San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
• 2018-2019
• Agency Response
County of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors Agenda Item Transmittal (1) Department (2) Meeting Date (3)
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 4 findings
F2
San Luis Obispo County has no weed abatement ordinance, which was also a finding in a report written by Cal Fire and presented to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) in April of 2017. We were unable to find any response to this report by the BOS. The respondent disagrees partially with this finding. The County does not have a weed abatement ordinance outside of County Service Area No. 10 – Cayucos and PRC§4291.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
As recommended in the previously cited 2017 Cal Fire report, the BOS should implement a county-wide weed abatement ordinance, which should also include agricultural properties. This should be accomplished by the end of the 2020-2021 fiscal year. This recommendation requires further analysis. On March 26, 2019, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 3386 amending Title 16 of the San Luis Obispo County Code, Fire Protection, to provide for the abatement of fire hazardous weeds and rubbish in County Service Area No. 10 - Cayucos. A County-wide ordinance has been considered and is being studied further.
F3
Information about evacuation plans is not readily available to the general public. This could present confusion and difficulty for residents, many of whom have limited evacuation routes. The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. The Office of Emergency Services (OES) agrees there is always room to improve public outreach, however, the County web site currently includes evacuation information and suggested evacuation routes for nuclear power, dam, and tsunami incidents (https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/). Evacuation information for other incidents, such as wildfire, is dependent on factors such as location of the incident, direction of movement, road and weather conditions. Factors related to wildfires do not always allow for specific, pre-determined routes to be identified.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The County should develop a weed abatement ordinance that is consistent with the cities’ regulations. This recommendation requires further analysis. On March 26, 2019, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 3386 amending Title 16 of the San Luis Obispo County Code, Fire Protection, to provide for the abatement of fire hazardous weeds and rubbish in County Service Area No. 10 - Cayucos. A County-wide ordinance has been considered and is being studied further.
F4
The reverse 911 system is under-utilized by county residents. Registering for this system can be accomplished via the county Office of Emergency Services (OES) or Sheriff’s department websites. There is no telephone number available to accomplish this registration. Public Service Announcements alone are not reaching enough people. The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. The Office of Emergency Services agrees that the Reverse 911 system could utilized more fully if more residents were registered. Landline telephone numbers are automatically registered within the system, however, cell phone as well as VoIP phone users must “Opt-In” to the system by registering their information with the County. Citizens can register with Reverse 911 via the Sheriff Department website (www.slosheriff.org/reverse_911.php), the Office of Emergency Services web site (https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Office-of-Emergency-Services/Services/Reverse-9-1-1.aspx), and by contacting the Office of Emergency Services via telephone (805) 781-5011; a number that is also listed on the OES web site.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The County and all city fire jurisdictions should offer a chipping program similar to Atascadero. Funds may be available through the Fire Safe Program. A plan for this should be accomplished by the end of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The recommendation requires further analysis. Further analysis will need to be conducted due to the vast area covered by County Fire. The costs of such a program, availability of staff to conduct the work, and the need to purchase and maintain several chippers and vehicles all must be evaluated along with a funding source(s). The analysis will be completed by November 30, 2019. Recommended Responses from Office of Emergency Services:
F5
The Diablo Canyon early warning siren system is currently funded by PG&E and is now used solely for Diablo Canyon incidents. If the County plans to maintain this system, there could be a funding problem when Diablo Canyon closes. The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. The San Luis Obispo County Early Warning System (EWS) sirens are available for use during any local emergency. The OES web site and public outreach materials clearly indicate that the EWS sirens may be used for any emergency that requires the public to take protective actions. The utilization of the Early Warning System sirens is integrated into each of the County’s emergency response plans as an option to alert the public. OES agrees that if the County plans to keep and maintain the EWS sirens following the decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, there could be a funding issue related to ongoing maintenance.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The County should work with the cities in a concerted effort to educate the public on detailed and coordinated evacuation plans. Various ways to disseminate this information may include all types of county or city mail communications. Public Service Announcements, websites, and other forms of communication are also informative. This recommendation has been implemented. The Office of Emergency Services currently works with all Operational Area (Op Area) partners in disseminating emergency planning and preparedness information regarding evacuation plans for nuclear power, dam/levee/flood inundation, and tsunami incidents. OES is currently taking steps to coordinate with Op Area fire agencies in identifying evacuation routes that may be available in the event of a wildland fire event; however, exact evacuation routes will be dependent on the type and location of each, specific fire event. The County Office of Emergency Services is building a website, due to launch in August 2019, focused solely on emergency preparedness, response and recovery for the public.