Safety and Health Committee - Regular Meeting

Okay. So we do have some public hearing items to the county attorney's office. Would it be proper to open up a reasonable opportunity to be heard?

So reasonable opportunity to be heard is now open. I don't have any cards. Do we have any cards going once? Would anybody like to be heard going twice, three times to the county attorney's office? Can we close a reasonable opportunity to be heard? And can I get a motion to set the agenda? It's been moved, it's been seconded. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. And to my colleagues, would anybody like to bifurcate any items? No? No bifurcations? Okay. Okay, so can I get a motion to move the entire agenda? Mr. Chair. Except for the public hearing item? So moved by Commissioner Lopez, second

That was very fast. Great job. So this is a public hearing item. Would anybody like to be recognized on this public hearing item? Is anybody from the public present to speak? Mr. Book, I see you approaching.

Thank you, Mr. Book. And before I recognize my colleagues, so I can get the chief to come down and can you just give us an overview of what specifically some of these requirements are and why it's necessary?

The fire ordinance. So we have a state statute that are really already dictates what the requirements are specifically for record keeping. Why? Why would we need to put something like this forward if you can give us your expert opinion?

Thank you, Chief. And to my colleagues, does anybody have any questions? Commissioner Bastian, you're recognized.

um thank you mr chair um and then thank you for bringing uh this item mr chair um i'd like to start by thanking uh chief jadalla because um recently is he here oh hi chief and his team because recently i had a fire in a junkyard in my in my district and then i'm very uh thankful for the great support that chief jadalla and his team provided to my staff and also to all the residents in District 2. Thank you for your efforts and also specifically thank you to all the coordinated efforts to make sure that the residents were able to go back home promptly and in a very disciplined manner. So I real

It's good to hear that you will actually make home visits to make sure. Absolutely. Yeah, thank you so much. Next, I want to discuss the proposal to grant the fire chief authority to disconnect services to any building found in violation. While the proposal includes notice requirements, I'm concerned about how quickly these notices will be given, right? Because again, we want to be proactive. We really want people to have the information. We want them to do what they're supposed to do. So in this proposed change reflected in, is this proposed change reflected in the fire prevention code?

And then can you give us a couple of examples of what would consider imminent danger that would require such action?

What do you mean overcrowding? I mean, if there is an event, for example, and then you would be there, the space would exceed? The capacity, correct.

And then in terms of advance notice, how would you notify them? How would you communicate the need for that action?

Yeah, so with compliance issues, I understand that you will have a way to communicate and make sure you give them advance notice to correct it before.

Yeah. So I recommend, like I do support the item, but I recommend that we set some parameters to businesses, right? So they clearly understand when disorder can be authorized and what they're supposed to do. And then they need to have a clear understanding of the consequences, right? And then we also need to ensure that, my recommendation is that we need to ensure that a condition poses an immediate threat to life or people's at the risk of serious bodily harm that is you if utilities can remain connected with a clear definition of imminent danger it has to be clearly clearly clearly stated so

I'd love to hear my colleagues on this recommendation to see what they think. Thank you so much.

Absolutely. Thank you, Commissioner Bastien. And would anybody else like to be recognized? Commissioner Hardiman, you're recognized.

Thank you. I just have a few questions regarding the fireworks section of this change. Currently. Who is actually regulating what fireworks are being sold in our communities that are what I would describe as illegal? They some some fireworks. I mean, obviously there's a definition you talk about sparklers. That's something that can be held in your hand. It's very small versus something that actually shoots into the sky makes loud bangs. We have some fireworks that go off. In our neighborhoods, I mean, I grew up hearing them all the time. And you inherently know that something is wrong about th

Do you ensure that, for instance, if there is a pop-up place that sells fireworks and other sparklers, do you proactively go to each of those places to ensure that they have the proper permits and they're selling the fact that they claim? Yes.

And so for residents who are living in neighborhoods where They hear fireworks that seem to be illegal or see people using them in their neighborhood because it's a multi-tiered sort of issue. The first is that you're obviously detonating certain things that are very loud. They set off car alarms. They scare pets. They scare children. Some of them shoot in different directions, which can cause fires because they're near adjacent homes or trees and things of that nature. And then also, most of them, people who choose to do that kind of thing, they leave the remnants of it in the public streets.

Do you need supplementation, Commissioner Hardiman?

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Book. Thank you, Fire Marshal. And Commissioner Hartman, does that answer suffice? Would anybody else like to be recognized? And so I do want to touch on what commissioner bastion brought up because I think I think she makes a tremendous point and I think the point that you were trying to make correct me if I'm wrong commissioner was you'd like to see a definition of what the imminent imminent harm imminent danger is so I think to the to the administration is there Is there a way to define what imminent danger would be in this very scenario? I think the commissioner's

Yeah, before you respond, let me, so I recommended that we set some parameters to ensure the community clearly understands when disorder can be authorized. We should ensure that the condition poses an immediate threat to life or risk of serious bodily harm if utility remains connected with a clear definition of imminent danger. You correct, Mr. Chair? Second, that a written determination is documented. And number three, an emergency appeals pathway is available. These are the recommendations.

Thank you, Chief. And so what I would say is I'm going to go ahead and move the item along, but I would ask the administration please work directly with Commissioner Bastien's office to see how we can get to either a definition or clarification. We can do that. So with that, can I get a motion to move the item? Moved, it's been seconded. All in favor signify by saying aye.

Public hearing has now been closed, absolutely. Clerk, call the roll.

Motion passes unanimously. Thank you so much. And I think with that, do we have any more items? Thank you. So we are adjourned. Thank you.