Bishop - Summer wildfire leaves county with hefty tab

12-18-2007

Inyo County is still paying for damages caused by the devastating Inyo Complex Fire last spring, but thanks to federal and state aid, the county won’t be dipping into its own coffers to cover those costs.

to help track revenues and expenditures related to the Inyo Complex Fire.
The move will better help the county utilize outside funding and begin paying off the costs from the summer blaze, which burned the Independence water tanks and several buildings around Independence and Big Pine.

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors recently created a new budget unit to pay for damages and costs incurred during the Inyo Complex Fire, (above), which charred countryside near Big Pine and Independence, burning the Independence water treatment facility. Photo by Jon Klusmire

The county had planned to use money from the county Disaster Services budget with revenues originating from the Geothermal Royalties as a “place holder” for state and federal assistance funds, new County Administrative officer Kevin Carunchio said last Tuesday.
With money expected soon from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the federal government the supervisors approved a budget adjustment that reduced the revenue in the disaster services budget by $33,124, and increased the revenue in Inyo Complex Fire Budget by $33,124.
“There is a lot of state and federal paper work to be tracked,” to be sure there are enough funds to fully pay for the fire expenditures, explained Carunchio.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will be providing the county with a total of $286,363 from two grants to help “track the revenues and expenditures associated with the Inyo Complex Fire.” Those funds, plus the $33,124 from the county are expected to cover the costs incurred by the county.
The federal government will be providing the county with $99,371 for the same purpose.
With the $33,124 from the county, the entire Inyo Complex Fire Budget is $418,858, enough money to pay for the man-power, equipment rentals and other, unavoidable costs wracked up during the disastrous blaze.
During the July fire, the county spent a total of $171,620 on equipment rentals to protect the communities and fight the fire. The county also racked up a bill of $68,426 for professional services during and after the blaze.
The general operating cost for the county was $50,687, internal charges of $924 and $127,210 in expenditures for what the county describes as “offices and other equipment.”
All those expenditures equal a total of $418,858.
By only supplying the $33,124 from the county disaster services budget, state and federal money will pay for reimburse the county for 75 percent of the complex fire costs.
Included in Tuesday’s budget adjustments, the county declared BakerCorp. of Los Angeles as the provider of temporary water tanks for the Independence water supply.
The county will be paying out $10,500 a month for the five temporary tanks, not to exceed $115,500, or 11 months.
Earlier this week the county opened bids for the water tank replacements, but according to Carunchio, it could take up to six to eight months before the new water tank is installed.
“Most of the delay is the fabrication of the tank,” then- CAO Ron Juliff explained to the board, before noting that the new tank will be more fire-resistant, without the wood and aluminum roofing that the old tank had.
The cost of the new water tank is estimated at anywhere from $1.4 million to $1.7 million. County insurance is expected to pick up those costs.
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors is expected to look at bids for the new Independence water tanks at its meeting today, Tuesday, Dec. 18.