January 2021 Board meeting minutes
Post date: Feb 04, 2021 9:16:11 PM
Attendance
Guests: Jill Schinn, Monica Delzeit, Don Johnson (LOFD)
Meeting called to order at 6:30 pm by the Chair, Sharon Gustafson via Zoom web conference platform
Introductions of attending board members to guests.
Approval of last meetings minutes:
Motion: K Wiens second: J Bolland
Vote: passed 11-0
Presentations
· Don Johnson, LOFD Chief. Status of LO Fire Dept. and Wildfire Response.
o Wildfires are a hazard that are here to stay and we should look at the needs to prepare in advance.
o LOFD is sending people to other wildfire events to both help out and gain experience from front line firefighting to administrative assistance.
o Advice is to follow the California wildfire preparation guidelines (www.readyforwildfire.org) in regard to preparing the home site, signing up to receive emergency alerts (https://www.clackamas.us/dm/publicalerts) and planning for an evacuation scenario.
o No homes in FAN or Forest Hills would be able to comply with the recommended home site prep of clearing a 30 foot perimeter of burnable items around the home and keeping over 100 feet away from the next home.
o LO has agreements for all agencies within Clackamas County, per the State mandated Fire Defense Board, and between counties throughout the State. The State then creates Compacts between Oregon and other States for assistance.
o Evacuation planning is more important needs to take into account:
§ Knowing where your destination will be.
§ Listening to the alerts and keeping track of the current situation as it evolves.
§ Not getting stuck in a traffic jam that is keeping you in danger while keeping firefighters from moving in people and equipment.
§ Assembling a “Go-Bag” consisting of at least your cell phone/charger, important papers, medications, credit cards, cash, ID, food and water, etc.
§ Keep the car fueled up when hearing there is an evacuation possibility.
§ Monitor air quality through www.airnow.gov
Board member Jeff Wiens, a retired fire battalion captain, advised that realistically if a large fire came out of Tryon Creek State Park in the same conditions as we saw last September, it would move much too fast for the LOFD and others to contain and people would need to quickly choose to either evacuate or shelter in place.
Many thanks to Chief Johnson for coming in to speak to us on this important topic.
Subcommittee Reports
· Tree Subcommittee – Sharon Gustafson
o 1199 Sunningdale Road application to remove two large firs and two maples was approved by the City. Motion made to approve an appeal of this decision on behalf of the FAN-FH neighborhood association. Motion made by K. Ockert and seconded by J. Bolland. Motion approved 8-0 (Haladay, Benoit and J. Wiens not present to vote).
o Cherry tree on A Ave. was designated a hazard tree and will be taken down.
o 2 maple trees at 696 Fifth Street were designated hazard trees and removed by the City.
· Treasurers Report- Dennis O’Neill Not present.
· Emergency Preparedness – David Rudawitz
o NEP grant received and purchases have begun.
o D Rudawitz and J Wiens spoke to M Haladay and confirmed using the Beacon’s lower parking lot to store a cache of emergency prep supplier and the upper deck for a command center location in case of an emergency.
o Sites for other two materials caches are being determined.
· Land Use- Carole Ockert
o Parking codes in the EC zone.
§ Currently planning staff says that current interpretation of code parking for projects in the EC zone allows on street spaces to meet code required minimums even if the spaces on the street are designated 15 min slots or maybe even no-parking
§ Carole brought this up to the DRC and the commission agreed that the current code needs a review and sent this to the Planning Commission for them to work on.
o NCC group update
§ Group met in December and will meet again every other month on the 3rd Saturday mornings, 9:30 am to 11:00 am, in-between months will be taken by the Mayor and Chairs meeting.
§ Approved the recommendations for revised Neighborhood Association By-laws and Guidelines documents.
§ Zoom funding request by NCC member Bob Irwin to City for reimbursement to NA’s using Zoom approved for up to $140 per year per NA.
§ Submitted the recommendations to revise and reform the Commission for Citizen Involvement (CCI) to the City for 2021 Council goal setting.
· S Gustafson to submit letter from FAN-FH in support of the changes (board had previously voted to support the recommendations).
o HB 2001 update
§ Process is kicking off in LO with a zoom meeting with neighborhood chairs on January 13th or 14th to decide on how to operate the Phase 1 neighbor interviews to collect input on “characteristics we value most” from our neighborhood which will begin on January 18th and end on January 29th.
§ Phase 2 will be the beginning of code update work to meet the minimum State requirements for the new law. The end date is July 2022 for the City to finish and get its new codes approved or be subject to the State “model code for large cities.” Requests to delay areas on inclusion because of infrastructure deficiencies must be submitted by June 2021.
Updates
· Kathleen Wiens. Gateway Arch Sculpture update.
o Tree removals for the sculpture will be submitted soon.
o Base and artwork installation this summer.
o Completion but this coming fall.
· Sharon Gustafson. Water Tower Park update.
o SG contacted Asst City Engineer regarding installing landscaping with nature plantings around the new 10 Street pump house and installing pavers and benches to the foot print of the water tower.
o She was referred to the project manager and is waiting to hear back from him on what the plans are for the area.
Pre-Apps
· Carole Ockert and Jim Bolland.
o Variance request for home re-model and expansion on Andrews Road.
o 4th Street condo project approved by City.
o Sunningdale lot split developer has requested a neighborhood meeting to present their plans. Awaiting more information about their plan and a date for the meeting.
o D Ave project (above Kaddy Carwash) plans were shown to the group. C Ockert and J Bolland are working with the group’s design and engineering team to provide feedback. The stated height of 41 feet with a flat roof may be an issue regarding how it is measured. Another pre-app meeting is anticipated.
New Business
· Achievements of the FAN-FH Neighborhood Association for 2020 included:
o R6 code update approved by Council to bring lot coverage into conformity with rest of the City.
o Sharon Gustafson, Kathleen Wiens, Suzanne Meckel and the Tree Committee saved numerous trees this last year!
o Proposed co-housing code, that was very badly written as pointed out by Carole Ockert, was tabled by Council.
o Parking code issues in the EC zone, in testimony by Carole Ockert to the Development Review Commission, is now to be reviewed by the Planning Commission.
o Successful work with the 4th Street condo project team with our pre-app team Carole Ockert and Jim Bolland.
o NEP grant for emergency prep submitted by David Rudawitz and Jeff Wiens, was approved and work has started.
o Board members Kathleen and Jeff Wiens were our liaison to the Arts committee and worked to enhance our neighborhood.
o Neighborhood Chairs Committee (NCC), a group of City-wide NA chairs or appointed board members was formed and is chaired by board member Carole Ockert.
o FAN was re-paved! And new berms installed!
o Co-secretary Karl Ockert successfully shifted our monthly board meetings to a Zoom platform.
The FAN-Forest Hills Neighborhood Association continues to be active, effective and responsive.
Meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm.
Respectively Submitted,
Karl Ockert
Co-secretary
Fan-Forest Hills Neighborhood Association