First reading of telecommunications ordinance also on business meeting agenda
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
Ashland Fire & Rescue Wildfire Division Chief Chris Chambers will present a contract that if approved by City Council on Tuesday will kickstart a helicopter logging project in the Ashland watershed.
The project would remove dead and dying Douglas firs to keep recreational areas safe from dead falling trees and protect Ashland from wildfire risk. The final bid results for the contract with Timberline Logging Enterprises was due March 15. Those numbers will be presented during a council study session presentation Monday. A suggested resolution allowing up to $1.4 million for the contract was included in the Tuesday agenda item from Chambers.
The cost is expected to be outside the current budget for wildfire and forest management. City finance staff have already located some additional funds for the project and nonprofit Lomakatsi has pledged $100,000 in federal funding and in-kind labor for replanting and restoration work after project completion. The logged trees will also be sold to offset project costs.
“This work is extremely time-sensitive to address escalating fire danger before summer fire season and to recoup by-product wood value that will be lost if work isn’t completed this spring,” Chambers wrote in the staff report.
City Council will also review the first reading of the telecommunications ordinance updates for small wireless facilities.
In other council business Tuesday, council will vote on updates to the city fire code, ordinances to formally create a Human Resources and Recorder department and, under the consent agenda, a budget update for Ashland Parks & Recreation to announce unexpected revenue during the current budget biennium. An agenda item for the creation of an ad hoc master plan committee for the future of the 2200 Ashland St. property was listed under other business.
The meeting is set to start at 6 p.m. in the Ashland City Council chamber, 1175 East Main St. The meeting can be attended in person or watched remotely through Channel 9 or Channels 180 and 181 (Charter Communications) or live streamed via rvtv.sou.edu select RVTV Prime. Public testimony will be accepted for the meeting and can be delivered either via Zoom, in person, or as written comment. To sign up for public comment, fill out the public testimony form.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].
