Fire district presses for action on slash pile; staff says pile is city property and lease talks are ongoing

A representative of the Cash Mountain Fire Protection District urged trustees for information and coordination on the closed slash pile and mitigation options, citing concerns about fire risk and disposal.

"Basically came in to see how things were going on the park side with the new slash pile closure," said Dave Mauy, who identified himself with the fire district. He asked for updates and feedback on mitigation and disposal plans.

Parks staff (Ashley) responded that the slash pile sits on city property and that county staff are working on a draft lease with the city. "It is on the city's property and they are going to ... kind of try to maintain that," Ashley said, adding that the county is cooperating with the city but the site remains under city responsibility. Staff also reported ongoing coordination with city firefighters to explore specialized equipment or mulching and hauling options.

Operationally, park staff described interim measures: drying ash and slash are being collected and placed into a recessed dumpster on county property, then loaded and transported to the landfill (county operations are charged landfill fees because staff are not residents). Staff said they water ash before transport and use a backhoe and dump trailer for removal.

Trustee comments stressed the need for proactive coordination. "If and when something bad happens, people are going to be looking to point fingers," Trustee Justin said, urging the county and city to work together before an incident occurs. Staff reiterated they will continue lease negotiations and coordinate with the city and fire officials on mitigation.

What happens next: staff will continue lease discussions with the city, coordinate with local fire authorities on mitigation options and hauling, and report back as plans develop.