Weekly Update, July 5 - 9, 2010

Council -

It was great to see many of you on Sunday as you drove, rode, and walked by during the 4th of July parade.

Fourth of July. As you know, this was a very successful holiday with fewer fire and police calls for service than in prior years. The number of people in town was bigger than many years, so the low levels of calls is really remarkable. Here is a memo that Chief Karns sent me on Tuesday about the Fire Department's calls. Councilor Voisin rode along with Ashland Fire and Rescue, and as it turns out, it would have been difficult for her to have picked a more boring day. Ashland Fire and Rescue staff really enjoyed having Councilor Voisin ride along with them. If anyone else on the Council would like to do a ride along for all or part of a shift, please contact John Karns. In addition to having fewer calls, the reduction in fireworks also meant a lot less garbage in several parks, on school grounds, and on the streets. Thanks are due to the Chamber of Commerce, to the Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Police, and Fire Departments, to all of the community groups who participate in the parade and in Lithia Park, and to the hundreds of citizen volunteers who organize this event.

Water. Unlike last year, the news about the City's water supply is good. Reeder Reservoir is still at 100% capacity (in fact, water is still spilling over the top of the dam), and there is still snow melting on Mount Ashland. The flows from the east and west forks are still good. Also, we have not yet had an algae bloom in the reservoir (this is partially because of cool weather and partially because spilling water over the top of the dam keeps the water circulating). Public Works staff expect that we will likely have to treat for algae in about three weeks (probably the last week in July). We will use the non-toxic treatment again this year, and Public Works staff will be doing the treatment, which should lower our costs. Public Works Operations staff are updating the information about Reeder daily. Here is the status report on the Reeder draw down from yesterday. Please contact Terry Ellis in Public Works if you want more information.

Lightening Storms. As I am sure all of you noticed, thunderstorm season has started. While we didn't get any lightening or rain in town, there were several strikes close in. The Oregon Department of Forestry does a daily report during thunderstorm season, and we will pass on information about fires close to town. For example, there was a single-tree fire near Shale City , 11 miles northeast of Ashland, yesterday that was quickly contained. More thunderstorms are expected today.

Next Week. Next Week I will be at the Oregon City/County Manager's conference in Bend. I will be working, but Lee Tuneberg will be City Administrator Pro-Tem in my absence. I will be answering email, and Diana Shiplet and Lee Tuneberg can both track me down if needed.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Martha