The Advisory Committee for County Service Area 38 met last week but took no action on the fiscal year 2018-19 budget. The committee did not have the latest financial report from the county and the Economic Development Agency representative could not attend.
Cal Fire Division Chief Bill Weiser re-confirmed that the paperwork approving the purchase of a masticator for CSA 38 had been approved and it should arrive sometime later this month.
The committee did review the costs associated with the ill-fated deck on Pine Cove Station 23. At its January meeting, the committee decided the payments for the plans and the estimated construction costs were too much.
The cost of the plans were more than $28,000, according to the report from David Alvarez, EDA development specialist. But at the January meeting, Alvarez said EDA estimated construction costs for the 600-square-foot deck would exceed $100,000.
Although the committee felt the deck would benefit crews at the station, this cost was too high. Then and now, Weiser was in full agreement with the decision.Several other projects, such as the autopulse, an automated CPR device, and ropes and extrication equipment for the squads, were still in various stages of approval and acquisition.
Work on the Pine Cove Shaded Fuel Break should start later this spring, before summer, according to Weiser. The Vegetative Management Plan is in the final stages of approval and work will begin quickly after it is approved.
The committee agreed to meet next month to finish deliberations on next year’s budget.
