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WALLA WALLA CITY COUNCIL Work Session Minutes May 27, 2025

CALL TO ORDER

Present:	Councilmember Brian Casey; Councilmember Rick Eskil; Councilmember/Mayor Pro Tempore Steve Moss; Councilmember Gustavo Reyna; Councilmember Jeffrey Robinson; Councilmember Monte A. Willis
Absent:	Mayor Tom Scribner
City Staff in attendance:	City Manager Elizabeth Chamberlain; Deputy City Manager Preston Frederickson; City Attorney Tim Donaldson; Library Director Heather VanTassell; Public Works Director Ki Bealey; Fire Chief Eric Wood; City Clerk Lisa Neissl
Attendees:	Rebecca Zanata & Amy Watkins, Johnny Collin & Joseph Sciarrino

Mayor Pro-Tem Moss called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

ACTIVE AGENDA

Library Capital Campaign Update

Amy Watkins and Rebecca Zanata provided an update on the status of the Library Capital Campaign and City Manager Chamberlain introduced a library naming policy and spoke about how it may be able to assist in the fundraising effort.
There was discussion on:

An offer from a donor to match two to one any donations from City Leadership up to $25,000.
The timing of pledge / donation requirements.
Paramiters around the policy and general principals of the program.
How the policy would be implemented.

United States Forest Service (USFS) presentation on the Tiger-Mill fire fuel reduction project (informational only)

Staff and representatives from the US Forest Service provided information about the Tiger-Mill Fire Fuel Reduction Project.
There was discussion on:

Monitoring of water quality and impact on habitat.
Specialists, such as a biologist, who will be onsite.
Riparian buffers from water sources vary based upon the terrain.
Implementation of the plan - public outreach - the available story map.
Notifications on prescribed fire.
Letters of concern received by the city.
The process is through the Code of Federal Regulations.
- There was a period to file objections which expired in November of 2024 and the city did not file any objection.
- Only people who filed an objection are authorized to file an appeal.
The acres analysed for prescribed fire.
Length of time this project has been in the planning process.
351 acres in the watershed are scheduled for commercial thinning.
The difference between current practice of suppression and proposed practice of thinning and prescribed burning.
There is no road building included in the plan.
Reduction of fuel loads through removal of dead and down fuels with some left for habitat uses.
The potential effect of extreme fire on the watershed if this fuel reduction is not done as opposed to a moderate severity fire which is good for the watershed.
Things that are considered when doing a prescribed fire.
Planned timeline for the work to begin being out one to two years and is funding dependent.
The initial focus will be southwest of the watershed.
Liability if things go wrong and there is large scale damage.
Protection of water quality and quantity.
An environmental assessment, the process in coming to a decision and adjustments.
Continuous monitoring of the project and commercial thinning work.
There is no decision for the city council to make until there is actual work on city-owned property.
Reassurance to the public that the project is being monitored.
Types of logging and that no trees over 21" in diamiter to be harvested.
This will leave older fire resistant trees and there will be no clearcutting in the watershed.

MEETING ENDS

There being no further business, the meeting ended at 6:09 p.m.

Approved:

___________________ Mayor	Attest:
	___________________ City Clerk