The Paso Robles City Council held an emergency meeting Thursday night to discuss the recent fires in the Salinas Riverbed. The most recent fire was Friday afternoon, but there have been several hundred fires there in the last several years.
The proposal before the council was to spend $278,000 to address the problems with undergrowth in the riverbed. Councilman John Hamon said he felt that the undergrowth will continue to grow, and that the money would be better spent removing the people living in the river bed than constantly trying to cut back the vegetation. Fire Chief Jonathon Stornetta said that removing the people living in the riverbed will be problematic. He says there will be people who refuse to leave. He says there are also people who walk along the river bed. Stornetta says it’s important that the city must spend money removing “fuel” if the city wants to prevent future riverbed fires.
City Manager Tom Frutchey outlined three measures. First, to approve the updated policy and direct staff to undertake the relocation of the homeless who are living in the river bottom as an emergency and do it as soon as possible. Secondly, authorize the city manger to approve vendor contracts to remove fuel and clean-up the trash in the homeless camps. The third step is for the city council to appropriate $278,000 from the General Fund for the city manager to pay those contracts and to return to the council if there are any other additional preparations are necessary. After lengthy discussion and some input from local residents, the council voted unanimously (5-0) to approve those motions.
The council will review the plan they approved at their meeting on Tuesday, July 22nd.
