12 Staff Report - Brush AbatementPREPARED BY: Stefanie Hockemeyer
Executive Assistant
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Finance Director, and Director
of Parks and Public Works
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 06/16/2020
ITEM NO: 12
DATE: June 10, 2020
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Receive the Final Report on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Area
Hazardous Vegetation (Brush) Abatement Annual Program for 2020
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the final report on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Area Hazardous Vegetation
(Brush) Abatement annual program for 2020.
BACKGROUND:
The Santa Clara County Fire Department implements and manages a hazardous brush
abatement program for the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas within its jurisdictional
boundaries, which includes the incorporated areas of Los Gatos, to provide defensible space for
structures. Early each year, property owners are reminded that they must remove flammable
vegetation from around their home and other structures on their property to create defensible
space. The Town annually adopts the Hazardous Vegetation Abatement Program and works
with the County who serves as the enforcement agent and conducts their own inspections.
If properties are found not to be in compliance with the California Fire Code relative to
vegetation clearance, the owners are given notice of the violation. If compliance is still not
achieved by approximately the end of June each year, a contractor is authorized to perform the
necessary work. The costs associated with the abatement work are then placed on the
property tax bill for that parcel.
In February 2020, the Santa Clara County Fire Prevention Division notified property owners
located within the designated Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) area of the requirement to
comply with the enforced safety regulations related to flammable vegetation abatement
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SUBJECT: Receive the Final Report on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Area Hazardous
Vegetation (Brush) Abatement Annual Program for 2020
DATE: June 10, 2020
BACKGROUND (continued):
(Attachment 1). The letter also referenced the Town’s recently enacted Municipal Code
amendments which further enhance the safety of WUI residents.
At the time of the notice, property owners were given the option to complete the required
work themselves, hire their own contractor, or elect to schedule the Town of Los Gatos’
authorized contractor to perform the work.
In April 2020, the SCCFD began conducting re-inspections of the properties identified in
February. As a result of these re-inspections, a letter was sent to those property owners who
were not yet in compliance at that time with the WUI enforced safety regulations. The notice
(Attachment 2) provided information on a public hearing which was to be scheduled for June
16, 2020 that would identify all properties not in compliance as of June 16th and declare them
as having hazardous conditions requiring abatement.
On May 5, 2020, concurrent with the inspections and noticing and as a requirement of this
annual program, the Town Council adopted a resolution (Attachment 3) declaring hazardous
vegetation (brush) a public nuisance, ordering abatement, and setting June 16, 2020 as a public
hearing to consider objections to the proposed removal of brush of non-compliant properties.
DISCUSSION:
On June 1, 2020, the SCCFD began conducting additional re-inspections of the properties that
were out of compliance at the time of the April inspections. On June 10, 2020, the SCCFD
confirmed with Parks and Public Works staff that all property owners have complied with the
enforced safety regulations by abating the hazardous vegetation and there will be no
assessments to any of the owners’ property tax bills
CONCLUSION:
Since all property owners complied, there will be no County assessments to any of the owners’
property tax bills, and there is no need to hold a public hearing for abatement and assessment
of costs, thus concluding the annual program. Staff recommends that the Town Council accept
the final report on the hazardous vegetation (brush) abatement annual program for 2020.
COORDINATION:
This program is coordinated with the Santa Clara County Fire Prevention Division.
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SUBJECT: Receive the Final Report on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Area Hazardous
Vegetation (Brush) Abatement Annual Program for 2020
DATE: June 10, 2020
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. Letter to Property Owners (February).
2. Letter to Property Owners not in Compliance During Inspections (April).
3. Resolution Declaring Hazardous Vegetation a Public Nuisance (May 5, 2020).