Sandy council narrows outdoor-burning rules, directs staff to develop chipper program

Councilors and staff spent the work session—s opening segment reviewing proposed changes to the city—s outdoor-burning regulations and asked staff to return a revised ordinance with implementation details. Staff proposed incorporating Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Clackamas Fire District language into the municipal code, to clarify what kinds of material and pile sizes are allowed and to give local code enforcement a citation tool in addition to relying on DEQ enforcement.

Why it matters: The changes are aimed at reducing smoke, ash and fire risk that neighbors have complained about, while preserving a path for agricultural burning and limited backyard fires. Councilors emphasized both public-health concerns (smoke inversion and asthma) and the practical problem that the city—s existing chipper program has frequent mechanical and insurance problems that limit alternatives to burning.

Most important actions and proposals

- Minimum lot size: Staff—s draft updates include a 1-acre minimum for backyard burning. That change was discussed repeatedly and commissioners signaled support for keeping the one-acre threshold while refining other limits. - Pile-size and height: Council discussion settled on different maximums for agricultural versus backyard burns. Council members asked staff to pursue language changing the agricultural maximum from 10-foot diameter by 3-foot height to 10-foot diameter by 6-foot height, and the backyard limit from the existing 10-foot by 3-foot measure to a smaller 7-foot by 5-foot pile (the ordinance language and final numeric framing will be brought back as part of the revision). - Setbacks: The draft ordinance already contains different setback distances by lot type; participants noted the agricultural setback in the current draft is 200 feet from property lines and that the one-acre (residential) setback in the draft is 50 feet. Councilors asked staff and the fire marshal—s office to verify appropriate setbacks and add slope and overhead-transmission-line limits. - Enforcement: The draft ordinance defines burning violations as a Class A municipal infraction (a $1,000 citation in city code). Staff said enforcement practice would continue to prioritize education and warnings before issuing citations except for egregious violations. Councilors discussed coordinating dispatch protocols so that code enforcement and police are notified in addition to the fire district when residents call 911 about an illegal burn. - Chipper program options: Staff told council the city chipper has been in frequent use (at peak about once per week) but has maintenance and insurance limits. Several options were discussed: rotating quarterly neighborhood chipping events (city-run "chipper to you" days), a central depot/drop-off location, door-to-door pickup on scheduled days using city crews, or partnering with nonprofit contractors for pickup assistance. Staff were asked to develop a costed, safety- and insurance-compliant chipper program proposal and to return options for council review.

Discussion versus decisions

- Discussion: Council and staff debated lot-size thresholds, pile dimensions, hours of burn (the draft references end times before sunset), slope restrictions, proximity to power lines, and dispatch protocols. Several councilors emphasized public-health concerns when smoke settles into neighborhoods and asked for clearer prohibitions on burning household trash and prohibited materials (carpet, rubber, plastics) consistent with DEQ rules. - Direction to staff: Council directed staff to refine the ordinance text (incorporating DEQ and Clackamas Fire language), confirm setbacks and slope/power-line restrictions with the fire marshal, and return the revised ordinance for formal adoption at a subsequent meeting. Council also directed staff to prepare detailed options and cost estimates for a chipper/yard-debris program that addresses maintenance and insurance issues and includes interim pickup solutions for residents who cannot transport large limbs. - No final vote on ordinance: The work session did not adopt the ordinance; staff will bring the updated language back for formal action in the next one to two council meetings.

Local context and numbers

- Staff reported there are 308 parcels inside city limits that are one acre or larger; those parcels will be most directly affected if backyard burning is restricted to parcels one acre or greater. - Chipper usage: staff estimated the chipper was checked out roughly 52 times per year at peak usage, with roughly 20—230 repeat users; staff also reported recurring mechanical failures and insurance concerns that prompted exploring an alternative program structure.

Next steps and implementation notes

Staff will: - Finalize ordinance edits (pile sizes, setbacks, slope and transmission-line limits, clarifications on prohibited materials and DEQ references) and circulate those edits to the council and to the Clackamas Fire marshal for confirmation; - Draft dispatch/response protocols for coordination between CCOM (dispatch), the fire district, Sandy police and the city—s code-enforcement staff; and - Produce a costed chipper/yard-debris program proposal that addresses insurance, maintenance and staffing, plus interim options (city pickup, partner nonprofit assistance) for one-off storm-related cleanup events.

The council asked staff to return the revised ordinance for adoption in the next one to two regular meetings and to include public-notice materials so affected property owners understand the changes.