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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 08/29/01 Work Session MINUTES Eugene City Council Special Work Session McNutt Room--Eugene City Hall August 29, 2001 Noon COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, David Kelly, Nancy Nathanson, Scott Meisner, Gary Rayor. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Bonny Bettman, Par Farr, Gary PapS. CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION Mr. Rayor participated in the meeting by telephone hook-up. Mayor James D. Torrey called the special work session of the Eugene City Council to order. He recognized Ms. Taylor for an additional item prior to the published agenda. Ms. Taylor inquired as to the level of interest on the part of councilors to march together as a Eugene Celebration Parade entry. Mr. Meisner and Ms. Nathanson indicated unavailability because of other participation; it was noted that Ms. Bettman would likely be out of town and that Mr. Pap~ had tentatively agreed to participate; Mr. Farr's availability was unknown; Ms. Taylor, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Rayor indicated availability; Mayor Torrey indicated he would participate if a majority of the council participated. Ms. Taylor determined that it was unlikely the council would participate. A.Work Session: South Hills Fire Danger and Preparedness Update Fire & Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) Chief Tom Tallon introduced Planning Chief Ruth Obadal, Acting Fire Marshal Reggie Augsburger, Deputy Chief of Operations Randy Groves, and Public Information Officer Glen Potter. He also acknowledged representatives of the Oregon Department of Forestry present for the briefing to the council. Chief Tallon said the department was conducting the briefing to give the council an idea of the department's response to the continuing high levels of fire danger and fire activity. Deputy Chief Groves defined the department's service area in the community's south hills using a map distributed to the council and posted on the meeting room wall. The same map was also provided in a version that showed the location of structures in that area. Deputy Chief Groves discussed current fire conditions as established by the Oregon Department of Forestry, emphasizing the dry conditions that existed this year, in conjunction with the cooler-than-normal temperatures, had created a moderate level of fire hazard. However, the potential for a fire to spread through the trees, which were the driest they had been in many years, in and near the south hills by a structural fire, creates a larger hazard. He indicated that conditions could worsen with sustained heat through the month of September, meaning the community was not out of danger yet. High winds that were usual for September could also add to the danger. MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 29, 2001 Page 1 Work Session Fire Marshal Augsburger discussed prevention approaches being pursued by the department, emphasizing in particular the department's educational efforts taken in partnership with other fire suppression agencies, the distribution of educational brochures, various fire-free events at different locations where information was provided to the public about fire prevention and making homes less at risk of fire, articles on the department's efforts published by The Register-Guard, and taking advantage of Fire Prevention Week in October to further get out the message. He noted the potential of code changes that would provide for more fire-resistive building materials in wildland zones and that would make addresses more visible in those areas. Fire Marshal Augsburger said that the department had worked for many months to get the word out to citizens. Deputy Chief Groves noted that department personnel were attempting to be more visible in the south hills to raise consciousness about fire danger. Deputy Chief Groves discussed the department's response capabilities and preparedness, emphasizing the work done over the past ten years to upgrade equipment and enhance training to reach the current level of preparedness. He noted that the department's lead in last year's areawide wildland fire exercise, which used realistic fire spread modeling. Deputy Chief Groves said that after the exercise, department staff agreed as to the necessity of updating the South Hills Fire Plan, which has been done. He noted the many departments and agencies people that would be involved if the need for that plan was triggered, and briefly overviewed the contents of the plan. Deputy Chief Groves noted the department's involvement in mutual aid and automatic aid agreements with other fire suppression agencies. He briefly described how those agreements worked, depending on the size of the incident. He said the department continually assessed its involvement in such agreements to ensure that the local community was well-served. Deputy Chief Groves emphasized the department's level of preparedness and said the department is reasonably ready to handle any problems that arise, in comparison to departments of similar size, if the fire threat index increased significantly. Chief Tallon invited questions and comments regarding the briefing. Mr. Meisner expressed appreciation for the presentation and expressed the wish the subject could have been the topic of a work session before the summer. Distinguishing between prevention in the form of voluntary fire hazard education and prevention in the form of mandated code changes, Mr. Meisner noted the City's lack of jurisdiction over codes outside its boundaries. He asked if the other local jurisdictions were contemplating similar changes to their codes to reduce fire risk, given the potential of impact from fires in those areas on Eugene. Fire Marshal Augsburger said that the County did not have the same codes, although the County employed some minimum standards. That did not occur in a cooperative fashion. Mr. Meisner said his concern was mainly focused on the contract areas, and suggested the possibility that negotiations with the County and special districts could include a suggestion for the adoption of similar codes. City Manager Jim Johnson clarified that the special districts lacked building code requirements, but as the City developed its code provisions, staff would transmit them to the County and strongly urge their adoption. Deputy Chief Groves added that the City received good cooperation from Lane County Public Works regarding road standards, such as access standards related to width and grade. MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 29, 2001 Page 2 Work Session Mr. Meisner suggested that the fire-free events be scheduled at commercial locations in the south hills. Fire Marshal Augsburger indicated some presentations had made to neighborhood associations in the south hills. Ms. Nathanson asked if the City anticipated the number of structures outside of the city limits to increase over time. Deputy Chief Groves said yes, adding that housing in the County had increased dramatically over the years. Ms. Nathanson thought the State land use planning rules were intended to direct development toward urban areas and asked the City Manager to pursue the issue with the County. Ms. Nathanson found the information provided by the department on fire-resistive plants interesting and asked if it had been shared with the public at, for example, home improvement shows. Mr. Augsburger said no, although staff had distributed the information at the Lane County Fair. Ms. Nathanson found inconsistency in the manner that residential and commercial addresses are displayed throughout the community and flagged it for further attention from the City Manager. Ms. Nathanson asked about the status of water pressure in the south hills. Deputy Chief Groves termed the current status "okay," but said it could be an issue in the event of a fire as it had been in some California communities. Ms. Obadal added that staff had worked with the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) staff on the location of reservoirs in the south hills. The City and EWEB had agreed that where and when there was an additional need for pressure, EWEB could make adjustments up to a certain limit, depending on elevation. Ms. Nathanson was pleased to hear that information. Ms. Nathanson emphasized the importance of fire-resistive roofing and offered to assist the department in its educational efforts on the topic. Mr. Kelly thanked the department for its work on the issues of prevention and disaster preparedness. He shared Ms. Nathanson's concerns about fire-resistive roofing and addressing, noting the latter issue was not just related to fire safety but to general public safety as well. He hoped to see some code changes in the future. Mr. Kelly said he was contacted by a constituent regarding people who were smoking in Spencer Butte Park, and asked if it was possible to post temporary signs at the trail heads that restricted or precluded smoking. Deputy Chief Groves said that the department would support such signage at both the park and along the Ridgeline Trail. He thought signage would be the responsibility of the Public Works Department. Fire Marshal Augsburger said that the Public Works Department had posted some signs about open flames and sparks resulting from equipment use, although he was unsure they specifically mentioned smoking. Mr. Kelly asked if any other communities had employed a voluntary inspection program to assist homeowners who were trying to do the right thing. He suggested an outreach effort that included mention of the availability of City assistance. Chief Tallon said that the department was assisting homeowners when requested. He said the department would be happy to look at any approach that helped get the community engaged in the problem. Ms. Taylor noted uniform community support for the Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department. She said that she had already seen signs near the Ridgeline Trail warning about the MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 29, 2001 Page 3 Work Session danger from open flames and endorsed the concept of adding prohibitions on smoking to the signs. Ms. Taylor suggested the County be asked to do something about bonfires in the areas under County jurisdiction outside the city limits that could potentially affect Eugene structures. She had seen such a fire the previous year. Deputy Chief Groves clarified that the County did have a burning season; burning was regulated by the different fire districts and Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority and generally required a permit. Ms. Taylor did not think the situation she had witnessed was safe, and wondered if the County could be persuaded to adopt regulations precluding such situations. Ms. Taylor said she received a constituent call about a recreational fire used for cooking, and it seemed to her that City Code was ambiguous about the issue. She thought it should be clarified. Deputy Chief Groves said that the department responded year-round to such calls. In the case of an obvious cooking fire, that was allowed; an obvious bonfire was not. Ms. Taylor thought that the fact cooking was intended did not make the fire less dangerous. Fire Marshal Augsburger indicated that the department's level of response would depend on the size and use of the fire. A small fire on the ground contained by bricks or stones was less dangerous than an open fire. The crews used their best judgment to determine the level of response. Mr. Rayor shared the concerns expressed by other regarding structure addressing. He asked if the department had communicated with Portland about its experience fighting its recent large fire. Deputy Chief Groves indicated he would contact Portland for its after-incident critique. He noted the inclusion in the meeting packet of two articles from The Oregonian on this story, one regarding the fire command perspective on that fire. Chief Tallon added that the department always worked to take advantage of the lessons learned by other departments. Mr. Rayor said he had recently witnessed a response to a forest fire in a rural area of Lane County and suggested it would be useful to learn where those responding jurisdictions had their equipment physically located. An Oregon Department of Forestry representative discussed the agency's operations and its coordination with local fire departments. He emphasized the coordination between his agency and the Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department, and said the Oregon Department of Forestry would respond to a south hills fire in cooperation with the local department. Deputy Chief Groves also stressed the level of cooperation and coordination and praised the Oregon Department of Forestry for its invaluable work with the City over the years. Mayor Torrey asked what the fire hazard had been prior to the recent rains. Deputy Chief Groves said the danger had been moderate for some time. He noted he had toured the south hills the previous evening to view conditions, and there was still green on the north sides of the south hills, but he acknowledged that other areas were very dry, primarily those with south and west exposures. Mayor Torrey asked when conditions reached the point that required the City to close areas such as the Ridgeline Trail. Deputy Chief Groves said that had occurred before. During past seasons conditions had reached extreme levels. He anticipated that if the City reached a high hazard level, it could lead to park and path restrictions. Mr. Johnson added that the situation could change in as little as a week; if such closures were necessary, he would take the measure needed to enact them. MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 29, 2001 Page 4 Work Session Mayor Torrey observed he had been asked by a constituent why smoking was allowed at all in parks given fire issues. Mr. Johnson indicated staff would follow-up. Ms. Taylor asked if the City had the ability to call on helicopters. Deputy Chief Groves said yes, that response would be coordinated through the Oregon Department of Forestry. He said the Oregon Department of Forestry monitored emergency frequencies and the agency frequently moved to respond to an incident even before contacted. Chief Tallon briefly noted the unified command response to a recent fire in Coburg, which included air support by a private contractor used by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Eugene and Springfield fire departments, and others. Ms. Nathanson noted conflicting values in the community regarding the preservation of trees. She asked if dead or dying trees that might have a habitat value or function were contributing to a less safe environment in terms of fire safety. Deputy Chief Groves said a dead or dying tree was a more hazardous tree in terms of fire danger than a healthy, green tree with a higher moisture content. A recent fire on Skinner Butte that had likely been intentionally set involved a dead snag; subsequently, a Public Works crew had been sent to the park to remove the hazard. Ms. Nathanson questioned if the City was encouraging the removal of dead vegetation or encouraging its retention. Speaking to Ms. Nathanson's question, Mr. Kelly believed the Tree Code defined a tree as living, which would allow for the removal of dead trees without permit. Deputy Chief Groves briefly discussed the triage approach used by the department so that limited resources would be used where they could be most effective. He said that the department assessed and evaluated structures to determine if they could be saved. That might mean that, in the event of a fire, the department would drive by a structure with heavy shake roof, difficult access, etc., to save structures that could be saved in the wildland interface. He noted that the approach had created political problems in other communities that experienced conflagrations. The meeting adjourned at 1 p.m. Respectfully submitted, James R. Johnson City Manager (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 29, 2001 Page 5 Work Session