Highlights of the February 16 Park Board meeting
5:02pm
Mayor Rybak and Peggy Booth are not present and are supposed to speak to the Operations and Environment Committee, so commissioner John Erwin calls the Recreation Committee meeting to order instead.
5:03pm
Mayor Rybak and Peggy Booth arrive. Recreation Committee meeting continues.
* Study / Report Items
General manager Mike Schmidt gives a brief report on parkway closings to vehicular traffic, their problems and finishes by saying that staff recommends against any parkways closings in 2005.
Commissioner Annie Young says she is disappointed, and would actually like to close them more often. She's mentions that today is the first day of the Kyoto Agreement (to which, the USA is the only major country that did not sign), and says that although the USA is not participating, we can still take action right here in Minneapolis to reduce air pollution [via such closings].
Commissioner Vivian Mason states that although she is not a member of this committee, she echoes Young's sentiments and reports that her constituents thought that past closings were successful.
Commissioner Rochelle Berry Graves says that not closing the parkways is troublesome to her also. She believes that such closings are a way for families to get together and meet one another in a beneficial way.
Commissioner Marie Hauser asks about the history, wrongly guessing that they were closed the last 2 summers.
Schmidt clarifies, there were no closings in 2004.
Hauser asks about staff time.
Schmidt answers they do take some commitment from park keepers and park police, as citizens seem to ignore the barricades unless a person in a blue uniform is standing there. They tried volunteers in 2003 with mixed success.
Closings need to be prioritized versus other needs.
Commissioner Bob Fine eventually gets around to saying he thinks that parkways closings are a great idea but that there is no money in the budget to do it. The idea did not get off the ground; it needs more publicity. [And whose fault is it that there is no money and inadequate publicity? Where does the buck stop?] Fine says the bike paths are very good and that the board should revisit the idea another time.
Commissioner Walt Dziedzic says they talked about consolidating what the board does at the retreat. He says "kill it." He says there is no need for parkway closings in Northeast and Southeast because of bike paths, and that the River Roads are needed for transportation. He says he will vote for the staff recommendation.
Young reminds the board that this is a study/report item, not a vote. She reminds the board that there is a Green Team about to come forward with a bunch of "green" initiatives, of which parkway closings might be a part.
Erwin says he pushed to restart the closings in 2003, and is in favor of continuing them. He doesn't believe the cost is high although police will always be needed to complement the volunteers. He says he spoke with some businesses near Lake Calhoun which expressed interest in the idea and who might be willing to help pay for it. He says it takes a while to get events like this started, before people get used to and expect them and make them succeed.
Recreation Committee is adjourned.
5:20pm
Young calls the Operations and Environment Committee to order.
Young invites Mayor Rybak and Peggy Booth, Chairperson of the Minneapolis Tree Advisory Committee (MTAC), to speak regarding Dutch Elm Disease. Rybak defers to Booth who gives her latest report.
Booth says that since her last report to the Park Board in January, she has met with the City Council and the Mayor, and begun some process for cooperative efforts. She would like to have 3 more members appointed to MTAC, one from the business sector, one from the utilities sector and one from the CUE shade tree committee[?].
Booth mentions the excellent press coverage their report got in January, with coverage by most or all TV stations and newspapers. She says they are working with Lee Lynch of Carmichael Lynch to develop an integrated awareness campaign. City Public Works are now helping with the removal of trees and they anticipate that all trees on public property that were marked in 2004 will be down by the end of this month, instead of the end of March.
Booth says they are looking for a site in North or Northeast to handle wood and bark processing, in addition to the site at Ft. Snelling. She says they need more funds committed to this crisis in 2005, or the costs will be higher in 2006 and 2007.
Booth notes that trees on private property are a problem, in that 35% of those trees marked last summer are still standing. They need more contractors, and they need to find a way to help residents pay for the sometimes high cost of removal. Currently there is no incentive for contractors or private tree owners to expedite the removal of diseased trees -- quick removal being the key to preserving existing trees.
Rybak thanks the Park Board for their cooperation and talks about how we (Park Board and City) can work together better. He was recently in Washington D.C. at the national conference for mayors, and as a result he may have found a source for some money, maybe $50,000. He says Mayor Daly of Chicago was able to get some money, and Minnesota U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo is working on same for Minneapolis. Rybak mentions the possibility of using property tax statements as a way to help residents pay for private tree removal over a 10-year or so period. This is just starting to be investigated. He mentions the city and park partnership on both trees and parkway lighting. The Park Board took over responsibility for trees and the city for lighting a while back. Lighting has turned out to be more expensive than estimated, though the city will spend $1.8 million on it over the next 5 years. Likewise, the Dutch Elm problem has made the tree maintenance more expensive.
Erwin thanks the Tree Committee, Mayor and City Council President Paul Ostrow for their efforts in addressing the Dutch Elm problem. Erwin has a question regarding cutting diseased trees versus planting new ones.
Schmidt answers that they plan to plant about 2500 trees this year using $100,000 from the Mayor and some money from NRP. [I believe there is no money from the Park Board budget being spent on planting.] After planting, they will get back to more cutting. They are anticipating cutting another 5300 trees this year (as many as last year). They had an aggressive diseased tree identification program last fall. [Note that there are an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 elm trees left in Minneapolis.] Schmidt says they will take different approach this year, and that they have $500,000 for stump grinding.
Erwin moves that the 3 requested appointments to the MTAC be made.
Young reminds Erwin it's a study/report item, and that others must speak before they can have a motion.
Berry Graves talks about the problem with diseased trees on private property and the financial hardship it poses for many families. She asks about spreading the cost out over 10 to 15 years on property taxes.
Rybak answers that they are exploring that, but are early in the process.
Berry Graves asks about the impact of a mild winter.
Schmidt says there is no empirical data but everyone believes that mild winters are good for elm bark beetles and thus bad for elms. He says they won't really know for 5 or more years due to the time it takes for the disease to occur and be recognized. On the other hand, mild winters are good for cutting trees.
Hauser (not on this committee) thanks the mayor and agrees that trees and lighting are priorities, and has little substantive to say other than the case for addressing the problem needs to be made in every venue. [It appears to me that Hauser is simply trying to get greater visibility for her campaign for City Council.]
Dziedzic (not on this committee) says he talked to "freshman representative Diane Loeffler" and asked is there any money for trees? [at the state] He mentions some antiquated funds at the legislature for electric[?]. [I'm told that Diane Loeffler says they are in the DNR area.] He says they need to think out of the box for a solution to get rid of the bugs. He says its a question of priorities and to remember the homeowner who "has had it up to here" with higher taxes.
Fine makes a bunch of sentence fragment statements expressing incomplete thoughts before finally saying that the urban forest is such an important part....didn't we spend $11 million?
Schmidt answers that the entire Forestry budget in 2004 was $9 million.
Fine continues that money is the big issue and thanks the Tree Commission [MTAC] and the Mayor. Then he asks how the levy fits with city policy?
Rybak responds that yes, they must hold the line on property taxes to the home owner (whom the state has seen fit to stick it to), and that they are /not/ looking at additional tax levy for trees.
Young wraps up the study item, comments on the need for publicity, thanks the mayor and MTAC chairperson. She remarks that with about 60,000 elms left and losing 5,000 a year, we have 10 years or so to deal with the problem before it solves itself. She suggests a citizen alert. It needs to get down to the table, perhaps via school kids who bring it home and push their parents, like with recycling.
Berry Graves asks if it can put in the utility bills?
Booth says that is already slated for the July bills.
Jeanette Monear[spelling?] from the Minnesota Shade Tree Committee[?] says that Kurt Peterson [?] is writing legislation at the state to help.
Rybak says that Carmichael Lynch has developed a campaign, there will be a utility mailer, but that it is important there be one big coordinated campaign between all involved and interested entities.
Erwin moves adding 3 positions to MTAC, and that the action item be moved to the full board. Motion ADOPTED.
Operations and Environment Committee Adjourns
5:58pm
President commissioner Jon Olson calls Regular meeting to order.
Chris Johnson - Fulton
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