal Fire fuel-reduction grant and will prepare an RFP to address long-neglected areas while council discussed whether electric equipment requirements should be added to future contracts.
Multiple residents told the council they are worried that overgrown and dead vegetation near Oso Creek, Casa Del Sol and parts of Alicia Parkway is creating a fire hazard and asked for faster city action.
June Anderson (introduced as the first public speaker) told the council that she donated suits to Working Wardrobe and then asked the city to inspect landscape maintenance contracts covering the Oso Creek Golf Course and Casa Del Sol areas, saying, "Acacia is a fire hazard." Karen Warren, who said she lives near Gate 3 in Casa Del Sol, described fences of dead plants and urged that the city contact the fire department and respond quicker than the "weeks" she was told by her management company.
Another resident, Michael Schlessinger, raised an allied issue about equipment, asking whether the city's landscape contracts (he named Neeves Landscape in his question) would require conversion to electric mowers and blowers to comply with the governor's orders and to reduce noise and pollution.
In response, a city staff member identified in the meeting as Scott confirmed that the landscape contracts include funds to clear dead plant material and said staff were preparing bid documents for an RFP to address long-neglected areas. Scott told the council the city "was awarded a $2,000,000 fuel reduction grant working with the OCFA, from Cal Fire," and said staff had worked through required grant steps and are readying documents to go out to bid.
Council member Vasquez asked for a future briefing on whether electric-equipment requirements can and should be incorporated into future contracts and also requested a report on contingency budgeting in case federal grant reimbursements do not materialize for other projects. Council members encouraged residents to leave contact information so staff could follow up and to work with the fire department on immediate hazard concerns.
