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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-04-2020 Public Safety Task Force Agenda PacketSaratoga Public Safety Task Force Agenda - Page 1 of 3 SARATOGA PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE SPECIAL MEETING MAY 4, 2020 6:00 P.M. SPECIAL MEETING Teleconference/Public Participation Information to Mitigate the Spread of COVID‐19 This meeting will be entirely by teleconference. All Council/Commission members, staff, and public will only participate via the Zoom platform using the process described below. The meeting is being conducted in compliance with the Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20 suspending certain teleconference rules required by the Ralph M. Brown Act. The purpose of this order was to provide the safest environment for the public, elected officials, and staff while allowing for continued operation of the government and public participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the public observe and participate in the meeting by: 1. Using the Zoom website at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81078540015 or App (Webinar ID: 810 7854 0015) and using the tool to raise their hand in the Zoom platform when directed by the Chair to speak on an agenda item; OR 2. Calling 1.408.638.0968 or 1.669.900.6833 and pressing *9 to raise their hand to speak on an agenda item when directed by the Chair. The public will not be able to participate in the meeting in person. As always, members of the public can send written comments to the Task Force prior to the meeting by commenting online at www.saratoga.ca.us/taskforce prior to the start of the meeting. These emails will be provided to the members of the Task Force and will become part of the official record of the meeting. During the meeting the Chair will explain the process for members of the public to be recognized to offer public comment. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Governor’s Executive Order, if you need assistance to participate in this meeting due to a disability, please contact the City Clerk at debbieb@saratoga.ca.us or calling 408.868.1216 as soon as possible before the meeting. The City will use its best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Agenda - Page 2 of 3 ROLL CALL ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON‐AGENDIZED ITEMS Any member of the public may address the Public Safety Task Force for up to three (3) minutes on matters not on the Agenda. The law generally prohibits the Public Safety Task Force from discussing or taking action on such items. However, the Public Safety Task Force schedule the item for discussion at a future meeting. AGENDA ITEMS: 1. Public Safety Task Force Minutes Recommended Action: Review and approve the draft minutes from the April 6, 2020 meeting. 2. Wildfire Risk Mitigation Fund (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: Receive input from the Saratoga Council Finance Committee on the Task Force’s recommendation to create a $50,000 Wildfire Risk Mitigation Reserve Fund in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget and consider any changes to the recommendation prior to the City Council Budget Study Session on May 11. 3. Mobile LRAD & Visual Messaging for Emergency Communications (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: Consider whether to recommend that the City Council allocate funds in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget to purchase a mobile LRAD and/or visual messaging equipment to be used for emergency communications to the City Council. 4. Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Funding, Incentive Program, Fuel Break Projects, and Increased Chipping (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: Consider whether to recommend that the City Council increase funding in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget for the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council from $25,000 per year to expand services, offer a incentive program for dead tree removal, defensible space, or other wildfire risk mitigation efforts, fuel break projects, and/or increased chipping services. 5. Review Work Plan Recommended Action: Review the adopted Task Force Work Plan. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Agenda - Page 3 of 3 6. Future Agenda Items Recommended Action: Consider agenda items for upcoming meetings. The next regular Task Force meeting is scheduled for June 1, 2020. ADJOURNMENT CERTIFICATE OF POSTING OF THE AGENDA, DISTRIBUTION OF AGENDA PACKET, & COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT I, Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager for the City of Saratoga, declare that the foregoing agenda for the meeting of the City Council was posted and available for review on May 1, 2020 at the City of Saratoga, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California and on the City's website at www.saratoga.ca.us. Signed this 1st day of May 2020 at Saratoga, California. Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, copies of the staff reports and other materials provided to the City Council by City staff in connection with this agenda, copies of materials distributed to the City Council concurrently with the posting of the agenda, and materials distributed to the City Council by staff after the posting of the agenda are available on the City Website at www.saratoga.ca.us. Following removal of State and local shelter in place orders these materials will be available for review in the office of the City Clerk at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California. In Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at debbieb@saratoga.ca.us or calling 408.868.1216 as soon as possible before the meeting. The City will use its best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Minutes - Page 1 of 4 MINUTES FEBRUARY 3, 2020 WILDFIRE PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING Chair Chuck Page called the virtual Wildfire Public Safety Task Force meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. and explained how the virtual meeting would be conducted. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Chair Chuck Page, Vice Chair Paul Hansen, Members Bill Cooper, Arun Venkatachar ABSENT: Members May Lu, Michael Zhang (excused) ALSO PRESENT: Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager Chief Jason Falarski, Santa Clara County Fire Eugenia Rendler, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Interim Executive Director ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS None AGENDA ITEMS: 1. Public Safety Task Force Minutes Recommended Action: Review and approve the draft minutes from the February 3, 2020 meeting. HANSEN/VENKATACHAR MOVED TO APPROVE THE DRAFT MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 3, 2020 MEETING. MOTION PASSED. AYES: HANSEN, PAGE, COOPER, VENKATACHAR. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: LU, ZHANG. 2. Mobile LRAD for Emergency Communications (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: Consider whether to recommend that the City Council allocate funds in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget to purchase a mobile LRAD to be used for emergency communications to the City Council. The Task Force discussed use of mobile LRAD to supplement emergency communications, their use during evacuation scenarios, and compared stationary and mobile LRADs. The Task Force also discussed the value of visual instructions compared to audio instructions in an evacuation. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Minutes - Page 2 of 4 COOPER MOVED TO RECOMMEND ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR DEVICES AT TWO FIXED LOCATIONS THAT COULD PROVIDE BOTH AUDIO AND VISUAL INFORMATION IN THE EVENT OF AN EVACUATION. Motion failed due to lack of second. Chair Page proposed that staff provide some additional information about use of message boards and other visual alternatives to LRADs as well as the reasons LRADs were deployed by some organizations as a tool in evacuations. The Task Force agreed. 3. Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Funding, Dead Tree Removal Program, and Expanded Chipping (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: Consider whether to recommend that the City Council increase funding in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget for the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council from $25,000 per year to expand services, offer a dead tree removal incentive program or other defensible space and/or home hardening incentive program, and increase chipping services. The Task Force discussed the existing agreement with the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council and opportunities to expand services through an incentive program, like the dead tree removal program, or expanded chipping services. Eugenia Rendler, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Interim Executive Director, addressed questions from the Task Force and provided information about the FireSafe Council’s various funding sources and partnerships with other jurisdictions. Chair Page requested that the next meeting include a comparison of the FireSafe Council agreement with the City of Saratoga, Palo Alto, and Los Altos Hills to allow the Task Force to review differences and perhaps recommend changes to the City’s existing agreement with the FireSafe Council. The Task Force agreed. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Minutes - Page 3 of 4 4. West Valley Cities Fuel Reduction Crew (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: Consider whether to recommend that the City Council allocate funding in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget to share the costs of a Santa Clara County Fire Department fuel reduction crew with other West Valley cities and the Fire Department, including startup cost and ongoing annual costs. Chief Jason Falarski provided an overview of the costs to establish and maintain an fuel reduction crew. The Task Force agreed to take no further action on this idea and suggested that the FireSafe Council may be a good option for fuel break projects. 5. Wildfire Risk Mitigation Fund (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: Consider whether to recommend that the City Council create a fund in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget to be used for wildfire risk mitigation efforts. Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager, provided an introduction on various types of funds that could be created. The Task Force discussed the concept of a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Fund, some of the ways that it could be used, and the different fund types in the budget. COOPER/ VENKATACHAR MOVED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATE $50,000 TO A NEW WILDFIRE RISK MITIGATION RESERVE FUND IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020/21 BUDGET THAT CAN BE USED FOR ANY WILDFIRE RISK MITIGATION PROJECT OR PROGRAM WITH A BALANCE THAT WOULD CARRYOVER INTO FUTURE FISCAL YEARS. MOTION PASSED. AYES: HANSEN, PAGE, COOPER, VENKATACHAR. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: LU, ZHANG. 6. Status Update on Wildfire Risk Reduction in the City Code (Work Plan Item) Recommended Action: At the February meeting, the Task Force finalized recommended City Code changes for the Planning Commission and City Council to mitigate wildfire risk in the City of Saratoga. Planning Commission review of the recommended changes was scheduled to occur on April 8, 2020. However, this meeting has been canceled due to the shelter at home orders issued by the County and State of California. Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager, shared that the April 8, 2020 Planning Commission meeting had ben canceled. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Minutes - Page 4 of 4 7. Review Work Plan Recommended Action: Review the adopted Task Force Work Plan. Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager, noted that the Task Force’s progress on the work plan has been added to the work plan in the agenda packet. 8. Future Agenda Items Recommended Action: Consider agenda items for upcoming meetings. The next regular Task Force meeting is scheduled for June 1, 2020. The Task Force agreed to hold a special meeting on May 4 to continue discussion on the Mobile LRAD and FireSafe Council services. ADJOURNMENT HANSEN/ VENKATACHAR MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:46 P.M. MOTION PASSED. AYES: HANSEN, PAGE, COOPER, VENKATACHAR. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: LU, ZHANG. Minutes respectfully submitted: Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager City of Saratoga CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager Date: May 4, 2020 Subject: Wildfire Risk Mitigation Fund One of the strategies in the Wildfire Task Force’s work plan includes making funding available for fuel reduction. One method of implementing that strategy could include developing a wildfire risk mitigation fund in the City budget. On April 6, 2020, the Wildfire Task Force discussed this strategy in the work plan and recommended that the City Council create a $50,000 Wildfire Risk Mitigation Reserve Fund as part of the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget. The Task Force proposed that the fund could be used as needed for any project or program that may arise that helps to reduce the risk of a wildfire in Saratoga. For example, the fund could be used for a fuel break project or a defensible space incentive program. The Task Force recommended that the fund balance be carried over into future fiscal years. The Task Force’s recommendations were shared with the City Council Finance Committee on April 30, 2020. The Finance Committee requested that the Task Force refine how the fund could be used and identify specific uses of the fund and provide a revised recommendation for the City Council to consider at the Budget Study Session on May 11, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Additionally, the Finance and Administrative Services Director recommended that the Task Force suggested that the Task Force consider recommending that the allocation of funds in either the operating budget or the capital budget instead of recommending a reserve fund. Reserve Funds generally serve as safety nets with established reserve levels and used as part of a policy decision or for urgent reasons like a financial crisis. Capital projects are used for sporadic project requests or ongoing or future improvements. An allocation in the operating budget could be used for ongoing maintenance or service work. CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager Date: May 4, 2020 Subject: Mobile Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) and Visual Messaging for Emergency Communications One of the tactics in the Wildfire Task Force’s work plan is to consider whether to recommend the City Council allocate funds and purchase a mobile LRAD, which is an acoustic device that can transmit warning tones or a voice broadcast with important disaster instructions for the public. During discussion on mobile LRADs at the April 6, 2020 meeting, the Task Force expressed a desire to learn more about how this technology has been used in evacuations and whether there is also value in visual indicators during an evacuation, such as a message board or directional indicators that tells drivers which direction to turn at an intersection. Any evacuations in the City of Saratoga would be conducted by the City of Saratoga. Captain Rich Urena with the Sheriff’s Office will be attending the May 4 Task Force meeting to help provide some insights into the use of LRADs or visual messaging during an evacuation. Some communities have recently purchased LRADs to supplement other emergency notifications, including mass notification system that can send automated emergency notifications via phone call, email, and text. These communities include the City of San Jose, City of Mill Valley, the City of Berkeley, and the Menlo Park Fire District (serving Atherton, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, and parts of unincorporated San Mateo County). Many of these communities explored mobile LRAD after the failure or loss of traditional communication methods during an emergency. LRAD systems range from handheld portable devices to larger systems that can be mounted to a vehicle, helicopter, pole, building, or trailer. The audible range of transmissions vary based on device. Small portable devices can project over several hundred feet, while more powerful devices can transmit over 3 square miles. Devices can typically play a verbal message or sound an alarm. Prices range widely based on broadcast distance, varying from roughly $10,000 to $125,000 or more per unit. In 2018, the Menlo Park Fire District paid approximately $125,000 for a mobile trailer mounted LRAD with a 30-foot telescoping mast that can broadcast a message to a radius of almost 2,800 feet (850 meters). The District also purchased smaller handheld and vehicle mounted LRADs with a more limited broadcast range for $6,000 per unit. These smaller devices have a broadcast range of 800 feet and are louder than typical bullhorns or vehicle passed PA systems. For a number of years, the State of California has used Changeable Message Signs to provide motorists with real-time traffic safety and guidance information. The signage is also used to broadcast AMBER alerts. The City also periodically uses portable message boards to communicate road conditions, such as road closures or traffic delays. The City does not own any electronic message boards and rents them when needed. Smaller, trailer mounted message boards can be purchased for $12,000 to $20,000 based on size. The Task Force may recommend that the City Council consider the purchase of mobile LRAD(s) or visual messaging tools as part of the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget. Any recommendations from the Task Force will be presented to the City Council during their budget study session, scheduled for May 11, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager Date: May 4, 2020 Subject: Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Funding, Dead Tree Removal Program, and Expanded Chipping The Wildfire Task Force’s work plan includes review of curbside chipping services, funding for the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, and dead tree removal incentive program, similar to the program operated by the Saratoga Fire Protection District. Currently, the City pays the FireSafe Council $25,000 per year to increase community awareness of wildfire risks, empower residents to prepare for and protect their property from wildfire, and mitigate wildfire risk through fuel reduction projects. This includes free chipping services for residents. At the April 6 meeting, the Task Force held a discussion with the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Executive Director about the existing agreement and possible service additions, such as an incentive program for dead tree removal or defensible space or annual fuel break projects. The FireSafe Council manages a dead tree removal incentive program for Los Altos Hills Fire District and an annual fuel break program for the City of Palo Alto. The FireSafe Council operates a dead tree removal incentive program for the Los Altos Hills Fire District. Property owners must obtain a Home Ignition Zone Inspection to qualify for the rebate to remove a dead tree located in an ignition zone. This ensures property owners receive some education about how to establish defensible space on their property and that the rebate is used for trees that represent a potential fire hazard. The FireSafe Council also has an agreement with the City of Palo Alto to maintain various fuel break projects. Cost for an incentive type program or regular fuel break work varies based on the desired outcomes and the size and scope of the efforts. An incentive program can be scaled based on available funding. For example, the City could launch a small pilot program with as little as $5,000 to provide a $500 rebate per household for removal of dead trees identified as a fire hazard in a FireSafe Council Home Ignition Zone Inspection. Similarly, the cost of fuel reduction projects varies greatly based on the nature of the project. The 2015 Mountain Winery fuel break project that covered 13 acres cost $193,806. Smaller scale projects may cost as little as $20,000 to establish and maintain. Per the City of Palo Alto agreement with the FireSafe Council, maintenance of existing fuel reduction treatments is expected to be $180,000. Under the current City of Saratoga agreement with the FireSafe Council, the City receives a variety of services from fuel reduction projects to educational workshops and home inspections. Fuel reduction projects vary based on other funding sources, such as grants and contributions of private property owners. While chipping services are currently available at no cost to property owners in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) through the City’s agreement with the FireSafe Council, the program has not received a lot of interested applicants. However, an increase in collaborative outreach between the City, FireSafe Council, and County Fire may help to increase interest in this available resource. The FireSafe Council prioritizes chipping services for neighborhoods that have qualified or are in the process of becoming a Firewise Community. Any Task Force recommendations to increase funding for the FireSafe Council will be presented to the City Council during their budget study session, tentatively scheduled for May 11, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.