HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019.11.20 Wildfire Safety Commission Minutes AGENDA FOR A MEETING OF THE WILDFIRE SAFETY COMMISSION
Wednesday,November 20, 2019 11:00AM to 1:00PM Training Room,Ashland Fire Station#1, 455 Siskiyou Blvd
I. CALL TO ORDER
Present: Bruce Moats, Charisse Sydoriak, Tracy Peddicord, Chris Chambers, Doug Kay, Katie Gibble,
Tonya Graham, Priscilla Franco, Ralph Sartain
II. INTRODUCTIONS
Chief Ralph Sartain introduced mid-meeting to provide update on Medford building code update
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES October, 2019
Approved as submitted
IV. PUBLIC AND GUESTS FORUM
None
V. ADJUSTMENTS TO AGENDA
Schedule adjusted to accommodate Chief Sartain to discuss Medford building code updates
VI. CITY COUNCIL CHECK IN (Tonya)
a. Update on Recommendations of WSC to City Admin working group
i. Working group received list, nothing has been removed from the list provided by WSC
VII. OLD BUSINESS
a. Working Group Check-ins
i. Real Estate Inspection (Stephen)
1. Current progress on meetings with realtors, specifically Rogue Valley Realty
Association
2. Four items being addressed with realtors: brochure for buyers/sellers, class for
realtors on wildfire risk around homes, class for home inspectors, advisement
form development to provide buyers
3. We have learned that we cannot require realtors to take class or to hand out
brochures, but realtor's energy and motivation to learn information and inform
buyers and sellers about wildfire risk is encouraging.
4. Discussion with group that an inspector would be a good participant in this
commission
5. Tracy Peddicord: National realty meeting will be held in Bend next year. Offering
continuing education credits during that meeting would be good, connecting with
realtors
ii. Nuisance Ordinance Expansion
1. None
iii. Home inspection capacity building
1. None
iv. Fire Adapted Communities Expansion/integration
1. Firewise becoming self-governing
v. Wildfire preparedness campaign
1. Waiting on Tonya's report, revisit next month
vi. Intterra rollout
1. Katie will loop in the members of the working group with updates
vii. Nursery Education Program
1. This was identified as an action item during the Prohibited Flammable Plants
meeting.
2. Alison already developed a class for nurseries—worked with Julie Smitherman
3. Regarding the Prohibited Flammable Plants List meeting, Katie will email
council, summarizing the main findings and concerns addressed in the meeting
a. Pushback on 5 foot zone, aka"the moat" (provide citizens with examples
of alternatives)
b. Screening (work to identify other options to educate citizens about
alternatives)
viii. Fire-safe business license program
1. Question to Tracy: does LEED building certificate require visits (annual,
biannual) to stay certified? Tracy
ix. Advocate adoption of new building codes
1. Katie and Chris will inform WSC when this action needs to be triggered
x. Consistent messaging program used by all departments
1. None
xi. Identifying alternative funding sources
1. Katie will communicate with Kent on this priority
xii. Propagate accurate information regarding city finances
1. None
xiii. Electric Utility Fire risk
1. OLLI is teaching a course co-led by power company
xiv. Illegal Camping Ignition Sources
1. None
b. Fire Season Campaign/Jefferson Exchange/Farmers Market Post-mortem
i. none
c. Farmer's Market (Doug)
i. Getting access to email all participants in Farmer's Market listsery to email about
Firewise, 0-5 foot zone
d. Electric Utility Wildfire Safety, Pacific Power, updates (Steve)
i. None
e. Wildfire Building Code update: Medford City Council and Plan for Ashland(Chris)
i. Chief Sartain shared his knowledge about R327 passage in Medford
ii. Medford is starting to work through Wood Shake Roof and prohibited plants list
iii. International WUI code being brought into Oregon
f. WIRE (Wyree) and Interra Portal update (Katie)
i. Balancing with research group to meet their research needs as well as our eagerness to
get the portal out to the public.
g. Plant List subcommittee status (Katie/Tracy)
i. Discussed in VII.a.vii
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
a. Tracy Peddicord will be leaving the Wildfire Safety Commission at end of 2019. Would like to
be member at large for working group meetings that she has signed up for
i. Katie will confirm that this is acceptable with city rules
b. Town Finances (Stephen)
i. Budget bytes are being produced in hard copy news but electronic ways of getting
information out to public are lacking
c. Realtor Progress Report (Stephen)
i. Already discussed in VILa.i
IX. REPORTS AS TIME ALLOWS (2 min each)
a. Forest Lands Commission Report (Priscila)
i. Nate Lewis is new chair, Priscila is new vice-chair
b. Tree Commission (Rotating)
i. No one attended in Nov.
c. Chamber Wildfire Task Force (Katie)
i. Discussed FAC funds to fund communications plan, and outreach to vulnerable populations
ii. ODF has pot of money for smoke preparedness that Ashland could apply for
iii. Chris: Request to have someone sitting in on Chamber Wildfire Task Force as liaison,
possibly Health & Wellness person from OSF
d. Art on Fire (Priscila)
i. 7 classes through OLLI
ii. Exhibit to reach more people—looking for venue
iii. Would like to advertise the exhibit during wildfire preparedness campaign
e. Drone detection program (Chris)
Contracts being finalized, can present final findings at next meeting
f. Ladder truck
i. none
g. SIM Table
i. Chris: State does not have SIM tables for check-out
ii. Sara Jones (AFR) is apply for NOAA grant with application for SIM table is a component.
X. REVIEW AND SET COMMISSION CALENDAR/NEXT MEETING
a. Next Commission Meeting: December 18, 2019, 11:00am-1:00pm (Station 1)
XI. ADJOURN