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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04Mayor Brian Blad City of Pocatello P. O. Box 4169 Pocatello, ID 83205-4169 • www.pocatello.us • (208) 234-6163 • mayor@pocatello.us Table of Contents: Spring is Here Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Your Input is Needed Again Fair Housing is the Law avor's Neu Spring is Here It's difficult to believe it's springtime again. Spring is one of my favorite times of year. The snow is gone, the grass is turning green and the temperatures are going from below zero to 60-70°. It's a great time go outside and play! One of the best things about living here is the outdoors. Many of us are already cheering for the athletes playing on the outdoor sports fields. I'm excited to start seeing more of you on the greenway, City Creek or Wellness Complex trails. Also, people will be fishing soon at Pocatello's two urban fish ponds. I'm also looking forward to the cookouts in my neighborhood. We get together to eat, play games and visit. I encourage all of you to do something with your neighbors. Get to know each other better. Knowing your neighbors helps keep our community safer, because you tend to look out for each other. Finally, spring also means a little work. We'll be out in our yards and neighborhoods cleaning up after the long winter. This reminds me that the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce's Annual Community -Wide Spring Cleanup is set for May 7. Community members are invited to Caldwell Park between 8:30 and 10 a.m. that morning for a pancake Reduce the Risk of Wildfire I just mentioned spring is here, but summer will be here before we know it. In advance of the summer months, the Pocatello Fire Department and National 1 Fire Protection Association asked me to encourage 1 residents living in the areas adjacent to the wildland urban 2 interface to take proactive steps to reduce the risk of wildfire. 2 • Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks. This reduces the risk of embers igniting your home. Keep your lawn hydrated and maintained. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire. If it is brown, cut it down to reduce fire intensity. Remove fuel within 3-5 feet of your home's foundation and out buildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don't let it touch your house, deck or porch. • Remove dead vegetation within a 30-100 foot area surrounding your home. • Prune the trees on your property so the lowest branches are 6-10 feet high. Once wildfire reaches the trees, it can spread from top to top. • Dispose of debris and lawn cuttings quickly to reduce fuel for fire. • Choose slow-growing, carefully placed shrubs breakfast hosted by the Pocatello Chiefs. Afterwards, teams or individuals will head out to pick up litter at various locations throughout the community, and the City will make sure all the volunteers have garbage bags. To sign up in advance for a specific area to clean or for more information, call the Chamber of Commerce at 233.1525. You can also get an assignment that morning. Have a great spring! In addition to working, take some time to get out and play. Thank you for all you do for our community and for your neighbors. As always, I'm proud to be your Mayor! and trees when planting, so the area can be more easily maintained. • Landscape with native and less -flammable plants. • Obey outdoor burning bans and regulations. Unsafe burning of leaves, brush, household trash and other debris is a main cause of wildfires. If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Division at 234.7083. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable summer! Your input is Needed Again Help us prioritize improvement projects for the Portneuf River within our valley. What action should we take during the next 5 years? What should be a priority over the next 30 years? Comment online at httyUriver pocatello.us or at upcoming community events. Last winter over 700 residents gave input on a vision for the Portneuf River from the Portneuf Gap/Fort Hall Mine Road to the Fort Hall Reservation/Siphon Road. We learned that community members care deeply about the river. Most community members voiced that they'd like to see a more natural looking river and that water quality and ecosystem health were their #1 priority. Recreation and access to the river was second, while other concerns included flooding, safety, planning and development, water flow during the summer and private property. Over 600 community members took a survey where they rated river revitalization projects on Fair Housing is the Law This month Pocatello, along with other Idaho communities, will celebrate Fair Housing Month. It's important to remember, though, that Fair Housing is a federal law that should be acknowledged and followed every month of the year. The Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, was signed into law April 11, 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, who called it "...the first effective federal law against discrimination in the sale and rental of housing in the United States of America." It wasn't until the Fair Housing Act, which covers race, color, other channelized rivers across the U.S. You can see the results of this survey at http://river pocatello.us. Please take a few minutes and give us your input about what should be priority projects for the Portneuf River. Check out our recommendations and goals and list of potential projects. What is missing? What should be done first? For more information, call Hannah Sanger at 234.6518. national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability, was signed that housing discrimination became unlawful. The Act covers most kinds of housing transactions, including rental, homeownership, mortgage and home improvement loan qualifications, housing advertising, accommodations and land use laws. Today about 48% of housing complaints investigated involve people with disabilities, 34% involve race and 15% involve familial status. ordinance and the precepts of the Fair Housing Act. Housing choice is an important factor in how satisfied citizens are with their community. As a recipient of federal funding for housing and community development, the City works to provide education to citizens and stakeholders regarding the Fair Housing Act. The City promotes equal treatment of all our citizens through our non-discrimination If you feel you have been discriminated against in housing matters, we can direct you to an enforcement agency. We can also place you on our mailing list for upcoming Fair Housing training seminars. Contact Cass Fonnesbeck at 234.6188 for more information. If there is a topic you'd like me to address in future newsletters or all or u wantmyto cnumber and addressomment or ask a eare listedtontthewn tear off this part and send your comment to me. If you wish to front page. While I cannot respond to all comments individually, I do pass them on to the appropriate departments. v19,n4 My question/comment is Telephon Name Address