When Scotts Valley City Manager Mali LaGoe suggested hosting a community meeting to address the ongoing wildfire threat and the accompanying insurance crisis, there was a hesitation on whether or not people would attend.
Well, that question was answered last Tuesday night when hundreds poured into the Scotts Valley performing arts center to hear from fire and insurance professionals address their numerous concerns. Although the CZU fire literally exploded onto the scene nearly four years ago, it became obvious to those in attendance that this horrific event still lingers and haunts a large portion of the county’s population.
As the audience filtered in, I sensed a note of collective anxiety and unease, as if the presentation was something they needed to hear, but the message and the words would not allay their discomfort. They were hopeful, however, that the session could provide at least some clarity on the future of the wildfire threat and relief from the very real exposure to the financial abyss that they face over insurance premiums. I think the meeting met those goals for many of the folks who were there.
Scotts Valley Vice Mayor Derek Timm was the moderator and introduced the fire professionals who led the audience through the importance of “home hardening” your residence by eliminating combustible materials around the home’s perimeter and having margins of safety in the 5 foot and 30 foot corridors that surround the residence.
Non-combustible roofs play one of the most important roles in a home’s safety, and as we would hear later, one of the most important considerations to insurance underwriters. My heart sank a little when the Cal Fire rep conveyed that trees too close to a home’s perimeter are a viable threat and need to be addressed. Thinking about my own yard, I contemplated if our flowering plum and crepe myrtle and beloved Japanese maple were really a true enemy of fire safety and focus of evil. Apparently so, if they grow too close to your home.
I was gratified that the Scotts Valley Battalion Chief Chris Stubendorff stressed the importance of family preparedness in the face of impending catastrophic circumstances. Just knowing evacuation routes, communication protocol and survival kit items was very instructive in coping with fire threats and disasters. Perhaps his most sobering, but important message was that everything is replaceable, except for life. Survival is the most important priority, with possessions placing as a very distant second.
Next a representative from a group called Firewise USA presented a collective that works together, neighbor to neighbor, to reduce the risks from wildfires in their community. It was comforting to know that individuals are taking their safety responsibilities personally and to new levels and adding another layer of protection for themselves and their families.
The second part of the program dealt with homeowners insurance. Fire safety and home hardening are important topics, but I believe that the uncertainty surrounding insurance availability and premiums is the source of most of the discomfort people have around this issue. Edan Cassidy from Cassidy Insurance gave a very good synopsis of the challenges people are facing as they endure cancellations and premium hikes.
A representative from the Insurance Commissioner’s office conveyed that with 7 of the 12 top insurance companies restricting business, this is indeed a crisis. He offered a glimmer of hope in that the California FAIR plan is becoming more efficient and that if some of the Commissioner’s reforms are approved, that at least one company will be re-entering the market to provide much needed coverage.
Perhaps the most dramatic moment came when Vice Mayor Timm asked through a show of hands, how many people had had their insurance coverage canceled. Virtually everyone put their hand up. Sobering.
I’m not sure if everyone left this meeting with a full degree of comfort. There are still a lot of unknowns, but I was impressed by the maturity of the attendees. While probably not liking everything they heard, they seemed to accept answers on questions that have lingered for too long.
If you are interested in watching this event on YouTube, go to tinyurl.com/3bwr4rp2.
Randy Johnson is mayor of the City of Scotts Valley. To reach Johnson, email rl***@co*****.net or call 831-438-0633.
