LNFF Wildfire Committee meeting. Please attend.

[youtube:3v9cbip9][/youtube:3v9cbip9]
Lower North Fork Wildfire Commission Meeting 8.13.12
Approximately 115 people in attendance, plus Commissioners and deputies/sheriff

Committee Members:
Senator Ellen Roberts
Representative Claire Levy
Senator Jeanne Nicholson
Representative Cheri Gerou
Mr. Jim Davis, Department of Public Safety

Ellen Roberts, State Senator spoke first, opened meeting
Reason/Objective of Commission at 2:45
Request for public testimony, guidelines for speaking

@9min 30sec Deputy Attorney General David Blake - discuss process of making
claims
2 main points :
1.) Must file Notice of Claim by September 22nd
2. Claims will not be forthcoming soon - litigation filed by insurance companies must be addressed. If settled out of court, could be expedited.

50 claims total to date, most by insurance companies.

@14min 45sec: Questions from Rep Cheri Gerou for Deputy Attorney General David Blake on behalf of constituents

@22min 30sec: Commission Panel Introductions
Senator Jeanne Nicholson
Representative Claire Levy - represents Boulder area
Representative Cheri Gerou
Mr. Jim Davis, Dept of Public Safety which now has responsibility for prescribed burns

@30min 45 sec: Tom Scanlan - introduced public presentation put together by residents who analyzed all official documents from various reviews

@1:31:00 Tom Scanlan finished his presentation

@1:32:00 public testimonies
1. Jim Fildey
2. Kim Olson & Doug Gulick @1:40:00 (the couple who made the escaping from the LNFF video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdBaqfiy ... re=related )
3. Marsha Petry @1:55:00
4. Harlen Helker (Jim) @1:58:00
5. Sharon Scanlan @2:00:00min
6. Sam Lucas, son of Sam & Linda Lucas 2:07:30
7. Scott Appel @2:13:15min
8. MaryAnn Ellis @2:19:00min
9. Dr. Robert Suding @2:23:00 Ham radio operator
10. Susan Sorenson @ 2:31:30 Scott Appel's sister
11. Andy & Jeanie Hoover @2:38:15
12. Beth Semptimphelter @2:40:45
13. Alison MacKenzie @2:51:00
14. Bruce Ellis @2:55:00
15. Jim Sorenson @2:56:30, brother-in-law of Scott Appel

@3:03:50 Closing Proceedings

No problem. Our neighbors aren't done with this by a long shot, and they are going to need our help.

I know it's a long video, but I definitely recommend watching the testimonials and the power point presentation that the residents put together - they look like they are ready for court and did a great job breaking down all of the official reports and poking holes in what went wrong. jf1acai, they might even benefit from your LNFF timeline as well, I'm not sure they have it. I think I still have a copy so if I have your permission, I will forward it on to Beth Semptimphelter.

The testimonies may surprise you. Sharon Scanlan laid it out for the Deputy Attorney General about how much effort and time is really involved in submitting a claim with the state, after he had made it sound like the claim form that the residents need to submit is an easy, quick one-page deal. He also made it clear that, despite the bill that Cheri Gerou had introduced and had been passed that seemed to speed up the compensation process and amounts to each of the families, that no payouts would be made until after all litigation was settled - they have tied the litigation to the payouts that had already been promised. So far 50 lawsuits have been filed against the state, most of them being the insurance companies. So after a fire that was not the residents fault was started during conditions that should have made it a no-go, and was improperly monitored and "controlled" (by that I mean they left it smoldering with very little personnel and insufficient equipment on hand to deal with it based on the weather forecast and ground conditions), they have to continue bearing the cost, financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally, of this event. It's not right. This commission may help, but it doesn't seem to have any real teeth or power, so they're gonna need continued media attention and lots of public support to find answers, and to receive what was promised them.