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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFD Wildfire Advisory Committee Formation____________________________________________________________________________________ FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: 9-2-71 Council Meeting: 05/06/2019 Disposition: Resolution 14666 Agenda Item No: 4.d Meeting Date: May 6, 2019 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: Fire Department Prepared by: Christopher Gray City Manager Approval: ______________ TOPIC: SAN RAFAEL WILDFIRE ADVISORY COMMITTEE SUBJECT: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE SAN RAFAEL WILDFIRE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, APPOINTING INITIAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND ADOPTING COMMITTEE GUIDELINES RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a resolution establishing the San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee, appointing initial Committee members and authorizing the City Council Subcommittee on Wildfire Prevention to appoint the remaining members, and adopting the Committee purpose and operational guidelines. BACKGROUND: Climate change and growing hazardous fuel loads are creating an increased wildfire risk across California. In the past few years, wildfires have shattered notorious records, including those for size, property damage, and loss of life. These devasting fires have also provided new insight into how fires behave in the changing environment and expanding wildland urban interface. Following City Council direction, the San Rafael Fire Department developed a 38-point Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan (“Plan”) to outline the City’s plan to address the growing threat. The plan addressed many of the same issues covered in the Marin County Board of Supervisors sub-committee’s September 11, 2018 report discussing lessons learned from the 2017 North Bay wildfires. The first draft of the Plan was presented to City Council on January 22, 2019 for input and public comment. In response to stakeholder feedback in the following several weeks, the Plan was revised, reorganized, and considered again by the City Council on March 18, 2019. That night, the City Council formally approved the Plan, recognizing it as an evolving framework and stipulating that “the details associated with the implementation of the [Plan]… will be subject to additional public input, and evaluation of financial and other intended or unintended consequences.” ANALYSIS: Throughout the development and adoption of the San Rafael Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan, community input was gathered and incorporated. The Plan was adopted as a framework, with direction from the San Rafael City Council to form a citizen advisory committee to help formulate SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 implementation details, including help prioritizing action items, identifying funding sources, and drafting ordinance language to update the San Rafael Municipal Code. To that end, City staff has prepared proposed guidelines for the City of San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee (“Committee”) (Exhibit B of the resolution). It is proposed that the Committee will be in place for approximately one year and be comprised of fifteen (15) members of the community. The City Council’s Subcommittee for Wildfire Prevention (“Subcommittee”), which includes Mayor Phillips and Councilmember Bushey, has already identified seven members they wish to include on the Committee (Exhibit A of the resolution) and recommends that the City Council authorize the Subcommittee to select the remaining eight Committee members following a public application process. City representatives will take the feedback, comments, and suggestions of the Committee under consideration during plan implementation. Any draft ordinances and other products produced by the Committee will be shared for public comment via community meetings and/or scheduled City Council meetings. It is the hope of City staff, therefore, that the Wildfire Advisory Committee will help the City successfully implement the vision of the Plan in an effective and inclusive manner. Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution to formally establish the San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee, appoint the seven initial Committee members recommended by the Council’s Subcommittee and delegate to the Subcommittee the appointment of the remaining eight Committee members, and adopt the proposed guidelines for the Committee’s purposes and operations. COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Calls for applications for the eight unfilled Committee positions will be shared on social media channels. In addition, direct outreach will be conducted to reach those previously expressing interest. The selection process will include such factors as: background/experience in topics related to wildfire prevention, diversity of all types (geographic, experience, gender, ethnicity, etc.), and commitment to the purpose of the Committee. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. OPTIONS: The City Council has the following options to consider on this matter: 1. Adopt the resolution, including approving the initial seven recommended Wildfire Advisory Committee appointments, and adoption of Committee guidelines; 2. Modify the Wildfire Advisory Committee appointments and/ or guidelines; or 3. Direct staff to return to a future meeting with more information, or a modified list of Committee members and /or guidelines. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt a resolution establishing the San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee, appointing initial Committee members and authorizing the City Council Subcommittee on Wildfire Prevention to appoint the remaining members, and adopting the Committee purpose and operational guidelines. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution 1 RESOLUTION NO. 14666 RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHING THE SAN RAFAEL WILDFIRE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, APPOINTING INITIAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ADOPTING COMMITTEE GUIDELINES WHEREAS, on January 22, 2019, City staff presented and received feedback from the City Council and public regarding a draft action plan, entitled “Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan,” outlining goals, objectives, and strategies relating to wildfire prevention; and WHEREAS, following the January 22, 2019 City Council meeting, City staff solicited and incorporated feedback from residents and stakeholders into an updated draft of the Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan; and WHEREAS, at its regularly scheduled meeting on March 18, 2019, the City Council, after considering and receiving public comment on City staff’s updated draft of the Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan, approved the Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan as a framework for wildfire mitigation, prevention, and protection; and WHEREAS, the City Council indicated that it wished to establish a citizens’ advisory committee to inform and support an effective implementation of the Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan, and directed staff to return with recommendations for the purposes and operations of the proposed committee; and WHEREAS, City staff and the City Council’s Subcommittee on Wildfire Prevention (“Subcommittee”) have recommended that the proposed citizens’ advisory committee be made up of 15 members; and WHEREAS, the Subcommittee has identified and recommends seven committee nominees from local Boards, Commissions, organizations, and advocacy groups as shown on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference; and WHEREAS, the Subcommittee has recommended that the remaining citizens’ advisory committee members and any alternates be selected by the Subcommittee following additional outreach by City Staff to potential applicants; and WHEREAS, City staff has prepared and recommends a set of “City of San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee Guidelines” attached hereto as Exhibit B and incorporated herein by reference; 2 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the San Rafael City Council as follows: 1. The City of San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee is hereby established. 2. The individuals listed in Exhibit A are hereby appointed to the San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee. 3. Exhibit B is hereby adopted as the guidelines for the San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee. 4. The City Council’s Subcommittee on Wildfire Prevention is authorized to appoint the remaining eight appointees and any alternates to the San Rafael Wildfire Advisory Committee. I, LINDSAY LARA, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on the 6th day of May 2019, by the following vote to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Colin, Gamblin, McCullough & Mayor Phillips NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk EXHIBIT A: LIST OF WILDFIRE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS EXHIBIT B: WILDFIRE ADVISORY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES 3 EXHIBIT A LIST OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS Member Gina Daly Sandra Luna Gregory Poulos Larry Luckham Stephen Mizroch Tom Obletz Tom Unterman 4 EXHIBIT B CITY OF SAN RAFAEL WILDFIRE ADVISORY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES Mission Statement: The mission of the Wildfire Advisory Committee is to help improve Citywide resiliency and protect the community and firefighters by reducing wildfire risk. The Committee will use the City’s “Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan” as a starting point and will provide input on implementing measures such as the development of new City ordinances, assist in the prioritization of implementation measures, provide input on cost effective implementation strategies, and assist in disseminating information and obtaining wider public input. Anticipated Term: The Committee is intended to be temporary in nature as opposed to the existing standing Boards and Commissions of the City of San Rafael. The Committee will remain in place for approximately twelve months but serves at the pleasure of the City Council who may adjust the term as necessary. Organization and Membership: Committee members must live in San Rafael or own/operate a business in San Rafael to serve. The Committee shall be comprised of 15 members of the community. Members will be selected by the City Council’s ad hoc Subcommittee for Wildfire Prevention, which includes Mayor Phillips and Councilmember Bushey. The City Council’s ad hoc Subcommittee has already identified approximately seven members and is now seeking to call for applications for the remaining eight positions. Criteria for Committee members include such factors as: background/experience in topics related to wildfire prevention, diversity, and availability for and commitment to the goals of the Committee. The meetings will be collaborative and a place to bring forward innovative ideas for consideration. Specific Duties: The committee’s advisory and review function on matters related to implementing the Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan include, but are not limited to: 1. Participating in the development, review, and prioritization of wildfire- related City ordinances. 2. Providing input to strategies related to collaboration, education, coordination for plan implementation, and funding. 3. Reviewing and commenting on existing conditions, ordinances, and mitigation measures within the City relating to wildfire prevention and protection. 4. Participating in the City’s efforts to inform and educate the public on wildfire risk, mitigation measures, ongoing and planned efforts, and opportunities for public input. 5 5. Reviewing and providing feedback on significant wildfire mitigation projects including but not limited to, fuel mitigation, fire road improvements, and evacuation enhancements. Meetings and Community Involvement: Initial meetings will be held twice a month and will shift to monthly and bimonthly as directed by the City Council ad hoc Subcommittee. Meetings will be open to the public and held in City Hall and the Community Center’s as scheduling needs require. Information about the committee meetings, including upcoming agenda, will be posted online and as otherwise required by law. The public will be invited to comment at every meeting. Draft ordinances and other public records reviewed or recommended by the committee will be shared for public comment via community meetings and/or scheduled City Council meetings. City Staff Role: Mayor Phillips and Councilmember Bushey will be the co-chairs of the Wildfire Advisory Committee. Primary responsibility for staffing the Committee will rest with the Fire Chief or his designee – and will involve other City staff as necessary. City staff will prepare meeting agendas and prepare summary meeting minutes. Staff will facilitate committee meetings, advocating for productive exchanges of ideas. City representatives will take the feedback, comments, and suggestions of the committee under consideration during plan implementation. City staff will support sharing the committee’s feedback with the public through community meetings and/or online forums.