KERN RIVER VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

General Meeting
June 15, 2006
 
Board of Directors/General Meeting
 
President Ed Royce convened the meeting at 8:30 A>M.
 
Those present: Ed Royce, Jim Davis, Gordon and Christine Hancock, Sally Peterson, Margaret Belz, Bob Robinson, Lloyd Smith and Robin Wyatt-Little.
 
Introductions were made.
 
Minutes: Motion to approve by Jim Davis. Sally Peterson, 2nd. Unanimous approval.
 
Treasurer’s Report: Ed Royce reports a FSC operating account balance of $790.48.
Frazier Park BLM grant balance is $29,500; Hungry Gulch BLM grant balance is
$45,000; Kennedy Meadows BLM grant balance is $20,925. Motion to accept by
Robin Wyatt-Little. Lloyd Smith, 2nd. Unanimous approval.
 
Robin reiterated the need to find a replacement for Sharon (our treasurer.) Christine Hancock said she would volunteer to take over as Treasurer. Sharon will train Chris regarding Quick Books etc. Thank you Christine!
 
Grant(s) Report: No reports other than Kennedy Meadows CWPP update by Ed Royce. Ken Delfino, contractor for the CWPP grant, spoke to the Kennedy Meadows annual meeting. Ken outlined the goals of the project. Three hundred letters explaining the project had been sent to the property owners prior to this meeting with only three individuals objecting to anyone entering their property.
 
Property Owners Associations:
 
Alta Sierra: Margaret Belz reports the chipper day project is scheduled for June 16, 2006. There is a lot of downed material by the roadsides in Alta Sierra.
 
Frontier Trail Homeowners: Robin reports that Bill Dierck will be attending the Board of Directors meeting this Saturday and will speak to wildfire safety issues.
 
Bodfish/Lake Isabella: Gordon Hancock reports that the POA is working on getting specific parcels cleaned up which present fire safety issues.
 
Kennedy Meadows: Ed Royce reports that 80 residents attended the Memorial Day BBQ and presentation by Ken Delfino. They also cleaned the Kennedy Meadows Road. The Forest Service, BLM and CDF were in attendance also. The POA is planning a hazardous waste pick-up day in the near future.
 
Isabella Highlands: Jim Davis reports that the June 10th chipper day event was very successful with 12 properties participating.  Jim mentioned that some of the property owners had received letters from KCFD regarding weed abatement and those folks were scurrying to get their downed materials to the roadside for the chipper crew. The POA fed the crew rib eye steaks for lunch. It was agreed this will be a hard act to follow for other POA’s hosting a chipper day.
 
Jim said that their road sign project was complete with 22 standardized signs in place at a cost of $4000. The cost was shared through donations. This POA donated $100.00 to the KRV FSC. A thank you will be sent by Robin.
 
Robin sent a thank you to the Squirrel Valley POA for their $300.00 donation.
 
Chipper Projects: Margaret Belz reports there is one more chipper project scheduled for June 24th. Sally Peterson suggested an appreciation letter from the FSC be sent to Supervisor McQuiston for the KC Board of Supervisors support of the KCFD Chipper Crews, citing the great success of this wildfire safety program for the Kern Valley communities. Robin will prepare this letter.
 
Discussion followed regarding changes for chipper day requirements i.e. the required number of properties to participate which would provide a day’s worth of chipping. Margaret will talk with Captain Lange and get the latest guidelines. She will talk with Margie Clack regarding an info-article about chipper days, citing this season’s chipper day data.   Thanks were expressed to Margaret for her willingness to take on the chipper day coordinating.
 
Fundraising: Jim Davis has been in touch with Kern County Foundation regarding our FSC participation and eligibility for grant possibilities. Jim submitted a short informational paragraph to be published in the Foundation’s next CONNECTIONS newsletter.
 
Jim asked for FSC approval to proceed with an application to the Weingard Fund through the KC Foundation. Approval was unanimous. Jim will proceed.
 
General discussion followed regarding specifics of the fundraising plan. Jim will work on establishing a budget committee to work with the fundraising effort. Lloyd Smith stressed the importance of having budget data in place prior to actual fundraising. It was agreed that “sustaining” supporters is a priority in this effort.
 
Projects: Jim Davis reports that with FSC and Forest Service approval, he will write a proposal for SCE regarding potential funding for the twelve roadside sign project panels. Lloyd Smith made the motion for this proposal. Sally Peterson, 2nd. Unanimous approval.
 
Ed Royce mentions the need to secure volunteers who will adopt one of the signs and maintain it i.e. weed eating around the sign and changing the panels per seasons. Jim Davis volunteered to adopt one of the three signs.
 
Discussion followed regarding specific messages for the signs. Ed Royce asked for  agency professionals (FS, BLM and KCFD) to provide the council with examples of similar signs and graphics that they might have in their files. He also asked other FSC members to submit ideas that speak to seasonal fire safe messages.  Ed asks that these ideas and examples be presented at the July meeting.
 
It was agreed that the FSC needs to revisit the arson education issue. This will be an agenda item for July’s meeting.
 
Board of Directors for the current terms was nominated by Ed Royce, President: Lloyd Smith, Sally Peterson, Chris Hancock, Emily Diggles and Delores Walmer.
Motion to approve by Jim Davis. Margaret Belz, 2nd. Unanimous approval.
 
Ed asked who would represent the FSC at the KRVR meetings (1st Wednesday of every month) and if Emily attends, perhaps she would be the representative. Jim Davis will be the back-up person. Emily will be contacted regarding this. The July 5th KRVR meeting will be a FSC presentation so Robin will be the representative.
 
Robin asked if the FSC should belong to the Valley Chambers of Commerce (2.) Margaret Belz will research the cost involved etc. and report back.
 
Ed Royce adjourned the meeting at 10:45 A.M.

Respectfully submitted by: Robin Wyatt-Little, Secretary