In attendance: Kristie Borchers, Pam Wilson, Laurie Robison, Dan Ochocki, Joy Mathis, Mike Kane Jr., Marsha Porter-Norton, Bob Koenig, Ken Marshall, Nicole Smith, Harry Bruell, Ben Cordova, Dan Noonan, and Howard Rachlin.

I. Introductions and last month’s meeting summary approved.

I. Ambassador Update: There are 17 ambassadors committed to the program. Training will be held on December 13 from 5-8pm at the Public Lands Center. The ambassador committee decided on two levels of the “job.” Please see Marsha’s e-mail sent out 11/18/04 for details on this. Council members are invited to attend the training. For more information on the program, contact Marsha Porter Norton at porternorton@animas.net or 970-375-0753. Ambassadors represent three counties, so it is indeed a regional program. Ambassadors will receive a notebook, access to a resource library. There is potential mini-grant funding coming for events held in neighborhoods.

II. Grants and Funding
CSFS grant—Presentation Series: $4,000 for 50 community presentations. We can count presentations already accomplished (Kristie will do a list). Nicole will prepare a power point describing the council and will do the bulk of the presentations. The presentation may be used by ambassadors as well and we can count ambassador’s presentations to their subdivisions. If any council members have ideas for future groups to present to, please e-mail Kristie those ideas. It was recommended that the focus include Seniors Outdoors, city council, county commissioners, insurance agents, bankers, real estate, architects, HOAs, and landscapers – the decision-makers as well as property owners.
Homeland Security Grant: Harry will follow up on when we may be notified. (Update: January/February notification)
National Forest Foundation: May be a possible grant opportunity. The grant focus is to promote community networks. Kristie will look into if we can use SJMA as a fiscal agent, if not we do not want to go for it. Kristie will send out a draft to council members and Marsha will help write. (deadline 12/10/04)
LPEA Round-up grants: $1,000—may be another source of funding.

III. National Mitigation Conference Joy Mathis gave a wonderful presentation and excellent hand-outs on her experience at the National FireWise workshop. Please e-mail her if you’d like a copy (mathis@frontier.net). They will eventually be available on the SW Colorado fires website. (Joy – email the documents to Pam who can make sure its uploaded). Joy will continue to gather materials and information from the workshop, to be archived in the resource library. Joy will identify two potential presenters, maybe for invitation to participate in our fire month (get names to DanO). Several education/outreach projects seem fantastic.

IV. Fire Council Recognition for Subdivisions The committee looked at state and national requirements for how a community becomes firewise. Basically they felt that the state requirements were closer to what we were already doing. Kristie will talk with the state and see how the program is working. In the next several months, materials will be developed for our local area (to be approved by Council prior to fabrication). We will want to further identify incentives for subdivisions/HOA’s and how to recognize a variety of steps along the way. Information on this program will be shared with the ambassadors in February/March/maybe even during Fire Month (we didn’t want to pass anything on to ambassadors until Council has reviewed).

V. Durango Planning Commission Marsha asked about the difference between the city and county planning commissions, and has a friend (that is a planner) expressing interest in Fire Council. Dan Noonan will follow up.

VI. Proposed Code Dan Noonan gave a brief update on the proposed fire standards for La Plata County. Public meetings have been postponed. Dan will let the group know future developments. Dan thinks that maybe the first push will be for the new land use code, with this taking a back seat at the time.

VII. Miscellaneous
a) Fire Month – April 2005. Nicole Smith, new coordinator (formerly Marsha Porter Norton), asked for time at the next council meeting to brainstorm.
b) County Fire Plans – Marsha is in the process of updating the county fire plans, and will do a presentation at the next council meeting.
c) Marketing Plan for Fire Council. Proposal that council figure out a cohesive approach to media outreach for the ambassador program, the fire council recognition designation, fire month, etc. Dan Noonan offered Dave Abercrombie’s help, Pam, Kristie . . . anyone else? January-action-item.
d) Council Budget. Kristie will do a write-up with projects done over the past year, dollar amounts, for tracking purposes.
e) Officer Elections in December

NEXT MEETING
December 13, 2004 at the San Juan Public Lands Center (15 Burnett Court), 4:00 p.m.
Immediately before Ambassador Training

There will be no additional Fire Council meeting during the month of December.
NO THIRD TUESDAY MEETING.