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Home My WebLink About2017.03.15 Wildfire Safey Commission Minutes MINUTES FOR A MEETING OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION COMMISSION Wednesday,March 15,2017 II:OOAM to 1:OOPM Training Room,Ashland Fire Station#1 455 Siskiyou Blvd IN ATTENDANCE: Tim Bewley, Doug Kay, Stephen Gagne, Tracy Peddicord,Vicky Sturtevant, Bruce Moats,Alison Lerch, Chris Chambers, Julie Smitherman NOT IN ATTENDANCE: Stef Seffinger I. CALL TO ORDER: 11:OOam II. INTRODUCTIONS Julie Smitherman from the City's Water Conservation Department III.APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 15,2017 Steven Moved to approve,Doug Second, all in favor. Action Items: Commissioner adjustments: Stephen and Tracy have extended their appointments. Vicky will leave the Commission at the end of April. Paul Hessburg: Getting a better video-Leavenworth or Bend. First week of May. Burn to Learn: Alison handed out a flyer. The Event is May 12-13 at Jackson County Fire District 3 in White City. Emails on the website: Email addresses are required on the City's website. Alison will work with Dana Smith and report back in April. Insurance Letter: Circulated to John Karns and Chief Shepherd; one change to the letter. Who is this letter from? Fire Chief/City Administrator/Wildfire Mitigation Commission. The initial discussion was to encourage State Farm to include a discount. Once we hear back from State Farm we will push out this process additional Insurance agencies. Commission Vacancies: Steve Asher is interested in attending the next meeting IV. PUBLIC FORUM V.ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA A. Discussion about how to conduct the meetings. Should we invite others to do a presentation. How much time do we give people in public forum? B. Mayor's Brown Bag Commission Meeting: Tim connected with Alison and Julie about the new landscaping project at the airport. Kerry Kenkairn,the Landscape Architect,will set up a meeting with Alison, Julie and Tim to talk about their new project. VI.BUSINESS A. New Business a. 2016 Accomplishments B. Ongoing Business a. 2017 Commission Priorities b. Committee Updates: i. Plant List Subcommittee • The intent of this document is for tabling at the Farmers Market and to align with the Wildfire Ordinance • This list needs to be tailored to small landscapes and to the Rogue Valley. • What does the Commission want from this?A tri-fold pamphlet is too small to include ornamental grasses and perennials. • Rogue Valley vs the larger Market. Rogue Valley Firewise Plants. Rogue Valley Firewise Plants best used at least 10 feet from structures. • 3Icons: • deer head-benefits from deer protection • water drops-drought tolerant, • bee-friendly • Remove"Beneficial's"and explain what they are • Plant material within 3 feet of a structure is something that is trying to be prohibited. • Add"Minimize Foundation Planting" • Creating Zones in the city"Flatland Zone""Hillside Zone" • We may still want to create a postcard. • The back of the 1 pager could include an image with appropriate distances to structures. • Do we need to put a publication date on this? Brand the pamphlet with Ashland Firewise? • Julie will co brand it with waterwise Ashland. ii. Wildfire Mitigation Ordinance(WMO) • Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire(CPAW) created a memo with notes about the Draft Wildfire Ordinance and attended the February 21 st WMO Meeting. A suggestion was made to divide Ashland into 2 zones, the lower valley and steep ground. The big take away from the meeting was that a 5 foot distance around structures with no vegetation was science based and needed to be valued.Next meeting is April 7' iii. Wildfire Task Force(Smoke,Evac/Com,Business Resilience) • Evac/Com: Each incident is different, so we need to enhance the communication strategies that we have. • Smoke Committee is meeting on April 5tn iv. Community Wildfire Protection Plan Subcommittee (Risk Assessment) c. Farmer's Market 2017 i. Doug attended the famers market and we are invited and good to go. There will be sign up opportunities at the April meeting. ii. Send out an e-blast to the 2300 households on the Ashland Food Project when the new Firewise Plants sheet is ready. iii. Firewise Newsletter: Ask Julie if she can plug the Firewise Newsletter in her Waterwise newsletter. d. Mayor's Brown Bag Lunch e. Forest Division Update i. AFR-helicopter thinning has started, log trucks going on Tolman Creek Rd with only one complaint. A 5-acre prescribed burn was conducted this week and more is planned for the rest of the week. A Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) is the first 2 weeks of May. ii. Firewise-New Firewise Community Meadowbrook Park Estates C. Parking Lot Issues a. Wildfire Mitigation Ordinance b. Flammable Plant List/Landscaper-Nursery Update c. Community Wildfire Protection Plan d. Branding the WMC e. Wildfire Commission Collateral f. Firewise Website VIL COMMISSIONER COMMENTS VIII.REVIEW AND SET COMMISSION CALENDAR/NEXT MEETING A. Mayors Brown Bag Lunch: March 24,2017, 12:OOpm(ComDev) B. Chamber WTF Meeting: April 5, 2017, 10:30pm(Station 1) C. WMO: April 7, 2017, 10:30am(Station 1) D. Next WMC Meeting: April 19, 2017, 11:00am(Station 1) E. Firewise Class: April 22,2017 F. Ashland Firewise Clean Up Day: May 6, 2017 G. Firewise Expo: May 12-13,2017 H. WMC Report to the City Council: May 16, 2017 IX. AGENDA ITEMS FOR April 19, 2017 A. What is the mechanism for city owned landscape review?Tim will find this out as well as bring this up at the Mayor's Brown Bag Lunch. B. Landscaping Field Trips C. Tracy would like to go on a Firewise Assessment with Alison X. ADJOURN: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting,please contact the Public Works Office at 488-5587(TTYphone number 1 800 735 2900). Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting(28 CFR 35102-35.104 ADA Title I).