Marin's new wildfire agency gears up for summer

May 10--The new Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority is considering a plan to begin fire safety work throughout the county as soon as this summer, aiming to get a jump-start on property inspections and vegetation clearing projects as the weather heats up, officials said.

The plan would include paying for that work with a loan before the agency sees its first round of funding in December from a new property tax levied on Marin County homeowners. But with an approaching wildfire season that could clash with complications from the coronavirus pandemic, officials said, it is critical to get the work going.

The agency, created last year by the county Board of Supervisors, held its first official meeting on April 30. The operations committee, made up primarily of fire chiefs and city managers, met over a video conference call to discuss the agency's plan for this year and how to pay for it.

"Fire season is not going to wait for our committee," said Novato fire Chief Bill Tyler. "It's coming, and I think there's an expectation from the public that we get to work as soon as possible."

The agency's members, which include nearly all of Marin's fire departments and municipalities that provide firefighting services, are still in the process of selecting representatives to join the agency's board of directors. The operations committee, however, is tasked with establishing a work plan and a budget for the board to consider approving.

One consideration for this year is a $1.1 million plan to have the nonprofit FIRESafe Marin host online fire safety classes, create new warning signs for red flag fire weather days and use goats to manage vegetation growth in Marin's open spaces. The organization would also provide training workshops for landscapers and offer the use of wood chippers to homeowners in certain areas.

"If Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority is going to be successful, we're going to need to engage homeowners to take action to improve the safety of their homes and to educate them about what to do when a wildfire threatens," said Rich Shortall, a member of the operations committee and FIRESafe Marin's president. He said that, while it will take time to get the new agency up and running, his organization's plan could be implemented in the meantime.

In his proposal, Shortall noted that "the combination of a particularly dry winter and the coronavirus pandemic will complicate hazard mitigation efforts and strain resources statewide." He said vegetation clearing crews might be less effective due to social distancing requirements, and the possibility of firefighters becoming sick with COVID-19 could reduce staffing.

"In the face of a potential shortage of healthy firefighters," he said, "fire prevention work, such as clearing vegetation around homes and evacuation routes, is more critical this year than ever before."

The agency is also set to begin hiring staff, including about 20 seasonal workers to inspect private properties throughout the county for fire safety, according to Marin County fire Chief Jason Weber. It has contracted with Nelson Staffing of San Rafael for $26,250 to recruit an executive officer, with a salary range between $165,000 and $185,000.

Officials discussed the possibility of paying for this year's costs by applying for a dry period funding loan through the Marin County investment pool before tax revenue kicks in.

Measure C, a property tax that voters approved in March, is expected to generate about $19.3 million annually to fund the new agency. Voters on portions of the Tiburon Peninsula were not asked to approve the tax because the Tiburon Fire Protection District, which serves that area, was the only fire department in Marin that opted not to sign on as a member of the agency. Homeowners within that district will not be served by the agency and won't pay the Measure C tax.

On average, property owners will pay $210 annually to fund the agency. Measure C levies a yearly tax of 10 cents per building square foot on single-family homes. Residential properties of three or more units are taxed at $75 per unit, and undeveloped properties are charged between $25 and $150 depending on lot size. The 10-year tax can be increased by up to 3% annually.

Low-income seniors can qualify for an exemption to the tax. According to Weber, an application for that exemption will be posted later this month on the agency's website at marinwildfire.org.

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