Agenda Item
2d) Discussion and Possible Action Including Consideration of Potential Revisions to Mendocino County Code (MCC) Chapter 8.77, Titled "Hazardous Vegetation, Combustible Material, Rubbish, and Weeds" (Abatement of Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material Nuisance Ordinance) and Evaluating Potential Funding Sources for Implementation
(Sponsor: Supervisor Haschak)
The FEMA BRIC grant, if awarded, will have significant funding budgeted for obtaining landowner access that could assist with covering costs for enforcing nuisance abatement on vacant lots that lie within the defensible space around project homes. Developing policies as soon as possible that lead to securing access for nuisance abatement on unresponsive vacant lots will allow existing grant programs such as the MCFSC Defensible Space grant and the Sherwood Firewise Cal Fire fuel reduction grants to implement these programs as well as clear the path for the upcoming potential FEMA BRIC award.
A long-term solution for nuisance abatement needs to be addressed and ownership of vacant lots is a major factor. Vacant parcels with unresponsive owners and / or tax defaulted properties could be donated to a public entity or could be joined to an existing improved adjacent parcel. A recent discussion with Trout Unlimited indicated that there would be interest in establishing a public trust that could assume ownership of "abandoned" lots. Ownership options need to be part of the development of the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance enforcement process.
Dear Supervisors. As you discuss the removal of hazardous vegetation, please include the removal of eucalyptus trees, especially in the town of Mendocino. We live in Mendocino, directly across from a grove of eucalyptus trees on Cahto Street. It appears that Mendocino County is responsible for these trees (per the parcel viewer on the county website). This grove has not been maintained so there is a large amount of undergrowth with limbs, bark and leaves piled up, ivy growing high up into the trees, and scraggly limbs hanging down. If a fire were to start in this grove, the limbs, bark, leaves and ivy would act as kindling and ladder fuels. A fire could possibly be life threatening to the whole town of Mendocino - potentially a Lahaina type situation. Marin County recently approved a project to remove 16,870 eucalyptus trees because they have deemed them to be highly flammable and dangerous. Please consider a project to remove the eucalyptus trees in the town of Mendocino. Thank you for your consideration. Carrice and Peter Marcovich