The Wasatch Back chapter of the nonpartisan Citizens’ Climate Lobby hosted the event at the Park City Library Tuesday evening.
Questions spanned local and global sustainability issues. And with the Yellow Lake fire’s haze hanging outside, blaze preparedness and mitigation was top of mind for many.
Some audience members wrote in questions about their home insurance in Summit County. Some areas find it difficult to qualify for a policy at all because of wildfire risk.
Summit County Council seat A candidate and incumbent Democrat Roger Armstrong responded that it’s a difficult issue because many people build homes in the “wildland-urban interface,” where forests abut population centers.
“That's where that risk rises, and insurance companies look at that and then price accordingly. They can't afford to pay the cost claims as they come in,” Armstrong said. “It's going to eliminate insurance, so the best we can do is help educate the public. Help provide tools.”
He reminded the audience about the Park City Fire District’s chipping program for residents. Eastern Summit County previously had a similar program.
Seat C candidate and nonprofit housing advocate Megan McKenna agrees the council can’t mitigate everything on its own.
“Roger is right. I don't think we have this problem solved,” she said. “I don't think we have all the answers, but what I can bring to council is my perspective as a working person in this community.”
She said that keeps her in touch with the impact of rising insurance costs on the average resident’s wallet.
Her opponent for seat C, Park City Performing Arts board member Ari Ioannides, sits on the North Summit Fire Service District board as does Armstrong. Ioannides mentioned those boards can help better equip their firefighters.
“Their first job is to save lives, and most of the calls they get are around health. The next job is to save structures,” he said. “We need to give them the ability to save those structures, because once they meet certain standards—they're called ISO ratings—magically, that changes your insurance price.”
After a recent 300% tax increase, the newly professionalized North Summit Fire improved its ISO rating from 6/6X to 5/5X this year. That reflects a decrease in response times and improved equipment.
The South Summit Fire Protection District, a nearly all-volunteer force, remains at 6/6X.
Morgan County Fire District is 5/5X, Wasatch County Fire District is 4/4X and Park City Fire District is 3/3X. The Salt Lake City Fire Department boasts an ISO rating of 1.
Seat A candidate, Hoystville Republican and former power company lineman Tory Welch, points out that fire preparedness financially impacts more than just taxes.
“One of the reasons that your Rocky Mountain Power bills may increase by about 18% this year is because of the fact that they have to deal with these fire mitigation issues, or face being fined billions and billions of dollars,” he said.
And he’s all for wildfire mitigation and forest management techniques like thinning and chipping potential fuel.
The three statewide candidates also commented on fire risk. Incumbent Republican Mike Kohler, who represents Summit and Wasatch counties in District 59 of the Utah House of Representatives, said forest management should include grazing.
His opponent, Democrat Julie Monahan, admited she isn’t the expert in fire risk and insurance but emphasizes that policy decisions must have good data backing them up.
Democrat Kris Campbell running for Utah House District 4, representing parts of Summit County, echoed the importance of smart forest management. His opponent, incumbent Republican Kera Birkeland, was unable to attend because she was at a climate conference in Germany.
All candidates took it as given Tuesday night that the environment is worth caring for. Their differing ideas didn’t clash so much as reflect a buffet of environmental policy options.
At the time of the forum, the Yellow Lake Fire was approaching 20,000 acres in eastern Wasatch County, and was about 20% contained.
