On Tuesday, Feb.11, Riverside County 3rd District Supv. Chuck Washington asked his Board of Supervisors colleagues to approve the use of Community Improvement Funds to help two Idyllwild organizations — the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council and Idyllwild Rotary.

MCFSC is the beneficiary of $5,000. Washington’s memo said the funds would “assist with low-income seniors and disabled individuals to pay for their share of cost in fire abatement.” MCFSC will have contractors remove the larger fuels, such as trees, from their properties and also help maintain the buffer zones around the community.

“There are some senior citizens and disabled individuals who cannot physically do their abatement work and they also cannot afford the cost-share,” wrote Edwina Scott, MCFSC executive director. “Every spring, the Woodies help these folk maintain their defensible space. However, we have found that there are some jobs that are beyond the scope of the Woodies. This $5,000 will cover the cost-share to have a contractor do these jobs.”

The Idyllwild HELP Center will work with MCFSC to identify qualified beneficiaries.

Also, Washington gave the Idyllwild Rotary $725 to reimburse it for unanticipated costs incurred to move the November Harvest Festival. A week before the festival, the county closed Town Hall for several weeks to inspect for asbestos.

“Chuck Washington has been great in working with us; incredibly responsive and totally supportive of everything Rotary does,” said Rotary President Chuck Weisbart in an email. “We will be putting the money back into our community … as a matter of fact … we have earmarked those funds along with more to purchase Chromebook headsets for Idyllwild Elementary School.”