STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
June 9, 2026
BUSINESS
19 SUBJECT: WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND FIRE SAFETY REPORT 2025 UPDATE AND
RELATED BUDGET TRANSFERS
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Receive & file general presentation on the status of the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Report 2025 Update;
2. Authorize a budget transfer of $190,000 from the Fire Department Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee initiatives account (1412401-72071) and $30,000 from the Community Development Department Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee initiatives account (1414106-72071-S2605) to the Public Works Department Traffic Signal Priority System Project account (1413100-72071-S2601) for implementation of the Opticom System;
3. Receive & file the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, thereby acknowledging the document as a guide for future wildfire mitigation planning, preparedness, and resilience efforts within the City; and
4. Find that the recommended actions are not a project pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 and are therefore not subject to CEQA.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
This report recommends that the City Council receive and file a presentation on the status of the 2025 Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Report Update and the newly completed 2026 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The CWPP was developed as a priority goal of the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee. The report also recommends authorizing the transfer of $210,000 in previously budgeted wildfire mitigation and special program funds from the Fire Department and Community Development Department to the Public Works Department’s Traffic Signal Priority System project.
The proposed actions have been reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and determined not to be a “project” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 and are therefore not subject to environmental review.
DISCUSSION
On January 28, 2025, the City Council approved the re-establishment of the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee and appointed Council Members Kempf and Whalen to serve on the committee.
The committee was directed to return to the City Council within 90 days with an updated action plan addressing wildfire mitigation and fire safety.
From January through April 2025, the committee met twice monthly with key staff and external partners to identify and evaluate potential action items. These meetings resulted in recommendations included in the report related to fuel modification improvements, expanded use of public safety technology, enhanced evacuation planning, testing and improvement of alert and warning capabilities, infrastructure WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND FIRE SAFETY REPORT 2025 UPDATE AND RELATED
BUDGET TRANSFERS
June 9, 2026
improvements including undergrounding of utility lines and water system enhancements, and increased community preparedness and public education efforts. A key outcome of this process was the development of the City’s 2026 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), prepared in collaboration with Jensen Hughes, the Orange County Fire Authority, and other stakeholders.
The updated 2025 report was presented to the City Council on May 6, 2025, and approved in concept, with the finalized report and associated funding subsequently approved by the City Council on September 23, 2025. The 2026 CWPP builds directly on these efforts and meets the requirements of the federal Healthy Forests Restoration Act.
Since September 23, 2025, departments have been working to implement the action items identified in the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Report. The current status of these action items ranges from completed to in progress or planned for future completion. Where completed Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety projects retained available funding balances, staff evaluated and prioritized other wildfire preparedness and public safety initiatives requiring additional funding, including the Traffic Signal Priority System project.
Transferring available funds between approved Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety action items allows the City to efficiently utilize previously approved and budgeted funding to advance projects that provide significant public safety benefits.
Initiative Area Status
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Completed
Fuel Modification Zone Program Enhancements Ongoing
Utility Undergrounding Initiatives Ongoing
Home Hardening and Community Education Efforts Ongoing
Evacuation Planning and Alert System Improvements Ongoing Water Supply Reliability and Resiliency Initiatives Ongoing Traffic Signal Priority System (Opticom) Proposed for Funding Transfer As projects have advanced, some approved wildfire mitigation initiatives have been completed under budget or no longer require the full amount of originally allocated funding. Staff evaluated available funding balances and identified opportunities to redirect previously approved appropriations toward other public safety projects that support emergency preparedness and response objectives.
One such project is the Traffic Signal Priority System (Opticom) project. The Opticom system allows emergency vehicles to communicate with traffic signals and request priority at signalized intersections, reducing response times and improving emergency vehicle mobility throughout the City. In addition to supporting daily emergency response operations, the system may improve traffic flow during emergency incidents and evacuation events by facilitating the movement of public safety resources.
To advance this project, staff recommends transferring $190,000 from the Fire Department Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee initiatives account and $30,000 from the Community Development Department Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee initiatives account to the WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND FIRE SAFETY REPORT 2025 UPDATE AND RELATED
BUDGET TRANSFERS
June 9, 2026
Public Works Department Traffic Signal Priority System project account. The recommended transfer reallocates previously approved funding without increasing overall City expenditures and supports the continued implementation of public safety initiatives identified through the City's wildfire preparedness efforts.
The 2026 CWPP, attached to this report, is also presented for City Council acknowledgment as a planning document intended to guide future wildfire mitigation, preparedness, response, and resilience efforts. Future projects identified in the CWPP will be evaluated and presented to the City Council as appropriate, including any required environmental review and budgetary approvals.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Staff recommends transferring a total of $210,000 in previously appropriated funds to the Traffic Signal Priority System Project for implementation of the Opticom emergency vehicle signal preemption system.
Funding Sources:
Source Account Amount
Fire Department Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee Initiatives (1412401-72071) $190,000
Community Development Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Ad Hoc Committee Initiatives (1414106-72071-S2605) $30,000
Total Transfer $220,000
The transferred funds would be allocated to the Public Works Department Traffic Signal Priority System Project account (1413100-72071-S2601).
The recommended transfer reallocates existing appropriations and does not increase the City's overall budget or require additional funding. Sufficient funds are available within the identified accounts. The transfer will allow implementation of a public safety improvement that supports emergency response operations and evacuation preparedness.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
The recommended actions support the City Council's strategic priority of Wildfire Mitigation and Prevention by advancing implementation of recommendations identified in the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Report and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The proposed funding transfer supports emergency response and evacuation readiness through deployment of the Traffic Signal Priority System (Opticom), which improves emergency vehicle travel times and operational efficiency during emergency incidents.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND FIRE SAFETY REPORT 2025 UPDATE AND RELATED
BUDGET TRANSFERS
June 9, 2026
The recommended action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) (the “common sense” exemption), as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that approval of the 2025 Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Report Update, creation of a part-time educator position, and related budgetary appropriations may have a significant effect on the environment. Further, none of the exceptions to the CEQA exemptions apply. In the alternative, the proposed action is not a “project” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b), as it consists of administrative activities related to personnel actions, budgeting, and policy and procedure development.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Community Wildfire Protection Plan (Pgs. 5-75)
Submitted By:
. Approved: Gavi Curran, for
Niko King, Fire Chief Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Niko King, Fire Chief Kirsten Gallacher, Senior Administrative Analyst Sarah Limones, Emergency Operations Coordinator