By Dianne Jacob

Keeping communities safe: The Board of Supervisors recently gave the green light to prepare for the next wave of rural fire prevention and protection improvements.

Supervisor Jim Desmond and I got board approval to ask county staff to flesh out several proposals, including the development of a grant program to encourage homeowners in high-risk areas to install fire-resistant materials.

We’re also looking at ways to strengthen the fire code for construction and create a regional plan for controlled burns and other preventative measures.

The county continues to work overtime with Cal Fire and others to address the on-going threat of catastrophic wildfire. Since 2003, the county has invested more than a half-billion dollars on fire prevention and emergency medical service improvements across our backcountry.

Housing: The county’s growing efforts to encourage the development of granny flats and other accessory homes are generating a lot of interest.

In my recent State of the County speech, I talked a lot about the need for such housing to help address the region’s affordable housing crisis. For more information, call 858-495-5382.

Parks and rec: A recent Board of Supervisors vote cleared the way for a much-deserved, long-awaited park in Alpine.

The board agreed to buy 98 acres near South Grade and Tavern roads and to work closely with the community to turn it into a park and public open space.

A big win for the region!

— Dianne Jacob is chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and represents District 2. For more District 2 news, visit diannejacob.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For assistance with a county issue, call 619-531-5522 or email [email protected].