[1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/MOMENT OF SILENCE ]
[00:00:02]
OKAY, EVERYBODY, THIS MEETING IS BEING CALLED TO ORDER AT 4:30 PM TUESDAY, JUNE 23RD, 2026.
PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, MY PLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, AND A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
IN OUR MOMENT OF SILENCE TODAY, LET US PRAY FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND, UH, THANK THEM AND, UH, AND HOPE THAT THE FIRE STAYS, STARTS TO BE CONTAINED AND THAT WE HAVE TO BE PATIENT AND, AND EVERYBODY IS SAFE.
UM, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU CALL THE ROLE MAYOR PLU? HERE CASE.
[3. CONSENT ITEMS - APPROVE ]
OKAY.ITEM NUMBER THREE, CONSENT ITEMS. DOES ANYBODY IN THE COUNCIL OR THE STAFF THE PUBLIC WISH TO PULL ANYTHING OFF THE CONSENT ITEMS? HEARING NONE, LIKE TAKE A MOTION.
MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT.
TO APPROVE CONSENT ITEMS THREE A THROUGH H.
[5. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS BY MAYOR/COUNCILORS/CITY MANAGER & COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS ]
SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS, UH, BY MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, AND COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS.DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING? I WELL, I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THE MEETING THAT ANNETTE AND I ATTENDED LAST WEEK AT THE YAVAPAI APACHE NATION, AND WE WERE IN THERE, IT WAS THE SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING OF ALL OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTIES, THE MUNICIPALITIES SCHOOL, UH, THE, THE TRIBE OF COURSE, 'CAUSE THEY'RE ON THEIR PROPERTY.
AND, UH, COUNTY OFFICIALS AND, UH, CITY MANAGERS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS.
THE, I, WE WERE AT THE, THE BRAND NEW COMMUNITY CENTER THAT ADJOINS A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT THE TRIBE HAS JUST COMPLETED.
AND THERE WERE ABOUT A HUNDRED HOUSES.
THERE ARE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES, SO OFF OF CHERRY ROAD ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF WHERE YOU WOULD GO TO THE COUNTY BUILDING.
AND, UH, THEY WERE REALLY VERY, UH, WELL DONE.
THEY WERE, UH, THREE BEDROOM, A LOT OF THEM, A LOT OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.
THEY'RE A LITECH PROJECT AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE AS RENTALS FOR MEMBERS OF THE TRIBES BEAUTIFUL FACILITY AT THE, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND, UH, THEY WERE HOSTED BY THE, UH, YAVAPAI APACHE NATION.
THOSE MEETINGS ROTATE AS TO WHO HOSTS THEM, AND WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO HOST ONE IN THE, THE NEXT ONE, I THINK.
BUT, BUT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THIS IS A REAL COMMUNITY TERMS OF THE VERDE VALLEY.
SO, UH, ALL THE MAYORS AND CITY MANAGERS AND COUNTY SUPERVISORS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
[7. PUBLIC FORUM ]
I DON'T, DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS FOR A PUBLIC FORUM? YES, THOSE ARE CARDS.GENERAL CARDS OR FOR SPECIFIC ITEMS? THESE WERE FOR ITEMS, BUT I BELIEVE THERE WAS ONE FOR FORM AS WELL.
SO, BUT HE DID HAVE A CARD FOR THE PUBLIC.
FOR THIS PUBLIC FORM, CORRECT.
OH, SO CAN YOU BRING IT TO ME? I DON'T, HE DOESN'T HAVE THIS CARD FOR THE PUBLIC FORM.
SO THERE IS NO, THERE IS ONE PERSON.
[00:05:01]
THANK YOU, PETE.MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA IN TONIGHT'S INSTALLMENT OF THE LIES TOLD BY THE CITY OF SEDONA.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK BACK TWO WEEKS TO THE TIME WHEN DEREK FAFF DECIDED IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO TELL THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC THAT ADVOCACY OF NON-VIOLENCE WAS ASININE.
THANKS FOR INFORMING US ALL THAT.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, GANDHI, TOLSTOY, DOROTHY DAY, THE QUAKERS, THE ENTIRE ANTI-SLAVERY MOVEMENT, BUDDHA, AND OF COURSE, JESUS CHRIST, WERE ALL, IN YOUR OPINION, ASININE INDIVIDUALS.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO EVER CONSTRUCT AN ETHICAL ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF VIOLENCE.
THIS DOES NOT EMERGE FROM DIVINE LAW OR REVELATION, BUT SIMPLY FROM THE LAW OF IDENTITY, THE LAW OF IDENTITY PREVENTS AUTHORITY FROM EVER EXISTING.
CONSEQUENTLY, ALL ATTEMPTS MADE TO OBTAIN AUTHORITY, WHICH ARE VIOLENCE OR COERCION, HAVE NO ACTUAL GOAL AND ARE THEREFORE ILLEGITIMATE.
THESE LOGICAL FACTS WILL REMAIN REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG DEREK FAFS ASININE IGNORANCE REMAINS ON COUNSEL.
BEYOND THAT STATEMENT, HE THEN DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO GO ON AND DEMAND THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC STOP SPEAKING ABOUT TOPICS THAT HE FINDS PERSONALLY OBJECTIONABLE.
NUMBER ONE, THAT SUBVERTS WHAT IN A PUBLIC DEBATE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT NUMBER TWO, IT COMES DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO VIOLATING BOTH ARIZONA'S OPEN MEETING LAW AND THE COUNCIL'S OWN RULES OF PROCEDURE IS SEDONA TRYING TO TURN INTO THE NEXT SURPRISE WHERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC GET PAID HUGE SETTLEMENTS AND FILE LAWSUITS IN FEDERAL COURT AFTER THE COPS DRAG THEM OUT OF COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR TALKING ABOUT THINGS THE COUNCIL DOESN'T WANT DISCUSSED, APPARENTLY SO, BECAUSE OUR DEAR MAYOR HAS YET TO MAKE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENT, MAKING A DEMAND FOR AN APOLOGY OR CORRECTION TO THE PUBLIC ON THE PART OF DEREK FAFF, I REALIZE FULL WELL THAT DEREK FAFF, HIS COLLEAGUES AND THE SONO POLICE DEPARTMENT DO NOT LIKE BEING REFERRED TO AS THE VIOLENT MURDERERS AND THE ENEMIES OF GOD AND HUMANITY, THAT THEY ARE PRECISELY BECAUSE DEREK HAS CHOSE TO MAKE AN ISSUE OUT OF THIS.
THIS TOPIC WILL NOW BE BROUGHT UP AT EVERY REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING GOING FORWARD, SO LONG AS DEREK FAFF AND HIS ASININE IGNORANCE CONTINUE TO REMAIN ON THE SEDONA CITY COUNCIL.
POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, CERTAINLY.
UH, JUST TO CLARIFY THE COMMENTS, UH, TO WHICH MR. PERRY IS REFERRING, UH, WHERE, WHERE I CALLED THE NOTION THAT WE SHOULD ABOLISH THE SEDONA POLICE DEPARTMENT AS ASININE.
UH, I'M NOT CALLING FOR VIOLENCE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO PROTECT SOCIETY.
MR. PERRY IS OBVIOUSLY ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION OTHERWISE, BUT, UH, ANYWAY, THERE'S THAT.
UM, AND ALSO AS FOR TRYING TO SUPPRESS ANYONE'S SPEECH, UH, MR. PERRY GOT UP, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS HIS OPINION.
I EXPRESSED MY OPINION TO THE CONTRARY, IT'S NOT AN EXPRESSION, UH, IT'S NOT AN ATTEMPT TO SUPPRESS YOUR SPEECH.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT GOES BOTH WAYS.
I SKIPPED THE EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT.
UH, KURT MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THERE'S NOTHING TO REPORT FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS,
[9.b. AB 3331 Discussion/presentation regarding an update on the Coconino National Forest/ Red Rock Ranger District by District Ranger Alex Schlueter and Friends of the Forest representative Melissa Pontikes. ]
SO WE'LL GO TO REGULAR BUSINESS AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT ON AB 33 31 DISCUSSION PRESENTATION REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE POCKET FIRE IN THE COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST, UH, FOLLOWED BY THE FRIENDS OF THE FOREST REPRESENTATIVE MELISSA TIKIS.MELISSA HAS GIVEN HER TIME ON THIS ITEM TO THE FIRE DISTRICT AND THE, SO SHE WILL NOT BE PRESENTING.
SO YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE TIME FOR YOURSELVES AND SHE WILL PRESENT TO COUNCIL ON ANOTHER DAY.
SO WHO IS GOING TO PRESENT? ED, UH, ALEX, ALL OF YOU.
COME ON UP, TAKE A SEAT OVER HERE AND WE WELCOME YOU.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR INCREDIBLY BUSY SCHEDULE TO COME AND PRESENT TO US TODAY.
I, OH GOSH, I'M, I CAN IF YOU WANT.
I'M IN CHARGE OF A THOUSAND PEOPLE.
[00:10:01]
I CAN DO, IT'S JUST IN DIFFERENT PLACES.AND WHILE THEY'RE WAITING, I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE GENEROSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I'VE GOTTEN SO MANY EMAILS FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND, UH, THEY ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND THE FOREST SERVICE IS NOT ABLE TO ACCEPT ANY OUTSIDE SUPPORT.
BUT, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED.
THEY'RE ALL ACCOMMODATED IN LODGING FOR WHATEVER VARIETY THAT THEIR ORGANIZATION PROVIDES AND THEY HAVE GOOD FOOD.
SO, ALEX, DO YOU WANNA START? ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNSELORS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
I ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF CURRENT PROJECTS ON THE DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY PRIORITY, LIKE YOU SAID, IS THE POCKET FIRE.
SO AT THE END, IF YOU ALL HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECTS OR ANYTHING NON-FIRE, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO TO ANSWER THOSE.
AND ACTUALLY, I'LL BREAK SOME GOOD NEWS FIRST, WHICH I TOLD A COUPLE OF YOU.
BUT OUR FUNDING, I SHOULDN'T SAY OUR, THE CITY OF SEDONAS FUNDING FOR A GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE BROKEN ARROW TRAILHEAD REDESIGN THAT WAS FROZEN WHILE THE STATE FIGURED OUT, UH, BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027.
UM, WE JUST GOT NEWS YESTERDAY THAT THAT IS MOVING FORWARD.
THAT IS EXCELLENT NEWS AND WE'LL GET STARTED AGAIN ON THAT SOON.
SO I'M GONNA, WELL FIRST OF ALL, I'M JOINED HERE BY THE RED ROCK RANGER DISTRICT FIRE MANAGEMENT OFFICER, TRAVIS MABERRY, AND I'LL LET HIM SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HIMSELF.
UM, BUT, UH, APPRECIATE YOU HAVING BOTH OF US FOR HERE.
AND I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FIRE IN GENERAL, HOW FEDERAL LAND FIRE MANAGEMENT WORKS, UH, IN A BIT OF STATE AS WELL, HOW INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAMS WORK, AND JUST, JUST GENERALLY HOW WE, UH, APPROACH ANY INCIDENT ON, ON FEDERAL LANDS.
TRAVIS WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT POCKET FIRE.
I'LL REFERENCE IT A FEW TIMES, BUT, BUT HE'LL CIRCLE AROUND AND, AND IF I GET ANYTHING WRONG, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW FOLKS IN HERE THAT HAVE A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE INCIDENTS.
SO JUST ELBOW ME, TRAVIS, IF I GET ANYTHING WRONG.
UM, WHENEVER WE HAVE AN INCIDENT ON THE FOREST, UH, A FIRE TYPICALLY, OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE MOST COMMON INCIDENT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER INCIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, A TRUCK SPILLS HAZARDOUS WASTE, UM, THERE COULD BE A SECURITY INCIDENT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE IMPLEMENT, UH, ICS, WHICH IS THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO FIRE, THERE'S FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES AND IT'S JUST A SCALE OF RATING.
THE FIRE TYPE ONE, WHICH IS THE TYPE THAT THE POCKET FIRE IS, IS THE MOST COMPLEX TYPE OF FIRE.
TYPE FIVE IS THE LEAST COMPLEX.
SO TYPE ONE WILL GO THROUGH ALL THE VALUES AT RISK, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE TYPE OF LANDSCAPE IT'S IN THE, THE WEATHER, THE FUELS, ALL OF THESE THINGS ADD TO THE COMPLEXITY, WHEREAS TYPE FIVE WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE A SINGLE TREE, LIGHTNING STRIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE SURROUNDED BY GREEN VEGETATION THAT JUST GOT RAINED ON OR HAS RAIN IN THE FORECAST.
SO WHENEVER WE HAVE A START THAT'S REPORTED, UM, PRETTY QUICKLY WE KIND OF NARROW DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF FIRE.
AND AS YOU MIGHT, UH, EXPECT, THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES ASSIGNED TO IT ARE CORRELATED WITH THE, THE COMPLEXITY OF THE INCIDENT.
SO, UM, THIS INCIDENT STARTED, UH, ON THE, ON THE DISTRICT AND IMMEDIATELY, NEARLY IMMEDIATELY, TRAVIS WILL TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, A TYPE THREE TEAM WAS CALLED.
AND THEN, UH, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A TYPE, WELL, NOT A TYPE ONE TEAM, A COMPLEX INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM WAS CALLED.
AND THOSE ADDRESS INCIDENTS THAT ARE EITHER TYPE ONE OR TYPE TWO.
SO THE LARGEST FIRES AND OTHER INCIDENTS IN THE NATION.
AND THESE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAMS ARE DIVIDED INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
AND SO I, I'LL GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF HOW THEY'RE ORGANIZED.
OPERATIONS IS, IS THE ONE PEOPLE THINK OF FIRST, YOU KNOW, AND THAT MIGHT BE DIVIDED INTO GROUND OPERATIONS OR AIR OPERATIONS AS WELL.
AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE GROUND THAT ARE, ARE OUT THERE DOING STUFF.
THEY'RE BUILDING HAND LINE, THEY'RE PREPPING STRUCTURES BEFORE THE FIRE GETS THERE.
UM, WRAPPING THEM WITH FIRE RESISTANT ITEMS, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT, THINNING OUT, ALL, ALL, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, IF THERE'S ENOUGH GROUND RESOURCES, THEY MIGHT BE SPLIT INTO DIVISIONS OR, OR BRANCHES OF DIVISIONS.
AND, UH, AND, AND WE'LL, IT, IT SCALES TO THE SIZE OF THE INCIDENT.
PLANNING IS IS THE GROUP THAT MAKES SURE THAT ALL THOSE RESOURCES ARE ORDERED IS UNDERSTANDING WHEN THEY TIME OUT, WHEN, WHEN THEIR ASSIGNMENT ENDS AND THAT THEY HAVE BACKFILL, THAT KIND OF THING.
THERE'S A MEDICAL SECTION, UH, YOU CAN KIND OF TELL WHAT THAT IS.
IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, WE NEED MEDICAL CARE.
THERE'S, THIS IS A LARGE ORGANIZATION AND IT HAS SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS THAT, THAT ANY ORGANIZATION WOULD HAVE.
AND THEN THERE'S A LOGISTICS SECTION.
SO MAYOR PLU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE, THE TEAM HAS ALL IT NEEDS.
THAT'S WHAT THE LOGISTICS SECTION DOES.
IT ENSURES THAT THE TEAM HAS WHAT IT NEEDS.
[00:15:01]
LODGING TO FOOD TO BATTERIES ON THE, ON THE, UH, POCKET FIRE FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE AN INCIDENT COMMAND POST, WHICH IS THE MAIN AREA THAT THE TEAM IS STAGED AT, THAT'S AT FORT TOTT HILL, NEAR NEAR FLAGSTAFF.IT'S, IT'S GOT SHOWERS, IT'S GOT FOOD, IT'S GOT LOTS OF BUILDINGS, YURTS TRAILERS THAT THE TEAM IS BASED OUT OF THAT MANAGES THIS FIRE.
WE ALSO, FOR THE POCKET FIRE, HAVE TWO SPIKE CAMPS.
ONE IS AT SEDONA RED ROCK HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THAT ONE WAS CHOSEN FOR THOSE RESOURCES THAT ARE ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE FIRE.
AND THEN THERE'S A SPIKE CAMP OUT, UM, NEAR, WHAT WAS THAT CALLED? MILL PARK.
I HAVE NOT, I'VE PROBABLY BEEN THERE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS NAMED, BUT IT'S UP ON THE RIM, HIGHER ELEVATION NEAR TO FLAGSTAFF.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE HAVE FOLKS CAMPED THERE THAT ARE STAYING THERE AT NIGHT.
UM, AS WELL AS THE, THE MAIN INCIDENT COMMAND POSTS.
AND THESE ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE COMMAND POSTS.
LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASICALLY A CITY THAT SHOWS UP TEMPORARILY, UH, WITHIN PROBABLY 48 HOURS IS SET UP, STAYS THERE FOR THE DURATION OF THE INCIDENT OR UNTIL IT GETS DOWNGRADED TO A LOWER TYPE OF FIRE AND A SMALLER, SMALLER CREW FIGHTING IT.
AND THEN THERE'S THE, THE STAFF, THE COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF THAT IS MANAGING THAT ENTIRE TEAM THAT MANAGES THE FIRE.
AND IN THAT, YOU'VE GOT YOUR INCIDENT COMMANDER WHO'S IN CHARGE OF ALL THE RESOURCES, UH, THE DEPUTY INCIDENT COMMANDER, AND THEN YOU HAVE STAFF SUCH AS A SAFETY OFFICER, YOU HAVE A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WHO THEN HAS OTHER PIOS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS WITH THEM.
YOU HAVE A LIAISON THAT MEETS WITH PARTNERS AND COOPERATORS.
SO IN THIS INSTANCE, THEY MIGHT BE WORKING WITH ADOT OR A PS OR THE CITY OF SEDONA.
UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE HR HUMAN RESOURCES, LIKE I MENTIONED.
I THINK WE'RE AT OVER 600 RESOURCES INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED TO THIS, THIS FIRE RIGHT NOW.
AND IT SCALES AGAIN WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FIRE AND THE FIRE BEHAVIOR.
AND LASTLY, I'LL MENTION, UH, TWO THINGS.
UH, WHEN I SAY RESOURCES, UH, THEY COULD BE ANYTHING FROM AN ENGINE TO AN AIRCRAFT TO INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE.
AND TYPICALLY WHAT WE CALL A ROLL, WHICH IS THAT ASSIGNMENT IS TWO WEEKS LONG.
SO WHEN YOU GET A RESOURCE ORDER, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT YOU WILL BE ON THAT FIRE EITHER FOR A FULL TWO WEEKS OR WHEN, WHEN YOUR RESOURCE IS RELEASED.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE'S NO LONGER A NEED FOR AIRCRAFT, IT'S NOT GONNA STICK AROUND AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE PAYING FOR AN AIRCRAFT.
WE DON'T NEED, UM, SOMETIMES THOSE RESOURCES ARE EXTENDED ANOTHER WEEK TO 21 DAYS.
WE TRY NOT TO DO THAT BECAUSE FATIGUE AND SAFETY, YOU KNOW, ARE CORRELATED.
AND, AND WE TRY TO MAKE SURE FOLKS ON THE GROUND HAVE THE REST THAT THEY NEED.
SO IN THIS CASE, UH, THE, THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT CAME IN ON SUNDAY, THEY WILL TIME OUT.
THEIR TWO WEEKS WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN ON JULY 4TH.
SO IF THE INCIDENT REQUIRES ANOTHER TEAM BEHIND THEM, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER TEAM COMING IN RIGHT AROUND THE HOLIDAY.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND TRAVELS WILL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THIS, THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH SAYING A COUPLE TIMES, UM, MANY COMMENTS WE GET ARE, WELL, WHY DON'T WE JUST PUT FIRE, PUT, UH, WATER OR RETARDANT ON THE FIRE AND PUT IT OUT.
THIS, UH, THIS FIRE STARTED IN VERY, VERY ROUGH TERRAIN ABOUT AS ROUGH AS YOU CAN EVER FIND IN THE UNITED STATES.
UM, WELL, PART OF IT IS UP ON THE TOP OF THE RIM ON THE FLATTER AREA WHERE WE CAN, WHAT WE CALL GO DIRECT, WHERE YOU HAVE A BULLDOZER OR A HAND LINE FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND THAT, THAT BUILD A LINE AND REMOVE THE FUEL AROUND IT DIRECTLY ON THE FLAME FRONT.
UM, OTHER AREAS, WE, WE EITHER CAN'T PUT PEOPLE IN BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE OR PHYSICALLY, HUMAN BEINGS CAN'T REALLY GET THERE.
I THINK THAT DESCRIBES MOST OF WHERE THIS FIRE STARTED.
AND SO WHEN WE DROP WATER OR RETARDANT FROM AN AIRCRAFT, THINK ABOUT IT, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT YOUR OWN CAMPFIRE OUT.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S TWO STEPS TO IT, RIGHT? FIRST IS PUT WATER ON THE FIRE.
WHAT'S THE SECOND STEP? SPREAD IT OUT.
YEAH, SPREAD IT, STIR IT, YEAH.
MAKE SURE IT ALL IS MIXED UP THAT ALL OF THAT HEAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE ON THE SURFACE GETS MIXED IN AND THAT WATER TOUCHES THAT AND COOLS IT OFF.
THINK ABOUT IF YOUR CAMPFIRE HAD ALL THE ROCKS IN YOUR YARD ON TOP OF IT.
THAT'S I THINK, KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, RIGHT? LIKE THERE ARE ROCK SHELLS THAT ARE 10 FEET TALL ROCK SHELLS, CLIFFS THAT ARE 50 FEET TALL.
THERE'S VEGETATION UNDER BOULDERS WHEN YOU DROP FROM AN AIRCRAFT, THAT WATER'S GONNA GET TO THE SURFACE EVENTUALLY.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA SOAK IN MUCH AND, AND IT'S NOT GONNA GET DOWN IN THE DEPTH.
AND THIS, WHEN WE HAVE LARGE INCIDENTS OR, OR THE FIRE'S REAL HOT AND SPREADING.
THIS IS NOT BURNING AT JUST THE SURFACE.
IT'S, IT'S BURNING THROUGH ALL THE ROOTS ON ALL OF THOSE TREES.
YOU KNOW, 16 INCH DIAMETER TREE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THINK ABOUT HOW BIG THOSE ROOTS ARE.
AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE'S DONE WITH IT, THOSE WON'T BE ROOTS.
SO WHEN YOU DROP WATER ON IT FROM WHATEVER HEIGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE TWO FEET ABOVE IT.
OBVIOUSLY AIRCRAFT'S SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT.
IT'S GONNA DISPERSE A LITTLE BIT AND IT'S GONNA GET DOWN THERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA GET DOWN INTO THOSE ROOTS NOT THE SAME WAY.
SO IT DOESN'T PUT THE FIRE OUT.
AIRCRAFT SIMPLY, IN MOST CASES CANNOT FEASIBLY PUT THE FIRE OUT.
BUT WHAT IT CAN DO IS SLOW IT DOWN.
SO ON THIS FIRE, ON THE POCKET FIRE, LOTS OF AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN USED BOTH WATER AND RETARDANT TO SLOW IT DOWN,
[00:20:01]
TO GIVE THE REST OF OUR RESOURCES TIME TO COME UP WITH A, A STRATEGIC PLAN, DIFFERENT PRIMARY WAYS THAT WE, THEY THINK THEY CAN APPROACH IT, SECONDARY CONTINGENCY ACTIONS AND, AND TIME TO IMPLEMENT THOSE AND GET 'EM READY BEFORE THE FIRE IS IS ON TOP OF THOSE AREAS.SO WITH THAT, THAT'S KIND OF JUST AN OVERVIEW OF FIREFIGHTING IN GENERAL.
UM, I THINK ACTUALLY ONE THING MORE I'LL MENTION IS, IS THESE TEAMS, THIS IS A, A NUANCE THAT I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T UNDERSTAND.
THE, THE TEAMS ARE A MANAGEMENT TEAM, SO THEY'RE THE ONES DRIVING WHAT HAPPENS ON THE GROUND, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY THE ONES THAT ARE LIKE ON THE GROUND SPECIFICALLY.
SO WHEN THE TEAMS OF OVERHEAD SWITCHES, WHEN WE HAVE A NEW TEAM SAY, COME IN JULY 4TH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THOSE FOLKS ON THE GROUND AREN'T NECESSARILY LEAVING.
SO ALL THOSE COME AND GO, THEY'RE OPERATING AND, AND THEN WE JUST HAVE SOMEBODY, A TEAM THAT COMES IN AND TAKES IT OVER.
BUT IT'S NOT A TEAM THAT'S LIKE COMING FROM AN OFFICE AND JUST COMING HERE.
THE TEAM IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE REGION.
IN THIS CASE, SOUTHWEST TEAM TWO, FOR EXAMPLE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE LIVE IN THE SOUTHWEST, SO ARIZONA OR NEW MEXICO, THEY COME FROM ALL OVER, GET, GET THERE FOR WITHIN LIKE 24 OR 48 HOURS.
UM, AND IT'S THE SAME CASE IF THE SOUTHWEST TEAM WAS, UH, TEAM TWO WAS ASSIGNED TO SOMEWHERE IN OREGON, THEY'D BE EXPECTED TO BE THERE AS FAST AS THEY CAN.
AND THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY THEIR DAY JOB.
TRAVIS HAPPENS TO BE THE FIRE MANAGEMENT OFFICER.
SO HE LIVES A BREEDS FIRE EVERY DAY.
BUT OTHER FOLKS, FOR EXAMPLE, I RAN INTO SOMEBODY TODAY WHO I RECOGNIZED FROM A FEW YEARS AGO, AND HE'S A ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR.
UM, AND HE MANAGES A ROAD CREW ON THE PRESCOTT NATIONAL FOREST.
HE WAS DOING PUBLIC INFORMATION AND, AND IT'S SORT OF, YOU CAN CALL IT A SIDE JOB, CALL IT A, A DIFFERENT QUALIFICATION.
PEOPLE IN THE FOREST SERVICE AND OTHER AGENCIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO GET INVOLVED IN IN ANY WAY THAT THEIR SKILLSET OR THEIR INTERESTS MATCH THAT.
AND THEY PURSUE QUALIFICATIONS, THEY GET EXPERIENCE AND THEY GET SIGNED OFF AND GET A CERTAIN QUALIFICATION THAT MATCHES WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, PUBLIC INFORMATION HAS A TASK BOOK WITH CERTAIN TASKS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND HAVE TO DO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TIMES AND A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INCIDENTS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE QUALIFIED.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOUR DAY JOB IS NECESSARILY THAT.
SO WHEN THESE TEAMS COME COME, THEY'RE LEAVING THEIR DAY JOB BEHIND, HOPEFULLY SOMEBODY'S FEELING BEHIND THEM.
BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN THAT WAY.
SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF FOLKS WHEN THEY, THEY HEAR A TEAM'S COMING AND THEY THINK THIS LARGE MASS OF PEOPLE IS COMING AND, AND THAT TEAM'S GONNA COME PUT IT OUT TILL IT'S DONE.
THERE'S A LOT MORE MOVING PARTS AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COME TOGETHER.
IT'S REALLY AN AMAZING MACHINE THAT HAPPENS.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT ON TO TRAVIS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE POCKET FIRE.
AND THEN LIKE I SAID, I'LL, I'LL HANG AROUND.
UM, TRAVIS, IF YOU NEED TO DEPART, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO.
UM, BUT I'LL HANG AROUND AND A ANSWER ANY NON-FIRE QUESTIONS OR ANY FOREST SERVICE RED ROCK RANGER DISTRICT.
MAYOR, I HAVE A, A REQUEST 'CAUSE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO POINT AT A MAP TO TELL THE STORY.
DO YOU GUYS MIND IF I USE THE MAP, IF I STAND UP THERE? NO, GO AHEAD.
MAYBE NOT AS LOUD, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE PRETTY LOUD BUDDY.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE TO TURN AROUND.
LIKE ALEX SAID, I'M TRAVIS MABRY, I'M THE FIRE MANAGEMENT OFFICER HERE ON THE DISTRICT, BUT I'M ALSO THE OPERATION SECTION CHIEF.
CAN I, CAN I PAUSE PLEASE? YOU SPEAK LOUD AND THAT'S WONDERFUL.
PART OF THE REASON THAT WE HAVE MICS IS SO PEOPLE ONLINE CAN HEAR AS WELL, AND WE HAVE A MIC.
WE'LL ZOOM IN A LITTLE MORE ON THE FIRE.
I'M TRAVIS MABRY, I'M THE FIRE MANAGEMENT OFFICER HERE ON THE RED ROCK RANGER DISTRICT, IN ADDITION TO BEING THE OPERATIONS SECTION CHIEF ON SOUTHWEST AREA TEAM TWO.
SO BEEN WITH THE TEAM FOR THE LAST 17 YEARS, BEEN HERE ON THE RED ROCK DISTRICT ON AND OFF FOR THE LAST 27 YEARS.
SO AS I, AS WE TALK THROUGH THE FIRE, NO VERY INTIMATE W WITH THIS LAND AND, AND HAVE BEEN AROUND IN THERE, BUT AGAIN, FIREFIGHTERS HAVE TO POINT AT A MAP.
SO I, I APOLOGIZE FOR SOME OF THAT, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA START, I'M GONNA HAVE A COUPLE KEY POINTS HERE.
SO I WANNA START FROM THE INITIAL ATTACK.
SO WHEN THE FIRE WAS FIRST REPORTED, SO IT WAS ABOUT 1700 OR FIVE O'CLOCK FRIDAY AFTERNOON, THE FIRE WAS REPORTED, OBVIOUSLY HIGHLY VISIBLE.
SO MULTIPLE NINE ONE ONE PHONE CALLS IN ADDITION TO EAST POCKET LOOKOUT SITS RIGHT ABOVE AND CALLED IT IN.
SO IMMEDIATELY A, A VERY HEAVY RESPONSE FROM THE FOREST SERVICE WITH THAT, KNOWING THAT THE TOP OF THE RIM OR THIS GRAY LINE IS ACTUALLY THE FLAGSTAFF RANGER DISTRICT.
AND, AND IF ANYONE'S BEEN OUT THERE OR THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, 2 31 ROAD ALL THE WAY AROUND.
AND THEN OUR RESOURCES COMING FROM THE BOTTOM, WE HAD A TYPE ONE OR A, A HEAVY HELICOPTER.
THE ONES YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SEEING FLYING FOR THE LAST FIVE DAYS ALREADY, PRE-POSITIONED IN SEDONA, ALONG WITH MULTIPLE HOTSHOT CREWS, ENGINES, EVERYONE RESPONDS, HERE WE COME.
[00:25:02]
WELL, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET INTO SOME PICTURES THAT'LL, THAT'LL PAINT SOME OF THE PICTURE OF WHERE THIS THING, WHAT HAPPENED THAT AFTERNOON.AND I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU FOLKS WERE IN TOWN OR, OR SAW IT, BUT IT HAD SLOPE IN ITS FAVOR, MEANING FIRE WANTS TO RUN UPHILL, IT'S THE PERFECT TIME OF DAY, THE SUN HAS BEEN HITTING THAT SLOPE ALL DAY.
SO THE FIRE WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, SMALL, IT WAS SHOWING TO, IT WAS WELL ESTABLISHED AND IT WAS RUNNING UP THE SLOPE AT THAT POINT.
SO FOR US, THAT MEANS WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO THINK BIGGER PICTURE RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ORDER MORE FOLKS, AS ALEX ALLUDED TO, WE PLACED AN ORDER FOR OUR LOCAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM TO TAKE THE FIRE.
BUT THERE'S A KEY POINT I WANT TO GET TO THESE BLACK CROSS HATCH LINES THAT WE USE FOR OUR MAPPING PRODUCTS.
SO LATE THAT NIGHT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ONE OF THE, THE LOCAL COCONINO DOZERS IN ALONG WITH FLAGSTAFF HOTSHOTS.
AND THOSE FOLKS WERE ABLE TO GET IN HERE, PUT THIS PIECE OF DOZER LINE IN, AND TIE IT BACK OUT TO THE EDGE OF THE ROOM SO THAT THE FIRE DIDN'T SLOP OFF OR MOVE OVER INTO OAK CREEK CANYON.
AND I ALSO MISSED A CRITICAL PIECE THAT FIRST AFTERNOON, WHICH MOST FOLKS PROBABLY SAW A HEAVY AVIATION RESPONSE WITH FIXED WING MEANING THE AIRPLANES AND, AND RETARDANT.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET QUITE A BIT OF RETARDANT IN ON THE EDGES OF THAT FIRE.
BUT THE, THE TOP OF IT STILL WANTED TO MOVE SPOTTING OR, OR GOING OVER THE RETARDANT WE HAD IN THAT WORK THOSE FOLKS DID THAT NIGHT HAS SET US UP FOR A LOT OF SUCCESS.
WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH FIRE AT THIS POINT DOWN IN, IN OAK CREEK CANYON.
WE'LL FAST FORWARD A LITTLE BIT MOVING, MOVING, UH, A FEW DAYS AGAIN CONTINUED.
UM, SATURDAY MORNING WE'RE ABLE TO GET MORE RETARDANT IN FROM THE FIXED WING PLATFORM CONTINUING TO, TO, UH, SOLIDIFY OUR LINES, CRUISING THERE, HOLDING THAT.
BUT THEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S BELOW THE RIM, ALL THESE, ALL THESE CONTOUR LINES AND HOW CLOSE THEY ARE.
EVERYONE KNOWS HOW STEEP THAT COUNTRY IS.
SO THAT'LL KINDA LEAD INTO TO WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
AND IF WE COULD GO TO THE PICTURES OR THE VIDEOS.
SO WHI WHICH ONE? EITHER WE WILL JUST GO THROUGH 'EM ALL.
SO A, A SHOT FROM YESTERDAY AFTERNOON SHOWING, UH, ONE OF THE HEAVY HELICOPTERS WORKING, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ALL LOCAL, SO I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT, BUT JUST THE STEEPNESS OF THAT SLOPE.
AND ALEX TALKED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF ROCK THAT'S IN THERE.
UM, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE FROM JUST, THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN OUT TOWARDS EDGE OF THE WORLD, UH, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS STEEPNESS, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO HIT ON THAT.
WAS THERE A VIDEO IN THAT ONE, IN THAT MIX? I CAN, LET'S SEE.
I THOUGHT THAT ONE OF THEM PULLED UP AS A VIDEO.
IT'S IN, OH YEAH, IS IT THIS ONE ABOVE COMING UP AS A, A PLAYABLE FILE.
SO THIS IS SATURDAY MOR OR SUNDAY MORNING FLYING THE FIRE.
UM, AGAIN, THE, THE TOP BEING PRETTY SECURE.
WE CAN JUST KEEP MOVING THROUGH THE VIDEOS.
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE EVERYONE'S TIME, BUT WANT TO THERE, IT'S ONE THING, RIGHT? SITTING HERE LOOKING UP AT THE SLOPE, BUT YOU GET IN THE HELICOPTER AND YOU'RE LOOKING DOWN ON THIS, IF ANYONE'S FLOWN OVER THE GRAND CANYON, OUR TEAM HAD DRAGON BRAVO LAST YEAR AND WE'VE ON THE NORTH RIM.
WE'VE JOKED ABOUT THE SIMILARITIES HERE, AND WE'LL GET TO WHAT THOSE, THOSE ARE.
THIS WOULD BE THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE FIRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AS IT CONTINUES TO, TO BACK DOWN TOWARDS DRY CREEK.
[00:30:02]
IS A FLIGHT FROM TODAY THAT'LL SHOW KIND OF, UM, WHERE WE'RE AT WITH SOME OF THE FIRE.SO LOOKING FROM WEST TO EAST, THE, THE TOP OF THE RIM RIGHT NOW, UM, THE HEAD OF DRY CREEK IS RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH HERE.
THAT'S WHERE THE, THE HEAVIER SMOKE'S COMING OUT OF.
SO WE, WE CAN GO BACK TO THE MAP, BUT I JUST WANT THAT FRAME OF REFERENCE IN SOME OF THOSE VIDEOS.
SO THANKS FOR BEARING WITH ME THERE.
SO IT IS, IT IS BASICALLY PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO ASK FIREFIGHTERS TO ENGAGE THE FIRE IN THIS COUNTRY ON THOSE STEEP SLOPES.
THESE GUYS ARE, ARE PACKING 45 POUND PACKS ON, THEY'RE CARRYING CHAINSAWS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE DIGGING LINE.
WE'VE GOT TO TAKE THIS AT A BIGGER PICTURE.
LOOK, WHAT ARE THE VALUES AT RISK? WHAT ARE WE PROTECTING OUT HERE? THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT, AND, AND SEDONA FIRE CAN ATTEST TO THIS, THE ABILITY TO EXTRACT SOMEONE OUTTA THIS COUNTRY.
OKAY? HOW ARE WE GONNA SHORTHAUL SOMEONE OUTTA THAT COUNTRY WITH A SERIOUS MEDICAL INJURY? AND WE HAVE A RULE, WE WANT TO GET SOMEONE TO DEFINITIVE CARE IN ONE HOUR OR LESS.
AND IF WE CAN'T MEET THAT, WE ARE MORE THAN LIKELY NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT RISK ON OUR ABILITY TO GET SOMEONE OUT OF THIS COUNTRY INTO A MEDICAL FACILITY IN AN HOUR IS VERY CHALLENGING.
WHERE DEPENDING ON AVIATION TO START WITH, WHICH ISN'T A, ISN'T A SURE THING, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO GROUND TRANSPORT SOMEONE OUT OF THERE AS WELL.
SO I, I TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE AS FOR THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM, THIS HAS LED US INTO, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO A LARGER FOOTPRINT HERE.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO WHAT WE WOULD SAY A BIGGER, A BIGGER BOX PER SE TO BOX THIS FIRE IN.
SO THAT KINDA LEADS INTO THE SMOKE YOU GUYS SAW THIS MORNING.
SO RIGHT NOW THE EASTERN FLANK OF THE FIRE IS, IS STILL HOLDING, UH, WE CONTINUE TO RUN AVIATION ON IT, TRYING TO PREVENT THAT FIRE FROM MOVING OVER, BASICALLY ABOVE SLIDE ROCK AND, AND SOME OF THOSE ISOLATED VALUES IN THERE.
UM, WHAT WE DID LAST NIGHT WAS THAT BLUE LINE ON THE TOP WITH THE R SO THE CREWS, THE MODULES, THE ENGINES THAT WERE OUT THERE LAST NIGHT PUT FIRE ON THE GROUND, MEANING WE USED DRIP TORCH, WE INTRODUCED FIRE AND BROUGHT IT ACROSS OUT TO WHERE THIS BINOCULAR IS.
THE REASON BEING IS ALL OF THIS FLANK, AS YOU SAW IN THAT LAST VIDEO OR ALL THIS WEST SIDE OF THE FIRE, STILL HAS HEAT AND IS GOING TO MAKE THAT PUSHUP SLOPE JUST LIKE WE SAW ON THE INITIAL ATTACK OF THE FIRE.
SO TRYING TO USE THIS FIRING TO BRING THAT DOWN TO PREVENT THIS FIRE FROM MAKING THAT BIG RUN BACK UP AND OVER.
SO THINK ABOUT FIRE GETS OVER THAT 2 31 ROAD, THEN WE HAVE WEST FORK AS THE NEXT MAJOR DRAINAGE OUT TO THE NORTH AND WE'RE GONNA PLAY THE SAME RISK MANAGEMENT GAME PER SE, OF WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT FOLKS IN WEST FORK, THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SLIDE FIRE FOOTPRINT.
SO THE 5 35 ROAD ON THE NORTH END COMING OUT AROUND WEST FORK, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT FOOTPRINT THAT IF WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE CHANCES PER SE OF, OF THAT HAPPENING.
SO ALEX ALLUDED TO A LOT OF THE CNG FUNCTIONS THERE.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST ME AND, AND A BUNCH OF THE, THE FIRE GUYS, YOU KNOW, MAKING THESE DECISIONS, FLYING AROUND THINKING WHAT WE'RE SEEING OUT THERE.
WE USE SCIENCE, WE USE MODELING, WE'VE GOT OUR OWN I MET, WE'VE GOT OUR OWN FIRE BEHAVIOR FOLKS, LONG-TERM ANALYSTS THAT ARE LOOKING AT ALL THIS.
SO AS WE CONTINUE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOPEFULLY GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE FIRE OUT TO THE WEST WITH THAT SAME PURPOSE OF TRYING TO PREVENT ANYTHING FROM COMING UP AND, AND GOING OUT, PUTTING US IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE COMMITTED TO HAVING TO GIVE UP MORE TERRITORY.
AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BOUNCE AROUND.
WE, WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FIRE.
I'M GONNA SWITCH GEARS AND TALK ABOUT OAK CREEK CANYON AND THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE IN THERE.
SO A A LOT OF RESOURCES HAVE BEEN STUCK IN, OR HAVE BEEN MOVED INTO OAK CREEK CANYON.
SO WE KNOW THE VALUES, MEANING THE PRIVATE PROPERTY, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE HERITAGE SITES.
IT, IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE WATERWAYS.
OAK CREEK CANYON PROBABLY CHECKS EVERY BOX WE COULD HAVE FOR VALUES AT RISK.
AND I CAN'T, I TRAVEL THE COUNTRY ON FIRES.
THERE'S NOT MANY PLACES THAT YOU COULD TRULY SAY THAT ABOUT.
[00:35:01]
WE'RE OPENING UP A LOT OF LINES FROM THE SLIDE FIRE IN 2014.THE CREWS HAVE BEEN IN THERE BRINGING HAND LINE, BRINGING SAW LINE AROUND JUNE PINE, AROUND FOREST HOUSES, UM, PINE FLATS CONNECTING SOME OF THESE OLD LINES THAT WE HAD ON THE SLIDE FIRE.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THIS IS WHERE THE FIRE'S GONNA END UP.
BUT WE'VE GOTTA DO, WE'VE GOTTA BE PREPARED TO PROTECT THOSE VALUES AT RISK.
SO IF THE FIRE COMES THAT WAY, WE'VE GOT A LINE IN THE SAND THAT WE FEEL CONFIDENT WE WE CAN ENGAGE THE FIRE IN.
I MEAN, THERE, THAT FIRE IS 12 YEARS OLD NOW AT THIS POINT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO OUR ADVANTAGE WITH THAT FIRE SCAR, THOUGH A LOT OF YOUNGER VEGETATION, YOUNG BRUSH, IT WILL NOT BURN NEARLY LIKE WE SAW ON THE SLIDE FIRE.
AND REMEMBER, THE SLIDE FIRE ALSO STARTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLOPE RIGHT HERE.
SO IT HAD SLOPE TO RUN UP THIS LINE, IF YOU FOLKS ARE ABLE TO SEE IT IS THE OUTLINE OR THE PERIMETER OF THE SLIDE FIRE.
SO ON FIRES LIKE THIS THAT ARE IN COUNTRY, IN STEEP RUGGED TERRAIN, WE HAVE GOT TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.
WE'VE GOTTA USE STUFF, WHETHER IT'S ROCKY SCRE RIDGE LINES, SOME OF THIS COUNTRY THAT'LL HOPEFULLY HELP SLOW THE FIRE DOWN.
WE'VE GOTTA USE OLD FIRE SCARS.
AND, AND SO THAT'S HELPING US DETERMINE AND DEVELOP KIND OF OUR LONG, LONG-TERM PLAN FOR THE FIRE.
IF WE COULD COME DOWN TO KIND OF SEVEN CANYONS RIGHT HERE ABOVE US.
SO ANOTHER VERY LARGE GROUP OF FOLKS DOWN IN SEVEN CANYONS, UM, THAT ARE OPERATING BASICALLY FROM WILSON MOUNTAIN OVER TO ENCHANTMENT AND THEN WE'RE CONTINUING TO SCOUT ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE WILDERNESS.
LUCKILY THIS TEAM ALSO WAS THE ONE WE, WE MANAGED THE SLIDE FIRE.
WE ALSO HAD THE RAFAEL FIRE AS WELL.
SO THIS ISN'T OUR FIRST RODEO IN THIS COUNTRY PER SE.
WE'RE PULLING OUT OLD MAPS BASICALLY FROM PRIOR FIRES WE'VE HAD AND, AND WE'VE DONE THIS WORK BEFORE.
SO SEVEN CANYONS RIGHT NOW IS, IS REALLY THE MAIN DIP SITE.
THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THESE HEAVY HELICOPTERS ARE, ARE PULLING OUT OF, IN ADDITION TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THE GROUND RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE ARE DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR A, A FUEL BREAK.
UM, WHAT THE, THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD WOULD BE OUT THERE THAT'LL HAVE THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS FORCE TO PROTECT THE VALUES IF THAT FIRE MOVES SOUTH, IF IS KIND OF A LOADED QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE, THE OTHER KEY TAKEAWAY I WANT YOU GUYS TO HAVE, BECAUSE WE ALL LIVE IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
THIS FIRE IS GOING TO BE ON THIS LANDSCAPE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND IF WE COULD SCROLL BACK OUT, I WANT TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO THE SLIDE FIRE OUTLINE, I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT FROM THE BACKGROUND OR FROM THE BACK OF THE ROOM, BUT BASICALLY, UM, 2014 A LOT OF MANAGED FIRE THAT THE FLAGSTAFF RANGER DISTRICT HAS HAD, UH, JUST TO THE WEST OF IT AND SOUTHWEST OF IT.
THE BRINS FIRE FROM 2006 FOLKS WERE PROBABLY AROUND ON THAT.
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING RIGHT THERE IN RECORDED FIRE HISTORY.
UM, WE HAD THE MILLER FIRE A FEW YEARS AGO IN SECRET.
THIS VEGETATION IN HERE, AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT ALEX WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR, OUR HELICOPTERS AND OUR RETARDANT.
THIS IS A HUNDRED PLUS YEAR OLD VEGETATION THAT HAS NOT SEEN FIRE OR A DISTURBANCE.
THE THE BRUSH, THE, THE MANZANITA THAT IS IN THERE IS, IS TALLER THAN THE CEILING IN A LOT OF AREAS IN THIS ROOM.
SO WE, WE TALKED ABOUT NOT ENGAGING THE FOLKS ON THE GROUND OUT THERE IN THAT COUNTRY.
THE ABILITY TO, TO RUN A LINE FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM TO CUT OFF A FIRE LIKE WE TRADITIONALLY WOULD.
IT IT'S THE MOGAN RIM, IT'S THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL FOREST, THE TONO NATIONAL FOREST, PART OF THE APACHE SICK GRAVES.
WE JUST CAN'T SAFELY ENGAGE OFF THAT RIM.
SO THE LONG-TERM PLAN THAT WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL COMING UP WITH, AGAIN, THIS FIRE IS GONNA HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE OUT IN SOME OF THIS UNTIL WE SEE A SEASON ENDING EVENT AND THE NEXT WEEK TO 10 DAYS.
THE MODELING OR THE, THE INFORMATION WE HAVE FROM THE WEATHER SERVICE DOES NOT SHOW THE ONSET OF MONSOONS.
[00:40:01]
I BROUGHT SOME GOOD NEWS.THE GUYS JUST SAID THEY FELT MOISTURE OUT OFF DRY CREEK.
I IMAGINE THAT WAS PROBABLY NOT MORE THAN MESS UP YOUR WINDOW, BUT IT SHOWS THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT AROUND THE EIGHT TO 14 DAY.
SO WE USE TWO KIND OF PRODUCTS.
DOES PREDICT THE ONSET OF MONSOONS, UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S BASED ON HISTORICAL STUFF WHEN THE MONSOONS WOULD'VE CAME ON UNTIL WE SEE THAT SEASON ENDING EVENT, OUR FOCUS IS TO PROTECT THESE VALUES AT RISKS THAT ARE OUT THERE KNOWING THAT OUR MOST IMPORTANT VALUE WE HAVE ARE THESE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE OR THAT AVIATION THAT'S FLYING THE FIRE.
WE, WE CAN, WE CAN PROTECT THE STUFF IN THE CANYON NORTH OF SEDONA, THE VALUES THAT ARE OUT ON, ON THE NORTH SIDE, BUT WE JUST CAN'T, IT'S NOT IN GROUND RIGHT NOW WHERE WE CAN ENGAGE IT.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN UP INTO BEAR SIGN OR INTO SECRET, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME MIXED CONIFER, THERE'S SOME TIMBER IN THERE.
EVEN WITH A GOOD MONSOON, I'D BE HAPPY WITH AN AVERAGE MONSOON AFTER WHAT WE'VE SEEN LATELY.
WE ARE STILL GONNA HAVE SMOKE COMING OUTTA HERE FOR A WHILE.
THIS IS, THIS IS GONNA TAKE A WHILE.
AND ALEX TOUCHED ON, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER TEAM COMING IN BEHIND US, THAT THAT IS MORE THAN LIKELY GONNA BE THE CASE UNLESS WE SEE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE WEATHER, UM, HERE IN THE, IN THE SHORT TERM.
AND THE RAIN THEY TOLD ME THEY GOT IS THE SIGN OF SOMETHING TO COME.
BUT KINDA LONG, LONG STORY SHORT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE, UM, CONTINUING TO DO GREAT WORK, CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON PROTECTING THE VALUES AT RISK.
GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR COOPERATORS.
WE WERE ABLE TO REPOPULATE FOR THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, OAK CREEK CANYON TODAY.
THEY WILL REMAIN IN SET STATUS AS QUICKLY AS WE REPOPULATED.
THERE IS A CHANCE THAT IF THE, IF THIS FIRE MOVES TO THE EAST, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE THOSE FOLKS BACK OUTTA THERE.
WE NEED THE, FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY AND THEN FOR OUR FOLKS TO GET IN AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT THE, THE VALUES.
ROCK STATE PARK RIGHT NOW, I JUST, I LEFT THERE EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.
ALL OF OUR STRUCTURE PROTECTION STUFF IS STAGED RIGHT THERE.
SO PUMPS, SPRINKLERS, PUMPKINS, OUR, OUR BIG WATER RESERVOIRS READY TO BE DEPLOYED INTO ALL THOSE, THOSE COMMUNITIES.
W WITH THE REPOPULATION, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT THAT STUFF OUT RIGHT NOW.
WE WANT FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE TO THEIR HOME AND NOT HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH EVERYTHING WE HAVE, BUT IT'S READY TO GO.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THERE TO CONNECT SOME OLD LINES.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GIVE YOURSELF MORE ROOM.
WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE WORK TO MAKE OUR LINES BETTER IN THERE.
UM, THE SAME, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE WORK GOING ON AT SEVEN CANYONS, BUT NO, I GUESS MY POINTS TO YOU GUYS, AGAIN, LONG DURATION, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR A WHILE.
I WOULD IMAGINE TOMORROW MORNING WE'RE GONNA WAKE UP AND, AND SEE ANOTHER DECENT SMOKE COMING UP IN THE MORNING.
IT, IT'S PART OF THE PLAN AND YOU'LL HEAR OTHERWISE IF IT WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN.
UM, AND POTENTIALLY FOR ONE MORE DAY, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE ARE OUT IN FRONT OF THIS, AS WE GO INTO THE WEEKEND, WE'RE GOING INTO A RED FLAG WARNING, HIGH WINDS, LOW RH.
WE ARE AT THE VERY PEAK OF FIRE SEASON RIGHT NOW.
THE TIMING OF THIS FIRE ON THE LANDSCAPE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY WORSE FOR US.
SO WE, WE HAD A HUGE DISTANCE PER SE TO THE ONSET OF THE MONSOONS, BUT THE FUELS WEREN'T NEARLY AS DRY AS THEY ARE, BUT WE'RE IN THE LONGEST DAYS OF THE YEAR RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SOLSTICE, EVERYTHING IS IN FAVOR FOR THE FIRE AT THIS POINT.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE HERE FOR A WHILE.
TRAVIS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE BUSINESSES AND THE RESIDENTS IN OAK CREEK CANYON? DO YOU SEE THAT 89 A THOSE 23 MILES BEING CLOSED WITHIN THAT LONG SPELL THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? NO MA'AM.
I, I DON'T AND HOPEFULLY THAT I'M NOT MESSAGING THAT, THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT PIECE OF IT.
WE'VE GOTTA KNOW THAT WE'RE FEELING CONFIDENT ABOUT THIS EASTERN SIDE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, TODAY WE HAD A FIXED WING AIRCRAFT THAT CAME UP AND THEIR, THEIR CAMERAS ARE, ARE PHENOMENAL.
THEY'RE ABLE TO PICK UP HEAT ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE THAT'S DIME SIZE.
SO WE HAVE THINGS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO
[00:45:01]
UTILIZE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO FLY THIS EAST SIDE EVEN WHEN WE'RE NOT SEEING HEAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THREAT IS REDUCED BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE OPENING OF 89 A.ONCE WE OPEN THAT, IF WE WERE THEN HAVING TO CLOSE IT AGAIN AND RE EVACUATE EVERYONE, EVERYONE KNOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE CANYON ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND OR, OR AT SLIDE ROCK ALONE OR ANY OF THOSE PLACES.
UM, SO THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY THOUGHTFUL APPROACH USING SCIENCE, USING SOME OF THOSE TOOLS LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT OUR, OUR, UM, TECHNOLOGY WITH, WITH SOME OF THE HEAT SENSORS BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT, WE GET SOME MONSOONS.
THE FIRE'S STILL GONNA BE ON THE LANDSCAPE AT THAT POINT THOUGH.
THAT THREAT IS REDUCED AND, AND WE'RE ACTIVELY TALKING ABOUT 89 A AND IT MIGHT, AND I DON'T WANT FOLKS TO WALK AWAY THINKING AS WELL THOUGH THAT IT'LL, IT, WE'RE NOT GONNA OPEN 89 A UNTIL THE MONSOONS COME.
THAT COULD HAPPEN MUCH SOONER.
WE'VE JUST GOTTA FEEL CONFIDENT IN THIS UPPER PIECE OF THE FIRE, THIS EASTERN SIDE OF THE FIRE.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH TO THE WEST.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE SMOKE COMING OUTTA THIS, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT, UM, A FULL BLOWN OPENING FOR THOSE BUSINESSES AND, AND THE HIGHWAY ITSELF.
THE FIRE WAS AT 237 VARIOUS MM-HMM
PLUS OR MINUS ACRES AND NOW IT'S AT 630 PLUS OR MINUS.
HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL THAT YOU DID? YEAH.
VERSUS THE FIRE GROWING? SO THAT VIDEO THAT WE HAD THAT SHOWED THE FIRE UP ABOVE, SO THIS PERIMETER WAS FROM THIS MORNING WE GOT A A FLIGHT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE, THE GUYS, THE GUYS AND GALS OUR RESOURCES DID LAST NIGHT.
IT'S JUST UP ON TOP OF THE RIM.
MOST OF THE GROWTH THAT OCCURRED OVERNIGHT WAS THE MAIN FIRE CONTINUING TO BACK DOWN INTO THE UPPER PIECE OF DRY CREEK AND THEN IT, IT CROSSED THE DRAINAGE THERE.
SO TODAY, IF WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, THIS FLIGHT WAS PROBABLY AT 11 O'CLOCK.
SO THE MAIN FIRE IS STARTING TO MAKE THAT PUSH UP THE SLOPE.
IF THE FOLKS WOULDN'T HAVE HAVE PULLED FIRE OR BURNED THAT PIECE ON TOP LAST NIGHT, WE'D BE IN A LOT DIFFERENT STORY RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S THE, THE PIECE WE TALKED ABOUT OF CONTINUING TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS THING, CONTINUING TO LOOK AT, AT BURNING ALONG THE 2 31 TO GIVE US THAT THAT BUFFER, YOU KNOW, GET FIRE, GET ALL THE FUELS OFF THE TOP SO IT CAN'T SUPPORT FIRE.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO GET FIRE STARTING TO BACK, AS WE CALL IT, COMING OFF THE RIM.
SO THIS THING CAN'T MAKE A, A BIG RUN WHEN WE'RE TALKING IN FOUR DAYS, 40 MILE AN HOUR WINDS.
WE WANT THIS THING TO, TO TAKE AWAY THAT ABILITY.
WE HAD SPOTS TODAY, WE HAD A HANDFUL, UM, OF SPOTS OVER THE 2 31 ROAD RIGHT UP IN NORTH OF DROP 0.1.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO LIFT AVIATION ON IT.
A LITTLE CHALLENGING FOR THEM WORKING IN THE SMOKE, BUT A LOT OF HOTSHOT CREWS, ENGINES THAT ARE UP THERE THAT WERE ABLE TO, TO JUMP ON THOSE PRETTY QUICK.
SO THE FORTUNATE THING WAS THEY WERE JUST A LITTLE NORTH OF THE ROAD AND IT WASN'T A HUGE RUN THAT CAME OUT OF THE BOTTOM OR YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ACTIVE FIRE.
THAT'S WHEN WE SEE SPOT FIRES.
MILES, IF ANYONE REMEMBERS THE SLIDE FIRE ON THE FIRST NIGHT, WE HAD A SPOT FROM JUST NORTH OF EAST POCKET ALL THE WAY OVER OAK CREEK CANYON ON JUST SOUTH OF MOUNTAIN AIR A LITTLE WAYS.
DO YOU EXPECT THE FIRE ULTIMATELY TO WORK ITS WAY, ALL THE WAY TO THE, THE R LINE THAT YOU'VE PUT IN PLACE? SO, SO AGAIN, THAT R LINE, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE USING AS OUR CONTROL LINE.
THAT'S OUR LINE IN THE SAND RIGHT NOW FOR THAT NORTHERN PROGRESSION.
SO LIKE I SAID, WHERE WE TOOK IT TO LAST NIGHT IS WHERE THAT BINOCULAR IS.
THERE'S A CHANCE WE'LL LOOK TO TAKE IT A LITTLE FURTHER WEST TONIGHT FOLLOWING THAT BLUE LINE ALL THE WAY OUT THOUGH.
THAT IS NOT THE, THE OVERALL PLAN, RIGHT? WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA DRAG OR OR BURN WAY OUT THERE IF THE MAIN FIRE ISN'T GOING TO BE A THREAT TO, TO CROSSING THAT.
SO LIKE WHAT'S THE APPROXIMATE SCALE WE'RE LOOKING AT? SO LIKE THE NEAREST POINT OF THE EXISTING FIRE AS SHOWN TO THAT, UH, BINOCULAR THAT YOU JUST POINTED
[00:50:01]
OUT, THAT ONE.LIKE WHAT APPROXIMATELY, WHAT DISTANCE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THERE? SO ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF IS WHAT THEY BURNED LAST NIGHT OUT TO THAT POINT.
SO WE'LL WE WOULD LOOK AT ANOTHER, UH, CHUNK OF THAT TONIGHT TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THE FIRE.
THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TOMORROW IS, IS A LITTLE BETTER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORM BUILDUP WHILE THE PRECIP DOESN'T SOUND PROMISING, THE BUILDUP AND THE OUTFLOWS COULD HAPPEN.
SO AN ANOTHER REASON FOR US TO THINK STRATEGY WISE.
WE WANT TO HAVE BLACK OUT THERE.
MEANING WE WANT TO BE AS FAR OUT IN FRONT OF THIS THING AS WE CAN ON THE WEST SIDE SO THAT IF A CELL SET UP AND PUSHED THAT THING TO THE WEST SUBSTANTIALLY, WE'RE ABLE, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING THE CARDS AT THAT POINT INSTEAD OF IT.
ARE YOU ABLE TO SPECULATE ON THE, THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE AT THIS TIME? I CAN TELL YOU WE TRIED TO HIKE SOME INVESTIGATORS INTO IT AND DUE TO JUST THE, THE AMOUNT OF HEAT, WHAT THEY REALLY RAN INTO WAS, THERE'S A SUB DRAINAGE RIGHT THROUGH HERE THAT THEY TRIED TO WALK UP AND, AND GET A LITTLE HIGHER ON THE SLOPE AND THE ROCKS THAT WERE ROLLING OFF FROM THE BURNED AREA, IT WAS NOT SAFE FOR THEM.
SO YEP, THEY TRIED TO COME UP THE BOTTOM AND GET IN THERE.
UM, AND THEN A QUESTION, THIS MIGHT BE FOR ALEX.
DO YOU ENVISION ANY BROADER CLOSURE OF THE FOREST, UH, TO YOU, WELL TO ANYBODY, UH, AS THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY APPROACHES? I KNOW THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
UH, ARE WE IN THOSE IN THAT LEVEL OF, OF DRYNESS THAT THAT'S A POSS DISTINCT POSSIBILITY? IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THERE'S, THERE'S TWO THINGS GOING ON.
SO THE FIRST IS THIS INCIDENT AND THAT CLOSURE.
WE, WE BUILD IT ABOUT AS BIG AS WE THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S REALLY GOT A CHANCE TO, TO GET.
AND SO IT MAY SEEM IN THAT CLOSURE THAT, THAT IT'S WAY FAR AWAY.
SO JUST FOR, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE FRUSTRATED OR UPSET BY IT, IT MAY SEEM FAR AWAY, BUT, BUT NOT ONLY COULD THE FIRE GET THERE POTENTIALLY, BUT WE DON'T WANT FOLKS GETTING IN THERE AND GETTING IN THE WAY OF FIREFIGHTING RESOURCES.
I I WOULDN'T ANTICIPATE THE CLOSURE GETTING LARGER.
I, YOU KNOW, NEVER SAY NEVER, BUT WE, WE MAKE THAT CLOSURE FAIRLY LARGE.
UM, AS FAR AS OTHER CLOSURES, SO EVERY SUMMER WE HAVE STAGE 1, 2, 3 FIRE RESTRICTIONS.
SO THAT MEANS THAT YOU CAN HAVE A CAMPFIRE IN YOUR CAMPGROUND, UH, IN A DEVELOPED AREA.
BUT IF YOU'RE CAMPING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS, THAT THAT'S A NO GO.
SO STAGE TWO, THIS NEXT STAGE, UH, LOOK, WE LOOK EVERY WEEK.
UH, THERE'S A CALL MON EVERY MONDAY BETWEEN OTHER NORTHERN ARIZONA COOPERATORS RIGHT NOW.
UH, I WOULD SAY IF WE DON'T GET PRECIPITATION, IT'S LIKELY TO COME WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, UM, AND TRY TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL OTHER STARTS ELSEWHERE.
SO A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
CAN I JUMP ON MELISSA? SO JUST SORT OF TAGGING ONTO THAT, UM, EVEN IF YOU DON'T MAKE THE CLOSURES BROADER, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR THE CLOSURE? SIMILAR TO LIKE THE CLOSURE ON 89 A? UM, IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE'LL HAVE POTENTIALLY A RATHER LARGE INFLUX OF VISITORS ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THIS END WHO FREQUENTLY HIKE INSIDE OF THEIR ADOBE JACK OFF OF, YOU KNOW, UH, SOLDIER'S PASS SO AND SO ON.
SO DO YOU HAVE KIND OF AN IDEA LIKE YEAH OR NO?
IT'LL DEPEND ON FIRE BEHAVIOR SPREAD.
THE MODELING TRAVIS MENTIONED DEFINITELY INFORMS IT.
AND THEN WE WEIGH THAT VERSUS THE RISK OF PEOPLE GETTING IN THERE WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T BE THE RISK OF DAMAGE OR HARM TO THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION COMPONENT.
WE SWITCH THE, THE CLOSURE EVERY DAY.
NOBODY'S GONNA UNDERSTAND WHERE IT IS.
SO LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS TO BALANCE AND I DON'T HAVE A TIMEFRAME OTHER THAN IT WILL CORRELATE TO THE ACTUAL FIRE.
SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING OUT THERE, THAT WE SHOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND EXPECT THAT THIS WILL BE A CLOSURE UNTIL WE HEAR OTHERWISE.
WHICH COULD BE WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG.
I MEAN, WE, WE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT THAT IF WE CAN OPEN AN AREA AND FEEL IT'S SAFE FOR FOLKS TO, TO REDUCE THE CLOSURE.
BUT I, I CAN'T COMMIT TO ANYTHING.
THANK YOU COMM MAYOR TRAVIS, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY FOR US TO KIND OF CHECK STATUS.
YOU DID A YOUTUBE VIDEO, YOU GUYS, SOMEBODY DID A YOUTUBE VIDEO LAST NIGHT.
I THINK A LOT OF US ARE OUT THERE USING WATCH DUTY.
I PARTICULARLY FIND GOING TO INSA WEB AND THEN LOOKING AT THE FIRE AND SMOKE MAP TO BE REALLY INTERESTING.
CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT
[00:55:01]
I SEE THERE? THERE'S LOTS OF ORANGE SPOTS.THEY SEEM TO BE PROBABLY INDICATIVE OF SATELLITE MAPPING OR THE FLIGHT MAPPING.
IS IT ACCURATE? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE DID SEE TODAY MORE POP UP AND WE DID SEE A FEW OF THEM NORTH OF YOUR FIREBREAK LINE THAT YOU MENTIONED.
IS THAT A GOOD TOOL FOR US TO BE LOOKING AT AND THINKING ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING? SO YOUR, YOUR SEDONA FIRE CHIEF THAT I'M IN NUMEROUS MEETINGS WITH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TALKS ABOUT WATCH DUTY AND IT'S A WONDERFUL APP FOR FOLKS.
BUT PRIOR TO COMING IN HERE, IT HAS AN, AN INFRARED LAYER YOU CAN TURN ON.
IT SHOWED THAT THE FIRE WAS DOWN OFF INTO OAK CREEK CANYON AND WAY OUT TO THE NORTH.
WHAT THAT IS, IS ONCE WE, WE DEVELOP A COLUMN, THE INFRARED OFF THOSE SATELLITES HAS HARD A HARD TIME HITTING THE GROUND.
IT'S, IT'S PICKING UP THE HEAT THAT'S BEING GENERATED THROUGH THE COLUMN.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS AFTERNOON WHEN IT'S SHOWING FIRE SPREAD DOWN, YOU KNOW, WELL OUTSIDE OF THE PERIMETER THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
SO WHAT WE USE A A COUPLE TOOLS, UM, OVERNIGHT.
THERE WILL BE A, A FIXED WING, UM, AIRPLANE THAT'LL FLY THE FIRE AREA AND IT'LL GIVE US AN UPDATED PERIMETER.
THAT FIXED WING IS ALSO FLYING FIRES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WE'LL GET A PERIMETER OR WE'LL GET A FLIGHT, FOR INSTANCE LAST NIGHT AT NINE 30.
SO THAT'S WHY THE MAP ALEX PULLED UP EARLIER DIDN'T SHOW THE FIRE OR THE BURNING.
SO TONIGHT HOPEFULLY WE GET SOMETHING MIDNIGHT, TWO O'CLOCK.
UM, WE HAVE A HELICOPTER HERE CALLED A HECO, SO IT'S A HELICOPTER COORDINATOR SIMILAR TO AN AIR ATTACK THAT WE PUT UP WHEN WE HAVE NUMEROUS PIECES OF AVIATION THAT HECO HAS AN INFRARED CAMERA ON IT THAT, THAT WE USE AS WELL.
AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE FIXED WING, THE MULTI-MISSION AIRCRAFT THAT WE USE TODAY.
UM, A LOT OF STUFF I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE POSTING THE, THE IR MAP ON SSU WEB PER SE.
USUALLY THE PERIMETERS THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON WATCH DUTY ARE PRETTY ACCURATE 'CAUSE THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL THEM OFF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BEHIND FIREWALLS PER SE THAT THE THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET UP OR, OR THEY HAVE THE PASSWORDS TO GET INTO 'EM.
THO THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE MOST ACCESSIBLE OR THE EASIEST FOR OUR SIDE.
IT, IT'S SOME OF THE AVIATION THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
ONE THING WE ALSO HAVE ON THE FIRE RIGHT NOW IS, IS TWO DIFFERENT UASS OR DRONES AND BOTH OF THEM HAVE IR CAPABILITIES.
SO TONIGHT WHEN, IF THE GUYS ARE, ARE GONNA BURN ALONG THAT 2 31 ROAD, THEY'LL HAVE THAT DRONE UP WITH THEM WHILE THEY'RE BURNING AND IT, AND LAST NIGHT THE DRONE PICKED UP A DIME SIZE SPOT FIRE IN THE DARK THAT THE FOLKS WOULDN'T HAVE FOUND AND THEY ACTUALLY, THE, THE DRONE DIRECTED THEM AND THE GUYS ARE SITTING HERE ON A COMPUTER WATCHING THE VIDEO FROM THE DRONE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GUIDE THE FOLKS IN TO, TO EXTINGUISH THAT SPOT STUFF THAT WE NEVER HAD IN OUR CAREERS.
SO I'M JEALOUS IN SOME REGARDS, BUT I, I THINK I'LL ADD A COUPLE THINGS.
SO, SO FOR THE PUBLIC SIDE, UH, I WOULD JUST SAY WATCH DUTY.
UM, IT'S A TRADE OFF BETWEEN TIMELINESS AND ACCURACY.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET THINGS VERY, VERY FAST ON WATCH DUTY, BUT TO TRAVIS'S POINT, NOT ALWAYS QUITE EXACTLY RIGHT, WHEREAS NC WEBB, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ON THERE SHOULD BE A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURATE.
WHAT YOU MENTIONED AS FAR AS FROM THE, THE TEAM ITSELF, JUST FOR, FOR FOLKS KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S A PUBLIC MEETING, WE HAD A PRESENTATION THE TEAM DID LAST NIGHT MM-HMM
THAT WAS JUST KIND OF ONE WAY INFORMATION.
THE PUBLIC MEETING AND FLAGSTAFF ON THURSDAY EVENING WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, AND THEN THERE WILL, THERE WILL BE ONE ON SATURDAY EVENING HERE IN SEDONA AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IN THE GYMNASIUM.
SO, UM, I MENTIONED THAT 'CAUSE I, I THINK THERE'S AN EVENT AT THE AUDITORIUM SO I WON'T KICK THEM OUT.
DO WHAT TIME IS THE SATURDAY NIGHT? I BELIEVE BOTH ARE 7:00 PM 7:00 PM OKAY.
AND YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF, UH, SENDING COMMUNICATIONS OUT SO, UH, PEOPLE CAN GO TO YOUR SITE ON WE ON, UH, FACEBOOK AND IT'S ALL THERE.
ANY, ANY INFORMATION RELEASE WILL BE ON NC WEB AND THEN ANYTHING FROM THE CO INTERNATIONAL FOREST WILL BE ON NC WEB AS WELL AS THE, THE FOREST FACEBOOK.
THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TOO.
SO, YOU KNOW, I ASKED A QUESTION BEFORE TRAVIS ABOUT THE BUSINESSES ON 89 A, SO THEY'RE BACK, BUT THEY HAVE NO CUSTOMERS
WOULD YOU, I UNDERSTAND RECREATION, CLEARLY YOU
[01:00:01]
DON'T WANT PEOPLE OUT ON THE LANDS, BUT WHAT ABOUT COMMUTER TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, ON 89 A WOULD THAT, WOULD YOU CONSIDER OPENING THAT UP BEFORE RECREATION? I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP.ALEX AND I TALK ABOUT THIS EVERY SUMMER WHEN WE GO INTO STAGE TWO OR, OR, YOU KNOW, WE CONSIDER, WE PUSH THE THRESHOLDS FOR CLOSURES.
THE TRAFFIC ON 89 IS ONE THING, BUT IT'S THE TRAIL SYSTEMS. IT'S ONCE PEOPLE GET OFF THE TRAILS THAT WE CAN'T FIND THEM.
THERE WAS SEVEN FOLKS THE FIRST NIGHT OF THIS FIRE WHEN WE PULLED THE EVACUATIONS THAT WE COULDN'T FIND.
THEY WERE FOUND, OBVIOUSLY BY NOW.
THE SAME THING PLAYED OUT THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE SLIDE FIRE.
WE HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE IN WEST FORK THAT WE COULD NOT FIND.
UM, AND THAT WAS USED IN DPS RANGER AND, AND THEY WALKED OUT THE NEXT DAY AND SAID, DID YOU GUYS KNOW THERE'S A FIRE IN HERE? SO IT'S A BALANCE, RIGHT? I GO BACK TO WHAT I SPOKE OF, OF, OF US FEELING CONFIDENT USING THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE TO FEEL, FEEL FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT THERE IS NOT A THREAT TO THAT CANYON OR TO THOSE RESIDENTS.
EVEN WITH THE COMMUTER TRAFFIC OR 89 BEING OPEN, IT WOULD STILL BE A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT TO GET FOLKS OUT OF THE CANYON.
'CAUSE WE'D ALREADY BE EVACUATING THE, UM, RESIDENTS THEMSELVES.
AND THEN YOU ADD THE, THE MULTITUDE OF, OF MORE FOLKS JUST BEING IN THE CANYON.
BUT THAT FIRST STEP WOULD BE TO OPEN THAT UP.
WE STILL MIGHT NOT OPEN SLIDE ROCK IN SOME OF THOSE, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF THE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR FROM THE ECONOMY, FROM A MULTITUDE OF REASONS.
AND EVERY MORNING THERE'S A COOPERATORS MEETING THAT THE TEAM HOSTS ABOUT THE FIRE, AND, AND WE HEAR THESE CONCERNS WE'RE, WE'RE NOT IMMUNE TO IT.
UM, I THINK THE REPOPULATION WAS THE FIRST STEP.
AND THEN JUST, WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO DO SOME, DO SOME WORK UP THERE AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO EVALUATE AND COMMUNICATE THIS OUT.
UH, I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC FORUM SO MEMBERS SURE.
LAST THING, UH, KIND OF BUILDING ON THE, THE EVACUATION.
I DO JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE COOPERATORS.
IT WENT MUCH SMOOTHER THAN I WOULD'VE ANTICIPATED FOR FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING GOOD CAME OUTTA THAT, UH, BEYOND GETTING EVERYBODY OUT, IS THEY'VE GOT A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT TO ANTICIPATE NEXT TIME AND HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE.
AND THOSE COOPERATORS ARE COCONINO COUNTY SHERIFF, YBA COUNTY SHERIFF, SEDONA PD, SEDONA FIRE DEPARTMENT HELPING US OUT.
UM, MANY DIFFERENT AGENCIES, ARIZONA, GAMING FISH, MANY WERE INVOLVED AND IT TAKES ALL OF THEM.
UM, THIS ISN'T JUST A FOREST SERVICE INCIDENT, UH, IT'S ON FOREST SERVICE PROPERTY, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
AND I JUST DO WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED, UM, FROM THE CITY TO THE STATE LEVEL, TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.
IT, IT'S REALLY CLEAR THAT YOU WORK INCREDIBLY WELL TOGETHER, WHICH GIVES ME A LOT OF COMFORT.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, FILL OUT A CARD OR COME UP TO THE MIC? I HAVE ONE CARD, TIM PERRY.
AND THEN ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO ASK A QUESTION OR, OR SAY SOMETHING YOU CAN, AND YOU CAN FILL OUT A CARD AFTER YOU SPEAK.
MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
THERE'S TWO WORTHWHILE POINTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE WITH REGARD TO THIS FIRE.
ONE IS THAT SOME OF US IN THE AUDIENCE QUITE CLEARLY SEE THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S TRANSPARENT AND CYNICAL ATTEMPT TO MAKE EXCESSIVE FUSS OVER WHAT IS STILL A SMALL FIRE, AS A MEANS TO CREATE A SENSE OF CRISIS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAN LATER USE TO GET MORE PROGRAMS AND BUDGETS.
WHAT'S THE NEXT ITEM ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA? A FIRE SAFETY PROGRAM RUN BY SEDONA CITY STAFF.
HOW CONVENIENT FIRE IS A FACT OF LIFE IN THE RURAL WEST.
YOU DON'T USE IT AS A POLITICAL EXCUSE.
THE SECOND POINT IS THAT A LOT OF THIS COULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE FOREST SERVICE WERE MANAGING THE FOREST FOR SUSTAINABLE LOCAL HARVESTING OF FUEL, RATHER THAN AS A RECREATIONIST FANTASY VEGETATION THAT HASN'T BEEN DISTURBED IN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
MANZANITA, THAT'S HIGHER THAN THE CEILING THAT SHOULDN'T BE OUT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IT IS LONG PAST TIME TO START HARVESTING.
[01:05:01]
COUNSELORS.I, UM, APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY JUST TO SHOW GRATITUDE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN FIGHTING THIS FIRE, UM, TO THE HOTSHOT CREWS AND THE FIRE'S EDGE, TO THE AIR CREW OVERHEAD, TO THE FIREFIGHTERS OF THE SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT, COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST, RED ROCK RANGER DISTRICT.
UM, THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAMS COORDINATING THIS EFFORT, UH, FROM COCONINO, SHERIFF'S OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, RED CROSS, EVERYONE INCREDIBLE PROTECTING LIVES, HOMES, BUSINESSES, THE BEING MINDFUL OF OUR ECONOMY IS OF COURSE A SECOND ORDER FACTOR, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THAT FROM THE CHAMBER PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE A CHAIN OF OPERATIONS COULD AFFECT LIVELIHOOD, RIGHT? FAITH LOSE THEIR BUSINESS.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING MINDFUL OF THAT.
REALLY GENUINE AND APPRECIATE YOU.
WE'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH A LOT OF FOLKS.
THERE ARE NOT DRAMATIC, UM, CANCELLATIONS OR ANYTHING, UH, JUST FOLKS INQUIRING WITH PROPERTIES TO ENSURE THAT THINGS ARE SAFE.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS, ALTHOUGH IT IS A, A RISKY TIME TO BE OUT IN THE FOREST, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT TRAILS THAT ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY.
SO FOR ANYBODY OUT HERE WITH FAMILY THAT STILL WANTS TO VISIT US THIS SUMMER, MORE THAN WELCOME.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR DILIGENCE.
UM, IT IS SUCH A CRITICAL TIME THAT WE SUPPORT THOSE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE FACED WITH CLOSURES AND, UH, TO BE MINDFUL OF OUR, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? ED, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD? THAT MEANS YOU WANT ME TO ADD SOMETHING? I I DON'T OFTEN HAVE THE YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR NAME AND, OH, I'M SORRY.
MY NAME'S ED MISSOULA, SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT.
UM, IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW TRAVIS.
HE'S, HE'S A MASTERFUL SPEAKER.
AND, UM, YOU MAY SEE US JOKE IN A WAY THAT WOULD INDICATE WE'RE FRIENDS, WE'RE NOT
AND, AND I GUESS WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, IS JUST TO REITERATE WHAT ALEX AND TRAVIS SAID IS, UM, BEYOND THE, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR THE TERM COOPERATORS AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE LAUNDRY LIST OF, OF ALL, ALL THE FOLKS INVOLVED.
AND, UM, WHAT'S SPECIAL TO ME IS, YOU KNOW, THE LAW BARRANCA, FIRE TRAVIS AND I WERE LEANING OVER A HOOD LOOKING AT A MAP, THE BRIS FIRE, THE SLIDE FIRE, AND NOW THE POCKET FIRE.
AND WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY IS IT'S THE FACT THAT, UM, WHEN THIS TEAM CAME TO TOWN, I DIDN'T GO MEET THEM.
I WENT AND REUNITED WITH THEM AND, YOU KNOW, BEING HERE FOR ALMOST 26 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE.
AND THEN BEFORE THAT I WAS WITH THE FOREST SERVICE.
UM, THEY'RE OLD FRIENDS AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PRODUCE A LIST OF PHONE NUMBERS.
AND SO, UH, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THIS COMMUNITY IS THE WORK WE'VE DONE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND, AND THE EMERGENCY SERVICES HAS AFFORDED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND, AND REALLY JUMP ON THESE THINGS QUICK.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF STALL POINTS AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING IN LIFE, IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.
IT'S ABOUT BEING RESPECTFUL TO HUMANS, AND IT'S ABOUT JUST, UM, WORKING TOGETHER.
SO AGAIN, NOT MUCH TO ADD SEDONA FIRE'S HERE TO SUPPORT, UH, ANY WAY WE CAN.
AND, UH, WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE, ARE YOU CLOSED? OR, NO, WE'RE NOT CLOSED.
SO THANKS, THANKS TO THESE GUYS FOR THE WORK THEY'RE DOING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? BRIAN, YOU WANNA START? SURE.
UM, ALEX, TRAVIS, CHIEF ED, EVERYBODY.
UH, THAT'S A, A COOPERATOR IN THIS EFFORT.
IT IS, UH, OVERWHELMING TO SEE THE PROFESSIONALISM, THE ORGANIZATION, THE COMMUNICATION.
I'M JUST IMMENSELY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYBODY THAT IS PART OF THE TEAM WORKING ON THIS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND IT CERTAINLY GIVES ME GREAT CONFIDENCE THAT EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE IS BEING DONE AND BEING DONE WELL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THAT.
UM, SO LEMME JUST SAY BASICALLY THANK YOU.
THIS IS, THIS IS PROBABLY EVERYBODY'S SPHERE WHO LIVES IN A MOUNTAIN TOWN WHO LIVES NEAR A FOREST, IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET A SMALL FIRE THAT SUDDENLY ISN'T A SMALL FIRE, AND IT CAN HAPPEN SUPER FAST.
UM, AND SO WE SHOULD ALL BE THANKFUL TO THE WORK THAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING, ALL OF THE TEAMS, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE COME OUT HERE AND, UM, WE SHOULD ALL BE REALLY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE ALL THIS REALLY IMPORTANT HIGH VALUE STUFF AROUND SEDONA.
UM, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND PLEASE TAKE
[01:10:01]
OUR THANKS TO, UM, ALL THE MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAMS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE IT.DEREK, UH, WHAT THEY SAID, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OTHER THAN THANK YOU.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE WINDING DOWN.
I'LL ADD MY THANKS ON TOO TO EVERYONE.
IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS IMPRESSIVE TO SEE THESE OPERATIONS HAPPEN AND THE LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM AND QUALITY THAT I SEE IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S QUITE A BLESSING FOR OUR, OUR TOWN.
BEFORE YOU GET AWAY, I DID WANNA ASK YOU IF YOU'VE GOT A BRIEF UPDATE FOR US ABOUT THE FIRE BREAK ACTIVITY THAT YOU HAD BEEN PLANNING IN THE LOCAL AREA, AND WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT? I'M GONNA PASS ON TO TRAVIS
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, THE MODELING, THE MAPPING AND STUFF HAS BEEN DONE.
SO WE'RE STARTING TO WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS ON THE DISTRICT, UM, MOVING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ANALYSIS THAT WE NEED TO BASICALLY START THE PROJECT FROM A TIMEFRAME PERSPECTIVE.
STARTED TALKING WITH OUR COOPERATORS AGAIN, BUILDING ON THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, GET THEIR PERSPECTIVES TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE AS WE SEE THEM, YOU KNOW, ADD THEIR PERSPECTIVES, CHANGE, POLISH THINGS UP.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A TIMELINE OF EARLY NEXT YEAR RELEASING, UH, A PROPOSAL TO THE PUBLIC.
I TOTALLY ANTICIPATE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS, HEAR THEIR IDEAS, UH, ALLOW US A OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT KIND OF WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM, WHAT THE MODELING SHOWS, YOU KNOW, THE UTILITY OF, OF WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
UM, WE, PLANNING WISE, LUCKILY THERE ARE LOTS OF TOOLS FOR US.
UH, THIS WOULD BE A CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION, SO BE A LITTLE BIT SHORTER PLANNING PROCESS.
SO I'M HOPING THAT SOMETIME NEXT CALENDAR YEAR WE WOULD SIGN A DECISION THAT AUTHORIZES IT.
AND THEN AGAIN, BACK TO OUR COOPERATORS AND OUR PARTNERS FIGURING OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT THESE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO IMPLEMENTATION COULD, COULD START QUICKLY AFTER THAT, OR IT COULD TAKE SOME, SOME TIME TO, TO LINE UP THINGS, FIND FUNDING, LOOK FOR GRANTS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
DON'T HAVE TIMEFRAME ON THAT, BUT, BUT I WOULD SAY MY HOPE IS TO SIGN A DECISION AT SOME POINT NEXT CALENDAR YEAR AND THEN TO WORK TOWARD IMPLEMENTING IT.
UM, I JUST ALSO WANTED TO EXPRESS MY THANKS, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO THANK THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL WHO ARE TRYING TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO EXPRESS THEIR THANKS TO ALL OF YOU.
AND I KNOW SOME OF THEM HAVE MADE SIGNS THAT ARE STANDING OUT THERE AND TRYING TO RECOGNIZE SHIFT CHANGES AND ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO HELP US, AND ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE KEEPING OTHER PEOPLE SAFE BY KEEPING ACCESS, UM, TO DANGEROUS AREAS, YOU KNOW, RESTRICTED AT THIS POINT.
SO THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING OUR WONDERFUL HEROES.
MAYBERRY FAMILY IS ALL ABOUT SERVICE, AREN'T THEY? WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.
WHAT IS THAT? OKAY, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL I I AS FAR AS RED ROCK ACTIVITIES, I'LL PLAN TO COME BACK IN A COUPLE MONTHS HOPEFULLY AND, AND KIND OF DO UPDATE THE PRESENTATION I WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNING, SO HOPEFULLY WHEN THE FIRE'S OVER
SO DO YOU WANNA TAKE A BREAK NOW? YES.
WE'LL TAKE A BREAK FOR 20 MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK.
I'M GONNA SEND HER YOUR WAY OFF.
[9.c. AB 3337 Presentation/discussion of the Fire Safe Sedona Program to discuss the program’s goals and objectives in efforts to promote and enhance community resilience regarding wildfire threats.]
AB 33 37 PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION OF THE FIRE SAFE SEDONA PROGRAM TO DISCUSS THE PROGRAM'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AND ENHANCE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE REGARDING WILDFIRE THREATS, WHICH COULDN'T BE MORE APROPOS,CHRISTIAN, ARE YOU GONNA I AM.
[01:15:01]
START OFF.UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN SANTA GONZALEZ.
I AM A SENIOR PLANNER FOR THE CITY OF SEDONA.
AND BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE FIRE SAFE SEDONA PROGRAM.
UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BRING THIS FORWARD TO YOU ALL.
UM, IT HAS BEEN A COUPLE MONTHS IN THE MAKING FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, I DO WANT TO GIVE OUT A BIG SHOUT OUT AND A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT AND ALSO OUR FIRE STATE SEDONA COUNCIL CHAMPIONS, COUNSELOR FAF AND COUNSELOR FURMAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, WORKING WITH BOTH.
SO TODAY'S AGENDA ITEM, UM, I WILL REVIEW THE PROGRAM.
I WILL THEN FOCUS ON FIVE PROGRAM BENEFITS, AND THEN I WILL DISCUSS TWO WILDFIRE MITIGATION PROGRAMS. SO THE FIRE SAFE SEDONA PROGRAM IS A COMPREHENSIVE INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS, AND IT IS A INTENT TO INFORM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE RESOURCES AND TOOLS TO REDUCE WILDFIRE THREATS.
IT IS ALSO A TOOL TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE OUR RESIDENTS, NOT JUST ABOUT THE THREATS OF WILDFIRES, BUT ALSO THE SOLUTIONS.
UM, AND I DO WANT TO, UH, BRING UP THAT THIS IS A, UH, DOES MEET A COMMUNITY PRIORITY.
THIS IS A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE TO BUILD THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND I DO WANTED TO BRING THAT FORWARD.
AND IN DOING SO, WE AIM TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY REALLY TO, UM, BECOME MORE WILDFIRE RESILIENCE.
NOW, THERE IS AN UNDERLYING OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO ENHANCE INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS CONFIDENCE.
UM, WE REALLY WANT TO AIM TO STABILIZE THE INSURANCE RATES, SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
AND ALSO, UM, YOU HAVE AN EXHIBIT A ATTACHED TO YOUR PACKET, WHICH IS REALLY A ROADMAP AND AN ACTUAL ACTIONABLE PLAN TO, WHICH OFFERS GUIDANCE TO CITY STAFF AND PARTNERS.
AND BY DOING SO, IT DEFINES ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SOME DEPARTMENTS.
IT ALSO SETS MEASURABLE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND ALSO REALLY PROVIDES RESOURCES THAT ENHANCE THE OVERALL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.
SO NOW FOR THE FIRST PROGRAM BENEFIT IS THAT IT STRENGTHENS THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE RESILIENCE.
UM, SEDONA IS POSITIONED IN A VERY HIGH RISK WILDFIRE AREA, AS DETERMINED BY, SORRY, THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE MANAGEMENT, DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST.
UM, NOW THE FIRE SEASONAL PROGRAM OUTLINES ENCOURAGEMENT EFFORTS TO BUILD DEFENSIBLE SPACE.
IT ALSO OFFERS, UM, HOME MITIGATION SOLUTIONS, AND IT CONTINUES TO, UM, REDUCE THE FUEL REDUCTIONS IN THE AREA AS WELL.
AND IT ALSO ENHANCES THE, UM, THE EFFORTS FOR THE WILDLAND, UM, URBAN INTERFACE COMPLIANT DEVELOPMENT CODE TO LOWER THE LIKELIHOOD OF CATASTROPHIC LOSSES TO THE AREA.
NOW THE PROGRAM PROMOTES TWO PROGRAMS IN ITS FIRST ONE FIREWISE, USA, AND THE SECOND ONE IS THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR BUSINESS AND HOME SAFETY, WHICH IS AN ACRONYM FOR IBHS, WILDFIRE PREPARE HOME PROGRAM.
NOW ALLOW ME TO, UM, INTRODUCE THESE TWO PROGRAMS. THEY'RE VERY ALIKE, BUT SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE FIREWISE USA.
IT IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HOME MITIGATION PROGRAM.
AND IT, THE ASSESSMENT IS FOR BOTH THE SUBDIVISION AND HOME LEVEL, UM, ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
NOW, THERE IS A CERTIFICATION, BUT FOR THE CERTIFICATION IS FOR THE SUBDIVISION LEVEL.
NOW, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IN ORDER FOR YOU TO GET THAT CERTIFICATION, IT HAS TO BE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREST AND, AND FIRE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM, WHICH IS CALLED THE IBHS WILDFIRE PREPARED HOME PROGRAM.
[01:20:01]
IS DONE AT THE, THE ASSESSMENT LEVEL OF THE INDIVIDUAL, INDIVIDUAL HOME LEVEL.SO A HOMEOWNER CAN RECEIVE TWO CERTIFICATION TYPES, ONE BEING THE BASE AND ONE BEING THE PLUS.
NOW, THE WAY THIS THE PROCESS WORKS IS THAT A HOMEOWNER, UH, CAN INITIATE THE PROCESS AND IT CAN BE DONE THROUGH AN APPLICATION, DONE THROUGH AN ONLINE PORTAL.
AND YOU CAN RECEIVE, UM, OR GET FURTHER INFORMATION BY LOGGING ON TO WWW.WILDFIREPREPARED.ORG.
NOW, IT IS A CERTIFICATION THAT COST $125.
SO I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU AS A HOMEOWNER, UH, TO REALLY LOOK INTO THE STANDARD TO SEE IF YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THIS CERTIFICATION.
AND WHAT YOU DO IS ONCE YOU APPLY FOR IT, YOU SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS.
ONCE YOU KNOW THAT YOU, YOU COULD POSSIBLY MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, UM, JUST SEE IF AND, AND SEE IF YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR IT AND CALL YOUR INSURANCE AGENCY BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR IT.
UM, AND SEE IF YOU COULD NOT ONLY APPLY, GET A CERTIFICATION, BUT BE ABLE TO PERHAPS REDUCE YOUR PREMIUM INSURANCE, OR TO THE VERY MINIMUM, GO ONLINE AND SEE IF YOU MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO BUILD ON THE HOME MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT THE, UH, THE PROGRAM INSIST ON.
NOW, THE REASON WHY WE ARE ENCOURAGING THIS, UM, PREPARED HOME PROGRAM IS THAT IT IT IS IN SCIENCE-BASED RESEARCH AND THAT, UM, IT IS RESEARCH THAT'S PROVEN FOR DATA DRIVEN FOR, TO STRENGTHEN HOMES AGAINST WILDFIRE THREATS.
UM, THE SECOND THING IS THAT IT IS ALSO SUPPORTED AND FUNDED BY THE INSURANCE IN INDUSTRY.
MAYOR, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? SURE.
UM, SO YOU SAID CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY FIRST.
DO WE HAVE ANY ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT IF YOU DO THIS AND THEN YOU CAN'T GET THE CERTIFICATION, YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY'S GOING TO USE THAT AGAINST YOU? HAVE WE SEEN ANYTHING OR HEARD ANYTHING OF THAT SORT? NO.
UM, WE DID REACH OUT TO A FEW, UM, INSURANCE AGENCIES, UM, IN THE AREA.
REALLY, THE ONE INSURANCE A, UM, AGENCY THAT DOES RECOGNIZE IT AT THE MOMENT IS STATE FARM.
SO, UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO BUILD ON.
WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECTIVELY, UH, PROMOTE THIS PROGRAM, THE, THE IBHS PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN COLLECTIVELY IN, IN THE LONG RUN TO BUILD THAT STABILITY AND THAT CONFIDENCE IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.
WE REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL BE THE, THE LEADING PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE TO REDUCE, UM, OR TO, TO STABILIZE REALLY THE INSURANCE, UH, INDUSTRY.
SO, DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE? YEAH, BUT I MEAN, FOR THE, FOR ME, THIS ISN'T ABOUT STABILIZING INSURANCE.
IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY.
AND I REALIZE THE INSURANCE IS A COMPONENT OF THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALSO DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO INITIATE THIS PROCESS AND THEN FIND OUT THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO GET FIREWISE AND THEN HAVE, YOU KNOW, STATE FARM OR WHOMEVER SAY, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU WEREN'T ON OUR RADAR BEFORE, BUT NOW YOU ARE.
AND ABSOLUTELY, AND I TOTALLY AGREE, AND I THOUGHT I, I MENTIONED THAT, THAT BEFORE YOU DO APPLY, SEE IF YOU DO MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO MEET THE STANDARDS, AND THEN OF COURSE SURE.
UH, CALL YOUR INSURANCE AGENCY.
AND THAT'LL BE PART OF STAFF'S, UH, RESPONSIBILITY IS TO WORK WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO HELP 'EM UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE CHECKLISTS ARE AND, AND HOW CLOSE THAT THEY CAN COME TO IT.
I DON'T TRUST INSURANCE COMPANIES, SO,
SO, UM, THE STAFF WE'RE READY TO, WE INTEND TO PROVIDE PROPERTY INSPECTIONS TO PROPERTY OWNER IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, INTERESTED.
UM, WE DO SEE OURSELVES DOING THE ASSESSMENT UTILIZING THESE TWO PROGRAMS. AND ESSENTIALLY IT'S FOR THE GOAL FOR THE HOMEOWNER TO RECEIVE THE CERTIFICATION.
SO THE SECOND PROGRAM BENEFIT IS THAT IT SUPPORTS THE INSURANCE STABILITY, ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY.
UM, SO THE INCORPORATION OF THESE, THESE STANDARDS AIMS TO REDUCE THE RISK SCORES AND IMPROVE THE LONG TERM INSURABILITY.
OF COURSE, UM, IT DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE REDUCTION IN IN INSURANCE PREMIUMS OR THE RATE.
UM, IT ALSO BUILDS A STRUCTURED DATA REPORTING SHARED WITH
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THE INSURERS AND THE BROKERS SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE TRANSPARENCIES AND THAT WE S BUILD SUPPORT FOR THE INSURANCE INDUSTRIES TO HAVE CONFIDENCE.UM, AND ALSO THE PROGRAM, UH, BUREAU'S WEIGHT WITH THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY, PARTICULARLY WITH THE IBHS PROGRAM.
THE THIRD PROGRAM BENEFIT IS THAT IT BUILDS STRONG PARTNERSHIPS AND IT ENHANCES COLLABORATION EFFORTS.
UM, OUR KEY AGENTS AGENCIES RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE BUILDING A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP WITH IS THE SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT AND ALSO THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE MANAGEMENT.
NOW WE DO AIM TO, UH, REACH OUT TO THE LOCAL NONPROFITS SO WE CAN BUILD AND FURTHER ENHANCE THAT COLLABORATION.
NOW, UH, THE PROGRAM DOES AIM TO COORDINATE CITY STAFF, THE AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND A COUNCIL CHAMPIONS TO CREATE A COLLABORATIVE MULTI-DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S REALLY JUST TO STREAMLINE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
IT REALLY IS A TEAMWORK EFFORT, UM, FOR THE PROGRAM.
AND BY DOING SO, UH, THE STRUCTURE SHARES THE INITIATIVES THAT STRENGTHENS THE COORDINATIONS FOR THE, UM, THE ASSESSMENTS, THE OUTREACHES AND THE MITIGATION EFFORTS.
THE FOURTH PROGRAM BENEFIT IS THAT IT ENHANCES THE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE AWARENESS AND PREPAREDNESS.
UM, THE GOAL REALLY IS TO ASSIST THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR WILDFIRE RISK AND STEPS NEEDED TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
UM, WE DO HAVE A FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION STRATEGY, AND THAT IS TO BUILD A LOCAL WEBSITE SO THAT WE, WE PROMOTE THE RESOURCES AND EVENTS AT THAT WEBSITE.
WE ALSO AIM TO CONDUCT A FEW IN-PERSON SEMINARS AND PRESENTATIONS.
AND WE ALSO AIM TO, UM, PARTNER WITH OUR PARTNERS AND OUR AGENCIES TO PROMOTE A WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS DAY EVENT.
NOW, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS AND ALIGNS WITH THE EVACUATION STRATEGIES AND COORDINATION WITH THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
AND CHRISTIAN, I'LL JUST ADD TO, WE FOUND THAT WITH THESE CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES ACROSS THE WEST AND IN ARIZONA, WILDFIRE IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE THAT WE CAN JUST RESPONSE OUR WAY OUT OF AT A CERTAIN POINT, THERE'S NO LEVEL OF RESOURCES THAT WE CAN THROW AT AN ISSUE TO MAKE IT GO AWAY.
IT'S GONNA REQUIRE DEDICATED MITIGATION ACTIONS LIKE THIS PROGRAM TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE WILDFIRE RISK THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THAT BRINGS US TO OUR FIFTH.
UM, IT DELIVERS MEASURABLE PROGRESS AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND TO MEASURE SUCCESS, UM, THE PROGRAM OUTLINES SOME GOALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND THAT IS TO ASSIST TWO SUBDIVISIONS.
TO EARN THE FIREWISE USA CERTIFICATION, WE WANT TO HOST A ANNUAL WILDFIRE PREPARANCE DAY EVENT, AND ALSO CONDUCT BETWEEN FOUR TO EIGHT EDUCATIONAL EVENTS PER YEAR.
NOW, THE PROGRAM DOES REQUIRE STAFF TO DRAFT A REPORT, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH TO ILLUSTRATE AND TRACK THE NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS, THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AT EVERY EVENT, UM, THE NUMBER OF OUTREACH AND MATERIALS THAT'S BEING DISTRIBUTED IN THE COMMUNITY, AND ALSO THE AMOUNT OF CERTIFICATIONS THAT'S BEING OBTAINED BY BOTH FIREWISE AND BY IBHS, UH, CERTIFICATES.
UM, AND THE REPORT WILL REALLY INCLUDE AN ANNUAL EVALUATION CYCLE TO ENSURE THAT THE PROGRAM ADAPTS, IMPROVES AND REMAINS EFFECTIVE.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND OUR GOALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO THAT WOULD BE A MOMENT TO REFLECT, UM, ONCE WE DRAFT THAT REPORT.
IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, UM, CHRISTIAN'S BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT SETTING THIS PROGRAM UP, AND, UH, WE HAVE ASSURANCES FROM NOT JUST SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT, BUT ALSO DFFM AND IBHS ON GETTING US, UH, DATA BACK, UH, FROM THEIR PROGRAM.
SO WE CAN INCLUDE IT IN THE, IN OUR DATA AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24TH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH CHANCE, WILL BE DOING A PRESENTATION TO YOU, UH, COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM OR REVIEW FOR THE SENIOR OFFICIALS.
NOW ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 8TH, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WILL BE MAKING A PRESENTATION TO THE GREATER FLAGSTAFF REGION REGARDING THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, AND THAT WOULD BE HOSTED AT THE HUB ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.
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WE, UH, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE MAKING A PRESENTATION AT THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS EVENT TO PRETTY MUCH PROMOTE THE PROGRAM.AND THAT WILL NOT BE AT THE HUB AS STATED ON THE, ON THE TABLE, BUT IT WOULD BE AT THE JAVA PI COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SO, WITH THAT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, BRIAN.
THANK YOU, MAYOR CHRISTIAN CHANCE, EVERYBODY WHO'S WORKED ON THIS.
UM, SO IS THERE A BUDGET ASK THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS? I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED, UH, A LOCAL WEBSITE BUILD.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE'LL JUST FUND OUT OF CONTINGENCY OR, I DON'T RECALL THAT BEING SPECIFICALLY IN THE BUDGET AT THIS POINT.
UH, WE JUST PLANNED JUST RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S ONLY GONNA BE RESOURCE BASED, JUST PRETTY MUCH LIKE NUMBERS, EMERGENCY CONTACTS, AND LINKS FOR THE TWO PROGRAMS. SO WE JUST VISION IT TO BE ON THE CITY WEBSITE FOR NOW.
OH, SO WE'RE JUST TALKING A LANDING PAGE, ESSENTIALLY? YEAH.
AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE A LANDING PAGE, REALLY, A WWW FIRE SAFE.COM, RIGHT? THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN, UM, UNDER PROMISE OVER DELIVER, I GET THAT TWO SUBDIVISIONS GETTING FIREWISE CERTIFIED.
I HOPE WE CAN GET MORE ENTHUSIASM FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, WE CAN EXCEED THAT GOAL.
I KNOW THAT THE CHAPEL NEIGHBORS ARE ALREADY BUSY AT IT, UH, TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY TO, UH, BECOME FIREWISE CERTIFIED.
UH, MY NEXT QUESTION IS THE, THIS IBHS THAT IS A, UH, INDUSTRY GROUP FUNDED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
UH, UM, I'M SURE IT WOULD BE VERY OUT OF THE NORM, BUT COULD WE GET SOMEBODY FROM THAT ORGANIZATION HERE AND PRESENT TO THEM? YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO GET SOME RUNS ON THE BOARD, RIGHT? SOME OF THE MEASURES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT GET SOMEBODY HERE FROM THAT ORGANIZATION AND SHOW 'EM HOW SERIOUS SEDONA IS TAKING THIS, AND THEN LET US HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGE THEM STRONGLY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS THEY'RE UPDATING THEIR, UM, IT'S REALLY LIKE ACTUARIAL DATA, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME CONCEPT.
IT'S INSURANCE, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF PREDICTING WHETHER SOMEBODY'S GONNA DIE FOR LIFE INSURANCE, IT'S WHETHER SOMEBODY'S HOUSE IS GONNA BURN DOWN IS, IS REALLY THE GAME THEY'RE PLAYING, RIGHT? WELL, WE, WE ARE ACTUALLY ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOU, VICE MAYOR.
UH, WE HAVE ACTUALLY MET WITH THE INSURANCE, UH, INSTITUTE.
WE HAD A ONE HOUR, UH, TEAMS MEETING WITH THEM, AND THEY PRETTY MUCH GAVE US A HUGE OVERVIEW AS TO WHAT THEY DO, UM, AND ALSO HOW THE PORTAL WORKS.
SO WE'RE FAIRLY FAMILIAR AS TO HOW THE PORTAL WORKS, AND IF THERE'S ANYONE LISTENING ON AND WANTS TO KIND OF CAN'T QUITE NAVIGATE THROUGH THE ONLINE PORTAL, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US AND WE'LL GUIDE YOU THROUGH IT.
BUT I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE ON THE BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THOSE STABILIZED INSURANCE RATES.
WE WANT THEM TO GO DOWN, RIGHT? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HELP US HELP YOU HELP THE COMMUNITY IN THAT REGARD.
IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH IBHS, THEY THEMSELVES SAID THAT WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT FOR ARIZONA, UM, OF COMMUNITIES.
UH, AND, AND I WOULD SAY US AND, AND FLAG AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY OPEN TO WORKING WITH US.
UM, BEFORE WE, OR WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, IBHS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HOPED FOR, UH, WITHIN ARIZONA AND, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROGRAM, ALONG WITH THE, THE STATE, UH, TASK FORCE THAT COMBINES THE FIRE PERSONNEL ALONG WITH THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.
UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, I'M GONNA LEAN ON CHANCE HERE BECAUSE HE KEPT, YOU KNOW, REQUESTING THAT ARIZONA BECOME THE FIFTH STATE, UH, WITH AN IBHS PORTAL.
UM, BEFORE THAT THERE WAS ONLY FOUR.
SO, UM, THEY KNOW HOW MUCH WE WANT TO PRESENT THIS PROGRAM.
WE WANT TO GET OUR RESIDENTS BEHIND THIS PROGRAM.
I'D LIKE TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT.
SO IF YOU GET IBHS CERTIFIED, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN FOR YOUR INSURANCE? THEY'RE NOT GONNA CANCEL YOU, THEY'RE NOT GONNA INCREASE IT.
I MEAN, WHAT IS THE QUID PRO QUO PRETTY MUCH THAT YOU MEET THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS TO REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF A WILDFIRE THREAT TO YOUR HOME? REALLY, THAT'S
[01:35:01]
REALLY WHAT, WHAT THAT IS.UH, I'LL ADD TO THAT, THAT, UM, AS, UH, CHRISTIAN SAID EARLIER, WE DO HAVE ONE MAJOR COMPANY, UH, THAT BEING STATE FARM, WHO HAS INDICATED TO US THAT THEY WILL ACTUALLY REDUCE RATES, UH, IF YOU ARE CERTIFIED.
AND, UH, SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT TO OTHER COMPANIES AND, AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO GROW, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, HONESTLY, I WAS, UH, INFORMING MY OWN STATE FARM AGENT ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS. AND, UH, SO, AND SHE WAS TAKING NOTES AND, YOU KNOW, THEY KNEW THE NAMES, THEY KNEW THAT STATE FARM WAS WORKING ON THIS, BUT IT'S NOT YET AT THIS LEVEL, RIGHT? THAT, THAT THE, UM, MY AGENT, UH, KNEW THIS WAS COMING FROM STATE FARM.
STATE FARM IS STARTING TO ADVERTISE THIS, BUT THEY DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAMS YET.
SO I THINK WE'RE RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER FOUR STATES, OR HAVE THEY AGREED THAT WE'RE THE FIFTH STATE? YES.
SO THAT'S GOOD CHANCE, GOOD WORK.
BACK ME UP ON THIS, BUT IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE CALIFORNIA, OREGON, NEVADA, AND NEW MEXICO.
CORRECT, MELISSA? UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE ISSUES WITH OUR SUBDIVISIONS, LIKE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF HOMES IN THE SUBDIVISION FOR FIREWISE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THE OWNERS DON'T LIVE HERE.
UM, WE HAVE SECOND HOMES WHERE THE OWNERS AREN'T NECESSARILY HERE ALL THE TIME.
SO IT CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET LIKE A HUGE PERCENTAGE IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE, OF THAT SUBDIVISION TO DO FIREWISE USA CERTIFICATION.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR HANDLING THAT? SINCE YOU WANTED TO ASSIST TWO SUBDIVISIONS, HOW ARE YOU GONNA ASSIST SUBDIVISIONS THAT HAVE THESE ISSUES WITH THE OWNERSHIP WITHIN, WE TAKE THAT OR SURE.
AND WE KNEW FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE ISSUE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S TWO THINGS AND, AND ONE IS TO, UH, IF IT'S A SUBDIVISION, WHICH AN WITH AN HOA, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER HANDLE ON THINGS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CHAMPIONS WITHIN, RIGHT? UM, BUT THE PROGRAM DOES NOT REQUIRE A HUNDRED PERCENT PARTICIPATION.
UM, THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY GETS BROKEN DOWN INTO FIVE OR SIX OR SEVEN AREAS.
AND DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF, WHETHER IT'S, UH, LANDSCAPE MITIGATION, WHETHER IT'S HOME HARDENING, WHETHER IT'S THIS OR THAT, THERE'S A DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE THAT DFFM UH, PUTS TO HOW MANY HOMES WILL MEET THIS WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION? IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
MOST OF 'EM ARE AROUND THE, THE 60 TO 70% RATE.
SO YES, WE STILL KNOW EVEN AT THAT 60 TO 70% RATE, SOME SUBDIVISIONS, IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO, TO GET THAT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE OUT-OF-STATE OWNERSHIP.
AND, UM, BUT, UH, UH, WE DO KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON.
WE DO KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT JUST EDUCATING OUR RESIDENTS, BUT WE'RE EDUCATING OUR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO MAY NOT BE HERE, UH, MAY NOT LIVE HERE.
SO, UH, YOU'RE THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT IS A CONCERN THAT WE'VE KNOWN WE HAVE TO WORK ON FROM THE START.
WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING HOW YOU'RE GOING TO EDUCATE THE HOME OWNERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY CORPORATIONS, UM, WHO OWN THE HOMES HERE IN SEDONA.
BUT THAT'S FOR A FUTURE CONVERSATION.
I'M JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE LEVELS ARE, WHAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE, ALL OF THAT IS COMPLICATED, AND YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT TO EACH RESIDENT AS WELL BASED ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR SUBDIVISION.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, HOW DOES FIREWISE CERTIFICATION WORK WITH IBHS? BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT.
ONE TALKS ABOUT THE SUBDIVISION BEING CERTIFIED, AND THE OTHER ONE IS A HOMEOWNER BEING CERTIFIED.
SO HOW DO THESE PLAY TOGETHER? OR DO I HAVE TO DO BOTH? OR IS ONE ACCEPTED BY THE OTHER? SO HOW'S THIS GONNA WORK? WELL, I MEAN, SINCE FIREWISE USA IS MOSTLY THE SUBDIVISION LEVEL, WE CAN TACKLE THAT AT A MORE SUBDIVISION LEVEL.
SO IF A COLLECTIVE GROUP OF HOMEOWNERS ARE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE, WE WOULD LOVE TO GO OUT THERE AND DO OUR ENGAGEMENT OR EDUCATIONAL, UM, OUTREACHES TO THEM.
BUT IF A HOMEOWNER AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, QUITE, MAYBE THEY DO KNOW THAT THEY MAY MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO REACH THE IVHS, WE'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP THEM OUT AND SEE IF THEY GIVE THEM THE TOOLS TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET THAT CERTIFICATION, AND WE WILL ASSIST ALONG THAT.
SO WHAT'S THE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE REQUIREMENTS?
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I GUESS ANOTHER WAY TO PHRASE THAT.SO IF I DO A FIREWISE CERTIFICATION, AM I A QUARTER OF THE WAY TO IBHS? AM I HALF OF THE WAY, AM I NOWHERE NEAR IT? I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT? HOW MUCH OF A BURDEN ARE WE ASKING PEOPLE TO DO WITH TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS? I'LL JUMP IN REAL QUICK HERE.
UM, NUMBER ONE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO MEET BOTH, BUT YES, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM.
UM, UH, JUST SOME, SOME EXAMPLES, UM, FIREWISE USA SAYS, WITHIN THAT FIRST ZERO TO FIVE FEET FROM THE HOUSE, YOU CAN HAVE SOME PLANTS, BUT IT CAN'T BE THE TYPE OF PLANTS THAT WILL, UH, HAVE TAR OR, OR MORE, MORE FLAMMABLE.
YOU WANT TO HAVE, UH, LOW HERBACEOUS, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT A PLANT GUY, BUT, UH, IN SUCCULENTS, UM, WHEREAS IBHS WILL SAY NOTHING, NOTHING IN THAT FIRST FIVE FEET.
UM, IBHS WILL THEIR STANDARDS GO OUT TO 30 FEET, WHEREAS FIREWISE USA GOES OUT TO 30 FEET, AND THEN DEPENDING ON HOW DENSE THE FORESTRY IS FROM THE 30 TO A HUNDRED FEET, THEY MIGHT GO OUT ANOTHER 30 TO A HUNDRED FEET.
UH, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES, BUT THEY ARE ALL VERY SIMILAR AS WELL.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THIS FOR VERY SIMILAR THINGS, RIGHT? THEY, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRIM UP YOUR TREES, UH, REMOVE ANY OF THE LADDER FUELS THAT ARE BELOW THAT, SO THOSE FUELS WILL START FIRE, THEN NOW THOSE FIRES WILL START THE TREE.
SO WE WANT TO REMOVE THOSE FROM UNDERNEATH.
NEITHER ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS NE MEAN CLEAR CUTTING THE LOT.
THEY BOTH ALLOW FOR TREES TO BE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, BUT YOU WANT ONLY SMALL COMPS OF THESE WITH 10 FEET IN BETWEEN, UH, CANOPIES ON THE PROPERTY.
THERE'S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO.
UM, IT'S JUST A, ARE YOU GOING TO BE IN A COMMUNITY? AND BY THE WAY, A COMMUNITY DOESN'T MEAN A WHOLE SUBDIVISION.
IT DOESN'T MEAN AN HOAA COMMUNITY IS A GROUP OF HOMES THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER THAT ARE ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER.
UM, AND, UH, SO, UH, DFFM COULD ACCEPT, UH, SEE, I, I DON'T LIVE IN A, WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A TYPICAL SUBDIVISION, BUT I COULD GET MY NEIGHBORS TOGETHER SIX OR SEVEN OR EIGHT OF US.
UM, AND IF WE WANTED TO WORK TOGETHER UNDER, UNDER THE, UH, FIREWISE USA AND TRY TO BE CERTIFIED THROUGH THAT, THEN WE AS EIGHT CONTIGUOUS NEIGHBORS COULD BE A PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
IF DF FM ACCEPTED THAT, YES, DEREK.
UM, TO GO BACK TO MELISSA'S QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT STR OWNED BY CORPORATIONS, UM, MORE OF A COMMENT THAN QUESTION.
I MEAN, EVERY CORPORATION I'VE EVER REPRESENTED HAS LIKED SAVING MONEY.
UH, SO I WOULD LEAD WITH THAT
CHRISTIAN, I APOLOGIZE I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK WITH YOU TODAY, BUT I'VE TALKED WITH SOME OTHERS.
JUST THIS MORNING I WAS ON A WEBINAR SPONSORED BY MOUNTAIN TOWNS 2030, WHICH IS A LITTLE ORGANIZATION THAT I BELONG TO, AND THEY'RE STARTING A MOUNTAIN WILDFIRE ACTION WEBINAR, THREE OR FOUR SESSIONS SERIES.
I WALKED AWAY WITH TWO ITEMS THAT I THOUGHT APPLIC WAS APPLICABLE TO OUR CONVERSATION HERE TODAY.
AND ONE, I DO THINK WITH I-B-H-S-S AND POTENTIAL FOR INSURANCE SAVINGS, THAT COULD BE A REAL MOTIVATOR, BUT PEOPLE WERE TELLING THEIR STORIES ABOUT THIS FIREWISE PROGRAMS AND HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO GET COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THEY ALL TALKED ABOUT HOW IT REALLY ENDED UP TAKING, KNOCKING ON DOORS, WALKING NEIGHBORHOODS MULTIPLE TIMES WITH PEOPLE LIKE FIREFIGHTERS OR POLICE OFFICERS, OR FIRE SERVICE OFFICIALS, OR NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS OR PASTORS.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY.
WE'RE GONNA GUILT PEOPLE INTO IT AS WELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A REAL EFFORT.
ALL THESE COMMUNITIES TALKED ABOUT HOW GETTING PEOPLE FROM WHERE THEY ARE TO WHERE IT WOULD BE, UH, GREAT TO HAVE PEOPLE TO BE, UM, TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT.
AND THE SECOND PIECE OF ADVICE I HEARD WAS BITE-SIZE ACTIONS.
SO I WENT THROUGH THE FIRE WIVES INSPECTION AS WELL AND GOT A NICE LIST, BUT THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO PRIORITIZE, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING ON THIS LIST, START HERE, AND THEN YOU FOLLOW UP AGAIN AND YOU SAY, OKAY, HERE'S THE NEXT STEP AND HERE'S THE NEXT STEP.
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IT REALLY TOOK TO GET PEOPLE IN THEIR EXPERIENCE MOVING THROUGH THESE KIND OF PROGRAMS SO THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THAT IN MIND AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE THOSE STEPS AS WELL.BUT THERE'S FOLLOW ON SESSIONS COMING UP.
YOU HAVE AN EMAIL NOW, SO IF YOU WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE AS WELL, UH, LET YOU KNOW.
DO YOU HAVE, SO THOSE TWO SUBDIVISIONS IS YOUR GOAL.
DO, DO YOU HAVE FOLKS, UH, THE VICE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT THE CHAPEL AREA? HAVE PEOPLE REACHED OUT TO YOU AND ASKED TO PARTICIPATE? NO, NOT AT THE MOMENT.
AND WE, WE REALLY WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD TO YOU AND PRETTY MUCH GET YOUR GREEN LIGHT, YOUR BLESSING, AND TO JUST GET THAT BALL ROLLING SO WE CAN START INITIATING THAT PROCESS, UM, TO START ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.
SO, SO, UM, NOT TO CONTRADICT, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FULL FLEDGED, UM, UH, STARTING POINTS, BUT WE HAVE HAD, UH, DISCUSSIONS WITH, UM, UH, THE CHAPEL GROUP.
UM, SO THEY KNEW THAT THIS WAS, THIS WAS EARLY ON, SO THEY KNEW THAT THIS WAS COMING DOWN.
ONCE THIS PROGRAM GOT ROWAN, WE WERE GONNA COME BACK AND, AND BE SPEAKING WITH 'EM.
UM, AND, UM, WAS IT LACE SPRINGS? MM-HMM.
YEAH, LACE SPRINGS SPRINGS, UH, WAS THE SECOND ONE THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH, AGAIN, TELLING THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF, OF GROWING THIS PROGRAM.
SO THOSE ARE TWO THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD BE, I WOULD, I WON'T SAY EASY, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UH, SOME ROADBLOCKS THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, FIND WAYS AROUND.
BUT, UM, THOSE WOULD BE TWO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD WANNA START WITH PERHAPS.
SO THOSE TWO COMMUNITIES HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU, BUT DO YOU GUYS, AMONG YOU, HAVE I IDENTIFIED ANY COMMUNITIES THAT YOU FEEL ARE PARTICULARLY AT RISK WHERE, WHICH WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START, OR ONES THAT HAVE LARGER POPULATION AND THEREFORE THERE'D BE MORE GAINS THERE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT, IDENTIFYING ONES TO PROACTIVELY REACH OUT TO INSTEAD OF JUST REACTIVELY? SO I WILL SAY, COUNCIL, THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON CURRENTLY WITH SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT AND THE GREATER FLAGSTAFF REGION IS THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
AND PART OF WHAT THE RESULTS OF THAT PLAN WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS THAT IT HELPS US IDENTIFY THAT COMMUNITY LEVEL RISK A LOT BETTER WITH VERIFIED DATA AND SCIENCE THAN WE DO CURRENTLY.
AND THAT'S GONNA HELP US INFORM A LOT OF THOSE DECISIONS, UH, THAT'S ACTIVELY BEING WORKED ON.
WE SHOULD SEE, SEE A DRAFT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL ACTIONS FORWARD IN IDENTIFYING COMMUNITIES WITH THAT.
AND HOW DOES SEDONA FIRE FIT INTO THIS PROGRAM? THEY FIT IN VERY WELL.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE, UH, PERFORMING THEIR OWN ASSESSMENTS ALREADY.
UM, UH, THEY'VE BEEN ISSUING, UH, CHECKLISTS, UH, USING THE, UH, FIRE SAFE USA, UH, PROGRAM, UH, TO THEIR RESIDENTS.
AND SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW, THAT'S A PART OF OUR PROGRAM, AND, AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING, UH, COLLECTIVELY WITH THEM, UH, IN, IN THAT SAME VEIN.
AND THERE ARE RESIDENTS OUT THERE THAT MAY WANT TO USE THIS PROGRAM, MAY MAY SAY THAT, OH, IT'S, IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO GO ALL THE WAY, BUT I STILL WANT TO MITIGATE THE DANGERS ON MY PROPERTY.
SO WE STILL WANT TO MEET WITH THEM.
WE STILL WANT TO GET THEM TO A POINT WHERE, UH, THEY'RE A LOT BETTER OFF.
UM, I'VE ALREADY STARTED, UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, MY OWN, UH, PROGRAM, A MITIGATION ISSUE, UM, MITIGATION, UH, AT MY OWN HOUSE.
AND IT IS A BITE OFF, ONE STEP AT A TIME APPROACH FOR ME.
AND, UH, AND I, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT RESIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, SOME MAY WANT TO GO ALL THE WAY AND, AND GET THAT IBHS AND, AND, AND MAYBE GET A REDUCTION ON THEIR INSURANCE.
UM, SOME MAY WANT BE IN A SUBDIVISION WHERE, UM, THEY DO HAVE ENOUGH BACKING WHERE THEY CAN GET, UH, THE CERTIFICATION, COMMUNITY CERTIFICATION, BUT THERE ARE GONNA BE OTHERS THAT JUST WANNA BE BETTER THAN WHAT, WHERE THEY'RE AT NOW.
MAYOR, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DEREK, A QUESTION FOR KURT.
SO IF WE HAVE, SAY WE HAVE A LOW INCOME RESIDENT WHO'S INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM BUT CAN'T AFFORD IT, GIVE CLAUSE VIOLATION IF THE CITY HAS SOME KIND OF PROGRAM THAT THEY COULD DIP INTO AND HELP BRING SOMEBODY INTO EITHER COMPLIANCE OR DO SOME OF THE WORK FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM OR HELP THEM
[01:50:01]
OR, SURE.SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY COUNCILOR FOTH.
IT DEPENDS ON EXACTLY HOW THE PROGRAM'S SET UP.
UM, WE DO HAVE OTHER MEANS TESTED PROGRAMS, UM, LIKE THE HOME ENERGY RETROFIT PROGRAM THAT WE DO.
I THINK THAT COULD BE, UH, SIMILAR, SIMILARLY ADOPTED IN THIS SCENARIO.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE CONSIDERING IN THE FUTURE, SO THAT NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE A BUNCH OF MONEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS.
IF, IF I COULD TAG ONTO THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, IS, UH, UH, UH, MORE OF A BURDEN IN THESE SITUATIONS IS, IS THE REMOVAL OF THE SLASH SO ALL THE TREES AND THE LIMBS, AND THEY GET CUT DOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW, HOW DO WE HELP TO MITIGATE THAT? UM, CAN WE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, PROGRAM WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS CAN, CAN PUT THEIR SLASH ON ON ON THE SIDE OF THE CURBS? AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE AND VERY LABOR INTENSIVE.
UM, WE'VE, UH, WE TALK ABOUT HOW DOES A SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT FIT INTO THIS? THEY HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE ONCE A YEAR THEY, THEY GET DUMPSTERS AND, AND PEOPLE CAN BRING THEIR SLASH TO FILL THOSE DUMPSTERS.
SO CAN WE PIGGYBACK ON THAT OR CAN WE HAVE ANOTHER DAY, YOU KNOW, TWO MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD SO WE CAN, WE CAN START SPREADING THAT OUT.
SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME WAYS THAT, UH, WE CAN HELP, UH, THE RESIDENTS.
WE COULD HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC PICKUP DAYS THAT WOULD COST A LOT LESS THAN A CITYWIDE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT A, A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S DONE A BUNCH OF FIREWISE WORK, THEN COST US A LOT LESS MONEY TO SEND SOMEBODY IN TO PICK UP THE SLASH HAVEN'T USED THAT TERM BEFORE, BUT
SO TAGGING ON, WHAT DOES THE, UH, GREEN WASTE PICK UP, UH, COST CURRENTLY ANNUALLY? DO WE KNOW? IT'S, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE LOOKED AT THAT COST.
UM, I DO NOT, PLUS IT'S CHANGED SINCE I LAST LOOKED AT IT.
YEAH, I WOULDN'T WANT TO, WE CAN WORK ON LOOKING IT UP WHILE YOU GUYS ARE DISCUSSING AND YEAH.
STEVE, YOU MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PROGRAM.
IS THAT A FIRE DEPARTMENT INITIATED EFFORT? AND IF THAT'S, SO IS THERE A STATUS THAT WE CAN HEAR ABOUT THE, THE PROCESS OF THAT OR THE EXISTENCE OF THAT? SO THE ANSWER IS REALLY TWOFOLD.
UM, THE MAIN ANSWER IS A WILDFIRE.
USA IS A PROGRAM THAT IT'S A FEDERAL PROGRAM, UH, PUT ON BY THE, UM, UH, THE NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE, AND IT'S OVERSEEN BY DFFM, THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE MANAGEMENT.
AND SO IT'S THROUGH THEM THAT A COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S AN HOA, WHETHER IT'S A SUBDIVISION OR THIS GROUP OF HOMES, UM, IT'S THROUGH THEM THAT THEY GET CERTIFIED.
NOW, THE FIRE DISTRICT DOES USE THEIR CHECKLIST, UH, TO ASSESS SINGLE PROPERTIES.
UH, WHEN A HOMEOWNER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, PASS ON TO THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY TO SAY, HEY, WE WERE ASSESSED UNDER THIS CHECKLIST.
EITHER, YOU KNOW, KEEP MY
YOUR, YOUR ANSWER SOUNDED TO ME A LOT LIKE THE FIREWISE PROGRAM.
I HEARD SPOKEN HERE TODAY, BUT THIS MORNING IN MY WEBINAR AS WELL, ABOUT, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
ARE WE DOING ONE OF THOSE I'VE HEARD OF THAT'S A, A LARGER PLAN FOR A LARGER THING THAN A NEIGHBORHOOD? I'M WONDERING.
COUNCILOR FURMAN? YES, WE ARE PART OF, UH, THE GREATER FLAG STAFF REGION COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
THAT'S, IT'S CURRENTLY THAT BIG.
THEY LOOK AT A LOT OF DATA AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY REQUIRE, UM, A LOT OF DIFFERENT EFFORT FROM MULTIPLE AGENCIES.
SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE USUALLY UNDERDONE UNDERTAKEN AT A REGIONAL EFFORT, UM, FOR THAT.
AND SIR, WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR DOING THAT IN OUR REGION TIME? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE DATA COLLECTION PHASE OF THAT.
I'M A CORE PLANNING TEAM MEMBER SIT ON A FIRE DISTRICT AS A CORE PLANNING TEAM MEMBER.
UM, ALONG WITH FLAGSTAFF FIRE DISTRICT AND A, A BUNCH OF OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND DISTRICTS.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING DATA COLLECTION AND ALSO DOING SOME MEETINGS WITH THE PUBLIC TO SOLICIT THEIR FEEDBACK ON HOW THEY VIEW WILDFIRE RISK IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, BEFORE WE START MOVING TOWARDS OUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.
AND THAT'S COMING SOON, BUT WE'RE NOT QUITE AT THAT POINT YET.
[01:55:01]
A DRAFT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.ANY OTHER COMMENTS? DEREK, WHERE DID THIS, UH, QUESTION FOR OTHER COUNSELORS? WHERE DID THIS RANK? YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO WE HAD THE BUDGET SURVEY AND I THINK FIRE SAFETY WAS PRETTY HIGH ON THE LIST.
YOU, DOES EVERYBODY REMEMBER WHAT THE YES NO WAS ON THAT? IT SEEMED TO RECALL THAT THE LAST COMMUNITY SURVEY, THE COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY THAT HAD THIS AS A QUESTION AND IT RANG QUITE HIGH, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBERS.
THAT WAS MY RECOLLECTION TOO, THAT FIRE SAFETY'S KIND OF AT THE TOP OF PEOPLE'S MINDS, PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US TONIGHT? 'CAUSE THIS IS FOR PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ONLY.
JUST FOR, UH, FOR COUNCIL TO GIVE US THE GREEN LIGHT REALLY TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND LET THEM KNOW HOW WE PLAN TO EDUCATE AND, AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE THE TWO WILDFIRE, UH, MITIGATION STRATEGIES TOO.
SO, SO WE REALLY CAN'T TAKE ANY FORMAL ACTION 'CAUSE IT'S NOT AGENDIZED FOR ACTION.
SO, BUT WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THUMBS UP, DO WE, I DON'T HAVE ANY CARDS.
DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS? JOANNE? MM-HMM
WE FORGOT TO BRING THE T-SHIRT.
MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
THERE ARE OF COURSE, A LEGION OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS PROPOSAL, AS THERE ARE WITH ALL OF CITY STAFF'S PROPOSALS, BUT WE'LL JUST TOUCH ON THREE OF THEM TONIGHT.
THE FIRST IS THAT MOST OF THIS PLAN IS NOTHING BUT MEANINGLESS BUREAUCRATIC DRIBBLE INTENDED TO INCREASE GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
THE FIRE SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS PROPERTIES IS THEIR PROBLEMS, NOT THE CITY GOVERNMENTS.
THE SECOND PROBLEM WITH THIS PLAN IS THAT TO EVEN HAVE A PLAN LIKE THIS IS ITSELF AN ACT OF PARANOID COWARDICE RISK MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST, BUT EVEN IF IT DOES EXIST, TO PLAN TO RESPOND TO THAT RISK OUT OF FEAR IS AN ANIMALISTIC AND COWARDLY ACTION, WHICH NO HUMAN BEING WOULD TAKE.
AND THE THIRD AND MOST GLARING RED FLAG WITH THIS WHOLE PROPOSAL IS ITS CONTINUED INSISTENCE ON PUSHING THE FIREWISE SCAM.
A TOPIC THAT HAS NOT BEEN MUCH DISCUSSED HERE TONIGHT IS THE FACT THAT WHEN SEDONA FIRE DISTRICT GOES OUT TO SOMEONE'S PROPERTY AND DOES THIS LITTLE INSPECTION, THEY THEN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHICH, WHICH ONE EXCEPTION AS WE JUST HEARD, CAN AND DO USE THAT INFORMATION TO RAISE RATES AND CANCEL COVERAGE, WHICH MEANS SOME PEOPLE DO LOSE THEIR HOMES AND THOSE HOMES DO TURN INTO STR.
THIS OF COURSE, IS PARALLEL TO THE SIMILAR SCAM THAT THE DISTRICT IS RUNNING IN TANDEM WITH BOTH THE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND CITY STAFF TO INCREASE WHAT THEY CALL DANGER ZONE AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE NOT BASED IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
AS AN EFFORT TO PUSH UP BOTH INSURANCE RATES AND THE COST OF NEW CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING, IT'S ESPECIALLY LUDICROUS TO NOTE THAT WE'RE HEARING THIS, UH, FIRE SAFETY PROGRAM PAIRED WITH SUSTAINABILITY STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO MANDATE AT LEAST 20% TREE COVERAGE FOR EACH PROPERTY.
IF THIS COUNCIL WERE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN REDUCING FIRE RISK IN FACILITATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR IN SMALL TOWN CHARM, IT WOULD BE WORKING WITH THE CITIZENS TO GET THE FIRE DISTRICT ABOLISHED SO WE COULD RETURN TO VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS LIKE WE HAD IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
INSTEAD, WE'RE GETTING PROPOSALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO INCREASE FIRE RISK, WHICH IS THE INTENTION, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T REALLY ABOUT IMPROVING SAFETY, IT'S ABOUT CREATING EXCUSE FOR ALL OF YOU TO DO SOMETHING.
IS ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HASN'T FILLED OUT A CARD TO SPEAK? WANT TO SPEAK? OKAY.
PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND CITY OF RESIDENCE.
I AM THE DIVISION CHIEF OF COMMUNITY RISK MANAGEMENT AT SEDONA FIRE.
AND I LIVE IN SEDONA, BEEN HERE ALMOST 40 YEARS, AND I STARTED AS A VOLUNTEER IN SEDONA.
SO I JUST WANNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FIREWISE.
MY DIVISION HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.
[02:00:01]
MANY SUBDIVISIONS.A FEW OF THEM ARE ALREADY ACCREDITED AND THERE'S NO PROFITING TO IT AT ALL.
AND THE WHOLE INTENT IS JUST WHAT THESE GENTLEMEN WERE ALLUDING TO.
LET'S REDUCE THOSE FUELS BETWEEN YOUR HOME AND THE FOREST AND OR THE WASHES AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT THE FOREST SERVICE DOES ON THE FIRE WHEN THEY BURN OUT THE FUEL TO KEEP IT.
SO WHEN THE FIRE GETS THERE, THERE'S LESS AND LESS AND LESS PROTECT YOUR HOME.
JUST LIKE, UH, YOU MENTIONED THERE, WHY DON'T WE JUST PROTECT OUR HOME? OKAY.
SO WE DO HAVE A UNIFORM FIRE CODE THAT WE'D ADOPT ADOPTED IN 2018.
AND WITH THAT CODE, I CAN ENFORCE PEOPLE IN NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT YOU WILL BUILD THIS TO THIS CODE, WHICH IS WHEN I RESISTED CONSTRUCTION TO THE EXTERIOR AND YOUR LANDSCAPING.
AND WE GO OUT AND DO A WILD END INTERFACE OR A EY PRESENTATION OR INSPECTION THAT, THAT THE HOMEOWNERS REQUEST.
WE DON'T GO OUT AND KNOCK ON DOORS AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE HERE TO DO THIS.
THEY REQUEST US, WE COME OUT, WE GIVE THEM OUR ASSESSMENT, WE GIVE THEM A REPORT.
IF THEY ASK FOR IT AND WE LEAVE.
IF THEY DECIDE TO DO WHAT WE RECOMMEND, THAT'S GREAT.
IF THEY DON'T, THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM.
THEY, THEY DIDN'T DECIDE TO DO SO.
AS FAR AS TURNING IT OVER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANIES, WE DO NOT DO THAT NOW.
EVERYTHING WE DO IS A, WE'RE AS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY IS PUBLIC RECORD.
NOW, IF SOMEBODY REQUESTS A PUBLIC RECORD AND GOES THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, THEN YEAH, WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM WHAT WE HAVE.
BUT WE DO NOT GO OUT AND HAND OUT YOUR WOO INFORMATION TO INSURANCE COMPANIES.
OKAY, I'M CLOSING THE PUBLIC FORUM.
UH, MAD MAYOR, THE COST OF THE ANNUAL CURBSIDE, UM, YARD DEBRIS PICKUP FOR NEXT YEAR IS APPROXIMATELY $140,000.
CAN I WEIGH IN TO ASK ANSWER COUNSELOR FAFS QUESTION ON THE SURVEY PLEASE? UM, SO IN THE 2024 COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION.
UM, HOW CONCERNED, IF AT ALL, ARE YOU ABOUT NATURAL DISASTERS SUCH AS FLOOD AND OR WILDFIRE NEAR YOUR HOME? UM, 23% WERE VERY CONCERNED.
39% WERE SOMEWHAT CONCERNED, 31% WERE SLIGHTLY CONCERNED, AND 7% WERE NOT AT ALL CONCERNED.
UM, I WOULD JUST SAY NOTWITHSTANDING THE SELF-APPOINTED COURT COURT GESTURES, PROTESTS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC.
AS I THINK COUNSELOR KINSELLA SAID A MINUTE AGO, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY IS, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE JOB OF ANY GOVERNMENT.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, FIRES ARE A FACT OF LIFE HERE IN THE WEST, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE JUST ROLL OVER AND DO NOTHING ABOUT 'EM.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S LIVES, TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S PROPERTY, AND EVERY LITTLE BIT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THAT, I WANNA SEE US DO IT.
IS THAT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS ON COUNCIL? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[9.d. AB 3313 Discussion/possible direction/action regarding proposed State legislation, short-term rental legislation, lobbying efforts, and State budget and their potential impact on the City of Sedona. ]
NEXT ITEM IS AB 33 13.DISCUSSION POSSIBLE DIRECTION, ACTION REGARDING PROPOSED STATE LEGISLATION, SHORT TERM RENTAL LEGISLATION, LOBBYING EFFORTS IN STATE BUDGET, AND THEIR POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE CITY OF SEDONA.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS IS MY LAST REGULAR UPDATE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND CLOSE THE LOOP ON HOW THE SESSION ENDED.
UM, IT ENDED ON JUNE 13TH, UH, VERY, VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING OR LATE AT NIGHT, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY LOOK AT IT.
[02:05:03]
LET'S SEE.UM, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED 264 BILLS AND VETOED 151.
UM, THERE WERE SEVEN LEGISLATIVE REFERRALS FROM THIS SESSION THAT WILL BE ADDED TO THE THREE FROM LAST YEAR'S SESSION.
SO WE'LL SEE THAT ON THE BALLOT.
UM, UH, SO IN TOTAL 10, UM, LEGISLATIVE REFERRALS ON THE NOVEMBER, 2026 BALLOT.
UH, THEY DID COME TO CONSENSUS ON A BUDGET.
UM, LIKE WE ALL KNEW THEY WOULD, UH, 18.3 BILLION IS WHAT THE FISCAL 27 BUDGET WILL BE.
UM, I THINK THEY BOTH HAD, UH, SOME, UM, COMPROMISES.
THE REPUBLICANS WERE HAPPY BECAUSE, UM, THEY GOT THE FULL TAX CONFORMITY THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE.
UM, AND THE GOVERNOR OBTAINED A THREE YEAR MORATORIUM ON NEW DATA CENTER TAX INCENTIVES.
THE BUDGET WAS ALSO 2.5% LESS, UH, ACROSS STATE AGENCIES.
I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND HIGHLIGHT HOW THE BILLS ENDED UP.
WE WERE TRACKING FIVE THERE AT THE END THAT WERE STILL NOT DEAD.
UM, SO THE, UH, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN HOUSE BILL 2118 MOBILE FOOD VENDORS AND LICENSURE.
UM, THIS WAS ACTUALLY PASSED TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK, BUT SHE VETOED IT BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT THAT THIS, UM, SHOULD STILL BE IN THE HANDS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY.
SO, UH, THAT ONE DID NOT MOVE.
COUNCILOR KINSELLA, YOU'LL NOT BE HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
UM, THE H BILL, UH, HOUSE BILL 27 93 ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY AND PROCEDURES.
UM, IT WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.
SIMILARLY, UM, THE SENATE BILL 1167 CITIES, TOWNS, COUNTIES, POSTING WEBSITE, UH, THAT WAS ALSO SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.
UM, THE OTHER TWO THOUGH, THAT WE WERE TRACKING, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, SENATE BILL 1431 MUNICIPALITIES PLANNED COMMUNITIES DESIGN PROHIBITION, THAT DID NOT MOVE FORWARD AND NEITHER DID, UM, THE ONE THAT YOU ALL HAD VOTED TO WRITE A LETTER, UM, TO THE GOVERNOR FOR THAT ONE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD EITHER.
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, SENATE BILL 1519 OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND WAIT.
UM, SO THAT ALSO DID NOT MOVE FORWARD.
WE THINK THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, BE BROUGHT UP IN FUTURE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE READY FOR, UH, TO HAVE THE SAME, UM, TYPE TYPES OF TALKING POINTS, BUT AT THIS TIME IT WAS, IT WAS NOT MOVED FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, THAT IS REALLY MY UPDATE FOR TONIGHT.
UM, THE TWO, UH, REFERRALS THAT I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE THE MOST INTERESTED IN, UH, THE FIRST ONE WAS THE, UM, LPR, BUT WE DON'T HAVE LPR HERE, AND SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE EVEN QUALIFY FOR, UM, IT, IT WON'T, YOU KNOW, IT ONLY, UM, QUALIFIED FOR CITIES THAT HAD LPRS TO BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR THAT.
UM, BUT IT IS AN INTERESTING STRATEGY, ONE THAT YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT ON JULY 14TH, UM, WHICH IS THAT THAT WOULD, UM, THAT GOES TO ALL ARIZONA VOTERS TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT, UM, LOCAL, UM, UM, CITIES AND TOWNS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES IF THEY WANT, UH, LPRS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
UM, THE SECOND ONE WAS PHOTO RADAR ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND THAT IS, UH, UH, PROPOSING THAT A PHOTO RADAR, IF YOU GET A TICKET, IT WOULD ONLY BE $75.
UM, AND IT WOULD PROHIBIT STATE AGENCIES AND INSURANCE COMPANIES FROM CONSIDERING THE VIOLATION FOR LICENSE SUSPENSION REVOCATION OR IN DETERMINING INSURANCE RATES.
SO WITH THAT, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE CLOSEOUT THAT I HAVE.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UH, THAT OUR TWO PROPOSALS FOR THE, UM, CONSIDERATION BY THE, UH, RESOLUTION COMMITTEE OF THE LEAGUE OF CITIES AND TOWNS WERE BOTH PASSED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF COMMITTEE.
THERE WERE FOUR PROPOSALS THAT THE COMMITTEE HEARD.
THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD SUSTAINABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, AND ALL FOUR OF THEM HAD TO DO WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS.
ONE WAS FROM FLAGSTAFF INCREASING THE PERMIT FEE FROM 250 TO $500, AND INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO CALCULATE CODE ENFORCEMENT INTO THE, UH, COSTS OF THE, OF, OF, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
[02:10:01]
THE SECOND ONE WAS FROM GILBERT.AND IT HAD TO DO WITH MAKING IT EASIER TO LEAN PROPERTY FOR BAD ACTORS.
UNANIMOUSLY THEY PASSED, BUT NOT, UM, UNANIMOUSLY.
AND OURS DID PASS UNANIMOUSLY, AND PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEES WERE, YOU KNOW, FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.
AND, AND THERE'S A MEMBER FROM SCOTTSDALE ON THE COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, THEY WERE, AND, AND OTHER LARGER CITIES WOULD LIKE US TO NOT RESTRICT OUR PROPOSAL TO CITIES UNDER 20,000.
SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT THE LEAGUE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH, OR THE RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH AT THE CONFERENCE.
SO THAT WAS, IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED.
AND NANCY DAVIDSON, WHO'S THE ATTORNEY FOR THE, FOR THE LEAGUE MENTIONED, REMEMBER ONE OF OURS WAS ABOUT THE OAK CREEK HERITAGE LODGE, AND SHE SAID THAT THEY PUT IN A AMICUS BRIEF TO THE SUPREME COURT, UH, TO TAKE OUR CASE UP.
AND THAT WILL HAPPEN ON FRIDAY.
THEY WILL DISCUSS IT ON FRIDAY.
THE SUPREME COURT, THOUGH, NOT NECESSARILY MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THE CASE OR NOT, BUT IT WAS GREAT THAT THE LEAGUE SUPPORTED US AND THE, UH, BOTH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LEAGUE AND THE, UH, GENERAL COUNCIL AND THEIR LEGISLATIVE FOLKS WERE ON THIS COMMITTEE CALL AND THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR, OF OUR EFFORTS.
AND, AND MAYOR, JUST TO CORRECT AS THE OAK CREEK.
OKAY, PETE, THANK YOU MAYOR THE OTHER DAY, COUNCILOR FUL.
AND I HEARD POTENTIALLY THAT THE OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLE FUND WAS NOT SWEPT IN THE BUDGET ACTION.
AND SO THE ENFORCEMENT DOLLARS THAT WERE IN THERE COULD STILL BE ALLOCATED.
AND IT'D BE INTERESTING TO CONFIRM WHETHER THAT'S A TRUE, UH, DEVELOPMENT OR NOT.
SO NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE THE STATE PARKS GRANT FOR BROKEN ARROW IN THE BUDGET, BUT DIDN'T WE ALSO HAVE SOME OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS FROM NACOG? YES.
DO WE KNOW WHETHER THEY WERE FUNDED OR NOT? UM, I ASKED KATHY THIS, UH, SHE DOES NOT BELIEVE, UM, THAT IT WAS FUNDED.
AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED OUR UPDATE FROM NACOG YET ON THE FINAL RESULTS OF ALL OF THE PROPOSALS THAT THEY PUT FORWARD ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE REGION.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S IN THERE AND WHAT'S NOT IN THERE.
[9.e. AB 3066 Discussion/possible action regarding future meeting/agenda items. ]
UH, NOW WE'RE ON AB 30 66.DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING FUTURE MEETING AGENDA ITEMS. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING? NO.
[11. ADJOURNMENT ]
OKAY.