Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildfire Mitigation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
After new state law, Pueblo West fire chief urges outreach and pilots before full enforcement of fuels mitigation rules
Summary
Fire Chief Caserta said the new House bill on vegetative fuels mitigation will not take full effect until August; the district has nearly 40 outstanding complaints and intends to begin outreach, community‑help pilots and internal practice on district properties before formal enforcement begins.
PUEBLO WEST, Colo. — Pueblo West Fire Chief Brian Caserta updated the board Friday on the district’s vegetative fuels mitigation work after the governor signed a new House bill. Caserta said the law’s enforcement provisions do not take effect until roughly 90 days after signing, so full enforcement will begin in August, and the district currently has nearly 40 open complaints to evaluate.
Caserta told directors he wants to use the interim period to practice the program on district‑owned properties and to align the district’s Title 6A bylaws and internal processes with the law’s requirements. He and other staff stressed that staff will perform outreach and due‑process inspections and will try to work with property owners before assessing fines, because the district’s statutory enforcement authority and the bill’s fine provisions will not be operational until the effective date.
Directors and staff discussed community assistance for residents who cannot perform mitigation work due to age, disability or financial constraints. Caserta and other staff said grant programs exist and that fine revenue — once collected under the law — must be reinvested into mitigation work to help those unable to complete required clearance. Board members suggested creating a vetted volunteer or nonprofit program (Pueblo West Cares) to coordinate assistance and using program funds for high‑priority cases, while staff noted legal limits on using general tax revenues to mow private lawns.
Chief Caserta said the district will prioritize outreach, provide resource lists, and consider a pilot program to help qualifying residents; staff cautioned that this is a new program and logistics (waivers, liability, volunteer vetting, and grant eligibility) will need detailed policies before executing large‑scale assistance.
Ending: Staff will use the pre‑August window to test processes on district properties, assemble resources for residents, and return with a recommended program design and legal constraints before full enforcement begins.
