Column: Time to get back to basics
Over the past several weeks tension has been high over wildfire threats and fires, local leaders must pivot and return to the basics of governing
NORTH COUNTY — Residents have been on edge for weeks as wildfires rage across Southern California.
Over the past week those nerves exploded as at least half a dozen fires broke out in San Diego County, including the Lilac Fire and Bernardo Fire near Rancho Bernardo. Both of those blazes were contained and extinguished without much damage, but the fear was palpitating throughout the region.
Oceanside dodged a bullet on Friday after a brush fire broke out in the San Luis Rey River. Thankfully, an Oceanside fire crew was returning to its station when it saw the plume and knew “exactly” where to go, one official said.
The riverbed is home to a large encampment and OFD was able to squash the fire before the winds kicked up. The whole riverbed is packed with dry and dead vegetation running to the ocean and is a perfect tunnel of destruction if winds catch a spark.
Residents, meanwhile, flooded every city with calls and emails about emergency preparedness, working fire hydrants, water storage and availability to attack fires. The Oceanside official said departments are fully stocked with resources, while acknowledging more should be done to protect residents.
It’s time for cities to return to the basics — build good roads, functional traffic management, efficient water systems, maintain parks and clear fire hazards, to name a few. Threats run from Escondido Creek to San Eliljo to a trio of systems in Oceanside and Carlsbad.
Our City Councils must pressure county, state and federal officials to speed up projects, carve up the permitting process, which can take years, and clear out dangers. Or take a page from Silicon Valley and just do it themselves and ask for forgiveness.
Since 2007, San Diego Gas & Electric has done its part. The utility also provides aid with helicopters and other firefighting equipment to help battle fires. They have become the example as SDG&E has upgraded the strength of its transmissions lines, wildfire mitigation and other efforts, since 2007 when the utility was found responsible.
They made mistakes, took corrective action and have been a model of prevention since. Time for others to follow their lead.
But this has been a decade in the making, from the King Fire in 2014 in Northern California to the devastating Camp Fire that killed 85 people and wiped the small town of Paradise off the map, our leaders have fallen short.
Now, thousands more have been impacted by fires in Los Angeles and officials are finally, at least on the surface, putting on a serious face. The fallout of the L.A. fires will be financially crippling for the state, and the insurance industry, which I believe will have impacts throughout the country.
When is it enough?
While the state is responsible for handling the insurance industry and has been doing a terrible job over the past 10-12 years, cities must do their part. It starts with basic management efforts.
Residents are tired of the pet projects, adding committees, commissions, new departments and performative politics that don’t add value or positively impact someone’s quality of life. Cut those costly and ineffective efforts and redirect tax dollars to areas of positive impact.
And it’s not like wildfires aren’t seared into the memory of San Diego County. The Lilac Fire in 2017, Poinsettia and others in 2014, and the lethal Witch Creek and Harris fires in 2007 rocked the region to its core.
But there are positive examples, such as the $100 million San Marcos Creek Project was completed last year to address flooding. San Marcos can hold its head high, but the process was a joke.
The project finally found legs in 2010 — 14 years ago — and went through bureaucratic hell to get funding before it was able to break ground in 2020. The city had to maneuver through a labyrinth of state and federal departments, reports, studies and more to get approval for funding.
Safety doesn’t have 14 years to wait. Therein lies the rub and what has become a focal point from the fallout of the L.A. fires. The massive lines red tape, no follow-through, budget cuts (in some cases) and more.
And cities with significant homeless problems and encampments in creek or riverbeds presents another massive challenge. Homeless service providers and cities aren’t building shelters or other facilities fast enough for a myriad of reasons. Some of those are legit, others are part of what many refer to as the Homeless Industrial Complex, which increases salaries and headcount, but leaves pennies on the dollar for the homeless.
The Oceanside official said more than 60% of the fire department’s calls are to three areas — the riverbed by Fireside Park, an encampment in a creek bed along Oceanside Boulevard and another at the Buena Vista Creek.
Residents whose homes and livelihoods are threatened by encampment fires have little time or patience for the lack of progress or excuses. Perhaps find creative solutions and ditch the HIC?
The Buena Vista Creek looks like a jungle and is a reason state Route 78 floods during large rain events. Driving by one would be hard-pressed to know it was a creek rather than a forest.
Clearing the creek requires the cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside, along with Caltrans, and possibly others to get it done. Other creek clearings involve federal agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers and state or federal wildlife departments.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond has put forward a new county proposal to expand resources, add a helicopter, new water tenders, full review of vulnerable areas, evaluate current water capacity and address insurance, to name a few.
This situation calls for immediate reaction from our leaders. Let’s hope the heed the call, get aggressive, put plans and funding forward and execute. Perhaps most importantly, they must fight like hell when roadblocks come up.
No more excuses.
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It's easier and more fun for politicians to create new projects and "initiatives" than it is to actually plan, run and manage things.