Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildfire Preparedness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan; members cite insurance and risk-rating concerns
Summary
Bryce Canyon City Council adopted updates to the city's Community Wildfire Protection Plan, revising membership and contact information and updating the estimated value of risk to $25,500,000 (as of 2024). Council members discussed how the area's wildfire risk rating is affecting local insurance availability and premiums.
The Bryce Canyon City Council voted to adopt revisions to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), updating committee membership, agency contact information, school contacts, commercial contacts and adding the city's ISO rating. The updated plan includes a revised estimated value of risk for the community of $25,500,000 (as of 2024).
During discussion, council members and staff described local insurance-market impacts connected to wildfire-risk ratings. A presenter said a longtime insurer had declined to renew coverage and that another carrier (identified through the city's agent) is now insuring properties. Council members said some local businesses are experiencing difficulty obtaining insurance or facing higher premiums because of the area's risk profile as derived from satellite-based assessments.
Council discussion touched on mitigation strategies including pursuing Firewise recognition and outreach to federal representatives. One councilmember offered to share a contact provided by a federal outreach advisor who had expressed interest in the community's insurance issues.
The motion to adopt the CWPP updates passed by voice vote. Staff was directed to finalize the revised CWPP text, obtain signatures from approximately 20 local and federal partners, and submit the updated plan to the appropriate agencies.
Ending: The council approved the CWPP updates and assigned staff to complete the signature-gathering and submission steps; members emphasized follow-up with insurance and federal outreach contacts to address coverage concerns.
