Fire Chief Jeff Isaacs could gain new authority to award contracts, and the district could gain new authority to speed up spending during emergencies, under an ordinance the Moraga-Orinda Fire District board considered at a public hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The board heard testimony on Ordinance 26-06 at the Orinda Library Auditorium. As of Thursday, Aug. 20, the district had not posted meeting minutes or confirmed whether the measure passed. The board's pre-hearing notice stated its intent to adopt the ordinance.

The proposed overhaul would move MOFD's public construction projects under the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act, a state framework that sets tiered bidding thresholds. Under current UPCCAA rules, updated by AB 2192 effective Jan. 1, 2025, projects costing $75,000 or less can be handled through negotiated contracts or purchase orders without competitive bids. Projects up to $220,000 can go through informal bidding. Anything above $220,000 still requires formal bids.

The ordinance would also authorize Isaacs to develop and maintain a list of qualified contractors and to award informal contracts under district policy.

A separate provision addresses emergencies. If adopted, the board could establish procedures by resolution for contracting repairs to public facilities during emergencies and for spending district funds when immediate action is needed to protect life, property and critical infrastructure.

Ordinance 26-06 would supersede the district's previously adopted Ordinance 26-05, which authorized design-build project delivery methods, and amend Ordinance 24-03, which restated purchasing and contracting procedures. The district determined the ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act because it modifies administrative procedures, not physical projects.

If adopted, the ordinance takes effect 30 days after passage.

The same Aug. 19 meeting included a separate public hearing on the district's final fiscal year 2027 budget. The preliminary budget was adopted at the board's June 17 meeting. That vote's outcome also had not been posted as of press time.

The full text of Ordinance 26-06 is available at www.mofd.org/ordinances-resolutions. Residents can request certified copies by calling the district clerk at (925) 258-4501 or visiting 1150 Moraga Way, Suite B, Moraga.