Fire district urges action on slash pile; parks staff describe interim hauling and ash-dumping steps

Dave Mowery of the Castle Mountain Fire Protection District told trustees he was checking on progress with the slash-pile closure and urged clearer communication and cooperative mitigation between the city and county. "I was with some of the city firefighters today on some training, and they are actually working on trying to see... whether or not the city can look at mulching and hauling it away," Mowery said.

Parks staff responded that the slash pile is on city property and the city is responsible for long-term mitigation. Director Michael described interim operational steps the Parks crew is taking: collecting slash, hauling it to the landfill, and using a recessed dumpster near the shop to hold ashes that are water-treated and then loaded out by backhoe. He noted the county, as a non-resident entity, typically pays landfill charges when hauling material there.

Trustees noted the mountain is dry and asked that agencies coordinate proactively to avoid fire risk. The meeting record shows the county is taking short-term steps to remove and better manage slash but that responsibility for a long-term solution rests with the city; the transcript does not include a timetable or funding commitments from city officials.

Next steps: Parks staff said they will continue hauling slash and coordinate with the fire district; the board did not record any formal directive to the city in open session.