Seneca council hears call to keep burn ban, schedules hydrant testing and reiterates 15-day nuisance compliance

Mayor Brad Smith called the Sept. 12 City of Seneca council meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. during an open-floor exchange that touched on burning rules, hydrant testing and code-enforcement letters.

Councilor Barbara Northington said a constituent asked about using a torch for burning and urged the council "we should keep burn ban in effect." The council did not adopt a new ordinance during the meeting; Northington's comment was recorded as part of open-floor discussion.

Fire Chief Mike Allen announced, "I will be testing the fire hydrants for Seneca's ISO rating," a step officials said is intended to assess the community's fire-protection classification. Later in the open-floor discussion, Pete Walker asked how many nuisance letters were issued and what compliance period applied; staff replied that maintenance personnel documented properties in a drive-through, letters cited the relevant ordinances and property owners were given 15 days to correct violations.

The open-floor remarks also included a question from Chuck White about why Seneca did not attend a John Day mayor's meeting concerning a possible law-enforcement levy; Mayor Smith said he was aware of the meeting's subject and believed it was not appropriate for Seneca to participate.

The exchange produced no immediate policy change that evening. Councilors and staff noted follow-up steps — hydrant testing by the fire department and continued code-enforcement work — but no motions or votes were taken on the burn-ban question.