Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 05/19/2025

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as excess smoke and odor. He described the likely path forward, with the group having more discussion on this topic and then perhaps a joint worksession with the City Council. Board Member Houts asked if the problem is more of what is being burned or that it is on all of the time. Senior Planner Anderson replied that he is unsure. He stated that it could be a combination of both, or could be the material that is being burned. Chairperson Fetterley stated that when these complaints are received, it would seem that the City Code is limited to the expectation for people who use this type of heating device. She asked if staff have verified if permits were obtained or inspected the devices to determine what is being burned. Senior Planner Anderson stated that the Code Enforcement Officer has been involved in at least one of the complaints, and the Police provided input at the worksession as well. He was unsure if permits were pulled and did not have the specific information on the properties that use wood boilers. He stated that he could explore whether mechanical permits were pulled, and if not, he could work with the building division on follow-up. Chairperson Fetterley commented that if the issue is the material that is being burned, that would seem to be a separate issue rather than needing to ban these systems throughout the community. She stated that she would prefer to verify if the situation mentioned is inappropriate before placing additional regulations across the city. Senior Planner Anderson stated that in reviewing the minutes from the Council worksession, it seemed that the majority consensus was not to ban this equipment and rather ensure that the devices are only burning what is intended. Board Member Hagerty appreciated the desire to educate the public on the proper use of the equipment and what should and should not be burned. He asked if the restriction of rural residential includes a minimum acreage for properties. Senior Planner Anderson replied that the rural residential zoning district does have a minimum lot size of 2.5 acres, but many properties exist today in that zoning district below that threshold. He cautioned against trying to devise anything based on property size and would suggest sticking with a setback from the property line. Board Member Hagerty suggested that perhaps they also consider the number of units within an area as well, to prevent the situation as described by the resident. Chairperson Fetterley asked if other cities have regulations of that type. Senior Planner Anderson commented that certain communities have prohibited the wood boilers, others allow them, and some have created regulations. He stated that he has not yet reviewed what the neighboring community regulations are, but confirmed that could be done if they do a deeper dive on this topic. He noted that one of the main objectives of the Comprehensive Plan is to maintain the balance of rural character and urban growth, and so it would seem counterintuitive to Environmental Policy Board / April 21, 2025 Page 3 of 5