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Mayor Torrey observed he had been asked by a constituent why smoking was allowed at all in <br />parks given fire issues. Mr. Johnson indicated staff would follow-up. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked if the City had the ability to call on helicopters. Deputy Chief Groves said yes, <br />that response would be coordinated through the Oregon Department of Forestry. He said the <br />Oregon Department of Forestry monitored emergency frequencies and the agency frequently <br />moved to respond to an incident even before contacted. <br /> <br />Chief Tallon briefly noted the unified command response to a recent fire in Coburg, which included <br />air support by a private contractor used by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Eugene and <br />Springfield fire departments, and others. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson noted conflicting values in the community regarding the preservation of trees. She <br />asked if dead or dying trees that might have a habitat value or function were contributing to a less <br />safe environment in terms of fire safety. Deputy Chief Groves said a dead or dying tree was a <br />more hazardous tree in terms of fire danger than a healthy, green tree with a higher moisture <br />content. A recent fire on Skinner Butte that had likely been intentionally set involved a dead snag; <br />subsequently, a Public Works crew had been sent to the park to remove the hazard. Ms. <br />Nathanson questioned if the City was encouraging the removal of dead vegetation or encouraging <br />its retention. Speaking to Ms. Nathanson's question, Mr. Kelly believed the Tree Code defined a <br />tree as living, which would allow for the removal of dead trees without permit. <br /> <br />Deputy Chief Groves briefly discussed the triage approach used by the department so that limited <br />resources would be used where they could be most effective. He said that the department <br />assessed and evaluated structures to determine if they could be saved. That might mean that, in <br />the event of a fire, the department would drive by a structure with heavy shake roof, difficult <br />access, etc., to save structures that could be saved in the wildland interface. He noted that the <br />approach had created political problems in other communities that experienced conflagrations. <br /> <br />The meeting adjourned at 1 p.m. <br /> <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br />James R. Johnson <br />City Manager <br /> <br />(Recorded by Kimberly Young) <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 29, 2001 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />