Council reviews wildfire bills and seeks volunteers for Firewise Day

Council Member Catherine Harris updated the council on two pieces of state legislation affecting wildfire risk and local building standards. Harris said House Bill 48 designates high-risk areas and includes a temporary fee structure while owners undertake mitigation, and that many canyon properties are mapped into high-risk zones. "Almost all of us are in the designated high risk areas," Harris said, noting the bill could impose a fee for three years unless mitigation reduces assessed risk.

Harris also described House Bill 41, which would mandate updating the applicable Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code from a 2006 baseline toward a more recent model code. She said HB41 primarily affects new construction and significant remodeling: "It will not affect any current homes. However, if you make improvements on your homes or remodel or rebuild, you would be impacted." Harris said she supports the updates given current wildfire threats and expects the bill to pass.

Harris said Unified Fire Authority (UFA) Chief Widdison offered to hold a town hall or educational session after the legislative session to explain the practical implications for individual properties and defensible-space actions. Separately, Harris said the volunteer who ran Firewise Day moved away and the community needs volunteers to continue that event; the council agreed to solicit volunteers and schedule chipping and remediation activities required for Firewise-community status.

Why it matters: State legislation and code updates could impose fees and new construction standards that affect homeowner costs and permitting. Education and community remediation are central to compliance and risk reduction.

Next steps: UFA will be asked to present an informational session after the legislative session; the council will use a pre-meeting to organize Firewise Day volunteers and issue a community notice requesting assistance.