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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-0802 Council Mtg MIN ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING DRAFT MINUTES Tuesday,August 2,2022 6:00 PM Regular Business Meeting* I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Akins called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM 11. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Councilor Jensen Led the Pledge of Allegiance. 111. ROLL CALL Mayor Akins and councilor's Hyatt,Graham, Moran, DuQuenne, Seffinger and Jensen were present IV. MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Land Acknowledgement** Mayor Akins read the land Acknowledgment into the record. 2. Hiroshima Proclamation Moran read the proclamation V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of the June 21s'2022 - Business Meeting Jensen/Hyatt m/s to approve the June 215t2022 Business Meeting minutes.Discussion:None. All Ayes. MAYOR's ANNOUNCEMENTS (CONTINUED) Before moving on to Presentations and Awards, Mayor Akins announced there was procurement contract that needed to be discussed first regarding the Emergency Fire Apparatus Procurement.City Manager Joe Lessard explained how the Fire Apparatus,aka a fire engine,was scheduled to be repaired during the current biennium but had been delayed to the next biennium, adding that if Council acted immediately,the needed repairs could be completed as soon as December of 2022. He added that the contract also included the procurement of a new fire engine to supplement the old one. Fire Chief Ralph Sartain added some additional information regarding the specifics of the current fire engine as well as the current backup fire engine. Sartain explained how the current back-up fire engine was not ideal for large scale fires and structure work. Lessard added that normally this procurement would have happened as part of the next biennium budget, but since it was being moved up, it did not currently have any funds appropriated for it. Lessard added that the City could tap into its contingency budget to cover the cost of procurement. Seffinger felt that the contingency fund was a perfect source to pull from.Graham asked for clarification regarding the usage of the term "emergency" and wanted to make sure that the City itself was not declaring a state of emergency. Lessard confirmed that the City was not declaring a state of emergency. Jensen/Hyatt m/s to state that an emergency Public Heath exists and to approve the emergency appropriation of$700,000 for the new fire engine and approve the City to enter into contract with Hughes Fire Equipment and direct Staff to perform the purchase according AMC 2.25.090 and publish an emergency notice of this item pursuant to ORS 192.640-Discussion:Jensen spoke to the importance of responding to emergencies and have the budgetary contingencies to do so. Jensen praised the City for having the foresight to create the contingency fund. Hyatt spoke to the importance of this motion as well as the importance of keeping the people of Ashland safe. Moran spoke in support of the motion. Roll Cal Vote:Hyatt,Graham,Moran,DuQuenne,Seffinger and Jensen:YES. Motion passed Mayor Akins read the Supplemental Budget Resolution into the record Jensen/Hyatt m/s to approve Resolution 2022-25,adoption a supplemental budget for changes to the 2021-23 biennium budget.DISCUSSION: None. Roll Cal Vote:Hyatt,Graham,Moran,DuQuenne,Seffinger and Jensen:YES. Motion passed VI. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS&AWARDS 1. Climate Policy Commission - Home Energy Score Program Chair of the Climate Policy Commission Robert Kaplan provided an update about the Home Energy Score Program. Kaplan brought up how the Federal Inflation Reduction Act included tax rebates for home energy audits and retrofits. Home Energy Score Program Manager Roger Kainu,from the Oregon Department of Energy, explained the concept behind the program. Climate and Energy analyst Stu Green and Rogue Valley Association Realtors member Rick Harris gave additional information on how the energy score is calculated and how it is utilized. Vice Chair Rick Barth stressed the importance of collaboration with multiple organizations within the area as well as with homeowners. Graham mentioned how the buying of homes allows for specific financial opportunities for the homeowner and praised the partnership. She asked how many people had been trained in the program. Harris responded that a single training could have up to 50 people,with Kaplan adding that so far one person had been certified to be a home energy assessor with a second undergoing training. Seffinger brought up concerns around the Oregon state fire risk map and that lowering house values could cause issues with insurance. Seffinger also asked if a homeowner's energy score would change if they made fire-proofing upgrades. Harris responded that any added features would increase the value of a property, including any fire-proofing measures. Lessard added that he wanted the program to come back with staff recommendations. 2. Fire Season Preparation Update Fire Chief Sartain and Wildfire Division Chief Chris Chambers gave a brief update regarding a fire on the Oregon/California border and provided a presentation (see attached). Items discussed were: Number of calls and Number of Firefighters Adapting City and Parks Forest to Climate Change 2015 Number of calls and firefighters Dying Pines: One signal of climate change 2021 Number of calls and firefighters Interdepartmental Vegetation Urban Infill Ashland Forest Resiliency Calls for Service Predicted Flame Length before AFR Project Call Volume and overlapping Calls Forecast Predicted Flame Length After AFR Project Number of Responses for each hour Leveraging Completed Fuels Reduction to Plan Suppression: PODs Shift Schedule Smoke Preparedness Staffing Level Preparing together - Ashland Chamber NFPA Overview Tent Cards Distributed to Ashland Businesses AFR Staffing National Standards Fire Adapted Ashland: Our Community Wildfire Safety Program Current Minimal Staffing of 8 Codes and Ordinances Minimal Staffing of 10 Wildfire Safety Campaign Fire Season Preparation Wildfire Risk Assessment Program Wildfire/Community Risk Reduction Bark Mulch Flammability Test Ashland Comprehensive Real Estate Wildfire Education Program National Cohesive Wildland Fire $3 Million FEMA Mitigation Grant Management Strategy City and Parks Forestlands Management: Wildfire Risk is Rising: What more can we do? The Ashland Forest Plan DuQuenne thanked Ashland Fire for their work and preparation towards future efforts. She was curious if ambulance services could be outsourced in order to dedicate more resources within the City towards fire services. Sartain responded that a recent study undertaken by AFS did not support that idea and that fire staff were already being utilized in a dual role to serve as both fire fighters and provide ambulance services. He also added concerns raised on a state level about the response times of private ambulance services.DuQuenne felt that the study did not reflect the situation within Ashland,which Sartain disagreed with. He added that private ambulance services would also increase the cost of fire services overall. DuQuenne expressed a desire to regionalize safety responses within the valley. Lessard added that a discussion regarding regionalization for fire and police services was scheduled for October of 2022. Jensen thanked Sartain and Chambers for their work as well as the Fire staff. He asked about weed abatement issues that had been raised by citizens. Sartain responded that there had been an issue with the previous weed abatement coordinator,and that the City had worked to help streamline the position. Sartain also stated that the current weed abatement coordinator was beginning to make progress but was having to work around the potential effects of Oregon Senate Bill 762.Jensen asked about the lack of a grace period regarding weed treatment. Sartain responded that the City could forcibly abate properties, but a change in the position caused that policy to be put on hold for the time being. Seffinger asked if response times would be affected if ambulance services were not localized and if changes could be made towards the type of emergencies being responded to by the City. Sartain responded that response times across all EMS agencies were slowing down because of staffing issues, adding that Ashland's EMS services being fully staffed lessened the effects of that. He stated that local EMS services were having to work with an increased call volume. Seffinger praised the FEMA programming regarding increasing fire safety for households.Graham asked for clarification about Ashland Fire's response to regional ambulance calls and if other fire departments within the area also responded to regional ambulance calls,which Sartain confirmed.Graham asked if the City let go of the ASA,would the City have to find another source of funding for EMS services,which Sartain confirmed. Graham spoke about the FEMA program centered around fire safety for households and wanted to increase the number of houses able to be covered by the FEMA program. Chambers agreed with Graham's assessment and stressed the priority of fire-proofing houses according to FEMA. He added that fire-proofing additional houses outside of the one's covered under the FEMA grant would require additional costs and manpower that the City did not have budgeted. He pointed out a few possible grants that could cover the cost.Akins asked for clarification regarding why Ashland Fire had let the issue regarding the repairs for the Fire Engine go on for so long without being rectified. Sartain responded that Ashland Fire had been discussing the issue but had to prioritize acquiring more ambulances to meet demand. He added that the repairs for the fire engine had been continuously pushed off until the next budget by the City until action was finally taken. Sartain affirmed that Ashland Fire was working to make sure that future repair issues for equipment would be handled immediately. Akins asked if Sartain had any insights regarding a law on metal roofing being sunset in 2023. Sartain responded that he was part of the team assembled that helped create the law and had pushed for Ashland to be brought into compliance with the law. He also brought up issues with the language regarding Senate Bill 762 and the lack of forcing home hardening if a structure was outside of the"high" or"extreme"fire risk category,with the City of Ashland falling outside of those categories. Chambers added that recovery from wildfires can be extremely challenging and that trying to add house hardening to homes being rebuilt would require a large amount of manpower. Hyatt added that by the City adopting its own resolutions regarding house hardening, it would not be affected by Senate Bill 762 being sunset. Moran thanked Sartain and Chambers and praised AFR's resilience program. He asked if AFR had found a solution to the ongoing budget problem and was interested in the regionalization of ambulance services to decrease runaway budget expenditures. Sartain responded that a recent $3 million dollar budget increase was a result of grant funding and not the City appropriating more money. Moran stressed the importance of managing the budget, regardless of grant money. He asked if information could be gathered about the collaboration between Ashland Fire and Mercy Flights,which Sartain responded would be a challenge since Mercy Flights acts independent of Jackson County Emergency Services and does not publish response times to the public. He added that Ashland Fire was actively working to incorporate their numbers. Seffinger added that Mercy Flights data would not include work Ashland Fire had done to support Mercy Flights. Sartain noted that Ashland Fire had been requesting Mercy Flights more often because of an increase in call volume. He also stressed that the City would have no input if ASA services changed, as it would become a competitive process undertaken by the county and would also cause the City to lose funding for ambulance services. 3. Police Annual Report Public Forum• Emily Simon/Ashland - Spoke about her work with Chief O'Meara regarding racial discrepancies. Thanked O'Meara for being transparent with his work on tackling racial discrepancies. Mentioned concerns over racial profiling in police stops. Chief O'Meara gave a presentation regarding Ashland Police Department use of force. He broke down the use of force specifics for 2021. He also provided information regarding changes in how police incidents are reported. He spoke about the enhanced law enforcement area that is downtown Ashland and what it entails. He also talked about the racial breakdown of people stopped by APD. He added that the report compiled by APD regarding the racial breakdown would be published on the City website ASAP.Graham praised the decrease of use of force incidents, crime, and disturbances as well as the increase in training efforts. She asked if there was a way to incorporate the population of Southern Oregon University into future demographic studies by APD. O'Meara noted that work had begun to incorporate the University.Akins asked about discrepancies in the racial breakdown for police incidents and why racial information was not included on state issued drivers licenses. Simon responded that the DMV had established rules to not include racial identification on drivers licenses to address issues of racial biases. Akins was curious if there was a work around that was not tied to perceptions. O'Meara added that he was interested in exploring alternate methods if they existed. 4. Croman Mill Site Remediation Update Community Development Director Bill Molnar and Planning Director Brandon Goldman gave a presentation regarding site updates (see attached). DuQuenne asked about the lack of involvement from the City regarding soil testing and if infill was still being brought to the site. Molnar responded that infill was no longer allowed to be brought onto the site as it would be considered a zoning violation. DuQuenne asked when that was stopped, with Goldman responding that the ban was caused because of changes in grading for zoning in August of 2020. Goldman estimated that material had been dumped from other build sites at the property from 2012 until August of 2020 with it being unknown exactly how much of the material could be considered hazardous. Senior Planner Derek Severson added that testing would be on random sections but had been well within compliance with state regulations.Jensen asked why Croman Corporation did not receive a permit for using the land as a dump site. Molnar responded that at the time, a permit was not required.At the time,the City was focused on the issues of noise and dust complaints, until it was realized that the land was being used for commercial enterprise. Molnar also pointed out that until the Croman Mill Site had been rezoned, it was considered an M1 Industrial zone, meaning it was able to be used for high-impact industries. Molner speculated that the property owner was unaware of the sheer scale of the cleanup after years of being used as an industrial site. Jensen brought up the denial of a conditional use permit and how the hauling of material from the Croman Mill site to be used and sold has continued up until the very date,citing the testimony of a truck driver. He asked if truck logs were examined, how much material was removed, and if the material, hazardous or not,was sold. Molner responded that he did not have that information,with Severson adding that the last log that had been examined was in April of 2022 and was expecting the logs from May through July to arrive in the coming days. He summarized recent actions taken by Croman corporation and how materials were being screened out to help sift for potential contaminants.Jensen brought up issues with the usage of the material and concerns how the current excavation permit was seen by the neighbors of the Croman property as being a workaround to continue unpermitted use as opposed to regulating building instructions.Jensen asked how the permit allowed for the continual sale of screened material from the property. Molner responded that the permit did not allow for sale of products, and was only created as a building permit, adding that it was not subject to public notice under state rules. Jensen asked what to do with a newly formed hole that is being dug out for its mulch and being sold and why it was being permitted. He also asked why he was able to see that the permit was being violated on a regular basis. Severson said that he had been monitoring the hole and that it was an active process and that the potential buyers were interested in starting on the side of the property the hole was present on. Because of that, material had to be removed and screened before it could be disposed of. Goldman added that the material being excavated was decaying wood and logs left from the time of the mill's operation. All of it had to be removed from property to reach its natural grade. Hyatt asked if the material being pulled from the site was still being sold and if so, did the group responsible have a business license.Goldman felt that he was not equipped to answer the question but did note that Johnny Cat Inc,the company that was behind the work at the site,does business in Ashland, so it was most likely that they possessed a business license. Hyatt asked who CEC Engineers were,which Severson responded were the company in charge of the environmental clean-up process. Hyatt raised concerns about possible contaminants from the site ending up in the Belleview area and asked how soon information about possible contamination would be available. Molner responded that the dust was already an ongoing concern and work had already been done to mitigate it. Molner was awaiting further information from recent studies to indicate how much contamination was present at the site and how best to remove it. Severson mentioned that DEQ had already given the site owner recommendations on managing contaminants in 2012 and was aware of the ongoing removal of material from the site. DEQ had not found any violations as of late 2019. Moran asked about the backfill and raised concerns about how best to explain in detail the type of contamination and reclamation efforts to the people living near the site as well as to the Council. He also asked about the amount of time needed to clean up the backfill that had been added to the site. Molner was unable to provide a concrete time frame for site cleanup but guessed it would take around two to three years to fully finish the site cleanup. Graham asked if the plan was for DEQ to help create a plan to test and remove contaminants,which Molner confirmed, adding that DEQ would also provide suggestions for remediation. Graham noted that this type of clean-up was unusual for Ashland and wanted to ensure that the site owners were focused solely on removing the material.Akins noted that continued conversation around the Croman Mill Site Remediation would be best answered in a study session. Jensen/Hyatt m/s for planning staff to bring back to the Council at the next meeting a continuation of the current presentation and to bring specific truck logs information,sale of material information and waste load numbers,as well as a new monitoring process with specific stop-work provisions for violations. DISCUSSION:Hyatt thanked the Planning commission for answering the Council's questions. Goldman pointed out that DEQ information would not be available until September. Jensen was not inclined to amend. ROLL CALL VOTE:Graham,Hyatt,Moran,Seffinger,DuQuenne&Jensen,YES.Motion Passed. V11. UNFINISHED BUISNESS Consideration of ballot referendum item for November 8,2022 General Election: 1. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 3212 Relating to the Food and Beverage Tax; Amending AMC 4.34.020 and 4.34.160 and Approve Resolution 2022-23 Referring Ordinance 3212 to City Elections Officer City Manager Joe Lessard explained how the ordinance would work and what specific changes had been made. He highlighted the limited usage of the Food and Beverage Tax and gave an example of limited time-period expenditure.Akins asked why the sunset date for the tax was 2040 and not 2030. Lessard cited ongoing conversations with special meetings regarding having the sunset date be 2040. Jensen/Hyatt m/s to approve second reading of Ordinance No.3212 relating to the Food and Beverage Tax. DISUCUSSION: Jensen brought up the challenging process to put this measure on the ballot for the citizens to vote on. Hyatt thanked Lessard for his work and the Council for their discussion about the ordinance. Moran voiced his opposition to the ordinance citing concerns over cost structures as opposed to finding fixes using new taxes. Graham brought up the rapidly changing nature of the services within Ashland, adding that the cost of providing those services will only increase. She expressed that the tax would help to support these services. DuQuenne was interested in other opportunities that could raise money and not cause taxes to be raised. She felt that 2040 was too far of a date. Jensen/Hyatt m/s to amend the previous motion to read 2035 as the sunset date. DISCUSSION:Graham and Seffinger were curious if moving the sunset date to 2035 would make a difference regarding support. Moran expressed support for moving the sunset date to 2035. DuQuenne expressed opposition to moving the sunset date to 2035. ROLL CALL VOTE:Moran, Hyatt,Seffinger,Graham and Jensen,YES.DuQuenne,NO.Amendment Passes 5-1. ROLL CALL VOTE to approve second reading of Ordinance No.3212 relating to the Food and Beverage Tax with the sunset date amended to 2035 Moran, Hyatt,Jensen,Seffinger and Graham YES.DuQuenne, NO.Motion Passes 5-1 Jensen/Graham m/s to adopt resolution number 2022-23 referring Ordinance 3212 to the City Elections Officer for a vote of the qualified voters of the City of Ashland in the November 81h,2022 general election.DISUCUSSION:DuQuenne asked for clarification as to why there were two different motions for the ordinance. Lessard explained the process,with the second motion officially bringing the ordinance to the City Election Officer for it to appear on the November ballot. ROLL CALL VOTE:Jensen,Seffinger,Graham,Moran,Hyatt YES.DuQuenne NO Motion Passes 5 to 1. VIII. PUBLIC FORUM Rick Veeze/Ashland - Raised concerns about a recent fire evacuation study not accounting for fires starting at a border on a town before moving through that town. Felt that the"what-if" scenario raised in the paper should have been given more focus and not treated as an afterthought. Presented a series of evacuation times that he had calculated modeled after the Alameda Fire and the Paradise Fire in California. Gave suggestions on how to modify current evacuation plans to reflect fast moving fires. Linda Peterson-Adams/Ashland - Decided to move her public testimony to the next meeting in the interest of time. IX. CITY MANAGER REPORT Due to lack of time,Joe Lessard reserved his comments for the next meeting. X. NEW AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS 1. League of Oregon Cities- 2023 Legislative Priorities Ballot Request City Manager Joe Lessard thanked the Council for submitting their ballots regarding what items to prioritize for 2023 and presented the tallies. DuQuenne noted an error in the language for point 18. Graham/Hyatt m/s to approve the following ballot items for the League of Oregon Cities legislative priorities:infrastructure funding to support needed housing,community resilience and wildfire planning,adequate funding for state climate initiatives,economic development initiatives/incentives and infrastructure financing and resilience.DISCUSSION:Graham and Hyatt spoke of the importance of helping the League of Oregon Cities. ROLL CALL VOTE:Graham,Hyatt,Moran,Seffinger,DuQuenne and Jensen YES:Motion Passes 6-0 XI. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approval of MOD Pizza Liquor License 2. Approval of Two Contracts with Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon DuQuenne pulled item number 2 for discussion. Jensen/Moran m/s to approve item number 1 on the consent agenda.Vote:All Ayes. DuQuenne retracted pulling item number 2 for discussion Jensen/Moran m/s to approve the two contracts with Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon.DISCUSSION:Jensen highlighted the essential nature of the contract. Moran asked Chief O'Meara if the fee for ECSO subscribers was based on the number of calls. O'Meara responded that it was based on home value and not the number of calls. O'Meara also mentioned that he was interested in changing how the fee was calculated. Roll Call Vote:Hyatt,Graham,Seffinger,DuQuenne,Jensen and Moran,YES.Motion Passes 6-0. XII. ADJOURNMENT OF BUSINESS MEETING Akins moved to adjourn the Business Meeting The Business Meeting was ended at 9:30PM Respectfully submitted by: --------------------a"U�--------- City Recorder Melissa Huhtalla Nunc pro tunc Alissa Kolodzinski Attest: AJ- ---------------------- Mayor Akins Nunc pro tunc Tonya Graham Ashland Fire & Rescue Updates Fire Chief Ralph Sartain What We Will Be Covering • Call Volume • Fire Adapted Ashland • Fire Department Staffing • Ashland Forest Resiliency Program • Fire Season and Preparations ra Call Staffing 1995 Number of Calls Number of Firefighters eloll . 21 `# 2015 Number of Number of Calls Firefighters Overlapping Calls 93968 1130 1453 --"Now 2021 Number of Number of Calls Firefighters Overlapping Calls ,04785 30 (43.45%) 'y�'Si�+37 •`.;S R ..rt,.•i"Y_iL: = F'1 �M1l a. 1.. Urban Infill CRY Lkwft Overlapping Calls F• Se rice 6CK)O Call Volume Trend ••• • • • 3968 :• ••• ••• 2019 • 2015 2016 • •18 2019 2020 20 Overlapping ao8o8 © 8a 00:00-00:59 - 01:00-01:59 02:00-02:59 03:00-03:59 Z o 04:00-04:59 c 3 05:00-05:59 O6:00-06:59 07:00-07:59 p b. 08:00-08:59 } 09:00-09:59 W o �* 10:00-10:59 O ° :3 11:00-11:59 W } D 9 12:00-12:59 can 13:00-13:59 14:00-14:59 m } 15:00-15:59 16:00-16:59 17:00-17:59 Z O 18:00-18:59 19:00-19:59 20:00-20:59 21:00-21:59 u 22:00-22:59 , 23:00-23:59 ■ Community Service 0, . Ambulance& Emergency Medical, Technical Rescue, \\=Fire p. .. Shift Schedule 3 operati<,nal �hifr> — -A,hand C 10 firefighters are assigned to each sluff Shifts work a"48/96" schedule (two days on followed by 4 days of� Staffing Levels 8/10 and 10/13 Where do we need to be? NFPA Overview • NFPA 1710 Standards: • Arrival of first fire engine at a fire: 4 `. min. or less, 90%of the time i • Arrival of second fire engine: 6 min., r 90%of the time • Deployment of a full first-alarm assignment: 8 min.,90%of the time u rnswou etpl 1s a 1 e 1f.4r i n N.a+nut 1151600.CGYt�YIS s�ICIe I CWrf 01 Ae: 514VI Ym♦alp (gvinroo 3 loam Win oftet(no NFPA 1710 Overview tIjklad t octet)Fire FW" '1 ff awrmd Vl lurml.-W"W fa -1(Xrj m J ho Fwkm 1MNM UW 10t."3FutFlikm 'i ff m vrredb 1urw/ourm .i"11ws;r,.d w L / ftx1*-.rcow"A *This is for a 2000 Sq •S a►o ,rt ass�1ad N�1rc home with no exposure and no basement lop -114 lip 1� M lM�bl 1{M I.wi AFR Staffing Past 12 Month zo 18 16 14 1' W C E 10 z e 6 i 2 0 1 --'_1 IW-21 Aug-21 Sep-21 0ir21 21 D -21 lay,_ I-eh-'_'_ \L-2'_ Apo-22 M AI-22 Current Minimum Staffing of Station • Minimum a. Stalling of 1 StationStation •�. l--ram +u, c.,....._. __ • � tc u is Fire Season Preparation -a� What has Occurred • Regional Meetings • Increased Training • Grant Funding for up staffing (SB762) • Pre-positioned Equipment • Wildfire Risk Reduction Specialist and FENfA Grant • The FLSS position has been hired. .k Wildfire/Community Risk Reduction Fire Adapted Ashland Ashland Forest Resiliency Stewardship Project Ashland's Comprehensive Approach to Wildfire Safety www.fireadapted ash Iand .or, �vwow.smokewis_e_ashaand.o.r, w�w,wsn andwatershed.a l F H Mons communities are as prepared as possrbte to receive,respond to and recover ® o P o • • • • SCIENCE - • Landscapes,regardless All juttsctktrons' of jurisdictional partrcnpate m mak,nq boundaries,are resit) rmpiementmg safe. to fire.insect and eftactm and nsk•boseo disease disturbances management decisions i g ✓. E Ikrscy St v4 tAVO-d L_ Pe ds , City and Parks Forestlands `°�"" •°�' �► ``° Ery Management: The Ashland +N°O ,NtiCP 4N GAY ; 2 < n o I � _ �.. Forest Plan 0 �.eN' iM A Nearly all 1,100 acres is inside :U•h. or within one mile of City Limits Pu �eY Aal Yj Ctir...I L ,.•�` L Since early 1990's, community forests have been managed for values including water, wildlife, and wildfire under Forest Lands Commission. 200 acres of wildfire safety "°E °,>--. work completed this last year. • A cutting-edge plan is Adapting City a n d Parks being put together via Forests to Climate Change Forest Lands Commission to chart adaptation to a changing climate on City/Parks forestlands Projected In 06 • Complements the City's in Area Burned Climate and Energy 600'' to "'' Action Plan and 2016 0•%to 600% Ashland Forest Plan. "' to '"' • Public comment late 00%to 00% summer/early fall and 100%to •0•. j Notmodeled Council decision by end of the year 4 � . Dying Pines: One Signal a Changing Climate r� 'r• \ Bark beetles killed many dozens of large trees on City, Lithia Park, • surroundingprivate • 2021. - Trees • to be • removed for • • expect • ofthis as - - - "- drought and heat stress trees Interdepartmental Vegetation • Inventoried all City/Parks . . . property for fire hazards in 2020 • Majority is blackberry bushes along creeks • 151 acres of mowing/cutting fuel breaks already takes place every year • Implementing work plan to remove as much Dog Park/WWTP=17.9agress blackberry starting close to homes and maintain I , fire safety over time. More was done along Ashland Creek in 2022. El . . FIRE EVENTS BAD / of • across Forest • private lands has stitched together 13,000 acres of forest restoration andwildfire Controlled burns protect forests and our watershed. reduction surrounding • O Reduce fire danger to firefighters,residents,and the places we love andthe watershed. M �N O Reduce the fuels that feed catastrophic fires O Produce much less smoke than severe wildfires Significant controlled burning When you see controlled burns during the cool time of year,know we are working for healthier forests and community:for today and for future generations remains to maintain • ur gains • protect our • • watershed. 198 acres were completed this • ForestAshland we need to be burning acres a year. Stewardship Project _ t• '�� .., _ ,�: � • ,' •. yh' .. � •tie y y•..`tM c . yy � •' '�" 'R`r l'4�° 4s...t a . 'fit _ ""ti�y '! •�-.[g�.r° f .t .. .i � "t, .��'r�; k�ea `�.'�F�SL'+� * 'ia�', ~ 1 ' �j: ` � •'� r lY�� _Y-��"b;�y 4� �.�y '� t �y � -� ' .. �". 6 Toga ti" �I � ��' y ~ !� •� (D rD ?D 03 ; TT �J 1V , O :`� r r�' •' wry J T _t ? � (D rD Ilk y 'ti f �` t� '1' •rh �` Leveraging Completed Fuels iu xnvvnat renr'xuxi KEY Reduction to Plan Suppression: - - PODs - • Pre-locating fire lines based on topography, roads, and where we've completed forest •� , r' thinning and prescribed burning. - • Safer for Firefighters • More effective air attack - -: • Prioritize future prescribed burning and fuels reduction } 2018 Summer 2018 Summer Smoke Moderate AQI Unhealthy AQI Preparedness smokewiseashland.org • One-stop-shop for smoke information: • Air Quality Index • Smoke and health • Creating indoor air quality • Business preparedness • Controlled burn information Good uupas•vw - .r—f www. ash la ndcha m ber.com/prepa re PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE TOOLKIT ��- THE LANGUAGE TOGETHER BUSINESS Preparing Together PREPARING TOGETHER SMOKE PREPAREDNESS Take One Step Today PAY YOUR DUES GIFT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM VV ' l.l.l.(/ L`.__ a,pad HELP SUPPORT FLOWER BASKETS IN r In/(�M�}Ao/J(/, ASHLAND FOR 2022 GREETERS MEETINGS 201320 LIVINGAND DOING BUSINESS GUIDE The Ashland Chamber of Commerce and Ashland Fire&Rescue have developed resources to help you MEMBERSHIP prepare for emergencies with useful information on smoke,evacuation and alerts.Click on the links below. ASHLAND CHAMBER'S COMMUNITY EVENTS BOARD 6 STAFF VOLUNTEER CHAMBER 9D ai U VOLUNTEER APPLICATION l�! 1 U PROGRAMS 6 COMMITTEES Visitor _ Employee Business Resident Owner PUBLICATIONS RAPID RESPONSE TEAM Smoke Information Be Prepared Be Prepared Evacuation CHAMBER HISTORY Evacuation Smoke Information Smoke Information Alen Signup� Alert Sign ups ASHLAND'S ECONOMY Evacuation Business Workbook Prepare Your Horne Tent Cards Distributed to Ashland Businesses Front Back Preparing r' Va4,&Zg �the pa Together Take One Step Today heal&of ov&c&7vn&* .A�` ,,240J 0 For information on emergency preparation J and smoke,go to ASHLAND r www.ashlandchamber.com/prepare Y. J Sign up for Nixie: Text: 97520 to 888777 for alerts VVIjE �A S A N T E Ashland's while you are in Ashland rMOI<L Emergency sarrlLiArvo Alert System Text: Stop 888777 to unsubscribe Fire Adapted Ashland: Our www.fireadaptedashland.org Community Wildfire Safety Program • One-stop-shop Reduce Your My Home , wildfire preparedness Wildfire Risk Wildfire Ri 4 WRAP,• Fire mitigation programs Wildfire• Ordinance andcode information Quicklinks l • My Homc3 Firewise j Weep +vuah Y11Id`,re Plant � I Abatement �'cparedness Educational resourcesand• Grants R;k List Information Campy F ' videos for property owners NIXLE Fire Resist Smokewise Ashland t.Comnwnity Privacy Ashland pest Resiliency General Fuel Alerts Screening - •,Informatics Project e Modification Area for New Construction on • Weed Abatement Vacant , ,,: June 15t" deadline - Dry Grass and Weeds 4 inches • Wildfire Safety Ordinance �,t,o • Affects New li Development/Additions from 2018 on. s � '`� Wildfire Safety •� s.' •, �; � �' Requirements plants list • Fence connections made of non- Cod es & 0 rd i n a n ces flammable material • No wood roofing 7Harden • •• • • •. •t ct Prepare against lean,clean, evacuate or for • embers • and green shelter in place Wildfire Safety Campaign Harden Your Home! April,This • your •me's exterior againstembers. We must all • • this workto protect • • One-on-one wildfire risk home assessments Interested in volunteering? W i I df i re R is I< • Fire department + Wildfire Safety Commission creating Assessment volunteer training program Program (WRAP) • 6 Volunteers active, 174 Assessments Completed Since October. Another training is planned for fall. a - pop o(I roof ndlolnaDlr oilN ynre mn�r a� Mrry�„m+., dfire RiskGreen Debris Green Debris BinD%off Day! �.rMn..�nm.orno.�eessmentr,w•,i.dvnw.n,-�Leam more here Apply here more here v t f Bark Mulch Flammability Test We know mulch is a significant contributor to home ignition and codes prohibit it next to new homes. ,� • Are there mulch products that do not support ignition s _ and combustion? % What mulch types might we not want anywhere in : v landscapes? • Partnership with Fire District #3. Test will happen in mid-August. Thank you Hilton Fuel and Landscape Supply! • - • •jWea Real Estate Wildfire �tesPa Use Retetl Ro fG Me4rb1'• 01�Sk �b Remote Iowa i mWIft. R,o N material wan a Class A m 8 Glans rs a better Prevwrt comhusutile Education Program mre,l�e'fire� ; Iahng is t41 res1slant a4 M11"P�e p chOHy!!Vm plashc n ma±eneh antl KeeO nammahle trees t0 the ilsme from speatln8(e.g.me I M,2rt(lasc PLasi:c can firehrarps from feet Iron cool a clerk• mmposiUcn snitgle,c!�',w ceiriar'.hlel melt aria a>fax ambers umulah,g.Bax-�n Info tM home unyar patios v,n Keep all Yeas 10 teal • decks or sc'�esm a� tram chanrmY.• wah metal mesh rq • Course was held for real estate Mmlm the .1xd mes a per=h l•�. ol, ='Ubswah if professionals to learn about home pope ap�r,�. wildfire hazards and ways to mitigate hazards.Another class is planned for this fall. • Created a course for home inspectors to understand the relationship between wildfire and the home structure and write this into inspection reports. Eight inspectors have been trained. O r�� e I Enclose Eaves end I I F � d� , $o11Xs �Vent. AI I l l I'A i�r t -naac ce $3 Million FEMA Mitigation Grant ` • Defensible space around top �.� �:! •� Meet 100 feet 1,100 at-risk homes in Ashland • Replace wood shake roofs with y Class A or Class B shingles • 72 homes completed - • 44 more in progress • $247,000 spent to date FEMA ' +rr.. { Wildfire Risk is Rising: What More Can We Do? • We need to address existing risk in homes not being covered by the FEMA grant, which is about 5,000 homes who need assessments and cost-share funding. Many are lower risk, so should cost less. • Need to address multi-family residences, commercial structures, and institutional facilities. These are key to wildfire recovery and home to economically vulnerable population. • State funding will become available soon. Looking for mitigation and staffing dollars. • Need to update our Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). • Federal $$ from Infrastructure Bill are becoming available with priority on funding CWPP updates. We'll be well positioned to apply this year. • Addressing the State-wide risk map issues, our rating may not change. Questions ? Croman Mill District Council Update 8/02/2022 Croman Mill History • 1930 Municipal Airport • 1934— 1996 Sawmill • 2001 Zone Change Planning Application denied • 2010 Croman Mill Site Redevelopment Plan and Zoning District • 2012 Reclamation initiated • 2020 Conditional Use Permit application denied • 2021 Grading and Excavation Permit issued • 2021-2022 — Preapplication for new Master Planning effort (Townmakers LLC) low Municipal Airfield/Airport L early 1930s Al Lumber Mill — 1934 -1996 Photo McGreww Mill 40 �•y t lot' Site reclamation 2012-2020 F y 100 At • ♦;, �{ � _ � • Ems'. r � r \� � Ilk, 2012 Aerial 2018 Aerial Site reclamation activities 2012-2020 • Decommissioned Equipment • Mill buildings removed • Log Decks excavated in northern portion of property • Consolidated onsite waste into sorted piles • Excavated wood waste used as soil amendments, added to imported clean fill and sold off site. • I. LI !,'"'dye -. - '.t t* .. y•.3" .. t �e+gf.'�' �1 it 1 I Photos c. 2010 Neighborhood Concerns regarding site activities 2012-2022 • Noise ;, • On-site Equipment noise • Rock crushing noise • Backup alarms on trucks • Dust and • Air born particulates • Track out of mud and dirt • Odor from composting piles • Hours of operation • Homeless Encampments _ • Fire Safety • Weed abatement, combustible materials • Truck Traffic (Volume and Speed of trucks ) Property Owner/Development Concerns • Magnitude of cleanup necessary • Excavation depth • Variety of materials • On-site sorting, separating waste materials, diversion from landfill • Trucking frequency • Voluntary DEQ cleanup • Future development options • Revisit masterplan allowable uses • Townmakers LLC • Future Infrastructure needs • Transportation • Water/sewer/storm drains • Utilities Land Use Overlays Cfornan Mill District Regulatory Framework • Croman Mill Masterplan • District Boundaries • Transportation network • Land Use Overlays • Open Spaces • Allowable Uses (Office, Industrial,Mixed Use, etc). — • Conditional Use Permit • Temporary uses • Future Infrastructure :. • Transportation • Water/sewer/storm drains li • Utilities ' • Predevelopment activity • Grading and Excavation Permit • Site clearance , 1 Regulatory Framework Conditional Use Permit Request 2020 (Denied) Requested 5-year continuation of sales from the production ;� of soil amendments to assist in financing the ongoing clean- . � � up of the site IX i. Requested allowance for continued importing of material. o< <� ,.A .... Application for above activities was denie ° Am rar Reiycu" � I ;; ate• - -, �. Regulatory Framework Conditional Use Permit Request 2020 (Denied) • Denial was based on Staff found that a five-year extension could not be defined as temporary. • Denial was based on the proposed on-site operations (blending of wood waste with clean fill material)constituting a manufacturing use. • The continuation of the commercial activity conducted previously(2012-2020), was disallowed: • Importation of clean fill for processing and resale. • Importation of concrete and stone materials. • Importation of soil excavated from other construction sites for sorting and screening. • Commercial sales of enriched (processed) soil. • The decision explicitly recognized that reclamation efforts including issuance of an excavation and grading permit could be approved to allow removal of debris and waste from past mill operations to prepare the site for future redevelopment but could not include a commercial component. Grading and Excavation Permit (issued April 2021) { • No importation of materials is allowed without prior city approval. Imported material could be considered as backfill/stabilization after excavation and clean-up are complete, if insufficient materials remain on-site • No on-site manufacturing or processing of topsoil, soil amendments, or construction fill for the purpose of sales is permitted. • Work is limited to 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., not to exceed five days per week • Truck traffic limited to no more than 50 trucks per day. �r • Erosion control, dust control and track-out monitoring is required. • Fire prevention and safety required. Regulatory Framework Grading and Excavation Permit (issued April 2021) • Quarterly reports of material removed provided. • Quarterly on-site inspections by Community Development Staff(building official, Code Compliance, Planning) • Weekly monitoring site visits by code compliance r• Ic Staff Photo(312112022) Staff Photo(511912022) �� -- — i• yr+�`t4'--^' .- _ r �_ ,. *- �- _ -�,� ,�. �► ate _ s Staff Photos(61211-2022) J"1 Lnow Staff Photos(612112022) Next Steps Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Review • November 2021: A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)for the Site was completed by Rogue Environmental Consulting, LLC (Rogue Environmental) • March 31, 2022:The current property owners have applied for the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP)with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality(DEQ) on,for the purpose of determining if there are environmental impacts to the Site from former mill activities, and if necessary, remediate,so that they can obtain a no-further action (NFA) determination and redevelop the property. Future plans for the Site are redevelopment for mixed commercial and residential use. • July of 2022: Site Investigation Work Plan and Sampling Plan completed and submitted to DEQ for review. • Due to ongoing site reclamation activities,some areas may need to be explored once activities are completed, i.e., the investigation may need to be done in phases as areas become uncovered and available. • The goal of this site investigation is to provide DEQ,the City and local community the data to evaluate potential environmental risks and exposure pathways to receptors at the Site,given the proposed office/industrial/mixed use redevelopment plans for the site. Next Steps Monitoring cleanup • Regular meetings with property owner representatives on-site to go over grading plan progress (bi-monthly/quarterly) with Building Official, Code Compliance, and Planning Staff. • Continued monitoring of site regarding common code compliance issues (weekly/bi-weekly site visits) • Review monthly reports submitted to City • Continued fire protection efforts, onsite water truck, weed abatement,trespass of homeless encampments. • No further Action (DEQ clearance) Planning for redevelopment ■ ` ctivitv Center Croman Mill District • Master Plan amendments • Townmaker's LLC development proposal Local businesses, Office, light industrial, mixed use • Initial concept developed 2021-2022 • Proposal Review �' z 'e ntial (Un• Formal Development application(s) (Phased) �% current�� eristrict Plan) • Annexation • Zone Changes through revised masterplan • Public hearings for review of development proposal Next Steps Community Information • City to develop a webpage to provide regular updates • Upload site assessment reports • Development proposal progress • Online Croman complaint form • Regular Neighborhood Check-ins • Initiate regular neighborhood meetings opportunities between property owner representative and neighborhood. • Develop email notification list to be used to update the neighborhood for any changes in activity • Community Review for future development • Annexation • Zone Changes through revised masterplan • Public hearing for development review