With a special Town Hall next Tuesday, that might have explained why there was such a light turnout for another discussion about a fire tax in Grass Valley. The proposed half-percent sales tax increase was the only non-consent item on the agenda at the City Council meeting Tuesday night. And for the first time, City Manager Tim Kiser laid out two expenditure option from the measure, which would raise nearly three-and-a-half million dollars a year. He said the first option would split the revenue 50-50 between vegetation management and resiliency. That would include 900-thousand dollars to fund more staffing…

click to listen to Tim Kiser

The second option would use 75-percent of the revenue for vegetation management. Meanwhile, Fire Chief Mark Buttron, during his presentation, mentioned that vegetation management needs to be more than complaint-driven and is not meeting community expectations…

click to listen to Chief Buttron

In Option One, one million dollars would go for 100 acres of fuels reduction work. But City Councilman Bob Branstrom suggested that a-quarter-percent increase might be easier to pass…

click to listen to Bob Branstrom

Councilmembers also expressed frustration about the lack of public input so far. But that will likely improve for the Town Hall, which will be held in the multipurpose room at Sierra College.