Council members discussed arranging an on-site tour of the city's watershed and urged the ordinance and public-works committees to review local codes for vegetation, weed abatement and fire mitigation after multiple councilors raised safety and insurance concerns.

Why it matters: Councilors said the watershed and the pipeline and storage-tank corridor are critical pieces of city infrastructure, and they argued that seeing conditions on-site would improve understanding and help target grant applications for wildfire mitigation and possible hydropower studies. Several councilors and staff noted that unchecked roadside fuels near critical corridors could impede emergency access and have already contributed to residents losing fire insurance.

Tour and hydropower discussion: Councilors described prior conversations with the local public utility district about potential small hydroelectric generation on the pipeline and said better day-to-day flow data would be needed to assess feasibility. Participants suggested including public-works staff, the PUD contact, and emergency-management drone footage to document sites for future grant applications.

Vegetation and ordinance concerns: Multiple council members pressed staff to gather and deliver existing ordinances related to weeds and fire hazards (one councilor noted a current code that defines allowable lawn height as six inches). The council agreed that the ordinance committee should start by reviewing the city's written code and that public works and code enforcement should help identify high-priority corridors (examples cited included Mill Street and a curve near Northwest Second/Washington). Councilors said staff should flag critical transportation corridors where fuels pose immediate emergency-access risks and recommend whether the city should assume maintenance responsibility in specific areas.

Fire-safety context: Fire Chief Noah Hall reported limited July 4th incidents and briefed the council on a recent dumpster fire and on in-service equipment replacement: the fire district received a surplus 2002 M109 Humvee through DNR and planned to convert it to a brush apparatus to replace a 1967 Jeep. Chief Hall and councilors noted wildfire season variability and emphasized timing for any vegetation work; one councilor warned that cutting or clearing must be scheduled during an appropriate season to avoid increased risk.

Next steps and staff direction: Council asked staff to compile the relevant ordinances and provide hyperlinked references to make review efficient. They asked the ordinance committee to vet code language and consider options — including stepped enforcement, targeted city maintenance for critical corridors, or cost-sharing with property owners — and to return recommendations to the full council. The council also supported organizing a watershed tour with appropriate land-access permission and public-works support.

Ending: Councilors emphasized the need to move from conversation to documented options: gather the ordinances, identify priority corridors, and develop a clear enforcement or maintenance plan to reduce wildfire risk and protect emergency access.